Patent Publication Number: US-2010126207-A1

Title: Ventilating device and the refrigerator having the same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a ventilating device and a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a ventilating device including a scroll of an optimized structure and a refrigerator having the same. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
       FIG. 1  is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a conventional refrigerator. 
     Generally, the refrigerator  1  includes a storage compartment  2  defined in a refrigerator body  10  for storing food, a door  4  for opening and closing the storage compartment  2 , and a machinery compartment  4  in which a refrigeration cycle apparatus, including a compressor for generating cool air necessary to cool the interior of the storage compartment  2 , is mounted. 
     At one side of the storage compartment  2  is mounted a cool air channel  22  for guiding the cool air, generated by the refrigeration cycle, to the storage compartment. 
     Also, the refrigerator includes a ventilating device  20  for ventilating the generated cool air to the cool air channel  22 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  are views illustrating the cool air channel and the ventilating device. 
     The conventional ventilating device  20  includes a fan  24  for suctioning cool air cooled by an evaporator and a motor for rotating the fan  24 . 
     The fan  24  is generally mounted above the evaporator  6 , which generates cool air. Also, the fan  24  is located in a scroll  26 . 
     The scroll  26  is constructed in a structure in which one side of the scroll  26  communicates with the cool air channel  22  such that cool air, suctioned by the fan  24  and then discharged, can smoothly flow to the cool air channel  22 . 
     However, the conventional cool air channel  22  is a single type channel, along which the cool air flows. As a result, the conventional refrigerator is constructed in a structure in which cool air is discharged toward the middle of the storage compartment  2  in the storage compartment  2  for achieving uniform cooling in the refrigerator. In this case, however, it is quite difficult to uniformly cool opposite sides of the storage compartment  2  in the storage compartment  2 . 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies on a ventilating device that is capable of more uniformly cooling the interior of a storage compartment and a refrigerator having the same. 
     Another object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies on an optimized structure that is capable of achieving the smoother flow of cool air in a ventilating device having two or more cool air channels and a refrigerator having the same. 
     Technical Solution 
     The object of the present invention can be achieved by providing a ventilating device including a ventilation fan for ventilating air, a first duct for allowing some of the air discharged from the ventilation fan to flow therealong, a second duct for allowing at least some of the remaining air, excluding the air discharged from the ventilation fan and flowing along the first duct, to flow therealong, and a scroll for guiding the air discharged from the ventilation fan to the first duct and the second duct, the scroll being constructed in the shape of a spiral track in which a coefficient of expansion angle from a cutoff part to at least one of the first and second ducts is 0.35 to 0.4. 
     Preferably, the ventilating device is constructed in a structure in which the distance between the cutoff part of the scroll and the outer circumference of the ventilation fan is 4 to 6% of the diameter of the ventilation fan. 
     Preferably, the angle between a perpendicular line drawn from the center point of the ventilation fan toward the ground and an imaginary straight line interconnecting the center point of the ventilation fan and the cutoff part is 35 to 45 degrees. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, provided herein is a refrigerator having a ventilating device, the ventilating device including a ventilation fan for ventilating air, a first duct for allowing some of the air discharged from the ventilation fan to flow therealong, a second duct for allowing at least some of the remaining air, excluding the air discharged from the ventilation fan and flowing along the first duct, to flow therealong, and a scroll for guiding the air discharged from the ventilation fan to the first duct and the second duct, the scroll being constructed in a structure in which the distance between a cutoff part and the outer circumference of the ventilation fan is 2 to 8% of the diameter of the ventilation fan. 
     Preferably, the angle between a perpendicular line drawn from the center point of the ventilation fan toward the ground and an imaginary straight line interconnecting the center point of the ventilation fan and the cutoff part is 35 to 45 degrees. 
     Preferably, the scroll is constructed in the shape of a spiral track in which a coefficient of expansion angle from the cutoff part to at least one of the first and second ducts is 0.35 to 0.4. 
     ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS 
     The ventilating device according to the present invention and the refrigerator having the same have the following effects. 
     First, a plurality of cool air channels, such as the first duct and the second duct, communicate with the interior of the storage compartment, whereby the interior of the storage compartment is more uniformly cooled. 
     Second, the scroll is constructed in an optimized structure, thereby improving the efficiency. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a conventional refrigerator; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating a ventilating device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view illustrating the ventilating device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view illustrating a ventilating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view illustrating the ventilating device according to the present invention when viewed in another direction; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged side view illustrating principal components of  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a graph illustrating the change of power consumption depending upon the change in distance between a cutoff part and the outer circumference of the ventilating device according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are views illustrating a ventilating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In this embodiment, the ventilating device  120  includes a ventilation fan  124 , a first duct  130  and a second duct  140  along which air discharged from the ventilation fan  124  flows, and a scroll  122  in which the ventilation fan  124  is mounted. 
     The ventilation fan  124  is configured to suction cool air, cooled by an evaporator, and discharge the cool air into the scroll  122 . 
     In the ventilating device according to this embodiment, a motor for generating a rotary force is integrally connected to the center of the ventilation fan  124 . 
     Some of the cool air, discharged from the ventilation fan  124 , flows along the first duct  130 , and at least some of the remaining cool air, excluding the cool air flowing along the first duct  130 , flows along the second duct  140 . 
     When the ventilating device according to this embodiment is applied to a refrigerator, the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  may communicate with the same storage compartment  2  (see  FIG. 1 ). Alternatively, the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  may communicate with different storage compartments, respectively. 
     When the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  communicate with the same storage compartment, one end of the first duct  130  communicates with one side of the storage compartment, and one end of the second duct  130  communicates with the other side of the storage compartment opposite to the side where the first duct communicates with the storage compartment, such that lines to supply cool air into the storage compartment are spaced apart from each other. 
     Consequently, a plurality of cool air channels, such as the first duct  130  and the second duct  140 , communicate with the interior of the storage compartment, whereby the interior of the storage compartment is more uniformly cooled. 
     Also, the ventilating device  120 , having the first duct  120  and the second duct  140  as the cool air channels extending from the scroll  122  to the storage compartment, is constructed in an optimized structure maximizing the efficiency. 
     To this end, the present invention provides a ventilating device including a ventilation fan for ventilating air, a first duct for allowing some of the air discharged from the ventilation fan to flow therealong, a second duct for allowing at least some of the remaining air, excluding the air discharged from the ventilation fan and flowing along the first duct, to flow therealong, and a scroll for guiding the air discharged from the ventilation fan to the first duct and the second duct, the scroll being constructed in the shape of a spiral track in which a coefficient of expansion angle from a cutoff part to at least one of the first and second ducts is 0.35 to 0.4, whereby the efficiency is maximized. 
       FIG. 6  is a view illustrating the ventilating device according to the above-defined embodiment of the present invention. 
     The ventilation fan  124  is preferably a centrifugal fan, such as a turbo fan, for suctioning air in the axial direction and then discharging the air in the radial direction. 
     Also, a motor, for generating a rotary force, may be integrally connected to the center of the ventilation fan  124 . 
     Some of the cool air, discharged from the ventilation fan  124 , flows along the first duct  130 , and at least some of the remaining cool air, excluding the cool air flowing along the first duct  130 , flows along the second duct  140 . 
     The first duct  130  and the second duct  140  may communicate with the same storage compartment  2  (see  FIG. 1 ). Alternatively, the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  may communicate with different storage compartments, respectively. 
     When the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  communicate with the same storage compartment, the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  preferably communicate with opposite sides of the storage compartment. 
     Also, the ventilation fan  124  is mounted in the scroll  122 . Consequently, when the ventilation fan  124  is operated, air is suctioned in the axial direction of the ventilation fan  124 , is discharged in the radial direction of the ventilation fan  124 , and is guided to the first duct  130  and the second duct  140  by the scroll  122 . 
     The scroll  122  is constructed to surround the ventilation fan  124 . The interior of the scroll  122  is formed in a spiral shape. The interior of the scroll  122  communicates with the first duct  130  and the second duct  140 . Consequently, the scroll  122  guides the cool air, discharged from the ventilation fan  124 , to the first duct  130  and the second duct  140 . 
     In this case, the scroll  122  preferably has a curved part  128  curved along a spiral track from a cutoff forming part  126  to the first duct  130  or the second duct  140 . 
     Here, the distance r from a center point (in this embodiment, the center point of the ventilation fan  123 ) to the spiral track is represented by the production of a coefficient of expansion angle a and angle Θ from the initial position. In this embodiment, coefficient of expansion angle is preferably 0.35 to 0.4. 
     That is, r=aΘ where a=0.35 to 0.4 
     Consequently, the air discharged in the radial direction of the ventilation fan  124  smoothly flows to the first duct  130  or the second duct  140  by the scroll  122  curved along the spiral track. 
     Also, the angle between a perpendicular line  152  drawn from the center point of the ventilation fan  124  toward the ground and an imaginary straight line  154  interconnecting the center point of the ventilation fan  124  and the cutoff part  126  is preferably 35 to 45 degrees. 
     Also, the distance between the outer circumference of the ventilation fan  124  and the cutoff part  126  of the scroll  122  is preferably 3 to 7% of the diameter D of the ventilation fan  124 . 
     More preferably, the distance between the cutoff part  126  of the scroll  122  and the outer circumference of the ventilation fan  124  is preferably 4 to 6% of the diameter D of the ventilation fan  124 . 
       FIG. 7  is a graph illustrating the change of power consumption depending upon the change in distance between the cutoff part  126  of the scroll  122  and the outer circumference of the ventilation fan  124 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , it can be seen that, when the distance between the outer circumference of the ventilation fan  124  and the cutoff part  126  of the scroll  122  is 3 to 7% of the diameter D of the ventilation fan  124 , the power consumption is satisfactory, and, when the distance between the outer circumference of the ventilation fan  124  and the cutoff part  126  of the scroll  122  is 4 to 6% of the diameter D of the ventilation fan  124 , the power consumption is minimized. 
     The ventilating device with the above-stated construction may be independently used to ventilate air to a certain space. Alternatively, the ventilating device may be applied to the refrigerator  1  (see  FIG. 1 ) to ventilate cool air, generated by the refrigeration cycle, to the storage compartment. 
     As described above, the present invention is applied to a ventilating device and a refrigerator. However, the present invention may be applied to an air conditioner to ventilate air provided that it departs from the spirit or scope of the invention.