US20060096312A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents
Refrigerator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060096312A1 US20060096312A1 US11/260,293 US26029305A US2006096312A1 US 20060096312 A1 US20060096312 A1 US 20060096312A1 US 26029305 A US26029305 A US 26029305A US 2006096312 A1 US2006096312 A1 US 2006096312A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cooler
- evaporator
- freezer
- cold air
- lower area
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/062—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators
- F25D17/065—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators with compartments at different temperatures
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/042—Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/045—Air flow control arrangements
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/067—Evaporator fan units
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/08—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation using ducts
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/063—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation with air guides
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/067—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by air ducts
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
- F25D2400/06—Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2500/00—Problems to be solved
- F25D2500/02—Geometry problems
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having increased cold air flow which makes the cold air of the whole inside of a cooler flow smoothly and prevents a peripheral area of a cooler evaporator from overcooling or freezing.
- a conventional refrigerator supplies cooling air provided from a cooling cycle to a storage compartment to maintain various foods fresh for a long time.
- an independent cooling refrigerator has been developed, in which an evaporator is respectively disposed at a freezer and a cooler to maintain an optimal state with respect to the food stored therein.
- a cold air supplying device is provided in the rear of the freezer and the rear of cooler, respectively.
- a cold air supply device includes an evaporator and a ventilating fan.
- the cooling air supplier inhales cooling air at a high temperature due to circulation from the freezer and the cooler respectively into the corresponding evaporator for heat exchange, and forcibly sends the cooling air at a lower temperature due to heat exchange to the freezer and cooler, respectively, through the ventilating fan.
- an inlet 6 a of a cold air inlet pathway 6 is placed in both sides of an upper end of an evaporator 4 for preventing cold air of peripheral areas of the evaporator 4 from being input to a storage compartment in case operation of a ventilating fan 2 is stopped since a temperature inside of the storage compartment meets a desired temperature. Therefore, the cold air circulated inside of the storage compartment flows into inlet 6 a of the cold air inlet pathway 6 that is disposed on both sides of the upper end of the evaporator 4 . And the in-flowed cold air is guided to a lower part of the evaporator 4 along the cold air inlet pathway 6 to exchange heat with the evaporator 4 . Finally, the cold air is discharged to an upper part of the evaporator 4 through an outlet 6 b of the cold air inlet pathway 6 .
- cold air flow is mainly formed in an upper part of the storage compartment opposite to the upper side of the evaporator 4 , and the cold air flow is not smoothly formed in a lower part thereof, because the inlet 6 a and the outlet 6 b of the cold air inlet pathway 6 are disposed in the upper side of the evaporator 4 and a box unit such as a vegetable box is disposed in the lower part of the storage compartment. That is, the cold air does not flow smoothly to the lower part of the storage compartment, so that the temperature of the lower part of the storage is relatively higher than that of the upper part thereof.
- the freezer is continuously operated when the temperature of the cooler is satisfied, but the temperature of the freezer is not satisfied. That is, the refrigerant is continuously supplied to the cooler evaporator and the freezer evaporator since the cooler fan is stopped and the freezer fan is operated. Therefore, the peripheral area of the cooler evaporator is overcooled, and the food stored in the front of the cooler evaporator is overcooled or components are frozen since the cold air is continuously generated and stays in the side of the cooler evaporator even though the set temperature of the cooler is satisfied.
- a refrigerator including a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, including: a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected with each other in series; a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler; a cooler duct provided in front of the cooler evaporator to form a cold air pathway, and having an outlet provided on the cold air pathway and a ventilating hole formed to be penetrated in a lower side of the cooler evaporator to allow the cold air to be input/output; where the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator is flowed out to a lower area of the cooler through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off, and the cold air of the lower area of the cooler is flowed into the cooler evaporator through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on.
- the refrigerator further includes a guide duct coupled to the ventilating hole as to be connected with the lower area of the cooler and the ventilating hole, and disposed along an inner casing of the cooler.
- the cooler duct includes an inlet formed between an upper side of the cooler evaporator and a lower side of the outlet.
- a plurality of inlets are provided in the cooler duct separated and opposite to each other in both upper sides of the cooler evaporator.
- the ventilating hole has a total cross-sectional area less than the total cross-sectional area of the inlets.
- the refrigerator further includes a vegetable box disposed at a lower area of the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
- the main body is divided by a partition to make the freezer and the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler to allow the cold air discharged from the ventilating hole to be discharged toward the lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition adjacent to the freezer.
- the refrigerator further includes a machine room provided in a lower area of rear of the main body in which a compressor and a condenser are disposed.
- a refrigerator having a main body in which a cooler and a freezer are formed includes: a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected with each other in series; a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler; a cooler duct forming a cold air pathway between the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator and having at least one outlet; and a guide duct provided in a lower side of the cooler evaporator and to make cold air generated at the cooler evaporator to be flowed out to a lower area of the cooler, and to make the cold air of the lower area of the cooler to be flowed into the cooler evaporator, according to an operation of the cooler fan and the freezer fan.
- the refrigerator further includes an inlet provided in an upper side of the cooler evaporator to make the cold air inside of the cooler flow to the cooler evaporator.
- the refrigerator further includes a ventilating hole provided between a lower area of the cooler evaporator and the guide duct to connect the lower area of the cooler evaporator with the guide duct.
- the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator is discharged to the guide duct through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off and the freezer fan turns on, and the cold air of the lower area of the cooler flows into the guide duct to be discharged toward the cooler evaporator through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on.
- the refrigerator further includes a vegetable box disposed in the lower area of the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
- the cooler evaporator is provided in the rear of the cooler, and the guide duct is disposed inclined along an inner casing in the rear of the cooler.
- the cooler evaporator is provided in the rear of the cooler, and the guide duct is disposed from the rear of the cooler toward a lateral direction thereof.
- a refrigerator including a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, a compressor provided in the main body for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant supplied from the compressor, a cooler evaporator and a freezer evaporator to which the refrigerant condensed at the condenser is supplied, and a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler, includes: a cooler duct forming a cold air pathway between the cooler evaporator and the cooler, and having at least one inlet and outlet, and a ventilating hole provided in a lower area of the cooler and penetrating a lower side of the cooler evaporator; and a guide duct connecting the ventilating hole with the lower area of the cooler and guiding the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator toward the lower area of the cooler when the cooler fan turns off while the compressor operates; where the compressor, the condenser,
- the refrigerator further includes a vegetable box disposed in the lower area of the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
- the main body is divided by a partition to make the freezer and the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a flow of cold air flowed into an evaporator of a conventional refrigerator
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating the structure of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view illustrating a flow of cold air in the refrigerator when a cooler fan turns on according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating the flow of cold air along a side of the cooler evaporator of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating the flow of cold air of the side of the cooler evaporator when the freezer fan turns on and a cooler fan turns off;
- FIG. 7 illustrated a freezing cycle of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- a refrigerator 201 includes a main body 210 including a freezer 214 and a cooler 215 separated by a partition 202 ; a freezer door 219 and a cooler door 221 coupled to the main body 210 to open/close the freezer 214 and the cooler 215 , respectively; a freezer cold air supplier 230 having a freezer evaporator 231 provided in the main body 210 for cooling the freezer 214 and a freezer fan 232 adjacent to the freezer evaporator 231 for ventilating the cold air to the freezer 214 ; a cooler cold air supplier 240 having a cooler evaporator 241 provided in the main body 210 for cooling the cooler 215 and a cooler fan 242 to be adjacent to the cooler evaporator 241 for ventilating the cold air to the cooler 215 ; a cooler duct 245 forming a cold air pathway between the cooler evaporator 241 and the cooler 215 and having a ventilating hole 247 formed to penetrate a lower side of
- the main body 210 includes an outer casing 211 forming an external appearance and an inner casing 212 having the freezer 214 and the cooler 215 storing containers and food.
- the inner casing 212 is divided to the right and left and apart from an inside of the outer casing 211 for filling up a foam material therebetween.
- a lower area of rear of the main body 210 is provided with a machine room 213 which includes a compressor 213 a compressing gaseous refrigerant of the high temperature and a low pressure into gaseous refrigerant of a high temperature and a high pressure, and a condenser 300 condensing the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 213 a.
- the refrigerant condensed from the condenser 300 is supplied to the freezer evaporator 231 and the cooler evaporator 241 , and each of the evaporators 231 , 241 cools peripheral air by absorbing latent heat.
- An ice-making machine 216 is provided inside of the freezer 214 . Ice which is generated by the ice-making machine 216 , can be taken out through a dispenser 220 provided in front of the freezer door 219 . Therefore, a user may easily receive the ice from outside without opening the freezer door 219 .
- the freezer cold air supplier 230 is provided in a rear area of the freezer 214 to supply the cold air generated by the freezer evaporator 231 to the freezer 214 by using the freezer fan 232 .
- a freezer duct 235 including an outlet 236 to discharge the cold air and an inlet (not shown) to inhale the cold air is disposed in front of the freezer cold air supplier 230 .
- a plurality of shelves 217 are provided in an upper area of the cooler 215 for accommodating food, and an upper vegetable box 218 a and a lower vegetable box 218 b are provided in a lower area thereof for storing fruits or vegetables and the like.
- a water tank 220 a for the dispenser 220 is provided in a lower rear area of the cooler 215 opposite the upper vegetable box 218 a.
- the cooler cold air supplier 240 is provided in a rear area of the cooler 215 to supply the cold air generated by the cooler evaporator 241 to the cooler 215 by using the cooler fan 242 .
- a cooler duct 245 is disposed in front of the cooler cold air supplier 240 for forming the cold air pathway between the cooler evaporator 241 and the cooler 215 .
- the cooler evaporator 241 is disposed at rear of the upper vegetable box 218 a and connected to the cooler evaporator 231 in series. Referring to FIG. 7 , the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 213 a and the condenser 300 flows into the freezer evaporator 231 passing the cooler evaporator 241 and then returns to the compressor 213 a. Alternatively, the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 213 a and the condenser 300 may flow into the cooler evaporator 241 passing the freezer evaporator 231 and then return to the compressor 213 a.
- the cooler duct 245 In the cooler duct 245 are formed an inlet 248 and an outlet 246 formed at an upper side of the cooler evaporator 241 to allow the cold air of the cooler 215 to be inhaled and/or discharged to the cooler evaporator 241 , and the ventilating hole 247 formed at the lower side of the cooler evaporator 241 of the lower area of the cooler 215 to allow the cold air to be input/output.
- the plurality of inlets 248 of the cooler duct 245 are separated and opposite to each other correspondingly in both sides of an upper part of the cooler evaporator 241 .
- the inlets 248 are formed in a predetermined lengthwise direction of the cooler duct 245 . Therefore, the air of the cooler 215 may flow into a side of the cooler evaporator 241 through the inlets 248 .
- the plurality of outlets 246 of the cooler duct 245 are opposite to each shelf 217 on an upper side of the inlets 248 . Therefore, the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator 241 may be discharged to the cooler 215 through the outlets 246 .
- the ventilating hole 247 of the cooler duct 245 is formed in a lower side of the inlets 248 .
- the inlets 248 penetrate in a transverse direction of the cooler duct 245 .
- a total cross-sectional area of the ventilating hole 247 may be smaller than that of the inlets 248 .
- the ventilating hole 247 has the total cross-sectional area large enough to prevent the lower area of the cooler from overcooling or freezing when the cold air of the cooler evaporator 241 flows rapidly out to the lower area of the cooler 215 .
- the ventilating hole 247 may be provided toward a right side of the cooler 215 . Therefore, the cold air may be supplied to the right side thereof which has the relatively high temperature by an external air, rather than a left side thereof which maintains a low temperature by the cold air.
- a guide duct 250 is disposed in front of the ventilating hole 247 along the inner casing 212 of the cooler 215 so as to be connected with the ventilating hole 247 and the lower area of the cooler 215 .
- a first end of the guide duct 250 is coupled to the ventilating hole 247 of the cooler duct 245 , and a second end 249 is opened toward the lower area of the cooler 215 .
- the guide duct 250 may be downwardly slanted along a rear inner casing of the cooler 215 .
- the second end 249 of the guide duct 250 is provided between a lower side of the cooler evaporator 241 and a bottom of the cooler 215 .
- the air of the cooler 215 flows into the side of the cooler evaporator 241 through the inlets 248 and the second end 249 of the guide duct 250 to be cooled by the cooler evaporator 241 . Then the air circulates inside of the cooler 215 as being discharged to the cooler 215 through the outlets 246 formed at the upper side of the cooler evaporator 241 . Therefore, the cold air discharged to the outlets 246 may smoothly circulate up to a middle/lower part of the cooler 215 .
- the refrigerant for the operation of the freezer 214 circulates to the freezer evaporator 231 through the cooler evaporator 241 .
- the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator 241 is not discharged to the cooler 215 through the outlet 246 formed at the upper side of the cooler evaporator 241 , thereby staying on the lower part of the cooler evaporator 241 according to being continuously cooled at the side of the cooler evaporator 241 .
- the upper vegetable box 218 a provided in the front of the cooler evaporator 241 may be overcooled by the cold air or the water tank 220 a may be frozen.
- the ventilating hole 247 is required for preventing the cold air of the side of the cooler evaporator 241 from staying on the lower part of the cooler evaporator 241 , and the guide duct 250 also is required to guide cold air to the lower part of the cooler 215 .
- the cold air of the side of the cooler evaporator 241 is supplied to the lower side of the cooler 215 slowly by gravity, thereby preventing the upper vegetable box 218 a or the water tank 220 a from overcooling or freezing, in addition to properly lowering the temperature of the lower part of the cooler 215 .
- the guide duct 250 may be provided in a rear area of the lower vegetable box 218 b.
- the machine room 213 is formed in the rear area of the lower vegetable box 218 b.
- the temperature of the rear area of the lower vegetable box 218 b is relatively higher than that of the upper area of the cooler 215 because heat from the machine room 213 penetrates the cooler 215 . Therefore, the guide duct 250 is provided in the rear area of the lower vegetable box 218 b, thereby maintaining a desired temperature of the lower vegetable box 218 b.
- the guide duct 250 may be provided in the right side area of the lower part of the cooler 215 .
- a shape of the guide duct 250 may be variably changed within desired ranges that may guide the cold air output from the cooler duct 245 to the bottom of the cooler 215 along the inner casing 212 of the cooler 215 .
- the shape of the guide duct 250 may be a shape which is capable of preventing the guided cold air from moving to the left side of the cooler 215 .
- a cold air flow of the cooler 215 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 .
- the operation stage of the cooler 215 that is, in a case where the compressor 213 a operates and the cooling fan turns on, referring to FIG. 5 , the air of the cooler 215 flows into the side of the cooler evaporator 241 through the inlets 248 , and then flows into the side of the cooler evaporator 241 through the ventilating hole 247 by passing the second end 249 of the guide duct 250 . Then, the air is discharged to the upper part of the cooler 215 through the outlet 246 after being cooled by the cooler evaporator 241 . Therefore, the cold air discharged from the outlets 246 may smoothly flow up to the middle/lower part of the cooler 215 .
- the refrigerant circulates from the cooler evaporator 241 to the freezer evaporator 231 . Accordingly, cold air generates continuously from the cooler evaporator 241 even though the set temperature of the cooler 215 is satisfied.
- the generated cold air may be supplied to the lower area of the cooler 215 by gravity through the guide duct 250 connected with the ventilating hole 247 and the lower area of the cooler 215 .
- the cold air of the lower part of the cooler 215 flows into the lower side of the cooler evaporator 241 through the guide duct 250 , and in the operation stop stage of the cooler 215 , the cold air cooled at the side of the cooler evaporator 241 slowly flows out to the lower area of the cooler 215 by gravity, so that the cooling efficiency may be enhanced since the cold air of the cooler 215 smoothly flows. Further, the cold air flows out to the lower area of the cooler 215 through the guide duct 250 during a predetermined time, thereby preventing the upper vegetable box 218 a disposed in the front of the cooler evaporator 241 and the water tank 220 a from overcooling or freezing.
- the cold air of the cooler 215 is flowed into the side of the cooler evaporator 241 passing the ventilating hole 247 through the second end 241 of the guide duct 250 , alternatively, in the absence of the guide duct 250 , the cold air can flow into the side of the cooler evaporator 241 through the ventilating hole 247 .
- the guide duct 250 is disposed to be slanted along the inner casing 212 in the rear of the cooler 215 , alternatively, a guide duct may be disposed to face from the rear of the cooler to the lateral side thereof. Therefore, the cold air is flowed into the lateral part of the lower vegetable box influenced by the external air, thereby maintaining an optimal temperature of the lower part of the vegetable box.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
Abstract
A refrigerator having a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, including a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected with each other in series; a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler; a cooler duct provided in front of the cooler evaporator to form a cold air pathway, and having an outlet provided on the cold air pathway and a ventilating hole formed to be penetrated in a lower side of the cooler evaporator to allow the cold air to be input/output; where the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator flows out to a lower area of the cooler through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off, and the cold air of the lower area of the cooler flows into the cooler evaporator through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on. Thus, the cold air flow of the refrigerator is increased which makes the cold air of the whole inside of the cooler flow smoothly and prevents a peripheral area of a cooler evaporator from overcooling or freezing.
Description
- This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application Nos. 2004-0089963, filed on Nov. 5, 2004, and 2005-0065843, filed on Jul. 20, 2005 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having increased cold air flow which makes the cold air of the whole inside of a cooler flow smoothly and prevents a peripheral area of a cooler evaporator from overcooling or freezing.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Generally, a conventional refrigerator supplies cooling air provided from a cooling cycle to a storage compartment to maintain various foods fresh for a long time. Recently, an independent cooling refrigerator has been developed, in which an evaporator is respectively disposed at a freezer and a cooler to maintain an optimal state with respect to the food stored therein.
- In the independent cooling refrigerator, a cold air supplying device is provided in the rear of the freezer and the rear of cooler, respectively. Such a cold air supply device includes an evaporator and a ventilating fan. The cooling air supplier inhales cooling air at a high temperature due to circulation from the freezer and the cooler respectively into the corresponding evaporator for heat exchange, and forcibly sends the cooling air at a lower temperature due to heat exchange to the freezer and cooler, respectively, through the ventilating fan.
- As shown in
FIG. 1 , in a conventional independent cooling refrigerator, aninlet 6 a of a coldair inlet pathway 6 is placed in both sides of an upper end of an evaporator 4 for preventing cold air of peripheral areas of the evaporator 4 from being input to a storage compartment in case operation of a ventilatingfan 2 is stopped since a temperature inside of the storage compartment meets a desired temperature. Therefore, the cold air circulated inside of the storage compartment flows intoinlet 6 a of the coldair inlet pathway 6 that is disposed on both sides of the upper end of the evaporator 4. And the in-flowed cold air is guided to a lower part of the evaporator 4 along the coldair inlet pathway 6 to exchange heat with the evaporator 4. Finally, the cold air is discharged to an upper part of the evaporator 4 through anoutlet 6 b of the coldair inlet pathway 6. - However, in the refrigerator with this structure, cold air flow is mainly formed in an upper part of the storage compartment opposite to the upper side of the evaporator 4, and the cold air flow is not smoothly formed in a lower part thereof, because the
inlet 6 a and theoutlet 6 b of the coldair inlet pathway 6 are disposed in the upper side of the evaporator 4 and a box unit such as a vegetable box is disposed in the lower part of the storage compartment. That is, the cold air does not flow smoothly to the lower part of the storage compartment, so that the temperature of the lower part of the storage is relatively higher than that of the upper part thereof. - Particularly, in a case where the cooler evaporator and the freezer evaporator are connected with each other in series, the freezer is continuously operated when the temperature of the cooler is satisfied, but the temperature of the freezer is not satisfied. That is, the refrigerant is continuously supplied to the cooler evaporator and the freezer evaporator since the cooler fan is stopped and the freezer fan is operated. Therefore, the peripheral area of the cooler evaporator is overcooled, and the food stored in the front of the cooler evaporator is overcooled or components are frozen since the cold air is continuously generated and stays in the side of the cooler evaporator even though the set temperature of the cooler is satisfied.
- Therefore, while a refrigerant cycle is operated, the temperature distribution of the upper/lower part of the cooler is not uniform and the front side of the cooler evaporator is periodically overcooled.
- Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
- Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator that makes the cold air of an entire inside of a cooler flow smoothly and prevents a peripheral area of a cooler evaporator from overcooling or freezing.
- The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a refrigerator including a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, including: a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected with each other in series; a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler; a cooler duct provided in front of the cooler evaporator to form a cold air pathway, and having an outlet provided on the cold air pathway and a ventilating hole formed to be penetrated in a lower side of the cooler evaporator to allow the cold air to be input/output; where the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator is flowed out to a lower area of the cooler through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off, and the cold air of the lower area of the cooler is flowed into the cooler evaporator through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on.
- The refrigerator further includes a guide duct coupled to the ventilating hole as to be connected with the lower area of the cooler and the ventilating hole, and disposed along an inner casing of the cooler.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the cooler duct includes an inlet formed between an upper side of the cooler evaporator and a lower side of the outlet.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of inlets are provided in the cooler duct separated and opposite to each other in both upper sides of the cooler evaporator.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the ventilating hole has a total cross-sectional area less than the total cross-sectional area of the inlets.
- The refrigerator further includes a vegetable box disposed at a lower area of the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the main body is divided by a partition to make the freezer and the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler to allow the cold air discharged from the ventilating hole to be discharged toward the lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition adjacent to the freezer.
- The refrigerator further includes a machine room provided in a lower area of rear of the main body in which a compressor and a condenser are disposed.
- A refrigerator having a main body in which a cooler and a freezer are formed, includes: a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected with each other in series; a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler; a cooler duct forming a cold air pathway between the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator and having at least one outlet; and a guide duct provided in a lower side of the cooler evaporator and to make cold air generated at the cooler evaporator to be flowed out to a lower area of the cooler, and to make the cold air of the lower area of the cooler to be flowed into the cooler evaporator, according to an operation of the cooler fan and the freezer fan.
- The refrigerator further includes an inlet provided in an upper side of the cooler evaporator to make the cold air inside of the cooler flow to the cooler evaporator.
- The refrigerator further includes a ventilating hole provided between a lower area of the cooler evaporator and the guide duct to connect the lower area of the cooler evaporator with the guide duct.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator is discharged to the guide duct through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off and the freezer fan turns on, and the cold air of the lower area of the cooler flows into the guide duct to be discharged toward the cooler evaporator through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on.
- The refrigerator further includes a vegetable box disposed in the lower area of the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the cooler evaporator is provided in the rear of the cooler, and the guide duct is disposed inclined along an inner casing in the rear of the cooler.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the cooler evaporator is provided in the rear of the cooler, and the guide duct is disposed from the rear of the cooler toward a lateral direction thereof.
- A refrigerator including a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, a compressor provided in the main body for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant supplied from the compressor, a cooler evaporator and a freezer evaporator to which the refrigerant condensed at the condenser is supplied, and a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler, includes: a cooler duct forming a cold air pathway between the cooler evaporator and the cooler, and having at least one inlet and outlet, and a ventilating hole provided in a lower area of the cooler and penetrating a lower side of the cooler evaporator; and a guide duct connecting the ventilating hole with the lower area of the cooler and guiding the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator toward the lower area of the cooler when the cooler fan turns off while the compressor operates; where the compressor, the condenser, the cooler evaporator, and the freezer evaporator are connected in series.
- The refrigerator further includes a vegetable box disposed in the lower area of the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, the main body is divided by a partition to make the freezer and the cooler, and the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition.
- The above and/or other aspects and advantages of the prevent invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a flow of cold air flowed into an evaporator of a conventional refrigerator; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating the structure of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view illustrating a flow of cold air in the refrigerator when a cooler fan turns on according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating the flow of cold air along a side of the cooler evaporator ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating the flow of cold air of the side of the cooler evaporator when the freezer fan turns on and a cooler fan turns off; and -
FIG. 7 illustrated a freezing cycle of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below so as to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
- Referring to
FIGS. 2 through 4 , arefrigerator 201 according to the present invention includes amain body 210 including afreezer 214 and acooler 215 separated by apartition 202; afreezer door 219 and acooler door 221 coupled to themain body 210 to open/close thefreezer 214 and thecooler 215, respectively; a freezercold air supplier 230 having afreezer evaporator 231 provided in themain body 210 for cooling thefreezer 214 and afreezer fan 232 adjacent to thefreezer evaporator 231 for ventilating the cold air to thefreezer 214; a coolercold air supplier 240 having acooler evaporator 241 provided in themain body 210 for cooling thecooler 215 and acooler fan 242 to be adjacent to thecooler evaporator 241 for ventilating the cold air to thecooler 215; acooler duct 245 forming a cold air pathway between thecooler evaporator 241 and thecooler 215 and having aventilating hole 247 formed to penetrate a lower side of thecooler evaporator 241 in a lower area of thecooler 215 to allow the cold air to be input/output. - The
main body 210 includes anouter casing 211 forming an external appearance and aninner casing 212 having thefreezer 214 and the cooler 215 storing containers and food. Theinner casing 212 is divided to the right and left and apart from an inside of theouter casing 211 for filling up a foam material therebetween. A lower area of rear of themain body 210 is provided with amachine room 213 which includes acompressor 213 a compressing gaseous refrigerant of the high temperature and a low pressure into gaseous refrigerant of a high temperature and a high pressure, and acondenser 300 condensing the refrigerant supplied from thecompressor 213 a. Therefore, the refrigerant condensed from thecondenser 300 is supplied to thefreezer evaporator 231 and thecooler evaporator 241, and each of theevaporators - An ice-making
machine 216 is provided inside of thefreezer 214. Ice which is generated by the ice-makingmachine 216, can be taken out through adispenser 220 provided in front of thefreezer door 219. Therefore, a user may easily receive the ice from outside without opening thefreezer door 219. - The freezer
cold air supplier 230 is provided in a rear area of thefreezer 214 to supply the cold air generated by thefreezer evaporator 231 to thefreezer 214 by using thefreezer fan 232. - A
freezer duct 235 including anoutlet 236 to discharge the cold air and an inlet (not shown) to inhale the cold air is disposed in front of the freezercold air supplier 230. - A plurality of
shelves 217 are provided in an upper area of the cooler 215 for accommodating food, and anupper vegetable box 218 a and alower vegetable box 218 b are provided in a lower area thereof for storing fruits or vegetables and the like. Awater tank 220 a for thedispenser 220 is provided in a lower rear area of the cooler 215 opposite theupper vegetable box 218 a. - The cooler
cold air supplier 240 is provided in a rear area of the cooler 215 to supply the cold air generated by thecooler evaporator 241 to the cooler 215 by using thecooler fan 242. Acooler duct 245 is disposed in front of the coolercold air supplier 240 for forming the cold air pathway between thecooler evaporator 241 and the cooler 215. - The
cooler evaporator 241 is disposed at rear of theupper vegetable box 218 a and connected to thecooler evaporator 231 in series. Referring toFIG. 7 , the refrigerant supplied from thecompressor 213 a and thecondenser 300 flows into thefreezer evaporator 231 passing thecooler evaporator 241 and then returns to thecompressor 213 a. Alternatively, the refrigerant supplied from thecompressor 213 a and thecondenser 300 may flow into thecooler evaporator 241 passing thefreezer evaporator 231 and then return to thecompressor 213 a. - In the
cooler duct 245 are formed aninlet 248 and anoutlet 246 formed at an upper side of thecooler evaporator 241 to allow the cold air of the cooler 215 to be inhaled and/or discharged to thecooler evaporator 241, and theventilating hole 247 formed at the lower side of thecooler evaporator 241 of the lower area of the cooler 215 to allow the cold air to be input/output. - The plurality of
inlets 248 of thecooler duct 245 are separated and opposite to each other correspondingly in both sides of an upper part of thecooler evaporator 241. Here, theinlets 248 are formed in a predetermined lengthwise direction of thecooler duct 245. Therefore, the air of the cooler 215 may flow into a side of thecooler evaporator 241 through theinlets 248. - The plurality of
outlets 246 of thecooler duct 245 are opposite to eachshelf 217 on an upper side of theinlets 248. Therefore, the cold air generated at thecooler evaporator 241 may be discharged to the cooler 215 through theoutlets 246. - The
ventilating hole 247 of thecooler duct 245 is formed in a lower side of theinlets 248. Here, theinlets 248 penetrate in a transverse direction of thecooler duct 245. A total cross-sectional area of theventilating hole 247 may be smaller than that of theinlets 248. At this time, theventilating hole 247 has the total cross-sectional area large enough to prevent the lower area of the cooler from overcooling or freezing when the cold air of thecooler evaporator 241 flows rapidly out to the lower area of the cooler 215. Further, theventilating hole 247 may be provided toward a right side of the cooler 215. Therefore, the cold air may be supplied to the right side thereof which has the relatively high temperature by an external air, rather than a left side thereof which maintains a low temperature by the cold air. - A
guide duct 250 is disposed in front of theventilating hole 247 along theinner casing 212 of the cooler 215 so as to be connected with theventilating hole 247 and the lower area of the cooler 215. - A first end of the
guide duct 250 is coupled to theventilating hole 247 of thecooler duct 245, and asecond end 249 is opened toward the lower area of the cooler 215. Theguide duct 250 may be downwardly slanted along a rear inner casing of the cooler 215. Thesecond end 249 of theguide duct 250 is provided between a lower side of thecooler evaporator 241 and a bottom of the cooler 215. Therefore, when thecompressor 213 a is operated and thecooler fan 242 turns on, that is, in an operation of the cooler 215, the air of the cooler 215 flows into the side of thecooler evaporator 241 through theinlets 248 and thesecond end 249 of theguide duct 250 to be cooled by thecooler evaporator 241. Then the air circulates inside of the cooler 215 as being discharged to the cooler 215 through theoutlets 246 formed at the upper side of thecooler evaporator 241. Therefore, the cold air discharged to theoutlets 246 may smoothly circulate up to a middle/lower part of the cooler 215. - Further, in a case where the operation of the cooler 215 is stopped and the operation of the
freezer 214 is kept on, that is, when thecooler fan 242 turns off and thefreezer fan 232 turns on, the refrigerant for the operation of thefreezer 214 circulates to thefreezer evaporator 231 through thecooler evaporator 241. Here, in the absence of theventilating hole 247, the cold air generated at thecooler evaporator 241 is not discharged to the cooler 215 through theoutlet 246 formed at the upper side of thecooler evaporator 241, thereby staying on the lower part of thecooler evaporator 241 according to being continuously cooled at the side of thecooler evaporator 241. Therefore, theupper vegetable box 218 a provided in the front of thecooler evaporator 241 may be overcooled by the cold air or thewater tank 220 a may be frozen. Theventilating hole 247 is required for preventing the cold air of the side of thecooler evaporator 241 from staying on the lower part of thecooler evaporator 241, and theguide duct 250 also is required to guide cold air to the lower part of the cooler 215. Therefore, during a predetermined operation stage, the cold air of the side of thecooler evaporator 241 is supplied to the lower side of the cooler 215 slowly by gravity, thereby preventing theupper vegetable box 218 a or thewater tank 220 a from overcooling or freezing, in addition to properly lowering the temperature of the lower part of the cooler 215. - Herein, the
guide duct 250 may be provided in a rear area of thelower vegetable box 218 b. Themachine room 213 is formed in the rear area of thelower vegetable box 218 b. The temperature of the rear area of thelower vegetable box 218 b is relatively higher than that of the upper area of the cooler 215 because heat from themachine room 213 penetrates the cooler 215. Therefore, theguide duct 250 is provided in the rear area of thelower vegetable box 218 b, thereby maintaining a desired temperature of thelower vegetable box 218 b. - Further, the left side area of the lower part of the cooler 215 maintains a low temperature by the cold air of the
freezer 214, but the right side area thereof is a relatively higher temperature than the left side area thereof by the external air. Therefore, theguide duct 250 may be provided in the right side area of the lower part of the cooler 215. A shape of theguide duct 250 may be variably changed within desired ranges that may guide the cold air output from thecooler duct 245 to the bottom of the cooler 215 along theinner casing 212 of the cooler 215. Alternatively, the shape of theguide duct 250 may be a shape which is capable of preventing the guided cold air from moving to the left side of the cooler 215. - A cold air flow of the cooler 215 will be described with reference to
FIGS. 5 and 6 . - First, the operation stage of the cooler 215, that is, in a case where the
compressor 213 a operates and the cooling fan turns on, referring toFIG. 5 , the air of the cooler 215 flows into the side of thecooler evaporator 241 through theinlets 248, and then flows into the side of thecooler evaporator 241 through theventilating hole 247 by passing thesecond end 249 of theguide duct 250. Then, the air is discharged to the upper part of the cooler 215 through theoutlet 246 after being cooled by thecooler evaporator 241. Therefore, the cold air discharged from theoutlets 246 may smoothly flow up to the middle/lower part of the cooler 215. - Further, during the operation of the
compressor 213a, in case the operation of thefreezer 214 is required even though thecooler fan 242 turns off if a set temperature of the inside of the cooler 215 is satisfied, the refrigerant circulates from thecooler evaporator 241 to thefreezer evaporator 231. Accordingly, cold air generates continuously from thecooler evaporator 241 even though the set temperature of the cooler 215 is satisfied. Referring toFIG. 6 , the generated cold air may be supplied to the lower area of the cooler 215 by gravity through theguide duct 250 connected with theventilating hole 247 and the lower area of the cooler 215. - With this configuration, in the operation stage of the cooler 215, the cold air of the lower part of the cooler 215 flows into the lower side of the
cooler evaporator 241 through theguide duct 250, and in the operation stop stage of the cooler 215, the cold air cooled at the side of thecooler evaporator 241 slowly flows out to the lower area of the cooler 215 by gravity, so that the cooling efficiency may be enhanced since the cold air of the cooler 215 smoothly flows. Further, the cold air flows out to the lower area of the cooler 215 through theguide duct 250 during a predetermined time, thereby preventing theupper vegetable box 218 a disposed in the front of thecooler evaporator 241 and thewater tank 220 a from overcooling or freezing. - In the above embodiment, the cold air of the cooler 215 is flowed into the side of the
cooler evaporator 241 passing theventilating hole 247 through thesecond end 241 of theguide duct 250, alternatively, in the absence of theguide duct 250, the cold air can flow into the side of thecooler evaporator 241 through theventilating hole 247. - In the above embodiment, the
guide duct 250 is disposed to be slanted along theinner casing 212 in the rear of the cooler 215, alternatively, a guide duct may be disposed to face from the rear of the cooler to the lateral side thereof. Therefore, the cold air is flowed into the lateral part of the lower vegetable box influenced by the external air, thereby maintaining an optimal temperature of the lower part of the vegetable box. - Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (24)
1. A refrigerator including a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, comprising:
a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected with each other in series;
a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler; and
a cooler duct provided in front of the cooler evaporator to form a cold air pathway, and having an outlet and an inlet provided on the cold air pathway and a ventilating hole formed to penetrate a lower side of the cooler evaporator to allow the cold air to be input/output,
wherein the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator flows out to a lower area of the cooler through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off, and the cold air of the lower area of the cooler flows into the cooler evaporator through the inlet and the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide duct coupled to the ventilating hole so as to be connected with the lower area of the cooler and the ventilating hole, and disposed along an inner casing of the cooler.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the cooler duct comprises an inlet formed between an upper side of the cooler evaporator and a lower side of the outlet.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the inlet comprises a plurality of inlets provided in the cooler duct separated and opposite to each other in both upper sides of the cooler evaporator.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the ventilating hole has a smaller total cross-sectional area than the inlets.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , further comprising a vegetable box disposed at the lower area of the cooler, and
the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the main body is divided by a partition to form the freezer and the cooler, and
the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler to allow the cold air discharged from the ventilating hole to be discharged toward the lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition adjacent to the freezer.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , further comprising a machine room provided in a lower area of a rear of the main body and including a compressor and a condenser.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the main body is divided by a partition forming the freezer to the left and the cooler to the right, and
the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler to allow the cold air discharged from the ventilating hole to be discharged toward the lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition adjacent to the freezer.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , further comprising a machine room provided in a lower area of rear of the main body and in which a compressor and a condenser are disposed.
11. A refrigerator having a main body in which a cooler and a freezer are formed, comprising:
a freezer evaporator and a cooler evaporator connected in series;
a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler;
a cooler duct forming a cold air pathway between the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator and having at least one outlet and inlet; and
a guide duct provided in a lower side of the cooler evaporator to make cold air generated at the cooler evaporator flow out to a lower area of the cooler, and to make the cold air of the lower area of the cooler flow into the cooler evaporator, according to an operation of the cooler fan and the freezer fan.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , further comprising an inlet provided in an upper side of the cooler evaporator to make the cold air inside of the cooler be inhaled to the cooler evaporator.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , further comprising a ventilating hole provided between a lower area of the cooler evaporator and the guide duct to connect the lower area of the cooler evaporator with the guide duct.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator is discharged to the guide duct through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns off and the freezer fan turns on, and
the cold air of the lower area of the cooler flows into the guide duct to be discharged toward the cooler evaporator through the ventilating hole when the cooler fan turns on.
15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , further comprising a vegetable box disposed in the lower area of the cooler, and
the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the cooler evaporator is provided in rear of the cooler, and the guide duct is disposed to be inclined along an inner casing in the rear of the cooler.
17. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the cooler evaporator is provided in the rear of the cooler, and the guide duct is disposed from the rear of the cooler toward a lateral side thereof.
18. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , further comprising a vegetable box disposed in a lower area of the cooler, and
the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
19. A refrigerator comprising a main body in which a freezer and a cooler are formed, a compressor provided in the main body for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant supplied from the compressor, a cooler evaporator and a freezer evaporator to which the refrigerant condensed at the condenser is supplied, and a freezer fan and a cooler fan respectively ventilating cold air generated from the freezer evaporator and the cooler evaporator toward the freezer and the cooler, comprising:
a cooler duct forming a cold air pathway between the cooler evaporator and the cooler, and having at least one outlet, and a ventilating hole provided in a lower area of the cooler and penetrated to a lower side of the cooler evaporator; and
a guide duct connecting the ventilating hole with the lower area of the cooler and guiding the cold air generated at the cooler evaporator toward the lower area of the cooler when the cooler fan turns off while the compressor operates,
wherein the compressor, the condenser, the cooler evaporator, and the freezer evaporator are connected in series.
20. The refrigerator according to claim 19 , further comprising a vegetable box disposed in the lower area of the cooler, and
the guide duct is provided in a rear area of the vegetable box.
21. The refrigerator according to claim 20 , wherein the main body is divided by a partition to form the freezer and the cooler, and
the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition.
22. The refrigerator according to claim 19 , wherein the main body is divided by a partition to make the freezer on the left and the cooler on the right, and
the guide duct is provided in a lower area of a lateral wall of the cooler opposite to the partition.
23. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising an ice-making machine disposed inside the freezer,
wherein ice which is generated by the ice-making machine can be taken out through a dispenser positioned in a front side of a freezer door.
24. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a water tank providing water for a dispenser positioned in a front side of a freezer door,
wherein the water tank is disposed in a lower area of the cooler.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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KR20040089963 | 2004-11-05 | ||
KR2004-0089963 | 2004-11-05 | ||
KR1020050065843A KR100661366B1 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2005-07-20 | Refrigerator |
KR2005-0065843 | 2005-07-20 |
Publications (1)
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US20060096312A1 true US20060096312A1 (en) | 2006-05-11 |
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US11/260,293 Abandoned US20060096312A1 (en) | 2004-11-05 | 2005-10-28 | Refrigerator |
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KR (1) | KR100661366B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN100417885C (en) |
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US20100221993A1 (en) * | 2007-10-25 | 2010-09-02 | Hanel & Co. | Storage confirmation with predeterminable storage atmosphere |
US20160334159A1 (en) * | 2014-01-07 | 2016-11-17 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
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JP4827788B2 (en) * | 2007-04-17 | 2011-11-30 | 三菱電機株式会社 | refrigerator |
CN106568269B (en) * | 2016-10-24 | 2019-08-27 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | Refrigerator |
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EP3919845A1 (en) * | 2014-01-07 | 2021-12-08 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CN100417885C (en) | 2008-09-10 |
KR100661366B1 (en) | 2006-12-27 |
CN1769823A (en) | 2006-05-10 |
KR20060053952A (en) | 2006-05-22 |
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