Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377329-A1
Application number	US-201615257532-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2011
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body in which a first storage compartment is defined, and a heat exchange chamber defined in the main body. An evaporator received in the heat exchange chamber. A second storage compartment is provided in the first storage compartment and a quick cooling module to cool an inside of the second storage compartment is provided, where the quick cooling module heat-exchanges with a refrigerant pipe of the evaporator. The quick cooling module includes a thermal conductive unit in thermal conduction with the refrigerant pipe, and a thermoelectric device having a first surface in thermal conduction with the thermal conductive unit to heat-exchange with the thermal conductive unit when current is supplied and a second surface facing the second storage compartment.

First claim

1 - 24 . (canceled)

25 . A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body comprising:
an outer case defining an outer appearance thereof,
a heat exchange chamber defined in the main body,
a refrigerating compartment defined in the main body,
a freezing compartment positioned adjacent to the refrigerating compartment and in front of the heat exchange chamber, and
a deep freezing storage compartment disposed inside the freezing compartment to be maintained at a super low temperature lower than a temperature of the freezing compartment;
a partition to partition the freezing compartment and the heat exchange chamber, wherein the heat exchange chamber is disposed between the partition and the outer case, and the deep freezing storage compartment is disposed adjacent a front surface of the partition; an evaporator disposed in the heat exchange chamber to cool air in the freezing compartment; a compressor to allow refrigerant to flow inside the evaporator; a drawer assembly received in the deep freezing storage compartment; a deep cooling module to cool air in the drawer assembly to the super low temperature, whereby at least a part of the deep cooling module passes through the partition, the deep cooling module including:
a thermoelectric device having a heat emission surface and a heat absorption surface which is opposite of the heat emission surface;
a heat dissipation member contacting the heat absorption surface of the thermoelectric device;
a first fan disposed adjacent to the heat dissipation member to allow the air of the deep freezing storage compartment to heat exchange with the heat dissipation member; and
a thermal conductive unit of which an outer surface thereof contacts the heat emission surface of the thermoelectric device and the evaporator, the thermal conductive unit being coupled to the evaporator such that the refrigerant in the evaporator flows to heat exchange with the thermal conductive unit; and
a second fan to supply cold air in the heat exchange chamber to the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment, wherein the first fan and the heat dissipation member are disposed in front of a rear surface of the partition, wherein the second fan and the thermal conductive unit are disposed in the heat exchange chamber, and wherein the air in the deep freezing storage compartment is cooled at the super low temperature by heat absorption occurring in the thermoelectric device and by cool air supplied from the evaporator.

26 . The refrigerator of claim 25 , wherein the partition is an inner case that defines an inner surface of the main body.

27 . The refrigerator of claim 25 , wherein the main body further includes:
an inner case coupled to the outer case, and an insulation material disposed between the inner case and the outer case.

28 . The refrigerator of claim 25 , wherein the evaporator includes a refrigerant pipe, and the thermal conductive unit includes a pair of thermal conductive plates surrounding a portion of the refrigerant pipe.

29 . The refrigerator of claim 25 , wherein the evaporator includes a refrigerant pipe, and a portion of the refrigerant pipe passes through the thermal conductive unit.

30 . The refrigerator of claim 25 , wherein the thermal conductive unit includes a refrigerant passage through which refrigerant flows.

31 . The refrigerator of claim 25 , wherein the drawer assembly comprises:
a case disposed in the deep freezing storage compartment; and a drawer capable of being drawn into and out of the case.

32 . The refrigerator of claim 31 , further comprising a cool air moving part provided at a rear surface of the drawer, wherein the cool air moving part includes:
a cool air inflow hole that allows air heat-exchanged with the heat dissipation member to flow into the drawer, and a cool air discharge hole allowing that allows air in the drawer to flow to the heat dissipation member.

33 . The refrigerator of claim 31 , wherein the cool air inflow hole is provided at a center of the rear surface of the drawer, and the cool air discharge hole is provided in plurality and provided at a periphery of the cool air inflow hole.

34 . The refrigerator of claim 31 , further comprising a plurality of cooling projections protruding from a bottom surface of the drawer.

35 . The refrigerator of claim 34 , further comprising a cold plate provided at an upper end of the cooling projections.

36 . A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body including:
an outer case defining an outer appearance thereof,
a heat exchange chamber defined in the main body,
a refrigerating compartment defined in the main body,
a freezing compartment positioned adjacent to the refrigerating compartment and in front of the heat exchange chamber, and
a deep freezing storage compartment disposed inside the freezing compartment to be maintained at a super low temperature that is lower than a temperature of the freezing compartment;
a partition to partition the freezing compartment and the heat exchange chamber, wherein the heat exchange chamber is disposed between the partition and the outer case, and the deep freezing storage compartment is disposed adjacent a front surface of the partition; an evaporator disposed in the heat exchange chamber to cool air in the freezing compartment; a compressor to allow refrigerant to flow inside the evaporator; a drawer assembly received in the deep freezing storage compartment; a deep cooling module to cool air in the drawer assembly to the super low temperature, whereby at least a part of the deep cooling module passes through the partition, the deep cooling module including:
a thermoelectric device having a heat emission surface and a heat absorption surface which is opposite of the heat emission surface;
a heat dissipation member contacting the heat absorption surface of the thermoelectric device;
a first fan disposed adjacent to the heat dissipation member to allow the air of the deep freezing storage compartment to heat exchange with the heat dissipation member; and
a thermal conductive unit of which an outer surface contacts the heat emission surface of the thermoelectric device and the evaporator, the thermal conductive unit being coupled to the evaporator such that the refrigerant in the evaporator flows to heat exchange with the thermal conductive unit; a second fan to supply cold air in the heat exchange chamber to the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment; and a control unit to control the refrigerating cycle, wherein when the deep cooling module is in an operation state, the control unit determines whether the refrigerating cycle for cooling the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment is currently being operated, and wherein the control unit outputs a control command for operating the compressor when it is determined that the refrigerating cycle is not currently being operated, such that the air in the deep freezing storage compartment is cooled at the super low temperature by heat absorption occurring in the thermoelectric device and by cool air supplied from the evaporator.

37 . The refrigerator of claim 36 , wherein, the control unit stops operation of the thermoelectric device when a set time for the deep cooling operation has elapsed.

38 . The refrigerator of claim 37 , wherein when the operation of the thermoelectric device stopped, the control unit determines whether to continuously operate the refrigerating cycle, and
when it is determined to continuously operate the refrigerating cycle, the compressor is continuously operated and the deep cooling operation is stopp

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Shin Jaehoon
• Kim Yanggyu
• Sul Heayoun
• Park Yongjoo

Classifications

• F25B25/00

  Machines, plants or systems, using a combination of modes of operation covered by two or more of the groups F25B1/00 - F25B23/00 · CPC title

• F25D2317/061

  through special compartments · CPC title

• F25D2400/28

  Quick cooling · CPC title

• F25D2317/063

  with air guides · CPC title

• F25B21/02 Primary

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title