In-vehicle refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522120-B2
Application number	US-202318559614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2023
Priority date	Mar 19, 2021
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator for a vehicle. The refrigerator for a vehicle comprises: a refrigeration module having a refrigeration space therein, a seat mounting part sitting on a seat for a vehicle and having a docking part connecting to the refrigeration module, at an upper surface thereof, and a fixation belt part one side of which connects to the seat mounting part and the other side of which connects to a structure of the seat, to limit a movement of the seat mounting part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator for a vehicle, comprising:
a refrigeration module having a refrigeration space therein; a seat mounting part sitting on a seat for a vehicle, and having a docking part connecting to the refrigeration module, on an upper surface thereof; and a fixation belt part one side of which connects to the seat mounting part and the other side of which connects to a structure of the seat, to limit a movement of the seat mounting part, wherein the docking part comprises a second docking part held and coupled to a hold protrusion provided at the refrigeration module or decoupled from the hold protrusion, based on a rotation motion, and wherein the second docking part comprises a locking plate provided with a locking groove into which the hold protrusion is inserted and held.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , the refrigeration module, comprising:
a storage part that is provided with a first heat exchanger supplied with refrigerants and configured to exchange heat with a surrounding object, and has an inner space for storing an item; and a machine compartment that is installed in a space separate from the storage part, and supplies refrigerants to the first heat exchanger.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , the storage part, comprising:
a storage body that has an inner space for refrigerating and storing an item at a low temperature, and has an open upper side; and a storage door that is installed at an upper side of the storage body and opens and closes the inner space.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the first heat exchanger is installed inside the storage body facing the inner space.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , the machine compartment, comprising:
a compressor that connects to the first heat exchanger; a condenser that receives refrigerants through the compressor, and cools refrigerants while exchanging heat with air; and an air blowing part that forms a flow of air passing through the condenser.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , the machine compartment, further comprising:
a control valve that connects to the condenser and the first heat exchanger, and controls a supply of refrigerants having passed through the condenser to the first heat exchanger.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , the seat mounting part, comprising:
a mounting housing that is disposed at an upper side of the seat, extends in a front-rear direction of the seat, and includes the docking part; and an extension body that extends downward from one side of the mounting housing in a front-rear direction thereof, and then bends.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , the docking part, comprising:
a first docking part that forms a groove part extending in a widthwise direction of the mounting housing; and the second docking part that is disposed at a rear of the first docking part.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , the second docking part, comprising:
a docking housing that is fixed to the mounting housing; the locking plate that is rotatably installed at the docking housing; a moving bar that moves linearly, and controls a rotation motion of the locking plate; and an operating bar that is coupled to the moving bar, and moves the moving bar, based on a rotation motion.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the operating bar and the moving bar are installed in such a way that the operating bar and the moving bar cross each other, and a side projection protruding outside the operating bar is inserted into an inner hole provided at the moving bar and is connected to the moving bar.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration module further comprises a hold protrusion that protrudes downward toward the docking part and is held by the docking part.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 11 , the hold protrusion, comprising:
a first hold protrusion that protrudes to a lower side of the refrigeration module and is held by the docking part; and a second hold protrusion that is disposed at a rear of the first hold protrusion, and protrudes to the lower side of the refrigeration module and is held by the docking part.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the fixation belt part is fastened to a rear surface fixation part installed at a rear of the seat mounting part.

14 . A refrigerator for a vehicle, comprising:
a refrigeration module provided with a storage part that is provided with a first heat exchanger and has an inner space for storing an item, and a machine compartment that supplies refrigerants to the first heat exchanger; a seat mounting part configured to sit on a seat for a vehicle, and provided with a docking part connecting to the refrigeration module; and a fixation belt part one side of which connects to the seat mounting part and the other side of which connects to a structure of the seat, to limit a movement of the seat mounting part, wherein a discharge direction of air discharged to a lower side of the refrigeration module is guided along the seat mounting part, wherein the docking part comprises a second docking part held and coupled to a hold protrusion provided at the refrigeration module or decoupled from the hold protrusion, based on a rotation motion, and wherein the second docking part comprises a locking plate provided with a locking groove into which the hold protrusion is inserted and held.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , the refrigeration module, comprising:
a discharge hole part that connects to the machine compartment and is a passage of air discharged from the machine compartment.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 15 , the seat mounting part, comprising:
a mounting housing that is disposed at an upper side of the seat, extends in a front-rear direction of the seat, and comprises the docking part; and an extension body that extends downward from one side of the mounting housing in a front-rear direction thereof, and then bends toward a rear of the seat.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , the seat mounting part, further comprising:
a first discharge guide part that forms a groove part having a concave shape, at the mounting housing disposed at a lower side of the discharge hole part, and guides air discharged to the lower side of the discharge hole part downward, toward a front of the mounting housing, at a slant.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , the docking part, comprising:
a first docking part that forms a groove part extending in a widthwise direction of the mounting housing; and the second docking part that is disposed at a rear of the first docking part.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 18 , the second docking part, comprising:
a docking housing that is fixed to the mounting housing; the locking plate that is rotatably installed at the docking housing; a moving bar that moves linearly, and controls a rotation motion of the locking plate; and an operating bar that is coupled to the moving bar, and moves the moving bar, based on a rotation motion.

20 . The refrigerator of claim 19 , wherein the operating bar and the moving bar are installed in such a way that the operating bar and the moving bar cross each other, and a side projection protruding outside the operating bar is inserted into an inner hole provided at the moving bar and is connected to the moving bar.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Boan
• Shin Daekee
• Yoo Sehdong
• Lee Young Hwan
• Youn Je Kwang

Classifications

• B60R7/043

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B60N3/104 Primary

  with refrigerating or warming systems · CPC title

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• F25D23/006

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title

• F25D19/00

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title