Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11719484-B2
Application number	US-202017085400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Nov 1, 2019
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A refrigerator including a cabinet including an insulator provided between an inner case and an outer case, a cold air duct embedded in the insulator to circulate cold air through the storage compartment, a cooling module mounting unit provided at a lower portion of the cabinet, and a cooling module including a module body in which an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and a cooling fan are installed and having an accommodating portion to accommodate the evaporator in a lying state, the cooling module being provided with a connection opening communicating with the cold air duct when mounted on the cooling module mounting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet comprising an inner case forming a storage compartment, an outer case, and an insulator provided between the inner case and the outer case;
a cooling module mounting unit provided at a lower portion of the cabinet;
a cooling module comprising a module body in which one or more of an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and a cooling fan are installed and having an accommodating portion to accommodate the evaporator horizontally herein;
a connection part comprising an outer case bottom opening formed at a bottom of the outer case and corresponding to the accommodating portion, and an inner case bottom opening formed at a bottom of the inner case and corresponding to the outer case bottom opening, the inner case bottom opening and the outer case bottom opening being arranged vertically;
an access neck formed along a circumference of the outer case bottom opening and protruding from the bottom of the outer case toward the inner case bottom opening;
a neck flange formed at one end of the access neck to be in contact with the bottom of the inner case;
a connection cover configured to open or close the inner case bottom opening; and
wherein the connection part is formed inside the access neck, and
wherein the cooling module is in communication with the storage compartment through the connection part when mounted on the cooling module mounting unit.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the connection cover comprises a connection opening through which the connection part is in communication with the storage compartment in a state in which the connection cover closes the inner case bottom opening.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a duct module seated on the connection part and having a shape corresponding to the connection part.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the duct module comprises:
a duct module body seated on the connection part;
an insulator filled in the duct module body; and
a cold air recovery duct passing through the duct module body and the insulator, the connection cover covers an upper end of the insulator and is coupled to an upper end of the duct module body, and an opening formed at one end of the cold air recovery duct is in communication with the accommodating portion and an opening formed at the other end of the cold air recovery duct is in communication with the connection opening of the connection cover.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the connection cover is provided to be caught on the bottom of the inner case positioned at an edge of the inner case bottom opening.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein an area in which an upper edge of the connection cover is formed is larger than an area in which an edge of the inner case bottom opening is formed.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the module body further comprises a protrusion formed along an upper edge of the module body.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the bottom of the outer case comprises a depression formed on a portion of the bottom of the outer case facing the cooling module mounting unit and corresponding to a shape of the protrusion.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein when the cooling module is mounted on the cooling module mounting unit, the protrusion and the depression are in close contact with each other to block the outflow of cold air near the upper edge of the module body.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling module further comprises a collecting portion in which condensed water is collected and the condenser is disposed, the collecting portion being arranged adjacent to the accommodating portion in a front-rear direction of the module body with a partition wall forming the accommodating portion therebetween, and the accommodating portion and the collecting portion are in communication with each other through a drain hole formed on the accommodating portion and a drain pipe connected to the drain hole and passing through the partition wall, and the drain pipe and a bottom of the accommodating portion are provided to be inclined downward toward the collecting portion.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the cooling module further comprises a drain cap rotatably coupled to one end of the drain pipe, and the drain cap is configured to open and close the one end of the drain pipe by an own weight thereof.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling module further comprises a controller configured to control the cooling module, the compressor and the condenser are arranged left and right at the rear of the module body with a condensing fan therebetween, and a housing which accommodates the controller, is disposed above the compressor and below the bottom of the outer case.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the cooling module further comprises a support bracket protruding from the module body toward the compressor, and a bottom of the housing is supported by an upper end of the condensing fan and the support bracket.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the cooling module further comprises a module rear cover configured to cover the condenser, the condensing fan, the compressor, and the electrical module and forming an outer appearance of the refrigerator together with a rear wall of the outer case, the module rear cover comprises a vent hole in a region corresponding to the condenser or the compressor, the condenser comprises a plurality of cooling fins, and each of the plurality of cooling fins is arranged in parallel with a flow direction of an airflow flowing into the condensing fan by being introduced into the vent hole.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cooling fins is arranged in a C shape including a short side adjacent to the condensing fan and a long side adjacent to the module rear cover.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ko Kihun
• Nam Jeongman
• Moon Hyunghee
• Park Younggon
• Park Jungkeun
• Lee Jungyong
• Jung Taeyun
• Lee Shanghun

Classifications

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D19/02 Primary

  plug-in type · CPC title

• F25D21/14

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

• F25D2317/067

  characterised by air ducts · CPC title