MXPA95005136A - Cold air duct for refrigerated - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising: a freezing compartment, a cooling compartment, an evaporator for generating cold air, a fan for circulating cold air to the freezing and cooling compartment, and a cold air duct placed on the rear wall of the cooling compartment in order to guide the cold air towards the cooling compartment, the cold air duct first includes generally vertical air passages spaced apart in a horizontal manner to drive the respective portions of the cold air downwards, a plurality of vertically spaced discharge openings positioned between the air passages and communicating with the refrigeration compartment, each discharge opening includes first and second discharge positions situated horizontally together, and vertically spaced branch ducts connected to each passage of air with respect to discharge openings, so that the first discharge portion of each discharge opening is connected to the first passage by a first branch conduit, and the second discharge portion of each discharge opening is connected to a second passage by a second branch conduit , one of the first and second branch conduits intersect their respective air passage at a level higher than a level at which the other branch conduit intersects its respective air passage, a branch conduit intersects its respective discharge portion at a further level. higher than a level at which the other branch conduit intersects its respective portion of the

Description

FRIÓ AIR DUCT FOR REFRIGERATORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cold air duct for refrigerators, which can efficiently direct cold air to a plurality of cold air discharge openings, and more particularly, to a cold air duct for refrigerators, which can appropriately distribute the cold air passing from an evaporator to each of the cold air discharge openings, by means of a plurality of cold air guides projected from the surface of the cold air duct, with the object to form a passage of cold air. As shown in Figure 1, a conventional refrigerator is constructed by mounting a door of the freezing compartment 6 and a door of the refrigeration compartment 7 on a refrigerator body 4 of a thermally insulated structure consisting of a freezing compartment 2 and a cooling compartment 3 which are divided one from the other by an intermediate partition wall 1 between them. A compressor 11 is installed in the compartment of the machine 11M which is placed below the cooling compartment 3. The condenser and the capillary tube (not shown) are mounted inside the body 4, or are placed in the machine compartment 11M, and an evaporator 12 is mounted on the rear wall of the freezing compartment 2. The components are connected to each other by refrigerant tubes (not shown) to perform a refrigeration cycle. A fan 13 is exposed to force cold air from the evaporator 12 to the freezing compartment 2 and the cooling compartment 3, is disposed above of the evaporator 12. In order to guide the flow of cold air, a grid 14 is placed in front of the fan 13, and a cold air duct 15A is arranged on the rear wall of the cooling compartment 3. Here, the numeral 19 indicates a buffer to control the amount of cold air introduced in the cooling compartment 3, and the numeral 8 indicates shelves for -. receive food products. As a method to supply cold air to the refrigeration compartment 3, a refrigerator The conventional method generally adopts a cold air discharge method, shelf by shelf. As shown in Figure 2, in this method a plurality of cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C are provided for various areas divided by the shelves 8, are configured in a direction up and down on the front of the cold air duct 15A, in order that the cold air can be discharged towards the front of each area formed by the plurality of the shelves 8. However, the method of discharge cold air shelf by shelf becomes a concern, because only a small portion of the cold air from the evaporator 12 passes through the upper cold air discharge opening 16A. Most of the cold air flows down along the cold air duct 15A, and is finally discharged into the cooling compartment 3 through the lower cold air discharge opening 16C. This problem arises because the cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C, are formed perpendicular to the flow direction of the cold air passing through the cold air duct 15A. Accordingly, the upper and lower portions of the refrigeration compartment 3 are kept in different temperature zones, respectively, so that uniform cooling in the refrigeration compartment 3 can not be achieved. As a result, the food products on the upper shelves of the refrigeration compartment 3 can not maintain an appropriate refrigeration temperature, - while the food products on the lower shelves are supercooled, spoiling the fresh storage of the food products. further, this conventional refrigerator has the demerit in that the circulation of cold air in the cooling compartment 3 does not go smoothly, so that not only the cold air does not reach the corners of the cooling compartment 3, but the temperature distribution in all directions of space, it does not stay constant. The cold air is discharged only towards the front of the cooling compartment, due to the misconfiguration of the cold air duct mentioned above. Even in the case of. Where there may be bulky food products near any of the cold air discharge openings, they block the flow-of cold air, and the circulation of cold air does not improve in a significant way yet. As a consequence, the food products in the refrigeration compartment 3 can not be stored in the most suitable condition. As an attempt to distribute cold air more evenly throughout the compartment, a three-dimensional cold air discharge method has recently been developed. As shown in Figure 3, a refrigerator in accordance with this method has a plurality of cold air discharge openings 16S on the side walls of the refrigeration compartment 3, as well as cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C on the rear wall, resulting in the discharge of cold air from the side walls, as well as from the rear wall. However, even in the above refrigerator, the cold air is simply discharged only in one direction in the refrigeration compartment 3, without dispersing in other directions. In accordance with the above, this refrigerator fails to provide uniform cooling by creating portions that are exposed and not exposed to cold air, depending on the size and configuration of the food products. In addition, because the cold air duct configuration in the three-dimensional cold air discharge method is the same as the cold air discharge method, the cold air is not sufficiently discharged through the air opening. discharge of upper cold air, while discharging excessively through the lower cold air discharge opening. Accordingly, the food products in the compartment can not be kept cool at a uniform temperature, including by the conventional refrigerator having three-dimensional cold air discharge openings.

In accordance with the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooler with a cold air duct that can evenly distribute cold air to the refrigeration compartment through its cold air discharge openings, and maintain all areas of refrigeration compartment at a uniform temperature. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooler with a cold air duct that can discharge cold air from each cold air discharge opening to the right and left sides of a cooling compartment, to circulate the uniformly introduced cold air. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A refrigerator in accordance with the present invention comprises a freezing compartment and a cooling compartment divided by an intermediate partition wall, an evaporator for generating cold air, a fan for circulating the generated cold air towards the freezing compartments and cooling, and a cold air duct placed on the rear wall of the cooling compartment, in order to guide cold air to the cooling compartment. The cold air duct, which is the subject of the present invention, comprises an inlet flow opening of cold air, formed on the upper portion of the duct, for directing cold air from the evaporator to the cold air duct; a plurality of cold air discharge openings longitudinally formed in the front of the cold air duct to supply cold air to the cooling compartment; first and second cold air passages extending down from the flow opening into cold air, and configured on the right and left sides of the cold air discharge openings, respectively; and a plurality of cold air guides projecting from the upper and lower portions of each cold air discharge opening, in order to direct cold air towards each cold air discharge opening from the first and second air passages. cold, without communicating the first and second passages of cold air to each other. Each of the cold air guides comprises a pair of flanges extending towards the first and second passages of cold air from their upper sides, respectively, and a pair of curved portions joining the right and left sides of the discharge openings of cold air. By means of the curved portions of the upper cold air guide, and the flanges of the lower cold air guide, first and second branch passages are formed on the right and left sides of each cold air discharge opening, respectively , and connect the first and second passages of cold air with each corresponding cold air discharge opening. Any of the ridges formed on the lower cold air guide extends from the lower part of the corresponding cold air discharge opening that opens towards the middle. On the other hand, the curved portion, which is formed on the uppermost cold air guide opposite to the anterior extending flange, extends from the upper part of the corresponding air discharge opening to the middle. By means of the extending flanges and the curved portions, each cold air discharge opening is divided into an upper portion (first cold air discharge portion) and a lower portion (second cold air discharge portion). The first and second branch passages connect the upper and lower portions of the cold air discharge opening, respectively. By using this configuration, the cold air that is introduced into the first branch passage through the first passage of cold air, and the cold air that is introduced into the second branch passage through the second passage of cold air, can be unload to the left and right sides (seen in Figure 9A) of the refrigeration compartment, from the cold air discharge opening, without even colliding with each other. The pair of flanges, which are formed on the lower cold air guide, extend towards the first and second passages of cold air beyond those of the upper cold air guide, and the entry portions of the first and second cold air guides. lower branch passages, are wider than those of the first and second higher branch passages. As a result, more of the cold air flowing downward along the first and second passages of cold air is discharged through the lower cold air discharge opening than through the highest cold air discharge opening. . In addition, the position of the extending flange and the curved portion for a cold air discharge opening is reversed with respect to the extending flanges and the curved portions of the neighboring cold air discharge openings. This is so that the configuration of the first and second branch passages, which are joined on the opposite sides of a cold air discharge opening with different levels, are inverted with respect to the first and second branch passages of the openings of neighboring cold air discharge * By using this configuration, the lower cold air discharge opening, where cold air of a higher temperature passes, can receive a greater amount of cold air than the air discharge opening upper cold, where cold air of a lower temperature passes. All areas of the refrigeration compartment can be maintained in this way at a uniform temperature. In addition, a pair of benches are provided, to adjust the amount of cold air passing through the open lower part of the cold air duct, between the flanges of the lower cold air guide and the first and second air passages. cold. On the other hand, as another configuration of the cold air duct according to the present invention, a plurality of cold air passages individually branch out from the flow opening into cold air without even communicating with each other. The passages are then connected to the right and left sides of each cold air discharge opening, and in this way effectively discharge the cold air into the cooling compartment. The configuration and operation of the cold air ducts, in accordance with the present invention, will be described more clearly and in detail in the following embodiments described with reference to the attached drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing a typical structure of a conventional refrigerator. Figure 2 is a front view showing the inside of a conventional refrigerator according to the cold air discharge method, shelf by shelf. Figure 3 is a front view showing the inside of a conventional refrigerator according to the three-dimensional cold air discharge method. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section showing the structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention. Figure 5 is a front view showing the interior of a refrigerator according to the present invention. Figure 6 is a perspective view separated into parts of a housing assembly including a cold air duct of the present invention. Figure 7 is a front view of the housing assembly of Figure 6 '. Figure 8 is a side section of the housing assembly of Figure 6. Figure 9A is a perspective view of the cold air duct in accordance with the present invention, showing a distinctive configuration of cold air passages and discharge openings. of cold air. Figure 9B is a schematic front view of the cold air duct, showing that cold air is introduced into the cold air discharge openings from the cold air passages. Figures 10 and 11 are sectional views of other cold air ducts in accordance with the present invention, showing distinctive configurations of cold air passages and cold air discharge openings. Figures 12 and 13 are views showing different housing assemblies where the cold air passages can be mounted in accordance with the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 4, the refrigerator according to the present invention comprises a body 4 protected by an insulating material comprising a freezing compartment 2 and a cooling compartment 3, which are divided by an intermediate wall 1, a door 6 for opening / closing the freezing compartment 2, and a door 7 for opening / closing the cooling compartment 3. A plurality of shelves 8 are installed to place food products thereon, in the refrigeration compartment. In the upper portion of the refrigeration compartment 3, a third compartment 9 is formed to allow any special food material to be stored on a specified temperature scale. A compartment of vegetables 10 is formed in the lower portion of the refrigeration compartment 3. A compressor 11 is installed in the machine compartment 11M, and a condenser and a pressure reducing device are installed, which are not shown in this drawing, inside the body wall 4 or in the 11M machine compartment. An evaporator 12 is mounted on the rear wall of the freezing compartment 2. The above components are all interconnected by refrigerant tubes (not shown), to perform the refrigeration cycle. Above the evaporator 12, a fan 13 is installed to blow the cold air generated from the evaporator 12 towards the freezing compartment 2 and the cooling compartment 3. In order to guide the cold air,. a discharge grill 14 is mounted on the front of the fan 13, and a cold air distribution apparatus 17 is mounted having cold air passages and discharge openings, which will be explained later, on the rear wall of the cooling compartment. 3. Accordingly, the cold air generated by the evaporator 12 is supplied to the freezing compartment 2 and the cooling compartment 3. Here, the numeral 5 indicates a recess for housing the cold air distribution apparatus 17. As shown in Figure 5, the cold air distribution apparatus 17 is installed in the central portion of the rear wall 3 of the cooling compartment 3. The upper portion of the cold air distribution apparatus 17 is placed on the rear wall of the third compartment 9, while the middle and lower portions of the cold air distribution apparatus 17 are placed on the rear wall of the cooling compartment 3, between the third compartment 9 and the vegetable compartment 10. That is, the upper end of the air distribution apparatus cold 17 is placed adjacent to the intermediate wall 1, and its lower end is placed adjacent to the vegetable compartment 10. Accordingly, the entire height of the cold air distribution apparatus 17 is approximately equal to that of the refrigeration compartment 3 plus the third compartment 9. The cold air distribution apparatus 17, as shown in Figure 6, comprises a pla front face 24 made of a synthetic resin, a cold air duct 25 which is made of an insulated material and assembled with the faceplate 24, and a seal plate 34 that covers the rear surface of the cold air duct 25. provides an oscillating wing 26 in a detachable manner on the front surface of the cold air conduit 25. At the upper end of the oscillating wing 26, a motor 28 is provided to rotate the oscillatory wing 26. The motor 28, seated on a housing motor 29, is installed in the upper portion of the faceplate 24. On each side end of the motor. 28, an internal lamp 30 is mounted. Numeral 31 indicates the cover of the lamp to protect the lamp 30. The numeral 32 indicates a position detection switch for controlling the rotational position of the oscillatory wing 26 which is "turned on". it shuts off "by means of a protrusion 33 provided on the upper end of the oscillating wing 26. The numeral 27 indicates a cold air discharge grid that is removably assembled with the front 24 for protection of the oscillating wing 26. The grid 27 prevents that the food materials, housed in compartment 3, interrupt the rotation of the oscillating wing 26. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, at the upper end of the cold air distribution apparatus 17, an inward flow opening is formed. of cold air 18 for guiding the cold air generated from the evaporator 12 towards the cold air duct 25. A screen plate 19 for regulating the amount of cold air fed to the The cooling compartment 3, and a motor 20 for operating the screen plate 19, are mounted just below the flow opening in cold air 18. The method of temperature control using the above components, is the same as a conventional method. The numeral 21 is a screen cover that is formed integrally with the front cover 24, and the numeral 22 is a separator that is made of an insulated material. Numeral 23 is an air discharge opening that is provided on the upper portion of the faceplate 24, through which cold air is discharged from the inlet flow opening of cold air 18 into the third compartment 9. In this embodiment, a pair of the discharge openings 23 are formed on the upper portion of the front plate 24. The third compartment 9 can be maintained at a lower temperature than the cooling compartment 3. This is because the distance The cold air flow from the flow opening into the cold air 18 to the air discharge opening 23 is shorter than from the cold air inlet opening 18 to the middle or lower portions of the air distribution apparatus. cold air 17. As shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the cold air duct 25, a distinctive part, comprises the cold air passage 15 and the cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C, which the cold air from the evaporator 12 to the cooling compartment 3. The cold air passage 15 comprises a first passage of cold air 35 and a second passage of cold air 36., which are formed in a longitudinal direction on the right and left sides of the cold air duct 25, bisecting the cold air from the flow opening into the cold air 18. The cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C, they are formed in a longitudinal direction along the vertical center line. That is, the cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C are positioned between the first cold air passage 35 and the second cold air passage 36. The respective openings 16A, 16B, and 16C, are configured to be placed facing toward each other. the spaces between each shelf 8, the oscillatory wing members 26A of the oscillating wing 26 (see Figure 7) being placed in front of each opening 16. As described above, because the cold air passage 15 is divided into first and second. cold air passages 35, 36, and the cold air discharge openings 16A, 16B, 16C are placed between the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, the thickness of the cold air duct 25 becomes thin. Accordingly, the available volume in the cooling compartment 3 is increased. The upper portions of the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, extend to the flow opening into the cold air 18, and their lower portions extend to the vegetable compartment 10. With the display plate 19 open (Figure 8), the cold air that passes through the flow opening into the cold air 18, branches outwardly, until the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, and then discharge to the third compartment 9, the refrigeration compartment 3, and the compartment of vegetables 10. In order to direct the cold air flowing downwards throughout of the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 towards the cooling compartment 3, the cold air passage 15 further comprises first branch passages 37A, B, C, connecting the first cold air passage 35 with a n side of the cold air discharge openings 16, and the second branch passages 38A, B, C, connecting the second cold air passage 36 with one side of the cold air discharge openings 16. These first and second passages branches 37A, B, C, and 38A, • B, C, are formed by means of a plurality of cold air guides 370, projecting above and below the respective cold air discharge openings 16. In accordance with above, the cold air generated from the evaporator 12, flows downward along the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, and then enters the first branch passages 37A, B, C, in the second branch passages 38A , B, C, and finally discharge into the cooling compartment 3 through the cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C- As shown in Figure 9B, the branch passages 37, 38 have a configuration such that its input portions, which connect the cold air passages 35, 36, are relative wide, and their outlet portions, which connect the cold air discharge openings 36, are relatively narrow. The lower ends 45A, 46A of the cold air guide 370A, which form the inlet portions of the first and second branch passages 37A, 38A, are rounded. The upper ends (flanges 47A, 48A) of the cold air guide 37B extend outward towards the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36. (the right and left sides of Figure 9B) rather than the ends lower 45A, 46A from the cold air guide 370A. In the same way, the lower ends 45B, 46B of the cold air guide 370B are rounded. The upper ends (flanges 47B, 48B) of the cold air guide 370C extend outwards toward the first and second cold air passages 35, 36 (the right and left sides of Figure 9B) more than the lower ends 45B, 46B of the cold air guide 370B. The cold air guides 370C and 370D also have the same configuration as the previous ones. By using this configuration, the cold air flowing downward along the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, is evenly distributed towards each of the branch passages 37, 38. It is more desirable than the rounded length of the lower ends 45B , 46B of the medium cold air guide 370B is longer than that of the lower ends 45A, 46A of the upper cold air guide 370A, and that the rounded length of the lower ends 45C, 46C of the upper cold air guide 370C is longer than the average cold air guide 370B. It is also more desirable that the flanges 47B, 48B extend outward toward the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, more than the flanges 47A, 48A, and that the flanges 47C, 48C extend outward toward the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, more than the flanges 47B, 48B.

The cold air in the lower portion of the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 has a warmer temperature than the cold air in the upper portion in the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, because it is exchanging heat with the surrounding air for longer. Accordingly, the lower portion of the cooling compartment 3 needs more quantities of cold air than the upper portion to eliminate the difference in temperature according to the height of the cooling compartment 3. The above problem can be solved by discharging smaller amounts of air cold through the upper branch passages 37A, 38A than the middle branch passages 37B, 38B, and by the discharge of smaller amounts of cold air through the middle branch passages 37B, 38B, than the lower branch passages 37C, 38C. Accordingly, by means of the cold air duct according to the present invention, the entire space of the cooling compartment 3 can be maintained at a uniform temperature. At the lower ends of the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, or more exactly, just below the inlet portions, of the first and second lower branch passages 37C, 38C, there are provided the banks 49 having a height previously determined both to reduce the velocity of the air supplied to the vegetable compartment 10, and to increase the speed of the air supplied to the refrigeration compartment 3 through the cold air discharge openings 16. So the temperature of the compartment refrigeration 3 is still colder than that of the vegetable compartment 10. Further, in order to discharge the cold air into the refrigeration compartment 3 in the right and left directions, the opening 16 comprises a first discharge portion 39A connected to the first branch passage 37A, and a second discharge portion 40A connected with the second branch passage 38A. It is more desirable to have the first and second discharge portions 39A, 40A open towards each other, but forming individual flow passages by dividing the cold air discharge opening 16 towards an upper portion and toward a lower portion, with the object of cold air from the first cold air passage 35 not encountering cold air from the second cold air passage 36 in the cold air discharge opening 16A. That is, the left side 46A of the lower end of the cold air guide 370A extends upwards, towards the middle portion from the top of the cold air discharge opening 16A, and the right flange 47A of the air guide cold 370B extends upward, towards the middle portion from the bottom of the cold air discharge opening 16A, such that the first discharge portion 39A slopes toward the first branch passage 37A, and the second discharge portion 40A leans toward the second branch passage 38A. Accordingly, the cold air guided by the first passage of cold air 35, and the cold air guided by the second passage of cold air 36 are discharged smoothly in the right and left directions, towards the cooling compartment 3, without even colliding one with the other. That is, the cold air introduced into the first discharge portion 39A is discharged to the left side (in Figure 9B), and the cold air introduced into the second discharge portion 40A is discharged to the right side, without even being between yes. In Figure 9B, line XX indicates the center line of the cold air discharge opening 16A, line YY indicates the center line of the first discharge portion 39A, and line ZZ indicates the center line of the second portion of download 40A. As we can see, the first discharge portion 39A is tilted to the right side, and the second discharge portion 40A is tilted to the left side. The configuration of the first and second discharge portions 39B40B in the cold air discharge opening 16B, which is adjacent to the opening 16A, is inverted with respect to that of the first and second discharge portions 39A, 40A. That is, in the opening 16A, the first discharge portion 39A is placed on the second discharge portion 40A, while in the opening 16B, the second discharge portion 40B is placed on the first discharge portion 39B. Of course, the configuration of the first and second discharge portions 39C, 40C in the cold air discharge opening 16C, neighboring the opening 16B, is reversed with respect to that of the first and second discharge portions 39B, 40B. As mentioned above, the cold air downstream of the cold air passage 15, which has been discharged earlier from the cold air inlet flow opening 18, has a higher temperature than the cold air upstream of the opening Inward flow of cold air 18. In order to exclude this temperature gradient, the first branch passage 37A and the first discharge portion 39A on the right side of the upper cold air discharge opening 16A, are set higher that the second branch passage 38A and the second discharge portion 40A on the left side of the upper cold air discharge opening 16A, and the second branch passage 38B and the second discharge portion 40B on the left side of the discharge opening of medium air 16B, are configured higher than the first branch passage 37B and the first discharge portion 39B on the right side of the medium cold air discharge opening 16B. In the same way, the first branch passage 37C 5 and the first discharge portion 39C, both on the right side of the lower cold air discharge opening 16C, are configured higher than the second branch passage 38C and the second portion of discharge 40C on the left side of the lower cold air discharge opening 16C. By using this configuration, the difference in temperature between the left and right sides of the cooling compartment 3 can be eliminated. Therefore, cooling is achieved uniform in the refrigeration compartment 3. Now we will explain later the operation of a refrigerator that has the previous cold air duct. First, in Figure 4, when the compressor 11 and the evaporator 12 are in operation, cold air is generated by the heat exchange of the evaporator 12 and the surrounding air. The cold air is moved to the freezing compartment 2 and the cooling compartment 3 by the fan 3, as indicated by the arrow Figure 4. The opening / closing operation of the display plate 19 (Figure 8) is controlled depending on the temperature of the refrigeration compartment 3. When the display plate 19 is opened, cold air is fed from the evaporator 12 towards the inward flow opening of cold air 18. Then the cold air flows downward along the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 which are divided into the right and left sides of the cold air duct 25, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B. After that, a portion of the cold air is discharged into the third compartment 9 through the cold air discharge opening 23 (Figure 5), while the rest of the cold air is discharged into the cooling compartment 3 and the compartment. of vegetables 10. In the process of discharging the cold air into the cooling compartment 3, the cold air flowing downward along the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 from the top of the cold air duct 25 to the bottom, is guided to the respective cold air discharge openings 16 by the respective first and second branch passages 37, 38. It is then discharged to the cooling compartment 3. As mentioned above, because each opening of cold air discharge 16 comprises the first discharge part 39 and the second discharge part 40, which open towards each other, but form independent trajectories for c one by means of the cold air guides 370, the cold air is introduced into the (first) right cold air discharge portions 39, and the cold air introduced into the (second) left cold air discharge portions 40, it discharges in opposite directions towards the cooling compartment 3, without even colliding against each other. That is, the cold air introduced into the first discharge portion 39A is directed to the left side of Figure 9A, while. the cold air introduced into the second discharge portion 40A is directed towards the right side of Figure 9A. Accordingly, the cold air is distributed evenly throughout the cooling compartment 3. Further, the configuration of the first and second discharge portions 39B, 40B in the medium cold air discharge opening 16B, is reversed with respect to that of the first and second discharge portions 39A, 40A of the upper cold air discharge opening 16A, while the configuration of the first and second discharge portions 39C, 40C of the lower cold air discharge opening 16C, invest again with. with respect to that of the first and second discharge portions 39B, 40B of the medium cold air discharge opening 16B. Accordingly, in the upper cold air discharge opening 16A, the temperature of the cold air from the right side (the first cold air passage 35) is lower than that of the left side (the second cold air passage 36), and in the medium cold air discharge opening 16B, the temperature of the cold air from the left side is lower than from the right side, and in the lower cold air discharge opening 16C, the temperature of the cold air from the side right is lower than from the left side, in such a way that the difference in temperature on the right and left sides of the refrigeration compartment 3 is eliminated, and uniform cooling of the stored food products is achieved. In addition, the middle flanges 47B, 48B extend upward, towards the first and second passages 35, 36 more than the upper flanges 47A, 48A, and the lower flanges 47C, 48C extend upward toward the first and second passages 35, 36 more than the medial flanges 47B, 48B. Accordingly, the temperature of the cold air in the upper portion of the cold air passage 15 is higher than that of the lower portion. However, more of the cold air is discharged into the cooling compartment 3 through the medium cold air opening 16B than the upper cold air opening 16A, and more cold air is discharged through the lower cold air opening. 16C that of the average cold air opening 16B. Accordingly, the difference in temperature at the upper and lower sides of the refrigeration compartment 3 is eliminated, and uniform cooling of the stored food products is achieved. Figures 10 and 11 show other embodiments of the present invention. By a cold air duct 25A, shown in Figure 10, as explained in detail in the first embodiment, cold air is introduced into the inlet flow opening of cold air 18A, and divided into the right sides e. left by means of a plurality of cold air guides 370A '. 370B ', 370C, and 370D'. It is then discharged to the cooling compartment 3 through the cold air discharge openings 16A ', 16B', and 16C. The difference points between the cold air duct 25A of this mode and the cold air duct 25 of the first embodiment are that the lower portions of each cold air guide in the cold air duct 25A are not rounded, and the cold air duct 25A does not have a bank 49 between the lower cold air guide 370D 'and the respective cold air passages 35A, 36B. Except for the above points of difference, the structure of this cold air duct -25A is the same as that of the cold air duct 25 of the first V * mode, so that another explanation is omitted. A cold air duct 25B shown in Figure 11 has no common cold air passage for connecting a cold air inlet opening 18B with the respective cold air discharge openings 16A ", 16B", and 16C On the other hand, a first passage of cold air 360 which connects the upper cold air discharge opening 16A "with the flow opening inwards of one another is formed independently of each other. cold air 18B, a second cold air passage 361 connecting the medium cold air discharge opening 16B "with the flow opening into the final air 18B, and a third cold air passage 362 connecting the lower cold air discharge opening 16C "with opening flow in cold air 18B. By using this structure, the purpose and effect of the present invention can also be realized. Figures 12 and 13 show different housing assemblies for distributing cold air to the cooling compartment 3, on which cold air ducts can be mounted in accordance with the present invention. In a housing 17A shown in Figure 12, a cold air discharge grill 27 is installed on the front of a lower cover 42, and- a wing is placed < "oscillatory of twisted type 26 between the grid 27 and the lower cover 42. Configured on the lower cover 42, there is an upper cover 41 on which an evaporator 12 is mounted. A flow opening 5 is formed into cold air 18A on the rear portion of the upper cover 41, to communicate the upper cover 41 with the lower cover 42. Just below the inward flow opening of cold air 18A, or on the upper part of the lower cover 42, is installed a . Fan 13. When any of the cold air ducts 25, 25A, 25B in accordance with the present invention is placed in the lower cover 42 of the housing 17A, the cold air generated from the evaporator 12 is guided in an efficient manner by the cold air duct, and it discharge into the refrigeration compartment 3 through the discharge grid 27. In accordance with the foregoing, the purpose and effect of the present invention can also be realized. In the housing 17B shown in Figure 13, which is similar to the housing 17A of Figure 12, the evaporator 12 and the fan 13 are placed in the lower portion of the lower cover 42. A plurality of cold air discharge openings 50 are formed on the upper cover 41, for discharge the cold air towards the bottom from the top of the refrigeration compartment 3. The cold air passages according to the present invention can also be mounted in the housing 17B, to obtain the purpose and effect of the present invention. As explained in detail heretofore, the cold air duct according to the present invention can keep the food products at a uniform temperature, regardless of the stored positions of the food materials. This is because the cold air flows downward along the opposite air passages, and is distributed to their respective cold air discharge openings, with the appropriate amount, such that more quantities of the air are discharged. cold through the lower cold air discharge opening than the highest between the three cold air discharge openings. In addition, the present invention causes the cold air to circulate uniformly in all directions of the refrigeration compartment without loss of flow. This is because the cold air that flows downward along the opposite air passages, is directed efficiently to the cold air discharge openings by the cold air guides, and discharges to the right sides and left of the refrigeration compartment from the inclined upper and lower discharge portions of each cold air discharge opening. Therefore, even when placing a bulky food product adjacent to the cold air discharge opening, air circulation in the refrigeration compartment can nonetheless be achieved. In addition, the decrease in available space due to the installation of the cold air duct can be eliminated, because the thickness of the cold air duct is considerably smaller due to the configuration of the cold air duct according to the present invention. .

Claims (3)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the foregoing invention, it is considered as a novelty, and therefore, property is claimed as contained in the following: CLAIMS 1. In a refrigerator comprising a body 4 comprising a freezing compartment 2 and a cooling compartment 3 divided by an intermediate partition wall 1 therebetween, an evaporator 12 for generating cold air, a fan 13 for circulating the cold air generated to the freezing and cooling compartments 2-, 3, and a duct of cold air 25 placed on the rear wall of the cooling compartment 3, in order to guide the cold air towards the cooling compartment 3, characterized in that. said cold air duct 25 comprises an inward flow opening of cold air 18 formed on its upper portion for directing cold air from the evaporator 12 to the cold air duct 25, a plurality of cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C, formed longitudinally on the front of the cold air duct 25, for supplying cold air to the cooling compartment 3, first and second cold air passages 35, 36 extending downward from the inward flow opening of cold air 18, to be configured on the right and left sides of the cold air discharge openings 16A, B, C, respectively, and a plurality of cold air guides 370A, B, C, projecting outward into the upper and lower parts of each cold air discharge opening 16, in order to direct cold air towards each cold air discharge opening 16 from the first and second cold air passages 35, 36, without communicating the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 with each other.
2. 2. A cold air duct according to claim 1, characterized in that each cold air guide 370 includes a pair of flanges 47, 48 that extend obliquely toward the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 from its upper sides, respectively, and a pair of curved portions 45, 46, which join the right and left sides of each cold air discharge opening 16, respectively, such that the first and second branch passages 37, 38 are formed. between the opposite sides of each cold air discharge opening 16 and the first and second cold air passages 35, 36 by means of both curved portions of the upper cooling guide, and the flanges of the lower cold air guide . 3. A cold air duct according to claim 2, characterized in that any of the flanges, which are formed on the lower cold air guide, extends outwardly from the lower part of the air discharge opening. cold corresponding to half, and, the curved portion, which is formed on the upper cold air guide opposite the extending flange, extends outwardly from the top of the corresponding cold air discharge opening halfway up , such that the first and second branch passages 37A, 38A and 37B, 38B and 37C, 38C, have different levels from each other by means of each of said extending flanges and each opposite curved portion. 4. A cold air duct according to claim 2, characterized in that a pair of flanges formed on the lower cold air guide, extend outwards toward the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 more than those of the upper cold air guide, and the entry portions of the first and second lower branch passages are wider than those of the first and second higher branch passages, so that larger amounts of cold air are discharged than it flows downwards along the first and second cold air passages 35, 36 through the lower cold air discharge opening than through the upper cold air discharge opening. '5. A cold air duct according to claim 3, characterized in that the position of the extending flange 48B and the curved portion 45B for a cold air discharge opening 16B, 5 is reversed with respect to the extending flanges 47A, 47C and the curved portions 46A, 46C of the neighboring cold air discharge openings 16A, 16C, so that the configuration of the first and second branch passages 37B, 38B, which connect to opposite sides of a cold air discharge opening 16B at different levels, is reversed with respect to the first and second branch passages 37A, 38A and 37C, 38C of the neighboring cold air discharge openings 16A, 16C. 6. A cold air duct according to claim 1, characterized in that a pair of benches 49 are provided, for adjusting the amount of cold air passing through the open lower part of the cold air duct. , between the flanges 47C, 48C of the lower cold air guide 370D, and 20 the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a cold air duct 25 that can discharge the appropriate amount of cold air into the cooling compartment 3, through a plurality of cold air discharge openings 16, as well as circulate the cold air in an efficient manner in the compartment 3. The cold air duct 25 comprises first and second cold air passages 35, 36 for moving cold air along the opposite sides of the cold air discharge openings 16, and a plurality of air guides. cold air 370 configured above and below each cold air discharge opening 16, to direct cold air to the appropriate cold air discharge openings 16. Each cold air guide 370 includes flanges 47, 48 that extend obliquely toward the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36 from their upper sides, and curved portions 45, 46 on their lower sides. The cold air is guided towards the cold air discharge openings 16 by the flanges and the curved portions. The flanges of the lower cold air guide extend outwards, towards the first and second passages of cold air 35, 36, more than those of the upper cold air guide, in order that larger amounts of cold air can flow through the lower cold air discharge opening than the upper cold air discharge opening, and in this way a uniform cooling is performed for the food products in the compartment
3. 3. The most representative figure of the invention is the number 9A. * * * * *