Check valve for a refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator ( 1 ) including a dispenser ( 10 ) mounted to door, a nozzle ( 17 ) mounted to the dispenser for discharging water to an outside of the dispenser, and a residual water preventive unit ( 20 ) mounted close to the nozzle for preventing residual water from dropping, thereby preventing residual water from being dropped from a nozzle of a dispenser in the door of the refrigerator.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a dispenser mounted to a door;   a nozzle mounted to the dispenser for discharging water to an outside of the dispenser; and   a residual water preventive unit mounted close to the nozzle for preventing residual water from dropping.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the residual water preventive unit is a check valve. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the check valve includes;
 a plate for opening/closing a pipe passage in the check valve selectively, and a spring for pressing the plate in one direction.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the nozzle has a small inside diameter enough to prevent the water in the pipeline from an underside of the plate to the nozzle from dropping owing to the elastic force of the spring and a surface tension of the water. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the inside diameter of the nozzle is below ¼ inches. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser includes a water supply valve for controlling water supply to the nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the residual water preventive unit closes the nozzle if a water pressure drops below a predetermined pressure, and opens the nozzle if the water pressure rises above the predetermined pressure. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is mounted to the door such that the dispenser can be pushed into the door or pulled out of the door. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the dispenser further includes a chute mounted to the dispenser such that the chute is exposed to the outside of the door. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the dispenser further includes a tray removably mounted under the nozzle. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser further includes a chute mounted to the dispenser such that the chute is pushed in/pulled out of the door. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the dispenser further includes a tray removably mounted under the nozzle. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a dispenser mounted to a door;   a nozzle mounted to the dispenser for discharging water to an outside of the dispenser;   a check valve mounted close to an end of the nozzle for closing the nozzle if a water pressure drops below a predetermined pressure, and opening the nozzle if the water pressure rises above the predetermined pressure for preventing residual water from dropping; and   a water supply valve for controlling water supply to the nozzle to make the check valve to be opened/closed, selectively.