Refrigeration and ice-making system thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator and an ice-making system thereof, which may maximize space utilization inside a storage compartment. To this end, an ice-making device is horizontally wide and vertically thin, and an ice discharge port of a dispenser unit is oriented obliquely or parallel to a surface of a storage compartment door to reduce the thickness of the dispenser unit. An icemaker and an ice storage container to receive ice made by the icemaker are horizontally arranged parallel to each other within the ice-making device. A transfer channel is formed in an inner foamed portion of the storage compartment door to maximize space utilization inside the storage compartment and door shelves.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body having a storage compartment defined therein;   a storage compartment door to open or close the storage compartment at a front side of the body;   an ice-making device arranged in the storage compartment to make ice; and   a dispenser unit arranged in the storage compartment door,   wherein the ice-making device includes an ice-making chamber that defines a space independent of the interior of the storage compartment and is horizontally wide and vertically thin, and   wherein the dispenser unit is formed at the same height as the ice-making chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice-making device includes an icemaker to make ice within the ice-making chamber and an ice storage container arranged in parallel and next to the icemaker to store the ice made by the icemaker. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser unit includes an ice discharge port oriented obliquely or parallel to a surface of the storage compartment door. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein an inclination angle between the ice discharge port and the surface of the storage compartment door is in a range of about 0 degrees or more and about 60 degrees or less. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice-making chamber has an outer appearance similar to a drawer that is provided in the storage compartment so as to be pulled out. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the dispenser unit includes a discharge chute to guide the ice of the ice-making device to the outside of the storage compartment door; and   the discharge chute is horizontally formed.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ice-making device is arranged in a lower region of the storage compartment; and   the refrigerator further comprises an auxiliary drawer arranged below the ice-making device so as to be pulled out, the auxiliary drawer providing an additional ice storage space.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice-making device is arranged in a central region of the storage compartment. 
     
     
         9 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body having a storage compartment defined therein;   a storage compartment door to open or close the storage compartment at a front side of the body;   an ice-making device arranged in the storage compartment to make ice; and   a dispenser unit arranged in the storage compartment door,   wherein the ice-making device includes an ice-making chamber that defines an independent space in an upper region of the storage compartment and is horizontally wide and vertically thin,   wherein the storage compartment door includes a transfer channel to move the ice of the ice-making device to the dispenser unit, and   wherein the transfer channel is embedded in an inner foamed portion of the storage compartment door.   
     
     
         10 . An ice-making system of a refrigerator comprising an ice-making device arranged in a storage compartment of the refrigerator to make ice and a dispenser unit arranged in the storage compartment door to discharge the ice of the ice-making device,
 wherein the dispenser unit includes an ice discharge port oriented obliquely or parallel to a surface of the storage compartment door, to occupy the minimum rear space of the storage compartment door.   
     
     
         11 . The ice-making system according to  claim 10 , wherein the ice-making device is horizontally wide and vertically thin and includes an ice-making chamber, an icemaker to make ice in a partial region of the ice-making chamber, and an ice storage container arranged in parallel and next to the icemaker to store the ice made by the icemaker. 
     
     
         12 . The ice-making system according to  claim 10 , wherein an inclination angle between the ice discharge port and the surface of the storage compartment door is in a range of about 0 degrees or more and about 60 degrees or less. 
     
     
         13 . The ice-making system according to  claim 11 , wherein the ice-making chamber has an outer appearance similar to a drawer that is provided in the storage compartment so as to be pulled out. 
     
     
         14 . The ice-making system according to  claim 10 , wherein the dispenser unit is formed at the same height as the ice-making chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The ice-making system according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the dispenser unit includes a discharge chute to guide the ice of the ice-making device to the outside of the storage compartment door; and   the discharge chute is horizontally formed.   
     
     
         16 . The ice-making system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the ice-making device is arranged in a lower region of the storage compartment; and   the refrigerator further comprises an auxiliary drawer arranged below the ice-making device so as to be pulled out, the auxiliary drawer providing an additional ice storage space.   
     
     
         17 . The ice-making system according to  claim 10 , wherein the ice-making device is arranged in a central region of the storage compartment. 
     
     
         18 . The ice-making system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the ice-making device is arranged in an upper region of the storage compartment;   the storage compartment door includes a transfer channel to move the ice of the ice-making device to the dispenser unit; and   the transfer channel is embedded in an inner foamed portion of the storage compartment door.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein a horizontal width of the ice-making chamber is at least three times a vertical height of the ice-making chamber.