Entrance refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293684-B2
Application number	US-202016798703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2020
Priority date	Feb 25, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

In an entrance refrigerator, a thermoelectric module including a cold sink is connected to be slanted at a predetermined angle from a horizontal plane, such that one of a left end and a right end of an upper surface of the cold sink is slanted to be higher than the other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An entrance refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet configured to extend through a door or a wall, the cabinet including a storage compartment therein for storing goods, the cabinet including a through-hole provided at a bottom of the cabinet;
a housing located at a lower side of the cabinet;
an outdoor side door coupled to an outdoor portion of the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment;
an indoor side door coupled to an indoor portion of the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment; and
a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier extending through the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet,
wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
a thermoelectric module at least partially located within the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet;
a heat absorption fan located above the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the storage compartment; and
a heat dissipation fan located below the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the housing,

wherein the thermoelectric module comprises:
a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface, the cold sink configured to be exposed to air in the storage compartment to exchange heat with the air in the storage compartment; and
a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface, the heat sink configured to be exposed to air in the housing to exchange heat with the air in the housing, and

wherein the thermoelectric module is slantingly disposed within the through-hole such that the heat absorbing surface is non-parallel to a horizontal plane.

2. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the storage compartment comprises:
a main floor; and
a sub floor disposed lower than the main floor, the sub floor having the through-hole formed at a center thereof,
wherein the sub floor comprises:
a first drain floor adjacent to a higher end of the cold sink; and
a second drain floor adjacent to a lower end of the cold sink, and

wherein a drain hole is provided in the second drain floor.

3. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the first drain floor is slanted downwardly toward the cold sink.

4. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the second drain floor is slanted downwardly away from the cold sink and toward the drain hole.

5. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the cold sink comprises:
a sink body in contact with the heat absorbing surface of the thermoelectric element; and
a plurality of heat exchange fins located on an upper surface of the sink body.

6. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein an upper surface of the first drain floor and the upper surface of the sink body form a continuous slanted surface.

7. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the upper surface of the sink body is stepped downward from an upper surface of the first drain floor, and
wherein an upper surface of the second drain floor is stepped downward from the upper surface of the sink body.

8. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the sub floor is slanted downwardly toward the drain hole.

9. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 2 , further comprising a mount plate disposed on the sub floor.

10. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein a bottom portion of the mount plate follows along contours of the first drain floor and the second drain floor.

11. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the bottom portion of the mount plate includes:
a mount plate through-hole vertically aligned with the through-hole of the sub floor; and
a mount plate drain hole vertically aligned with the drain hole of the sub floor.

12. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 9 , further comprising a flow guide spaced upwardly from a bottom portion of the mount plate, the flow guide including a fan housing configured to accommodate the heat absorption fan therein,
wherein a cold air flow passage is provided between the bottom portion of the mount plate and the flow guide.

13. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 12 , further comprising a base plate located on the main floor to cover the flow guide,
wherein a plurality of holes are provided in the base plate.

14. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 13 , further comprising a tray located on an upper surface of the base plate,
wherein a plurality of holes are provided in a bottom of the tray.

15. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the bottom of the tray is spaced apart from an upper surface of the base plate by a predetermined spacing.

16. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain hole provided in a bottom of the storage compartment; and
a drain port extending from a bottom surface of the cabinet and communicating with the drain hole.

17. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 16 , further comprising a drain box located at the bottom surface of the cabinet,
wherein the drain port is accommodated in the drain box.

18. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 17 , further comprising a port receiver protruding upward from a bottom surface of the drain box,
wherein an upper end of the port receiver includes a recessed portion, and
wherein a lower end of the drain port is disposed in the recessed portion.

19. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the drain box extends in a front-to-rear direction of the cabinet, and
wherein air flow openings are provided in upper ends of a left side and a right side of the drain box.

20. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet configured to be located partially within a barrier of a building, the cabinet including a storage compartment therein, the cabinet having a first opening into the storage compartment and a second opening into the storage compartment, the second opening being spaced from the first opening, the cabinet including a through-hole provided at a bottom of the cabinet;
a housing located at a lower side of the cabinet;
a first door coupled to the cabinet to open or close the first opening;
a second door coupled to the cabinet to open or close the second opening; and
a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier extending through the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet,
wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
a thermoelectric module at least partially located within the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet;
a heat absorption fan located above the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the storage compartment; and
a heat dissipation fan located below the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the housing,

wherein the thermoelectric module comprises:
a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface, the cold sink configured to be exposed to air in the storage compartment to exchange heat with the air in the storage compartment; and
a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface, the heat sink configured to be exposed to air in the housing to exchange heat with the air in the housing, and

wherein the thermoelectric module is slantingly dispos

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Minkyu
• Lee Deukwon
• Kim Minseok
• Yeo Insun
• Choi Kyukwan
• Yun Yezo

Classifications

• F25D31/005

  Combined cooling and heating devices · CPC title

• F25B2321/0251

  by a gas · CPC title

• F25D21/14 Primary

  Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays · CPC title

• F25D17/062

  in household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D21/04

  Preventing the formation of frost or condensate · CPC title