Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016187048-A1
Application number	US-201514757624-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator in which a cold storage material suitable for a freezing chamber may be packed in a cool pack for the freezer section and/or the refrigerator section to keep the respective sections cooler if there is a power failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a main body; a storage chamber inside the main body divided into a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber by a partition wall; an evaporator in the freezing chamber configured to generate cold air; and a cold air duct in a rear portion of the refrigerating chamber configured to supply the cold air to the refrigerating chamber via a flow passage, wherein the cold air duct comprises a first cool pack configured to hold freezer cold storage material.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an evaporator cover is in front of the evaporator, and a blowing fan above the evaporator is configured to blow the cold air to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the flow passage comprises a first flow passage separated from the freezing chamber by the evaporator cover, a second flow passage behind the cold air duct, a connection flow passage through the partition wall that connects the first flow passage and the second flow passage, and a suction flow passage inside the partition wall to allow the cold air to flow from the freezing chamber to the first flow passage via the suction flow passage.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the evaporator cover comprises a discharge port to allow the cold air in the first flow passage to flow to the freezing chamber, and a suction port on a bottom surface of the freezing chamber to allow the cold air in the freezing chamber to flow to the suction flow passage.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 4 , comprising a drain unit below the cold air duct to collect dew, wherein the dew forms on a front surface of the cold air duct by a temperature difference between an internal temperature of the refrigerating chamber and a temperature of the cold air in the second flow passage.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the drain unit comprises inclined surfaces inclined downwardly towards a center of the drain unit from both ends thereof, a water storage portion between the inclined surfaces to collect the dew, and a drain port to allow dew collected in the water storage portion to drain outside the main body.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the cold air duct comprises the first cool pack, an input port for introducing the freezer cold storage material to the first cool pack, and a plurality of first cold air discharge ports to allow the cold air in the second flow passage to flow to the refrigerating chamber.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 7 , comprising a cold air duct cover in front of the cold air duct and spaced apart from the cold air duct.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein a plurality of second cold air discharge ports are provided in the cold air duct cover in positions corresponding to the plurality of first cold air discharge ports.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 3 , comprising:
a damper configured to open and close in the connection flow passage; and a control unit for controlling operation of the damper.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises a capacitor for providing power to operate the damper when a power failure occurs.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate the blowing fan when a power failure occurs.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises a battery for providing power to operate the damper when a power failure occurs.

14 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a second cool pack with the freezer cold storage material is provided inside the freezing chamber.

15 . A refrigerator comprising:
a main body; a storage chamber inside the main body divided into a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber by a partition wall; an evaporator in the freezing chamber configured to generate cold air; a flow passage to allow the cold air to flow to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber; a first cool pack, in the freezing chamber, comprising freezer cold storage material to delay a rise in temperature of the freezing chamber when there is no power to the refrigerator; and a second cool pack, in the storage chamber, comprising the freezer cold storage material to delay a rise in temperature of the refrigerating chamber when there is no power to the refrigerator.

16 . The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein an evaporator cover is in front of the evaporator, and a blowing fan above the evaporator is configured to blow the cold air to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the flow passage comprises a first flow passage separated from the freezing chamber by the evaporator cover, a second flow passage behind a cold air duct located in a rear portion of the refrigerating chamber, a flow passage connection through the partition wall that connects the first flow passage and the second flow passage, and a suction flow passage inside the partition wall to allow the cold air to flow from the freezing chamber to the first flow passage via the suction flow passage.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the evaporator cover comprises a discharge port to allow the cold air in the first flow passage to flow to the freezing chamber, and a suction port on a bottom surface of the freezing chamber to allow the cold air in the freezing chamber to flow to the suction flow passage.

19 . The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the second cool pack is inside the partition wall, positioned below the suction flow passage, wherein cold storage energy stored in the second cool pack is from the cold air passing through the suction flow passage.

20 . The refrigerator according to claim 19 , wherein a plurality of embossed shapes are provided on a bottom surface of the second cool pack.

21 . The refrigerator according to claim 20 , wherein a cool pack cover is provided below the second cool pack, and a plurality of holes are provided in the cool pack cover.

22 . The refrigerator according to claim 21 , wherein the cold storage energy stored in the second cool pack is provided to the refrigerating chamber by flow of the cold air through the plurality of holes of the cool pack cover.

23 . The refrigerator according to claim 19 , wherein a refrigerant pipe, in which refrigerant is circulated, is provided in an upper portion outside an inner box forming the refrigerating chamber and a rear wall outside the inner box, and the cold storage energy stored in the second cool pack is provided to the refrigerating chamber via the refrigerant.

24 . The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the second cool pack is provided on the bottom surface of the freezing chamber and positioned above the suction flow passage.

25 . The refrigerator according to claim 24 , wherein cold storage energy stored in the second cool pack is from the cold air flowing in the second flow passage via the suction flow passage and the flow passage connection, and the cold air in the second flow passage flows in to the refrigerating chamber.

26 . The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the second cool pack is provided in the evaporator cover and cold storage energy stored in the second cool pack i

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeong Jin
• Seo Kook Jeong

Classifications

• F25D11/006 Primary

  with cold storage accumulators · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/12

  Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove · CPC title

• F25D21/14

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

• Y10S62/13

  Insulation · CPC title