Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690390-B2
Application number	US-201916700487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2019
Priority date	May 26, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator may include: a refrigerator compartment, a convertible compartment, an evaporator disposed in the convertible compartment; and a grill pan assembly forming a space where the evaporator is disposed by dividing the inside of the convertible compartment. The grill pan assembly may include an insulating member, a convertible compartment fan, a refrigerator compartment fan, and an opening device formed at the insulating member from the convertible compartment channel to the refrigerator compartment channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
a refrigerator compartment disposed at the cabinet;
a convertible compartment disposed at the cabinet, and the convertible compartment to be capable of being set at a refrigerator temperature or a freezer temperature;
an evaporator disposed in the convertible compartment; and
a grill pan assembly disposed inside of the convertible compartment;
wherein the grill pan assembly includes:
an insulating structure having a convertible compartment channel and a refrigerator compartment channel, the convertible compartment channel at a first side of the insulating structure to supply cold air to the convertible compartment, and the refrigerator compartment channel at a second side of the insulating structure to supply cold air to the refrigerator compartment;
a convertible compartment fan at the convertible compartment channel, and the convertible compartment fan to provide cold air from the evaporator to the convertible compartment channel; and
a refrigerator compartment fan at the refrigerator compartment channel, and the refrigerator compartment fan to provide cold air from the evaporator to the refrigerator compartment channel,
wherein the insulating structure includes at least one air guide opening from the convertible compartment channel to the refrigerator compartment channel, the at least one air guide opening to allow some air to flow into the refrigerator compartment channel when the convertible compartment fan is to operate, and to block some air from flowing backward from the refrigerator compartment to a space of the evaporator,
wherein the at least one air guide opening includes:
a negative pressure compensation hole to reduce negative pressure when the refrigerator compartment fan is to rotate; and
an anti-backflow portion that is open to the refrigerator compartment channel at a side of the convertible compartment channel, and the anti-backflow portion to allow some air from the convertible compartment fan to flow toward the refrigerator compartment and block air from flowing backward from the refrigerator compartment.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the negative pressure compensation hole is provided at the insulating structure along an extension line from a rotational center of the refrigerator compartment fan.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the convertible compartment fan and the refrigerator compartment fan are arranged in parallel, and
a dividing wall provided between the convertible compartment fan and the refrigerator compartment fan to separate the convertible compartment fan and the refrigerator compartment fan.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the anti-backflow portion includes:
an inlet guide recessed at an angle at the convertible compartment channel;
an outlet guide recessed at an angle at the refrigerator compartment channel; and
a through-portion to connect the inlet guide and the outlet guide.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the outlet guide increases in width as the outlet guide extends away from the through-portion.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the outlet guide is provided at a stepped end of the convertible compartment channel.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the anti-backflow portion is further away from the convertible compartment channel than the negative pressure compensation hole.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the grill pan assembly includes:
a grill pan to form a first side of the grill pan assembly, and the grill pan to form a portion of inner sides of the convertible compartment; and
an insulating sheet between the grill pan and the insulating structure, and the insulating sheet to insulate the convertible compartment channel from the grill pan.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the grill pan includes:
upper pan exits at an upper portion of the grill pan to discharge air in the convertible compartment channel to the convertible compartment; and
lower pan exits under the upper pan exits, and the lower pan exits having a smaller area than the upper pan exits.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the convertible compartment channel includes:
an upper section to receive the upper pan exits of the grill pan and the convertible compartment fan; and
a lower section to receive the lower pan exits of the grill pan, and wherein the upper section decreases in width as the upper section extends to the upper end of the lower section.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the grill pan assembly includes an insulating duct at the refrigerator compartment channel at the insulating structure, and the insulating duct to allow air to flow toward the refrigerator compartment.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the insulating duct includes:
a lower part to extend upward from a lower end of the grill pan assembly; and
an upper part to extend at an angle from an upper end of the lower part to the refrigerator compartment fan.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein a width of the lower part of the insulating duct is less than a width of the upper part of the insulating duct,
a depth of the lower part is larger than a depth of the upper part, and
a cross-sectional area of the lower part is same as a cross-sectional area of the upper part.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the grill pan assembly includes:
a grill pan to provide a front appearance of the grill pan assembly; and
a shroud to provide a rear appearance of the grill pan assembly, and the shroud to couple with the grill pan and have the insulating structure between the shroud and the grill pan.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the insulating structure includes:
inclined portions that are inclined toward a center of a lower end of the convertible compartment channel;
a water discharge hole at a joining of the inclined portions of the convertible compartment channel, and
a first water discharge guide at the first side of the insulating structure, wherein the first water discharge guide to extend from the water discharge hole to a lower end of the insulating structure to discharge water in the convertible compartment channel.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , further comprising an insulating duct that extends from the refrigerator compartment channel toward the refrigerator compartment,
wherein the insulating structure includes a second water discharge guide having a first end to communicate with the insulating duct and a second end that extends to the lower end of the insulating structure to discharge water into the insulating duct.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the convertible compartment fan is a box fan, and the refrigerator compartment fan is a box fan,
the convertible compartment fan is provided at an angle such that an upper end of the convertible compartment fan to protrude further than a rear side of the grill pan assembly,
wherein the convertible compartment fan is inclined in an opposite direction to a rotational direction of blades of the convertible compartment fan,
the refrigerator compartment fan is provided at an angle such that an upper end of the refrigerator compartment fan to protrude further than a rear side of the grill pan assembly,
wherein the refrigerator compartment fan is inclined in an opposite direction to a rotational direction of blades of the refrigerator compartment fan.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Kihwang
• Kang Sunghee
• Lee Donghyoung

Classifications

• F25D2400/24

  Protection against refrigerant explosions · CPC title

• F25D23/065

  Details · CPC title

• F25D17/06 Primary

  by forced circulation · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/068

  Arrangements for circulating fluids through the insulating material · CPC title