U.S. patent application number 14/828324 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-22 for cooled-air circulation structure of refrigerator and method for controlling the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation. Invention is credited to Min Bon KOO.
Application Number | 20160370087 14/828324 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57587866 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160370087 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOO; Min Bon |
December 22, 2016 |
COOLED-AIR CIRCULATION STRUCTURE OF REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD FOR
CONTROLLING THE SAME
Abstract
The present invention provides a refrigerator comprising a main
body comprising a refrigerating compartment and a freezing
compartment, an ice machine installed in the refrigerating
compartment, a cooled-air inlet duct configured to supply cooled
air from the freezing compartment into the ice machine of the
refrigerating compartment, a cooled-air outlet duct configured to
return the cooled air, used in the ice machine, from the ice
machine to the freezing compartment, a first fan installed between
an end of the cooled-air inlet duct and the ice machine; and a
second fan installed between an end of the cooled-air outlet duct
and the ice machine.
Inventors: |
KOO; Min Bon; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
57587866 |
Appl. No.: |
14/828324 |
Filed: |
August 17, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 5/22 20180101; F25D
17/065 20130101; F25B 2600/112 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06; F25D 23/00 20060101 F25D023/00; F25C 1/00 20060101
F25C001/00; F25D 23/02 20060101 F25D023/02; F25C 5/00 20060101
F25C005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 16, 2015 |
KR |
10-2015-0085278 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a main body comprising a
refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment; an ice
machine installed in the refrigerating compartment; a cooled-air
inlet duct configured to supply cooled air from the freezing
compartment into the ice machine of the refrigerating compartment;
a cooled-air outlet duct configured to return the cooled air, used
in the ice machine, from the ice machine to the freezing
compartment; a first fan installed between an end of the cooled-air
inlet duct and the ice machine; and a second fan installed between
an end of the cooled-air outlet duct and the ice machine.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, comprising a bottom-freezing
compartment refrigerator in which the refrigerating compartment is
disposed above the freezing compartment.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein an RPM of a rotor of a
first fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan are controlled
depending on a temperature in the ice machine.
4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein when the temperature in the
ice machine is higher than a threshold, the RPM of the rotor of the
first fan is controlled to be increased, and when temperature in
the ice machine is lower than the threshold, the RPM of the rotor
of the first fan is controlled to be reduced.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein an RPM of a rotor of the
first fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan are controlled
depending on an operational mode of the refrigerator.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice machine comprises:
a cooled-air inlet port through which cooled air is supplied from
the cooled-air inlet duct into the ice machine; and a cooled-air
outlet port through which the cooled air used in the ice machine is
discharged out of the ice machine, wherein the cooled-air inlet
port is aligned with the first fan, and the cooled-air outlet port
is aligned with the second fan.
7. A method for controlling circulation of cooled air in a
refrigerator, the method comprising repeatedly conducting
operations of: supplying cooled air through a cooled-air inlet duct
from a freezing compartment into an ice machine installed in a
refrigerating compartment; producing ice in the ice machine using
the cooled air supplied thereinto; returning the cooled air used to
produce the ice from the ice machine to the freezing compartment
through a cooled-air outlet duct, wherein the cooled air is
supplied into the ice machine via a first fan installed between an
end of the cooled-air inlet duct and the ice machine, and wherein
the cooled air is discharged out of the ice machine via a second
fan installed between an end of the cooled-air outlet duct and the
ice machine.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein an RPM of a rotor of a first fan
and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan are controlled depending on a
temperature in the ice machine.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein an RPM of a rotor of is the first
fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan controlled depending on
an operational mode of the refrigerator.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent
[0002] Application No. 10-2015-0085278, filed June 16, 2015, hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0003] Embodiments according to the present invention relate to a
refrigerator and a method for controlling circulation of cooled air
in the refrigerator.
BACKGROUND
[0004] As is well known, refrigerators are apparatuses which store
food at a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room.
Refrigerators are configured such that food can be stored in a cold
or frozen state according to the kind of food.
[0005] The internal space of such a refrigerator is cooled by
low-temperature air (cooled air) that is continuously supplied
thereinto. Cooled air is continuously generated by heat exchange of
refrigerant through a cooling cycle including compression,
condensation, expansion, and evaporation. Cooled air supplied into
the refrigerator is uniformly applied to the internal space of the
refrigerator by convection, whereby food in the refrigerator can be
stored at a desired temperature.
[0006] Generally, a main body of the refrigerator has a rectangular
parallel-piped structure that is open on a front surface thereof. A
refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment are provided
in the main body. A refrigerating compartment door and a freezing
compartment door are provided on the front surface of the main body
so as to selectively open or close the refrigerator. A plurality of
drawers, trays, and storage boxes may be provided in the internal
space formed in the refrigerator so that different kinds of foods
can be stored under optimal conditions.
[0007] Hitherto, top mount refrigerators, in which a freezing
compartment is disposed above a refrigerating compartment, have
been mainly used. Recently, bottom-freezing compartment
refrigerators, in which a freezing compartment is disposed below a
refrigerating compartment, were introduced to improve user
convenience. The bottom-freezing compartment refrigerators are
advantageous in that users can more conveniently use the
refrigerating compartment because the refrigerating compartment,
which is comparatively frequently used, is disposed in an upper
portion of the refrigerator, while the freezing compartment, which
is used less often than the refrigerating compartment, is disposed
below the refrigerating compartment. However, the bottom-freezing
compartment refrigerators make a user bend his/her body when
drawing ice out of the freezing compartment because the freezing
compartment is disposed in a lower portion of the refrigerator,
thus inconveniencing the user.
[0008] In an effort to overcome the above problem, a refrigerator
in which an ice dispenser is provided in a door of a refrigerating
compartment disposed in an upper portion of the bottom-freezing
compartment refrigerator was recently proposed. In this case, an
ice machine for producing ice may be provided in the refrigerating
compartment door or in the refrigerating compartment.
SUMMARY
[0009] Such a bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator should be
configured such that cooled air can be supplied from a freezing
compartment disposed below the refrigerating compartment to the ice
machine installed in the refrigerating compartment. In view of
this, embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerator
configured such that circulation of cooled air in the refrigerator
is more efficient, whereby the power efficiency and the ice-making
performance of the refrigerator can be enhanced. Further, the
present invention provides a method for controlling circulation of
cooled air in the refrigerator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The 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:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a
bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator in accordance with an
example embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an
internal structure of the bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator
in accordance with the example embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the example of the
internal structure of the bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator
in accordance with the example embodiment; and
[0014] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling
circulation of controlled air in a refrigerator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Hereinafter, an example embodiment of the present invention
will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings which form a part hereof. In describing the embodiments of
the present invention, a detailed description of known functions or
constructions related to the present invention will be omitted if
it is deemed that such description would make the gist of the
present invention unnecessarily vague.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a
bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator in accordance with an
example embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator in accordance with the
present embodiment includes a main body 10. Provided in the main
body 10 are a refrigerating compartment 111, which stores food or
the like in a cold state at a temperature higher than the freezing
temperature of water, and a freezing compartment 112, which is
disposed below the refrigerating compartment 111 and stores food or
the like in a frozen state.
[0018] To open and close the refrigerating compartment 111, a door
20 is rotatably installed on an upper portion of the main body 10.
In the present embodiment, although the door 20 which opens and
closes the refrigerating compartment 111 is illustrated as
comprising two doors, the present invention is not limited to this
embodiment. For example, a single door or three or more doors may
be used.
[0019] A handle 22 is provided on each door 20 so as to enable a
user to rotate (open and close) the door 20. The shape or structure
of the handle 22 is not limited to that illustrated in the drawing.
In other words, the handle 22 can have a variety of shapes or
structures.
[0020] A dispenser 30 may be provided in either of the doors 20 so
as to easily provide water or ice to the user. For instance, the
dispenser 30 is connected to at least one of an ice machine and a
water tank that are installed in the refrigerating compartment,
thus supplying water or ice to the user. Another door 20a, which
opens and closes the freezing compartment 112, may be installed on
a lower portion of the main body 10.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the
internal structure of the bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator
in accordance with the present example embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan
view schematically illustrating the bottom-freezing compartment
refrigerator of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an ice machine
50 is installed in an upper end of the refrigerating compartment
111. However, the position at which the ice machine 50 is installed
is not limited to the upper end of the refrigerating compartment
111. Depending on the design of the refrigerator, the ice machine
50 may be installed at a variety of positions, e.g., on a side
surface or lower end of the refrigerating compartment 111.
[0022] A cooled-air inlet duct 120 and a cooled-air outlet duct 130
are installed in a sidewall of the main body 10 of the
refrigerator. The cooled-air inlet duct 120 functions to supply
cooled air from the freezing compartment 112 disposed in the lower
portion of the main body 10 to the ice machine 50. Cooled air that
has been used to produce ice by the ice machine 50 is returned to
the freezing compartment 112 through the cooled-air outlet duct
130.
[0023] In the above-mentioned construction, air cooled while
passing through an evaporator 180 of the freezing compartment 112
is drawn into the cooled-air inlet duct 120 through a freezing
compartment-side end 120b of the cooled-air inlet duct 120 and then
supplied from the cooled-air inlet duct 120 into the ice machine 50
through a cooled-air inlet port 123 of the ice machine 50. The ice
machine 50 uses the supplied cooled air to freeze water, thus
producing ice. Cooled air that has been used to produce ice is
drawn into the cooled-air outlet duct 130 through a cooled-air
outlet port 133 of the ice machine 50 before returning to the
evaporator 180 of the freezing compartment 112 via a freezing
compartment-side end 130b of the cooled-air outlet duct 130.
[0024] As such, the refrigerator in accordance with the present
example embodiment is configured such that the ice machine 50 can
produce ice using cooled air supplied from the freezing compartment
112 without the need of a separate cooling path or system that
includes a cooling unit including a compressor, a condenser, an
expansion valve, an evaporator, etc.
[0025] In the present example embodiment, a cooled-air suction fan
121 is disposed on an end 120a of the cooled-air inlet duct 120,
that is, between the cooled-air inlet duct 120 and the cooled-air
inlet port 123 of the ice machine 50, so that cooled air can be
reliably supplied from the freezing compartment 112 into the ice
machine 50. Furthermore, a cooled-air discharge fan 131 is disposed
on an end 130a of the cooled-air outlet duct 130, that is, between
the cooled-air outlet duct 130 and the cooled-air outlet port 133
of the ice machine 50, so that cooled air that has been used to
produce ice can be reliably returned to the freezing compartment
112.
[0026] In the bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator in
accordance with the present example embodiment, the cooled-air
inlet duct 120 and the cooled-air outlet duct 130 are separately
provided. The fans 121 and 131 are respectively installed on the
ends 120a and 130a of the cooled-air inlet duct 120 and the
cooled-air outlet duct 130, respectively. Thereby, ice can be made
without the need of a separate cooling system in the ice machine
50. Here, a comparatively small fan may be used for each of the
cooled-air suction fan 121 and the cooled-air discharge fan 131.
Thereby, the power efficiency of the bottom-freezing compartment
refrigerator can be enhanced.
[0027] In accordance with the present example embodiment, a control
system of the refrigerator can appropriately and independently
control the RPM (revolutions per minute) of a rotor of the
cooled-air suction fan 121 and the RPM of a rotor of the cooled-air
discharge fan 131. For instance, the ice machine 50 may be provided
with a temperature sensor. Thus, when the temperature in the ice
machine 50 is higher than a threshold, the RPM of the rotor of the
cooled-air suction fan 121 is increased so that the rate at which
cooled air is supplied from the freezing compartment 112 to the ice
machine 50 can be increased. When the temperature in the ice
machine 50 is lower than a threshold, the RPM of the rotor of the
cooled-air suction fan 121 is reduced so that the rate at which
cooled air is supplied to the ice machine 50 can be reduced.
Alternatively, the cooled-air suction fan 121 and the cooled-air
discharge fan 131 of the ice machine 50 may be controlled such that
the RPMs thereof differ from each other so that the supply or
discharge of cooled air can be controlled by a difference in
pressure between the inside and the outside of the ice machine
50.
[0028] Furthermore, in accordance with the present example
embodiment, the control system of the refrigerator may control the
cooled-air suction fan 121 and the cooled-air discharge fan 131
such that, depending on the operational mode of the refrigerator,
both are operated, only one of them is operated, or neither of them
is operated. For example, when the refrigerator is operated in an
energy-saving mode, the cooled-air suction fan 121 and the
cooled-air discharge fan 131 are controlled such that neither of
them is operated. When the refrigerator is operated in a rapid
cooling mode, the cooled-air suction fan 121 and the cooled-air
discharge fan 131 are appropriately controlled depending on the
temperature in the ice machine 50.
[0029] In this way, the control system of the refrigerator in
accordance with the present example embodiment can appropriately
control the cooled-air suction fan 121 and the cooled-air discharge
fan 131 and thereby enhance the ice-making performance of the ice
machine 50 and the power efficiency of the refrigerator.
[0030] Furthermore, the present example embodiment may be
configured such that the ice-generator-side end 120a of the
cooled-air inlet duct 120 and the cooled-air suction fan 121 are
respectively disposed above the ice-generator-side end 130a of the
cooled-air outlet duct 130 and the cooled-air discharge fan 131. In
this case, cooled air drawn into the ice machine 50 is used to
produce ice in an ice-making chamber 150 formed in an upper end of
the ice machine 50. The cooled air that has been used can be easily
discharged out of the ice machine 50 through the cooled-air outlet
port 133 formed in a lower end of the ice machine 50.
[0031] The ice machine 50 may include the ice-making chamber 150,
the cooled-air inlet port 123, the cooled-air outlet port 133, a
cooled-air guide 140, and an ice bucket 170, but the construction
thereof is not limited to this.
[0032] The ice-making chamber 150 is an internal space of the ice
machine 50 that uses cooled air supplied from the freezing
compartment and freezes water to produce ice. Cooled air is
supplied into the ice-making chamber 150 from the cooled-air inlet
port 123. Although it is not shown in the drawings, an ice tray
which can contain water therein may be installed in the ice-making
chamber 150. The ice tray may be configured such that after ice has
been produced by cooled air guided by the cooled-air guide 140 into
the ice-making chamber 150, a rotating unit rotates the ice tray so
that the ice that is present in the ice tray falls down onto the
ice bucket 170. Although it is not illustrated in detail in the
drawings, the ice bucket 170 may communicate with the dispenser (30
of FIG. 1) and be configured such that ice can be transferred from
the ice bucket 170 to the dispenser by a transfer assembly
depending on the selection of the user. Cooled air that has been
used to produce ice is discharged out of the ice-making chamber 150
through the cooled-air outlet port 133 and then drawn into the
cooled-air outlet duct 130.
[0033] In accordance with the present example embodiment, in order
to circulate cooled air between the freezing compartment 112 of the
refrigerator and the ice machine 50 in the refrigerating
compartment 111, the following processes are repeatedly conducted:
cooled air is supplied from the freezing compartment 112 into the
ice machine 50 installed in the refrigerating compartment 111
through the cooled-air inlet port 123 (block 402 of FIG. 4); ice is
produced in the ice machine 50 using the supplied cooled air (block
404); and then the cooled air that has been used to produce ice is
returned from the ice machine 50 to the freezing compartment 112
through the cooled-air outlet duct 130 (block 406). Here, cooled
air is supplied into the ice machine 50 via the cooled-air suction
fan 121 installed between the end 120a of the cooled-air inlet duct
120 and the ice machine 50. Furthermore, cooled air is discharged
from the ice machine 50 via the cooled-air discharge fan 131
installed between the end 130a of the cooled-air outlet duct 130
and the ice machine 50.
[0034] In this way, circulation of cooled air in the
bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator is controlled, whereby the
ice-making performance of the ice machine 50 and the power
efficiency of the refrigerator can be enhanced.
[0035] As described above, the present invention can provide a
refrigerator configured such that cooled air can effectively
circulate in the refrigerator, more specifically between a freezing
compartment and an ice machine, thus improving the power efficiency
and the ice-making performance of the refrigerator. Furthermore,
the present invention can provide a method for controlling
circulation of cooled air in the refrigerator.
[0036] While a cooled-air circulation structure of a refrigerator
and a method for controlling the circulation structure in
accordance with the invention have been shown and described with
respect to the example embodiments, the present invention is not
limited thereto. It will be 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.
[0037] Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be
interpreted based on the following appended claims, and all
technical spirits within an equivalent range thereof should be
construed as being included in the scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *