Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes an auger including a transfer unit transferring ice in an ice bucket and a driving gear unit formed at the end of the transfer unit and transmitting rotary force and an agitator including an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice bucket and a driven gear unit combined with the end of the agitation unit. The auger is formed integrally and thus, the number of parts of the auger is reduced and the assembled structure of the auger is simplified. The ice bucket is fixed in the upward, downward, and horizontal directions by a dual fixing device and is easily attached to and detached from a door of the refrigerator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body comprising a storage chamber;   a door rotatably combined with the main body to open and close the storage chamber;   an ice maker provided on the door;   an ice bucket provided on the door to store ice made by the ice maker;   an auger provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a transfer unit transferring the ice in the ice bucket and a driving gear unit integrally formed with the end of the transfer unit and transmitting rotary force; and   an agitator provided on the ice bucket to be rotated by the rotary force transmitted from the auger and comprising an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice bucket and a driven gear unit engaged with the driving gear unit and combined with the end of the agitation unit.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the transfer unit and the driving gear unit are integrally formed through injection molding. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a motor driving the auger,
 wherein the auger and the agitator are rotated together by driving the motor.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the auger and the agitator are rotated in opposite directions. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving gear unit of the auger and the driven gear unit of the agitator are disposed at the outside of the ice bucket. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice bucket comprises a driving gear unit passage hole through which the driving gear unit of the auger passes. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the auger further comprises an auger separation prevention rib having a greater diameter than the diameter of the driving gear unit passage hole to prevent the auger from being separated to the outside of the ice bucket via the driving gear unit passage hole. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the agitation unit comprises a gear combination unit provided at the end of the agitation rotary shaft so that the driven gear unit is combined with the gear combination unit. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the ice bucket comprises a gear combination unit passage hole through which the gear combination unit passes. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein the agitator further comprises an agitator separation prevention rib having a greater diameter than the diameter of the gear combination unit passage hole to prevent the agitator from being separated to the outside of the ice bucket via the gear combination unit passage hole. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the agitation unit and the driven gear unit are fixed to each other using at least one of a screw and a hook. 
     
     
         12 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body;   a door rotatably combined with the main body;   an ice bucket attached to and detached from the door; and   a dual fixing device fixing the ice bucket to the door, wherein the dual fixing device comprises:   a first latch provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a first locking part;   an elastic member elastically supporting the first latch;   a second latch provided on the ice bucket to be fixed and comprising a second locking part;   a first catch provided on the door and comprising an upper support surface supporting the upper end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the upward direction and a first side support surface supporting the side end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction; and   a second catch provided on the door and comprising a lower support surface supporting the lower end of the second locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and a second side support surface supporting the side end of the second locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the first latch is provided at a higher position of the ice bucket than the second latch. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the first latch is fixed to the first catch after the second latch is fixed to the second catch. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein locking between the second latch and the second catch is released after locking between the first latch and the first catch is released. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body comprising a storage chamber;   a door rotatably combined with the main body to open and close the storage chamber;   an ice maker provided on the door;   a detachable ice bucket provided on the door to store ice made by the ice maker;   an auger provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a transfer unit transferring the ice in the ice bucket and a driving gear unit integrally formed with the end of the transfer unit and transmitting rotary force;   an agitator provided on the ice bucket to be rotated by the rotary force transmitted from the auger and comprising an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice bucket and a driven gear unit engaged with the driving gear unit and combined with the end of the agitation unit; and   a dual fixing device fixing the detachable ice bucket to the door.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the dual fixing device comprises:
 a first latch provided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a first locking part;   an elastic member elastically supporting the first latch;   a second latch provided on the ice bucket to be fixed and comprising a second locking part;   a first catch provided on the door and comprising an upper support surface supporting the upper end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the upward direction and a first side support surface supporting the side end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction; and   a second catch provided on the door and comprising a lower support surface supporting the lower end of the second locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and a second side support surface supporting the side end of the second locking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction.