Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019041119-A1
Application number	US-201816054308-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, an evaporator, an evaporator cover module, and a cold air supply module configured to communicate with the evaporator cover module. The evaporator cover module includes a rear plate that has a planar shape and that defines the surface of the storage space, a first insulation member located at a rear surface of the rear plate, and a second insulation member spaced apart from the first insulation member and located at a front surface of the inner case. The first insulation member and the second insulation member define a heat-exchange space configured to accommodate the evaporator between the first insulation member and the second insulation member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet comprising an outer case that defines an outer appearance of the cabinet and an inner case that is located inside of the outer case and that defines a storage space; an evaporator located in the storage space; an evaporator cover module located at the inner case and configured to cover the evaporator, the evaporator cover module defining a surface of the storage space; and a cold air supply module configured to communicate with the evaporator cover module and configured to supply cold air from the evaporator cover module to the storage space, wherein the evaporator cover module comprises:
a rear plate that has a planar shape and that defines the surface of the storage space,
a first insulation member located at a rear surface of the rear plate, and
a second insulation member spaced apart from the first insulation member and located at a front surface of the inner case, and
wherein the first insulation member and the second insulation member define a heat-exchange space configured to accommodate the evaporator between the first insulation member and the second insulation member.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is configured to couple to the evaporator cover module in a state in which the evaporator is spaced apart from a surface of the inner case that defines a rear surface of the storage space.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the evaporator is located in the heat-exchange space, and
wherein the evaporator is spaced apart from the first insulation member and the second insulation member.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the inner case of the cabinet is made of a metal material, and
wherein the inner case comprises a plurality of plates that are coupled to each other and that define one or more surfaces of the storage space.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the evaporator cover module further comprises an evaporator fixing member that is located at a rear surface of the inner case, that is configured to pass through the inner case and the second insulation member to couple to the evaporator, and that is configured to support the evaporator, and
wherein the evaporator fixing member is configured to, based on the evaporator fixing member coupling to the evaporator, support the evaporator at a position that is spaced apart from the first insulation member and the second insulation member.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the evaporator fixing member comprises:
a support plate configured to couple to the rear surface of the inner case; a boss part that extends from the support plate toward the evaporator, that is configured to contact the evaporator, and that is configured to pass through the inner case and the second insulation member; and a coupling member that passes through the evaporator and that is configured to couple to the boss part.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the evaporator cover module further comprises a radiation layer that is made of a metal material, that is located at a surface of each of the first insulation member and the second insulation member, and that is configured to restrict heat transfer from cold air in the heat-exchange space to each of the first insulation member and the second insulation member, and
wherein the radiation layer of each of the first insulation member and the second insulation member faces an interior of the heat-exchange space.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the evaporator cover module further comprises a pair of side ducts that define side ends of the heat-exchange space, respectively, that are made of an insulation material, and that are located at lateral sides of the evaporator, respectively.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the pair of side ducts are located at lateral sides of a rear surface of the rear plate, respectively, and
wherein the first insulation member, the second insulation member, and the evaporator are located between the pair of side ducts.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the evaporator cover module further comprises an adhesion member that is located at each of the pair of side ducts, that is made of an elastic material, and that is configured to couple to a front surface of the inner case, the adhesion member being configured to seal the heat-exchange space between the pair of side ducts.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , further comprising a water supply tube configured to supply water to the refrigerator,
wherein each side duct defines a tube guide part that is recessed from a surface of each side duct, that is configured to accommodate the water supply tube, and that extends in a longitudinal direction of each side duct.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the tube guide part defines openings that are located at upper and lower ends of each side duct and that allow the water supply tube to enter the storage space through the tube guide part.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 12 , further comprising a filter located at an outer top surface of the cabinet,
wherein the water supply tube is configured to connect to the filter, to pass through the cabinet, and to enter the tube guide part.

14 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein each side duct comprises:
a duct support part that defines at least a portion of the heat-exchange space and that faces toward a side of the evaporator; and a duct front part that extends from the duct support part and that defines the tube guide part, a thickness of the duct support part being greater than a thickness of the duct front part, and wherein the duct support part is configured to separate the water supply tube from the heat-exchange space and to restrict heat transfer from the evaporator to the water supply tube.

15 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , further comprising a water tank configured to receive water from the water supply tube,
wherein the cabinet defines a recess part located at a bottom surface of the storage space and configured to accommodate the water tank.

16 . The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the evaporator cover module defines a suction hole located at a lower end of the evaporator cover module and configured to receive cold air from the storage space, and
wherein the recess part is located at a front of the suction hole and is configured to be cooled by cold air that enters the suction hole.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a dispenser located in the storage space and configured to discharge water; a freezing compartment defined by the cabinet and configured to operate independent of the storage space; and an ice maker located inside of the freezing compartment and configured to generate ice, wherein the water supply tube comprises a plurality of tubes and a plurality of valves connected to the plurality of tubes, respectively, wherein the plurality of tubes include a dispenser tube configured to connect to the dispenser and an ice maker tube configured to connect to the ice maker, and wherein the dispenser tube, the ice maker tube, the water tank, and the plurality of valves are connected to each other and located inside of the recess part.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a third insulation member located between the inner case and the outer case; a dispenser tube gu

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jiwon
• Baik Wookyung

Classifications

• F25D2317/0665

  from the top · CPC title

• F25D17/062

  in household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D2317/063

  with air guides · CPC title

• F25D17/045 Primary

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• F25D17/08

  using ducts · CPC title