Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9239182-B2
Application number	US-201213584073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2012
Priority date	Dec 21, 2011
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body having a freezing compartment and a refrigeration compartment; a cooling circuit including a compressor, a first condenser, and a first evaporator to cool the freezing compartment and the refrigeration compartment using a first refrigerant; a thermosiphon that includes a second condenser provided at the refrigeration compartment and a second evaporator provided at the freezing compartment for a second refrigerant to flow; a valve provided to control a flow of the second refrigerant in the thermosiphon; a first heat transfer plate provided between the second condenser and the freezing compartment; a second heat exchange plate provided between the second evaporator and the refrigeration compartment; and a dew collection device provided at an inner side wall of the refrigerator compartment and positioned to correspond to a position of the second heat exchange plate to collect dew formed on the inner side wall of the refrigerator compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator body having a freezing compartment and a refrigeration compartment;
a cooling circuit including a compressor, a first condenser, and a first evaporator to cool the freezing compartment and the refrigeration compartment using a first refrigerant;
a thermosyphon that includes a second condenser provided at the freezing compartment and a second evaporator provided at the refrigeration compartment for a second refrigerant to flow;
a valve provided to control a flow of the second refrigerant in the thermosyphon; and
a condensation collection device provided at an inner side wall of the refrigeration compartment to collect dew formed on the inner side wall of the refrigeration-compartment.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the freezing compartment is positioned over the refrigeration compartment, and the second condenser of the thermosyphon is positioned higher than the second evaporator.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the thermosyphon is configured to operate when the cooling circuit does not operate.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the condensation collection device includes a plurality of protrusions provided on an inner surface of the refrigeration compartment opposite the second evaporator.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed integrally on the inner surface of the refrigeration compartment.

6. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions form concave regions between adjacent protrusions.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of protrusions form concave regions that have a quadrangular pyramid shape between adjacent protrusion.

8. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are positioned between 0.1 mm and 10 mm from each other.

9. The refrigerator of claim 4 , further comprising a heat transfer plate provided between the second evaporator and the refrigeration compartment.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein an area of the heat transfer plate is smaller than an area of the refrigerator compartment side wall where the plurality of protrusions are formed.

11. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the heat transfer plate is provided adjacent to an outer side surface of the refrigeration compartment and the second evaporator.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the second evaporator is in contact with the heat transfer plate.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the heat transfer plate is in contact with the outer surface of the refrigeration compartment.

14. The refrigerator of claim 4 , further comprising a heat transfer plate provided between the second condenser and the freezing compartment.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the heat transfer plate is provided adjacent to an outer top surface of the freezing compartment and the second condenser.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the condensation collection device includes a channel on the inner side wall of refrigerator compartment.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the channel is inclined such that the dew collected in the channel flows down along the channel.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the channel is positioned on the inner side wall of the refrigeration compartment.

19. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the side wall that corresponds to a position of the condensation collection device has an anti-condensation coating formed thereon.

20. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the thermosyphon further includes:
a first pipe for the second refrigerant to flow from the second condenser to the second evaporator; and
a second pipe for the second refrigerant to flow from the second evaporator to the second condenser, wherein the second refrigerant changes state from a gas to a liquid in the second condenser and changes stage from a liquid to gas in the second evaporator.

Assignees

• Lee Sangbong
• Lee Taehee
• Yun Younghoon
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Sangbong
• Lee Taehee
• Yun Younghoon

Classifications

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F28F2245/00

  Coatings; Surface treatments · CPC title

• F25D21/04 Primary

  Preventing the formation of frost or condensate · CPC title

• F25D16/00

  Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery · CPC title

• F25D23/06 Primary

  Walls (F25D23/08 takes precedence; containers with thermal insulation B65D81/38) · CPC title