EP-4741744-A1 - REFRIGERATOR

EP4741744A1EP 4741744 A1EP4741744 A1EP 4741744A1EP-4741744-A1

Abstract

A refrigerator including a thermoelectric module that includes a module plate having an opening, a first heat sink, a second heat sink, a thermoelectric element to be disposed in the opening so that one surface of the thermoelectric element contacts the first heat sink and another surface of the thermoelectric element, opposite the one surface, contacts the second heat sink, a fastening member that is configured to couple the first heat sink and the second heat sink to the module plate by being passed through the first heat sink, the module plate, and the second heat sink, having a head portion and a connecting portion having a diameter smaller than the head portion, a washer member supported between the head portion and the first heat sink, and a nut member to which the connecting portion is fastened and that is supported by the second heat sink.

Inventors

SEO, DONGPIL
LEE, SEUNGJIN
SUNG, TAEHYUN
LEE, Jaebok

Assignees

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241223

Claims (15)

A refrigerator comprising: a storage compartment; and a thermoelectric module to cool the storage compartment, wherein the thermoelectric module includes: a module plate having an opening; a first heat sink to be provided on one side of the module plate; a second heat sink to be provided on another side of the module plate; a thermoelectric element to be disposed in the opening so that while the thermoelectric element is disposed in the opening, one surface of the thermoelectric element contacts the first heat sink and another surface of the thermoelectric element, opposite the one surface, contacts the second heat sink; a fastening member, configured to couple the first heat sink and the second heat sink to the module plate by being passed through the first heat sink, the module plate, and the second heat sink, having a head portion and a connecting portion having a diameter smaller than the head portion; a washer member supported between the head portion and the first heat sink; and a nut member to which the connecting portion is fastened and that is supported by the second heat sink.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first heat sink includes a through-hole through which the fastening member passes, and the washer member includes an insertion portion protruding toward the through-hole and insertable into the through-hole.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the washer member is formed of a material having lower thermal conductivity than a metal to reduce heat transfer between the fastening member and the first heat sink.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the washer member includes a washer through-hole through which the fastening member passes.
The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the washer member includes a boss protruding around the washer through-hole.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the washer member includes a flow guide protruding to control a flow of air.
The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the first heat sink includes: a first sink base; and a plurality of first fins protruding along a direction perpendicular to one surface of the first sink base, a plurality of first channels between the plurality of first fins, and the plurality of first channels include first basic channels and at least one first wide channel having a greater width than the first basic channels.
The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the washer member is disposed in the at least one first wide channel.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second heat sink includes a through-hole through which the fastening member passes, and the nut member includes an insertion portion protruding toward the through-hole and insertable into the through-hole.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the nut member includes: a nut body formed of a material having lower thermal conductivity than a metal to reduce heat transfer between the fastening member and the second heat sink; and a nut, having screw threads formed on an inner circumferential surface to fasten the fastening member, formed of a metal material, provided inside the nut body.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the nut member includes a nut through-hole into which the fastening member is insertable.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the nut member includes a boss protruding around a nut through-hole.
The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the nut member includes a flow guide protruding to control a flow of air.
The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the second heat sink includes: a second sink base; and a plurality of second fins protruding along a direction perpendicular to one surface of the second sink base, a plurality of second channels are formed between the plurality of second fins, and the plurality of second channels include second basic channels and at least one second wide channel having a greater width than the second basic channels.
The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the nut member is disposed in the at least one second wide channel.

Description

[Technical Field] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a thermoelectric element to cool a storage compartment. [Background Art] A refrigerator is a home appliance that has a main body having a storage compartment and a cold air supply device provided to supply cold air to the storage compartment to keep items fresh. As the cold air supply device of the refrigerator, a thermoelectric module that causes heating and cooling actions through the Peltier effect of a thermoelectric element may be used. The thermoelectric element has a heat generating portion formed on one side and a heat absorbing portion formed on the opposite side, and when current is applied to the thermoelectric element, the heating action may occur in the heat generating portion and a heating absorbing action may occur in the heat absorbing portion. The thermoelectric module may include a heat dissipation sink in contact with the heat generating portion, a cooling sink in contact with the heat absorbing portion, and a module plate supporting the heat dissipation sink and the cooling sink to increase the efficiency of the heating action and the heat absorbing action of the thermoelectric element. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] One aspect of the present disclosure discloses a thermoelectric module having an improved structure to increase the efficiency of a cooling action through a thermoelectric element and a refrigerator including the same. Another aspect of the present disclosure discloses a thermoelectric module having an improved structure so that assembly convenience is increased, and a refrigerator including the same. Technical problems to be solved in the present document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following description. [Technical Solution] In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a storage compartment and a thermoelectric module to cool the storage compartment. The thermoelectric module may include a module plate having an opening, a first heat sink to be provided on one surface of the module plate, a second heat sink to be provided on another surface of the module plate, a thermoelectric element to be disposed in the opening so that while the thermoelectric element is disposed in the opening, one side of the thermoelectric element contacts the first heat sink and another surface of the thermoelectric element, opposite the one surface contacts the second heat sink, a fastening member, configured to couple the first heat sink and the second heat sink to the module plate by being passed through the first heat sink, the module plate, and the second heat sink, having a head portion and a connecting portion having a diameter smaller than the head portion, a washer member supported between the head portion and the first heat sink, and a nut member to which the connecting portion is fastened and that is supported by the second heat sink. The first heat sink may include a through-hole through which the fastening member passes, and the washer member may include an insertion portion protruding toward through-hole and insertable into the through-hole. The washer member may be formed of a material having lower thermal conductivity than a metal to reduce heat transfer between the fastening member and the first heat sink. The washer member may include a washer through-hole through which the fastening member passes. The washer member may include a boss protruding around the washer through-hole. The washer member may include a flow guide protruding to control a flow of air. The first heat sink may include a first sink base and a plurality of first fins protruding along a direction perpendicular to one surface of the first sink base, a plurality of first channels may be formed between the plurality of first fins, and the plurality of first channels may include first basic channels and at least one first wide channel having a greater width than the first basic channels. The washer member may be disposed in the at least one first wide channel. The second heat sink may include a through-hole through which the fastening member passes. The nut member may include an insertion portion protruding toward the through-hole and insertable into the through-hole. The nut member may include a nut body formed of a material having lower thermal conductivity than a metal to reduce heat transfer between the fastening member and the second heat sink and a nut, having screw threads formed on an inner circumferential surface to fasten the fastening member, formed of a metal material, provided inside the nut body. The nut member may include a nut through-hole into which the fastening member is insertable. The nut member may include a boss protruding around the nut through-hol