U.S. patent application number 12/601121 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-01 for refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC.. Invention is credited to Yang-Gyu Kim, Nam-Gyo Lee, Hyoung-Keun Lim, Min-Kyu Oh, Gye-Young Song.
Application Number | 20100162744 12/601121 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40075207 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100162744 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lim; Hyoung-Keun ; et
al. |
July 1, 2010 |
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A refrigerator is disclosed. A freezing chamber evaporator and a
cooling chamber evaporator are installed at an inner side of a
ceiling surface of a freezing chamber and a cooling chamber.
Accordingly, the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber have
deeper depths thus to have large available capacities, thereby
freshly receiving a large amount of food items. Furthermore, a cool
air channel is formed at the freezing chamber door and the cooling
chamber door so as to be connected to a cool air channel of the
ceiling surface. Accordingly, a temperature difference between an
inner space and a door basket does not occur, thereby storing food
or beverage items received in the door basket in a fresh
condition.
Inventors: |
Lim; Hyoung-Keun; (Seoul,
KR) ; Oh; Min-Kyu; (Seoul, KR) ; Song;
Gye-Young; (Seoul, KR) ; Lee; Nam-Gyo; (Seoul,
KR) ; Kim; Yang-Gyu; (Seoul, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KED & ASSOCIATES, LLP
P.O. Box 221200
Chantilly
VA
20153-1200
US
|
Assignee: |
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
40075207 |
Appl. No.: |
12/601121 |
Filed: |
November 22, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
November 22, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2007/005927 |
371 Date: |
November 20, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/377 ; 62/419;
62/441; 62/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2400/06 20130101;
F25D 2317/0665 20130101; F25D 11/022 20130101; F25D 2317/062
20130101; F25D 2317/0655 20130101; F25D 17/065 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/377 ; 62/449;
62/441; 62/419 |
International
Class: |
F25D 25/00 20060101
F25D025/00; F25D 23/04 20060101 F25D023/04; F25D 13/04 20060101
F25D013/04; F25D 17/06 20060101 F25D017/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 25, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-0051096 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body having an inner
space open/closed by a refrigerator door and having a first cool
air channel at an inner side of a ceiling surface of the inner
space; one or more evaporators installed at the first cool air
channel of the refrigerator body, for generating cool air; and one
or more fans installed at the first cool air channel, for supplying
the cool air generated from the evaporator to the corresponding
space.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a second cool air channel
is formed at the refrigerator door so as to be communicated with
the first cool air channel, and a cool air outlet for supplying
cool air guided through the second cool air channel to the
corresponding space is formed at an inner wall surface of the
refrigerator door.
3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein one or more door baskets
are installed at the inner wall surface of the refrigerator door,
and the cool air outlet is formed at each of the door baskets so as
to be communicated therewith.
4. A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body having an inner
space open/closed by a refrigerator door, the inner space
partitioned into at least two spaces by a partition wall, wherein
at least one of the inner spaces is respectively provided with a
first cool air channel at an inner side of a ceiling surface
thereof; one or more evaporators installed at the first cool air
channel of the refrigerator body, for generating cool air; and one
or more fans installed at the first cool air channel, for supplying
the cool air generated from the evaporator to the corresponding
space.
5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the first cool air channel
is formed at the inner side of the ceiling surface of each space so
as to communicate the respective spaces with each other, the
evaporator is installed at one of the spaces, and the fans are
individually installed at the respective spaces.
6. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the first cool air channel
is separately formed at the inner side of the ceiling surface of
each space, and the evaporators and the fans are individually
installed at the respective spaces.
7. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein a second cool air channel
is formed at the refrigerator door so as to be communicated with
the first cool air channel, and a cool air outlet for supplying
cool air guided through the second cool air channel to the
respective spaces is formed at the inner wall surface of the
refrigerator door.
8. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein one or more door baskets
are installed at the inner wall surface of the refrigerator door,
and the cool air outlet is formed at each of the door baskets so as
to be individually communicated therewith.
9. A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body having a
freezing chamber for storing food in a freezing manner and a
cooling chamber for storing food in a cooling manner, the chambers
partitioned from each other by a partition wall; a freezing chamber
door and a cooling chamber door coupled to the refrigerator body so
as to open or close the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber;
and a freezing chamber evaporator and a cooling chamber evaporator
respectively installed at an inner side of a ceiling surface of the
freezing chamber and the cooling chamber of the refrigerator
body.
10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein a first cool air channel
for guiding cool air generated from the freezing chamber evaporator
and the cooling chamber evaporator into the refrigerator is formed
at the inner side of each ceiling surface of the freezing chamber
and the cooling chamber, and one or more second cool air channels
are formed at least one of the freezing chamber door and the
cooling chamber door so as to be communicated with the first cool
air channel.
11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein one or more cool air
outlets are formed at an inner wall surface of the freezing chamber
door or the cooling chamber door so that the second cool air
channel can be individually communicated with each door basket of
the freezing chamber door and the cooling chamber door.
12. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the freezing chamber
evaporator and the cooling chamber evaporator are individually
connected to one compressor by a 3-way valve, or are closed by the
3-way valve.
13. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein further comprising one or
more fans installed at the first cool air channel for supplying
cool air generated from the freezing chamber evaporator or the
cooling chamber evaporator to the corresponding space.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for disposing an
evaporator and a cool air channel in a refrigerator.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] A refrigerator is generally provided with a refrigerating
cycle composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve,
and an evaporator, and serves to store food items in a fresh
condition for a long period by supplying cool air generated from
the evaporator to a freezing chamber or a cooling chamber.
[0003] Recently, a side-by-side refrigerator partitioned into right
and left chambers by a partition wall, that is, a freezing chamber
and a cooling chamber, is being widely used. As side-by-side
refrigerators have become larger in size, a method for separately
disposing evaporators at the freezing chamber and the cooling
chamber has been disclosed. Here, the two evaporators may be
serially connected to one refrigerating cycle, or may be installed
at different refrigerating cycles. Also, the two evaporators may be
installed at different refrigerating cycles with sharing one
compressor.
[0004] However, in the conventional refrigerator having a plurality
of evaporators, the evaporators are respectively installed at a
rear surface of the freezing chamber and a rear surface of the
cooling chamber. Accordingly, the freezing chamber and the cooling
chamber respectively have a decreased entire available capacity and
a shallow depth, thereby having a limitation in storing food items.
Furthermore, since the evaporators are installed at rear surfaces
of the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber, cooling air is not
uniformly distributed to the inside of the refrigerator.
Accordingly, food received in a front surface of the refrigerator
or food received in a door basket may be easily rotten than food
stored in a rear surface of the refrigerator.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0005] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a refrigerator capable of increasing available capacities
of a freezing chamber and a cooling chamber by properly disposing
evaporators.
[0006] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
refrigerator capable of uniformly distributing cool air to the
inside thereof.
Technical Solution
[0007] To achieve these objects, there is provided a refrigerator,
comprising: a refrigerator body having an inner space open/closed
by refrigerator doors and having a first cool air channel at an
inner side of a ceiling surface of the inner space; one or more
evaporators installed at the first cool air channel of the
refrigerator body, for generating cool air; and one or more fans
installed at the first cool air channel, for supplying the cool air
generated from the evaporator to the corresponding inner space.
[0008] To achieve these objects, there is also provided a
refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body having a freezing
chamber for storing food in a freezing manner and a cooling chamber
for storing food in a cooling manner, the chambers partitioned from
each other by a partition wall; a freezing chamber door and a
cooling chamber door coupled to the refrigerator body so as to open
or close the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber; and a
freezing chamber evaporator and a cooling chamber evaporator
installed at an inner side of a ceiling surface of the freezing
chamber and the cooling chamber of the refrigerator body,
respectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator, which shows
a freezing chamber evaporator and a cooling chamber evaporator
installed at right and left sides of a ceiling surface according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line "I-I" in
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line "II-II" in
FIG. 3 showing a cool air channel of refrigerator doors of the
refrigerator in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views each showing the
disposition of the evaporator in the refrigerator in FIG. 1
according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing that a
refrigerator channel is communicated in the refrigerator according
to one embodiment of the present invention.
MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Description will now be given in detail of the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator according to
the present invention includes a refrigerator body 100 having a
freezing chamber 110 for strong foods in a freezing manner and a
cooling chamber 120 for storing foods in a cooling manner, the
chambers partitioned from each other by a partition wall 130, a
freezing chamber door 200 and a cooling chamber door 300
respectively for opening/closing the freezing chamber 110 and the
refrigerating chamber 120 of the refrigerator body 100, and a
refrigerant compression-type refrigerating cycle device 400
installed at the refrigerator body 100 and generating cool air.
[0016] According to the type of a refrigerator, the freezing
chamber and the cooling chamber may be disposed at different
positions. As shown in FIG. 1, when the refrigerator is a
side-by-side type, the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber
120 are disposed at right and left sides, and are partitioned from
each other by the partition wall 130 vertically disposed between
the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber 120. And, at upper
side surfaces of the freezing and cooling chambers 110, 120 (i.e.,
below the ceiling), disposed are a freezing chamber cool air
channel 111 (hereinafter, a `first refrigerator channel`) and a
cooling chamber cool air channel 121 (hereinafter, a `second
refrigerator channel`) respectively having a freezing chamber
evaporator (hereinafter, a `first evaporator`) 440 and a cooling
chamber evaporator (hereinafter, a `second evaporator`) 460,
thereby implementing a first cool air channel. One or more freezing
chamber cool air outlets (hereinafter, a "first refrigerator
outlet") 111a and one or more cooling chamber cool air outlets
(hereinafter, a "second refrigerant outlet") 121a are each formed
along a height direction of the first and second refrigerator
channels 111, 121.
[0017] Further, a freezing chamber door guide channel (hereinafter,
a "first guide channel") 111b and a cooling chamber door guide
channel (hereinafter, a "second guide channel") 121b are
respectively disposed at upper front sides of the freezing chamber
110 and the cooling chamber 120 so as to respectively guide cool
air inside the first refrigerator channel 111 and the second
refrigerator channel 121 to a cool air channel for the freezing
chamber door 200 (hereinafter, a "first door channel") 211 and a
cool air channel for the cooling chamber door 300 (hereinafter, a
"second door channel") 311 of a second refrigerant channel, as will
be described later. Here, the first refrigerator channel 111 and
the second refrigerator channel 121 may be, in some cases, disposed
at the sidewall surface of the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling
chamber 120 or at both surfaces of the partition wall.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the first door channel 211 and the
second door channel 311 are respectively formed at the freezing
chamber door 200 and the cooling chamber door 300 so as to be
communicated with the first guide channel 111b of the freezing
chamber 110 and the second guide channel 121b of the cooling
chamber 120. One or more first door outlets 211a and one or more
second door outlets 311a may be formed at the first and second door
channels 211, 311 in each height direction.
[0019] When cool air inlets (not shown) are respectively formed at
the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber 120 of the
refrigerator body 100, cool air can be introduced into the first
and second door channels 211 and 311 through the cool air inlets
(not shown) even if additional cool air inlets are not provided at
the freezing chamber door 200 and the cooling chamber door 300.
[0020] The refrigerating cycle device 400 includes one compressor
410; one condenser 420 connected to the compressor 410, for
condensing a refrigerant discharged from the compressor 410 with a
high temperature and a high pressure; a freezing chamber expansion
valve (hereinafter, a `first expansion valve`) 430 installed at a
freezing chamber refrigerating cycle (hereinafter, a `first cycle`
C1) diverged from an exit of the condenser 420, for expanding the
refrigerant with a high temperature and a high pressure in
correspondence with a preset temperature of the freezing chamber
110; a first evaporator 440 connected to the first expansion valve
430 and installed at the first refrigerator channel 111, for
evaporating a refrigerant of a low temperature and a low pressure;
a cooling chamber expansion valve (hereinafter, a `second expansion
valve`) 450 installed at a cooling chamber refrigerating cycle
(hereinafter, a `second cycle` C2) diverged from an exit of the
condenser 420, for expanding a refrigerant in correspondence with a
preset temperature of the cooling chamber 120; a second evaporator
460 connected to the second expansion valve 450 and installed at
the second refrigerator channel 121, for evaporating a refrigerant.
At each one side of the first evaporator 440 and the second
evaporator 460, a freezing chamber fan (hereinafter, a `first fan`)
470 and a cooling chamber fan (hereinafter, a `second fan`) 480 for
blowing cool air cooled through the first and second evaporators
440, 460 to the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber 120
are respectively formed at the first refrigerator channel 111 of
the ceiling surface of the freezing chamber 110 and the second
refrigerator channel 121 of the ceiling surface of the cooling
chamber 120.
[0021] A refrigerant conversion valve 490 for selectively
circulating a refrigerant having passed through the condenser 420
to one of the first cycle (C1) and the second cycle (C2) is
installed at the exit of the condenser 420. The refrigerant
conversion valve 490 may be implemented as a 3-way valve installed
at a diverge point between the first cycle (C1) and the second
cycle (C2), or as a 2-way valve individually installed at the first
cycle (C1) and the second cycle (C2). Here, the 3-way is operated
to totally close the condenser 420 and the first and second cycles
(C1 and C2), or to connect the condenser 420 and the first cycle
(C1) with each other, or to connect the condenser 420 and the
second cycle (C2) with each other when the refrigerator is
driven.
[0022] Unexplained reference numerals 220 and 320 denote door
baskets.
[0023] Operation and effects of the refrigerator according to the
present invention will be explained as follows.
[0024] When a load is generated as food items are received in the
freezing chamber 110 or the cooling chamber 120 of the
refrigerator, the compressor 410 starts to operate thus to compress
a refrigerant. Then, the compressed refrigerant is moved to the
first cycle (C1) via the condenser 420, and then is introduced into
the compressor 410 via the first expansion valve 430 and the first
evaporator 440. The compressed refrigerant is moved to the second
cycle (C2) via the condenser 420, and then is introduced into the
compressor 410 via the second expansion valve 450 and the second
evaporator 460. These processes are repeatedly performed. Here,
cool air generated from the first evaporator 440 and the second
evaporator 460 may be supplied to the freezing chamber 110 by the
first fan 470 through the first refrigerator channel 111 and the
first refrigerator outlet 111a, or may be supplied to the cooling
chamber 120 by the second fan 480 through the second refrigerator
channel 121 and the second refrigerator outlet 121a. Accordingly,
food items stored in the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling
chamber 120 can be freshly maintained with a frozen status or a
cool status.
[0025] Cool air inside the first and second refrigerator channels
111, 121 is introduced into the first and second door channels 211,
311 provided at the freezing chamber door 200 and the cooling
chamber door 300 through the first and second guide channels 111b,
121b communicated with each front side surface of the first and
second refrigerator channels 111, 121. Also, the cool air is
directly supplied to the door baskets 220, 320 of the freezing
chamber door 200 and the cooling chamber door 300 through the first
and second door outlets 211a, 311a. Accordingly, food or beverage
items stored in the door baskets 220, 320 can be freshly maintained
with a frozen state or a cool state.
[0026] In order to receive a large amount of food items and to
store food items in a fresh condition by smoothly supplying cool
air, the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber 120 have to
have large available capacities. However, when the first and second
evaporators are installed at rear surfaces of the freezing chamber
110 and the cooling chamber 120, the available capacities of the
freezing chamber and the cooling chamber are decreased. To solve
the problem, in the present invention, the first and second
evaporators 440, 460 are installed at each inner side of each
ceiling surface of the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber
120. Since additional spaces for installing the first and second
evaporators 440, 460 are not required at rear surfaces of the
freezing chamber 110 and the cooling chamber 120, the freezing
chamber 110 and the cooling chamber 120 can have a deeper depth and
a large available capacity, respectively. Furthermore, cool air
generated from the first and second evaporators 440, 460 can be
directly supplied to the door baskets 220, 320 of the freezing
chamber door 200 and the cooling chamber door 300 through the first
and second door channels 211, 311 formed at the freezing chamber
door 200 and the cooling chamber door 300. In this case, each
temperature difference between the freezing chamber 110 and the
door basket 220, and between the cooling chamber 120 and the door
basket 320 can be solved, thereby freshly storing food or beverage
items received in the door baskets 220, 320.
[0027] The refrigerator of the present invention may have other
embodiment.
[0028] Meanwhile, in the previous embodiment, the first and second
evaporators 440, 460 are respectively installed at the inner side
of the ceiling surface of the freezing chamber 110 and the cooling
chamber 120. However, in FIGS. 4 and 5, one of the first evaporator
440 and the second evaporator 460 may be installed at the inner
side of the ceiling surface of the freezing chamber 110 or the
cooling chamber 120, and another one may be installed at the rear
surface of the freezing chamber 110 or the cooling chamber 120.
[0029] Also, in the previous embodiments, when the first and second
refrigerator channels are disposed at the ceiling surface, the
first and second refrigerator channels are formed to be separated.
However, in FIG. 6, the first and second refrigerator channels can
be communicated with each other so as to form one refrigerator
channel 131. Here, the first refrigerator outlet 111b and the
second refrigerator outlet 121b may be respectively disposed at
both sides of the refrigerator channel 131, (i.e., the ceiling
surfaces of portions corresponding to the freezing chamber 110 and
the cooling chamber 120). Further, a freezing chamber fan 470 and a
cooling chamber fan 480 may be independently disposed at each
periphery of the first refrigerator outlet 111a and the second
refrigerator outlet 121a (shown in FIG. 2). Although not shown, one
fan may be disposed at an approximately middle portion of the first
and second refrigerator outlets 111a and 121a.
[0030] In another embodiment of the refrigerator according to the
present invention, at least one of the evaporators 440, 460 is
installed at the ceiling surface, not at the rear surface of the
refrigerator. Accordingly, an available capacity inside the
corresponding refrigerator can be increased. Furthermore, since the
first and second door channels 211, 311 and the first and second
door outlets 211a, 311a are respectively connected to the freezing
chamber door 200 and the cooling chamber door 300, food items
received in the first and second door baskets 220, 320 can be
stored in a fresh condition. The refrigerator according to another
embodiment of the present invention has the same effects and
configurations as the aforementioned refrigerator, and thus its
detailed explanation will be omitted.
[0031] The refrigerator according to the present invention has the
following advantages.
[0032] Since the freezing chamber evaporator and the cooling
chamber evaporator are installed at the inner side of each ceiling
surface of the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber, each depth
of the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber becomes deeper.
Accordingly, each available capacity of the freezing chamber and
the cooling chamber can be increased, and thus a large amount of
food items can be stored in the refrigerator in a fresh condition.
Furthermore, the cool air channel is connected to the freezing
chamber door and the cooling chamber door, thereby not causing a
temperature difference between the refrigerator body and the door
basket. Accordingly, food items or beverage items received in the
door basket can be stored in a fresh condition.
[0033] The refrigerator according to the present invention can be
applied not only to a side-by-side type, but also to any
refrigerator types.
* * * * *