Patent Publication Number: US-10330354-B2

Title: Heat dissipating blower and refrigerator including the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0053844, filed on May 2, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to refrigerators, and more particularly, to heat dissipation mechanisms in refrigerators. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A refrigerator is an appliance used for storing food or other times at low temperature, e.g., in a frozen state or refrigerated. Typically the storage space in the refrigerator is divided into a refrigeration compartment and a freezer. 
     The interior of the refrigerator is cooled by cold air circulating therein. Cold air can be continuously generated by a heat exchanger as a refrigerant flows therein and recycles through compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation. Cold air supplied in the refrigerator is uniformly distributed by convection. 
     The heat exchanger can be installed at one side of the refrigerator separate from the storage spaces such as the refrigeration compartment and the freezer for storing food. For example, compression and condensation processes may be performed by a compressor and a condenser disposed within a machine room formed at the lower side of a rear surface of the refrigerator. The refrigerant in the evaporator can absorb heat from ambient air and thereby cool the ambient air into cold air. 
     A heat dissipating blower including a fan is typically used to air cool the condenser. Unfortunately, a conventionally heat dissipating blower usually causes excessive vibration and noise during operation. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a heat dissipating blower in a refrigerator that can operate with reduce vibration and noise. 
     According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a heat dissipating blower includes structural improvements for reducing operational vibration and noise. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat dissipating blower includes a drive device configured to generate a rotational force; a fan coupled to the drive device; a support member configured to support the drive device; and a support frame to which the support member is coupled. The support member includes: a fastening portion coupled to the drive device; and a connection frame disposed in a spaced-apart relationship with the support frame. 
     Further, the connection frame may have an inner tapering surface formed in a convex shape toward an inner side. 
     Further, the connection frame may have a groove opened toward one side in an axial direction. 
     Further, vibration-proof members may be disposed between the connection frame and the support frame. 
     Further, the support member may include bridges configured to interconnect the fastening portion and the connection frame. 
     Further, the bridges may include first bridge portions extending toward one side in an axial direction and second bridge portions coupled to the first bridge portions and configured to extend in a direction deviated from a radial direction by a predetermined angle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator disposed with an exemplary heat dissipating blower according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exemplary heat dissipating blower illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the exemplary heat dissipating blower illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the exemplary heat dissipating blower illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. 
     One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be easily determined by those skilled in the art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. 
     It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily dimensionally illustrated. Relative sizes and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in size, and a predetermined size is merely exemplary and not limiting. The same reference numerals designate the same structures, elements, or parts illustrated in two or more drawings in order to exhibit similar characteristics. 
     The exemplary drawings of the present disclosure illustrate ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to a specific form of the illustrated region, and for example, include a modification of a form due to manufacturing. 
     The specific configuration of a heat dissipating blower according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator disposed with an exemplary heat dissipating blower according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exemplary heat dissipating blower illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the exemplary heat dissipating blower illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the exemplary heat dissipating blower illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ in  FIG. 4 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the refrigerator  1  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a heat dissipating blower  20 . Furthermore, the refrigerator  1  is equipped with a cooling system including an evaporator  30 , a compressor  40  and a condenser  50 . 
     Hereinafter, an exemplary process of generating cold air by the cooling system is described. A gaseous refrigerant at high temperature exchanges heat with ambient air through the evaporator  30  and then flows to the compressor  40  to be compressed. The compressed gaseous refrigerant dissipates heat while it passes through the condenser  50  and becomes a liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant passed through the condenser  50  flows back to the evaporator  30 . The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator  30  is evaporated by absorbing heat from ambient air. Thus, in the evaporator  30 , the liquid refrigerant receives heat from the ambient air and becomes a gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant is separated from the liquid refrigerant and introduced into the compressor  40  again. 
     In the evaporator  30 , the refrigerant absorbs heat from ambient air around the evaporator  30 . As a result, cold air is generated and then supplied for circulation in the refrigerator storage rooms. 
     In this cold air generation process, the condenser  50  dissipates heat released from the refrigerant to the outside. The heat dissipating blower  20  assists the condenser  50  to dissipate condensation heat. 
     The heat dissipating blower  20  may include a drive device  100 , a support member  200 , a fan  300  and a support frame  400 . Further, the heat dissipating blower may comprise a vibration-attenuation member disposed between the connection frame and the support frame. 
     The drive device  100  is configured to generate a rotational force for the fan  300 . The drive device  100  may be, for example, an electric motor having a rotating shaft but is not necessarily limited this specific implementation. The drive device  100  can be coupled to the fan  300  through any suitable coupling mechanism that is well known in the art. For example, a rotating shaft  110  of the drive device  100  may be coupled to a fastening portion  210 . As an alternative example, a rotor of the drive device  100  may be coupled to the fastening portion  210 . 
     The support member  200  may include a fastening portion  210 , bridges  230  and a connection frame  220 . The fastening portion  210 , the bridges  230  and the connection frame  220  may be integrally formed with each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. 
     The fastening portion  210  may support the drive device  100 . The fastening portion  210  may be disposed between the drive device  100  and the fan  300 . The fastening portion  210  may include a disc-shaped member but is not necessarily limited thereto. 
     The connection frame  220  may be a frame for connecting the bridges  230 . The connection frame  220  may be disposed so as to surround the periphery of the fan  300  and may have a circular ring shape. A groove  223  may be formed in the connection frame  220 . The groove  223  may be formed so that the groove  223  is opened toward one side in an axial direction. An inner surface  221  of the connection frame  220  may be formed in a tapering shape. An outer surface of the connection frame  220  may have a columnar shape such as a circular columnar shape or the like. The term “axial direction” used herein refers to a direction (Z direction) along which the rotating shaft  110  of the drive device  100  extends. The term “inner surface” used herein refers to a surface disposed at the inner side in the radial direction (r direction) of the rotating shaft  110  of the drive device  100 . The term “outer surface” used herein refers to a surface disposed at the outer side in the radial direction (r direction) of the rotating shaft  110  of the drive device  100 . Such a tapering surface may be formed in a convex shape toward the inner side in the radial direction. Viewed from the cross section of the connection frame  220 , its inner surface  221  is bent inward and its outer surface  222  is flat. 
     Thus, the width D between the inner surface  221  and the outer surface  222  of the connection frame  220  may become increasingly smaller from one side (+Z side) toward the other side (−z side) in the axial direction. In addition, the inner surface  221  of the connection frame  220  may continuously extend along a circumferential direction  1 . Further, the connection frame comprises a groove open toward one side in an axial direction. 
     The bridges  230  may interconnect the fastening portion  210  and the connection frame  220 . Furthermore, the bridges  230  may support the drive device  100  and the fan  300  and the connection frame  220  surrounds the fan  300 . The bridges  230  may include first bridge portions  231  and second bridge portions  232 . The first bridge portions  231  may be coupled to one or more of the connection frame  220  and the support frame  400 . 
     Furthermore, the first bridge portions  231  may extend toward one side in the axial direction. Also, the second bridge portions  232  may extend in a direction differing from the extension direction of the first bridge portions  231 . For example, the second bridge portions  232  and the second bridge portions  232  may be disposed in a substantially perpendicular relationship with each other. The second bridge portions  232  may extend from the fastening portion  210  of the support member  200 . The second bridge portions  232  may deviate by a predetermined angle “a” from the radial direction “r” in the circumferential direction “l”. 
     The fan  300  can be rotated by the drive device  100 . For example, the fan  300  may include a hub portion  301  coupled to the rotating shaft  110  of the drive device  100  and a plurality of blade portions  302 . 
     The support frame  400  serves as a frame to which the support member  200  can be fixed. Furthermore, the support frame  400  may include a passage portion  401  which surrounds the connection frame  220  and has a shape conformal to the shape of the connection frame  220 . For example, if the outer surface of the connection frame  220  is formed in a cylindrical shape, the passage portion  401  of the support frame  400  may be formed in a cylindrical shape. The support frame  400  may be spaced apart by a certain distance from the connection frame  220 . In other words, a gap  402  may be formed between the support frame  400  and the connection frame  220 . 
     Vibration-attenuation members  403  may be disposed in the gap  402  between the support frame  400  and the connection frame  220 . The vibration-attenuation members  403  may be disposed in a plural number. The vibration-proof members  403  may be may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or the like but is not necessarily limited thereto. 
     Recesses  404  may be formed in the support frame  400 . The recesses  404  may open toward one side in the axial direction. The recesses  404  of the support frame  400  and the groove  223  of the connection frame  220  may open toward the same side. 
     A protrusion portion  405  may be disposed in the passage portion  401  of the support frame  400 . The protrusion portion  405  may protrude radially inward from the passage portion  401 . The protrusion portion  405  may be disposed at the other side of the passage portion  401  in the axial direction. In other words, when viewed from the other side toward the one side in the axial direction, the protrusion portion  405  may cover the gap  402  and at least a portion of the connection frame  220 . 
     Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure. 
     Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are not limiting, but merely exemplary. The scope of the present disclosure is expressed by claims below, not the detailed description, and it should be construed that all changes and modifications achieved from the meanings and scope of claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the present disclosure.