KR100374561B1 - Door cooling apparatus for refrigerator with double acting door - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door cooling apparatus of a refrigerator having two open doors, wherein one end is coupled to communicate with a cooling chamber duct and the other end extends to a front opening area on one wall of the cooling chamber. Side wall cold air ducts; A second side wall cold air duct having one end coupled to communicate with the cooling chamber cold air duct and the other end extending to a front opening area of the other side wall of the cooling room; A door cold air duct formed on an inner surface of both open doors to open and close the cooling chamber, one end of which is coupled to communicate with the first side wall cold air duct, and the other end of which is coupled to communicate with the second side wall cold air duct; A plurality of door open detection switches interposed between edges of the cooling chamber and the doors to detect an opening direction of the door to the cooling chamber; A cold air switching member disposed rotatably in each inlet region of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct to selectively block an inlet of any one of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct; And a drive motor for rotating the cold air switching member to block the inlet of any one of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct. Thereby, the door cooling apparatus of the refrigerator provided with the both-side open type door which senses the opening direction of the door and automatically switches the flow path of the cold air supplied from the main body to the door is provided.

Description

DOOR COOLING APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATOR WITH DOUBLE ACTING DOOR}

The present invention relates to a door cooling apparatus of a refrigerator having two open doors, and more particularly, to detect an opening direction of a door when the door is selectively opened along one of left and right directions of the main body. The present invention relates to a door cooling apparatus of a refrigerator provided with both open doors so that the flow path of cold air supplied from the main body to the door can be automatically switched.

1 is a view schematically illustrating a structure of a door cooling apparatus of a conventional refrigerator, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of a refrigerator air flow direction in a closed state of a door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. As shown in these drawings, the refrigerator includes a main body 110 in which a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment 113 are formed in the up and down directions, respectively, and the front openings of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment 113 are rotated. It has a freezing chamber door 115 and the refrigerating chamber door 117 hinged to one side.

The shelf 119 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 113 in the up and down direction, and the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 121 is disposed in the rear region of the refrigerating chamber 113 along the front and rear directions of the main body 110 to discharge the cool air. It is arrange | positioned along the up-down direction. In the rear wall and the right side wall of the refrigerating chamber 113, a side wall cold air duct 123 is buried to supply cold air to the refrigerating chamber door 117, and the front opening area is connected to communicate with the door cold air duct to be described later. The connecting end 124 is formed to be.

On the other hand, a plurality of door pockets 118 are spaced apart along the up and down direction in the refrigerating chamber side plate surface of the refrigerating chamber door 117, the central region is formed so as to communicate with the side wall cold air duct 123, the lower side The door cold air duct 125 is formed to supply cold air to the bottled food such as alcoholic beverage or beverage stored in the door pocket 118 disposed in the door pocket 118. The door cold air duct 125 is formed with a plurality of cold air discharge ports 126 spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction to discharge cold air, and cold air from the side wall cold air duct 123 is formed in the hinge coupling part side region along the longitudinal direction. The connection part 128 which is connected in mutual communication with the connection end part 124 of the side wall cold air duct 123 is formed so that it may flow in.

By the way, in the conventional door cooling apparatus of the refrigerator, the side wall cooling air duct 123 for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber door 117 is embedded in the rear wall and the right wall of the refrigerating chamber 113 to form the main body 110. In the form of a so-called "bidirectional open type" refrigerator, which can be selectively opened along the left and right directions because it is impossible to change the flow path of the cold air after manufacture, the refrigerating chamber door 117 has a side wall cold air duct 123. ) And the connection between the side edges of the connection area between the door cold air duct 125 and the door cold air duct 125, the connection between the side wall cold air duct 117 and the door cold air duct 125 is difficult to coincide with each other accurately, resulting in leakage of cold air. There is a problem that the cold air from the main body 110 is not supplied smoothly to the refrigerating chamber door 117.

Therefore, an object of the present invention, when the door is selectively opened in either the left or right direction of the main body, the flow path of the cold air supplied from the main body to the door by detecting the opening direction of the door can be automatically switched. It is to provide a door cooling device of a refrigerator having two open doors.

1 is a view schematically showing the structure of a door cooling apparatus of a conventional refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view according to a cold air flow direction in a closed state of the door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

3 is a view showing the structure of a door cooling apparatus of a refrigerator having both side open doors according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a plan sectional view taken along the cold air flow direction of FIG. 3;

5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the cold air switching member region of FIG. 4;

6 is a cross-sectional view of the coupled state of FIG.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

10: body 13: refrigerating chamber

17: refrigerating chamber door 21: refrigerating chamber cold air duct

22 flow path 31 first side wall cold air duct

33: second side wall cold air duct 37: door cold air duct

41: cold air switching member 44: drive motor

47: first door open detection switch 48: second door open detection switch

The object is, according to the present invention, one end is coupled to communicate with the cooling chamber cold air duct and the other end is formed so that the cold air is discharged to the front opening area of the cooling chamber via any one of both side walls of the cooling chamber. 1 side wall cold air duct; A second side wall cold air duct whose one end is coupled to communicate with the cooling chamber cold air duct and the other end is configured to discharge cold air to the front opening area of the cooling room via the other one of the side walls; Is formed on the inner surface of the door for opening and closing the cooling chamber by rotating around the rotation axis formed in parallel to any one of the side walls of the cooling chamber, one end is coupled to communicate with the first side wall cold air duct and the other end A door cold air duct coupled to the second side wall cold air duct so as to communicate with each other; A plurality of door open detection switches interposed between edges of the cooling chamber and the doors to detect an opening direction of the door to the cooling chamber; A cold air switching member disposed rotatably in each inlet region of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct to selectively block an inlet of any one of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct; And a driving motor for driving the cold air switching member to rotate the cold air switching member to block an inlet of any one of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct. Achieved by a door cooling device.

Here, the door cooling air duct has a first flow path and a second flow path that are separated from each other along the up and down direction are formed therein, and the first flow path is in contact with the first side wall cold air duct and is in contact with the second flow path. Is preferably coupled to each other in communication with the second side wall cold air duct.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail with respect to the present invention.

3 is a view illustrating a structure of a door cooling apparatus of a refrigerator having both side open doors according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view taken along the cold air flow direction of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is FIG. 4. Is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the cold air switching member region of FIG. 6, and FIG. As shown in these figures, the freezer compartment and the refrigerating chamber 13 are formed in the main body 10 along the vertical direction, respectively, and the refrigerating chamber 13 has the refrigerating chamber 13 in the left or right direction with respect to the main body 10. Refrigerating chamber door 17 is installed to open and close along. The door cooling apparatus of the refrigerator having the two open doors is coupled so that one end is in communication with the refrigerating compartment cold air duct 21 and the other end is the left wall 14b of the refrigerating compartment 13 from the rear wall 14a of the refrigerating compartment 13. The first side wall cold air duct 31 is formed to discharge the cold air to the front opening area via the), one end is coupled to communicate with the refrigerator compartment cold air duct 21, the other end is the rear wall (14a) of the refrigerator compartment (13) The second side wall cold air duct 33 formed so as to discharge the cool air to the front opening area of the refrigerating chamber 13 from the right side wall 14c of the refrigerating chamber 13 and the inner plate surface of the refrigerating chamber door 17. The door cold air duct 37 and the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21, which are installed along and coupled to communicate with the first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33, respectively, are rotatable. The upstream side of the first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33 The cold air switching member 41 for selectively blocking the end region, the drive motor 44 for driving the cold air switching member 41 to rotate, and the refrigerating chamber door 17 and the main body 10 are interposed between the refrigerating chamber door ( And a pair of first door opening detecting switch 47 and a second door opening detecting switch 47 for detecting the opening direction of 17).

The first door opening detecting switch 47 and the second door opening detecting switch 48 are oriented in the left and right directions at the front upper edge of the refrigerating chamber 13 of the main body 10 so as to detect the opening direction of the refrigerating chamber door 17. They are installed spaced apart from each other. Each of the sensing switches 47 and 48 recognizes that the refrigerating chamber door 17 is blocked when contacted with the refrigerating chamber door 17.

The first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33 are coupled to the upper region of the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21 so as to communicate with each end, and the left side walls of the refrigerating chamber 13 along the horizontal direction, respectively ( 14b) and the right end wall 14c, and are extended downward to correspond to the height of the door cold air duct 37 so that cold air can be discharged to the front opening area of the refrigerating chamber 13; Are formed respectively.

The upstream end portions of the first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33 along the flow direction of the cold air are bent toward the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21 as shown in FIG. It is arranged side by side. Inside the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21, a flow path 22 of cold air is formed so that cold air from the upper portion can flow through the upstream ends of the first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33. On the upper side of the upstream end of the first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33 of the flow passage 22, the cold air switching member 41 is arranged in the front-rear direction of the refrigerating chamber 13. It is provided so that rotation is possible about the rotating shaft 43 arrange | positioned accordingly.

The cold air switching member 41 has a width corresponding to the left and right widths of the first side wall cold air duct 31 and the second side wall cold air duct 33 along the left and right directions, and the front and rear widths of the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21 along the front and rear directions. It is a plate-like member having a width corresponding to the inverse "V" cross-sectional shape is accommodated in the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment cold air duct (21).

In the bending area of the cold air switching member 41, the rotation shaft 43 extends along the front-rear direction of the refrigerating chamber 13. One end of the rotation shaft 43 is coupled to the driving motor 44 so as to be integrally rotatable to rotate the cold air switching member 41.

On the other hand, the door cold air duct 37 is disposed along the left and right directions in the center upper region of the inner plate surface of the refrigerating chamber door 17, and the first passage 38a and the second passage are separated from each other along the vertical direction. 38b is formed. A first connecting portion 39a is formed at the inflow side of the first flow passage 38a to be connected to the first side wall cold air duct 31 so as to be in communication with each other, and at the inflow side of the second flow passage 38b, the second side wall cold air duct is formed. Second connection portions 39b are formed respectively so as to be connected to each other in communication with 33. Cold air outlets 40a and 40b are formed in the first flow path 38a and the second flow path 38b to discharge the cold air introduced through the connection portions, respectively, and the first flow path 38a along the flow direction of the cold air. ) And the downstream ends of the second flow passage 38b are blocked.

By this configuration, when the refrigerating chamber door 17 is rotated and opened about the right edge of the front surface of the main body 10, the first door opening detecting switch 47 opens before the second door opening detecting switch 48. Since the control unit, which is not shown, senses this and determines that the refrigerating chamber door 17 is opened in the right direction because the door 17 is spaced apart from the door 17, the cold air switching member 41 blocks the upstream end region of the first side wall cold air duct 31. The drive motor 44 is controlled so as to. Accordingly, the cold air from the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21 flows into the upstream end of the second side wall cold air duct 33 and flows through the second connecting portion 39b of the door cold air duct 37 to discharge the cold air discharge port ( Discharged through 40b).

On the other hand, when the refrigerating chamber door 17 is opened around the rotational shaft formed on the front left edge of the main body 10, the second door opening detecting switch 48 is the first door opening detecting switch 47 as opposed to the above. Since the refrigerator door 17 is spaced apart from the refrigerator compartment door 17, the controller determines that the refrigerator compartment door 17 is opened along the left direction, and the cold air switching member 41 opens the upstream end region of the second side wall cold air duct 33. The drive motor 44 is controlled to rotate so as to be blocked. Accordingly, the cold air from the refrigerating chamber cold air duct 21 flows into the upstream end of the first side wall cold air duct 31 and flows toward the door cold air duct 37, and the first connection portion of the door cold air duct 37 39a) is introduced and discharged through the cold air discharge port (40a).

In the above-described and illustrated embodiments, the case of the refrigerating chamber door has been described by way of example, but it can be applied to the freezing chamber door as a matter of course.

As described above, according to the present invention, the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct which are coupled to both sidewalls of the main body so as to communicate with the refrigerating chamber cold air duct are discharged to the front opening area of the refrigerating compartment; A cold air switching member for switching cold air into at least one of a door cold air duct formed in the door so as to communicate with the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct, and the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct. And a drive motor for rotating the cold air switching member and first and second door opening detection switches for detecting the opening direction of the door, so that the cold air flow path can be switched in response to the opening direction of the refrigerating chamber door. There is provided a door cooling apparatus of a refrigerator having two open doors to allow cold air to be smoothly supplied to the door.

Claims (2)

A first side wall cold air duct whose one end is coupled to communicate with the cooling chamber cold air duct and the other end is configured to discharge cold air to the front opening region of the cooling room via any one of both sidewalls of the cooling room; A second side wall cold air duct whose one end is coupled to communicate with the cooling chamber cold air duct and the other end is configured to discharge cold air to the front opening area of the cooling room via the other one of the side walls; Is formed on the inner surface of the door for opening and closing the cooling chamber by rotating around the rotation axis formed in parallel to any one of the side walls of the cooling chamber, one end is coupled to communicate with the first side wall cold air duct and the other end A door cold air duct coupled to the second side wall cold air duct so as to communicate with each other; A plurality of door open detection switches interposed between edges of the cooling chamber and the doors to detect an opening direction of the door to the cooling chamber; A cold air switching member disposed rotatably in each inlet region of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct to selectively block an inlet of any one of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct; And a driving motor for driving the cold air switching member to rotate the cold air switching member to block an inlet of any one of the first side wall cold air duct and the second side wall cold air duct. Door cooling system. The method of claim 1, The door cold air duct is provided with a first flow path and a second flow path that are separated from each other along the up and down direction, and the first flow path is in contact with the first side wall cold air duct and the second flow path is in contact with the first flow path. The door cooling apparatus of the refrigerator having two open doors, characterized in that coupled to the second side wall cold air duct.