U.S. patent application number 14/835564 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-22 for refrigerator and ice making method thereof.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation. Invention is credited to Min Bon KOO.
Application Number | 20160370071 14/835564 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54199105 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160370071 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOO; Min Bon |
December 22, 2016 |
REFRIGERATOR AND ICE MAKING METHOD THEREOF
Abstract
Refrigerator and an ice making method thereof are disclosed. The
refrigerator, comprises a main body configured to form an
appearance of the refrigerator, a storage space installed within
the main body, a door configured to open and close the storage
space, an ice making chamber provided in the door, a cooling duct
configured to allow cooling air to be movable in a longitudinal
direction, and provided in the main body to have both ends
connected to the ice making chamber such that the cooling air
circulates to the ice making chamber, and an evaporation coil
installed in the cooling duct and configured cool air to the
cooling air through heat exchanging with a refrigerant.
Inventors: |
KOO; Min Bon; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
54199105 |
Appl. No.: |
14/835564 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2400/10 20130101;
F25D 2317/062 20130101; F25D 17/065 20130101; F25D 23/028 20130101;
F25C 5/22 20180101; F25D 23/068 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25C 5/00 20060101
F25C005/00; F25D 17/06 20060101 F25D017/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 17, 2015 |
KR |
10-2015-0085584 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a main body; a storage space
installed within the main body; a door configured to open and close
the storage space; an ice making chamber provided in the door; a
cooling duct configured to allow cooling air to flow in a
longitudinal direction, and disposed in the main body with both
ends connected to the ice making chamber wherein the cooling air
circulates to the ice making chamber; and an evaporation coil
disposed in the cooling duct and configured to cool air to generate
cooling air through heat exchanging with a refrigerant.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the evaporation coil is
configured to function as an evaporator of a refrigerating cycle
and cool the cooling duct through conduction.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cooling duct comprises:
a cooling channel configured to extend in a substantially
longitudinal direction within the cooling duct wherein the cooling
air may flow therein; a first duct hole provided at one end of the
cooling channel to supply the cooling air to the ice making
chamber; and a second duct hole provided at the other end of the
cooling channel to receive the cooling air from the ice making
chamber.
4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein in the cooling duct, the
cooling air flows from a lower end of the cooling duct to an upper
end thereof.
5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the first duct hole is
coupled to an upper portion of the ice making chamber and the
second duct hole is coupled to a lower portion of the ice making
chamber.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cooling duct is bent in
a vertical direction of the main body wherein the cooling duct is
sloped in a forward direction of the main body of the refrigerator
within a refrigerating chamber.
7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cooling duct is
disposed in the main body of the refrigerator and the ice making
chamber is installed in a refrigerating chamber of the door of the
refrigerator, and wherein both ends of the cooling duct are
selectively connected to the ice making chamber depending on
opening and closing of the refrigerating chamber door.
8. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the cooling duct is bent to
have a "" shape or a "C" shape in a forward direction of the main
body.
9. An ice making method of a refrigerator, the method comprising:
supplying a refrigerant to an evaporation coil; supplying air to a
cooling duct with the evaporation coil wound therearound; cooling
the air to produce cooling air through heat exchange between the
air and the refrigerant; supplying the cooling air to an ice making
chamber for producing ice; discharging the cooling air within the
ice making chamber to the cooling duct; and recooling the
discharged cooling air in the cooling duct.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cooling the air to produce
cooling air through heat exchanging between the air and the
refrigerant comprises having cooling air along the cooling channel
of the cooling duct for a predetermined period of time so as to be
cooled to be cooling air having a temperature lower than a
predetermined temperature.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the cooling duct extends in a
substantially longitudinal direction.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the cooling the air to produce
the cooling air is performed with an evaporation coil configured to
cool air within the cooling duct.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the supplying of the cooling air
to an ice making chamber is performed through a first opening and
the discharging of the cooling air within the ice making chamber to
the cooling duct is performed through a second opening.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first opening is above the
second opening.
14. A refrigerator, comprising: a body comprising a storage area; a
door configured to open and close with respect to the storage area;
an ice making chamber disposed in the door; a cooling duct
configured to supply cooling air to the ice making chamber wherein
the cooling air flows to the ice making chamber; and an evaporation
module disposed in the cooling duct and configured to cool air to
generate the cooling air through heat exchanging.
15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the evaporation module is
configured to function as an evaporator of a refrigerating cycle
and cool the cooling duct through conduction.
16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the cooling duct
comprises: a cooling channel extending in a substantially
longitudinal direction within the cooling duct.
17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the cooling duct
comprises: a first duct hole at one end of the cooling channel to
supply the cooling air to the ice making chamber; and a second duct
hole at the other end of the cooling channel to receive air from
the ice making chamber.
18. The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the cooling air flows
from the second duct to the first duct.
19. The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the first duct hole is
connected to an upper portion of the ice making chamber and the
second duct hole is connected to a lower portion of the ice making
chamber.
20. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the cooling duct is
sloped in a forward direction with respect to the body of the
refrigerator.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2015-0085584, filed on Jun. 17, 2015, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a refrigerator
and an ice making method thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A Refrigerator, which is a device intended to store food
items at low temperatures, may be configured to refrigerate or
freeze food items depending on the types of food to be stored.
[0004] The inside of a refrigerator is cooled by continuously
supplied cooling air and cooling air continuously generated through
a heat exchanging operation of a refrigerant based on a
refrigerating cycle including a process of
compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation. The cooling air
supplied to the inside of the refrigerator is evenly transferred to
the inside of the refrigerator by a convection current to store
food items within the refrigerator maintained at a desired
temperature.
[0005] In general, a refrigerator body has a rectangular shape with
an open front side, and a refrigerating chamber and a freezing
chamber may be provided in the refrigerator body. Further, a
refrigerating chamber door and a freezing chamber door may be
installed on the front side of the body to selectively close the
openings. In addition, a plurality of drawers, shelves, receiving
boxes, and the like may be provided in a storage space within the
refrigerator to keep various food items in an optimal state.
[0006] Conventionally, top mount type refrigerators (in which a
freezing chamber is positioned above and a refrigerating chamber is
positioned below) are popular in the mainstream, but recently,
bottom freeze type refrigerators (in which a freezing chamber is
positioned in a lower portion to enhance user convenience) have
also been released. Here, the bottom freeze type refrigerator in
which the frequently used refrigerating chamber is positioned above
and the less frequently used freezing chamber is positioned below
is advantageous in that users may easily access the refrigerating
chamber. For the bottom freeze type refrigerator, however, since
the freezing chamber is positioned below, in order for a user to
take ice, the user bends himself or herself over to open the
freezing chamber door to take ice.
[0007] In order to solve such a problem, recently, bottom freeze
type refrigerators (in which a dispenser for dispensing ice is
provided in a refrigerating chamber door positioned in an upper
portion thereof) have been released. In this case, an ice making
device for generating ice may be provided in the refrigerating
chamber door or in the interior of the refrigerating chamber.
[0008] For example, in the bottom freeze type refrigerator in which
the ice making device installed in the refrigerating chamber door,
air (cooling air) cooled by an evaporator is dividedly discharged
to the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber. The cooling
air discharged to the freezing chamber side flows to the ice making
device along a cooling air supply duct embedded in a sidewall of a
main body of the refrigerator and subsequently freezes water, while
flowing within the ice making device. Thereafter, the cooling air
within the ice making device is discharged to the refrigerating
chamber through a cooling air reducing duct embedded in the
sidewall of the main body of the refrigerator, lowering an internal
temperature of the refrigerating chamber.
[0009] However, since the cooling air of the freezing chamber side
is used in the ice making device both through the cooling air
supply duct and also the cooling air reducing duct, then the
cooling air is moving in the cooling air supply duct and the
cooling air reducing duct. Due to this, the supply efficiency of
the cooling air may he degraded.
[0010] In addition, since the cooling air of the freezing chamber
side should be moved to the ice making device of the refrigerating
chamber door, when the refrigerator is continuously operated, power
consumption may increase significantly due to the operation of the
refrigerator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In view of the above, therefore, embodiments of the present
invention provide a refrigerator in which cooling air cooled in a
cooling air duct can be directly used to generate ice, and an ice
making method thereof.
[0012] In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented as a
refrigerator including a main body and a storage space installed
within the main body. The refrigerator further includes a door
configured to open and close the storage space and an ice making
chamber provided in the door. The refrigerator further includes a
cooling duct configured to allow cooling air to flow in a
longitudinal direction, and disposed in the main body with both
ends connected to the ice making chamber. The cooling air
circulates to the ice making chamber. The refrigerator further
includes an evaporation coil disposed in the cooling duct and
configured to cool air to generate cooling air through heat
exchanging with a refrigerant.
[0013] In another embodiment, the present invention is implemented
as an ice making method of a refrigerator. The method includes
supplying a refrigerant, to an evaporation coil and supplying air
to a cooling duct with the evaporation coil wound therearound. The
method further includes cooling the air to produce cooling air
through heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant and
supplying the cooling air to an ice making chamber for producing
ice. The method further includes discharging the cooling air within
the ice making chamber to the cooling duct and recooling the
discharged cooling air in the cooling duct.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The above and other objects and features of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description of
embodiments, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration of an ice
making duct of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of
FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a refrigerating cycle
of the ice making duct of the refrigerator in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a connection between an ice
making chamber and a cooling duct in the refrigerator in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an internal configuration of
the ice making chamber of the refrigerator in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an ice making method
using an ice making duct of a refrigerator in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be
described in detail with the accompanying drawings.
[0023] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration of an ice
making duct of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along
line A-A of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a
refrigerating cycle of the ice making duct of the refrigerator in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4
is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the refrigerator in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include
a main body 10 that forms an appearance, a barrier 20 that
demarcates a storage space of the main body 10, a door for opening
and closing the storage space, an ice making chamber 110 provided
in the door, and an ice making duct 200 for providing cooling air
to the ice making chamber 110.
[0025] Here, the refrigerator may include a refrigerating chamber
door 30 for selectively closing the refrigerating chamber on both
edges of a front surface of the main body 10, and a freezing
chamber door 40 for closing a front opening of the freezing
chamber. The storage space may include the refrigerating chamber
and the freezing chamber demarcated by the barrier 20.
[0026] The refrigerator 1 in accordance with this embodiment is a
bottom freezer type refrigerator in which the freezing chamber is
positioned in a lower portion thereof, but the present invention is
not limited thereto and may be applied to various types of
refrigerators, in addition, the configuration of the main body 10,
the barrier 20, the refrigerating chamber door 30, and the freezing
chamber door 40 corresponds to the configuration of a main body, a
barrier, a refrigerating chamber door, and a freezing chamber door
applied to general refrigerators, and thus, a detailed description
thereof will be omitted.
[0027] The ice making duct 200 may include a cooling duct 210 in
which cooling air is movable in a longitudinal direction therein,
and an evaporation coil 220 for cooling the cooling duct 210
through conduction.
[0028] Specifically, the cooling duct 210 may include a cooling
channel 211, a first duct hole 212, and a second duct hole 213.
[0029] The cooling channel 211, which is a passage in which cooling
air moves, may extend in a longitudinal direction within the
cooling duct 210. In particular, the cooling channel 211 has a
length sufficient for cooling of air with cooling air, and thus,
the air, while moving in the cooling channel 211 for a
predetermined period of time, may be cooled to cooling air having a
temperature (e.g., 14 degrees or lower below zero) allowing for ice
making.
[0030] Further, the first duct hole 212 may be provided at one end
of the cooling channel 211 to supply the cooling air to the ice
making chamber 110, and the second duct hole 213 may be provided at
the other end of the cooling channel 211 to receive the cooling air
from the ice making chamber 110. For example, the first duct hole
212 may be connected to an upper portion of the ice making chamber
110, the second duct hole 213 may be connected to a lower portion
of the ice making chamber 110, and the cooling air within the
cooling duct 210 may move from a lower end of the cooling duct 210
to an upper end thereof.
[0031] The cooling duct 210 may extend to be bent in a vertical
direction of the main body 10 such that the cooling duct 210 is
sloped in a forward direction of the main body 10 within the main
body 10. For example, the cooling duct 210 may be bent to have a ""
shape or a "C" shape in a forward direction of the main body
10.
[0032] In this manner, since the cooling duct 210 is bent to have a
"" shape or a "C" shape, when defrosted water is generated within
the cooling duct 210, the defrosted water may move to the lowermost
portion of the cooling duct 210 and may be subsequently discharged
to the outside through a separate drain device (not shown).
[0033] The cooling duct 210 is installed in the main body 10 of the
refrigerator 1, and the ice making chamber 110 is provided within
the refrigerating chamber door 30 of the refrigerator 1. Here, the
first duct hole 212 and the second duct hole 213 of the cooling
duct 210 may be selectively connected to an inlet 310 and an outlet
320 of the ice making chamber 110, respectively, depending on
opening and closing of the refrigerating chamber door 30.
[0034] That is, when the refrigerator door 30 is closed to the main
body 10, cooling air within the cooling duct 210 may be introduced
to the inlet 310 of the ice making chamber 110 through the first
duct hole 212, and the cooling air introduced to the ice making
chamber 110 may circulate within the ice making chamber 110 to
freeze water within the ice making chamber 110 to make ice.
Thereafter, the cooling air within the ice making chamber 110 may
be discharged to the second duct hole 213 of the cooling duct 210
through the outlet 320, and the cooling air discharged from the ice
making chamber 110 may he recooled in the cooling duct 210 and then
introduced again to the inlet 310 of the ice making chamber
110.
[0035] The evaporation coil 220 may cool air within the cooling
duct 210 to generate cooling air through heat exchanging with a
refrigerant. To this end, the evaporation coil 220 is installed to
be wound around the cooling duct 210, and thus, when the
refrigerant circulates depending on the refrigerating cycle, the
evaporation coil 220 may cool the cooling duct 210 through
conduction.
[0036] The evaporation coil 220 may serve as an evaporator of the
refrigerating cycle. For example, the evaporation coil 220 may
implement the refrigerating cycle including a process of
compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation, together with a
compressor 11, a condenser 12, and an expansion valve 13.
[0037] In this embodiment, the configuration of the compressor 11,
the condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, and the evaporation coil
220 is provided as a refrigerating cycle for providing cooling air
to the ice making chamber 110, but the configuration may also
provide the cooling air to the refrigerating chamber and the
freezing chamber of the refrigerator, as well as to the ice making
chamber 110. In addition, the configuration of the compressor 11,
the condenser 12, and the expansion valve 13 may also share a
refrigerant with an evaporator (not shown) for providing cooling
air to the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a state view illustrating an exemplary connection
between the ice making chamber and the cooling duct in the
refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention, and FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an internal
configuration of the ice making chamber of the refrigerator in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0039] As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ice making chamber 110
may be provided in the refrigerating chamber door 30 of the
refrigerator 1. In this embodiment, a case in which the ice making
chamber 110 is provided in an upper portion of the refrigerating
chamber door 30 is presented as an example, but this is merely
illustrative and the ice making chamber 110 may be installed in
other position of the refrigerating chamber door 30.
[0040] The ice making chamber 110 may provide an ice making space
111 in which ice is generated. In addition, an ice maker 120, an
ice bank 130, and a circulation fan 330 may be provided within the
ice making chamber 110.
[0041] The ice maker 120 may cool water to ice using cooling air
introduced to the ice making space ill and dispense the cooled ice
to the ice bank 130. The ice bank 130 may be positioned below the
ice maker 120 from which ice is dispensed, and the ice bank 130 may
store the dispensed ice and provide the ice to a user through a
dispenser unit (not shown). The circulation fan 330 may move the
cooling air from the inlet 310 to the outlet 320.
[0042] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an ice making method
using an ice making duct of a refrigerator in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0043] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the ice making method of the
refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention may include the steps of supplying a refrigerant to an
evaporation coil (step S100), supplying air to a cooling duct with
the evaporation coil wound therearound (step S200), cooling the air
to cooling air through heat exchanging between the air and the
refrigerant (step S300), supplying the cooling air to an ice making
chamber for generating ice (step S400), discharging the cooling air
within the ice making chamber to the cooling duct (step S500), and
recooling the discharged cooling air in the cooling duct (step
S600).
[0044] In step S100 of supplying a refrigerant to the evaporation
coil, a refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle may be supplied to the
evaporation coil. Here, the evaporation coil may form a
refrigerating cycle including a process of
compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation, together with a
compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve.
[0045] In step S200 of supplying air to the cooling duct with the
evaporation coil wound therearound, air may be supplied to the
cooling duct to cool the air. The air supplied to the interior of
the cooling duct may move from a lower end to an upper end of the
cooling duct.
[0046] In step S300 air is cooled to produce cooling air through
heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant, air is moved
within the cooling duct around which an evaporation coil is wound
so as to be cooled to cooling air. Here, air within the cooling
duct may move along a cooling channel, while being exchanged with
the refrigerant of the evaporation coil for a predetermined period
of time, and thus, the air discharged from the cooling duct may be
cooled to cooling air having a temperature (e.g., 14 degrees or
lower below zero) allowing for ice production.
[0047] In step S400 of supplying cooling air to the ice making
chamber to generate ice, the cooling air cooled in the cooling duct
may be supplied to an ice making space of the ice making chamber
through an inlet of the ice making chamber. The cooling air
introduced to the ice making space may circulate in the ice making
space through an operation of a circulation fan, freezing water
within the ice making space to produce ice.
[0048] In step S500 of discharging cooling air from the ice making
chamber to the cooling duct, the cooling air within the ice making
space may be discharged to the cooling duct through an outlet of
the ice making chamber.
[0049] In step S600 of recooling the discharged cooling air in the
cooling duct, the cooling air introduced to the cooling duct is
moved again along the cooling channel of the cooling duct for a
predetermined period of time so as to be recooled to cooling air
having a temperature lower than a temperature allowing for ice
production.
[0050] In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention,
since ice is generated using cooling air directly cooled in a
cooling duct, the cooling efficiency of ice can be enhanced and the
supply efficiency of cooling air can be increased.
[0051] In addition, in accordance with the embodiments of the
present invention, since cooling air circulates between the cooling
duct and an ice making space of the refrigerator door for a short
period of time, the loss of cooling air can be effectively reduced
and power consumption depending on the operation of the
refrigerator can also be reduced, compared with the related art in
which cooling air cooled in a lower portion of the refrigerator
moves to the ice making space of the refrigerator door.
[0052] While embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described with respect to the embodiments, the present invention is
not limited thereto. It will he understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes and modifications may be made without
departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims.
* * * * *