Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a freezing compartment and a door for selectively opening or closing at least a part of the freezing compartment The door includes a foam insulating layer and a sidewall contacting the foam insulating layer. A heater is installed correlative with the sidewall to supply heat to the sidewall.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a freezing compartment,   a door for selectively opening or closing at least a part of the freezing compartment, said door comprising a foam insulating layer and a sidewall contacting the foam insulating layer; and   a heater installed correlative with the sidewall to supply heat to the sidewall.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the heater is located on an inner side of the sidewall. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising an adhesive for attaching the heater to an inner side of the sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising a heat conducting element for transmitting heat generated by the heater to the sidewall, said heat conducting element being located between an inner surface of the sidewall and the heater. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 12  wherein the door is rotatable around a rotation axis parallel to a vertical axis, said sidewall being arranged in parallel relation to the rotation axis. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the sidewall is located distant from the rotation axis. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising a dispenser located on the door and configured to dispense ice. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the heater is at least partially overlapped with the dispenser in a transverse direction thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising a heating unit for supplying heat to the dispenser. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising a control unit and a sensing unit for detecting at least one parameter, wherein the heater is automatically controlled by the control unit in response to the parameter detected by the sensing unit. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator of  claim 21 , wherein the parameter comprises ambient temperature and/or ambient relative humidity and/or a temperature of the sidewall.