U.S. patent application number 10/361639 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-01 for kimchi refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Song, Yo-Hyun.
Application Number | 20040000162 10/361639 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29738516 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040000162 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Song, Yo-Hyun |
January 1, 2004 |
KIMCHI REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A kimchi refrigerator which is capable of effectively using an
interior storage space. The kimchi refrigerator includes a cabinet
with two or more storage compartments provided in the cabinet
storing kimchi and a machine room which is located in the cabinet
and houses electrical devices. The machine room is arranged from a
front of the cabinet to the rear of the cabinet at a position under
one of the storage compartments, thus enlarging an interior storage
space of one or more storage compartments under which the machine
room is not located.
Inventors: |
Song, Yo-Hyun;
(Kwangju-City, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
SUITE 700
1201 NEW YORK AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Suwon-City
KR
|
Family ID: |
29738516 |
Appl. No.: |
10/361639 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/441 ;
62/455 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2323/00266
20130101; F25D 2400/10 20130101; F25D 23/003 20130101; F25D
2323/00271 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/441 ;
62/455 |
International
Class: |
F25D 011/02; F25D
019/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 28, 2002 |
KR |
2002-36568 |
Sep 19, 2002 |
KR |
2002-57157 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A kimchi refrigerator, comprising: a cabinet; two or more
storage compartments provided in the cabinet to store kimchi; and a
machine room provided in the cabinet to house electrical devices,
wherein said machine room is arranged from a front to a rear of the
cabinet at a position under one of the two or more storage
compartments.
2. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein one or
more storage compartments under which the machine room is not
defined are formed such that a bottom of each of the one or more
storage compartments is deeper than a bottom of the one storage
compartment which is positioned above the machine room.
3. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said
machine room comprises: a compressor compressing a refrigerant; a
condensing heat exchanger transferring heat to outside air flowing
into the machine room to condense the refrigerant; and a blowing
fan sucking the outside air into the machine room and discharging
the outside air passing through the condensing heat exchanger to an
outside.
4. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the
condensing heat exchanger, the blowing fan, and the compressor are
sequentially arranged in the machine room in a direction from the
front of the machine room to the rear of the machine room.
5. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the
condensing heat exchanger, the compressor, and the blowing fan are
sequentially arranged in the machine room in a direction from the
front of the machine room to the rear of the machine room.
6. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 4 further comprising:
air inlet holes provided on a lower portion of the front of the
machine room so as to suck the outside air into the machine room;
and air outlet holes provided at the rear of the machine room to
allow air to pass the condensing heat exchanger and be discharged
to the outside.
7. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 4, further
comprising: a guide member provided between the condensing heat
exchanger and the compressor to close a gap between the blowing fan
and inner walls of the machine room with a through hole being
formed in the guide member so as to allow the blowing fan to be
mounted in the through hole.
8. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 4, further
comprising: a blocking member provided in the machine room, such
that the blocking member closes a gap between the condensing heat
exchanger and inner walls of the machine room, allowing the outside
air flowing into the machine room to pass through the condensing
heat exchanger.
9. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 6, further
comprising: a subsidiary air inlet hole provided at a predetermined
position on a lower portion of the machine room so as to
sufficiently suck the outside air into the machine room; and a
guide rib provided at a position around the subsidiary air inlet
hole so as to guide the outside air to the condensing heat
exchanger.
10. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein said
machine room includes: a compressor compressing a refrigerant; a
condensing heat exchanger transferring heat to outside air flowing
into the machine room to condense the refrigerant; and a blowing
fan sucking the outside air into the machine room and discharging
the outside air passing through the condensing heat exchanger to an
outside.
11. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 6 wherein the air
inlet holes are provided on a front of a lower surface of the
cabinet defining a lower surface of the machine room, and the air
outlet holes are provided on a lower portion of a rear surface of
the cabinet defining a rear surface of the machine room.
12. A kimchi refrigerator including a cabinet with a machine room
therein to house electrical devices, comprising: two or more
storage compartments provided in the cabinet to store kimchi, said
machine room arranged from a front to a rear of the cabinet at a
position adjacent one of the two or more storage compartments.
13. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein each of
the two or more storage compartments other than the one adjacent
storage compartment has a bottom which is deeper than a bottom of
the one adjacent storage compartment adjacent to the machine
room.
14. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein each of
the two or more storage compartments other than the one adjacent
storage compartment has a storage space which is larger than a
storage space of the one adjacent storage compartment adjacent to
the machine room.
15. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the
machine room comprises: a compressor compressing a refrigerant; a
condensing heat exchanger transferring heat to outside air flowing
into the machine room to condense the refrigerant; and a fan
sucking the outside air into the machine room and discharging the
outside air passing through the condensing heat exchanger to an
outside of the kimchi refrigerator.
16. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the
machine room comprises: a compressor compressing a refrigerant; a
condensing heat exchanger transferring heat to outside air flowing
into the machine room to condense the refrigerant; and a fan
sucking the outside air into the machine room and discharging the
outside air passing through the condensing heat exchanger to an
outside of the kimchi refrigerator.
17. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the
machine room is sequentially arranged in an order of the condensing
heat exchanger, the fan, and the compressor in a direction
extending along a line from the front of the machine room to the
rear of the machine room.
18. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 17, wherein the
cabinet includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion to
define the machine room, the second wall portion of the cabinet
being opposite the first wall portion of the cabinet, the kimchi
refrigerator further comprising: an air inlet hole provided through
the first wall portion of the cabinet to suck the outside air into
the machine room; and an air outlet hole provided through the
second wall portion to allow air to pass the condensing heat
exchanger and be discharged to an outside of the kimchi
refrigerator.
19. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 18, further
comprising: a guide member with a through hole formed therein to
mount the fan, the guide member being provided between the
condensing heat exchanger and the compressor such that the outside
air passes through the through hole when sucked by the fan which is
mounted in the through hole.
20. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 18, further
comprising: a blocking member provided in the machine room, such
that the blocking member closes a gap between the condensing heat
exchanger and inner walls of the machine room, allowing the outside
air flowing into the machine room to pass through the condensing
heat exchanger.
21. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the
guide member partitions an internal space of the machine room into
two sections so as to enable the fan to move air in the machine
room.
22. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 20, further
comprising: a subsidiary air inlet hole provided at a predetermined
position in a vicinity of the condensing heat exchanger to suck the
outside air into the machine room; and a guide rib provided at a
position around the subsidiary air inlet hole to guide the outside
air to the condensing heat exchanger.
23. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 10, further
comprising: a refrigerant pipe installed on an outside wall of each
of the storage compartments so as to serve as an evaporating heat
exchanger to cool the two or more storage compartments, thereby
cooling the kimchi; and an electric heating wire installed so as to
surround the outside wall of each of the storage compartments to
heat the two or more storage compartments, thereby ripening the
kimchi.
24. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 12, further
comprising: a condensing heat exchanger disposed in the machine
room, wherein outside air is sucked from the front of the
refrigerator and is discharged to the rear of the refrigerator
after passing through the condensing heat exchanger
25. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the
condensing heat exchanger, the compressor, and the blowing fan are
sequentially arranged in the machine room in a direction from the
front of the machine room to the rear of the machine room.
26. The kimchi refrigerator according to claim 18 wherein the air
inlet hole is provided on a front of a lower surface of the cabinet
defining a lower surface of the machine room, and the air outlet
hole is provided on a lower portion of a rear surface of the
cabinet defining a rear surface of the machine room.
27. A refrigerator including a cabinet with a machine room therein
to house electrical devices, comprising: two or more storage
compartments provided in the cabinet; and wherein the machine room
is arranged adjacent one of the two or more storage compartments
such that a storage space of the one adjacent storage compartment
is less than any other storage compartment of the two or more
storage compartments.
28. The refrigerator according to claim 27, wherein each of the two
or more storage compartments other than the one adjacent storage
compartments has an identical storage space.
29. A refrigerator including a cabinet with a machine room therein
to house electrical devices including a fan, comprising: two or
more storage compartments provided in the cabinet; and wherein an
internal space of the machine room is partitioned into first and
second sections to enable the fan to move air in the machine
room.
30. A refrigerator including a cabinet comprising: a machine room
in the cabinet to house electrical devices including a condensing
heat exchanger, a fan and a compressor, the machine room being
sequentially arranged in an order of the condensing heat exchanger,
the fan and the compressor in a direction extending along a line
from a front of the machine room to a rear of the machine room to
suck outside air through the machine room.
31. The refrigerator according to claim 30, further comprising two
or more storage compartments, one of the two or more storage
compartments is adjacent to the machine room and the remaining
storage compartments of the two or more storage compartments have a
storage space which is larger than a storage space of the one
adjacent storage compartment adjacent to the machine room.
32. The refrigerator according to claim 30, wherein the fan sucks
the outside air into the machine room from one side of the
refrigerator and discharging the outside air passing through the
condensing heat exchanger to an outside of the refrigerator from an
opposite side of the refrigerator.
33. The refrigerator according to claim 32, wherein the cabinet
includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion to define
the machine room, the second wall portion of the cabinet being
opposite the first wall portion of the cabinet, the refrigerator
further comprising: an air inlet hole provided through the first
wall portion of the cabinet to suck the outside air into the
machine room; and an air outlet hole provided through the second
wall portion to allow air to pass the condensing heat exchanger and
be discharged to an outside of the refrigerator.
34. A refrigerator including a cabinet with a machine room therein
to house electrical devices, comprising: two or more storage
compartments provided in the cabinet, the machine room under less
than all of the storage compartments and the storage compartments
which do not have the machine room thereunder have a larger space
or are deeper than the storage compartments which have the machine
room thereunder.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application
No. 2002-36568, filed Jun. 28, 2002, and Korean Application No.
2002-57157, filed on Sep. 19, 2002 in the Korean Intellectual
Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to a kimchi
refrigerator, and more particularly, to a kimchi refrigerator which
is capable of effectively using an interior storage space.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A kimchi refrigerator is an appliance used to store kimchi
at low temperatures. Generally, the kimchi refrigerator is provided
with a ripening device to ripen the kimchi and a cooling device to
store kimchi cool, thus accomplishing the ripening and storage of
kimchi.
[0006] As shown in FIG. 1, a kimchi refrigerator comprises a
cabinet 1 which defines an appearance of the kimchi refrigerator. A
storage compartment 2 to store kimchi is defined in the cabinet 1.
The storage compartment 2 is open at a top and through the opening
at the top, food including kimchi can be put into the storage
compartment 2. The kimchi refrigerator has a door 3 so as to
selectively close the opening at the top of the storage compartment
2.
[0007] The cabinet 1 of the kimchi refrigerator is provided on a
lower portion with a machine room 4. The machine room 4 houses
several electrical devices to operate the kimchi refrigerator.
[0008] The machine room 4 occupies an entire area of a lower
portion of the cabinet 1. A capillary tube (not shown), a
compressor 4a, a blowing fan 4b, and a condensing heat exchanger 4c
are located in the machine room 4. The compressor 4a is used to
compress a refrigerant. The blowing fan 4b sucks and discharges
outside air. The condensing heat exchanger 4c transfers heat to the
outside air flowing into the machine room 4, thereby condensing the
refrigerant.
[0009] Air inlet holes 1a and air outlet holes 1b are provided on a
rear wall of the machine room 4. The outside air flows into the
machine room 4 through the air inlet holes 1a. Thereafter, air
which passes through the condensing heat exchanger 4c is discharged
through the air outlet holes 1b formed on a rear wall of the
cabinet 1. That is, the kimchi refrigerator is designed such that
air flows into the machine room 4 through the rear wall of the
cabinet 1, and is discharged through the rear wall of the cabinet 1
after the condensing heat exchanger 4c transfers heat to the
outside air flowing into the machine room 4.
[0010] However, the conventional kimchi refrigerator is problematic
in that a machine room 4 occupies the entire lower portion of the
cabinet 1. Thus, a space required to house the machine room 4 is
too large, so the storage compartment 2 to store kimchi is
undesirably small considering a size of the cabinet 1.
[0011] Further, the outside air is sucked through the air inlet
holes 1a provided on the rear wall of the cabinet 1 and then is
discharged through the air outlet holes 1b provided on the rear
wall of the cabinet 1. Since high-temperature air, which has
absorbed heat from the condensing heat exchanger 4c, is discharged
through the rear wall of the cabinet 1, air temperature around the
rear wall is high. Thus, a portion of the discharged hot air is
sucked again through the rear wall, thus reducing a heat exchanging
efficiency or cooling efficiency of the condensing heat exchanger
4c.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Accordingly, a kimchi refrigerator is provided, which has a
sufficiently large interior storage space.
[0013] Further, a kimchi refrigerator is provided which is capable
of further increasing a cooling efficiency of the kimchi
refrigerator.
[0014] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part,
will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice
of the invention.
[0015] In order to accomplish the above and/or other aspects, a
kimchi refrigerator comprises a cabinet, two or more storage
compartments provided in the cabinet to store kimchi, and a machine
room provided in the cabinet to house electrical devices, wherein
the machine room is arranged from a front to a rear of the cabinet
at a position under one of the storage compartments.
[0016] One or more storage compartments, under which the machine
room is not located, are formed such that a bottom of the one or
more storage compartments is/are deeper than a bottom of the one
storage compartment which is positioned above the machine room.
[0017] The machine room includes a compressor, which compresses a
refrigerant, a condensing heat exchanger, which transfers heat to
outside air flowing into the machine room, thereby condensing the
refrigerant, and a blowing fan which sucks the outside air into the
machine room and discharges air which has passed through the
condensing heat exchanger to an outside.
[0018] The condensing heat exchanger, blowing fan, and compressor
may be sequentially arranged in the machine room in a direction
from the front of the machine room to the rear of the machine room.
Alternatively, the condensing heat exchanger, compressor, and
blowing fan may be sequentially arranged in the machine room in a
direction from the front of the machine room to the rear of the
machine room.
[0019] In addition, an air inlet hole is provided at a lower
portion of the front of the machine room so as to suck the outside
air into the machine room, and an air outlet hole is provided at
the rear of the machine room discharging air which has passed
through the condensing heat exchanger to the outside.
[0020] A guide member is provided between the condensing heat
exchanger and the compressor to close a gap between the blowing fan
and inner walls of the machine room, with a through hole formed on
the guide member which allows the blowing fan to be mounted in the
through hole.
[0021] A blocking member is provided in the machine room, such that
the blocking member closes a gap between the condensing heat
exchanger and the inner walls of the machine room, thus allowing
the outside air flowing into the machine room to pass through the
condensing heat exchanger.
[0022] Air inlet holes may be provided on a front of a lower
surface of the cabinet defining a lower surface of the machine
room, and air outlet holes may be provided on a lower portion of
the rear surface of the cabinet defining a rear surface of the
machine room.
[0023] Further, a subsidiary air inlet hole is provided at a
predetermined position on the lower portion of the machine room so
as to sufficiently suck the outside air into the machine room, and
a guide rib is provided at a position around the subsidiary air
inlet hole so as to guide the outside air to the condensing heat
exchanger.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following
description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings of which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional kimchi
refrigerator;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a kimchi refrigerator
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the kimchi refrigerator of
FIG. 2;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the kimchi
refrigerator of FIG. 2; and
[0029] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a kimchi refrigerator
according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Reference will now made in detail to the present preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are
described below in order to explain the present invention by
referring to the figures.
[0031] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a kimchi refrigerator comprises a
cabinet 10 which defines an appearance of the kimchi refrigerator.
Two storage compartments 11a and 11b are defined in the cabinet 10,
and each of the storage compartments 11a and 11b has an opening
formed at a top thereof. Two doors 20a and 20b are mounted to the
top of the cabinet 10 so as to selectively close the openings
formed at the top of the storage compartments 11a and 11b,
respectively.
[0032] The kimchi refrigerator is provided with a cooling device to
cool the storage compartments 11a and 11b, and a ripening device to
ripen kimchi stored in the storage compartments 11a and 11b. The
cooling device comprises a refrigerant pipe 12, which is installed
on an outside wall of each of the storage compartments 11a and 11b
so as to serve as an evaporating heat exchanger. The ripening
device comprises an electric heating wire 13, which is installed so
as to surround the outside wall of each of the storage compartments
11a and 11b.
[0033] One compartment of the two storage compartments 11a and 11b
is provided on a right side of the kimchi refrigerator, while a
second storage compartment of the two storage compartments 11a and
11b is provided on a left of the kimchi refrigerator. A machine
room 30 is provided below one of the storage compartments 11a, and
houses several electrical devices operating the kimchi
refrigerator. The storage compartment 11b under which the machine
room 30 is not located is formed such that a bottom of the storage
compartment 11b is deeper than a bottom of the storage compartment
11a which is positioned above the machine room 30. Thus, a size of
the storage compartment 11b is relatively larger than that of the
storage compartment 11a under which the machine room 30 is
located.
[0034] A capillary tube (not shown), a compressor 31, a condensing
heat exchanger 32, and a blowing fan 33 are located in the machine
room 30. The compressor 31 is used to compress a refrigerant. The
condensing heat exchanger 32 transfers heat to outside air, thereby
condensing the refrigerant. The blowing fan 33 sucks the outside
air into the machine room 30, and discharges air which has passed
through the condensing heat exchanger 32 to an outside.
[0035] The condensing heat exchanger 32, the blowing fan 33, and
the compressor 31 are sequentially arranged in the machine room 30
in a direction from a front to a rear of the cabinet 10.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, air inlet holes 14a are provided on a
front of the machine room 30 so as to suck the outside air into the
machine room 30. Air outlet holes 34, as shown in FIG. 2, are
provided on a rear of the machine room 30 so as to discharge air,
which has absorbed the heat from the condensing heat exchanger 32,
to the outside. The air inlet holes 14a are formed on a front of a
lower surface of the machine room 30, and the air outlet holes 34
are formed on a rear surface of the machine room 30 for aesthetic
purposes.
[0037] In addition to the air inlet holes 14a provided on the front
of the machine room 30, a subsidiary air inlet hole 14b is provided
at a predetermined position on a lower portion of the machine room
30, thus allowing a sufficient amount of the outside air to flow
into the machine room 30. The subsidiary air inlet hole 14b is
provided on a bottom plate 14 which forms the bottom of the machine
room 30. A plurality of guide ribs 35 are provided on an inner wall
of the machine room 30 at a position around the subsidiary air
inlet hole 14b when the bottom plate 14 is mounted to the bottom of
the cabinet 10, so as to guide outside air to the condensing heat
exchanger 32.
[0038] Further, a guide member 36 and a blocking member 37 are
provided in the machine room 30 by the blowing fan 33. The guide
member 36 partitions an internal space of the machine room 30 into
two sections so as to effectively move air in the machine room 30
by the blowing fan 33. The blocking member 37 allows a
heat-exchanging process to be effectively carried out in the
condensing heat exchanger 32.
[0039] The guide member 36 is installed between the compressor 31
and the condensing heat exchanger 32. The guide member 36 closes a
gap between the blowing fan 33 and the inner walls of the machine
room 30, so that the outside air flowing into the machine room 30
is effectively blown by the blowing fan 33. The guide member 36 has
a through hole 36a provided on a central portion thereof. The
blowing fan 33 is mounted in the through hole 36a.
[0040] The blocking member 37 closes a gap between the condensing
heat exchanger 32 and the inner walls of the machine room 30, so
that most of the outside air flowing into the machine room 30
passes through the condensing heat exchanger 32, thus increasing a
heat exchanging efficiency or a cooling efficiency.
[0041] The two storage compartments 11a and 11b are provided on the
left and right sides of the cabinet 10, respectively. However,
three or more storage compartments may be defined in the cabinet 10
and a machine room may be defined under one storage compartment of
the three or more storage compartments and in a direction from the
front of the cabinet 10 to the rear of the cabinet 10.
[0042] Further, according to the embodiments of the present
invention, the condensing heat exchanger 32, the blowing fan 33,
and the compressor 31 are sequentially arranged in the machine room
30 in a direction from the front of the machine room 30 to the rear
of the machine room 30, but this arrangement may be changed without
being limited to the above-mentioned arrangement.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a kimchi refrigerator according to a second
embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the
blowing fan 33 may be installed in the machine room 30 so as to be
adjacent to the air outlet holes 34 which are provided on the rear
of the machine room 30. Thus, the condensing heat exchanger 32, the
compressor 31, and the blowing fan 33 are sequentially arranged in
the machine room 30 in a direction from the front of the machine
room 30 to the rear of the machine room 30.
[0044] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention have
been described with reference to the kimchi refrigerator, but the
present invention may be applied to machine rooms of various
apparatuses which keep food cool by using a refrigerating cycle,
such as a standard type refrigerator, without being limited to the
kimchi refrigerator.
[0045] The operation and effect of the kimchi refrigerator
according to the present invention will be described in detail in
the following and with reference to the drawings.
[0046] The machine room 30 is defined under one of the two storage
compartments 11a and 11b in a direction from the front of the
kimchi refrigerator to the rear of the kimchi refrigerator, thus
enlarging an interior storage space of the storage compartment 11b
under which the machine room 30 is not located.
[0047] When the blowing fan 33 is rotated by an operation of the
kimchi refrigerator, the outside air flows into the machine room 30
through the air inlet holes 14a and the subsidiary air inlet hole
14b, which are provided on the lower portion of the front of the
cabinet 10. The outside air flowing into the machine room 30 passes
through the condensing heat exchanger 32 to achieve the
heat-exchanging process. At this time, since the blocking member 37
is provided between the condensing heat exchanger 32 and the inner
walls of the machine room 30, most of the outside air passes
through the condensing heat exchanger 32, thereby achieving the
heat exchanging process.
[0048] Air which has absorbed heat from the condensing heat
exchanger 32, is discharged to the rear of the cabinet 10 through
the air outlet holes 34 which are provided on the rear surface of
the cabinet 10, by a blowing force of the blowing fan 33.
[0049] The air, which has absorbed heat from the condensing heat
exchanger 32, may pass through the through hole 36a in which the
blowing fan 33 may be mounted. Thereafter, the air which passes
through the through hole 36a can be discharged through the air
outlet holes 34, which are formed on the rear wall of the cabinet
10, to the outside.
[0050] As described above, the kimchi refrigerator is provided,
which is designed such that a machine room is defined under one of
many storage compartments in a direction from the front to the rear
of the refrigerator, thus enlarging the interior storage space of
the storage compartment under which the machine room is not
defined, thereby effectively using the interior storage space of
the refrigerator.
[0051] Furthermore, a kimchi refrigerator is provided, which is
designed such that the outside air is sucked from the front of the
refrigerator, and thereafter is discharged to the rear of the
refrigerator after passing through a condensing heat exchanger,
thus preventing the discharged air from being sucked into the
kimchi refrigerator again, and thereby improving heat exchanging
efficiency of the condensing heat exchanger.
[0052] Although a few preferred embodiments of the present
invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this
embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the
invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their
equivalents.
* * * * *