U.S. patent application number 14/838156 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-22 for cool 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 | 20160370091 14/838156 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57587839 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160370091 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOO; Min Bon |
December 22, 2016 |
COOL AIR CIRCULATION STRUCTURE OF REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD FOR
CONTROLLING THE SAME
Abstract
A refrigerator having a cool air circulation system capable of
drawing cool air from a freezer to an ice machine disposed in a
refrigerating space. The ice machine is removably installed in the
refrigerating space. A cool air inlet duct is configured to supply
cool air from an evaporator of the freezer into the ice machine
provided in the refrigerating space. A cool air outlet duct is
configured to return the cool air, used in the ice machine, from
the ice machine to the freezer. After the ice machine is removed
from the refrigerating space, cool air supplied from the cool air
inlet duct is used to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating
space.
Inventors: |
KOO; Min Bon; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
57587839 |
Appl. No.: |
14/838156 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 17/065 20130101;
F25D 2317/0682 20130101; F25B 2600/112 20130101; F25C 2400/10
20130101; F25D 2400/16 20130101; F25D 2317/061 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06; F25C 1/00 20060101 F25C001/00; F25D 29/00 20060101
F25D029/00; F25D 11/02 20060101 F25D011/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 17, 2015 |
KR |
10-2015-0085840 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerating space; a freezing
space; an ice machine disposed in the refrigerating space and
configured to make ice; an evaporator disposed in the freezing
space and configured to produce cool air; a cool air inlet duct
configured to supply cool air from the evaporator into the ice
machine; and a cool air outlet duct configured to supply cool air
from the ice machine to the freezing space.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice machine is
removably installed in the refrigerating space, and wherein after
the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating space, cool air
supplied from the cool air inlet duct is used to maintain a
temperature in the refrigerating space.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the refrigerating space is
disposed above the freezing space.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising: a first fan
installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice
machine; and a second fan installed between an end of the cool air
outlet duct and the ice machine.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising: a control system
configured to control a temperature in the refrigerating space and
a temperature in the freezing space, wherein, after the ice machine
is removed from the refrigerating space, the control system is
configured to maintain the temperature in the refrigerating space
by controlling a cool air supply rate from the freezing space to
the refrigerating space through the cool air inlet duct.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the refrigerating space
comprises: an evaporator configured to generate cool air; a third
fan provided to drive cool air from the evaporator into the
refrigerating space; and a fourth fan provided to drive cool air
from the refrigerating space back to the evaporator.
7. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the control system is
configured to control, based on a detected temperature, a speed of
at least one of a rotor of the first fan and a rotor of the second
fan.
8. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor
configured to sense a presence of the ice machine in the
refrigerating space.
9. A method for controlling circulation of cool air in a
refrigerator, the method comprising: supplying, when an ice machine
is present in a refrigerating space of the refrigerator, cool air
from a freezing space of the refrigerator into the ice machine
through a cool air inlet duct; and supplying, after the ice machine
is removed from the refrigerating space, cool air from the freezing
space into the refrigerating space through the cool air inlet
duct.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein cool air is supplied from the
freezing space into the ice machine or the refrigerating space via
a first fan installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and
the ice machine.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: using a control
system to control temperatures of the refrigerating space and the
freezing space of the refrigerator, wherein, after the ice machine
is removed from the refrigerating space, the control system
determining a rate at which cool air is supplied from the freezing
space into the refrigerating space through the cool air inlet duct
to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating space.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein, based on a determined rate of
supplying cool air from the freezing space into the refrigerating
space, the control system controls an RPM of a rotor of a first fan
installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice
machine.
13. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerating space; a freezing
space disposed below said refrigerating space; an ice machine
disposed in the refrigerating space and configured to make ice; an
evaporator disposed in the freezing space and configured to produce
cool air; and a cool air delivery system configured to circulate
cool air between the freezing space and the refrigerating
space.
14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the cool air delivery
system comprises: a cool air inlet duct configured to supply cool
air from the evaporator into the ice machine; and a cool air outlet
duct configured to supply cool air from the ice machine to the
freezing space.
15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the cool air delivery
system comprises further comprising: a first fan installed between
an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice machine; and a second
fan installed between an end of the cool air outlet duct and the
ice machine.
16. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the ice machine is
removably mounted in the refrigerating room, and wherein,
responsive to detection that the ice machine is removed from the
refrigerating room, speeds of said first fan and said second fan
are adjusted to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating
room.
17. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the cool air delivery
system comprises further comprising: a third fan configured to
supply cool air from the evaporator to the refrigerating space; and
a fourth fan configured to circulate cool air from the
refrigerating room to the evaporator.
18. The refrigerator of claim 16 further comprising a sensor
configured to sense a presence of the ice machine.
Description
CROSSREFERENCE
[0001] This patent application claims priority to and benefit of
Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0085840, filed on Jun. 17,
2015, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference for
all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to
refrigerators, and more particularly, to control mechanisms for
cool air circulation in refrigerators.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Refrigerators are electrical appliances capable of
maintaining a storage chamber below the room temperature. Food can
be stored in a refrigerator in a cold or frozen state.
[0004] The internal space of a refrigerator is maintained at a low
temperature by circulating cool air therein. Cool air is generated
through heat transfer of refrigerant through a cooling cycle
including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation.
Cool air supplied into the refrigerator is distributed or
circulated in the internal space of the refrigerator to achieve a
desired temperature.
[0005] Typically, a main body of the refrigerator has a rectangular
parallel-piped structure with doors installed on a front side
thereof. A refrigerating space and a freezer are enclosed in the
main body, each room having its own door. A plurality of drawers,
trays, and/or storage boxes may be installed in the refrigerator,
e.g., for sorting the food or other items stored therein.
[0006] A top mount refrigerator has a freezer disposed above a
refrigerating space. A bottom-freezer refrigerator has a freezing
space (or a freezer) disposed below a refrigerating space.
Bottom-freezer refrigerators have become increasingly popular.
Usually users use the refrigerating space much more often than a
freezer of a refrigerator. A bottom-freezer refrigerator provides
more convenience to the user because its refrigerating space is
disposed in the upper portion of the refrigerator and the user can
easily access the refrigerating space without bending or otherwise
lowering the body. However, the downside of such a refrigerator is
that a user has to bend over the body when trying to get ice out of
the freezer as the freezer is disposed at the lower portion of the
refrigerator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerator
with an ice dispenser disposed on a door of a refrigerating space.
Thus, an ice machine for producing ice may be provided in the
refrigerating space door or the refrigerating space.
[0008] In a bottom-freezer refrigerator, cool air may need to be
supplied from a freezer disposed below the refrigerating space to
the ice machine installed in the refrigerating space. Therefore,
there is a need for circulating cool air more efficiently to
enhance power efficiency and ice-making performance of the
refrigerator.
[0009] Embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerator
and a circulation control mechanism offering more efficient
circulation of cool air in the refrigerator. Thereby the power
efficiency and ice-making performance of the refrigerator can be
enhanced.
[0010] The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity,
simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail;
consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way
limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the
present invention, as defined solely by the claims, will become
apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be better
understood from a reading of the following detailed description,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which
like reference characters designate like elements and in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of
a bottom-freezer refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of
an internal structure of the bottom-freezer refrigerator in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a plane view illustrating the configuration of the
internal structure of the bottom-freezer refrigerator in accordance
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is a view showing the flow of cool air in the
refrigerator after an ice machine is removed from a freezer in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will
be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will
be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to
these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to
cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed
description of embodiments of the present invention, numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention. However, it will be
recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present
invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits
have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily
obscure aspects of the embodiments of the present invention. The
drawings showing embodiments of the invention are semi-diagrammatic
and not to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for
the clarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the
drawing Figures. Similarly, although the views in the drawings for
the ease of description generally show similar orientations, this
depiction in the Figures is arbitrary for the most part. Generally,
the invention can be operated in any orientation.
Notation and Nomenclature:
[0017] It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and
similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical
quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these
quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from
the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the
present invention, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing"
or "accessing" or "executing" or "storing" or "rendering" or the
like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or
similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and
transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities
within the computer system's registers and memories and other
computer readable media into other data similarly represented as
physical quantities within the computer system memories or
registers or other such information storage, transmission or
display devices. When a component appears in several embodiments,
the use of the same reference numeral signifies that the component
is the same component as illustrated in the original
embodiment.
Cool Air Circulation Structure of Refrigerator and Method for
Controlling the Same
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary
bottom-freezer style refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator in accordance with the
present embodiment includes a main body 10. Inside the main body 10
are a refrigerating space 111 and a freezer 112. The refrigerating
space 111 is maintained at a low temperature that is higher than
the freezing temperature of water. The freezer 112 is disposed
below the refrigerating space 111 and can store food or the like in
a frozen state.
[0020] A door 20 is rotatably installed on an upper portion of the
main body 10. Although the upper portion of the refrigerator
illustrated in FIG. 1 has two doors, the present invention is not
limited thereto. For example, a single door or three or more doors
may be used in some other embodiments.
[0021] A handle 22 is coupled to each door 20. It will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that the handle 22 may have
a variety of shapes or structures in different embodiments.
[0022] A dispenser 30 may be installed in either upper doors 20 for
supplying water or ice to a user. For instance, the dispenser 30 is
coupled to an ice machine and/or a water tank that are installed
inside the refrigerating space. Another door 20a is coupled to the
freezer 112 located at a lower portion of the main body 10.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the internal
configuration of an exemplary bottom-freezer type refrigerator in
accordance with the present exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plane
view illustrating the bottom-freezer type refrigerator of FIG.
2.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an ice machine 50 is installed
in an upper portion (e.g., ceiling) of the refrigerating space 111.
However, the present disclosure is not limited by the position of
the ice machine 50 within the refrigerator. Depending on the
embodiment, an ice machine may be installed at a variety of
locations on the refrigerator, e.g., on a side wall or lower
portion (e.g., bottom wall) of the refrigerating space 111. As will
be described in detail later herein, the ice machine 50 is
removably installed in the refrigerating space 111.
[0025] In addition, an evaporator 119, a cool air suction fan 117,
and a cool air discharge fan 118 is installed in the refrigerating
space 111. The evaporator 119 supplies cool air for maintaining the
refrigerating space 111 at a desired temperature. The cool air
suction fan 117 distributes cool air from the evaporator 119 to the
entire refrigerating space 111. The cool air discharge fan 118
drives the cool air that has been circulated in the refrigerating
space 111 back to the evaporator 119. A cool air inlet duct and a
cool air outlet duct, which are used for circulating cool air, may
also be installed in the refrigerating space 111.
[0026] In the present exemplary embodiment, the cool air inlet duct
120 and the cool air outlet duct 130 are installed on a sidewall of
the main body 10. The cool air inlet duct 120 functions to supply
cool air from the freezer 112 disposed in the lower portion of the
main body 10 to the ice machine 50. Cool air that has been used to
produce ice in the ice machine 50 is returned to the freezer 112
through the cool air outlet duct 130. In the above-mentioned
construction, air is cooled while passing through an evaporator 180
of the freezer 112 and then drawn into the cool air inlet duct 120
through a freezer-side end 120b of the cool air inlet duct 120. Air
is then supplied from the cool air inlet duct 120 into the ice
machine 50 through a cool air inlet port 123 of the ice machine 50.
The ice machine 50 uses the cool air supplied form the cool air
inlet duct 120 to freeze water and make ice. Cool air circulates in
the ice machine 50 and then is drawn into the cool air outlet duct
130 through a cool air outlet port 133 of the ice machine 50 before
returning to the evaporator 180 of the freezer 112 via the
freezer-side end 130b of the cool air outlet duct 130.
[0027] As such, according to embodiments of the present disclosure,
the ice machine 50 can produce ice using cool air supplied from the
freezer 112, rather than relying on a dedicated cooling cycle that
involves drawing cool air to the ice machine 50 directly from a
cooling unit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion
valve, an evaporator, etc.
[0028] In the present exemplary embodiment, a cool air suction fan
121 is disposed on one end 120a of the cool air inlet duct 120 to
reliably drive cool air from the freezer 112 into the ice machine
50. Thus, cool air suction fan 121 is disposed between the cool air
inlet duct 120 and the cool air inlet port 123 of the ice machine
50. Furthermore, a cool air discharge fan 131 is disposed on the
end 130a of the cool air outlet duct 130 between the cool air
outlet duct 130 and the cool air outlet port 133 of the ice machine
50. The cool air discharge fan 131 is used to push cool air that
has been used to produce ice in the ice machine 50 back to the
freezer 112.
[0029] In the bottom-freezer type refrigerator in accordance with
the present exemplary embodiment, the cool air inlet duct 120 and
the cool air outlet duct 130 are separate. The fans 121 and 131 are
respectively installed on the ends 120a and 130a of the cool air
inlet duct 120 and the cool air outlet duct 130. Thereby, ice can
be made without the need of a separate cooling cycle dedicated to
the ice machine 50. Here, a relatively small fan may be used as
each of the cool air suction fan 121 and the cool air discharge fan
131. Thereby, power efficiency of the bottom-freezer style
refrigerator can be enhanced.
[0030] In accordance with the present exemplary embodiment, a
control system of the refrigerator can adjust the speeds of (e.g.,
in the unit of revolution per minute (RPM)) the cool air suction
fan 121 and the cool 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 speed of the cool air suction fan 121 is increased to increase
the cool air flow rate from the freezer 112 to the ice machine 50.
When the temperature in the ice machine 50 is lower than the
threshold, the speed of the cool air suction fan 121 is reduced to
decrease the flow rate of supplying cool air to the ice machine 50.
The speeds of the cool air suction fan 121 and the cool air
discharge fan 131 of the ice machine 50 may be controlled to
achieve a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of
the ice machine 50.
[0031] Furthermore, in accordance with the present exemplary
embodiment, the control system of the refrigerator may individually
control the cool air suction fan 121 and the cool air discharge fan
131. Depending on a programmed operational mode of the
refrigerator, both fans 121 and 131 may be "ON" (or operational) or
"OFF" (or non-operational) at the same time or only one of them is
"ON". For example, when the refrigerator operates in an
energy-saving mode, the cool air suction fan 121 and the cool air
discharge fan 131 are controlled such that neither of them is "ON".
When the refrigerator operates in a rapid cooling mode, the cool
air suction fan 121 and the cool air discharge fan 131 are
controlled based on a detected temperature in the ice machine
50.
[0032] In this way, the control system of the refrigerator in
accordance with the present exemplary embodiment can intelligently
control the cool air suction fan 121 and the cool air discharge fan
131 to enhance the ice-making performance of the ice machine 50 and
the power efficiency of the refrigerator.
[0033] Furthermore, the present exemplary embodiment may be
configured such that the end 120a of the cool air inlet duct 120
and the cool air suction fan 121 are respectively disposed above
the end 130a of the cool air outlet duct 130 and the cool air
discharge fan 131. In this case, cool air drawn into the ice
machine 50 is used to produce ice in an ice-making chamber 150
located in an upper portion of the ice machine 50. The cool air can
also be discharged out of the ice machine 50 through the cool air
outlet port 133 located in a lower portion of the ice machine
50.
[0034] As described above, the ice machine 50 includes 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 configuration of an ice-machine according to
the present disclosure is not limited to this.
[0035] The ice machine 50 includes an ice-making chamber 150. Cool
air supplied from the freezer circulates in the ice-making chamber
150, causing water to freeze and thereby produce ice. Cool air is
delivered to the ice-making chamber 150 from the cool air inlet
port 123. Although it is not shown, an ice tray for containing
water/ice may be installed in the ice-making chamber 150. After ice
is produced in the ice-making chamber 150, a rotating unit rotates
the ice tray so that ice contained therein falls down into the ice
bucket 170. Although it is not illustrated in detail in the
drawings, the ice bucket 170 is coupled to the dispenser (30 of
FIG. 1). Responsive to a user request, ice can be transferred from
the ice bucket 170 to the dispenser through a transfer assembly.
Cool air can flow out of the ice-making chamber 150 through the
cool air outlet port 133 and then enter the cool air outlet duct
130.
[0036] FIG. 4 shows the flow of cool air in the refrigerator after
an ice machine is removed from a freezer in accordance with the
exemplary embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, the ice machine 50 can
be removed from the refrigerating space 111 of the refrigerator
manually by a user for example. Alternatively, the ice machine 50
may be removed from the refrigerating space 111 using an automated
procedure that can be controlled by a user. It will be appreciated
that the present disclosure is not limited to any specific method
of removing the ice machine 50 from the refrigerating space
111.
[0037] Furthermore, a sensor (not shown) that senses the presence
of the ice machine 50 in the refrigerating space 111 may be
installed adjacent to the ice machine 50 in the refrigerating
space. The sensor may be a pressure sensor, an image sensor or any
other suitable sensor that is well known in the art. Upon detecting
that the ice machine 50 is removed from the refrigerating space
111, the sensor transmits a signal to the control system of the
refrigerator.
[0038] After the ice machine 50 is removed from the refrigerating
space 111, cool air generated from the evaporator 180 of the
freezer 112 is drawn into the refrigerating space 111 through the
cool air inlet duct 120. As such, cool air, supplied from the
freezer 112 may be used to cool the refrigerating space 111
directly. In this manner, power efficiency and cooling performance
of the refrigerator can be enhanced.
[0039] In some embodiments, upon removal of the ice machine 50, the
cool air supply rate from the freezer 112 to the refrigerating
space 111 can be automatically reduced from the rate before the
removal. For example, to achieve this, the RPMs of the rotors (or
the speeds) of the cool air suction fan 121 and the cool air
discharge fan 131 may be controlled to decreased values.
[0040] More specifically, the control system of the refrigerator in
accordance with the present exemplary embodiment determines the
rate at which cool air is supplied from the freezer 112 into the
refrigerating space 111 to maintain a desired temperature in the
refrigerating space 111. For instance, in accordance with the
present exemplary embodiment, after the ice machine 50 is removed
from the refrigerating space 111, the control system of the
refrigerator determines both the rate of cool air being supplied
from the freezer 112 into the refrigerating space 111 (through the
cool air inlet duct 120) and the rate of cool air being generated
from the evaporator 119 installed in the refrigerating space 111.
Further, the control system of the refrigerator determines both the
rate of cool air being returned to the evaporator 119 of the
refrigerating space 111 and the rate of cool air being returned to
the evaporator 180 of the freezer 112 through the cool air outlet
duct 130. Based on the determination, the RPMs of the cool air
suction fan 121, the cool air discharge fan 131, the cool air
suction fan 117 and/or the cool air discharge fan 118 may be
individually controlled to achieve a reduced rate of supplying cool
air from the freezer 112 to the refrigerating space 111 and yet
still maintain the desired temperature in the refrigerating space
111. Alternatively, at least one of the cool air suction fan 121
and the cool air discharge fan 131 may be turned off, or at least
one of the cool air inlet duct 120 and the cool air outlet duct 130
may be blocked by an interrupter or the like.
[0041] As such, in accordance with the present exemplary
embodiment, even when the ice machine 50 is removed from the
refrigerating space 111, cool air supplied from the freezer 112 can
be used to maintain a desired temperature in the refrigerating
space 111. Therefore, power efficiency of the refrigerator can be
enhanced. Furthermore, after the ice machine 50 is removed from the
refrigerating space 111, circulation of cool air in the
refrigerating space 111 can become more efficient because not only
the ducts installed in the refrigerating space 111 but also the
cool air inlet duct 120 and the cool air outlet duct 130 are used
for the circulation. Thereby, the temperature distribution in the
refrigerating space 111 can become more uniform.
[0042] In accordance with the present exemplary embodiment, cool
air circulation between the freezer 112 of the refrigerator and the
ice machine 50 in the refrigerating space 111 includes: supplying
cool air from the freezer 112 into the ice machine 50 installed in
the refrigerating space 111; producing ice in the ice machine 50
using the supplied cool air; and then returning the cool air that
has been used to produce ice from the ice machine 50 to the freezer
112 through the cool air outlet duct 130. Here, cool air is driven
into the ice machine 50 via the cool air suction fan 121 installed
between the end 120a of the cool air inlet duct 120 and the ice
machine 50. Furthermore, cool air is drawn from the ice machine 50
via the cool air discharge fan 131 installed between the end 130a
of the cool air outlet duct 130 and the ice machine 50. In this
way, cool air circulation in the bottom-freezer style refrigerator
can be controlled to enhance ice-making performance and power
efficiency of the refrigerator.
[0043] Moreover, in accordance with the present exemplary
embodiment, when the ice machine 50 is present in the refrigerating
space 111, cool air is supplied from the freezer 112 into the ice
machine 50 through the ice-inlet duct 120. When the ice machine 50
is removed from the refrigerating space 111, cool air is supplied
from the freezer 112 into the refrigerating space 111 through the
ice-inlet duct 120. As such, because cool air supplied from the
freezer 112 can be used to cool the refrigerating space 111 when
the ice machine 50 is not present the refrigerating space 111,
power efficiency and cooling performance of the refrigerator can be
further increased. In addition, the temperature distribution in the
refrigerating space 111 can become more uniform.
[0044] As described above, in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention, after the ice machine is
removed from the refrigerating space, cool air supplied from the
freezer is used to maintain the refrigerating space at a desired
temperature. Consequently, power efficiency and temperature
distribution of the refrigerator can be improved.
[0045] While a cool 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 exemplary 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.
[0046] Although certain preferred embodiments and methods have been
disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure
to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of
such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that the
invention shall be limited only to the extent required by the
appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law.
* * * * *