Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10731902-B2
Application number	US-201916391924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes evaporator cases arranged in a freezing chamber and located on a bottom surface of a partition wall, an evaporator installed inside the evaporator cases, and grill covers arranged on a rear side of the evaporator cases and having a blowing fan installed therein. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber discharge passage which extends from the grill covers to a refrigerating chamber and through which at least a portion of cold air passing through the blowing fan flows, and a freezing chamber discharge passage which extends from the grill covers to the freezing chamber and through which the remaining cold air among the cold air passing through the blowing fan passes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet including a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber arranged below the refrigerating chamber;
a partition wall provided between the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber and having a partition wall insulator;
an evaporator case arranged in the freezing chamber and located on a lower surface of the partition wall;
an evaporator installed in the evaporator case;
a grill cover attached to a rear side of the evaporator case and in which a blowing fan is installed, the grill cover including:
a first grill cover defining a front surface of the grill cover and formed with a fan suction port configured to guide air to the blowing fan; and
a second grill cover coupled to a rear portion of the first grill cover and including a fan seat to which the blowing fan is mounted;
a first supply duct that extends upward from the grill cover to the refrigerating chamber and through which a first portion of air passing through the blowing fan flows; and
a second supply duct that extends downward from the grill cover to the freezing chamber and through which a second portion of the air passing through the blowing fan flows, wherein the first grill cover further comprises:
a plurality of first supply ports configured to discharge a third portion of the air passing through the blowing fan to the freezing chamber, the plurality of first supply ports being arranged on opposite sides of the fan suction port in a lateral direction; and
a second supply port configured to discharge a fourth portion of the air passing through the blowing fan to the freezing chamber, the second supply port being arranged below the fan suction port, and wherein the second supply port is located between the plurality of first supply ports and the second supply duct with respect to a longitudinal direction.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first grill cover includes:
a first grill cover body in which the fan suction port is formed; and
at least one condensed water guide provided on a front surface of the first grill cover body, the at least one condensed water guide extending toward the fan suction port from an outer portion of the first grill cover body.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the at least one condensed water guide is configured to be rounded along an edge of the fan suction port.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the first grill cover further includes a first cover inserting hole into which the evaporator case is configured to be inserted, and wherein a first end of the at least one condensed water guide is connected to the first cover inserting hole.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the first grill cover further includes a sub-cover configured to cover at least a portion of the first cover inserting hole, wherein the sub-cover covers a first space of the first cover inserting hole and the evaporator case is inserted into a second space of the first cover inserting hole.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of first supply ports are formed at the first grill cover body, and wherein the plurality of first supply ports are located above the first cover inserting hole.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the second supply port is located below the first cover inserting hole.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of first supply ports are inclined from a front surface of the first grill cover toward a central portion of the grill cover.

9. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising cover discharge holes formed on opposite side surfaces of the evaporator case, the cover discharge holes being configured to introduce air from the freezing chamber into the evaporator case.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the cover discharge holes are located further away from a center of the refrigerator than the plurality of first supply ports.

11. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the second grill cover includes:
a second grill cover body in which the fan seat is formed; and
a second cover inserting hole into which the evaporator case is inserted.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the second grill cover includes:
a protrusion that protrudes forward from the second grill cover body, the protrusion being configured to support a rear surface of the first grill cover and surround the second cover inserting hole.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the second grill cover includes:
a condensed water hole formed on an upper surface of the protrusion through which the condensed water generated by the blowing fan is discharged to the second cover inserting hole.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein further comprising a defrost water tray provided within the evaporator case, the defrost water tray provided below the evaporator and configured to pass through the second cover inserting hole to collect condensed water.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first supply duct includes:
a refrigerating chamber supply port formed at an upper portion of the grill cover and configured to discharge the first portion of the air, wherein the first supply duct communicates with the refrigerating chamber supply port and is configured to guide the first portion of the air upward.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further including:
a refrigerating chamber cold air duct that communicates with the first supply duct and defines a rear wall of the refrigerating chamber; and
at least one refrigerating chamber cold air supply port provided on a front surface of the refrigerating chamber cold air duct and configured to supply the air to the refrigerating chamber.

17. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the blowing fan includes a centrifugal fan through which air is sucked in an axial direction and is discharged in a circumferential direction.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Han Junsoo
• Kim Dongseok
• Byun Kangsoo
• Lee Younseok

Classifications

• F25D2317/0683

  the fans not of the axial type · CPC title

• F25D2317/0664

  from the side · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D17/08 Primary

  using ducts · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title