Refrigerator having multiple icemakers

Abstract

The refrigerator includes a main body forming the external appearance of the refrigerator, a freezing chamber and a cooling chamber divisionally provided in the main body, an ice making chamber separately provided in the cooling chamber to be thermally insulated, a first ice making unit provided in the ice making chamber to produce ice, and a second ice making unit provided in the freezing chamber to produce ice.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body forming the external appearance of the refrigerator;   a freezing chamber and a cooling chamber divisionally provided in the main body;   an ice making chamber separately provided in the cooling chamber to be thermally insulated;   a first ice making unit provided in the ice making chamber to produce ice; and   a second ice making unit provided in the freezing chamber to produce ice.   
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water supply source to supply water independently to the first and second ice making units; and   a distributor provided between the first and second ice making units.   
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising doors to open and close the cooling chamber,
 wherein one door of the doors is provided with a dispenser device to discharge the ice in the first ice making unit to the outer surface of the one door.   
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , further comprising a water tank provided at the inlet side of the dispenser device,
 wherein a first valve to supply water selectively to one of the water tank and the second ice making unit is provided at the inlet side of the water tank.   
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein a second valve to supply water selectively to the first ice making unit is provided at the inlet side of the first ice making unit. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a water tank provided at the inlet side of the dispenser device; and   a valve unit to supply water selectively to one of the first and second ice making units and the water tank.   
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the valve unit includes a first valve to supply water selectively to one of the first and second ice making units, and a second valve provided at the inlet side of the first valve to supply water selectively to one of the first valve and the water tank. 
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first storage container provided in the ice making chamber to store ice separated from the first ice making unit; and   a second storage container provided in the freezing chamber to store ice separated from the second ice making unit.   
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising a cover to cover an opening formed through the front surface of the ice making chamber such that the ice making chamber is thermally insulated,
 wherein the cover is formed integrally with the first storage container.   
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the second storage container is provided in a drawer under the second ice making unit. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a sliding door to open and close the freezing chamber;   a first drawer unit formed integrally with the door; and   a second drawer unit provided above the first drawer unit to be slidable,   wherein the second storage container is detachably provided in the second drawer unit.   
   
   
       12 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body divided into a cooling chamber in the upper portion thereof and a freezing chamber in the lower portion thereof;   doors respectively opening and closing the cooling chamber and the freezing chamber;   an ice making chamber separately provided in the cooling chamber to be thermally insulated;   a first icemaker provided in the ice making chamber to produce ice and store the produced ice;   a second icemaker provided in the freezing chamber to produce ice and store the produced ice; and   a dispenser device provided on one door of the doors to discharge the ice in the first icemaker to the outer surface of the one door.   
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the second icemaker includes a second ice making unit to produce ice, and a second storage container provided under the second ice making unit to be movable forward and backward. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the freezing chamber includes an evaporator, a freezing part to form a storage space, and a freezing duct to divide the evaporator and the freezing part from each other and supply cold air heat-exchanged with the evaporator to the freezing part; and   the freezing duct includes at least one outlet to supply cold air to the freezing part, at least one inlet to guide the cold air of the freezing part to the evaporator, and an ice-making discharge hole to supply cold air to the second ice making unit.   
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the second ice making unit includes an ice making tray; and   the ice-making discharge hole includes an inclined part to guide cold air to the lower portion of the ice making tray.   
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 14 , wherein a first air blower fan to forcibly circulate the cold air of the evaporator to the ice making chamber is provided in the freezing duct. 
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein a second air blower fan to forcibly circulate the cold air of the evaporator to the ice-making discharge hole is provided in the freezing duct. 
   
   
       18 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body divided into a cooling chamber in the upper portion thereof and a freezing chamber in the lower portion thereof;   doors respectively opening and closing the cooling chamber and the freezing chamber;   an ice making chamber separately provided at a corner of the upper portion of the cooling chamber to be thermally insulated;   a first icemaker provided in the ice making chamber to produce ice and store the produced ice;   a second icemaker provided in the freezing chamber to produce ice and store the produced ice;   a supply channel connecting the freezing chamber and the ice making chamber to supply cold air to the first icemaker; and   a return channel to return cold air in the ice making chamber to the freezing chamber.   
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 18 , further comprising a dispenser device provided on one door of the doors to discharge the ice in the first icemaker to the outer surface of the one door. 
   
   
       20 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cooling chamber;   a freezing chamber provided under the cooling chamber;   an ice making chamber made of an insulating material to be separated from the cooling chamber;   cooling chamber doors to open and close the cooling chamber;   a first icemaker provided in the ice making chamber;   a dispenser device provided on one of the cooling chamber doors to be operated in connection with the first icemaker; and   a second icemaker provided in the freezing chamber,   wherein the second icemaker includes an ice making unit fixed to an upper wall of the freezing chamber, and a storage container movably provided under the ice making unit.   
   
   
       21 . The refrigerator according to  claim 20 , wherein the second icemaker further includes a water pipe to supply water to the ice making unit. 
   
   
       22 . The refrigerator according to  claim 20 , further comprising a drawer unit slidably provided in the freezing chamber,
 wherein the storage container is detachably provided in the drawer unit such that the storage container moves according to the movement of the drawer unit.   The refrigerator according to  claim 20 , wherein:   the ice making unit includes a case; and   at least one fixing piece to fix wires is provided on the upper surface of the case.   
   
   
       24 . The refrigerator according to claim  23 , wherein:
 the case is provided with sliding parts and first screw connection parts to fix the case to the upper surface of the freezing chamber; and   the upper surface of the freezing chamber is provided with sliding guides corresponding to the sliding parts and second screw connection parts corresponding to the first screw connection parts.