Entrance refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11378329-B2
Application number	US-202016798962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2020
Priority date	Feb 25, 2019
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

In an entrance refrigerator, a printed circuit board (PCB) on which heat generating components are mounted is disposed inside a housing such that air used to cool a heat sink of a cold air supply device cools the PCB, thereby preventing overheating of the PCB.

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;
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;
a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier being located in a space defined by the housing and the lower side of the cabinet;
a printed circuit board (PCB) on which electrical components are mounted; and
a controller provided on the PCB to control operating of the cold air supply device,
wherein the housing includes:
a bottom portion having a suction port through which air is introduced into the housing;
a front portion extending upward from a front end of the bottom portion;
a rear portion extending upward from a rear end of the bottom portion;
a left portion extending upward from a left end of the bottom portion;
a right portion extending upward from a right end of the bottom portion; and
a discharge port through which the air introduced through the suction port is discharged from the housing,

wherein the entrance refrigerator further comprises a flow guide plate located within the housing and adjacent to the suction port, to provide an air flow passage within the housing between the suction port and the discharge port, and
wherein the PCB is disposed within the air flow passage.

2. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the suction port is provided at a center of the bottom portion, and
wherein the discharge port comprises:
a left discharge port provided in the bottom portion at a location spaced apart leftward from the suction port; and
a right discharge port provided in the bottom portion at a location spaced apart rightward from the section port.

3. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the PCB is disposed at a location spaced apart upward from the discharge port.

4. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the discharge port further comprises:
a left heat dissipation hole provided in the left portion of the housing; and
a right heat dissipation hole provided in the right portion of the housing.

5. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 3 , further comprising a suction plate located at the suction port, the suction plate including a plurality of suction holes through which air is introduced.

6. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the flow guide plate extends upward from the bottom portion of the housing by a predetermined height and extends in a left-to-right direction of the housing by a predetermined length.

7. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the flow guide plate comprises:
an outer flow guide plate disposed at a location spaced apart forward or rearward from a center line that bisects the housing in a front-to-rear direction; and
an inner flow guide plate disposed between the outer flow guide plate and the center line.

8. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the flow guide plate extends in a direction closer to the center line moving along the flow guide plate away from the suction hole toward a left or right edge of the housing.

9. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface;
a heat absorption fan disposed above the cold sink;
a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface; and
a heat dissipation fan disposed below the heat sink.

10. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the cold air supplier further comprises an insulation material located between the cold sink and the heat sink to reduce heat transfer between the heat sink and the cold sink.

11. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the heat sink and the heat dissipation fan are located within the housing, and
wherein the heat dissipation fan is located above the suction port.

12. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to set a rotational speed of the heat dissipation fan differently according to an outside temperature of the entrance refrigerator.

13. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to set the rotational speed of the heat dissipation fan differently according to a temperature of the storage compartment.

14. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the heat dissipation fan at a first speed in a condition in which the outside temperature is lower than a set temperature.

15. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the heat dissipation fan at a speed lower than the first speed in a condition in which the outside temperature is higher than the set temperature and a temperature of the storage compartment is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature.

16. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the heat dissipation fan at a speed higher than the first speed in a condition in which the outside temperature is higher than the set temperature and a temperature of the storage compartment is above the predetermined temperature.

17. The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the flow guide plate extends upward from the bottom portion of the housing by a predetermined height, and
wherein the flow guide plate is spaced away from the front portion of the housing, the rear portion of the housing, the left portion of the housing, and the right portion of the housing.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25B21/02 Primary

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• F25D29/005

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D23/10 Primary

  Arrangements for mounting in particular locations, e.g. for built-in type, for corner type · CPC title

• F25D17/062

  in household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25B2321/0251

  by a gas · CPC title