EP2083232A2

EP2083232A2 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP2083232A2
Application number: EP20090152405
Authority: EP
Inventors: Su Nam Chae; Chang Joon Kim; Sung Jhee; Jun Ho Bae
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2008-01-22
Filing date: 2009-02-09
Publication date: 2009-07-29
Also published as: KR101505675B1; EP2083232A3; KR20090080730A

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body (10), a rotatable refrigerator door (11,12), and a home bar (100). The main body includes a cool air storage compartment. The rotatable refrigerator door is coupled to the main body. The home bar is provided to the refrigerator door and defines an opening (101). The home bar includes a home bar door configured to selectively cover the opening, a home bar frame in close contact with the home bar door in a state where the home bar door is closed, and a heater (120) supplying heat on a sides of the home bar frame. The refrigerator is configured to supply a larger amount of heat from the heater to a portion of the home bar having less insulation, thereby forming the uniform temperature distribution around the home bar, and thus power supplied to the heater can be reduced.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator.
In the related art, a refrigerator includes a plurality of compartments for storing foods or other goods at low temperatures close to or below zero degrees Celsius. Predetermined sides of the storing compartments are opened for allowing access to the foods stored in the storing compartment.
Some of recent refrigerators include a home bar installed in a door for preventing unnecessary leakage of cold air caused by frequent opening and closing of the door. Drinks or foods can be accessed through the home bar without having to open the refrigerator door.
The refrigerator door includes an opening having a predetermined size to access foods through the home bar. The opening may be coupled with a rotatable home bar door to cover the opening.
There is a great temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the refrigerator. That is, a refrigerator compartment inside the refrigerator has a temperature ranging from about 2 °C to 3 °C, and the outside of the refrigerator has an ambient temperature (about 15 to 25 °C) of the installed refrigerator.
Thus, an insulation may be inserted into the home bar door to prevent heat transfer caused by the temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the refrigerator.
The home bar may include a home bar heater to prevent the condensation of moisture in air around the home bar caused by a temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the home bar.
Since the home bar door of the refrigerator door has a mounting structure where a lower end of the opening has less insulating capacities, the lower end of the opening generally has a lower temperature than that of other portions of the opening.
Particularly, to obtain a rotating space of the home bar door, less insulation materials are inserted into the lower end of the opening than into other portions. Thus, a large amount of cool air inside the refrigerator tends to be emitted through the lower end of the opening to the outside.
However, the related art home bar heater is adjacent to the home bar door along a predetermined portion of the refrigerator door to supply a constant amount of heat. Thus, a low temperature phenomenon occurs especially in the lower end of the opening among peripheral regions of the opening where the home bar door is installed.
Also, moisture in air in the lower end of the opening is condensed on the refrigerator by a temperature difference between the lower end of the opening and the peripheral regions of the refrigerator.
To increase the temperature in the lower end of the opening, the amount of heat of the home bar heater is increased. In this case, there is a need for additional power, thereby increasing power consumption costs, and temperatures of other portions of the opening, i.e., temperatures of an upper end and of both side ends are also increased, thereby reducing freezing efficiency inside the refrigerator.
One embodiment of the invention provides a refrigerator configured to improve the structure of a home bar heater provided to a home bar to form a uniform temperature distribution in a peripheral region of the home bar using the heater and to improve efficiency of the heater.
One embodiment also provides a refrigerator configured to dispose greater portions of a heater in a region having a low temperature near a home bar door to form a uniform temperature distribution in a peripheral region of the home bar door and to reduce a power consumption.
In one embodiment, a refrigerator includes: a main body including a cool air storage compartment; at least one rotatable refrigerator door coupled to the main body; and a home bar provided on the refrigerator door, said home bar comprising: a home bar frame defining an opening in the refrigerator door; a home bar door configured to open en close the opening and adapted to be in close contact with the home bar door in a state where the home bar door is closed; and a heater supplying heat to sides of the home bar frame. This refrigerator is characterized in that the heater is adapted to supply a larger amount of heat to a specific side of the home bar frame than to the other sides.
According to the above configuration of the present disclosure, the opening of the refrigerator door provided with the home bar door, for example, the lower end of the opening receives greater portions of the capacitance of the heater, thereby forming a uniform temperature distribution around the home bar.
Thus, the uniform temperature distribution around the home bar can be formed without increasing the whole amount of heat, thereby reducing required power consumption.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator home bar according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a home bar heater according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a home bar heater according to a third embodiment.
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be constructed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator home bar 100 according to a first embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 includes a main body 10, a freezer compartment door 11, and a refrigerator compartment door 12. The main body 10 has an open front and includes a freezer compartment (not shown) and a refrigerator compartment (not shown). The freezer compartment door 11 and the refrigerator compartment door 12 are configured to respectively cover parts of the open front of the main body 10.
The refrigerator compartment door 12 includes the home bar 100 in an approximately center thereof to improve storing and accessing of frequently used foods or the like.
A side-by-side-type refrigerator, including a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment at left and right sides, will be exemplified in FIG. 1. However, positions of the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment are not limited thereto, and a top-mount-type refrigerator in which a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment are vertically arranged, or a bottom freezer-type refrigerator in which a refrigerator compartment is disposed on a top side, and the freezer compartment is disposed on a bottom side may be provided according to other embodiments.
Also, the home bar 100 may be provided on the freezer compartment door 11, or on both the refrigerator compartment door 12 and the freezer compartment door 11.
Particularly, the main body 10 includes the refrigerator compartment storing a food required to be at a temperature ranging from about 2 °C to 5 °C, and the freezer compartment storing a food required to be frozen.
More particularly, the home bar 100 includes an opening 101, a home bar frame 102, and a home bar door 103. The opening 101 allows access to good inside the refrigerator. The home bar frame 102 is disposed on a periphery around the opening 101 to form an appearance of the home bar 100. The home bar door 103 is configured to open and close the opening 101.
Although the opening 101 and the home bar frame 102, which are separately referred in function, are included in the home bar 100, the opening 101 and the home bar frame 102 may be considered as portions of the refrigerator compartment door 12.
An inner surface of the home bar door 103 is provided with a home bar door liner 104. The home bar door liner 104 contacts the home bar frame 102 to close an inner space of the refrigerator 1 in the state where the home bar door 103 covers the opening 101.
The home bar door 103 is rotatably mounted at a lower end of the home bar 100, i.e., a hinge portion 107. The hinge portion 107 may be provided to the refrigerator compartment door 12 on both sides of a lower end of the opening 101.
The home bar door 103 includes a latch member 106 in an inner upper portion thereof. The latch member 106 fixes the home bar door 103 covering the opening 101 to the home bar frame 102.
The home bar frame 102 includes a latch assembly 105 that is, when the home bar door 103 is closed, interlocked with the latch member 106.
When the home bar door 103 is closed, the latch member 106 is inserted into the latch assembly 105 and interlocked with the latch assembly 105, to maintain the closing state of the home bar door 103. The home bar door 103 includes a push part (not shown) in a front surface thereof. The push part is configured to perform a push operation for a user to open the home bar door 103. Thus, the latch member 106 with the push part may be one element of an "opening/closing device" for opening/closing the home bar door 103.
The home bar frame 102 includes a gasket 108 in a front surface thereof. The gasket 108, in the state where the home bar door 103 is closed, contacts the inner surface of the home bar door 103 to close the inner space of the refrigerator 1, thereby preventing the leakage of cool air in the refrigerator 1.
The home bar frame 102 includes a home bar heater 120 therein. The home bar heater 120 heats the periphery of the opening 101 to prevent wet air, i.e., moisture in air from being condensed by a temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the refrigerator 1.
Hereinafter, configuration of the home bar heater 120 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, the home bar heater 120 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 may be disposed inside the home bar frame 102. The home bar frame 102 may include an insulation material inserted into the home bar frame 102 to thermally insulate the inside and the outside of the refrigerator 1 from each other.
Particularly, the home bar heater 120 is disposed around the opening 101. The home bar heater 120 includes an upper end 121 disposed on an upper side of the opening 101, a first side end 122 extending from the upper end 121 and disposed on at least one of left and right sides of the opening 101, a lower end 123 extending from the first side end 122 and disposed on a lower side of the opening 101, and a second side end 124 extending from the lower end 123 and disposed on at least another side of the left and right sides of the opening 101.
The second side end 124 may be opposite to the first side end 122 with respect to the opening 101.
The upper end 121 and the side ends 122 and 124 may include a heater formed of an electrical heating wire disposed in a single line. On the other hand, the lower end 123 may include a heater disposed in a plurality of lines, i.e., a multi-stage. That is, in the lower end 123 the electrical heating wire may be disposed in a zigzag shape downward from the lower side of the opening 101.
This is because a lower portion of the home bar frame 102 has less insulating capacities than the other portions.
Particularly, the home bar door 103 is hinged to the lower portion of the home bar frame 102. A relatively small amount of the insulation material is inserted into the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 to obtain a space allowing rotation of the home bar door 103.
Thus, a large amount of cool air in the refrigerator 1 tends to be emitted through the lower portion of the home bar frame 102. Accordingly, the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 has a lower temperature than those of the other portions. As a result, in the lower portion of the home bar frame 102, the possibility of condensing moisture in air is increased.
To sum up, the home bar heater 120 may be provided in a plurality of lines in the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 to supply a larger amount of heat to the lower portion of the home bar frame 102. That is, more and longer portions of the home bar heater 120 may be disposed on the lower side of the home bar frame 102 than on the other sides.
More particularly, the lower end 123 of the home bar heater 120 includes the heater having a plurality of layers.
The lower end 123 is disposed in a horizontal direction in a zigzag shape, and includes a plurality of bent portions 123a in at least one portion of the lower end 123 such that the heater is disposed in the plurality of lines. The respective lines of the heater may be spaced from each other by a predetermined distance.
As described above, since the heater of the lower end 123 is disposed in a plurality of lines, the heater produces a large quantity of heat, and thus greatly heats the refrigerator door. As a result, a relatively low temperature of the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 increases to temperatures of the other portions, i.e., upper and side portions of the home bar frame 102.
The number of the lines of the heater arranged in the lower end 123 may be determined based on differences between a lower temperature of the home bar frame 102 and temperatures of the other portions of the home bar frame 102.
One side of the lower end 123 is connected to one side of the first side end 122, and the other side of the lower end 123 is connected to one side of the second side end 124. That is, the side ends 122 and 124 may be integrally formed with the lower end 123.
Although the side ends 122 and 124, and the upper end 121 are disposed in a single line as illustrated in FIG. 2, the number of the lines is not limited thereto, provided that the number is less than that of the lower end 123.
That is, the number of arranged heater lines in the side ends 122 and 124, and the upper end 121 may be less than that of the lower end 123.
The home bar heater 120 may be connected to a controller (not shown) configured to control operation of the home bar heater 120. Particularly, one side of the upper end 121 and one side of the second side end 124 may be connected to the controller.
On applying refrigerator power, the power may be supplied to the home bar heater 120.
Alternately, the refrigerator 1 may include a temperature sensor therein, which is configured to measure an inner temperature of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 may also have a configuration where a temperature measured by the temperature sensor is compared with an outer temperature of the refrigerator 1, and when the measured temperature is greater than a predetermined value, the home bar heater 120 is operated.
Hereinafter, configuration of home bar heaters 220 and 320 according to other embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The home bar heaters 220 and 320 of these embodiments are the same as that of the previous embodiment except for the shape and the structure thereof. Thus, the difference will be mainly described, and the same parts will be described using the same numerical reference and the description of the previous embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the home bar heater 220 according to one embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 3, the home bar heater 220 may be disposed inside the home bar frame 102.
Particularly, the home bar heater 220 is disposed around the opening 101. The home bar heater 220 includes an upper end 221 disposed on an upper side of the opening 101, a first side end 222 extending from the upper end 221 and disposed on at least one of left and right sides of the opening 101, a lower end 223 extending from the first side end 222 and disposed on a lower side of the opening 101, and a second side end 224 extending from the lower end 223 and disposed on at least another side of the left and right sides of the opening 101.
The second side end 224 may be opposite to the first side end 222 with respect to the opening 101.
The upper end 221 and the side ends 222 and 224 may include a heater disposed in a single line. On the other hand, the lower end 223 may include a heater disposed in a plurality of lines. Thus, the heater supplies a larger amount of heat to the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 than to the other portions.
More particularly, the home bar heater 220 includes a left side 223a and a right side 223b in the lower end 223, which are laterally symmetrical to each other with respect to a center of the lower end 223. Respective lines of the heater disposed on the left side 223a and the right side 223b may be spaced from each other by a predetermined distance.
In this case, a large amount of heat can be supplied and simultaneously the length of the heater can be reduced.
Also, since the heater of the lower end 223 is disposed in a plurality of lines, the heater produces a large amount of heat, and thus greatly heats the refrigerator door. As a result, a relatively low temperature in the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 increases to temperatures of the other portions.
The number of the lines of the heater arranged in the lower end 223 may be determined based on differences between the temperature of the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 and the temperatures of the other portions of the home bar frame 102.
The home bar heater 220 may be connected to a controller (not shown) configured to control operation of the home bar heater 220. Particularly, one side of the upper end 221 and one side of the second side end 224 may be connected to the controller.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the home bar heater 320 according to another embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 4, the home bar heater 320 may be disposed inside the home bar frame 102.
Particularly, the home bar heater 320 is disposed around the opening 101. The home bar heater 320 includes a first side end 321 disposed on a right side of the opening 101, an upper end 322 extending from the first side end 321 and disposed on an upper side of the opening 101, a second side end 323 extending from the upper end 322 and disposed on a left side of the opening 101, and a lower end 324 extending from the second side end 323 and disposed on the lower side of the opening 101.
One side of the first side end 321 is connected to a controller controlling the home bar heater 320. One side of the lower end 324 is also connected to the controller. That is, the home bar heater 320 may be connected to the controller through the side of the first side end 321, and extended from the first side end 321 to the lower end 324, and then connected again to the controller through the side of the lower end 324.
The side of the first side end 321 and the side of the lower end 324 may connected to the controller through wires (not shown).
The lower end 324 includes a heater disposed in a plurality of lines.
That is, the upper end 322 and the side ends 321 and 323 may include a heater disposed in a single line. On the other hand, the lower end 324 may include the heater disposed in the plurality of lines. Thus, the heater supplies the larger amount of heat to the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 than to the other portions.
As a matter of course, the upper end 322 and the side ends 321 and 323 may also have a heater having a plurality of lines, provided that the heater of the lower end 324 has more lines than that of the upper end 322 and the side ends 321 and 323.

Thus, since the heater of the lower end 324 is disposed in the plurality of lines, the heater produces the large amount of heat, and thus greatly heats the refrigerator door. As a result, a relatively low temperature in the lower portion of the home bar frame 102 increases to temperatures of the other portions.

Table 1

Classification	Related art home bar heater		Embodiment of FIG. 2		Embodiment of FIG. 3		Embodiment of FIG. 4
Freezer compartment home bar	1,110 mm	0.0050 W/mm	1,700 mm	0.0027 W/mm	1,465 mm	0.0031 W/mm	1,390 mm	0.0033 W/mm
Refrigerator compartment home bar	1,280 mm	0.0059 W/mm	2,020 mm	0.0021 W/mm	1,855 mm	0.0023 W/mm	1,680 mm	0.0025 W/mm

The above table 1 shows a required length of the heater and a consumed amount of heat per unit length in the arrangement of the heaters in both a related art and the above embodiments.
In the case of the related art home bar heaters, the freezer compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,110 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0050 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 5.5 W, and the refrigerator compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,280 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0059 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 7.6 W.
On the other hand, in the case of the arrangement of the heater according to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the freezer compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,700 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0027 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 4.6 W. The refrigerator compartment home bar includes a heater of about 2,020 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0021 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 4.2 W.
Also, in the case of the arrangement of the heater according to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the freezer compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,465 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0031 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 4.6 W. The refrigerator compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,855 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0023 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 4.2 W.
Also, in the case of the arrangement of the heater according to the embodiment of FIG. 4, the freezer compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,390 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0033 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 4.6 W. The refrigerator compartment home bar includes a heater of about 1,680 mm, and the amount of heat per unit length is about 0.0025 W/mm, and thus the total amount of heat consumed is about 4.2 W.
As described above, the total amount of heat consumed, i.e., a power consumption of the heaters arranged according to the above embodiments is less than that of the related art home bar heaters.
That is, while the related art heater needs a great amount of heat per unit length to raise a temperature of a lower end of a home bar frame to a required level, the heater of the present disclosure needs less amount of heat per length unit to supply a greater amount of heat to the lower end since the lower end requiring the greater amount of heat includes the plurality of lines.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

A refrigerator comprising:
a main body (10) including a cool air storage compartment;

at least one rotatable refrigerator door (11, 12) coupled to the main body;

a home bar (100) provided on the refrigerator door, said home bar comprising:
a home bar frame (102) defining an opening (101) in the refrigerator door;

a home bar door (103) configured to open and close the opening and adapted to be in close contact with the home bar frame in a state where the home bar door is closed; and

a heater (120) supplying heat to sides of the home bar frame,

characterized in that the heater is adapted to supply a larger amount of heat to a specific side (123) of the home bar frame than to the other sides.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising a hinge portion (107) connecting the home bar door and said specific side of the home bar frame.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 and 2, comprising insulating material between the home bar frame and the home bar door, said specific side comprising less insulating material than the other sides of the home bar frame.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the specific side is a lower side of the home bar frame and the home bar frame comprises a heater on an upper side thereof, and the heater on the upper side is smaller than the heater on the lower side of the home bar frame.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the specific side is a lower side of the home bar frame and the home bar frame comprises a heater on at least one of a left side and a right side thereof, and the heater on the at least one side is smaller than the heater on the lower side of the home bar frame.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heater is made of an electrical heating wire arranged with more lines on the specific side than on the other sides (121, 122, 124) of the home bar frame.
The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the heater comprises a single line on said other sides (121, 122, 124) and a plurality of lines on said specific side (123).
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein the lines are arranged downward in a zigzag shape (123) on said specific side.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, on said specific side, the lines are arranged in a left side (223b) and a right side (223a) that are laterally symmetrical to each other with respect to a center of the specific side.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the lines disposed on said specific side are spaced by a predetermined distance from each other.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the lines are disposed around the home bar frame, and one both ends of the electrical heating wire are connected to a controller controlling the heater.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the electrical heating wire is longer on said specific side (324) of the home bar frame than on any of the other sides (321, 322, 323) of the home bar frame.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 5 to 12, wherein the lines are disposed in a plurality of layers on a vertical plan on said specific side.