Module refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12422181-B2
Application number	US-202217970947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2022
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A modular refrigerator including a main cabinet, and a sub-cabinet selectively coupleable to a right side, an upper side, and a left side, of the main cabinet. The main cabinet includes a cooling unit, a first connection duct for cold air generated by the cooling unit to flow toward the right side, a second connection duct for the cold air to flow toward the upper side, and a third connection duct for the cold air to flow toward the left side. The sub-cabinet includes a first branch duct that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the right side, communicates with the first connection duct, a second branch duct that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the upper side, communicates with the second connection duct, and a third branch duct that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the left side, communicates with third connection duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular refrigerator comprising:
a main cabinet including a cooling unit configured to generate cold air, and a connection duct that includes a first connection duct for cold air generated by the cooling unit to flow toward a right side of the main cabinet, a second connection duct for cold air generated by the cooling unit to flow toward an upper side of the main cabinet, and a third connection duct for cold air generated by the cooling unit to flow toward a left side of the main cabinet; and
a sub-cabinet that is selectively coupleable to the right side of the main cabinet, the upper side of the main cabinet, and the left side of the main cabinet, and including a cold air supply duct,
wherein the cold air supply duct includes:
a branch duct that branches into:
a first branch duct that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the right side of the main cabinet, communicates with the first connection duct to receive cold air generated by the cooling unit,
a second branch duct that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the upper side of the main cabinet, communicates with the second connection duct to receive cold air generated by the cooling unit,
a third branch duct that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the left side of the main cabinet, communicates with third connection duct to receive cold air generated by the cooling unit, and

a cold air discharge duct through which at least some of the air received by the branch duct is discharged into the sub-cabinet.

2. The modular refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the cold air supply duct includes: a main duct above the branch duct-, and
the cold air discharge duct is connected to an upper portion of the main duct, so that cold air generated by the cooling unit is flowable through the branch duct, then through the main duct, and then through the cold air discharge duct to be discharged to a storage compartment inside the sub-cabinet.

3. The modular refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein
the first branch duct branches off from the main duct in a left direction of the sub-cabinet,
the second branch duct branches off from the main duct in a lower direction of the sub-cabinet, and
the third branch duct branches off from the main duct in a right direction of the sub-cabinet.

4. The modular refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein:
the main cabinet includes a connection duct extending from the cooling unit and connected to the branch duct, and
the connection duct includes the first connection duct extending in a right direction from the cooling unit, the second connection duct extending in an upper direction from the cooling unit, and the third connection duct extending in a left direction from the cooling unit.

5. The modular refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the right side of the main cabinet, the first connection duct and the first branch duct are connected so that cold air generated by the cooling unit is supplied to the sub-cabinet.

6. The modular refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the upper side of the main cabinet, the second connection duct and the second branch duct are connected so that cold air generated by the cooling unit is supplied to the sub-cabinet.

7. The modular refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the left side of the main cabinet, the third connection duct and the third branch duct are connected so that cold air generated by the cooling unit is supplied to the sub-cabinet.

8. The modular refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the main duct includes a damper configured to adjust a flow rate of cold air generated by the cooling unit and flowing through the main duct.

9. The modular refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein:
the main duct further includes a fan between the damper and the cold air discharge duct, the fan configured to increase an air volume of cold air generated by the cooling unit and flowing through the main duct.

10. The modular refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein:
the main duct further includes a fan between the damper and the branch duct, the fan configured to increase an air volume of cold air generated by the cooling unit and flowing through the main duct.

11. The modular refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein:
the cold air discharge duct includes a cold air outlet, and
the sub-cabinet includes a cold air discharge hole formed at a position corresponding to a position of the cold air outlet,
so that cold air flowing through the cold air discharge duct is discharged from the cold air discharge duct through the cold air outlet and then through the cold air discharge hole into the storage compartment.

12. The modular refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the sub-cabinet further includes a cold air collection duct to collect cold air from the storage compartment and guide the collected cold air to the cooling unit.

13. The modular refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the cold air collection duct includes:
a cold air collection hole through which the cold air from the storage compartment is collected, and a guide duct which guides the cold air collected through the cold air collection hole toward the cooling unit, and
the guide duct includes:
a first guide duct which branches off in a left direction of the sub-cabinet so that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the right side of the main cabinet, the first guide duct guides the cold air collected through the cold air collection hole toward the cooling unit,
a second guide duct which branches off in a lower direction of the sub-cabinet so that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the upper side of the main cabinet, the second guide duct guides the cold air collected through the cold air collection hole toward the cooling unit, and
a third guide duct which branches off in a right direction of the sub-cabinet so that, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the left side of the main cabinet, the third guide duct guides the cold air collected through the cold air collection hole toward the cooling unit.

14. The modular refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein:
the main cabinet includes an extension duct extending from a communication hole of the cooling unit and connected to the guide duct, and
the extension duct includes:
a first extension duct extending in a right direction from the cooling unit and, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the right side of the main cabinet, connects to the first guide duct of the sub-cabinet,
a second extension duct extending in an upper direction from the cooling unit and, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the upper side of the main cabinet, connects to the second guide duct of the sub-cabinet, and
a third extension duct extending in a left direction from the cooling unit and, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to the left side of the main cabinet, connects to the third guide duct of the sub-cabinet.

15. The modular refrigerator of claim 13 , further comprising:
caps configured to, when the sub-cabinet is coupled to one of the right side of the main body, the upper side of the body, and the left side of the main body, seal portions of the branch duct and the connection duct not connected to each other and portions of the guide duct and the extension duct not connected to each other, to prevent a leakage of cold air.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jisook
• Kim Changhyun
• Kim Hyunjoo
• Park Hosang
• Seo Eungryeol
• Yoon Wonjae

Classifications

• F25D23/065

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2317/0672

  Outlet ducts · CPC title

• F25D2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F25D2400/14

  Refrigerator multi units · CPC title