Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946685-B2
Application number	US-202117341965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2021
Priority date	Jun 17, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerator includes an outer case, an inner case coupled to the outer case and equipped with a storeroom, a heat exchanger disposed adjacent to the storeroom to supply cold air, and a front cover defining one side of the storeroom. The front cover includes at least one end having a recessed portion that forms a cold air supply port to supply cold air supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
an outer case;
an inner case inside the outer case;
a storeroom formed inside the inner case;
a heat exchanger disposed adjacent to the storeroom to supply cold air; and
a cold air guide assembly to guide the cold air from the heat exchanger to the storeroom, the cold air guide assembly including:
a top guide disposed on top of the storeroom; and
a rear guide disposed behind the storeroom, and connected to the top guide at top of the rear guide to guide the cold air to the top guide, the rear guide including
a front cover defining a rear side of the storeroom, the front cover including wherein the front cover includes a recessed portion recessed from a top end of the front cover in an area where the top guide and the rear guide are connected to, thereby forming a cold air supply port through which the cold air is supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cold air guide to guide the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom to change a direction of the cold air supplied through the cold air supply port into the storeroom.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a door to open or close the storeroom;
a shelf disposed in the storeroom; and
a plurality of door guards disposed on a rear surface of the door and being spaced apart from one another in a vertical direction,
wherein a first door guard among the plurality of door guards includes:
a first hole is provided on a bottom surface of the first door guard to circulate cold air guided from the cold air guide into the storeroom to a second door guard among the plurality of door guards, and
a second hole is provided on a rear surface of the first door guard to circulate cold air guided from the cold air guide into the storeroom to the shelf.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a door to open or close the storeroom; and
a door guard disposed on a rear surface of the door,
wherein
the door guard includes a cold air direction guide having a curved portion, and
cold air guided from the cold air guide into the storeroom is directed by the curved portion of the door guard toward a rear side of the storeroom.

5. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the recessed portion is recessed from the top end of the front cover thereby forming the cold air supply port, and the cold air supply port is disposed adjacent to a top wall of the storeroom.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the cold air guide is disposed on the top wall of the storeroom.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the top guide is disposed on the top wall of the storeroom, and having a top fluid path formed therein to guide the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger to the cold air guide.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the rear guide includes:
a middle cover disposed behind the front cover, the middle cover including:
a middle guide wall connected to the top guide; and
a middle cold air supply port corresponding to the cold air supply port so that the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger is guided to the storeroom through the middle cold air supply port and the cold air supply port;

a rear cover disposed behind the middle cover and coupled to the middle guide wall to form a rear fluid path which connects to the top fluid path of the top guide to guide the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger to the top guide and the cold air supply port; and
a fan disposed below the middle cover to circulate the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger into the rear fluid path.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein
the middle cover includes a communication hole formed above the middle cold air supply port to supply the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger to the top guide and the cold air guide, and
the top guide further includes a damper disposed adjacent to the communication hole to regulate a rate of flow of the cold air flowing to the cold air guide.

10. The refrigerator of claim 5 , further comprising:
a door to open or close the storeroom; and
a discharge port disposed on the top wall of the storeroom to discharge the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom,
wherein the cold air guide further includes a blade to open or close the discharge port, and
the blade is configured to control a degree of opening or closing of the discharge port based on whether the door is open or closed.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the front cover is configured to supply the cold air supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom only through the cold air supply port.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cold air supply port is formed by a first recessed portion of a first side end of the front cover and a second recessed portion of a second side end of the front cover.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shelf disposed in the storeroom and including:
a shelf fluid path to guide cold air supplied from the heat exchanger, and
a cold air supply hole formed in at least one of an upper portion of the shelf or a lower portion of the shelf, to supply cold air supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the front cover includes:
a first cover part, and
a second cover part which is detachable from and attachable to a bottom of the first cover part, and

the first cover part includes a first recessed portion on an outer circumference of the first cover part that forms a first cold air supply port.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the second cover part includes a second recessed portion on an outer circumference of the second cover part that forms a second cold air supply port.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , further comprising:
a shelf disposed in the storeroom,
wherein
the first recessed portion is upwardly recessed from a bottom end of the first cover part to form the first cold air supply port,
the second recessed portion is downwardly recessed from a top end of the second cover part to form the second cold air supply port, and
the shelf is disposed in front of the first cold air supply port and the second cold air supply port.

17. A refrigerator, comprising:
an outer case;
an inner case the outer case;
a storeroom formed in the inner case;
a heat exchanger to produce cold air to be supplied into the storeroom; and
a cold air guide assembly to guide the cold air from the heat exchanger to storeroom, the cold air guide assembly including:
a top guide disposed on top of the storeroom; and
a rear guide disposed behind the storeroom, and connected to the top guide at top of the rear guide to guide the cold air to the top guide, the rear guide including
a front cover defining one side of the storeroom, the front cover including a cut-out portion cut inwardly from a top end of the front cover in an area where the top guide and the rear guide are connected to, thereby forming a cold air supply port through which the cold air is supplied from the heat exchanger into the storeroom.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the cut-out portion is cut inwardly from the top end of the front cover thereby forming the cold air supply port.

19. A refrigerator, comprising:
an outer case
an inner case inside the outer case;
a storeroom formed in the inner case;
a heat exchanger disposed behind the storeroom to produce cold air; and
a cold air guide assembly to guid

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• You Youngmin
• Bae Ilsung
• Song Jinyoung
• Yang Byungkwan

Classifications

• F25D17/045 Primary

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D17/08

  using ducts · CPC title

• F25D23/021

  Sliding doors · CPC title

• F25D25/02

  by shelves · CPC title