Refrigerator having a shaved ice supplying device

• US 20060059939A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Hoon, An, Jae Koog
• Application Number:
  US11/176,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/344
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/08 for different type of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/046 Ice-crusher machines
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a shaved ice supplying device which includes an ice shaver for pulverizing ice cubes supplied from an ice storing box into shaved ice, and with a passageway structure for distributing the ice. The refrigerator comprises an ice supplying device to supply ice cubes, an ice shaver to pulverize the ice cubes, supplied from the ice supplying device, into shaved ice, and a dispenser adapted to allow the ice cubes supplied from the ice supplying device to be directly dispensed while allowing the shaved ice pulverized by the ice shaver to be dispensed.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

an ice supplying device to supply ice cubes;

an ice shaver to pulverize the ice cubes, supplied from the ice supplying device, into shaved ice; and

a dispenser adapted to allow the ice cubes supplied from the ice supplying device to be directly dispensed while allowing the shaved ice pulverized by the ice shaver to be dispensed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser comprises:

an ice cube dispensing part to allow the ice cubes to be dispensed; and

a shaved ice dispensing part to allow the shaved ice to be dispensed,

wherein the ice cube dispensing part and the shaved ice dispensing part are separately provided in the dispenser.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising:

an ice feeding passageway branched such that the ice supplied from the ice supplying device is selectively supplied to the ice cube dispensing part and the shaved ice dispensing part through the ice feeding passageway.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the ice feeding passageway comprises:

an ice cube passageway to guide the ice to the ice cube dispensing part;

a shaved ice passageway to guide the ice to the shaved ice dispensing part; and

a passageway-changing member provided at a branch point in the ice feeding passageway to selectively open or close the ice cube passageway and the shaved ice passageway at the branch point.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, further comprising a motor to drive the passageway-changing member.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the ice shaver is positioned in the shaved ice passageway.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice shaver comprises:

a housing having a cutter therein to pulverize the ice; and

a feeding part to feed the ice to the cutter.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the feeding part comprises a rotor rotatably positioned in the housing and having at least one spiral-shaped plate, and a motor to drive the rotor.

9. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet to define at least one storage chamber therein;

an ice supplying device provided to the storage chamber to supply ice cubes;

at least one door to open or close the storage chamber;

a dispenser provided to an outer surface of the door to allow the ice to be dispensed; and

an ice shaver positioned in the door to pulverize the ice cubes supplied from the ice supplying device into shaved ice.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the dispenser comprises:

an ice cube dispensing part to allow the ice cubes to be dispensed; and

a shaved ice dispensing part to allow the shaved ice to be dispensed, wherein

the ice cube dispensing part and the shaved ice dispensing part are separately provided in the dispenser, and

the door comprises an ice feeding passageway branched such that the ice supplied from the ice supplying device is selectively supplied to the ice cube dispensing part and the shaved ice dispensing part.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the ice feeding passageway comprises:

an ice cube passageway to guide the ice to the ice cube dispensing part; and

a shaved ice passageway to guide the ice to the shaved ice dispensing part wherein the ice shaver is positioned in the shaved ice passageway.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the ice feeding passageway further comprises:

a passageway-changing member provided at a branch point in the ice feeding passageway to selectively open or close the ice cube passageway and the shaved ice passageway.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, further comprising a motor to drive the passageway-changing member.

14. A refrigerator comprising:

a door to open and close the refrigerator, the door comprising;

an ice dispenser to selectively supply ice cubes and shaved ice;

an ice cube passageway and a shaved ice passageway to separately feed the ice cubes and the shaved ice to the ice dispenser; and

an ice shaver positioned in the shaved ice passageway to crush the ice when shaved ice is to be supplied from the ice dispenser.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the ice dispenser comprises:

an ice cube dispensing part to supply the ice cubes; and

a shaved ice dispensing part to supply the shaved ice.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14, further comprises:

a passageway-changing member provided at a branch point within the door, to selectively open and close the ice cube passageway and the shaved ice passageway.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, further comprising a motor to drive the passageway-changing member.