Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12163722-B2
Application number	US-202016812104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a body, a freezing compartment, a plurality of refrigerating compartments adjacent to the freezing compartment in a horizontal direction and including a first refrigerating compartment and a second refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment cooling space arranged behind the freezing compartment to communicate with the freezing compartment, a freezing compartment partition configured to partition the freezing compartment and the freezing compartment cooling space and including a freezing compartment duct, an evaporator configured to generate cooling air, a first duct configured to supply the cooling air to the first refrigerating compartment and including a first cooling air inlet, and a second duct configured to supply the cooling air to the second refrigerating compartment through a second cooling air inlet formed on one wall of the freezing compartment duct. The first cooling air inlet and the second cooling air inlet are arranged above the evaporator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a first inner case including a freezing compartment provided in an inside of the first inner case;
a second inner case adjacent to the first inner case in a horizontal direction and including a plurality of refrigerating compartments provided in an inside of the second inner case, the plurality of refrigerating compartments comprising a first refrigerating compartment and a second refrigerating compartment disposed below the first refrigerating compartment;
a freezing compartment partition configured to divide the inside of the first inner case into the freezing compartment and a freezing compartment cooling space arranged behind the freezing compartment inside of the first inner case, the freezing compartment partition comprising a freezing compartment duct to allow the freezing compartment cooling space to communicate with the freezing compartment;
an evaporator arranged in the freezing compartment cooling space below the freezing compartment duct and configured to generate cooling air,
a refrigerating compartment partition to divide the inside of the second inner case into the plurality of refrigerating compartments and a plurality of refrigerating compartment cooling spaces arranged behind the plurality of refrigerating compartments, the plurality of refrigerating compartment cooling spaces comprising a first refrigerating compartment cooling space behind the first refrigerating compartment to communicate with the first refrigerating compartment, and a second refrigerating compartment cooling space behind the second refrigerating compartment to communicate with the second refrigerating compartment;
a first duct connecting the freezing compartment duct and the first refrigerating compartment cooling space to allow the cooling air generated by the evaporator to be supplied to the first refrigerating compartment, the first duct comprising a first cooling air inlet;
a second duct connecting the freezing compartment duct and the second refrigerating compartment cooling space to allow the cooling air generated by the evaporator to be supplied to the second refrigerating compartment through a second cooling air inlet formed on a side wall of the freezing compartment duct, the first cooling air inlet being positioned above the second cooling air inlet;
a first damper configured to open or close the first duct; and
a second damper configured to open or close the second duct,
wherein the first cooling air inlet and the second cooling air inlet are arranged above the evaporator.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the first damper is installed in the freezing compartment duct and the second damper is installed in the refrigerating compartment partition.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the cooling air introduced through the first cooling air inlet is discharged into the first refrigerating compartment cooling space through a first cooling air outlet, and
the cooling air introduced through the second cooling air inlet is discharged into the second refrigerating compartment cooling space through a second cooling air outlet.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the second cooling air inlet is arranged above the second cooling air outlet.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a third duct configured to supply air introduced through the first cooling air inlet and circulated through the first refrigerating compartment and air introduced through the second cooling air inlet and circulated through the second refrigerating compartment to the freezing compartment cooling space.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the third duct connects the second refrigerating compartment to the freezing compartment cooling space.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the third duct connects a third cooling air inlet formed on a side wall of the second inner case to a third cooling air outlet formed on a side wall of the first inner case to discharge cooling air introduced through the third cooling air inlet to a lower side of the evaporator.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the third cooling air inlet is arranged above the third cooling air outlet.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jooyong
• Bae Ilsung
• Song Joohee
• Song Jinyoung

Classifications

• F25D2400/06

  Refrigerators with a vertical mullion · CPC title

• F25D2317/0672

  Outlet ducts · CPC title

• F25D2317/0671

  Inlet ducts · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D2317/066

  characterised by the air supply · CPC title