Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11002474-B2
Application number	US-201916660283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet in which a storage space is formed; a main evaporator which is installed at one side of an inner portion of the storage space to cool the storage space; a case which is installed on the other side the inner portion of the storage space and defines a deep-freezing storage chamber; a drawer which is accommodated in the case so as to be retractable and withdrawable and in which food is stored; and a rapid cooling module which is provided on a rear side of the inner portion of the case and rapidly cools the deep-freezing storage chamber, in which the rapid cooling module may includes an auxiliary evaporator; and a thermoelectric device which is coupled to the auxiliary evaporator and cools the deep-freezing storage chamber through heat exchange by heat conduction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet including a freezing compartment and an evaporation chamber;
a dividing wall that partitions the freezing compartment and the evaporation chamber;
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;
a condenser configured to condense the refrigerant passing through the compressor into a high-temperature and high-pressure state;
a main evaporator disposed in the evaporation chamber;
a case disposed in the freezing compartment;
a chamber cover that divides an inner space of the case into a deep-freezing storage chamber and a deep-freezing evaporation chamber, the chamber cover comprising a discharge grille and a suction grille that are located on a surface of the chamber cover;
an auxiliary evaporator located in the deep-freezing evaporation chamber;
a first refrigerant pipe that connects the condenser to the main evaporator;
a second refrigerant pipe branched from the first refrigerant pipe and connected to the auxiliary evaporator, the auxiliary evaporator comprising a third refrigerant pipe;
a main expansion valve located at the first refrigerant pipe and connected to the main evaporator;
an auxiliary expansion valve located at the second refrigerant pipe and connected to the auxiliary evaporator;
a branch valve disposed at a point that the second refrigerant pipe is branched from the first refrigerant pipe, the branch valve being configured to:
in a first control state, divide the refrigerant from the condenser and supply the refrigerant toward both the main expansion valve and the auxiliary expansion valve, and
in a second control state, supply the refrigerant from the condenser toward either the main expansion valve or the auxiliary expansion valve; and

a deep cooling module that is located in the deep-freezing evaporation chamber, that is coupled to the auxiliary evaporator, and that is configured to cool the deep-freezing storage chamber to a deep cooling temperature that is lower than a temperature of the freezing compartment,
wherein the deep cooling module comprises:
a heat conduction unit that covers the third refrigerant pipe, the heat conduction unit having a rear surface that faces a front surface of the dividing wall and that is spaced apart from the front surface of the dividing wall;
a thermoelectric device comprising:
an exothermic surface that is attached to a surface of the heat conduction unit and that is configured to transfer heat to the third refrigerant pipe by conduction through the heat conduction unit, and
an endothermic surface that is located on an opposite side of the thermoelectric device relative to the exothermic surface;

a heat sink attached to the endothermic surface of the thermoelectric device and configured to absorb heat from air in the deep-freezing storage chamber and to transfer heat to the endothermic surface; and
a cooling fan configured to blow air to the heat sink.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge grille is configured to discharge cooled air from the deep-freezing evaporation chamber to the deep-freezing storage chamber; and
wherein the suction grille is located vertically below the discharge grille and allows air to return from the deep-freezing storage chamber to the deep-freezing evaporation chamber.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the heat conduction unit is located between the third refrigerant pipe and the exothermic surface of the thermoelectric device.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the heat conduction unit is located between the third refrigerant pipe and the front surface of the dividing wall.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conduction unit comprises a pair of plates coupled to each other, the pair of plates comprising:
a front plate that defines the front surface of the heat conduction unit and that faces the exothermic surface of the thermoelectric device; and
a rear plate that defines the rear surface of the heat conduction unit and that faces the front surface of the dividing wall, and
wherein the third refrigerant pipe is disposed between the front plate and the rear plate of the heat conduction unit.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber cover comprises:
a first portion that protrudes into the case to thereby define the deep-freezing evaporation chamber inside the case; and
a second portion that is bent and extends outward from a rear end of the first portion and that is disposed between a rear end of the case and the front surface of the dividing wall.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the second portion of the chamber cover contacts the rear end of the case and the front surface of the dividing wall.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the deep-freezing evaporation chamber is defined rearward of the first portion of the chamber cover, and the deep-freezing storage chamber is defined forward of the first portion of the chamber cover.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conduction unit is disposed inside of the deep-freezing evaporation chamber at a position forward of the front surface of the dividing wall.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , further comprising a drawer configured to insert into the deep-freezing storage chamber,
wherein a rear surface of the drawer is located forward of the first portion of the chamber cover.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the rear surface of the drawer defines a plurality of cooled air holes that face the chamber cover.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of cooled air holes are configured to receive a portion of cooled air discharged from the deep-freezing evaporation chamber through the discharge grille.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the drawer comprises an upper surface that is open to the inner space of the case, and
wherein the drawer is configured to receive, through the upper surface of the drawer, a portion of cooled air discharged from the deep-freezing evaporation chamber through the discharge grille.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor is configured to receive the refrigerant from the main auxiliary evaporator and the auxiliary evaporator.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the main auxiliary evaporator is located rearward of a rear surface of the dividing wall, and the auxiliary evaporator is located forward of the front surface of the dividing wall.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the main expansion valve is located between the branch valve and the main evaporator, and the auxiliary expansion valve is located between the branch valve and the auxiliary evaporator.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second refrigerant pipe and the third refrigerant pipe are portions of one refrigerant pipe.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Seongjae
• Oh Seunghwan
• Sul Heayoun

Classifications

• F25D2400/04

  Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D2317/061

  through special compartments · CPC title

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D19/04

  with more than one refrigeration unit · CPC title