Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837693-B2
Application number	US-201816050630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, an evaporator, an evaporator cover module defining an evaporator cover module, a cold air supply module configured to communicate with an upper end of the evaporator cover module, the cold air supply module including a discharge port, and a blower fan. The cold air supply module includes a lower passage configured to communicate with the evaporator cover module, and an upper passage configured to communicate with the discharge port. The cold air supply module defines a communication hole at a position where the upper passage and the lower passage overlap each other, and the blower fan is located at the communication hole to cause suction of cold air from the heat-exchange space and discharge of cold air to the discharge port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet comprising an outer case that defines an outer appearance of the cabinet and an inner case that defines a storage space;
an evaporator located at a surface of the inner case;
an evaporator cover module that defines an inner wall of the storage space, the evaporator cover module defining a heat-exchange space that is configured to accommodate the evaporator and that allows flow of cold air inside of the evaporator cover module;
a cold air supply module located at a top surface of the storage space and configured to communicate with an upper end of the evaporator cover module, the cold air supply module comprising a discharge port configured to discharge cold air toward the storage space; and
a blower fan located at the cold air supply module and configured to cause circulation of cold air in the storage space,
wherein the cold air supply module comprises:
a lower passage defined at a lower side of the cold air supply module and configured to communicate with the evaporator cover module,
an upper passage defined at an upper side of the cold air supply module and configured to communicate with the discharge port,
a passage formation part that defines the upper passage and the lower passage,
a lower case that accommodates the passage formation part and that is configured to cover the lower passage, and
an upper case that is located at a top surface of the passage formation part and that is configured to cover the upper passage,

wherein the cold air supply module defines a communication hole at a position where the upper passage and the lower passage overlap each other,
wherein the blower fan is located at the communication hole to cause suction of cold air from the heat-exchange space and discharge of cold air to the discharge port, and
wherein the blower fan is configured to cause suction of cold air through the upper passage and discharge of cold air through the lower passage.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the blower fan includes a rotation shaft located between the upper passage and the lower passage, and
wherein the blower fan is configured to suction cold air in an axial direction of the rotation shaft and to discharge cold air in a circumferential direction of the rotation shaft.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation shaft is oriented in the axial direction that crosses the top surface of the storage space or a bottom surface of the storage space.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the passage formation part comprises:
a lower part that defines the lower passage at a position between the blower fan and the evaporator cover module; and
an upper part that is located vertically above the lower part and that defines the upper passage at a position between the blower fan and the discharge port.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the upper part of the passage formation part comprises:
an inlet part that protrudes backward of the lower part, that is coupled to the upper end of the evaporator cover module, and that is configured to receive cold air from the evaporator cover module; and
a guide surface that is located inside of the inlet part and that is configured to guide cold air received from the evaporator cover module to the discharge port.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the lower part of the passage formation part comprises: a lighting device mounting part having an outer surface that faces toward the inlet part, that is configured to guide flow of cold air, and that has a round shape corresponding to the guide surface.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the cold air supply module defines:
a front discharge port at a front end of the cold air supply module; and
a side discharge port at each of left and right ends of the cold air supply module, and
wherein the passage formation part defines:
a front opening located at a front end of the passage formation part and configured to communicate with the front discharge port, and
a side opening located at each of left and right ends of the passage formation part and configured to communicate with the side discharge port.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the upper part defines a discharge guide surface that has a rounded or inclined shape extending toward a rear end of each side opening, that passes through a rear side of the blower fan, and that is configured to guide cold air discharged from the blower fan to the front opening and to each side opening.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the cold air supply module further comprises a fan bracket configured to cover the communication hole and located at the passage formation part, the fan bracket comprising:
a shroud that is configured to cover the communication hole, the shroud defining an orifice that allows introduction of air into the blower fan; and
a bracket edge disposed along a circumference of the shroud, the bracket edge comprising a bent portion that contacts the discharge guide surface.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , further comprising a fan support that extends upward from a circumference of the orifice and that is configured to support the blower fan at a position corresponding to the orifice.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the passage formation part further comprises a distribution part that partitions the front opening and that is configured to distribute cold air passing through the front opening.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein a forward portion of the upper part is vertically wider than a backward portion of the upper part, and
wherein a backward portion of the lower part is vertically wider than a forward portion of the lower part.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the passage formation part further comprises a case mounting part that is located at a top surface of the passage formation part and that is stepped along a circumference of a top surface of the upper passage, and
wherein the upper case of the cold air supply module has a shape corresponding to the case mounting part, and is configured to cover the top surface of the upper passage and a top surface of the blower fan.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the inner case of the cabinet comprises one or more metal plates coupled to each other.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the cold air supply module further comprises a base plate that is configured to couple to a bottom surface of the lower case, that has a planar shape, and that is made of a same material as the inner case, the base plate defining an outer appearance of a bottom surface of the cold air supply module.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the evaporator cover module comprises:
a rear plate that defines a rear wall of the storage space and that defines a suction hole configured to receive cold air from the storage space;
a first insulation that is coupled to a rear surface of the rear plate and that covers a front side of the evaporator; and
a second insulation that is spaced apart from the first insulation, that is coupled to the inner case of the cabinet, and that covers a rear side of the evaporator,
wherein the heat-exchange space is defined between the first insulation and the second insulation.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the evaporator cover module further comprises a pair of side ducts that are located at a rear surface of the evaporator c

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jiwon

Classifications

• F25D2317/0665

  from the top · CPC title

• F25D2317/063

  with air guides · CPC title

• F25D2317/0681

  Details thereof · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25B5/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity (with cascade operation F25B7/00) · CPC title