Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581377-B2
Application number	US-201013581455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2010
Priority date	Feb 26, 2010
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, a heat exchange chamber defined in a side of the cabinet to provide a space for receiving an evaporator, a storage compartment defined in the cabinet, the storage compartment being independent from the refrigerating compartment, the freezing compartment, and the heat exchange chamber, a supply duct assembly connecting the heat exchange chamber to the storage compartment to provide a cool air supply passage, and a guide duct communicating with the supply duct assembly, the guide duct extending from a rear surface of the storage compartment up to a front portion of the storage compartment to guide cool air into a front side of the storage compartment. The guide duct discharges the cool air from the front portion of the storage compartment toward the inside of the storage compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising: an inner case including:
a heat exchange chamber defined at a rear inside portion of the inner case;
an evaporator received in the heat exchange chamber;
a freezing compartment disposed in front of the heat exchange chamber;
a grill pan partitioning the freezing compartment and the heat exchange chamber;
a storage compartment defined inside the inner case and disposed above the freezing compartment, the storage compartment being convertibly maintained between a freezing compartment temperature and a refrigerating compartment temperature; and
a refrigerating compartment defined inside the inner case and disposed above the storage compartment;
a first supply duct vertically extending at a rear outside of the inner case, the first supply duct being disposed at a side portion of the inner case, for connecting the heat exchange chamber and the storage compartment and supplying cool air in the heat exchange chamber to the storage compartment;
a second supply duct vertically extending at the rear outside of the inner case, the second supply duct being disposed at the side portion of the inner case, for connecting the heat exchange chamber and the refrigerating compartment and supplying cool air in the heat exchange chamber to the refrigerating compartment;
a first return duct disposed vertically extending at the rear outside of the inner case and substantially at a central portion of a rear surface of the inner case, for connecting the storage compartment and the heat exchange chamber and returning the cool air in the storage compartment to the heat exchange chamber;
a second return duct disposed vertically extending at the rear outside of the inner case and substantially at the central portion of the rear surface of the inner case, for connecting the refrigerating compartment and the heat exchange chamber and returning the cool air in the refrigerating compartment to the neat exchange chamber; and
a guide duct disposed in the storage compartment and communicating with an outlet of the first supply duct, the guide duct including:
an extension part extending in a left-to-right direction of the storage compartment and attached to a rear inner wall of the storage compartment to communicate with the outlet of the first supply duct through a storage compartment inlet formed in the rear surface of the inner case;
a first guide part disposed at an upper inner wall of the storage compartment and extending forward from a first side end of the extension part to guide the cool air supplied through the first supply duct forward in the storage compartment; and
a second guide part disposed at the upper inner wall of the storage compartment and extending forward from a second side end of the extension part to guide the cool air supplied through the first supply duct forward in the storage compartment, wherein the first supply duct and the second supply duct are provided side by side as one member.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first guide part includes:
a first guide rib extending from a rear end of the first guide part toward a front end of the first guide part, the first guide rib being disconnected at a position thereof to provide disconnected portions, wherein each of the disconnected portions of the first guide rib has a branched part; and
a deodorizer mounting part defined by the branched parts of the disconnected portions of the first guide part.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor,
wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on a front surface of the extension part between the first and second guide parts.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second guide parts includes:
a front discharge hole defined in a front surface of a front end thereof, to discharge the cool air forward; and
a plurality of lower discharge holes defined in a bottom surface thereof, to discharge the cool air downwards.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the upper wall of the storage compartment is recessed in a shape corresponding to a shape of the first and second guide parts, such that, when the first and second guide parts are attached to the upper wall of the storage compartment, lower surfaces of the first and second guide parts are coplanar to the upper wall.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising dampers respectively disposed at the outlet of the first supply duct and an outlet of the second supply duct, to control an amount of the cool air supplied to the storage compartment and the refrigerating compartment, respectively.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the first supply duct is closer to the first guide part than the second guide part, and wherein a vertically wherein an inner sectional area of the second guide part is greater than that of the first guide part.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a refrigerating compartment cooling duct communicating with an outlet of the second supply duct through a refrigerating compartment inlet formed in the rear surface of the inner case,
wherein the refrigerating compartment cooling duct extends along a circumference of the refrigerating compartment and having a plurality of cool air holes to uniformly supply the cool air supplied through the second supply duct into the refrigerating compartment.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the refrigerating compartment cooling duct extends sequentially along a first side edge, an upper side, and at least a portion of a second side edge of the refrigerating compartment.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second supply ducts are provided in a shape of a single module, and share a single inlet which is used to suction the cool air in the heat exchange chamber.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second return ducts are provided in a shape of a single module, and share a single outlet which is used to discharge the cool air to the heat exchange chamber.

Assignees

• Kim Cheolhwan
• Jung Wonyeong
• Youn Deokhyun
• Kim Jeongyon
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Cheolhwan
• Jung Wonyeong
• Youn Deokhyun
• Kim Jeongyon

Classifications

• F25D2317/0651

  through the bottom · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D2317/0665

  from the top · CPC title

• F25D23/00

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title