Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939189-B2
Application number	US-201414514553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator having a flow channel device provided at opposite sides of a machinery compartment to introduce and discharge external air into the machinery compartment. The refrigerator includes a main body including an inner liner having a storage compartment defined therein, an outer liner coupled to an outside of the inner liner to form an external appearance thereof, and an insulation member filled between the inner liner and the outer liner, a machinery compartment, provided at a lower part of the main body, in which a compressor is disposed, and a flow channel device provided at opposite sides of the machinery compartment such that external air is introduced into the machinery compartment, flows along the machinery compartment, and is discharged from the machinery compartment, wherein the flow channel device extends through the insulation member filled between the outer liner and an inner wall of the machinery compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body comprising:
an inner liner to form a storage compartment,
an outer liner to form an external appearance of the refrigerator, and
an insulation member filled between the inner liner and the outer liner;

a machinery compartment provided at a lower part of the main body, in which a compressor is disposed; and
a pair of flow channel devices respectively provided at opposite sides of the machinery compartment to form a pair of air flow channels, each flow channel device of the pair of flow channel devices including,
an inner wall assembly to form an inner side wall at the inner liner at one of the opposite sides of the machinery compartment, to form one of the pair of air flow channels extended through the insulation member between the formed inner side wall and the outer liner,
the inner wall assembly supporting the insulation member filled between the inner liner and the outer liner,
such that, while external air is introduced through one of the pair of air flow channels at one side among the opposite sides of the machinery compartment and into the machinery compartment, the introduced external air to flow along the machinery compartment and to be discharged from the machinery compartment through another of the pair of air flow channels at other side among the opposite sides of the machinery compartment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein each inner wall assembly includes:
a first opening,
a case unit including an air flow channel of the pair of air flow channels, the case unit disposed between the outer liner and the formed inner side wall,
the air flow channel positioned corresponding to the first opening, and

a cover unit to cover a second opening provided at the outer liner, the second opening corresponding to the air flow channel of the case unit and the first opening.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein:
the machinery compartment includes a machinery compartment heat dissipation fan to dissipate heat from the machinery compartment, and
the first opening has a height corresponding to a height of the machinery compartment heat dissipation fan.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the inner wall assembly further includes:
a plane part forming the inner side wall of the machinery compartment, and
an extension part extending from the plane part toward the outer liner to form a space in which the case unit is disposed between the plane part and the outer liner.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the plane part is provided with:
the first opening, and
a case unit coupling part, to which the case unit is coupled.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein:
the case unit coupling part is provided with a plurality of insertion holes, and
the case unit is coupled to the case unit coupling part by fastening members inserted into the plurality of insertion holes.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the case unit is coupled to the case unit coupling part by adhesive tape.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein:
the case unit is coupled to the inner wall assembly such that the air flow channel corresponds to the first opening, and
a sponge is disposed between the case unit and the inner wall assembly to seal a space between the case unit and the inner wall assembly.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the case unit further includes:
a support part to support the insulation member filled around sides of the case unit,
a first coupling part coupled to the case unit coupling part,
a tight contact part tightly contacting the outer liner,
a protruding part protruding from the tight contact part such that a portion of the protruding part protrudes outward from the second opening to seal a space between the outer liner and the case unit, and
a second coupling part, to which the cover unit is coupled.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the air flow channel is provided with a plurality of ribs arranged in a lattice shape to reinforce the support part.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the first coupling part is provided with a plurality of coupling holes corresponding to the plurality of insertion holes such that the case unit is coupled to the inner wall assembly by the fastening members inserted into the plurality of insertion holes.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the cover unit is provided with a plurality of ventilation openings and a fastening part fastened to the case unit.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein:
the fastening part comprises a plurality of hook protrusions, and
the second coupling part comprises a plurality of hook grooves corresponding to the hook protrusions such that the cover unit is coupled to the case unit by fitting.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein:
the fastening part comprises a plurality of through holes, and
the second coupling part comprises a plurality of fastening holes corresponding to the plurality of through holes such that the cover unit is coupled to the case unit by fastening members extending through the plurality of through holes.

15. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body comprising:
an inner liner to form a storage compartment,
an outer liner to form an external appearance thereof, and
an insulation member filled between the inner liner and the outer liner;

a machinery compartment provided at a lower part of the main body, in which a compressor is disposed;
a pair of flow channel devices respectively provided at opposite sides of the machinery compartment, each flow channel device of the pair of the flow channel devices including:
an inner wall assembly forming an inner side wall at the inner liner at the one side among the opposite sides of the machinery compartment, the inner wall assembly including:
a first opening;
a case unit coupled to the inner wall assembly such that the case unit is disposed between the outer liner and the inner side wall, the case unit including:
an air flow channel corresponding to the first opening and extended through the insulation member between the inner side wall and the outer liner, the case unit supporting the insulation member filled between the inner liner and the outer liner; and

a cover unit to cover a second opening provided at the outer liner, the second opening corresponding to the air flow channel of the case unit and the first opening, the cover unit having a plurality of ventilation openings.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein:
the machinery compartment has a machinery compartment heat dissipation fan to dissipate heat from the machinery compartment, and
the first opening has a height corresponding to a height of the machinery compartment heat dissipation fan.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the inner wall assembly further includes:
a plane part forming the inner side wall of the machinery compartment, the plane part being provided with:
the first opening, and
a case unit coupling part, to which the case unit is coupled, and
an extension part extending from the plane part toward the outer liner to form a space in which the case unit is disposed between the plane part and the outer liner.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein:
the case unit is coupled to the inner wall assembly such that the air flow channel corresponds to the first opening, and
a sponge is disposed between the case un

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koo Keon Pyo
• Kim Byung Su
• Lim Ji Hoon
• Jo Hyun Young
• Kang Hun Kwan

Classifications

• F25D2323/00277

  from the side · CPC title

• F25D2323/00261

  through the back bottom side · CPC title

• F25D23/003 Primary

  for cooling refrigerating machinery · CPC title

• F25B31/006

  Cooling of compressor or motor · CPC title

• F25D23/006

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title