Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11353255-B2
Application number	US-201916718833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes: a cabinet forming a storage chamber therein and including a cooling module mounting portion, a cabinet sealing portion formed on an outer surface of the cooling module mounting portion; a cooling module detachably mounted to the cooling module mounting portion and including an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor, wherein the cooling module includes a module housing, and the module housing includes a module sealing portion facing the cabinet sealing portion, and the module sealing portion includes a module inclination portion positioned at an inclination with respect to a direction in which the cooling module is insertable into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet; and a sealing member positioned between the cabinet sealing portion and the module sealing portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet forming a storage chamber therein and including a cooling module mounting and a module guide recessed from an outer surface of the cooling module mounting portion;
a cabinet sealing portion formed on the outer surface of the cooling module mounting portion;
a cooling module detachably mounted to the cooling module mounting portion in a mounting direction that is from a bottom to a top of the cabinet and to accommodate an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor therein, the cooling module including:
a module housing which includes a module sealing portion facing the cabinet sealing portion, at least a portion of the module sealing portion is positioned at an inclination with respect to the mountings direction in which the cooling module is insertable into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet; and
a mounting guide protruded from an upper surface of the module housing in the mounting direction, having a shape corresponding to the module guide so that the module guide guides the mounting guide to be coupled to the module guide when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet in the mounting direction; and

a sealing member positioned between the cabinet sealing portion and the module sealing portion under the module guide,
wherein a portion of the sealing member is disposed along the upper surface of the module housing such that the portion of the sealing member is disposed between the upper surface of the module housing and a corresponding surface of the cooling module mounting portion facing the upper surface of the module housing when the cooling module is mounted to the cooling module mounting portion.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein
the cabinet sealing portion comprises a recessed groove,
the module sealing portion comprises a protrusion protruding so as to be inserted into the cabinet sealing portion when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet, and
the sealing member is inserted into the cabinet sealing portion and pressed by the module sealing portion when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a size of the cabinet sealing portion is larger than a size of the module sealing portion.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein
the module sealing portion comprises a recessed groove,
the cabinet sealing portion comprises a protrusion protruding so as to be inserted into the module sealing portion when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet, and
the sealing member is inserted into the module sealing portion and pressed by the cabinet sealing portion when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein a size of the module sealing portion is larger than a size of the cabinet sealing portion.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the cabinet sealing portion is inclined to correspond to a module inclination portion of the module sealing portion.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein
the cabinet comprises a duct opening communicating the cooling module with the storage chamber to receive cool air from the cooling module, and
at least a portion of the sealing member extends along an outer circumference of the duct opening.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein
the module guide comprises a groove to allow the mounting guide to be inserted.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing member configured to penetrate the module guide to fix the mounting guide to the module guide when the mounting guide is coupled to the module guide.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the module guide and the mounting guide extend along the mounting direction in which the cooling module is insertable into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising silicon oil applied to the sealing member.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the module housing comprises:
a module body including an accommodating space in which the evaporator is mounted; and
a module insulator provided in the module body such that the accommodating space is insulated from an outside.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein
the module housing further comprises a base plate positioned below the module body and forming a machine room together with the module body, and
the compressor and the condenser are positioned in the machine room.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the module sealing portion is positioned outside the accommodating space along a circumference of the accommodating space.

15. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet forming a storage chamber therein and including a cooling module mounting and a module guide recessed from an outer surface of the cooling module mounting portion;
a cabinet sealing portion formed on the outer surface of the cooling module mounting portion;
a cooling module detachably mounted to the cooling module mounting portion in a mounting direction that is from a bottom to a top of the cabinet and including:
a module housing in which an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor are installed, the module housing includes a module sealing portion interlocking with the cabinet sealing portion and having a size that is different from a size of the cabinet sealing portion; and
a mounting guide protruded from an upper surface of the module housing in the mounting direction, having a shape corresponding to the module guide so that the module guide guides the mounting guide to be coupled to the module guide when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet in the mounting direction; and

a sealing member positioned in a gap formed between the cabinet sealing portion and the module sealing portion under the module guide,
wherein a portion of the sealing member is disposed along the upper surface of the module housing such that the portion of the sealing member is disposed between the upper surface of the module housing and a corresponding surface of the cooling module mounting portion facing the upper surface of the module housing when the cooling module is mounted to the cooling module mounting portion.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein
the cooling module is insertable into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet, and
the cabinet sealing portion or the module sealing portion presses the sealing member when the cooling module is inserted into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein
at least a portion of the cabinet sealing portion and at least a portion of the module sealing portion are inclined with respect to the mounting direction in which the cooling module is insertable into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the cooling module comprises a mounting guide extending along the mounting direction in which the cooling module is insertable into the cabinet to be mounted to the cabinet and formed on one surface facing the cabinet.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , further comprising silicon oil applied to the cabinet sealing portion or the module sealing portion.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hwang In-Yong
• Koo Dong-Won
• Park Sung Jin
• Shin Youn Tae
• Lee Dong Hyun

Classifications

• F25D19/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title

• F25D23/006 Primary

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title

• F25D17/06

  by forced circulation · CPC title

• F25D2317/067

  characterised by air ducts · CPC title

• F25D19/003

  with respect to movable containers · CPC title