EP-4741743-A1 - REFRIGERATOR

EP4741743A1EP 4741743 A1EP4741743 A1EP 4741743A1EP-4741743-A1

Abstract

A refrigerator including a refrigerating compartment; a freezing compartment; an evaporator at a rear side of the freezing compartment; a communicating duct including a first flow path and a second flow path; a refrigerating compartment duct configured to receive cold air generated by the evaporator from the communicating duct and including a first internal flow path to guide cold air from the first flow path to a first refrigerating space of the refrigerating compartment, and a second internal flow path to guide cold air from the second flow path to a second refrigerating space of the refrigerating compartment; and a damper including a first damping cover configured to control a supply of cold air to the first internal flow path, and a second damping cover configured to control a supply of cold air to the second internal flow path.

Inventors

HAN, HYOJU
KO, Sungbok
SEO, BOMIN
SONG, Joohee
YANG, BYUNGKWAN
YUN, Sejin
CHA, SANGYOUL

Assignees

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241203

Claims (15)

A refrigerator comprising: an inner case forming a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment; an evaporator at a rear side of the freezing compartment and configured to generate cold air; a communicating duct including a first flow path through which cold air generated by the evaporator is flowable, and a second flow path partitioned from the first flow path through which cold air generated by the evaporator is flowable; a refrigerating compartment duct including a first internal flow path configured to be supplied with cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the first flow path and to guide the supplied cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the first flow path to a first refrigerating space which is a portion of the refrigerating compartment, and a second internal flow path configured to be supplied with cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the second flow path and to guide the supplied cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the second flow path to a second refrigerating space which is an other portion of the refrigerating compartment; and a damper including a first damping cover configured to control the supply of cold air to the first internal flow path, and a second damping cover configured to control the supply of cold air to the second internal flow path.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the inner case includes: a first inner case including a first inner case body forming the refrigerating compartment, and a first opening penetrating the first inner case body, and a second inner case including a second inner case body forming the freezing compartment, and a second opening penetrating the second inner case body, and the communicating duct is configured to allow the first flow path and the second flow path to communicate with the first opening and the second opening.
The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the communicating duct includes: a base portion connecting the first inner case and the second inner case, and a cover portion coupled to the base portion and including a partition wall defining the first flow path and the second flow path.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the damper is between the communicating duct and the evaporator.
The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the damper further includes: a first damping hole configured to communicate with a first flow path inlet, which faces the freezing compartment, of the first flow path, and to be opened or closed by the first damping cover, and a second damping hole configured to communicate with a second flow path inlet, which faces the freezing compartment, of the second flow path, and to be opened or closed by the second damping cover.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first internal flow path includes a first cold air intake port configured to communicate with a first flow path outlet, which faces the refrigerating compartment, of the first flow path, and the second internal flow path includes a second cold air intake port configured to communicate with a second flow path outlet, which faces the refrigerating compartment, of the second flow path.
The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the refrigerating compartment duct includes: a first cold air discharge port configured to discharge cold air guided by the first internal flow path to the first refrigerating space, and a second cold air discharge port configured to discharge cold air guided by the second internal flow path to the second refrigerating space.
The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the first internal flow path is configured to connect the first cold air intake port and the first cold air discharge port, and the second internal flow path is configured to connect the second cold air intake port and the second cold air discharge port.
The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the first internal flow path and the second internal flow path are partitioned from each other.
The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the refrigerating compartment duct includes a bypass flow path configured to allow the first internal flow path and the second internal flow path to communicate with each other.
The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the bypass flow path includes: a bypass inlet configured to communicate with the first internal flow path to receive a portion of the cold air flowing in the first internal flow path, and a bypass outlet configured to communicate with the second internal flow path to transfer a portion of the cold air introduced into the bypass inlet to the second internal flow path.
The refrigerator of claim 8, further comprising: a cooling device in the refrigerating compartment and configured to generate cold air, wherein the refrigerating compartment duct further includes: a third cold air intake port configured to communicate with the cooling device to receive cold air generated by the cooling device, and a third internal flow path configured to connect the third cold air intake port and the first cold air discharge port to guide cold air, which is introduced into the third cold air intake port, to the first cold air discharge port.
The refrigerator of claim 12, further comprising: a sub-damper on the third internal flow path and configured to be openable to control a flow of cold air in the third internal flow path.
The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the third internal flow path and the first internal flow path are configured to communicate with each other.
The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the cooling device includes a Peltier element configured to generate cold air.

Description

[Technical Field] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator including an evaporator configured to cool a freezing compartment, a variable temperature compartment, and a refrigerating compartment. [Background Art] A refrigerator is a home appliance that keeps stored food fresh by including an inner case that forms a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, and an evaporator that generates cold air to cool the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. A duct through which cold air flows may be arranged at the rear of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and cold air generated in the evaporator may be supplied to the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively, through the duct. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present disclosure is directed to providing a refrigerator including a structure capable of moving cold air from a freezing compartment to a refrigerating compartment. The present disclosure is directed to providing a refrigerator including a structure capable of controlling a flow of cold air flowing from a freezing compartment to a refrigerating compartment. The present disclosure is directed to providing a refrigerator, in which a refrigerating compartment is divided into a plurality of spaces, including a structure capable of differently setting a temperature of each of the divided spaces. The present disclosure is directed to providing a refrigerator, in which a refrigerating compartment is divided into a plurality of spaces, including a structure capable of controlling an amount of cold air flowing into each space. The technical objectives of the disclosure are not limited to the above, and other objectives may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on the following descriptions. [Technical Solution] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes an inner case forming a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. The refrigerator includes an evaporator at a rear side of the freezing compartment and configured to generate cold air. The refrigerator includes a communicating duct including a first flow path through which cold air generated by the evaporator is flowable, and a second flow path partitioned from the first flow path through which cold air generated by the evaporator is flowable. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating compartment duct including a first internal flow path configured to be supplied with cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the first flow path and to guide the supplied cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the first flow path to a first refrigerating space which is a portion of the refrigerating compartment, and a second internal flow path configured to be supplied with cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the second flow path and to guide the supplied cold air generated by the evaporator that flowed through the second flow path to a second refrigerating space which is an other portion of the refrigerating compartment. The refrigerator includes a damper including a first damping cover configured to control the supply of cold air to the first internal flow path, and a second damping cover configured to control the supply of cold air to the second internal flow path. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator including: an inner case forming a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment; an evaporator configured to generate cold air and installed at a rear side of the freezing compartment; and a fan configured to generate a flow of cold air. The refrigerator includes a communicating duct provided to allow the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment to communicate with each other so as to transfer cold air generated in the evaporator to the refrigerating compartment, and including a first flow path on which cold air flows, and a second flow path partitioned from the first flow path. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating compartment duct installed in the refrigerating compartment and provided to communicate with the communicating duct to receive cold air from the communicating duct, and including a first internal flow path provided to communicate with the first flow path and provided to guide a portion of cold air to a first storage space which is a portion of the refrigerating compartment, and a second internal flow path provided to communicate with the second flow path and provided to guide other portion of the cold air to a second storage space which is other portion of the refrigerating compartment. The refrigerator includes a damper configured to open and close the first flow path and the second flow path so as to control a flow of cold air flowing on the first internal flow path and the second internal flow path. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator including: an inner case forming a refrige