Patent Publication Number: US-2016238302-A1

Title: Refrigerator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0022647, filed in Korea on Feb. 13, 2015, whose entire disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Embodiments relate to a refrigerator. 
     2. Background 
     As refrigerators become larger, storage compartments in the refrigerators become deeper, and a separate storage space may be provided at a rear surface of the refrigerators doors. According to Korean Patent Publication No. 2010-0122155 published on Nov. 22, 2010, which has been filed by the applicant and incorporated by reference herein, a door that opens and closes a storage compartment in a refrigerator may have a structure including an inner door and an outer door. A housing, which defines an accommodation space, may be installed at a rear surface of the inner door, which is in close contact with a cabinet. An opening, which allows access to an inside of the housing, may be formed at the inner door, and the opening may be blocked by the outer door. 
     A user may store items, e.g., food, which used, in the housing, and thus, may take out food stored in the housing by opening only the outer door and may also minimize leakage of cool air from the storage compartment. However, when food is accommodated in the housing, the cool air in the storage compartment of the refrigerator may not be smoothly supplied into the housing. Food accommodated in the housing may serve as an obstacle that blocks flow of the cool air, and thus, the cool air supplied into the housing may not circulate. 
     To solve the above-described problems, a method, in which a duct connecting an evaporation compartment with the housing is separately installed inside the cabinet of the refrigerator, has been proposed. However, a disadvantage for this method is that a separate duct component may be installed at a side surface or an upper surface of the cabinet, and a separate insulation for the duct may be required. Thus, an insulating effect of the duct may be lowered, dew condensation or ice formation may occur, and the duct may expand during a foaming process. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a cool air circulation structure according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of a door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a door basket provided at the door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a cool air circulation structure according to an embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator  10  may include a cabinet  11 , which may have a storage space therein, and a door, which may be rotatably or slidably connected to a front surface of the cabinet  11  and may selectively open and close the storage space. For example, the storage space may include a refrigerator compartment  111  and a freezer compartment  112 . The refrigerator compartment  111  may be selectively opened and closed by a rotary or rotatable door  12 , and the freezer compartment  112  may be selectively opened and closed by a drawer door  13 . The door  13 , which may open and close the freezer compartment  112 , may also be a rotatable door. 
     When the doors  12 ,  13  are rotatable, the doors  12 ,  13  may be a pair of French doors, which may be rotatably connected to a left or first edge and a right or second edge of the front surface of the cabinet  11 . At least one of the pair of French doors may include an inner door  121 , which may be rotatably coupled to the front surface of the cabinet  11 , and an outer door  122 , which may be rotatably coupled to the inner door  121  at a front surface of the inner door  121 . The inner door  121  and the outer door  122  may be referred to as a first door and a second door, respectively. 
       FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a door basket provided at the door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 4  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the door  12  of the refrigerator  10  may include the inner door  121 , and the outer door  122 . The inner door  121  may include a door case  121   a,  which may form an external appearance of the inner door  121 , a door liner  121   b,  which may be installed or provided at a rear surface of the door case  121   a,  and a door dike  121   c,  which may protrude from the door liner  121   b  at a predetermined length and may be provided along an outer edge of the door liner  121   b.  Referring to  FIG. 4 , an access hole or an opening  121   d  having a predetermined size may be formed inside the inner door  121 , and the access hole  121   d  may be selectively opened and closed by the outer door  122 . 
     A housing  14 , which may define a food accommodation space, may be installed or provided at a rear surface of the inner door  121 . The housing  14  may be coupled to the door dike  121   c.  A width of the food accommodation space formed at the inner door  121  may be defined as a sum of a length corresponding to a thickness of the inner door  121  defined by the door case  121   a  and the door liner  121   b,  a protruding length of the door dike  121   c,  and a width of the housing  14 . 
     The housing  14  may include upper and lower surfaces, left and right side surfaces, a rear surface, and an opened front surface. A size of the opened front surface may correspond to a size of the access hole  121   d.  A cool air inlet port  141 , through which cool air may be introduced into the housing  14 , may be formed at the upper surface of the housing  14 , and a plurality of cool air outlet ports  142  may be formed at the rear surface of the housing  14 . 
     A plurality of basket supporting ribs  143  may protrude from an inner surface of the housing  14 . The plurality of basket supporting ribs or brackets  143  may be provided inside the housing  14  to be spaced apart from each other vertically at predetermined intervals. Each of the basket supporting ribs  143  may horizontally extend from the inner surface of the housing  14  while having a predetermined width, and may continuously extend along the left and right side surfaces and the rear surface of the housing  14 . Alternatively, each of the basket supporting ribs  143  may extend from only inner surfaces of the left and right side surfaces of the housing  14 . 
     One or more door baskets  15  may be installed inside the housing  14 . Each of the door baskets  15  may be seated on the basket supporting ribs  143  and may be coupled to the door dike  121   c.  The one or more door baskets  15  may be separably coupled to the door dike  121   c.  When the door baskets  15  are coupled to the door dike  121   c,  a bottom of each of the door baskets  15  may be in contact with the basket supporting ribs  143 . For example, a fastening rib  121   e,  which may protrude toward a center of the access hole  121   d  and vertically extend a predetermined length, may be formed at an inner surface of the door dike  121   c.  The fastening rib  121   e  may be inserted into a side surface of the door basket  15 . 
     When the door baskets  15  are installed or provided inside the housing  14 , a cool air path  105 , through which the cool air may pass, may be formed between the front surface of the inner door  121  and front surfaces of the door baskets  15 . When the door baskets  15  are installed or provided inside the inner door  121 , the front surfaces of the door baskets  15  are spaced backward apart from the front surface of the inner door  121  at a predetermined distance. Therefore, cool air from the refrigerator compartment  111  introduced into the cool air inlet port  141  may flow down along the cool air path  105 , and then may be discharged again into the refrigerator compartment  111  through the plurality of cool air outlet ports  142 . 
     Each of the door baskets  15  may be in a box shape, of which an upper surface may be opened. For example, each of the door baskets  15  may include a front portion  152 , a rear portion  153 , a left side portion  154  and a right side portion  155 , which may connect ends of the front portion  152  and the rear portion  153 , and a bottom portion  151 , which may connect lower ends of the rear portion  153 , the left and right side portions  154  and  155 , and the front portion  152 . 
     A basket installation part or mount  156  may be formed at each of left and right edges of the rear portion  153 . For example, the basket installation mount  156  may further protrude from the rear portion  153 . The basket installation mount  156  may be coupled to the door dike  121   c.  As the basket installation mount  156  protrudes further than the rear portion  153  of the door basket  15 , a distance L 1  from a front end of the basket installation mount  156  to the front portion  152  of the door basket  15  may be longer than a distance L 2  between the rear portion  153  and the front portion  152 . 
     A fastening groove  157 , in which the fastening rib  121   e  formed at the door dike  121   c  may be inserted, may be recessed from an outer surface of the basket installation mount  156 . The fastening rib  121   e  may be inserted into the fastening groove  157  in a direction in which the door basket  15  may be moved onto the fastening rib  121   e,  for example, a downward direction, and thus, the door basket  15  may be coupled to the door dike  121   c.  As the fastening rib  121   e  is inserted into the fastening groove  157  by moving the door basket  15  downward, the door basket  15  may be prevented from being separated from the inner door  121  while the inner door  121  is opened and closed. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the cool air descending path  105  may be defined as a space formed by the rear portion  153  of the door basket  15 , the basket installation mount  156 , the access hole  121   d,  and a rear surface of the outer door  122 . A distance from the rear surface of the outer door  122  to the rear portion  153  of the door basket  15  may be defined as a width of the cool air descending path  105 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a cool air circulation fan  20  may be installed or provided at an upper surface of a front portion of the cabinet  11 . For example, the cool air circulation fan  20  may be located at a position corresponding to just above the cool air inlet port  141  of the housing  14 . A fan seating groove  113  formed to be recessed at a predetermined depth may be formed at an inner upper surface of the cabinet  11  at which the cool air circulation fan  20  may be installed. A wire  114  connected to the cool air circulation fan  20  may extend along an inside of the cabinet  11 , and may be connected to a controller. 
     The cool air circulation fan  20  may be inclined at an angle corresponding to a gradient of the upper surface of the housing  14 . A bottom of the fan seating groove  113  may be inclined with a gradient, which is the same as a gradient of the upper surface of the housing  14 . For example, the fan seating groove  113  may be recessed by a depth, which may accommodate the cool air circulation fan  20  such that the cool air circulation fan  20  may not interfere with the upper surface of the housing  14  when the door  12  is closed. That is, the fan seating groove  113  may be recessed with a predetermined depth so that a lower surface of the cool air circulation fan  20  may be spaced apart from the upper surface of the housing  14  at a predetermined distance when the cool air circulation fan  20  is installed at a ceiling of the refrigerator compartment  111 . 
     Also, the fan seating groove  113  may have a sufficient size such that the cool air in the refrigerator compartment  111  may be introduced to the cool air circulation fan  20 . That is, when the door  12  is closed, a rear end of the fan seating groove  113  may be further rearward than the rear surface of the housing  14 . Then, the cool air in the refrigerator compartment  111  may be suctioned to the cool air circulation fan  20  through a space defined between the rear surface of the housing  14  and a rear end of the fan seating groove  113 . 
     For example, the cool air suctioned by the cool air circulation fan  20  may be supplied into the housing  14  through the cool air inlet port  141  of the housing  14 , and the cool air supplied in the housing  14  may cool food inside the housing  14  in a refrigerated state. A circulation process, in which the cool air supplied in the housing  14  may flow down along the cool air descending path  105  and be discharged again into the refrigerator compartment  111  through the cool air outlet ports  142 , may be repeated. Thus, as the cool air circulation fan is installed at the ceiling portion of the storage compartment inside the cabinet, the cool air in the storage compartment of the refrigerator may be supplied to the housing of the door, and the cool air may be smoothly circulated. 
     According to the embodiment, there may be no need to lay a duct structure inside the cabinet, and duct expansion, dew condensation, or ice formation during a foaming process may be prevented. Embodiments disclosed herein provide a refrigerator which is able to provide the above-mentioned advantages. 
     According embodiments disclosed herein, a refrigerator may include a cabinet having a storage compartment; a door rotatably coupled to a front surface of the cabinet, and configured to selectively open and close the storage compartment; a housing installed at a rear surface of the door to define a food accommodation space, and having a cool air inlet hole formed at an upper surface thereof; a door basket or basket located inside the housing; and a cool air circulation fan or circulation fan installed or provided at an inner upper surface of the cabinet corresponding to an upper side of the cool air inlet hole when the door is closed, and configured to enable the cool air in the storage compartment to forcibly flow to an inside of the housing, wherein a cool air descending path or flow path may be formed between a vertical surface that passes through a front surface of the door and a vertical surface that passes through a front portion of the door basket. 
     The refrigerator may include a cabinet having a storage compartment, a door rotatably coupled to a front surface of the cabinet that opens and closes the storage compartment, a housing provided at a rear surface of the door to define an accommodation space, a cool air inlet hole provided at an upper surface of the housing, a basket provided inside the housing and mounted to the door, the basket having a recess to provide an opening between the basket and the door, a circulation fan provided at an inner upper surface of the cabinet that corresponds to an upper side of the cool air inlet hole when the door is closed, and configured to circulate cool air from the storage compartment into an inside of the housing, and a cool air flow path formed by the opening to allow the cool air to flow through the inside of the accommodation space. 
     The circulation fan may introduce the cool air from the storage compartment into the housing through the cool air inlet hole, and the cool air introduced into the housing flows down along the cool air flow path. The refrigerator may further include at least one cool air outlet port formed at a rear surface of the housing, and the cool air flowing down along the cool air flow path may be discharged into the storage compartment through the cool air outlet port. 
     A fan seating groove may be recessed from the inner upper surface of the cabinet at which the circulation fan is installed such that the circulation fan may not interfere with the upper surface of the housing when the door is closed. The upper surface of the housing may be inclined at a gradient, and the circulation fan may be inclined at a gradient that corresponds to the gradient of the upper surface of the housing. A width of the fan seating groove may extend further into a rear of the cabinet than a rear surface of the housing while the door is closed such that the cool air in the storage compartment may be suctioned to the circulation fan. 
     The door may include an inner door, in which the housing may be provided at a rear surface thereof, and an outer door, which may be rotatably connected to the inner door. An edge of the rear surface of the inner door may be in close contact with the front surface of the cabinet while the inner door is closed, and an edge of a rear surface of the outer door may be in close contact with a front surface of the inner door while the outer door is closed. 
     An access hole may be formed inside the inner door and may be opened and closed by the outer door, the access hole having a same size as a front end of the housing. The inner door may include a door case, of which a front surface may be in close contact with the rear surface of the outer door, a door liner, which may be coupled to a rear surface of the door case, and a door dike, which may protrude from an edge of the door liner and may be in close contact with a front surface of the housing. The door dike may include a pair of vertical portions that extend along a left edge and a right edge of the access hole; and one or more fastening ribs that protrude from an inner surface of each of the pair of vertical portions. 
     The basket may include a front portion; a rear portion; left and right side portions that connect ends of the front portion and the rear portion; a bottom portion that connects the front portion, the left and right side portions, and the rear portion; and a basket installation mount, to which the fastening rib may be fastened, that extends out from left and right edges of the front portion. 
     The basket installation mount may include a fastening groove that extends vertically in the basket installation mount and may have a depth that corresponds to a protrusion size of the fastening rib. While the outer door is in close contact with the inner door, a front end of the basket installation mount and the rear surface of the outer door may be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance. While the outer door is in close contact with the inner door, a forward and backward width of a center of the cool air flow path may be a distance from the rear surface of the outer door to the front portion of the basket. The refrigerator may further include a basket supporting rib that extends from an inner side surface of the housing toward a center of the housing and with which the bottom portion of the basket is in close contact when the fastening rib is completely inserted into the fastening groove. 
     Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments. 
     Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.