Patent Application
20250102216
The disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a thermoelectric element for cooling a storage compartment.
In general, a refrigerator, an appliance for keeping food fresh, includes a main body having a storage compartment and a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage compartment.
The refrigerator may use a thermoelectric cooling device as the cold air supply device, the thermoelectric cooling device generating heating and cooling by means of the Peltier effect. The thermoelectric cooling device may include a thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element has a heating portion formed on one side and a cooling portion formed on the opposite side, and when a current is applied to the thermoelectric element, heat generation may occur at the heating portion and heat absorption may occur at the cooling portion.
The thermoelectric cooling device may be equipped with a heat sink, a cooling sink, a heat dissipation fan, a cooling fan, a heat dissipation duct, and a cooling duct to increase the efficiency of cooling the storage compartment through the thermoelectric cooling device.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator comprising a thermoelectric cooling device using a thermoelectric element.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator capable of increasing the cooling efficiency of a storage compartment through a thermoelectric cooling device.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator in which the performance of a thermoelectric cooling device is prevented from being damaged by defrost water generated by a cooling sink of the thermoelectric cooling device, and in which the defrost water is easily managed.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator in which a thermoelectric cooling device is easily assembled, disassembled, replaced, and repaired.
Technical tasks to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical tasks mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator may include: a main body including an upper wall, a storage compartment in the main body, a door configured to open and close the storage compartment, a thermoelectric element on the upper wall and including a heating portion which generates heat and faces upward, and a cooling portion which absorbs heat and faces downward, a cooling sink including a cooling sink base in contact with the cooling portion, and a plurality of cooling fins protruding from the cooling sink base in a first direction which may be perpendicular to a lower surface of the cooling sink base and extending in a second direction which may be parallel to the lower surface of the cooling sink base so that the cooling sink is cooled by heat being absorbed by the cooling portion, a cooling fan on the upper wall and configured to blow air toward the plurality of cooling fins in the second direction so that the air blown by the cooling fan may be cooled by the cooling sink, and a cooling duct on the upper wall and configured to guide the air cooled by the cooling sink into the storage compartment.
The cooling fan may be a centrifugal fan configured to draw air into the centrifugal fan along an axial direction of the centrifugal fan and blow the air drawn into the centrifugal fan in a radial direction of the centrifugal fan, and the cooling fan may be on a lower surface of the upper wall so that a rotating shaft of the centrifugal fan may be perpendicular to the lower surface of the upper wall and the cooling sink may be positioned in the radial direction of the centrifugal fan.
The refrigerator may further include an evaporator configured to evaporate refrigerant to generate cold air, and an evaporator duct on a rear side of the storage compartment and configured to supply the cold air generated by the evaporator to the storage compartment, wherein the cooling duct may include a duct coupling protrusion protruding rearwardly and coupled to the evaporator duct.
The main body may include an inner case having an inner case opening, an outer case having an outer case opening, a connecting frame between the inner case and the outer case, and connecting the inner case opening and the outer case opening so that a through hole penetrating through the upper wall may be formed, and an insulation in an insulating space formed by the inner case, the outer case, and the connecting frame, and the cooling duct may be coupled to the connecting frame.
The connecting frame may include a frame base connected to the inner case opening, and a frame body protruding from an upper surface of the frame base and connected to the outer case opening, and the cooling duct may be coupled to the frame base.
The cooling duct may include an elastic coupling protrusion protruding upward from the cooling duct and elastically coupled to the frame base.
The refrigerator may further include a cooling duct coupling member passing through the cooling duct and coupled to the frame base so that the cooling duct may be coupled to the frame base.
The cooling duct may include a cooling duct body having a sink passage hole through which the cooling sink passes, and a cooling duct cover coupled to a lower side of the cooling duct body.
The cooling fan may be on the cooling duct body.
The cooling duct body may include a fan installation portion protruding upwardly, and a fan receiving space in which the cooling fan may be received, and being below a lower surface of the fan installation portion.
The frame base may include a base protrusion protruding upwardly, and an installation portion accommodating space accommodating the fan installation portion, and being below a lower surface of the base protrusion.
The cooling duct cover may include an internal air inlet configured so that air from an inside of the storage compartment may be drawn into a cooling space between the cooling duct body and the cooling duct cover.
The cooling duct may include an internal air outlet configured to discharge air, which may be cooled by exchanging heat with the cooling sink, to an inside of the storage compartment, and the internal air outlet may be between a front portion of the cooling duct body and a front portion of the cooling duct cover.
The cooling duct cover may include a bottom, a rear portion extending upwardly from a rear edge of the bottom, and a drain in the rear portion to drain the defrost water to an outside of the cooling duct, and the bottom may be inclined downwardly as the bottom approaches the drain.
The cooling duct cover may further include a defrost water guide protruding upwardly from the bottom to guide the defrost water to the drain.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a main body including an upper wall, a lower wall, a left wall, a right wall, and a rear wall, a storage compartment in the main body, a door to open or close the storage compartment, a thermoelectric element including a heating portion and a cooling portion, the thermoelectric element disposed on the upper wall such that the heating portion faces upwardly of the thermoelectric element and the cooling portion faces downwardly of the thermoelectric element, a cooling sink in contact with the cooling portion, a cooling fan to generate a flow of air, and a cooling duct on the upper wall to guide air flowing by the cooling fan to exchange heat with the cooling sink, the cooling duct including a drain to drain defrost water formed by the cooling sink to the outside of the cooling duct.
The cooling duct may include a cooling duct body having a sink passage hole through which the cooling sink passes, and a cooling duct cover coupled to a lower side of the cooling duct body.
The cooling duct cover may include a bottom, and a rear portion extending upwardly from a rear edge of the bottom, wherein the drain may be formed in the rear portion and the bottom may be inclined downwardly as the bottom approaches the drain.
The cooling duct cover may include a defrost water guide protruding from the bottom to guide the defrost water to the drain.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a main body, a storage compartment formed in the main body, a door configured to open or close the storage compartment, an evaporator configured to evaporate refrigerant to generate cold air, an evaporator duct disposed on a rear side of the storage compartment to supply cold air generated by the evaporator to the storage compartment, a thermoelectric element including a heating portion and a cooling portion, the thermoelectric element disposed on an upper wall of the storage compartment such that the heating portion faces upwardly of the thermoelectric element and the cooling portion faces downwardly of the thermoelectric element, a cooling sink in contact with the cooling portion, a cooling fan configured to generate a flow of air, and a cooling duct on the upper wall to guide air flowing by the cooling fan to exchange heat with the cooling sink, the cooling duct including a duct coupling protrusion protruding rearwardly to be coupled to the evaporator duct.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the cooling efficiency of the storage compartment may be increased by means of the thermoelectric cooling device.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the performance of the thermoelectric cooling device may be prevented from being damaged by the defrost water generated by the cooling sink of the thermoelectric cooling device.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the defrost water generated by the cooling sink of the thermoelectric cooling device may be drained outside the main body.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the thermoelectric cooling device may be easily assembled, disassembled, replaced and repaired.
The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be apparent to those of skilled in the art from the following description.
Various embodiments of the present document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the corresponding embodiments.
In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.
The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or a plurality of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context.
In this document, phrases, such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C”, may include any one or all possible combinations of items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of associated listed items.
Terms such as “1st”, “2nd”, “primary”, or “secondary” may be used simply to distinguish a component from other components, without limiting the component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).
Further, as used in the disclosure, the terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “left”, “right”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like are defined with reference to the drawings, and are not intended to limit the shape and position of each component.
It will be understood that when the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.
It will be understood that when a certain component is referred to as being “connected to”, “coupled to”, “supported by” or “in contact with” another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other component. When a component is indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with another component, it may be connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other component through a third component.
It will also be understood that when a component is referred to as being “on” or “over” another component, it can be directly on the other component or intervening components may also be present.
A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a main body.
The “main body” may include an inner case, an outer case positioned outside the inner case, and an insulation provided between the inner case and the outer case.
The “inner case” may include a case, a plate, a panel, or a liner forming a storage compartment (also referred to as a storage room). The inner case may be formed as one body, or may be formed by assembling a plurality of plates together. The “outer case” may form an appearance of the main body, and be coupled to an outer side of the inner case such that the insulation is positioned between the inner case and the outer case.
The “insulation” may insulate inside of the storage compartment from outside of the storage compartment to maintain inside temperature of the storage compartment at appropriate temperature without being influenced by an external environment of the storage compartment. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the insulation may include a foaming insulation. The foaming insulation may be molded by fixing the inner case and the outer case with jigs, etc. and then injecting and foaming urethane foam as a mixture of polyurethane and a foaming agent between the inner case and the outer case.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the insulation may include a vacuum insulation in addition to a foaming insulation, or may be configured only with a vacuum insulation instead of a forming insulation. The vacuum insulation may include a core material and a cladding material accommodating the core material and sealing the inside with vacuum or pressure close to vacuum. The vacuum insulation may further include an adsorbent for adsorbing a gas and water to stably maintain a vacuum state. However, the insulation is not limited to the above-mentioned foaming insulation or vacuum insulation, and may include various materials capable of being used for insulation.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include the storage compartment provided inside the main body to store food.
The “storage compartment” may include a space defined by the inner case. The storage compartment may further include the inner case defining the space. One side of the storage compartment may open to enable a user to put food in or take food out. The storage compartment may store “food” therein. The food may include victual which humans eat and drink, and specifically, the food may include meat, fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables, water, ice, drinks, kimchi, alcoholic beverages such as wine, etc. However, medicines or cosmetics, as well as food, may be stored in the storage compartment, and goods that may be stored in the storage compartment are not limited.
The refrigerator may include one or more storage compartments. In a case in which two or more storage compartments are formed in the refrigerator, the respective storage compartments may have different purposes of use, and may be maintained at different temperature. To this end, the storage compartments may be partitioned by a partition wall including an insulation. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the partition may be one portion of the main body. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the partition may be provided independently from the main body and then assembled into the main body.
The storage compartment may be maintained within an appropriate temperature range according to a purpose of use, and include a “refrigerating compartment”, a “freezing compartment”, and a “temperature conversion compartment” according to purposes of use and/or temperature ranges. The refrigerating compartment may be maintained at appropriate temperature to keep food refrigerating, and the freezing compartment may be maintained at appropriate temperature to keep food frozen. The “refrigerating” may be keeping food cold without freezing the food, and for example, the refrigerating compartment may be maintained within a range of 0 degrees Celsius to 7 degrees Celsius. The “freezing” may be freezing food or keeping food frozen, and for example, the freezing compartment may be maintained within a range of −20 degrees Celsius to −1 degrees Celsius. The temperature conversion compartment may be used as any one of a refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment according to or regardless of a user's selection. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, an area of the storage compartment may be used as a refrigerating compartment and the remaining area of the storage compartment may be used as a freezing compartment.
The storage compartment may also be called various other terms, such as “vegetable compartment”, “freshness compartment”, “cooling compartment”, and “ice-making compartment”, in addition to “refrigerating compartment”, “freezing compartment”, and “temperature conversion compartment”, and the terms, such as “refrigerating compartment”, “freezing compartment”, “temperature conversion compartment”, etc., as used below need to be understood to represent storage compartments having the corresponding purposes of use and the corresponding temperature ranges.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include at least one door configured to open or close the open side of the storage compartment. The respective doors may be provided to open and close one or more storage compartments, or a single door may be provided to open and close a plurality of storage compartments. The door may be rotatably or slidably mounted on the front of the main body.
The “door” may seal the storage compartment in a closed state. The door may include an insulation, like the main body, to insulate the storage compartment in the closed state.
According to an embodiment, the door may include an outer door plate forming the front surface of the door, an inner door plate forming the rear surface of the door and facing the storage compartment, an upper cap, a lower cap, and a door insulation provided therein.
A gasket may be provided on the edge of the inner door plate to seal the storage compartment by coming into close contact with the front surface of the main body when the door is closed. The inner door plate may include a dyke that protrudes rearward to allow a door basket for storing items to be fitted.
According to an embodiment, the door may include a door body and a front panel that is detachably coupled to the front of the door body and forms the front surface of the door. The door body may include an outer door plate that forms the front surface of the door body, an inner door plate that forms the rear surface of the door body and faces the storage compartment, an upper cap, a lower cap, and a door insulator provided therein.
The refrigerator may be classified as French Door Type, Side-by-side Type, Bottom Mounted Freezer (BMF), Top Mounted Freezer (TMF), or One Door Refrigerator depending on the arrangement of the doors and the storage compartments.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage compartment.
The “cold air supply device” may include a machine, an apparatus, an electronic device, and/or a combination system thereof, capable of generating cold air and guiding the cool air to cool the storage compartment.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cold air supply device may generate cold air through a cooling cycle including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes of refrigerants. To this end, the cold air supply device may include a cooling cycle device having a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator to drive the cooling cycle. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the cold air supply device may include a semiconductor such as a thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element may cool the storage compartment by heating and cooling actions through the Peltier effect.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a machine compartment where at least some components belonging to the cold air supply device are installed.
The “machine compartment” may be partitioned and insulated from the storage compartment to prevent heat generated from the components installed in the machine compartment from being transferred to the storage compartment. To dissipate heat from the components installed inside the machine compartment, the machine compartment may communicate with outside of the main body.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a dispenser provided on the door to provide water and/or ice. The dispenser may be provided on the door to allow access by the user without opening the door.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include an ice-making device that produces ice. The ice-making device may include an ice-making tray that stores water, an ice-moving device that separates ice from the ice-making tray, and an ice-bucket that stores ice generated in the ice-making tray.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a controller for controlling the refrigerator.
The “controller” may include a memory for storing and/or memorizing data and/or programs for controlling the refrigerator, and a processor for outputting control signals for controlling the cold air supply device, etc. according to the programs and/or data memorized in the memory.
The memory may store or record various information, data, commands, programs, and the like necessary for operations of the refrigerator. The memory may store temporary data generated while generating control signals for controlling components included in the refrigerator. The memory may include at least one of volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof.
The processor may control the overall operation of the refrigerator. The processor may control the components of the refrigerator by executing programs stored in memory. The processor may include a separate neural processing unit (NPU) that performs an operation of an artificial intelligence (AI) model. In addition, the processor may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processor (GPU), and the like. The processor may generate a control signal to control the operation of the cold air supply device. For example, the processor may receive temperature information of the storage compartment from a temperature sensor, and generate a cooling control signal for controlling an operation of the cold air supply device based on the temperature information of the storage compartment.
Furthermore, the processor may process a user input of a user interface and control an operation of the user interface according to the programs and/or data memorized/stored in the memory. The user interface may be provided using an input interface and an output interface. The processor may receive the user input from the user interface. In addition, the processor may transmit a display control signal and image data for displaying an image on the user interface to the user interface in response to the user input.
The processor and memory may be provided integrally or may be provided separately. The processor may include one or more processors. For example, the processor may include a main processor and at least one sub-processor. The memory may include one or more memories.
The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a processor and a memory for controlling all the components included in the refrigerator, and may include a plurality of processors and a plurality of memories for individually controlling the components of the refrigerator. For example, the refrigerator may include a processor and a memory for controlling the operation of the cold air supply device according to an output of the temperature sensor. In addition, the refrigerator may be separately equipped with a processor and a memory for controlling the operation of the user interface according to the user input.
A communication module may communicate with external devices, such as servers, mobile devices, and other home appliances via a nearby access point (AP). The AP may connect a local area network (LAN) to which a refrigerator or a user device is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which a server is connected. The refrigerator or the user device may be connected to the server via the WAN.
The input interface may include keys, a touch screen, a microphone, and the like. The input interface may receive the user input and pass the received user input to the processor.
The output interface may include a display, a speaker, and the like. The output interface may output various notifications, messages, information, and the like generated by the processor.
Hereinafter, various embodiments according to the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The main body 100 may include an inner case 170, an outer case 180 coupled to an outer side of the inner case 170, and an insulation 190 provided between the inner case 170 and the outer case 180 (see
In another aspect, the main body 100 may include an upper wall 110, a lower wall 120, a left wall 130, a right wall 140, and a rear wall 150. The upper wall 110, the lower wall 120, the left wall 130, the right wall 140, and the rear wall 150 may form an upper surface, a lower surface, a left surface, a right surface, and a rear surface, respectively, of the main body 100.
The upper wall 110, the lower wall 120, the left wall 130, the right wall 140, and the rear wall 150 each be formed by the inner case 170, the outer case 180, and the insulation 190. For example, an upper surface of the upper wall 110 may be formed by the outer case 180, a lower surface of the upper wall 110 may be formed by the inner case 170, and the interior of the upper wall 110 may be provided with the insulation 190.
The storage compartments 11, 12, and 13 may accommodate items (e.g., food). The storage compartments 11, 12, and 13 may be formed with an open front to allow items to be inserted or removed. The main body 100 may include a horizontal partition 160 that divides the first storage compartment 11 from the second storage compartment 12 and the third storage compartment 13, and a a vertical partition 161 that divides the second storage compartment 12 from the third storage compartment 13. The first storage compartment 11 may be provided in an upper portion of the main body 100, and the second storage compartment 12 and the third storage compartment 13 may be provided in a lower portion of the main body 100. The first storage compartment 11 may be a refrigerating compartment, the second storage compartment 12 may be a freezing compartment, and the third storage compartment 13 may be a temperature conversion compartment.
The doors 21, 22, 23, and 24 may open or close the storage compartments 11, 12, and 13. The first door 21 and the second door 22 may open or close the first storage compartment 11, the third door 23 may open or close the second storage compartment 12, and the fourth door 24 may open or close the third storage compartment 13. The doors 21, 22, 23, and 24 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 100.
The doors 21, 22, 23, and 24 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 100 by hinges. For example, the first door 21 and the second door 22 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 100 by a hinge 31 provided on the upper portion of the main body 100 and a hinge provided at a middle of the main body 100, respectively. The hinge 31 may include a hinge pin protruding in a vertical direction to form an axis of rotation of the door. The hinge 31 may be covered by a top cover 300 provided to cover a front portion of the upper surface of the main body 100.
Either of the first door 21 and the second door 22 may be provided with a rotating bar 40 for covering a gap formed between the first door 21 and the second door 22 when the first door 21 and the second door 22 are closed. The rotating bar 40 may be rotatably arranged on any one of the first door 21 and the second door 22. The rotating bar 40 may have a shape of a bar elongated in the vertical direction. The rotating bar 40 may also be referred to as a pillar, mullion, or the like.
A guide protrusion 46 may be provided at an upper end of the rotating bar 40, and a rotation guide 119 may be provided at the upper portion of the main body 100 to guide the rotation of the guide protrusion 46.
The doors 21, 22, 23, and 24 may include a gasket 51. The gasket 51 may be in close contact with a front surface of the main body 100 when the doors 21, 22, 23, and 24 are closed. The doors 21, 22, 23, and 24 may include a dyke 52 protruding rearwardly. The dyke 52 may be equipped with a door shelf 53 capable of storing items. The rotating bar 40 may be rotatably mounted on the dyke 52.
Although the number and arrangement of storage compartments and the number and arrangement of doors have been described above, it is not intended to limit the number and arrangement of storage compartments and the number and arrangement of doors of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The refrigerator 1 may include a thermoelectric cooling device 400 configured to cool the storage compartment 11.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may be provided on an upper side of the storage compartment 11 to cool the storage compartment 11. In other words, the thermoelectric cooling device may be arranged on the upper wall 110 of the main body 100.
The thermoelectric cooling device may include a thermoelectric element 530. The thermoelectric element 530 may be a semiconductor element that converts thermal energy into electrical energy using the thermoelectric effect, and may also be referred to as a thermoelectric semiconductor element, a Peltier element, or the like.
The thermoelectric element 530 may include a heating portion 531 and a cooling portion 532. When a current is applied to the thermoelectric element 530, heat generation may occur at the heating portion 531 and heat absorption may occur at the cooling portion 532. The thermoelectric element 530 may have a thin hexahedral shape. The heating portion 531 may be disposed on one side of the thermoelectric element 530 and the cooling portion 532 may be disposed on the opposite side.
The thermoelectric element 530 may be arranged on the upper wall 110 such that the heating portion 531 faces upwardly of the thermoelectric element 530 and the cooling portion 532 faces downwardly of the thermoelectric element 530. In other words, the heating portion 531 may face the outside of the main body 100 and the cooling portion 532 may face an inside of the storage compartment 11. As a result, air heated by heat exchange with the heating portion 531 may be discharged to the outside of the main body 100, and air cooled by heat exchange with the cooling portion 532 may be supplied to the storage compartment 11.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a heat sink 520 in contact with the heating portion 531 for efficiently exchanging heat between the heating portion 531 and the air outside the main body 100.
The heat sink 520 may be located on the outside of the main body 100. The heat sink 520 may contact the heating portion 531 to absorb heat from the heating portion 531 and dissipate heat to the outside of the main body 100. The heat sink 520 may also be referred to as a hot sink, a heat dissipation sink, a hot heat sink, or the like.
The heat sink 520 may be formed of a metallic material with good thermal conductivity. For example, the heat sink 520 may be formed of aluminum or copper.
The heat sink 520 may include a heat sink base 521 in contact with the heating portion 531 and a plurality of heat dissipation fins 525 protruding from the heat sink base 521 to increase the heat transfer area. The plurality of heat dissipation fins 525 may protrude upward from the heat sink base 521.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a cooling sink 570 in contact with the cooling portion 532 to efficiently exchange heat between the cooling portion 532 and the air inside the storage compartment 11.
The cooling sink 570 may be located on the inside of the storage compartment 11. The cooling sink 570 may cool the storage compartment 11 by taking heat from the storage compartment 11 and transferring such heat to the cooling portion 532. The cooling sink 570 may also be referred to as a cold sink, cold sink, a cold heat sink, a cold heat sink, a cooling heat sink, or the like.
The cooling sink 570 may be formed of a metallic material with good thermal conductivity. For example, the cooling sink 570 may be formed of aluminum or copper.
The cooling sink 570 may include a cooling sink base 571 in contact with the cooling portion 532 and a plurality of cooling fins 575 protruding from the cooling sink base 571 to increase the heat transfer area. The plurality of cooling fins 525 may protrude downwardly from the cooling sink base 571. The cooling sink base 571 and the plurality of cooling fins 575 may be integrally formed.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a heat dissipation fan 600 that flows air to efficiently exchange heat between the heat sink 520 and the air outside the main body 100.
The heat dissipation fan 600 may be provided to blow toward the heat sink 520. The heat dissipation fan 600 may be positioned in a horizontal direction of the heat sink 520. The heat dissipation fan 600 may be provided on the outside of the main body 100. The heat dissipation fan 600 may be provided on an upper side of the upper wall 110.
The heat dissipation fan 600 may be a centrifugal fan that draws in air in an axial direction and discharges such air in a radial direction. The centrifugal fan may include a blower fan. A rotating shaft 610 of the heat dissipation fan 600 may be disposed perpendicular to the upper surface of the upper wall 110.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a heat dissipation duct 700 provided to guide air flowing by the heat dissipation fan 600. The heat dissipation duct 700 may draw in air from outside the main body 100 and guide the drawn-in air to exchange heat with the heat sink 520, and discharge the air that has exchanged heat with the heat sink 520 back to the outside of the main body 100.
The heat dissipation duct 700 may draw in air from an external space above the main body 100. The heat dissipation duct 700 may discharge the air that has exchanged heat with the heat sink 520 to the external space above the main body 100. The heat dissipation fan 600 may be located on the inside of the heat dissipation duct 700. The heat sink 520 may be located on the inside of the heat dissipation duct 700. The heat dissipation duct 700 may be provided on the upper surface of the upper wall 110.
The heat dissipation duct 700 may include an outside air inlet 751 that draws air from outside the main body 100 into the inside of the heat dissipation duct 700, and an outside air outlet 782 that discharges the air that has exchanged heat with the heat sink 520 to the outside of the main body 100.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a cooling fan 800 that flows air to efficiently exchange heat between the cooling sink 570 and the air inside the storage compartment 11.
The cooling fan 800 may be provided to blow toward the cooling sink 570. The cooling fan 800 may be positioned in the horizontal direction of the cooling sink 570. The cooling fan 800 may be provided on the inside of the storage compartment 11. The cooling fan 800 may be provided on a lower side of the upper wall 110.
The cooling fan 800 may be a centrifugal fan that draws in air in the axial direction and discharges such air in radial direction. A rotating shaft 810 of the cooling fan 800 may be disposed perpendicular to the lower surface of the upper wall 110.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a cooling duct 900 provided to guide air flowing by the cooling fan 800. The cooling duct 700 may draw in air from the inside of the storage compartment 11 and guide the drawn-in air to exchange heat with the cooling sink 570, and discharge the air that has exchanged heat with the cooling sink 570 back to the inside of the storage compartment 11.
The cooling fan 800 may be positioned on the inside of the cooling duct 900. The cooling sink 570 may be positioned on the inside of the cooling duct 900. The cooling duct 800 may be provided on the lower surface of the upper wall 110.
The cooling duct 900 may include an internal air inlet 991 that draws air from the inside of the storage compartment 11 into the inside of the cooling duct 900, and an internal air outlet 992 that discharges the air that has exchanged heat with the cooling sink 570 to the inside of the storage compartment 11.
Referring to
The refrigerator 1 may include evaporator ducts 60 and 70 that guide cold air generated by the evaporator 3. The first evaporator duct 60 may be provided at the rear side of the second storage compartment 12 and the third storage compartment 13. The second evaporator duct 70 may be provided at the rear side of the first storage compartment 11.
The cold air generated by the evaporator 3 may be drawn into the inside of the first evaporator duct 60 by an evaporator fan 80. The cold air drawn into the inside of the first evaporator duct 60 may be discharged to the second storage compartment 12 or the third storage compartment 13 through a cold air outlet (not shown) formed on a front surface. In addition, the cold air drawn into the inside of the first evaporator duct 60 may be directed to an internal flow path 78 of the second evaporator duct 70. The first evaporator duct 60 may be provided with a damper 61 that controls the supply of cold air from the inside of the first evaporator duct 60 to the second evaporator duct 70. A connection duct 90 may be provided between the first evaporator duct 60 and the second evaporator duct 70 to connect the first evaporator duct 60 and the second evaporator duct 70.
The cold air flowing into the internal flow path 78 of the second evaporator duct 70 may be supplied to the first storage compartment 11 through a cold air outlet 72 formed on a front surface of the second evaporator duct 70.
However, in contrast to the embodiment described above, the cold air generated by the evaporator 3 may be supplied directly to the second evaporator duct 70 without passing through the first evaporator duct 60. Alternatively, a separate evaporator 3 may be provided at the rear side of the first storage compartment 11 to supply cold air to the second evaporator duct 70.
As such, the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the thermoelectric cooling device and the refrigeration cycle device for cooling the storage compartment 11. Accordingly, methods of supplying cold air to the storage compartment 11 may include a first method of supplying only the cold air generated by the thermoelectric cooling device 400, a second method of supplying only the cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle device, and a third method of supplying both the cold air generated by the thermoelectric cooling device and the cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle device.
The refrigerator 1 may supply cold air to the storage compartment 11 by any suitable method depending on external and internal conditions. For example, the refrigerator 1 may cool the storage compartment 11 by any one of the methods depending on the indoor temperature in which the refrigerator 1 is installed. In other words, when cooling by the refrigeration cycle is more efficient than cooling by the thermoelectric cooling device because the indoor temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, the storage compartment 11 may be cooled only with the cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle device. Conversely, when cooling by the thermoelectric cooling device is more efficient than cooling by the refrigeration cycle device because the indoor temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, the storage compartment 11 may be cooled only with the cold air generated by the thermoelectric cooling device. The refrigerator 1 may only operate the thermoelectric cooling device when it is necessary to reduce noise. The refrigerator 1 may simultaneously supply the cold air generated by the thermoelectric cooling device and the cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle device to the storage compartment 11 when it is necessary to rapidly cool the storage compartment 11.
As such, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the refrigerator may include the thermoelectric cooling device and the refrigeration cycle device. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and the refrigerator may include only the thermoelectric cooling device 400.
With reference to
The main body 100 of the refrigerator 1 may include the inner case 170 forming the storage compartment and the outer case 180 coupled to the outer side of the inner case 170. The insulation 190 that thermally insulates the storage compartment may be disposed between the inner case 170 and the outer case 180. The inner case 170 may include an inner case opening 171. The outer case 180 may include an outer case opening 181.
The inner case opening 171 may be formed larger than the outer case opening 181. However, in contrast to the present embodiment, the inner case opening 171 and the outer case opening 181 may be formed to be the same size. In this case, a connecting frame 200, which will be described later, may be configured with only a connecting frame body 270 without a connecting frame base 210.
The main body 100 may include the connecting frame 200 provided between the inner case 170 and the outer case 180 to connect the inner case opening 171 and the outer case opening 181 so as to form a through hole 115 penetrating the upper wall 110.
One surface of the connecting frame 200 may be supported on an inner side surface of the inner case 170 (a side surface facing the insulation), and the other surface of the connecting frame 200 may be supported on an inner side surface of the outer case 180 (a side surface facing the insulation).
In a state where the connecting frame 200 is disposed between the inner case 170 and the outer case 180, an insulating space may be formed by the inner case 170, the outer case 180, and the connecting frame 200. The inner case 170, the outer case 180, and the connecting frame 200 may be coupled to each other by filling and foaming a foamed insulation in the insulating space. The connecting frame 200 may be formed of a material with low thermal conductivity. The connecting frame 200 may be formed of a resin material.
The connecting frame 200 may include the frame base 210 connected to the inner case opening 171, and the frame body 270 protruding from an upper surface of the frame base 210 and connected to the outer case opening 181.
The frame base 210 may have a size corresponding to a size of the inner case opening 171. The frame base 210 may include a frame base opening 211. The frame base opening 211 may have a size corresponding to a size of the outer case opening 181.
The frame body 270 may have a rectangular frame shape with a predetermined thickness. The frame body 270 may include a frame body opening 271. The frame body opening 271 may have a size corresponding to a size of the outer case opening 181. The frame base opening 211 and the frame body opening 271 may form the through hole 115 of the upper wall 110.
The frame base 210 and the frame body 270 may be provided separately and then coupled together. The frame base 210 and the frame body 270 may be coupled through a frame coupling member 201. To this end, a coupling hole 240 may be formed in the frame base 210 and a coupling hole 280 may be formed in the frame body 270. The frame coupling member 201 may be a mechanical member for coupling, such as a screw, a pin, a bolt, a rivet, or the like. However, the frame base 210 and the frame body 270 may be integrally formed.
The frame base 210 may include a base protrusion 230 protruding upwardly. On a lower surface of the base protrusion 230, an installation portion accommodating space 231 may be formed to accommodate a fan installation portion 920, which will be described later.
An elastic protrusion coupling portion 250 may be formed on a lower surface of the frame base 210 to which an elastic protrusion of the cooling duct 900, which will be described later, is coupled. A coupling hole 260 for coupling with the cooling duct 900 may be formed on the lower surface of the frame base 210.
The thermoelectric cooling device 400 may include a thermoelectric module 500.
The thermoelectric element 530, the heat sink 520, and the cooling sink 570, which are described above, may be assembled together to form the thermoelectric module 500. In other words, the thermoelectric module 500 may include the thermoelectric element 530, the heat sink 520, the cooling sink 570, and a module plate 550.
As shown in
The module plate 550 may serve as a frame for the thermoelectric module. The module plate 550 may be formed of a resin material having a low thermal conductivity. The module plate 550 may maintain a gap between the heat sink 520 and the cooling sink 570 and may support the heat sink 520 and the cooling sink 570. As shown in
The module plate 550 may include a heat sink support portion 552 that supports the heat sink 520.
The module plate 550 may include a module plate opening 551. The thermoelectric element 530 may be disposed inside the module plate opening 551. The length of the module plate opening 551 in the vertical direction may be greater than the length of the thermoelectric element 530 in the vertical direction, and the thermoelectric element 530 may be disposed on an upper end side of the module plate opening 551. The reason why the thermoelectric element 530 is disposed on the upper end side of the inside of the module plate opening 551 is that the heat generation amount of the thermoelectric element 530 may typically be higher than the heat absorption amount, and the positioning of the thermoelectric element 530 on the upper end side of the module plate opening 551 may be advantageous for heat dissipation of the heating portion 531.
As such, since the thermoelectric element 530 is disposed on the upper end side of the module plate opening 551, the cooling sink 570 may include a cooling conductive portion 574 that protrudes from the cooling sink base 571 for contact with the cooling portion 532 of the thermoelectric element 530.
The thermoelectric module 500 may include an element insulation 540 that thermally insulates the module plate 550 and the thermoelectric element 530. The element insulation 540 may be disposed in the module plate opening 551 to prevent a side surface of the thermoelectric element 530 from contacting the module plate 550. The element insulation 540 may include an element insulation opening 541, and the thermoelectric element 530 may be accommodated in the element insulation opening 541.
The thermoelectric module 500 may include a sink insulation 580 provided between the module plate 550 and the cooling sink 570. The sink insulation 580 may prevent heat transfer between the heat sink 520 and the cooling sink 570 through the module plate 550. The sink insulation 580 may include a sink insulation opening 581. However, the sink insulation 580 may be omitted, in which case the heat sink 520 may be supported on an upper surface of the module plate 550 and the cooling sink 570 may be supported on a lower surface of the module plate 550.
Referring to
The fan case 650 may include a case bottom 660 on which the heat dissipation fan 600 is rotatably installed, and a case scroll portion 670 extending upwardly from an edge of the case bottom 660 to guide the air blown by the heat dissipation fan 600 toward the heat sink 520. The heat dissipation fan 600 may be a centrifugal fan and may be installed on the case bottom 660 such that the rotating shaft 610 is perpendicular to the case bottom 660. In addition, the heat sink 520 may be positioned in a radial direction of the heat dissipation fan 600. Such a configuration may allow the overall length of the thermoelectric cooling device 400 in the vertical direction to be compact.
The case scroll portion 670 may be formed to surround the heat dissipation fan 600. The case scroll portion 670 may have a scroll portion opening 673 that is open toward the heat sink 520. The case scroll portion 670 may include a downstream end 671 along a rotational direction R of the heat dissipation fan 600 and an upstream end 672 along the rotation direction R.
The fan case 650 may include a case guide 680 provided to guide air flowing from the heat dissipation fan 600 around the downstream end 671 of the case scroll portion 670.
Referring to
The plurality of heat dissipation fins 525 may be formed to extend in a second direction 527 parallel to the upper surface 522 of the heat sink base 521. The second direction 527 may be perpendicular to the first direction 526. Heat dissipation channels 528 may be formed between the plurality of adjacent heat dissipation fins 525. The heat dissipation channels 528 may extend in the second direction 527 as the plurality of heat dissipation fins 525. Some heat dissipation channels 529 of the heat dissipation channels 528 may have a larger width than other heat dissipation channels.
Air flowing by the heat dissipation fan 600 may exchange heat with the plurality of heat dissipation fins 525 while passing through the heat dissipation channels 528. An airflow A flowing by the heat dissipation fan 600 may pass through the heat dissipation channels 528 in a direction parallel to the second direction 527.
Referring to
The plurality of cooling fins 575 may be formed to extend in a second direction 577 parallel to the lower surface 572 of the cooling sink base 571. The second direction 577 may be perpendicular to the first direction 576. Cooling channels 578 may be formed between the plurality of adjacent cooling fins 575. Some cooling channels 579 of the cooling channels 578 may have a larger width than other cooling channels 578.
Air flowing by the cooling fan 800 may exchange heat with the plurality of cooling fins 575 while passing through the cooling channels 578. An airflow B flowing by the cooling fan 800 may pass through the cooling channels 578 in a direction parallel to the second direction 577.
With reference to
The refrigerator 1 may include the cooling duct 900 that guides cooled air by heat exchange with the cooling sink 570 to the storage compartment 11. The cooling duct 900 may be positioned on the upper side of the storage compartment 11. More particularly, the cooling duct 900 may be provided on the lower surface of the upper wall 110.
The cooling duct 900 may include a cooling duct body 910 coupled to the upper wall 110 of the main body 100, and a cooling duct cover 940 coupled to a lower portion of the cooling duct body 910. A cooling space 990 may be formed by the cooling duct body 910 and the cooling duct cover 940. The cooling sink 570 may be disposed in the cooling space 990.
The cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the connecting frame 200. More particularly, the cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the frame base 210 of the connecting frame 200.
The cooling duct cover 940 may be formed with an elastic coupling protrusion 950 protruding upwardly. A coupling protrusion through hole 913 through which the elastic coupling protrusion 950 passes may be formed in the cooling duct body 910. The elastic protrusion coupling portions 250 may be provided on the lower surface of the frame base 210. The elastic coupling protrusions 950 may pass through the coupling protrusion through holes 913 and be coupled to the elastic protrusion coupling portions 250. The elastic coupling protrusions 950 may be elastically deformed while being inserted into the elastic protrusion coupling portions 250. Once the insertion of the elastic coupling protrusions 950 into the elastic protrusion coupling portions 250 is completed, the elastic coupling protrusions 950 may be returned to their original shape, and thus the elastic coupling protrusions 950 and the elastic protrusion coupling portions 250 may be coupled.
The cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the connecting frame 200 by a separate cooling duct coupling member 901. The cooling duct coupling member 901 may be a screw. A coupling hole 951 to which the cooling duct coupling member 901 is coupled may be formed in the cooling duct cover 940. A coupling hole 912 to which the cooling duct coupling member 901 is coupled may be formed in the cooling duct body 910. The coupling hole 260 to which the cooling duct coupling member 901 is coupled may be formed in the frame base 210 of the connecting frame 200.
The cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the evaporator duct 70 provided at the rear side of the storage compartment 11. The cooling duct 900 may include a duct coupling protrusion 960 that protrudes rearwardly so as to be coupled to the evaporator duct 70. The duct coupling protrusion 960 may protrude from a rear portion 944 of the cooling duct cover 940.
The duct coupling protrusion 960 may include a horizontal portion 961 formed horizontally and a vertical reinforcement portion 962 protruding from the horizontal portion 961. The horizontal portion 961 may extend in a left-to-right direction. The vertical reinforcement portion 962 may be provided in a plurality and may protrude upwardly from the horizontal portion 961.
The evaporator duct 70 may include a duct coupling hole 73 into which the duct coupling protrusion 960 is inserted. Defrost water drained to the outside of the cooling space 990 through a drain 970, which will be described later, may flow along the duct coupling protrusion 960 to a drain guide portion 77 (see
With such a configuration, the cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the upper wall 11 by inserting the duct coupling protrusion 960 of the cooling duct 900 into the duct coupling hole 73 of the evaporator duct 70, coupling the elastic coupling protrusions 950 of the cooling duct 900 to the elastic protrusion coupling portions 250 of the connecting frame 200, and coupling the cooling duct coupling member 901 to the connecting frame 200 by penetrating the cooling duct 900. Accordingly, the task of assembling and disassembling the cooling duct 900 from the upper wall 110 of the main body 100 may be easily performed and the cooling duct 900 may be securely fixed.
Although the example in which the cooling duct 900 is coupled to the connecting frame 200 has been described above, the cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the inner case 170 of the upper wall 110 instead of the connecting frame 200. In particular, when the frame base 210 is omitted from the connecting frame 200 because the inner case opening 171 and the outer case opening 181 are formed to be the same size, the cooling duct 900 may be coupled to the inner case 170 of the upper wall 110 instead of the connecting frame 200. In this case, a coupling structure such as the elastic protrusion coupling portion 250 and the coupling hole 260 of the connecting frame 200 may be formed on the inner case 170 of the upper wall 110.
The cooling duct body 910 may include a sink passage hole 911 through which the cooling sink 570 passes. The cooling sink 570 may pass through the sink passage hole 911 and be disposed in the cooling space 990.
The cooling duct body 910 may include the fan installation portion 920 protruding upwardly. A fan receiving space 921 in which the cooling fan 800 is received may be formed on a lower surface of the fan installation portion 920. As described above, the frame base 210 of the connecting frame 200 may include the base protrusion 230 protruding upwardly to receive the fan installation portion 920.
The cooling fan 800 may be a centrifugal fan and may be installed on the lower surface of the fan installation portion 920 of the cooling duct body 910, and the rotating shaft 810 of the cooling fan 800 may be perpendicular to the lower surface of the fan installation portion 920. The cooling sink 570 may be positioned in the radial direction of the cooling fan 800. Such a structure may allow the length of the cooling duct 800 in the vertical direction to be compact.
The refrigerator 1 may include a photocatalyst filter 932 provided inside the cooling duct 900 and a light source 931 that emits light onto the photocatalyst filter 932. The photocatalyst filter 932 and the light source 931 may be installed on a lower surface of the cooling duct body 910.
The photocatalyst filter 932 and the light source 931 may be disposed in the cooling space 990 of the cooling duct 900 so as to be positioned between the cooling fan 800 and the cooling sink 570. The photocatalyst filter 932 may be positioned in one radial direction of the cooling fan 800. The light source 931 may be positioned on a downstream side of the photocatalyst filter 932.
The photocatalyst filter 932 may remove odors from the air through a photochemical reaction. For example, the photocatalyst filter 932 may remove harmful substances, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX), formaldehyde, and the like present in the air, and may decompose odorous substances, such as acetaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and the like. The light source 931 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) and a light emitting diode (LED) mounted on the PCB.
The refrigerator 1 may further include an ion generator 930 provided within the cooling duct 900. When a voltage is applied to the ion generator 930, the ion generator 930 may ionize the surrounding air. The ion generator 930 may be installed on the lower surface of the cooling duct body 910. The ion generator 930 may be disposed in the cooling space 990 of the cooling duct 900 so as to be positioned between the cooling fan 800 and the cooling sink 570. The ion generator 930 may be positioned on a downstream side of the light source 931.
The cooling duct cover 940 may include a bottom 941, side portions 942 and 943 extending upwardly from both side edges of the bottom 941, and a rear portion 944 extending upwardly from a rear edge of the bottom 941.
The internal air inlet 991 through which air from the storage compartment 11 is drawn into the inside of the cooling duct 900 may be formed at the bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940. The internal air inlet 991 may be formed on a lower side of the cooling fan 800. The cooling duct 900 may include the internal air outlet 992 arranged to discharge air that has exchanged heat with the cooling sink 570 to the storage compartment 11. The internal air outlet 992 may be formed at a front end of the cooling duct 900. The internal air outlet 992 may be formed between a front portion of the cooling duct body 910 and a front portion of the cooling duct cover 940. The internal air outlet 992 may be formed to extend longitudinally in the left-to-right direction of the cooling duct 900.
As such, since the internal air outlet 992 is formed at the front end of the cooling duct 900, the air discharged through the internal air outlet 992 may be blown to a front side of the storage compartment 11. As a result, an air curtain in which air flows vertically downward may be formed in front of the storage compartment 11 by the air discharged from the internal air outlet 992.
Furthermore, the cooling duct 900 may be arranged such that the internal air outlet 992 is located closer to the front side of the storage compartment 11. In other words, compared to what is shown, the cooling duct 900 itself may be located closer to the front side of the storage compartment 11, or the cooling duct 900 may be formed with a longer length in the front-to-back direction so that the internal air outlet 992 may be located closer to the front side of the storage compartment 11. Such a structure may allow the air curtain to be formed more efficiently.
The cooling duct 900 may guide the defrost water formed by the cooling sink 570 to the rear side of the cooling duct 900. The defrost water formed by melting frost generated on a surface of the cooling sink 570 may fall from the cooling sink 570 to the bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940.
The cooling duct 900 may include the drain 970 to drain the defrost water that has fallen to the bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940 to the outside of the cooling duct 900. The drain 970 may be formed in the rear portion 944 of the cooling duct cover 940. The drain 970 may be formed at a lower end of the rear portion 944 to allow the defrost water flowing down the bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940 to be easily drained. In other words, the drain 970 may be formed so as not to be spaced apart from the bottom 941.
The bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940 may be formed to be inclined downwardly as it approaches the drain 970 to guide the defrost water to the drain 970.
The cooling duct cover 940 may include a defrost water guide 980 protruding from the bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940 to guide the defrost water to the drain 970. The defrost water guide 980 may be formed to extend in the front-to-back direction. The defrost water guide 980 may be formed to extend in a direction facing the drain 970. A plurality of defrost water guides 980 may be formed to be spaced apart from each other on the bottom 941 of the cooling duct cover 940.
The defrost water guides 980 may extend in a direction 981 perpendicular to the direction 577 in which the plurality of cooling fins 575 extend (see
Such a configuration may allow the defrost water generated by the thermoelectric module 500 to be smoothly drained to the outside of the main body 100 without collecting in the cooling duct 900.
With reference to
The evaporator duct 70 may be provided on the rear side of the storage compartment 11 to guide the cold air generated by the evaporator 3 to the storage compartment 11. The evaporator duct 70 may be coupled to the rear wall 150 of the main body 100. To this end, the evaporator duct 70 may include a rear wall coupling portion 74 at the rear.
The evaporator duct 70 may include the internal flow path 78 formed therein to guide cold air, and the cold air outlet 72 formed on a front surface of the evaporator duct 70 to supply cold air from the internal flow path 78 to the storage compartment 11. The evaporator duct 70 may include a cold air inlet 76 formed to allow the cold air generated by the evaporator 3 to flow into the internal flow path 78. The cold air inlet 76 may be formed on a lower portion of the evaporator duct 70.
The evaporator duct 70 may include the duct coupling hole 73 formed on the front surface thereof to allow the duct coupling protrusion 960 protruding rearwardly from the cooling duct 900 to be coupled thereto.
The evaporator duct 70 may include the drain guide portion 77 provided to guide the defrost water formed by the cooling sink 570. The defrost water formed by the cooling sink 570 may be guided to the drain guide portion 77 through the drain 970 of the cooling duct 900.
The drain guide portion 77 may be formed on the inside of the evaporator duct 70. The drain guide portion 77 may extend in the vertical direction. The drain guide portion 77 may be formed to have a passage to guide the defrost water. The drain guide portion 77 may have an inlet 77a and an outlet 77b.
The defrost water drained to the outside of the cooling duct 900 through the drain 970 of the cooling duct 900 may flow along the duct coupling protrusion 960 and into the inside of the drain guide portion 77 through the inlet 77a of the drain guide portion 77.
A drain hose (not shown) may be connected to the outlet 77b of the drain guide portion 77. A rear opening 79 may be formed on the rear surface of the evaporator duct 70 to allow the drain hose to be connected to the outlet 77b of the drain guide portion 77.
In another aspect, the evaporator duct 70 may include an evaporator duct front portion 71 forming a front surface of the evaporator duct 70, and an evaporator duct rear portion 75 coupled to a rear side of the evaporator duct front portion 71 to form the internal flow path 78 of the evaporator duct 70. The cold air outlet 72 that supplies cold air to the storage compartment 11 and the duct coupling hole 73 through which the cooling duct 900 are coupled may be formed in the evaporator duct front portion 71.
As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermoelectric cooling device 400 may be disposed on the upper portion of the main body 100, and the heat sink 520, the thermoelectric element 530, and the cooling sink 570 may be arranged in order, so that the heat dissipation and cooling performance of the thermoelectric cooling device 400 may be improved.
In particular, the cold air generated through the thermoelectric cooling device 400 may descend downward due to its large density, and the cold air may be efficiently transferred within the storage compartment by convection phenomenon, and thus the cooling efficiency of the storage compartment by the thermoelectric cooling device 400 may be improved.
In addition, since the cooling sink 570 is located below the thermoelectric element 530, the defrost water generated by the cooling sink 570 may be prevented from entering the thermoelectric element 530, thereby preventing the thermoelectric element 530 from failing or malfunctioning.
Although the above technical ideas of the disclosure have been described by way of specific embodiments, the scope of the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Various modifications and variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical ideas of the disclosure as set forth in the claims of the patent will be deemed to be within the scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0127484 | Sep 2023 | KR | national |
| 10-2024-0002515 | Jan 2024 | KR | national |
This is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of International Application PCT/KR2024/013222, filed Sep. 3, 2024, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0127484, filed Sep. 22, 2023 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0002515, filed Jan. 5, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR2024/013222 | Sep 2024 | WO |
| Child | 18902019 | US |
