Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2003-29428, filed May 9, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and, more particularly, to a refrigerator which increases thermal efficiency by forming a smooth airflow in a component compartment. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Conventionally, a refrigerator comprises a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a cooling system to cool items stored in the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment. 
   The conventional cooling system comprises: a compressor to compress a refrigerant; a condenser to condense the gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor to a liquid refrigerant; and an evaporator to evaporate the refrigerant received from the condenser while absorbing surrounding latent heat, thereby generating a cooling air in the surroundings. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the refrigerator is provided with a main body  8  having at least one storing compartment, and a component compartment  1  provided in a lower part of the main body  8 , the component compartment  1  having an opening on a back side of the main body  8 . A cover  5  is detachably provided in the opening of the component compartment  1 . 
   The component compartment is provided with components for a cooling system, for example, a compressor  2  and a condenser  3 . A fan  4  is provided adjacent to a sidewall of the component compartment, blowing toward the compressor  2  and the condenser  3 , to cool the compressor  2  and the condenser  3 . 
   The cover  5  is provided with air inlets  7  which are disposed at a portion of the cover  5  corresponding to an inlet of the fan  4 , and which allow outside air to be let in by driving the fan  4 , and air outlets  6  which are disposed opposite to the air inlets  7 , and which allow air which absorbs heat released from the components of the component compartment  1  to be let out. 
   A cooling process of the component compartment with the above configuration is described as follows, with reference to  FIG. 2 . The fan  4 , which dissipates heat generated from the compressor  2  and the condenser  3 , operates as the refrigerator operates. That is, if the fan is rotated in one direction by driving a fan motor, an outside air is let in through the air inlets of the cover  5 . The inlet air passes through the condenser  3  and the compressor  2  in turns, absorbs the heat generated therefrom, and is let out through the air outlets  6  of the cover  5 . 
   The conventional dissipation structure described above does not efficiently use a space of the component compartment  1 , since the fan  4 , the condenser  3 , and the compressor  2  are disposed in a line. Also, the conventional dissipation structure does not smoothly let air in and out, since the air inlet  7  and the air outlets  6  are disposed parallel to a blowing direction of the fan  4 . Thus, a portion of the air which absorbs the heat of the component compartment  1  remains in the component compartment  1 , thereby lowering the efficiency of the refrigerator. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which increases space efficiency by compactly configuring components in a component compartment, and which increases thermal efficiency by forming a smooth airflow. 
   Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
   To achieve the above and/or other aspects according to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator having a main body with at least one storage compartment and a component compartment having a rear opening, the refrigerator comprising a cover to cover the opening of the component compartment, the cover provided with air inlets and air outlets which are spaced apart from each other; a compressor and a condenser provided in the component compartment respectively corresponding to the air inlets and the air outlets; and a fan provided between the condenser and the air outlets, to expel air within the component compartment through the air outlets. 
   According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator may further comprise a plurality of air guiding parts provided at the air outlets. The air guiding parts may be sloped upward. 
   According to an aspect of the invention, the fan may comprise an impeller to move the air, a fan motor to drive the impeller, and a casing provided between the impeller and the fan motor, wherein the casing hermetically contacts a surrounding area of the air outlets of the cover. 
   According to an aspect of the invention, the casing may comprise a fan accommodating part to accommodate the impeller, and having air through holes to allow air surrounding the condenser to be absorbed, an engaging bracket to couple the casing to the cover of the component compartment and the fan motor, and a sealing part provided at an end of the accommodating part to form a sealed space by hermetically contacting the surrounding of the air outlets. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings of which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a component compartment of a conventional refrigerator; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view illustrating an interior of the component compartment of the conventional refrigerator in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a component compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a partially exploded perspective view of the component compartment in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a partially exploded perspective view of a fan of the component compartment of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view illustrating an interior of the component compartment of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a side sectional view of the component compartment of  FIG. 3 ; and 
       FIG. 8  is a partially exploded perspective view of the component compartment of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
   The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body  80  having at least one storage compartment (not shown), a component compartment  10  provided with components for driving a cooling system of the refrigerator in a lower part of the main body  80 , and having a rear opening, and a cover  50  which covers the opening of the component compartment  10 , and is formed with air inlets  51  and air outlets  52  to guide air to flow in and out. 
   The component compartment  10  is provided with a compressor  20  to compress a refrigerant, a condenser  30  to condense the gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor  20  to a liquid refrigerant, and a fan  40  to cool the compressor  20  and the condenser  30 . 
   The compressor  20  is provided in one side of the component compartment  10  corresponding to the air inlets  51  of the cover  50 . The condenser  30  is provided in a side of the compressor  20  corresponding to the air outlets  52  of the cover  50 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the fan  40  is provided between the condenser  30  and the air outlets  52  of the cover  50 , toward a rear of the refrigerator. The fan  40  comprises an impeller  43 , a fan motor  41  to drive the impeller  43 , and a casing  42  provided between the impeller  43  and the fan motor  41 . The casing  42  forms a sealed space by contacting the cover  50  of the component compartment  10 , and supports the impeller  43  and the fan motor  41 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the casing  42  comprises an engaging bracket  421  mounting the fan  40  in the component compartment  10  by being coupled to the cover  50  and the fan motor  41 , a fan accommodating part  422  in which the impeller  43  is accommodated and rotates, a sealing part  423  forming a sealed space by hermetically contacting with a surrounding area of the air outlets  52 . The fan accommodating part  422  is provided with air through holes  422   a  allowing air of the component compartment  10  to be absorbed and expelled through the air outlets  52  by the impeller  43 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the cover  50  is formed with the air inlets  51  and the air outlets  52 . The air inlets  51  guide outside air into the component compartment  10 , and the air outlets  52  guide air which absorbs heat of the component compartment  10  outward. Also, the air outlets  52  are formed with air guiding parts  521  which are sloped in an upward direction relative to the exterior of the refrigerator, so that the air within the component compartment  10  is let out upward. 
   With the above configuration, airflow and operation of the component compartment  10  of the refrigerator are described as follows. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , when the cooling system operates, the compressor  20 , the condenser  30 , and the fan  40  operate. Since the fan  40  is provided in the rear area of the refrigerator between the condenser  30  and the air outlets  52 , surrounding air of the lower part of the refrigerator is let in through the air outlets  52  of the cover  50  as pressure of the component compartment  10  is lowered. 
   The inlet air absorbs heat generated from the compressor  20 , and heat generated during a heat exchanging process of the condenser  30 , and is then blown out of the refrigerator by the fan  40 . If the air expelled from the component compartment  10  remains in an area surrounding the lower part of the refrigerator, and is let in the component compartment  10  of the refrigerator again, the cooling efficiency of the component compartment  10  may be lowered. Thus, the air outlets  52  of the cover  50  are provided with the air guiding parts  521  which are sloped upward. Therefore, the air expelled through the air outlets  52  of the cover  50  is blown in an upward direction relative to the refrigerator. 
   Moreover, a blowing efficiency of the fan  40  is increased, since the fan  40  and the cover  50  form a sealed space by the casing  42  of the fan  40 . 
     FIG. 8  is a partially exploded perspective view of the component compartment of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the fan  40  is provided between the compressor  20  and the air outlets  52  of the cover  50 , rather than between the condenser  30  and the air outlets  52  of  FIG. 4 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , the inlet air is drawn in on the condenser  30  side of the cover  50 , absorbs heat generated during a heat exchanging process of the condenser  30  and from the compressor  20 , and is then blown out by the fan  40  through the air outlets  52  on the compressor  20  side of the cover  50 . 
   The configuration of the refrigerator according to the present invention may be applied to a built-in type refrigerator, in which kitchen furniture forms the built-in type refrigerator as one body by accommodating a refrigerator. 
   In the case of the built-in type refrigerator, the air flow as described above may be formed if air inlets are provided in a lower part of the kitchen furniture, and air outlets are provided in an upper part of the kitchen furniture. This allows surrounding air of the lower part of the refrigerator to be let in the component compartment  10  through the air inlets  51 , and air which absorbs heat of the component compartment  10  is let out upward of the refrigerator. 
   As described above, according to the present invention, since a fan is provided between a condenser and air outlets toward a rear of a refrigerator, a component compartment is compactly configured and smooth airflow is formed, to thereby increase thermal efficiency of the refrigerator. 
   Alternatively, the fan may be provided between a compressor and a plurality of air inlets of a component compartment cover, the fan hermetically contacting a surrounding area of the air inlets so as to draw in air from outside the component compartment. The air which absorbs heat from components in the component compartment is then forced out of air outlets by the resulting increase in air pressure in the component compartment. 
   Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 2