Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525610-B2
Application number	US-202016876409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2020
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A refrigerator includes evaporator cases arranged in a freezing chamber and located on a bottom surface of a partition wall, an evaporator installed inside the evaporator cases, and grill covers arranged on a rear side of the evaporator cases and having a blowing fan installed therein. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber discharge passage which extends from the grill covers to a refrigerating chamber and through which at least a portion of cold air passing through the blowing fan flows, and a freezing chamber discharge passage which extends from the grill covers to the freezing chamber and through which the remaining cold air among the cold air passing through the blowing fan passes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet including a refrigerating chamber and a freezer chamber;
a partition wall provided between the refrigerating chamber and the freezer chamber;
an evaporator case provided at the partition wall and configured to accommodate an evaporator;
a grill cover provided at a rear side of the evaporator and in which a blowing fan is installed, the grill cover including:
a fan suction port into which air passing through the evaporator is suctioned; and
a plurality of first supply ports through which a first portion of air passing through the blowing fan is discharged to the freezer chamber and arranged on opposite sides of the fan suction port; and
a first supply duct through which a second portion of air passing through the blowing fan flows, the first supply duct being configured to supply the second portion of air to the refrigerating chamber, wherein the plurality of first supply ports and the first supply duct are arranged in a circumferential direction of the blowing fan.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the blowing fan includes a centrifugal fan.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the centrifugal fan includes:
a hub to which a fan motor is coupled;
a plurality of blades arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the hub; and
a bell mouth coupled to ends of the plurality of blades to guide the air such that the air is introduced into the blowing fan.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating chamber is located above the freezer chamber, and wherein the first supply duct is located above the fan suction port such that the air flowing in the first supply duct is discharged to the refrigerating chamber.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the grill cover includes:
a first grill cover defining a front surface of the grill cover and having the fan suction port; and
a second grill cover provided at a rear side of the first grill cover and including a fan seat to which the blowing fan is mounted.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the second grill cover further includes:
a fan support provided at the blowing fan to allow the blowing fan to be supported on the second grill cover, and wherein the fan support includes a plurality of cover supports coupled to support couplers of the fan seat, the plurality of cover supports being provided along a circumference of the fan support.

7. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the first grill cover includes:
a first grill cover body in which the fan suction port is formed; and
at least one condensed fluid guide provided on a front surface of the first grill cover body, the at least one condensed fluid guide extending slanted toward an edge of the fan suction port.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the first grill cover further includes a first cover inserting hole into which a tray is inserted, the tray being located below the evaporator, and wherein an end of the at least one condensed fluid guide is connected to the first cover inserting hole.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the second grill cover includes:
a second grill cover body in which the fan seat is formed; and
a second cover inserting hole into which the tray is inserted.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the second grill cover includes a protrusion that protrudes forwards from the second grill cover body, and wherein a condensed fluid hole is formed on an upper surface of the protrusion through which condensed fluid generated by the blowing fan is discharged to the second cover inserting hole.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a second supply duct provided at the grill cover and through which a third portion of air passing through the blowing fan flows, wherein the freezer chamber is located below the refrigerating chamber, and wherein the second supply duct is located below the fan suction port such that the air passing through the second supply duct is discharged to the freezer chamber.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , further comprising a second supply port provided at the grill cover and through which a fourth portion of air passing through the blowing fan is discharged, and wherein the second supply duct is formed with a third supply port through which the air is discharged.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the first grill cover further includes a first cover inserting hole into which a tray is inserted, the tray being located below the evaporator, and wherein the second supply port is located below the cover inserting hole to discharge air to the freezer chamber.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator case includes a first cover located above the evaporator and a second cover that supports a lower portion of the evaporator, and wherein a cover discharge hole configured to introduce the air in the freezer chamber into the evaporator case is formed on a side surface of the second cover.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the cover discharge hole is located further away from a center of the refrigerator than the at least one first supply port, to prevent the air discharged from the plurality of first supply ports from being suctioned into to the cover discharge hole.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first supply ports protrudes from a front surface of the grill cover, and wherein each of the plurality of first supply ports is inclined from the front surface of the grill cover toward a central portion of the grill cover.

17. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further including:
a refrigerating chamber cold air duct that communicates with the first supply duct and defines a rear wall of the refrigerating chamber; and
at least one refrigerating chamber cold air supply port provided on a front surface of the refrigerating chamber cold air duct and configured to supply air to the refrigerating chamber.

18. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet including a refrigerating chamber and a freezer chamber;
a partition wall provided between the refrigerating chamber and the freezer chamber;
an evaporator case provided at the partition wall and configured to accommodate an evaporator;
a grill cover provided at a rear side of the evaporator and in which a blowing fan is installed, the grill cover including:
a fan suction port into which air passing through the evaporator is suctioned; and
a plurality of first supply ports through which a first portion of air passing through the blowing fan is discharged; and
a first supply duct through which a second portion of air passing through the blowing fan flows, wherein the plurality of first supply ports and the first supply duct are arranged in a circumferential direction of the blowing fan, wherein the plurality of first supply ports protrudes from a front surface of the grill cover, and wherein each of the plurality of first supply ports is inclined from a front surface of the grill cover toward a central portion of the grill cover.

19. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet including a refrigerating chamber and a freezer chamber;
a partition wall provided between the refrigerating chamber and the freezer chamber;
an evaporator case provided at the partition wall and configured to accommodate an evaporator;
a grill cover provided at a rear side of the evaporator and in which a centrifugal fan is installed, the grill cover including:
a fan suction port into which air passing through the evaporator is suctioned;
a plurality of first supply ports through which a first portion of a

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Han Junsoo
• Kim Dongseok
• Byun Kangsoo
• Lee Younseok

Classifications

• F25D23/006

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D21/14

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

• F25D2317/0683

  the fans not of the axial type · CPC title

• F25D17/08 Primary

  using ducts · CPC title