US20120011884A1 - Refrigerator and cooling apparatus - Google Patents
Refrigerator and cooling apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120011884A1 US20120011884A1 US13/182,246 US201113182246A US2012011884A1 US 20120011884 A1 US20120011884 A1 US 20120011884A1 US 201113182246 A US201113182246 A US 201113182246A US 2012011884 A1 US2012011884 A1 US 2012011884A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cooling apparatus
- refrigerator
- time
- detecting
- controller
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/062—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators
- F25D17/065—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators with compartments at different temperatures
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
- F25D21/002—Defroster control
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/061—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation through special compartments
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/066—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the air supply
- F25D2317/0666—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the air supply from the freezer
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
- F25D2331/803—Bottles
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
- F25D2331/805—Cans
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
- F25D2400/28—Quick cooling
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2700/00—Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor
- F25D2700/02—Sensors detecting door opening
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a cooling apparatus and a refrigerator including the cooling apparatus.
- a refrigerator is a home appliance providing a low-temperature storage that can be opened and closed by a door for storing foods at a low temperature. To this end, the storage of the refrigerator is cooled by using air which is cooled by heat exchange with refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle.
- Embodiments provide a cooling apparatus, in which a driving motor is connected to an agitating member to convert a rotation of the driving motor into a reciprocation, thereby swinging the agitating member and agitating a beverage in a beverage container.
- Embodiments also provide a cooling apparatus, in which at least one beverage container having an arbitrary size is placed on an agitating member.
- Embodiments also provide a refrigerator including a cooling apparatus therein, in which closing of a cover of the cooling apparatus is linked with closing of a door of the refrigerator.
- Embodiments also provide a cooling apparatus including a driving assembly that includes a single driving motor to drive a suction fan and an agitating member.
- a cooling apparatus includes: a case including a cool air introduction opening and a cool air discharge opening; a drawer drawable from the case; a swingable agitating member installed on the drawer, a beverage container being placed on the agitating member; and a driving assembly disposed in the case, and providing power to swing the agitating member, wherein the driving assembly includes a driving motor providing torque, and a transmission unit connecting the driving motor to the agitating member, and swinging the agitating member with the torque from the driving motor.
- a refrigerator in another embodiment, includes: a cabinet, which is provided with a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a heat exchanging compartment provided with an evaporator; a door opening and closing the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment; and a cooling apparatus disposed in the refrigerator, and receiving cool air from the heat exchanging compartment to cool a beverage container therein, wherein the cooling apparatus includes: a case including a cool air introduction opening and a cool air discharge opening; a drawer drawable from the case; a swingable agitating member installed on the drawer, and inclined to obliquely install the beverage container; a driving assembly, which includes a driving motor disposed on the case, and providing torque, and a transmission unit connecting the driving motor to the agitating member to swing the agitating member; and a suction fan rotated by a fan motor disposed at an outside of the case, and sucking air from the case.
- the cooling apparatus includes: a case including a cool air introduction opening and a cool air discharge opening; a drawer drawable from the case;
- the cooling apparatus configured as described above and the refrigerator including the cooling apparatus have the following effects.
- the driving assembly of the refrigerator swings the agitating member on which the beverage container is placed.
- a beverage is agitated in the beverage container to reduce a temperature variation of the beverage and quickly cool the beverage.
- the refrigerator includes the suction fan to increase a flow rate of cool air, thus, improving heat exchange between the beverage container and the cool air. Accordingly, heat exchange efficiency is improved.
- Cool air supplied into the case has a high flow rate, and perpendicularly collides with the beverage container, so as to increase the amount of heat exchange per unit time, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.
- the cover when the cover is opened, the upper end of the cover is disposed at the upper outside of the rotation shaft of the cover.
- the cover is closed in conjunction with the door of the refrigerator by closing the door without separate manipulation, thereby conveniently using the refrigerator.
- the refrigerator since the refrigerator includes the single driving motor to drive the suction fan and the agitating member, when the cooling apparatus is driven, a heat load in the refrigerator can be minimized, thereby reducing power consumption.
- the agitating member includes the neck holder supported by the elastic member.
- a beverage container having an arbitrary size or a plurality of beverage containers can be stably placed on the agitating member, and the agitating member can stably operate.
- FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating refrigerator doors when being opened according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an inner structure of a refrigerator including a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 - 3 ′ of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5 - 5 ′ of FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view taken along line 6 - 6 ′ of FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the front part of the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the agitating member.
- FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the agitating member of the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a beverage container placed on the agitating member.
- FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating two beverage containers placed on the agitating member.
- FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a bottle placed on the agitating member.
- FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic views illustrating a swing of the agitating member.
- FIG. 15 is perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover of the cooling apparatus is opened.
- FIGS. 16 and 17 are side views illustrating a process in which the cover and a door of a refrigerator are closed according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner configuration of a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a front part of a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating the rear part of the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a housing of a gear assembly of the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating refrigerator doors when being opened according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an inner structure of a refrigerator including a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 - 3 ′ of FIG. 2 .
- a cooling apparatus may be disposed in a storing space of a refrigerator for storing a food at low temperature.
- the cooling apparatus is disposed in the refrigerator to perform a quick cooling operation with cool air generated in the refrigerator.
- the cooling apparatus is disposed in the refrigerator in the following embodiment, the cooling apparatus may be installed on any apparatus for generating cool air, as well as the refrigerator.
- a refrigerator 1 includes an outer case 102 constituting the appearance, an inner case 101 installed on the inner portion of the outer case 102 and forming an inner storing space, and an insulating member filling a space between the inner case 101 and the outer case 102 , thereby forming a main body.
- the inner storing space may include a refrigerator compartment 103 for refrigerating a food, and a freezer compartment 104 for freezing a food.
- the refrigerator compartment 103 is opened and closed by rotations of a pair of refrigerator compartment doors, and the freezer compartment 104 is opened and closed by sliding of a freezer compartment door.
- the storing space is divided into upper and lower portions by a partition 105 , and the refrigerator compartment 103 is disposed over the freezer compartment 104 to form a bottom freezer type refrigerator.
- the cooling apparatus may be installed on a top mount type refrigerator in which a freezer compartment is disposed over a refrigerator compartment, a side-by-side type refrigerator in which a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment are disposed side by side, and a refrigerator having one of a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment.
- an evaporating compartment 107 is formed on the rear surface of the freezer compartment 104 by an evaporating compartment wall 106 , and the evaporating compartment 107 accommodates an evaporator 108 .
- the evaporating compartment wall 106 may be provided with a cool air discharge opening 106 a for discharging cool air into the freezer compartment 104 , and a cool air suction opening 106 b disposed in a rear surface of the bottom of the freezer compartment 104 to return cool air from the freezer compartment 104 to the evaporating compartment 107 .
- a refrigerator compartment duct 109 vertically extends on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 103 , and the lower end of the refrigerator compartment duct 109 communicates with the evaporating compartment 107 .
- the front surface of the refrigerator compartment duct 109 may be provided with cool air discharge openings 109 a to supply cool air from the evaporating compartment 107 to the refrigerator compartment 103 .
- An upper surface of the partition 105 may be provided with a cool air suction opening (not shown) to return cool air from the freezer compartment 103 to the evaporating compartment 107 .
- a cooling apparatus 10 for quickly cooling a beverage or alcohol may be disposed at a side on the top surface of the partition 105 .
- the cooling apparatus 10 may include a passage connecting to the evaporating compartment 107 and/or the freezer compartment 104 to fluidly communicate with the evaporating compartment 107 and/or the freezer compartment 104 .
- the cool air generated in the evaporating compartment 107 may be supplied into the cooling apparatus 10 .
- a beverage container 2 received in the cooling apparatus 10 may be cooled by the cool air supplied into the cooling apparatus 10 .
- the cool air which is increased in temperature by heat-exchanging with the beverage container 2 in the cooling apparatus 10 may return to the evaporating compartment 107 .
- the fluidic communication may represent that the cool air can be circulated between the evaporating compartment 107 and the cooling apparatus 10 by a passage structure such as a duct.
- the beverage container 2 used in the current embodiment may include various containers including bottles or cans in which water, a beverage, or alcohol is contained.
- the cooling apparatus 10 may include a cooling compartment defining a space for receiving the beverage container 2 and/or a passage connecting the cooling compartment, the freezer compartment 104 , and the evaporating compartment 107 to each other.
- the cooling apparatus 10 receives cool air from the evaporating compartment 107 through the separate passage, and discharges cool air to the freezer compartment 104 .
- the cooling apparatus 10 receives cool air from the evaporating compartment 107 through the separate passage, and discharges cool air to the freezer compartment 104 .
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5 - 5 ′ of FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view taken along line 6 - 6 ′ of FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the front part of the cooling apparatus.
- the cooling apparatus 10 may include a cooling compartment and a cool air passage connected to the cooling compartment.
- the cooling compartment may include: a case 20 forming a storing space for the beverage container 2 ; a cover 60 opening and closing an inlet of the case 20 ; an agitating member 50 selectively accommodated in the case 20 , the beverage container 2 being placed on the agitating member 50 ; a fan motor assembly 30 installed on the case 20 to forcibly move cool air; and a driving assembly 40 coupled to the case 20 to drive the agitating member 50 .
- the case 20 has front and rear openings, and has a space accommodating the agitating member 50 and the beverage container 2 .
- the rear opening of the case 20 may be provided with the driving assembly 40 , and the driving assembly 40 may close the rear opening of the case 20 .
- the front surface of the case 20 is provided with an inlet 21 for receiving the beverage container 2 .
- the inlet 21 is inclined to increase in length downward, thereby more facilitating access with the beverage container 2 .
- the inlet 21 is opened and closed by the cover 60 having a corresponding shape to the inlet 21 .
- a gasket 61 may be disposed at the edge of the cover 60 or the front end of the case 20 . When the cover 60 is closed, the gasket 61 prevents leakage of cool air from the case 20 .
- Cover fixing parts 211 are disposed at the front end of the case 20 provided with the inlet 21 .
- Fixing members 62 provided to the cover 60 are inserted in and fixed to the cover fixing parts 211 to maintain closing of the cover 60 .
- the cover fixing parts 211 and the fixing members 62 are disposed at the left and right sides of the cooling apparatus 10 to stably maintain closing of the cover 60 .
- the lower end of the inlet 21 is provided with cover coupling parts 212 .
- the cover coupling part 212 is coupled to the lower end of the cover 60 through a shaft.
- the cover 60 may rotate about the cover coupling part 212 as an axis, to open and close the inlet 21 .
- An opening 22 is disposed in the top surface of the case 20 to check the inside of the case 20 and assemble and repair inner parts.
- the opening 22 may be covered by an opening cover 221 .
- the position of the opening 22 may be varied on the case 20 .
- a suction grill 23 may be removably attached to the bottom surface of the case 20 , and be disposed at an outlet of a suction duct 11 .
- the suction grill 23 is installed on a cool air introduction opening 24 in the bottom surface of the case 20 .
- the cool air introduction opening 24 is disposed at a set position of the case 20 .
- the set position of the cool air introduction opening 24 may be a position corresponding to the position of one beverage container 2 placed on the agitating member 50 . Accordingly, cool air passing through the suction grill 23 is entirely directed to the outer surface of the beverage container 2 to cool the beverage container 2 .
- the bottom surface of the suction grill 23 may be provided with a plurality of air holes 231 .
- the air holes 231 have a small diameter, a flow rate of cool air quickly increases, passing through the outlet of the suction duct 11 , that is, the suction grill 23 .
- the air holes 231 may be called jet holes.
- the air holes 231 are spaced a constant distance from one another, and uniformly distributed in a surface of the suction grill 23 .
- the upper end of the suction grill 23 is bent outward and extends to be hung on the bottom of the case 20 , so that the suction grill 23 can be removably attached to the bottom of the case 20 .
- a locking structure may be provided to prevent a removal of the suction grill 23 from the bottom of the case 20 due to sucked air.
- Cool air is vertically discharged from the air holes 231 of the suction grill 23 to a large area of the beverage container 2 placed on the agitating member 50 , that is, to a side surface thereof.
- cooling efficiency for the beverage container 2 is maximized.
- the agitating member 50 is disposed in the case 20 , and is installed on an agitating member support 25 disposed in the bottom of the case 20 .
- the agitating member 50 can swing left and right about the agitating member support 25 as an axis in the case 20 , and is connected to the driving assembly 40 to repeatedly and continuously swing a predetermined angle, thereby agitating a beverage in the beverage container 2 .
- a detailed configuration of the agitating member 50 will be described later.
- the cooling compartment may include the driving assembly 40 to provide driving force to the agitating member 50 that repeatedly rotates left and right in the case 20 .
- the fan motor assembly 30 may include: a suction fan 31 for forcibly moving air; a fan housing 32 accommodating the suction fan 31 and installed on the rear surface of the case 20 ; and a fan motor 33 disposed behind the fan housing 32 and providing torque to the suction fan 31 .
- cool air generated from the evaporating compartment 107 is sucked with great suction force by the suction fan 31 .
- Air introduced along the cool air passage into the case 20 is moved at high speed to the rear side of the case 20 by great suction force of the suction fan 31 .
- the air contacts the outer surface of the beverage container 2 disposed in the case 20 , to exchange heat.
- a flow rate of air sucked by the suction fan 31 is higher than that of air blown by a blower. This is because pressure difference between the front and rear sides of the suction fan 31 is quickly increased.
- the flow rate of the air sucked by the suction fan 31 increases, the amount of heat exchange between the beverage container 2 and the air increases. Accordingly, heat exchange efficiency is improved.
- Cool air sucked by the suction fan 31 exchanges heat with the beverage container 2 in the case 20 before the fan motor 33 driving the suction fan 31 . Accordingly, the amount of heat exchange between the cool air and the beverage container 2 relatively increases, and thus, heat exchange efficiency is improved. If a blower blows air, the air blown by the blower passes through a fan motor for driving the blower, and then, exchanges heat with the beverage container 2 . That is, the blown cool air absorbs heat, passing through the fan motor, and then, exchanges heat with the beverage container 2 . Thus, heat exchange efficiency of the suction fan 31 is higher than that of a blower.
- the suction fan 31 may be a centrifugal fan that axially sucks air to radially discharge the air. Air passing through the case 20 horizontally flow as a whole, and should moves downward to return to the evaporating compartment 107 . That is, the direction of the air passing through the case 20 crosses the direction of the air discharged from the suction fan 31 . Thus, a centrifugal fan is appropriated to a passage in which the directions of air cross each other.
- Pneumatic resistance of the suction fan 31 is smaller than that of a blower.
- air blown by a blower cannot pass through a narrow gap or an obstacle in an air passage, and is spread or flows back.
- the suction fan 31 sucks air at the inlet thereof to cause pressure difference.
- air at the front side of a narrow gap or an obstacle can easily pass through the narrow gap or the obstacle by pressure difference between the front and rear sides thereof.
- pneumatic resistance of air sucked by the suction fan 31 is smaller than that of air blown by a blower, and a flow rate of air sucked by the suction fan 31 is larger than that of air blown by a blower.
- the suction fan 31 is a centrifugal fan
- the structure of the suction fan 31 is different from that of a typical centrifugal fan.
- the suction fan 31 includes: a back plate 311 having a circular plate shape; blades 312 disposed on the front surface of the back plate 311 ; and a suction guide 143 disposed on the upper end of the blades 312 .
- the blades 312 having a predetermined width protrude forward from the front surface of the back plate 311 , and are rounded with a predetermined curvature in a radial direction from the center of the back plate 311 .
- the suction guide 313 functions as a combination of a typical bell mouth and a typical orifice. That is, the suction guide 313 smoothly guides an air flow from the front side of the fan housing 32 into the suction fan 31 , and prevents a backflow of air discharged in the radial direction along the surfaces of the blades 312 .
- the suction guide 313 protrudes forward from a circular bottom, and gradually decreases in diameter.
- a vertical cross section of the suction guide 313 may have a rounded structure where the suction guide 313 gradually decreases in diameter on a horizontal cross-section from the bottom to the upper end, and has a constant diameter on a horizontal cross-section at a predetermined position.
- the suction guide 313 has a barrel shape extending a predetermined length from the bottom of the suction guide 313 to minimize a back flow of air sucked through an inlet of the suction guide 313 , thereby providing a function of a bell mouth.
- a grill 314 may be disposed at the front side of the suction guide 313 to prevent introduction of a foreign substance.
- the cool air passage may include the suction duct 11 for supplying cool air from the evaporating compartment 107 to the case 20 , and a return duct 12 for discharging cool air from the case 20 to the freezer compartment 104 .
- an inlet (or suction opening) of the suction duct 11 may communicate with the evaporating compartment 107
- the outlet (or discharge opening) thereof may communicate with the bottom of the case 20 .
- An inlet of the return duct 12 may be connected to the bottom of the fan housing 32 , an outlet (or discharge opening) 121 thereof may be connected to the freezer compartment 104 .
- the discharge opening 121 of the return duct 12 may be disposed on the rear surface of the freezer compartment 104 .
- the driving assembly 40 may include a driving motor 41 generating torque, and a transmission unit 42 connecting the driving motor 41 to the agitating member 50 to rotate the agitating member 50 , which will be described later.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the agitating member.
- FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the agitating member of the cooling apparatus.
- the agitating member 50 accommodates the beverage container 2 to shake the beverage container 2 .
- the agitating member 50 may include: a front support 51 forming a front surface of the agitating member 50 ; a rear support 52 forming a rear surface of the agitating member 5 ; and a plurality of the holder shafts 53 connecting the front support 51 to the rear support 52 , the beverage container 2 being placed on the holder shafts 53 .
- the front support 51 and the rear support 52 have the same shape, and are coupled to the holder shafts 53 .
- the front support 51 and the rear support 52 may be installed on the bottom of the case 20 to swing left and right. Since the front support 51 and the rear support 52 have the same shape, the front support 51 will be mainly described hereinafter.
- the front support 51 may include a coupling portion 511 coupled to a coupling member 513 , and extensions 512 extending upward from the left and right sides of the coupling portion 511 and coupled to the holder shafts 53 .
- the coupling portion 511 is disposed in the middle of the front support 51 , and extends downward.
- the coupling member 513 has a shaft shape, and is coupled to the coupling portion 511 to cross the coupling portion 511 .
- the coupling member 513 passes through the coupling portion 511 and the agitating member support 25 of the case 20 , so that the front support 51 can rotate left and right about the coupling member 513 as an axis.
- the extensions 512 are disposed at the upper end of the coupling portion 511 .
- the extensions 512 are disposed at the left and right sides of the front support 51 , and each of the extensions 512 is coupled to two of the holder shafts 53 , so that the beverage container 2 can be placed on the holder shafts 53 .
- the holder shaft 53 horizontally extends in the form of a shaft or a bar, and is connected to the front support 51 and the rear support 52 .
- the holder shafts 53 are provided in a pair on the upper and lower portions of the extension 512 , and are spaced a predetermined distance from each other, so that the beverage container 2 can be accommodated in a space defined by the holder shafts 53 . Cool air can efficiently flow into the space defined by the holder shafts 53 . Since a distance between the holder shafts 53 at the lower side is smaller than a distance between the holder shafts 53 at the upper side, the beverage container 2 can be more stably placed on the holder shafts 53 .
- the holder shafts 53 may be disposed at edges of the front support 51 and the rear support 52 .
- a neck holder 54 may be installed on the holder shafts 53 to support the neck of a beverage container such as a wine bottle.
- the neck holder 54 can move along the holder shafts 53 according to the size of a bottle.
- the neck holder 54 is installed on the holder shafts 53 at the lower side, and includes a first member 541 and a second member 542 spaced apart from each other, and elastic members 543 disposed between the first and second members 541 and 542 . Thus, when the second member 542 moves with the first member 541 fixed, the elastic members 543 are compressed.
- the elastic members 543 are disposed between the first and second members 541 and 542 , and are provided to the holder shafts 53 on which the first and second members 541 and 542 are installed.
- the elastic members 543 may be compressed according to the size of the beverage container 2 placed on the agitating member 50 .
- the holder shafts 53 pass through the elastic members 543 , so that the elastic members 542 can be compressed in the longitudinal direction of the holder shafts 53 .
- the first member 541 has a plate shape, and the central portion thereof is lower than the left and right portions thereof to form a rounded shape. Thus, when a bottle having a long neck as the beverage container 2 is placed on the agitating member 50 , the neck can be placed on the first member 541 .
- the first member 541 is behind the second member 542 , and may be adjacent to the rear support 52 and be fixed to the holder shafts 53 .
- the second member 542 is disposed before the first member 541 , and is installed on the holder shafts 53 passing through the second member 542 .
- the second member 542 is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear end of the suction grill 23 .
- the suction grill 23 is disposed at a position corresponding to the beverage container 2 , thereby effectively cooling the beverage container 2 .
- the second member 542 moves along the holder shafts 53 to dispose the beverage container 2 at an appropriate position.
- the elastic members 543 may press and fix the beverage container 2 . Accordingly, the beverage container 2 can be stably fixed to the agitating member 50 .
- the second member 542 is moved forward by the elasticity of the elastic members 543 , and the other can placed on the agitating member 50 is also moved forward, so that the other one can be easily taken out.
- the central portion of the second member 542 may be lower than their left and right portions fixed by the holder shafts 53 , so as to form a rounded shape.
- the second member 542 has a predetermined thickness, and a seat guide 542 a is disposed on a rounded top of the second member 542 .
- the front or rear side of the seat guide 542 a with respect to the top center of the second member 542 may be rounded or inclined. That is, a cross-section of the second member 542 increases in height toward the center thereof.
- the upper end of the seat guide 542 a may be disposed out of the center of the second member 542 , and have a slope or a curved surface that decreases in height forward.
- FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a beverage container placed on the agitating member.
- FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating two beverage containers placed on the agitating member.
- FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating two bottles placed on the agitating member.
- a can as the beverage container 2 is disposed in the case 20 .
- the cover 60 is opened, and the beverage container 2 is inserted through the inlet 21 of the case 20 .
- the second member 542 may contact the rear end of the beverage container 2 , to thereby efficiently cool the beverage container 2 .
- the second member 542 may be slightly moved rearward (left side of FIG. 10 ), but returns its initial position by the elasticity of the elastic members 543 , and is disposed at its set position.
- the rear end of the can corresponds to the rear end of the suction grill 23 .
- the entire or most part of the beverage container 2 is disposed at the vertical upper side of the suction grill 23 , and the beverage container 2 is maximally exposed to cool air discharged from the suction grill 23 .
- the beverage container 2 can be quickly cooled.
- two cans as the beverage container 2 are disposed in the case 20 .
- the cover 60 is opened, and the beverage container 2 is inserted through the inlet 21 of the case 20 .
- One of the beverage containers 2 is placed on the agitating member 50 , and then, the other is placed.
- the beverage container 2 placed first may be moved forward to push the second member 542 rearward, thereby compressing the elastic members 543 .
- the beverage containers 2 contact the second member 542 and the front support 51 . Since the beverage containers 2 closely contact the front support 51 and the second member 542 by the elasticity of the elastic members 543 , the beverage containers 6 are stably placed during a swing of the agitating member 50 .
- the middle of the suction grill 23 is disposed between the beverage containers 2 .
- cool air discharged through the suction grill 23 can be uniformly supplied to the beverage containers 2 , and a contact area between the cool air and the beverage containers 2 can be maximized.
- the beverage container 2 put in the case 20 has a bottle shape.
- the cover 60 is opened, and the beverage container 2 is inserted through the inlet 21 of the case 20 .
- the neck of the beverage container 2 is directed rearward, and is placed on the neck holder 54 . While the beverage container 2 is placed on the agitating member 50 , the neck may contact the seat guide 542 a, and be placed on the neck holder 54 over the seat guide 542 a. At this point, the second member 542 is disposed between the neck and the body of the beverage container 2 to stably support and fix the beverage container 2 .
- FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic views illustrating a swing of the agitating member.
- the driving assembly will now be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 .
- the driving assembly 40 may include the driving motor 41 generating torque, and the transmission unit 42 transmitting the torque from the driving motor 41 to rotate the agitating member 50
- the driving motor 41 has the same structure as that of a typical electric motor, and may be disposed on the outside of the case 20 .
- a rotation shaft 411 of the driving motor 41 may extend into the case 20 , and be coupled to the transmission unit 42 in the case 20 .
- the driving motor 41 may be disposed in the case 20
- the driving motor 41 is disposed out of the case 20 to prevent degradation of cooling efficiency of the cooling apparatus 10 due to heat from the driving motor 41 .
- the driving motor 41 may be a typical DC motor. Torque from the driving motor 41 is converted by the transmission unit 42 to swing the agitating member 50 .
- the driving motor 41 may be a stepping motor that can rotate forward and reverse by a constant angle. Thus, the driving motor 41 can repeatedly rotate forward and reverse by a constant angle, so that the agitating member 50 can swing.
- the transmission unit 42 is installed on the driving motor 41 .
- the transmission unit 42 includes a rotation member 421 connected to the rotation shaft 411 of the driving motor 41 , and a connecting rod 422 connecting the rotation member 421 to the holder shafts 53 .
- the rotation shaft 411 of the driving motor 41 is parallel to an extension line of the holder shafts 53 .
- the rotation member 421 is coupled to the rotation shaft 411 of the driving motor 41 , and rotates together with the rotation shaft 411 when the rotation shaft 411 rotates.
- the rotation member 421 and the rotation shaft 411 extend in the same direction.
- the rotation member 421 may include a shaft coupler 421 a coupled to the rotation shaft 411 , and an extension 42 lb extending in a direction crossing the shaft coupler 421 a from an end of the shaft coupler 421 a.
- the inner portion of the shaft coupler 421 a has a shape corresponding to the rotation shaft 411 to couple to the rotation shaft 411 and transmit power from the rotation shaft 411 .
- the extension 421 b extends from a side of the shaft coupler 421 a.
- a connecting rod coupler 421 c to which the connecting rod 422 is rotatably coupled is disposed at a side of the extension 421 b spaced apart from the shaft coupler 421 a.
- the connecting rod coupler 421 c rotates along a predetermined trajectory about the shaft coupler 421 a, and thus, the connecting rod 422 reciprocates with a constant displacement.
- the connecting rod 422 crosses extension directions of the rotation shaft 411 and the holder shafts 53 , and may have a rod shape with a predetermined length.
- Coupling holes 422 a are disposed at both ends of the connecting rod 422 to receive shafts.
- the coupling hole 422 a disposed at an end of the connecting rod 422 is rotatably coupled to the connecting rod coupler 421 c, and the other of the coupling holes 422 a is connected to the holder shaft 53 .
- the connecting rod 422 may be directly connected to the holder shaft 53 , or be connected to a connection 423 provided to the holder shaft 53 .
- the connection 423 through which the holder shaft 53 passes may be disposed on an end of the holder shaft 53 .
- the connection 423 may be rotatably coupled to the coupling hole 422 a of the connecting rod 422 .
- the connection 423 may be formed of a plastic material to prevent wear and noise due to friction generated during a rotation of the connecting rod 422 .
- the connecting rod 422 is adjacent to the rear support 52 , and is coupled to the holder shaft 53 .
- the transmission unit 42 is disposed a position to minimize the length of the rotation shaft 412 passing through the transmission unit 42 from the rear side of the transmission unit 42 .
- the rotation member 421 also rotates, and the connecting rod 422 reciprocates. While the connecting rod 422 reciprocates, the agitating member 50 repeatedly rotates, that is, swings through a predetermined angle.
- the rotation member 421 rotates together with the rotation shaft 411 of the driving motor 41 .
- the connecting rod 422 pushes the holder shaft 53 to the right side.
- the holder shaft 53 is disposed over the coupling member 513 , and the coupling member 513 is shaft-coupled for rotating the agitating member 50 .
- the connecting rod 422 pushes the holder shaft 53 to the right side
- the agitating member 50 rotates clockwise about the coupling member 513 as an axis, and leans to the right side.
- the connecting rod 422 pulls the holder shaft 53 to the left side.
- the agitating member 50 rotates counterclockwise about the coupling member 513 as an axis, and leans to the left side.
- An discharge end of the suction duct 11 is connected to the bottom of the cooling compartment, particularly, to the bottom of the case 20 .
- the suction grill 23 is disposed on the bottom of the case 20 connected to the discharge end of the suction duct 11 , and the speed of air sucked through the suction duct 11 increases while passing through the suction grill 23 . As described above, this is because the air holes 231 are disposed in the suction grill 23 .
- the cool air passing through the suction grill 23 at high speed may be discharged in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the beverage container 2 . Since the beverage container 2 has a cylindrical shape, when the cool air passing through the suction grill 23 perpendicularly collides with the outer surface of the beverage container 2 , heat exchange efficiency is maximized.
- a flow direction of cool air passing through the suction grill 23 is not perpendicular to the outer surface of the beverage container 2 , a portion of the cool air may be discharged out of the case 20 , without colliding with the beverage container 2 . That is, cool air sucked through the suction grill 23 may perpendicularly collide with the outer surface of the beverage container 2 to minimize the amount of cool air discharged without heat exchange.
- the suction fan 31 axially sucks the cool air to radially discharge the cool air, and the fan housing 32 guides the cool air to the freezer compartment 104 through the return duct 12 .
- the agitating member 50 swings.
- the driving motor 41 is rotated.
- the driving motor 41 may be continuously rotated, or be rotated forward and reverse by a constant angle.
- the agitating member 50 repeatedly swings according to an operation of the transmission unit 42 connected to the rotation shaft 412 of the driving motor 41 .
- the suction fan 31 When the suction fan 31 sucks the cool air, and the agitating member 50 swings to agitate the beverage in the beverage container 2 , thereby quickly cooling the beverage. Due to the air guide 55 , the cool air discharged from the suction grill 23 effectively cools the outer surface of the beverage container 2 , thereby more quickly and effectively cooling the beverage in the beverage container 2 .
- FIG. 15 is perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover of the cooling apparatus is opened.
- FIGS. 16 and 17 are side views illustrating a process in which the cover and a door of a refrigerator are closed according to an embodiment.
- the cover 60 is manipulated to open the inlet 21 of the case 20 , so that the beverage container 2 can be accommodated in the case 20 .
- the cover 60 is manipulated to close the case 20 , leakage of cool air from the case 20 is prevented.
- the lower end of the inlet 21 of the case 20 further protrudes than the upper end thereof.
- a protrusion length of the inlet 21 increases from the upper side to the lower side, and thus, the inlet 21 is inclined downward.
- the fixing members 62 provided to the cover 60 are inserted in and fixed to the cover fixing parts 211 .
- the fixing members 62 are elastically deformed, and thus, can be selectively fixed to the cover fixing parts 211 according to a manipulation of the cover 60 .
- the cover 60 has a shape to open and close the inlet 21 .
- the rear edge of the cover 60 contacting the inlet 21 has an inclination corresponding to an inclination of the inlet 21 , and the rear surface of the cover 60 is recessed inward to form a predetermined space with the case 20 .
- the cover 60 includes a first surface 64 constituting the top surface of the cover 60 and inclined forward and downward, and a second surface 65 constituting the front surface of the cover 60 and inclined forward and downward from the front end of the first surface 64 .
- the first surface 64 extends from the rear end of the top surface of the cover 60 to the rear end of the second surface 65 .
- the level of the rear end of the first surface 64 is equal to or less than the level of the upper end of the case 20 .
- the first surface 64 extends downward and forward.
- the second surface 65 extends from the front end of the first surface 64 to the front lower end of the cover 60 .
- the rear end of the second surface 65 is disposed behind a cover rotation shaft 66 , and the front end thereof constitutes the front end of the cooling apparatus 10 .
- the second surface 65 extends in a direction crossing the first surface 64 to constitute the front surface of the cover 60 .
- a contact portion between the first surface 64 and the second surface 65 is disposed behind a rotation center of the cover 60 .
- the contact portion between the first surface 64 and the second surface 65 may be rounded.
- the first surface 64 is provided with a handle 67 for a user to hold. Thus, a user can hold the handle 67 to open and close the cover 60 .
- the cover 60 when the cover 60 is closed, the cover 60 is rotated counterclockwise (with respect to FIG. 16 ) with the handle 67 held by a user, and the fixing members 62 are inserted and hook the cover fixing parts 211 .
- the cover 60 when the cover 60 is opened, the cover 60 is rotated clockwise with the handle 67 held by a user, and the fixing members 62 are removed from the cover fixing parts 211 .
- the upper end of the first surface 64 becomes the front end of the cooling apparatus 10 .
- the upper end of the first surface 64 is disposed out of the refrigerator, and contacts the door 3 when the door 3 is closed. At this point, the upper end of the first surface 64 is disposed at the upper and front sides of the cover rotation shaft 66 . In this state, the beverage container 2 can be taken out or put in the cooling apparatus 10 .
- the door 3 can be closed without manipulating the cover 60 .
- the rear surface of the door 3 contacts the upper end of the first surface 64 .
- the cover 60 rotates counterclockwise about the cover rotation shaft 66 . Accordingly, the cover 60 is naturally closed.
- the rear surface of the door 3 sequentially contacts the upper end of the first surface 64 and the lower end of the second surface 65 .
- the rear surface of the door 3 contacts the lower end of the second surface 65 as illustrated in FIG. 17 . Accordingly, the cover 60 completely closes the inlet 21 of the case 20 .
- the cover 60 can be closed just by closing the door 3 without a separate process for closing the cover 60 , breakage of the cover 60 due to carelessness can be prevented.
- the refrigerator can be conveniently used.
- the rear surface of the door 3 may be formed by a door liner, a door dike, a separate accommodation member installed on the door 3 , or an arbitrary structure disposed on the door 3 .
- a refrigerator according to the present disclosure may be described according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, a refrigerator will now be described according to another embodiment.
- the cover is provided with a locking unit that is manipulated by a user, so that the cover can be fixed to the case.
- FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner configuration of a cooling apparatus according to the current embodiment.
- a cooling apparatus 10 includes a case 20 forming an appearance of the cooling apparatus 10 , and an agitating member 50 is disposed in the case 20 to accommodate a beverage container 2 .
- a suction grill 23 provided with a passage for introducing cool air is disposed on the bottom of the case 20 .
- a fan motor assembly 30 is disposed at the rear side of the case 20 to forcibly suck and discharge cool air.
- a driving assembly 70 is provided to the case 20 to repeatedly swing the agitating member 50 during the driving of the fan motor assembly 30 , thereby cooling and agitating a beverage in the beverage container 2 .
- the front surface of the case 20 is provided with an inlet 21 that is opened and closed by a rotatable cover 60 .
- the cover 60 is opened, and then, the beverage container 2 can be taken out or put in through the inlet 21 .
- the cover 60 has a size to correspond to the inlet 21 of the case 20 , and constitutes the front appearance of the cooling apparatus 10 .
- the lower end of the cover 60 is rotatably coupled through a shaft member to the lower end of the open front surface of the case 20 .
- the top and front surfaces of the cover 60 may be constituted by a first surface 64 and a second surface 65 , which are inclined.
- the first surface 64 may be provided with a handle 67 that is held for a user to rotate the cover 60 .
- the cover 60 may be provided with a locking unit 68 .
- the locking unit 68 is coupled to the case 20 to maintain closing of the cover 60 .
- the locking unit 68 is disposed in the cover 60 , and is exposed from a side of the handle 67 and the rear surface of the cover 60 (the right side of FIG. 18 ).
- the locking unit 68 extends in the back-and-forth direction of the cover 60 , and the front end of the locking unit 68 (the left side of FIG. 18 ) is provided with a manipulation part 681 that is manipulated by a user.
- the manipulation part 681 is exposed to the handle 67 that is recessed. Thus, a user can hold the handle 67 and the manipulation part 681 to rotate the cover 60 .
- the locking unit 68 is supported by an elastic member 682 in the cover 60 .
- the elastic member 682 can be compressed or stretched.
- the locking unit 68 returns to its original position by the elasticity of the elastic member 682 .
- the front end of the locking unit 68 protrudes through the rear surface of the cover 60 .
- the front end of the locking unit 68 is provided with a catching portion 683 .
- the catching portion 683 has a hook shape. When the cover 60 is closed, the catching portion 683 is inserted and locked in a locking unit coupling hole 213 that is recessed in the front end of the case 20 or passes through the front end.
- the cover 60 can freely rotate. Accordingly, the cover 60 can be rotated counterclockwise, and be completely opened. Then, the beverage container 2 can be put in or taken out of the case 20 .
- the cover 60 is rotated clockwise to close the cover 60 .
- the catching portion 683 of the locking unit 68 is inserted into the locking unit coupling hole 213 .
- the catching portion 683 contacts the locking unit coupling hole 213 , and the locking unit 68 can be smoothly inserted along slopes of the catching portion 683 when the cover 60 is further rotated.
- stepped parts of the catching portion 683 are locked to the locking unit coupling hole 213 to maintain the closing of the cover 60 .
- a gasket 61 may be disposed at the edge of the rear surface of the cover 60 or the edge of the open surface of the case 20 . Thus, when the cover 60 is completely closed, the gasket 61 prevents leakage of cool air from the case 20 .
- a refrigerator according to the present disclosure may be described according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, a refrigerator will now be described according to another embodiment.
- a single driving motor drives a suction fan and an agitating member such that suction of cool air and agitation of a beverage are simultaneously performed during driving of a cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a front part of a cooling apparatus according to the current embodiment.
- FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating the rear part of the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the cooling apparatus.
- FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a housing of a gear assembly of the cooling apparatus.
- a cooling apparatus 10 includes a case 20 forming an appearance of the cooling apparatus 10 , and an agitating member 50 is disposed in the case 20 .
- a suction grill 23 connected to a suction duct 11 is disposed in the bottom surface of the case 20 to supply cool air into the case 20 .
- a suction fan 31 may be disposed behind the case 20 to form an air flow in the case 20 .
- a transmission unit 73 may be disposed in the case 20 to swing the agitating member 50 .
- a driving assembly 70 may be disposed behind the case 20 to simultaneously drive the suction fan 31 and the transmission unit 73 .
- the driving assembly 70 may include a driving motor 71 generating torque, and a gear assembly 72 transmitting the torque from the driving motor 71 to the suction fan 31 and the transmission unit 73 .
- the driving motor 71 and the gear assembly 72 will be described in detail later.
- a fan housing 32 includes a main body 321 forming a space accommodating the suction fan 31 , the gear assembly 72 , and a damping member 74 ; and a cover 322 covering a side of the main body 321 .
- the main body 321 has a side opening covered by the cover 322 , and forms a predetermined space with the cover 322 .
- the cover 322 includes a suction opening 322 a that may be provided with a grill 322 b for preventing introduction of a foreign substance.
- the main body 321 has a bottom opening that communicates with a return duct 12 .
- the damping member 74 selectively opens and closes the bottom opening of the main body 321 .
- the damping member 74 operates in conjunction with the driving motor 71 , and thus, is opened when the driving motor 71 is driven, so that cool air can circulate between the cooling apparatus 10 and a freezer compartment 104 or an evaporating compartment 107 .
- the damping member 74 is closed when the driving motor 71 is stopped, so that cool air is prevented from circulating between the cooling apparatus 10 and a freezer compartment 104 or an evaporating compartment 107 .
- the driving motor 71 is disposed behind the fan housing 32 and is disposed in a motor housing 721 .
- a rotation shaft 711 of the driving motor 71 passes through the fan housing 32 , and is disposed in the fan housing 32 .
- the rotation shaft 711 is coupled to the gear assembly 72 disposed in the fan housing 32 to drive the gear assembly 72 .
- the gear assembly 72 is coupled to the suction fan 31 and the transmission unit 73 to operate the suction fan 31 and the transmission unit 73 .
- the gear assembly 72 includes a housing 721 accommodating a plurality gears, and a mounting plate 722 for closing the housing 721 and mounting the gears.
- a driving shaft 723 is disposed at a side of the mounting plate 722 .
- the driving shaft 723 passes through the mounting plate 722 , and is coupled to the rotation shaft 711 of the driving motor 71 to rotate when the driving motor 71 is driven.
- the front surface of the mounting plate 722 is provided with a first fan gear 724 that is coupled to a rotation shaft 411 of the suction fan 31 to rotate together with the rotation shaft of the suction fan 31 .
- a second fan gear 725 is disposed on the driving shaft 723 at the front side of the mounting plate 722 .
- the second fan gear 725 engages with the first fan gear 724 to transmit torque from the driving motor 71 .
- the first and second fan gears 724 and 725 rotate.
- the suction fan 31 rotates according to the rotation of the second fan gear 725 .
- the number of rotations of the suction fan 31 is determined according to a gear ratio of the first fan gear 724 to the second fan gear 725 .
- the mounting plate 722 is provided with a transmission shaft 726 for transmitting power to the transmission unit 73 .
- the transmission shaft 726 passes through the mounting plate 722 , and an end thereof is coupled to the rotation member 421 of the transmission unit 73 in the case 20 .
- a transmission shaft gear 726 a is disposed behind the mounting plate 722 , and is formed on the transmission shaft 726 .
- a driving shaft gear 723 a is disposed behind the mounting plate 722 , and is formed on the driving shaft 723 .
- the rear surface of the mounting plate 722 is provided with one or more speed changer gears 727 such that the transmission shaft gear 726 a moves in conjunction with the driving shaft gear 723 a.
- the number of the speed changer gears 727 and a gear ratio thereof may be varied.
- the speed changer gears 727 may be configured such that the number of rotations of the transmission shaft 726 is smaller than the number of rotations of the driving shaft 723 .
- the agitating member 50 can by swung at a stable frequency by the transmission unit 73 .
- FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the cooling apparatus.
- the driving assembly 70 operates the suction fan 31 and the agitating member 50 at the same time.
- the rotation shaft 711 of the driving motor 71 rotates the driving shaft 723 .
- Torque from the driving shaft 723 is transmitted to the driving shaft gear 723 a, the speed changer gears 727 , and the transmission shaft gear 726 a, which engage with one another, and thus, the transmission shaft 726 rotates.
- the transmission shaft 726 rotates the rotation member 421 of the transmission unit 73 .
- the transmission unit 73 swings the agitating member 50 to agitate a beverage in the beverage container 2 placed on the agitating member 50 . Since the transmission unit 73 in the current embodiment is the same in configuration as that of the previous embodiment except that the transmission unit 73 is coupled to the transmission shaft 726 , a description thereof will be omitted.
- Torque from the driving shaft 723 is transmitted to the first fan gear 724 and the second fan gear 725 , which engage with each other, to rotate the suction fan 31 .
- the suction fan 31 is driven simultaneously with swing of the agitating member 50 to cool the beverage in the beverage container 2 .
- the driving motor 71 simultaneously drives the suction fan 31 and the transmission unit 73 to provide a simple structure, and thus the possibility of defects and malfunctions is minimized. In addition, the amount of heat generated in the refrigerator is minimized to improve cooling efficiency of the refrigerator.
- the damping member 74 in the fan housing 32 is opened during an operation of the driving motor 71 , and is closed during stopping of the driving motor 71 , thereby preventing a loss of cool air.
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Abstract
Provided is a cooling apparatus that quickly cools beverages such as drinks or alcohols, can be installed on a refrigerator or a freezer, and reduces cooling time.
Description
- The present disclosure relates to a cooling apparatus and a refrigerator including the cooling apparatus.
- A refrigerator is a home appliance providing a low-temperature storage that can be opened and closed by a door for storing foods at a low temperature. To this end, the storage of the refrigerator is cooled by using air which is cooled by heat exchange with refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle.
- Along with the change of people's eating patterns and preference, large and multifunctional refrigerators have been introduced, and various comfortable structures have been added to refrigerators.
- For example, the consumer's needs for a cooling apparatus that can quickly cool beverages such as drinks or alcohols which exist at room temperature are being increased. For this, various types of cooling apparatuses disposed at a side in a refrigerator to quickly cool drinks or alcohols are proposed.
- Embodiments provide a cooling apparatus, in which a driving motor is connected to an agitating member to convert a rotation of the driving motor into a reciprocation, thereby swinging the agitating member and agitating a beverage in a beverage container.
- Embodiments also provide a cooling apparatus, in which at least one beverage container having an arbitrary size is placed on an agitating member.
- Embodiments also provide a refrigerator including a cooling apparatus therein, in which closing of a cover of the cooling apparatus is linked with closing of a door of the refrigerator.
- Embodiments also provide a cooling apparatus including a driving assembly that includes a single driving motor to drive a suction fan and an agitating member.
- In one embodiment, a cooling apparatus includes: a case including a cool air introduction opening and a cool air discharge opening; a drawer drawable from the case; a swingable agitating member installed on the drawer, a beverage container being placed on the agitating member; and a driving assembly disposed in the case, and providing power to swing the agitating member, wherein the driving assembly includes a driving motor providing torque, and a transmission unit connecting the driving motor to the agitating member, and swinging the agitating member with the torque from the driving motor.
- In another embodiment, a refrigerator includes: a cabinet, which is provided with a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a heat exchanging compartment provided with an evaporator; a door opening and closing the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment; and a cooling apparatus disposed in the refrigerator, and receiving cool air from the heat exchanging compartment to cool a beverage container therein, wherein the cooling apparatus includes: a case including a cool air introduction opening and a cool air discharge opening; a drawer drawable from the case; a swingable agitating member installed on the drawer, and inclined to obliquely install the beverage container; a driving assembly, which includes a driving motor disposed on the case, and providing torque, and a transmission unit connecting the driving motor to the agitating member to swing the agitating member; and a suction fan rotated by a fan motor disposed at an outside of the case, and sucking air from the case.
- The cooling apparatus configured as described above and the refrigerator including the cooling apparatus have the following effects.
- First, the driving assembly of the refrigerator swings the agitating member on which the beverage container is placed. Thus, a beverage is agitated in the beverage container to reduce a temperature variation of the beverage and quickly cool the beverage.
- Secondly, the refrigerator includes the suction fan to increase a flow rate of cool air, thus, improving heat exchange between the beverage container and the cool air. Accordingly, heat exchange efficiency is improved.
- Cool air supplied into the case has a high flow rate, and perpendicularly collides with the beverage container, so as to increase the amount of heat exchange per unit time, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.
- Thirdly, when the cover is opened, the upper end of the cover is disposed at the upper outside of the rotation shaft of the cover. Thus, in this state, the cover is closed in conjunction with the door of the refrigerator by closing the door without separate manipulation, thereby conveniently using the refrigerator.
- Fourthly, since the refrigerator includes the single driving motor to drive the suction fan and the agitating member, when the cooling apparatus is driven, a heat load in the refrigerator can be minimized, thereby reducing power consumption.
- Fifthly, the agitating member includes the neck holder supported by the elastic member. Thus, a beverage container having an arbitrary size or a plurality of beverage containers can be stably placed on the agitating member, and the agitating member can stably operate.
-
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating refrigerator doors when being opened according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an inner structure of a refrigerator including a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3′ ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5′ ofFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view taken along line 6-6′ ofFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the front part of the cooling apparatus. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the agitating member. -
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the agitating member of the cooling apparatus. -
FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a beverage container placed on the agitating member. -
FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating two beverage containers placed on the agitating member. -
FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a bottle placed on the agitating member. -
FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic views illustrating a swing of the agitating member. -
FIG. 15 is perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover of the cooling apparatus is opened. -
FIGS. 16 and 17 are side views illustrating a process in which the cover and a door of a refrigerator are closed according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner configuration of a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a front part of a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating the rear part of the cooling apparatus. -
FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the cooling apparatus. -
FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a housing of a gear assembly of the cooling apparatus. -
FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the cooling apparatus. - Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating refrigerator doors when being opened according to an embodiment.FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an inner structure of a refrigerator including a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3′ ofFIG. 2 . - A cooling apparatus according to an embodiment may be disposed in a storing space of a refrigerator for storing a food at low temperature.
- In detail, the cooling apparatus is disposed in the refrigerator to perform a quick cooling operation with cool air generated in the refrigerator.
- Although the cooling apparatus is disposed in the refrigerator in the following embodiment, the cooling apparatus may be installed on any apparatus for generating cool air, as well as the refrigerator.
- A
refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment includes anouter case 102 constituting the appearance, aninner case 101 installed on the inner portion of theouter case 102 and forming an inner storing space, and an insulating member filling a space between theinner case 101 and theouter case 102, thereby forming a main body. - The inner storing space may include a
refrigerator compartment 103 for refrigerating a food, and afreezer compartment 104 for freezing a food. Therefrigerator compartment 103 is opened and closed by rotations of a pair of refrigerator compartment doors, and thefreezer compartment 104 is opened and closed by sliding of a freezer compartment door. In the current embodiment, the storing space is divided into upper and lower portions by apartition 105, and therefrigerator compartment 103 is disposed over thefreezer compartment 104 to form a bottom freezer type refrigerator. - Furthermore, the cooling apparatus may be installed on a top mount type refrigerator in which a freezer compartment is disposed over a refrigerator compartment, a side-by-side type refrigerator in which a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment are disposed side by side, and a refrigerator having one of a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment.
- In detail, an
evaporating compartment 107 is formed on the rear surface of thefreezer compartment 104 by anevaporating compartment wall 106, and theevaporating compartment 107 accommodates anevaporator 108. The evaporatingcompartment wall 106 may be provided with a cool air discharge opening 106 a for discharging cool air into thefreezer compartment 104, and a cool air suction opening 106 b disposed in a rear surface of the bottom of thefreezer compartment 104 to return cool air from thefreezer compartment 104 to the evaporatingcompartment 107. - A
refrigerator compartment duct 109 vertically extends on the rear surface of therefrigerator compartment 103, and the lower end of therefrigerator compartment duct 109 communicates with the evaporatingcompartment 107. The front surface of therefrigerator compartment duct 109 may be provided with coolair discharge openings 109 a to supply cool air from the evaporatingcompartment 107 to therefrigerator compartment 103. An upper surface of thepartition 105 may be provided with a cool air suction opening (not shown) to return cool air from thefreezer compartment 103 to the evaporatingcompartment 107. - A
cooling apparatus 10 for quickly cooling a beverage or alcohol may be disposed at a side on the top surface of thepartition 105. Thecooling apparatus 10 may include a passage connecting to the evaporatingcompartment 107 and/or thefreezer compartment 104 to fluidly communicate with the evaporatingcompartment 107 and/or thefreezer compartment 104. For example, the cool air generated in the evaporatingcompartment 107 may be supplied into thecooling apparatus 10. Abeverage container 2 received in thecooling apparatus 10 may be cooled by the cool air supplied into thecooling apparatus 10. The cool air which is increased in temperature by heat-exchanging with thebeverage container 2 in thecooling apparatus 10 may return to the evaporatingcompartment 107. Here, the fluidic communication may represent that the cool air can be circulated between the evaporatingcompartment 107 and thecooling apparatus 10 by a passage structure such as a duct. Also, thebeverage container 2 used in the current embodiment may include various containers including bottles or cans in which water, a beverage, or alcohol is contained. Also, thecooling apparatus 10 may include a cooling compartment defining a space for receiving thebeverage container 2 and/or a passage connecting the cooling compartment, thefreezer compartment 104, and the evaporatingcompartment 107 to each other. - Hereinafter, a configuration, an operation, and a function of the
cooling apparatus 10 will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As illustrated inFIG. 3 , thecooling apparatus 10 receives cool air from the evaporatingcompartment 107 through the separate passage, and discharges cool air to thefreezer compartment 104. A more detailed description will be made with reference to other accompanying drawings. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment.FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5′ ofFIG. 4 .FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view taken along line 6-6′ ofFIG. 4 .FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the front part of the cooling apparatus. - Referring to
FIGS. 4 to 7 , thecooling apparatus 10 may include a cooling compartment and a cool air passage connected to the cooling compartment. - In detail, the cooling compartment may include: a
case 20 forming a storing space for thebeverage container 2; acover 60 opening and closing an inlet of thecase 20; an agitatingmember 50 selectively accommodated in thecase 20, thebeverage container 2 being placed on the agitatingmember 50; afan motor assembly 30 installed on thecase 20 to forcibly move cool air; and a drivingassembly 40 coupled to thecase 20 to drive the agitatingmember 50. - In more detail, the
case 20 has front and rear openings, and has a space accommodating the agitatingmember 50 and thebeverage container 2. The rear opening of thecase 20 may be provided with the drivingassembly 40, and the drivingassembly 40 may close the rear opening of thecase 20. - The front surface of the
case 20 is provided with aninlet 21 for receiving thebeverage container 2. Theinlet 21 is inclined to increase in length downward, thereby more facilitating access with thebeverage container 2. Theinlet 21 is opened and closed by thecover 60 having a corresponding shape to theinlet 21. Agasket 61 may be disposed at the edge of thecover 60 or the front end of thecase 20. When thecover 60 is closed, thegasket 61 prevents leakage of cool air from thecase 20. - Cover fixing
parts 211 are disposed at the front end of thecase 20 provided with theinlet 21. Fixingmembers 62 provided to thecover 60 are inserted in and fixed to thecover fixing parts 211 to maintain closing of thecover 60. Thecover fixing parts 211 and the fixingmembers 62 are disposed at the left and right sides of thecooling apparatus 10 to stably maintain closing of thecover 60. - The lower end of the
inlet 21 is provided withcover coupling parts 212. Thecover coupling part 212 is coupled to the lower end of thecover 60 through a shaft. Thus, thecover 60 may rotate about thecover coupling part 212 as an axis, to open and close theinlet 21. - An
opening 22 is disposed in the top surface of thecase 20 to check the inside of thecase 20 and assemble and repair inner parts. Theopening 22 may be covered by anopening cover 221. The position of theopening 22 may be varied on thecase 20. - A
suction grill 23 may be removably attached to the bottom surface of thecase 20, and be disposed at an outlet of asuction duct 11. Thesuction grill 23 is installed on a cool air introduction opening 24 in the bottom surface of thecase 20. - The cool air introduction opening 24 is disposed at a set position of the
case 20. In this case, the set position of the cool air introduction opening 24 may be a position corresponding to the position of onebeverage container 2 placed on the agitatingmember 50. Accordingly, cool air passing through thesuction grill 23 is entirely directed to the outer surface of thebeverage container 2 to cool thebeverage container 2. - The bottom surface of the
suction grill 23 may be provided with a plurality of air holes 231. In detail, since the air holes 231 have a small diameter, a flow rate of cool air quickly increases, passing through the outlet of thesuction duct 11, that is, thesuction grill 23. Thus, since cool air passing through the air holes 231 forms a jet stream, the air holes 231 may be called jet holes. The air holes 231 are spaced a constant distance from one another, and uniformly distributed in a surface of thesuction grill 23. - The upper end of the
suction grill 23 is bent outward and extends to be hung on the bottom of thecase 20, so that thesuction grill 23 can be removably attached to the bottom of thecase 20. In this case, a locking structure may be provided to prevent a removal of thesuction grill 23 from the bottom of thecase 20 due to sucked air. - Cool air is vertically discharged from the air holes 231 of the
suction grill 23 to a large area of thebeverage container 2 placed on the agitatingmember 50, that is, to a side surface thereof. When cool air discharged from the air holes 231 perpendicularly contacts thebeverage container 2, cooling efficiency for thebeverage container 2 is maximized. - The agitating
member 50 is disposed in thecase 20, and is installed on an agitatingmember support 25 disposed in the bottom of thecase 20. The agitatingmember 50 can swing left and right about the agitatingmember support 25 as an axis in thecase 20, and is connected to the drivingassembly 40 to repeatedly and continuously swing a predetermined angle, thereby agitating a beverage in thebeverage container 2. A detailed configuration of the agitatingmember 50 will be described later. - The cooling compartment may include the driving
assembly 40 to provide driving force to the agitatingmember 50 that repeatedly rotates left and right in thecase 20. - The
fan motor assembly 30 may include: asuction fan 31 for forcibly moving air; afan housing 32 accommodating thesuction fan 31 and installed on the rear surface of thecase 20; and afan motor 33 disposed behind thefan housing 32 and providing torque to thesuction fan 31. - In detail, cool air generated from the evaporating
compartment 107 is sucked with great suction force by thesuction fan 31. Air introduced along the cool air passage into thecase 20 is moved at high speed to the rear side of thecase 20 by great suction force of thesuction fan 31. At this point, the air contacts the outer surface of thebeverage container 2 disposed in thecase 20, to exchange heat. A flow rate of air sucked by thesuction fan 31 is higher than that of air blown by a blower. This is because pressure difference between the front and rear sides of thesuction fan 31 is quickly increased. In addition, since the flow rate of the air sucked by thesuction fan 31 increases, the amount of heat exchange between thebeverage container 2 and the air increases. Accordingly, heat exchange efficiency is improved. - Cool air sucked by the
suction fan 31 exchanges heat with thebeverage container 2 in thecase 20 before thefan motor 33 driving thesuction fan 31. Accordingly, the amount of heat exchange between the cool air and thebeverage container 2 relatively increases, and thus, heat exchange efficiency is improved. If a blower blows air, the air blown by the blower passes through a fan motor for driving the blower, and then, exchanges heat with thebeverage container 2. That is, the blown cool air absorbs heat, passing through the fan motor, and then, exchanges heat with thebeverage container 2. Thus, heat exchange efficiency of thesuction fan 31 is higher than that of a blower. - The
suction fan 31 may be a centrifugal fan that axially sucks air to radially discharge the air. Air passing through thecase 20 horizontally flow as a whole, and should moves downward to return to the evaporatingcompartment 107. That is, the direction of the air passing through thecase 20 crosses the direction of the air discharged from thesuction fan 31. Thus, a centrifugal fan is appropriated to a passage in which the directions of air cross each other. - Pneumatic resistance of the
suction fan 31 is smaller than that of a blower. For example, air blown by a blower cannot pass through a narrow gap or an obstacle in an air passage, and is spread or flows back. On the contrary, thesuction fan 31 sucks air at the inlet thereof to cause pressure difference. Thus, air at the front side of a narrow gap or an obstacle can easily pass through the narrow gap or the obstacle by pressure difference between the front and rear sides thereof. As a result, under the same condition, pneumatic resistance of air sucked by thesuction fan 31 is smaller than that of air blown by a blower, and a flow rate of air sucked by thesuction fan 31 is larger than that of air blown by a blower. - In addition, although the
suction fan 31 is a centrifugal fan, the structure of thesuction fan 31 is different from that of a typical centrifugal fan. In detail, thesuction fan 31 includes: aback plate 311 having a circular plate shape;blades 312 disposed on the front surface of theback plate 311; and a suction guide 143 disposed on the upper end of theblades 312. Theblades 312 having a predetermined width protrude forward from the front surface of theback plate 311, and are rounded with a predetermined curvature in a radial direction from the center of theback plate 311. Thesuction guide 313 functions as a combination of a typical bell mouth and a typical orifice. That is, thesuction guide 313 smoothly guides an air flow from the front side of thefan housing 32 into thesuction fan 31, and prevents a backflow of air discharged in the radial direction along the surfaces of theblades 312. - In detail, the
suction guide 313 protrudes forward from a circular bottom, and gradually decreases in diameter. In other words, a vertical cross section of thesuction guide 313 may have a rounded structure where thesuction guide 313 gradually decreases in diameter on a horizontal cross-section from the bottom to the upper end, and has a constant diameter on a horizontal cross-section at a predetermined position. As such, since the outer surface of thesuction guide 313 is smoothly rounded, pneumatic resistance applied on sucked air can be minimized, thereby providing a function of an orifice. In addition, thesuction guide 313 has a barrel shape extending a predetermined length from the bottom of thesuction guide 313 to minimize a back flow of air sucked through an inlet of thesuction guide 313, thereby providing a function of a bell mouth. Agrill 314 may be disposed at the front side of thesuction guide 313 to prevent introduction of a foreign substance. - The cool air passage may include the
suction duct 11 for supplying cool air from the evaporatingcompartment 107 to thecase 20, and areturn duct 12 for discharging cool air from thecase 20 to thefreezer compartment 104. In detail, an inlet (or suction opening) of thesuction duct 11 may communicate with the evaporatingcompartment 107, and the outlet (or discharge opening) thereof may communicate with the bottom of thecase 20. An inlet of thereturn duct 12 may be connected to the bottom of thefan housing 32, an outlet (or discharge opening) 121 thereof may be connected to thefreezer compartment 104. Referring toFIG. 2 , the discharge opening 121 of thereturn duct 12 may be disposed on the rear surface of thefreezer compartment 104. - The driving
assembly 40 may include a drivingmotor 41 generating torque, and atransmission unit 42 connecting the drivingmotor 41 to the agitatingmember 50 to rotate the agitatingmember 50, which will be described later. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the agitating member.FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the agitating member of the cooling apparatus. - Referring to
FIGS. 8 to 9 , the agitatingmember 50 accommodates thebeverage container 2 to shake thebeverage container 2. In detail, the agitatingmember 50 may include: afront support 51 forming a front surface of the agitatingmember 50; arear support 52 forming a rear surface of the agitatingmember 5; and a plurality of theholder shafts 53 connecting thefront support 51 to therear support 52, thebeverage container 2 being placed on theholder shafts 53. - The
front support 51 and therear support 52 have the same shape, and are coupled to theholder shafts 53. Thefront support 51 and therear support 52 may be installed on the bottom of thecase 20 to swing left and right. Since thefront support 51 and therear support 52 have the same shape, thefront support 51 will be mainly described hereinafter. - The
front support 51 may include acoupling portion 511 coupled to acoupling member 513, andextensions 512 extending upward from the left and right sides of thecoupling portion 511 and coupled to theholder shafts 53. - The
coupling portion 511 is disposed in the middle of thefront support 51, and extends downward. Thecoupling member 513 has a shaft shape, and is coupled to thecoupling portion 511 to cross thecoupling portion 511. Thecoupling member 513 passes through thecoupling portion 511 and the agitatingmember support 25 of thecase 20, so that thefront support 51 can rotate left and right about thecoupling member 513 as an axis. - The
extensions 512 are disposed at the upper end of thecoupling portion 511. Theextensions 512 are disposed at the left and right sides of thefront support 51, and each of theextensions 512 is coupled to two of theholder shafts 53, so that thebeverage container 2 can be placed on theholder shafts 53. - The
holder shaft 53 horizontally extends in the form of a shaft or a bar, and is connected to thefront support 51 and therear support 52. Theholder shafts 53 are provided in a pair on the upper and lower portions of theextension 512, and are spaced a predetermined distance from each other, so that thebeverage container 2 can be accommodated in a space defined by theholder shafts 53. Cool air can efficiently flow into the space defined by theholder shafts 53. Since a distance between theholder shafts 53 at the lower side is smaller than a distance between theholder shafts 53 at the upper side, thebeverage container 2 can be more stably placed on theholder shafts 53. Theholder shafts 53 may be disposed at edges of thefront support 51 and therear support 52. - A
neck holder 54 may be installed on theholder shafts 53 to support the neck of a beverage container such as a wine bottle. Theneck holder 54 can move along theholder shafts 53 according to the size of a bottle. - The
neck holder 54 is installed on theholder shafts 53 at the lower side, and includes afirst member 541 and asecond member 542 spaced apart from each other, andelastic members 543 disposed between the first andsecond members second member 542 moves with thefirst member 541 fixed, theelastic members 543 are compressed. - In detail, the
elastic members 543 are disposed between the first andsecond members holder shafts 53 on which the first andsecond members second member 542 is moved, theelastic members 543 may be compressed according to the size of thebeverage container 2 placed on the agitatingmember 50. Theholder shafts 53 pass through theelastic members 543, so that theelastic members 542 can be compressed in the longitudinal direction of theholder shafts 53. - The
first member 541 has a plate shape, and the central portion thereof is lower than the left and right portions thereof to form a rounded shape. Thus, when a bottle having a long neck as thebeverage container 2 is placed on the agitatingmember 50, the neck can be placed on thefirst member 541. Thefirst member 541 is behind thesecond member 542, and may be adjacent to therear support 52 and be fixed to theholder shafts 53. - The
second member 542 is disposed before thefirst member 541, and is installed on theholder shafts 53 passing through thesecond member 542. When theelastic members 543 are not compressed, thesecond member 542 is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear end of thesuction grill 23. Thus, when thebeverage container 2 is placed on the agitatingmember 50, thebeverage container 2 contacts thesecond member 542, and thesuction grill 23 is disposed at a position corresponding to thebeverage container 2, thereby effectively cooling thebeverage container 2. - When a long bottle as the
beverage container 2 is placed on the agitatingmember 50, or when two cans as thebeverage container 2 are placed thereon, thesecond member 542 moves along theholder shafts 53 to dispose thebeverage container 2 at an appropriate position. When theelastic members 543 are compressed, thesecond member 542 may press and fix thebeverage container 2. Accordingly, thebeverage container 2 can be stably fixed to the agitatingmember 50. When one of two cans placed on the agitatingmember 50 is removed, thesecond member 542 is moved forward by the elasticity of theelastic members 543, and the other can placed on the agitatingmember 50 is also moved forward, so that the other one can be easily taken out. - The central portion of the
second member 542 may be lower than their left and right portions fixed by theholder shafts 53, so as to form a rounded shape. Thesecond member 542 has a predetermined thickness, and aseat guide 542 a is disposed on a rounded top of thesecond member 542. The front or rear side of theseat guide 542 a with respect to the top center of thesecond member 542 may be rounded or inclined. That is, a cross-section of thesecond member 542 increases in height toward the center thereof. Thus, when a bottle as thebeverage container 2 is put into thecase 20 through theinlet 21, even when thebeverage container 2 contacts theseat guide 542 a of thesecond member 542, thebeverage container 2 can smoothly slide over theseat guide 542 a, and be placed on theneck holder 54. The upper end of theseat guide 542 a may be disposed out of the center of thesecond member 542, and have a slope or a curved surface that decreases in height forward. -
FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a beverage container placed on the agitating member.FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating two beverage containers placed on the agitating member.FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating two bottles placed on the agitating member. - Hereinafter, installation states according to the shapes of beverage containers will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 10 to 13 . - Referring to
FIG. 10 , a can as thebeverage container 2 is disposed in thecase 20. In detail, thecover 60 is opened, and thebeverage container 2 is inserted through theinlet 21 of thecase 20. At this point, thesecond member 542 may contact the rear end of thebeverage container 2, to thereby efficiently cool thebeverage container 2. While thebeverage container 2 is placed, thesecond member 542 may be slightly moved rearward (left side ofFIG. 10 ), but returns its initial position by the elasticity of theelastic members 543, and is disposed at its set position. - When one can as the
beverage container 2 is placed on the agitatingmember 50, the rear end of the can corresponds to the rear end of thesuction grill 23. Thus, the entire or most part of thebeverage container 2 is disposed at the vertical upper side of thesuction grill 23, and thebeverage container 2 is maximally exposed to cool air discharged from thesuction grill 23. Thus, thebeverage container 2 can be quickly cooled. - Referring to
FIG. 11 , two cans as thebeverage container 2 are disposed in thecase 20. In detail, thecover 60 is opened, and thebeverage container 2 is inserted through theinlet 21 of thecase 20. One of thebeverage containers 2 is placed on the agitatingmember 50, and then, the other is placed. - At this point, the
beverage container 2 placed first may be moved forward to push thesecond member 542 rearward, thereby compressing theelastic members 543. After the twobeverage containers 2 are placed, thebeverage containers 2 contact thesecond member 542 and thefront support 51. Since thebeverage containers 2 closely contact thefront support 51 and thesecond member 542 by the elasticity of theelastic members 543, thebeverage containers 6 are stably placed during a swing of the agitatingmember 50. - At this point, the middle of the
suction grill 23 is disposed between thebeverage containers 2. Thus, cool air discharged through thesuction grill 23 can be uniformly supplied to thebeverage containers 2, and a contact area between the cool air and thebeverage containers 2 can be maximized. - Referring to
FIG. 12 , thebeverage container 2 put in thecase 20 has a bottle shape. In detail, thecover 60 is opened, and thebeverage container 2 is inserted through theinlet 21 of thecase 20. - At this point, the neck of the
beverage container 2 is directed rearward, and is placed on theneck holder 54. While thebeverage container 2 is placed on the agitatingmember 50, the neck may contact theseat guide 542 a, and be placed on theneck holder 54 over theseat guide 542 a. At this point, thesecond member 542 is disposed between the neck and the body of thebeverage container 2 to stably support and fix thebeverage container 2. -
FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic views illustrating a swing of the agitating member. - The driving assembly will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 13 and 14 . - The driving
assembly 40 may include the drivingmotor 41 generating torque, and thetransmission unit 42 transmitting the torque from the drivingmotor 41 to rotate the agitatingmember 50 - In detail, the driving
motor 41 has the same structure as that of a typical electric motor, and may be disposed on the outside of thecase 20. Arotation shaft 411 of the drivingmotor 41 may extend into thecase 20, and be coupled to thetransmission unit 42 in thecase 20. Although the drivingmotor 41 may be disposed in thecase 20, the drivingmotor 41 is disposed out of thecase 20 to prevent degradation of cooling efficiency of thecooling apparatus 10 due to heat from the drivingmotor 41. - The driving
motor 41 may be a typical DC motor. Torque from the drivingmotor 41 is converted by thetransmission unit 42 to swing the agitatingmember 50. The drivingmotor 41 may be a stepping motor that can rotate forward and reverse by a constant angle. Thus, the drivingmotor 41 can repeatedly rotate forward and reverse by a constant angle, so that the agitatingmember 50 can swing. - The
transmission unit 42 is installed on the drivingmotor 41. Thetransmission unit 42 includes arotation member 421 connected to therotation shaft 411 of the drivingmotor 41, and a connectingrod 422 connecting therotation member 421 to theholder shafts 53. Therotation shaft 411 of the drivingmotor 41 is parallel to an extension line of theholder shafts 53. - In detail, the
rotation member 421 is coupled to therotation shaft 411 of the drivingmotor 41, and rotates together with therotation shaft 411 when therotation shaft 411 rotates. Therotation member 421 and therotation shaft 411 extend in the same direction. Therotation member 421 may include ashaft coupler 421 a coupled to therotation shaft 411, and anextension 42 lb extending in a direction crossing theshaft coupler 421 a from an end of theshaft coupler 421 a. - The inner portion of the
shaft coupler 421 a has a shape corresponding to therotation shaft 411 to couple to therotation shaft 411 and transmit power from therotation shaft 411. Thus, when therotation shaft 411 rotates, therotation member 421 also rotates. Theextension 421 b extends from a side of theshaft coupler 421 a. A connecting rod coupler 421 c to which the connectingrod 422 is rotatably coupled is disposed at a side of theextension 421 b spaced apart from theshaft coupler 421 a. Thus, when theshaft coupler 421 a rotates, the connecting rod coupler 421 c rotates along a predetermined trajectory about theshaft coupler 421 a, and thus, the connectingrod 422 reciprocates with a constant displacement. - The connecting
rod 422 crosses extension directions of therotation shaft 411 and theholder shafts 53, and may have a rod shape with a predetermined length. Coupling holes 422 a are disposed at both ends of the connectingrod 422 to receive shafts. Thus, thecoupling hole 422 a disposed at an end of the connectingrod 422 is rotatably coupled to the connecting rod coupler 421 c, and the other of the coupling holes 422 a is connected to theholder shaft 53. - The connecting
rod 422 may be directly connected to theholder shaft 53, or be connected to aconnection 423 provided to theholder shaft 53. Theconnection 423 through which theholder shaft 53 passes may be disposed on an end of theholder shaft 53. Theconnection 423 may be rotatably coupled to thecoupling hole 422 a of the connectingrod 422. Theconnection 423 may be formed of a plastic material to prevent wear and noise due to friction generated during a rotation of the connectingrod 422. - The connecting
rod 422 is adjacent to therear support 52, and is coupled to theholder shaft 53. Thus, thetransmission unit 42 is disposed a position to minimize the length of therotation shaft 412 passing through thetransmission unit 42 from the rear side of thetransmission unit 42. - Thus, when the driving
motor 41 rotates, therotation member 421 also rotates, and the connectingrod 422 reciprocates. While the connectingrod 422 reciprocates, the agitatingmember 50 repeatedly rotates, that is, swings through a predetermined angle. - In detail, when the driving
motor 41 rotates, therotation member 421 rotates together with therotation shaft 411 of the drivingmotor 41. As illustrated inFIG. 13 , when theextension 421 b of therotation member 421 is disposed at the right side, the connectingrod 422 pushes theholder shaft 53 to the right side. Theholder shaft 53 is disposed over thecoupling member 513, and thecoupling member 513 is shaft-coupled for rotating the agitatingmember 50. Thus, when the connectingrod 422 pushes theholder shaft 53 to the right side, the agitatingmember 50 rotates clockwise about thecoupling member 513 as an axis, and leans to the right side. - As illustrated in
FIG. 14 , when theextension 421 b of therotation member 421 is disposed at the left side, the connectingrod 422 pulls theholder shaft 53 to the left side. Thus, the agitatingmember 50 rotates counterclockwise about thecoupling member 513 as an axis, and leans to the left side. - As such, torque from the driving
motor 41 is transmitted to the agitatingmember 50 by thetransmission unit 42. Thus, when the drivingmotor 41 continually rotates, the agitatingmember 50 repeatedly rotates clockwise and counterclockwise in a set angle range, and thus, the agitating member 5 o swings left and right. Hereinafter, an operation of a cooling apparatus configured as described above will now be described. - An discharge end of the
suction duct 11 is connected to the bottom of the cooling compartment, particularly, to the bottom of thecase 20. Thesuction grill 23 is disposed on the bottom of thecase 20 connected to the discharge end of thesuction duct 11, and the speed of air sucked through thesuction duct 11 increases while passing through thesuction grill 23. As described above, this is because the air holes 231 are disposed in thesuction grill 23. - The cool air passing through the
suction grill 23 at high speed may be discharged in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of thebeverage container 2. Since thebeverage container 2 has a cylindrical shape, when the cool air passing through thesuction grill 23 perpendicularly collides with the outer surface of thebeverage container 2, heat exchange efficiency is maximized. When a flow direction of cool air passing through thesuction grill 23 is not perpendicular to the outer surface of thebeverage container 2, a portion of the cool air may be discharged out of thecase 20, without colliding with thebeverage container 2. That is, cool air sucked through thesuction grill 23 may perpendicularly collide with the outer surface of thebeverage container 2 to minimize the amount of cool air discharged without heat exchange. - The
suction fan 31 axially sucks the cool air to radially discharge the cool air, and thefan housing 32 guides the cool air to thefreezer compartment 104 through thereturn duct 12. - While the
suction fan 31 rotates, the agitatingmember 50 swings. To this end, the drivingmotor 41 is rotated. The drivingmotor 41 may be continuously rotated, or be rotated forward and reverse by a constant angle. The agitatingmember 50 repeatedly swings according to an operation of thetransmission unit 42 connected to therotation shaft 412 of the drivingmotor 41. - When the
suction fan 31 sucks the cool air, and the agitatingmember 50 swings to agitate the beverage in thebeverage container 2, thereby quickly cooling the beverage. Due to theair guide 55, the cool air discharged from thesuction grill 23 effectively cools the outer surface of thebeverage container 2, thereby more quickly and effectively cooling the beverage in thebeverage container 2. -
FIG. 15 is perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover of the cooling apparatus is opened.FIGS. 16 and 17 are side views illustrating a process in which the cover and a door of a refrigerator are closed according to an embodiment. - Referring to
FIGS. 15 to 17 , thecover 60 is manipulated to open theinlet 21 of thecase 20, so that thebeverage container 2 can be accommodated in thecase 20. When thecover 60 is manipulated to close thecase 20, leakage of cool air from thecase 20 is prevented. - The lower end of the
inlet 21 of thecase 20 further protrudes than the upper end thereof. A protrusion length of theinlet 21 increases from the upper side to the lower side, and thus, theinlet 21 is inclined downward. Thus, when thecover 60 is opened, the agitatingmember 50 and thebeverage container 2 are exposed from thecase 20 through theinlet 21, and thus, can be easily perceived and manipulated. - When the
cover 6 is closed, the fixingmembers 62 provided to thecover 60 are inserted in and fixed to thecover fixing parts 211. The fixingmembers 62 are elastically deformed, and thus, can be selectively fixed to thecover fixing parts 211 according to a manipulation of thecover 60. - The
cover 60 has a shape to open and close theinlet 21. Thus, when thecover 60 is closed, the rear edge of thecover 60 contacting theinlet 21 has an inclination corresponding to an inclination of theinlet 21, and the rear surface of thecover 60 is recessed inward to form a predetermined space with thecase 20. - The
cover 60 includes afirst surface 64 constituting the top surface of thecover 60 and inclined forward and downward, and asecond surface 65 constituting the front surface of thecover 60 and inclined forward and downward from the front end of thefirst surface 64. - In detail, the
first surface 64 extends from the rear end of the top surface of thecover 60 to the rear end of thesecond surface 65. The level of the rear end of thefirst surface 64 is equal to or less than the level of the upper end of thecase 20. Thefirst surface 64 extends downward and forward. - The
second surface 65 extends from the front end of thefirst surface 64 to the front lower end of thecover 60. The rear end of thesecond surface 65 is disposed behind acover rotation shaft 66, and the front end thereof constitutes the front end of thecooling apparatus 10. Thesecond surface 65 extends in a direction crossing thefirst surface 64 to constitute the front surface of thecover 60. - A contact portion between the
first surface 64 and thesecond surface 65 is disposed behind a rotation center of thecover 60. The contact portion between thefirst surface 64 and thesecond surface 65 may be rounded. Thus, when adoor 3 of a refrigerator is closed, a contact point between thecover 60 and the rear surface of thedoor 3 can smoothly move from thefirst surface 64 to thesecond surface 65. - The
first surface 64 is provided with ahandle 67 for a user to hold. Thus, a user can hold thehandle 67 to open and close thecover 60. - In detail, when the
cover 60 is closed, thecover 60 is rotated counterclockwise (with respect toFIG. 16 ) with thehandle 67 held by a user, and the fixingmembers 62 are inserted and hook thecover fixing parts 211. On the contrary, when thecover 60 is opened, thecover 60 is rotated clockwise with thehandle 67 held by a user, and the fixingmembers 62 are removed from thecover fixing parts 211. - When the
cover 60 and thedoor 3 are completely opened as illustrated inFIG. 16 , the upper end of thefirst surface 64 becomes the front end of thecooling apparatus 10. The upper end of thefirst surface 64 is disposed out of the refrigerator, and contacts thedoor 3 when thedoor 3 is closed. At this point, the upper end of thefirst surface 64 is disposed at the upper and front sides of thecover rotation shaft 66. In this state, thebeverage container 2 can be taken out or put in thecooling apparatus 10. - In this state, the
door 3 can be closed without manipulating thecover 60. In this state, when thedoor 3 is closed, the rear surface of thedoor 3 contacts the upper end of thefirst surface 64. Then, when thedoor 3 is further closed to push the upper end of thefirst surface 64, thecover 60 rotates counterclockwise about thecover rotation shaft 66. Accordingly, thecover 60 is naturally closed. - While the
cover 60 is closed, the rear surface of thedoor 3 sequentially contacts the upper end of thefirst surface 64 and the lower end of thesecond surface 65. When thedoor 3 is completely closed, the rear surface of thedoor 3 contacts the lower end of thesecond surface 65 as illustrated inFIG. 17 . Accordingly, thecover 60 completely closes theinlet 21 of thecase 20. - That is, since the
cover 60 can be closed just by closing thedoor 3 without a separate process for closing thecover 60, breakage of thecover 60 due to carelessness can be prevented. In addition, the refrigerator can be conveniently used. - The rear surface of the
door 3 may be formed by a door liner, a door dike, a separate accommodation member installed on thedoor 3, or an arbitrary structure disposed on thedoor 3. - A refrigerator according to the present disclosure may be described according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, a refrigerator will now be described according to another embodiment.
- In the current embodiment, the cover is provided with a locking unit that is manipulated by a user, so that the cover can be fixed to the case.
- Thus, in the current embodiment, the rest parts except for a cover holder shaft are the same as those of the previous embodiments, and thus, a description thereof will be omitted, and like reference numerals denote like elements.
-
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner configuration of a cooling apparatus according to the current embodiment. - Referring to
FIG. 18 , acooling apparatus 10 according to the current embodiment includes acase 20 forming an appearance of thecooling apparatus 10, and an agitatingmember 50 is disposed in thecase 20 to accommodate abeverage container 2. Asuction grill 23 provided with a passage for introducing cool air is disposed on the bottom of thecase 20. Afan motor assembly 30 is disposed at the rear side of thecase 20 to forcibly suck and discharge cool air. A drivingassembly 70 is provided to thecase 20 to repeatedly swing the agitatingmember 50 during the driving of thefan motor assembly 30, thereby cooling and agitating a beverage in thebeverage container 2. - The front surface of the
case 20 is provided with aninlet 21 that is opened and closed by arotatable cover 60. Thus, thecover 60 is opened, and then, thebeverage container 2 can be taken out or put in through theinlet 21. - In detail, the
cover 60 has a size to correspond to theinlet 21 of thecase 20, and constitutes the front appearance of thecooling apparatus 10. The lower end of thecover 60 is rotatably coupled through a shaft member to the lower end of the open front surface of thecase 20. - The top and front surfaces of the
cover 60 may be constituted by afirst surface 64 and asecond surface 65, which are inclined. Thefirst surface 64 may be provided with ahandle 67 that is held for a user to rotate thecover 60. - The
cover 60 may be provided with a lockingunit 68. The lockingunit 68 is coupled to thecase 20 to maintain closing of thecover 60. The lockingunit 68 is disposed in thecover 60, and is exposed from a side of thehandle 67 and the rear surface of the cover 60 (the right side ofFIG. 18 ). - In more detail, the locking
unit 68 extends in the back-and-forth direction of thecover 60, and the front end of the locking unit 68 (the left side ofFIG. 18 ) is provided with amanipulation part 681 that is manipulated by a user. Themanipulation part 681 is exposed to thehandle 67 that is recessed. Thus, a user can hold thehandle 67 and themanipulation part 681 to rotate thecover 60. - The locking
unit 68 is supported by anelastic member 682 in thecover 60. Thus, when the lockingunit 68 is manipulated, theelastic member 682 can be compressed or stretched. When the manipulation of the lockingunit 68 is completed, the lockingunit 68 returns to its original position by the elasticity of theelastic member 682. - The front end of the locking
unit 68 protrudes through the rear surface of thecover 60. The front end of the lockingunit 68 is provided with a catchingportion 683. The catchingportion 683 has a hook shape. When thecover 60 is closed, the catchingportion 683 is inserted and locked in a lockingunit coupling hole 213 that is recessed in the front end of thecase 20 or passes through the front end. - When the
cover 60 is closed, a user holds thehandle 67 to open thecooling apparatus 10. At this point, when the user also holds and pulls themanipulation part 681 exposed to thehandle 67, the lockingunit 68 is moved forward, and thus, the catchingportion 683 is released from the lockingunit coupling hole 213. - When the locking
unit 68 is removed from the lockingunit coupling hole 213, thecover 60 can freely rotate. Accordingly, thecover 60 can be rotated counterclockwise, and be completely opened. Then, thebeverage container 2 can be put in or taken out of thecase 20. - The
cover 60 is rotated clockwise to close thecover 60. When thecover 60 is rotated by a set angle, the catchingportion 683 of the lockingunit 68 is inserted into the lockingunit coupling hole 213. At this point, the catchingportion 683 contacts the lockingunit coupling hole 213, and the lockingunit 68 can be smoothly inserted along slopes of the catchingportion 683 when thecover 60 is further rotated. When thecover 60 is completely closed, stepped parts of the catchingportion 683 are locked to the lockingunit coupling hole 213 to maintain the closing of thecover 60. - A
gasket 61 may be disposed at the edge of the rear surface of thecover 60 or the edge of the open surface of thecase 20. Thus, when thecover 60 is completely closed, thegasket 61 prevents leakage of cool air from thecase 20. - A refrigerator according to the present disclosure may be described according to various embodiments. Hereinafter, a refrigerator will now be described according to another embodiment.
- In the current embodiment, a single driving motor drives a suction fan and an agitating member such that suction of cool air and agitation of a beverage are simultaneously performed during driving of a cooling apparatus.
- Thus, in the current embodiment, the rest parts except for a driving assembly are the same as those of the previous embodiments, and thus, a description thereof will be omitted, and like reference numerals denote like elements.
-
FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a front part of a cooling apparatus according to the current embodiment.FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating the rear part of the cooling apparatus.FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the cooling apparatus.FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a housing of a gear assembly of the cooling apparatus. - Referring to
FIGS. 19 to 22 , acooling apparatus 10 according to the current embodiment includes acase 20 forming an appearance of thecooling apparatus 10, and an agitatingmember 50 is disposed in thecase 20. Asuction grill 23 connected to asuction duct 11 is disposed in the bottom surface of thecase 20 to supply cool air into thecase 20. - A
suction fan 31 may be disposed behind thecase 20 to form an air flow in thecase 20. Atransmission unit 73 may be disposed in thecase 20 to swing the agitatingmember 50. A drivingassembly 70 may be disposed behind thecase 20 to simultaneously drive thesuction fan 31 and thetransmission unit 73. - The driving
assembly 70 may include a drivingmotor 71 generating torque, and agear assembly 72 transmitting the torque from the drivingmotor 71 to thesuction fan 31 and thetransmission unit 73. The drivingmotor 71 and thegear assembly 72 will be described in detail later. - A
fan housing 32 includes a main body 321 forming a space accommodating thesuction fan 31, thegear assembly 72, and a dampingmember 74; and a cover 322 covering a side of the main body 321. - The main body 321 has a side opening covered by the cover 322, and forms a predetermined space with the cover 322. The cover 322 includes a suction opening 322 a that may be provided with a grill 322 b for preventing introduction of a foreign substance.
- The main body 321 has a bottom opening that communicates with a
return duct 12. The dampingmember 74 selectively opens and closes the bottom opening of the main body 321. The dampingmember 74 operates in conjunction with the drivingmotor 71, and thus, is opened when the drivingmotor 71 is driven, so that cool air can circulate between the coolingapparatus 10 and afreezer compartment 104 or an evaporatingcompartment 107. The dampingmember 74 is closed when the drivingmotor 71 is stopped, so that cool air is prevented from circulating between the coolingapparatus 10 and afreezer compartment 104 or an evaporatingcompartment 107. - Thus, when the damping
member 74 is opened by driving of the drivingmotor 71, cool air, which is sucked through thesuction duct 11 and thesuction grill 23 by thesuction fan 31, cools thebeverage container 2 in thecase 20, then, passes through thesuction fan 31, then, is guided by thefan housing 32, and then, is discharged through thereturn duct 12. - The driving
motor 71 is disposed behind thefan housing 32 and is disposed in amotor housing 721. Arotation shaft 711 of the drivingmotor 71 passes through thefan housing 32, and is disposed in thefan housing 32. Therotation shaft 711 is coupled to thegear assembly 72 disposed in thefan housing 32 to drive thegear assembly 72. Thegear assembly 72 is coupled to thesuction fan 31 and thetransmission unit 73 to operate thesuction fan 31 and thetransmission unit 73. - In detail, the
gear assembly 72 includes ahousing 721 accommodating a plurality gears, and a mountingplate 722 for closing thehousing 721 and mounting the gears. A drivingshaft 723 is disposed at a side of the mountingplate 722. The drivingshaft 723 passes through the mountingplate 722, and is coupled to therotation shaft 711 of the drivingmotor 71 to rotate when the drivingmotor 71 is driven. - The front surface of the mounting
plate 722 is provided with afirst fan gear 724 that is coupled to arotation shaft 411 of thesuction fan 31 to rotate together with the rotation shaft of thesuction fan 31. Asecond fan gear 725 is disposed on the drivingshaft 723 at the front side of the mountingplate 722. Thesecond fan gear 725 engages with thefirst fan gear 724 to transmit torque from the drivingmotor 71. Thus, when the drivingmotor 71 is driven, the first and second fan gears 724 and 725 rotate. Thesuction fan 31 rotates according to the rotation of thesecond fan gear 725. At this point, the number of rotations of thesuction fan 31 is determined according to a gear ratio of thefirst fan gear 724 to thesecond fan gear 725. - Another side of the mounting
plate 722 is provided with atransmission shaft 726 for transmitting power to thetransmission unit 73. Thetransmission shaft 726 passes through the mountingplate 722, and an end thereof is coupled to therotation member 421 of thetransmission unit 73 in thecase 20. - A
transmission shaft gear 726 a is disposed behind the mountingplate 722, and is formed on thetransmission shaft 726. A drivingshaft gear 723 a is disposed behind the mountingplate 722, and is formed on the drivingshaft 723. The rear surface of the mountingplate 722 is provided with one or more speed changer gears 727 such that thetransmission shaft gear 726 a moves in conjunction with the drivingshaft gear 723 a. The number of the speed changer gears 727 and a gear ratio thereof may be varied. - Since the frequency of rotations of the
suction fan 31 may be higher than that of driving of thetransmission unit 42, the speed changer gears 727 may be configured such that the number of rotations of thetransmission shaft 726 is smaller than the number of rotations of the drivingshaft 723. Thus, unlike thesuction fan 31 that rotates at high speed in thecase 20, the agitatingmember 50 can by swung at a stable frequency by thetransmission unit 73. -
FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the cooling apparatus. - Referring to
FIG. 23 when a signal for operating thecooling apparatus 10 is input according to a user's operation, the drivingassembly 70 operates thesuction fan 31 and the agitatingmember 50 at the same time. - In detail, when the driving
motor 71 is operated, therotation shaft 711 of the drivingmotor 71 rotates the drivingshaft 723. Torque from the drivingshaft 723 is transmitted to the drivingshaft gear 723 a, the speed changer gears 727, and thetransmission shaft gear 726 a, which engage with one another, and thus, thetransmission shaft 726 rotates. Accordingly, thetransmission shaft 726 rotates therotation member 421 of thetransmission unit 73. Then, thetransmission unit 73 swings the agitatingmember 50 to agitate a beverage in thebeverage container 2 placed on the agitatingmember 50. Since thetransmission unit 73 in the current embodiment is the same in configuration as that of the previous embodiment except that thetransmission unit 73 is coupled to thetransmission shaft 726, a description thereof will be omitted. - Torque from the driving
shaft 723 is transmitted to thefirst fan gear 724 and thesecond fan gear 725, which engage with each other, to rotate thesuction fan 31. Thus, thesuction fan 31 is driven simultaneously with swing of the agitatingmember 50 to cool the beverage in thebeverage container 2. - When the
suction fan 31 rotates, suction force is generated. Then, cool air from the evaporatingcompartment 107 sequentially passes through thesuction duct 11 and thesuction grill 23, and is sucked into thecase 20 by the suction force. Thesuction fan 31 axially sucks the cool air from thecase 20 to radially discharge the cool air, and thefan housing 32 guides the cool air to thefreezer compartment 104 through thereturn duct 12. - When the
suction fan 31 sucks the cool air, and the agitatingmember 50 swings to agitate the beverage in thebeverage container 2, thereby quickly cooling the beverage. - The driving
motor 71 simultaneously drives thesuction fan 31 and thetransmission unit 73 to provide a simple structure, and thus the possibility of defects and malfunctions is minimized. In addition, the amount of heat generated in the refrigerator is minimized to improve cooling efficiency of the refrigerator. - The damping
member 74 in thefan housing 32 is opened during an operation of the drivingmotor 71, and is closed during stopping of the drivingmotor 71, thereby preventing a loss of cool air.
Claims (22)
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator body;
a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment being configured to maintain operating temperatures that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment;
a cooling apparatus that is positioned in the refrigerating compartment and that is configured to cool liquid held by a container positioned in the cooling apparatus to a refrigerated temperature faster than the refrigerating compartment; and
a controller configured to detect a condition of the refrigerator and control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 :
wherein the controller is configured to detect the condition of the refrigerator by detecting opening of the refrigerator door; and
wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator by stopping operation of the cooling apparatus based on detecting the opening of the refrigerator door.
3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to detect closing of the refrigerator door and resume operation of the cooling apparatus based on detecting the closing of the refrigerator door.
4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to resume operation of the cooling apparatus conditioned on the controller determining that user input stopping the cooling apparatus has not been received.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1 :
wherein the controller is configured to detect the condition of the refrigerator by detecting a defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator; and
wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator by preventing operation of the cooling apparatus during the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator based on detecting the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator.
6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a display unit to display an interface indicating that operation of the cooling apparatus is prevented based on the defrosting operation.
7. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect completion of the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator, determine when a threshold period of time has passed after detecting completion of the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator, prevent operation of the cooling apparatus during the threshold period of time, and allow operation of the cooling apparatus based on a determination that the threshold period of time has passed after detecting completion of the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator.
8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a display unit to display an interface indicating that operation of the cooling apparatus is prevented based on the defrosting operation and indicating a time remaining until operation of the cooling apparatus is allowed.
9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent a defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator during operation of the cooling apparatus, determine when operation of the cooling apparatus has completed, allow the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator based on a determination that operation of the cooling apparatus has completed, and prevent operation of the cooling apparatus during the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator.
10. The refrigerator of claim 1 :
wherein the controller is configured to detect the condition of the refrigerator by detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than a threshold amount; and
wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator by preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for a threshold period of time based on detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount.
11. The refrigerator of claim 10 :
wherein detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount comprises determining a number of times the cooling apparatus has operated during a reference period of time, comparing the number of times the cooling apparatus has operated during the reference period of time to a threshold number of times, determining whether the number of times the cooling apparatus has operated during the reference period of time meets the threshold number of times based on the comparison, and detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operated for more than the threshold number of times during the reference period of time based on a determination that the number of times the cooling apparatus has operated during the reference period of time meets the threshold number of times, and
wherein preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for the threshold period of time based on detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount comprises preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for the threshold period of time based on detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operated for more than the threshold number of times during the reference period of time.
12. The refrigerator of claim 10 :
wherein detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount comprises determining an amount of time the cooling apparatus has operated during a reference period of time, comparing the amount of time the cooling apparatus has operated during the reference period of time to a threshold amount of time, determining whether the amount of time the cooling apparatus has operated during the reference period of time meets the threshold amount of time based on the comparison, and detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operated for more than the threshold amount of time during the reference period of time based on a determination that the amount of time the cooling apparatus has operated during the reference period of time meets the threshold amount of time, and
wherein preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for the threshold period of time based on detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount comprises preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for the threshold period of time based on detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operated for more than the threshold amount of time during the reference period of time.
13. The refrigerator of claim 10 :
wherein detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount comprises determining a temperature of at least one of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, comparing the determined temperature to a threshold temperature, determining whether the determined temperature meets the threshold temperature based on the comparison, and detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operated for more than the threshold amount based on a determination that the determined temperature meets the threshold temperature, and
wherein preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for the threshold period of time based on detecting that the cooling apparatus has been operating for more than the threshold amount comprises preventing operation of the cooling apparatus for the threshold period of time based on a determination that the determined temperature meets the threshold temperature.
14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive an input signal to start operation of the cooling apparatus;
start operation of the cooling apparatus based on the input signal to start operation of the cooling apparatus;
monitor a time during which the cooling apparatus has been operating;
determine whether the time during which the cooling apparatus has been operating meets a set time based on the monitoring;
based on a determination that the time during which the cooling apparatus has been operating does not meet the set time, continue operation of the cooling apparatus and monitoring the time during which the cooling apparatus has been operating; and
based on a determination that the time during which the cooling apparatus has been operating meets the set time, stop operation of the cooling apparatus.
15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , further comprising:
a compressor;
a first fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the refrigerating compartment;
a second fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the cooling apparatus; and
a damper configured to open and close a duct that guides air for the cooling apparatus,
wherein the controller is configured to start operation of the cooling apparatus by controlling the compressor to operate at maximum power, stopping the first fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the refrigerating compartment, starting the second fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the cooling apparatus, and opening the damper.
16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to stop operation of the cooling apparatus by controlling the compressor to reduce power from the maximum power, restarting the first fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the refrigerating compartment, stopping the second fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the cooling apparatus, and closing the damper.
17. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a compressor;
a single evaporator configured to produce cool air used in cooling the refrigerating compartment, the freezing compartment, and the cooling apparatus;
a fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the freezing compartment;
a first damper configured to open and close a duct that guides air for the refrigerating compartment;
a second damper configured to open and close a duct that guides air for the cooling apparatus;
an agitating member that is configured to agitate the container holding the liquid; and
a power generator configured to generate a driving force that causes the agitating member to agitate the container holding the liquid,
wherein the controller is configured to start operation of the cooling apparatus by controlling the compressor to operate, controlling the fan to operate, closing the first damper, opening the second damper, and starting the power generator.
18. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a compressor;
a first evaporator configured to produce cool air used in cooling the refrigerating compartment based on refrigerant supplied by the compressor;
a second evaporator configured to produce cool air used in cooling the freezing compartment based on refrigerant supplied by the compressor;
a valve configured to control flow of refrigerant from the compressor to the first evaporator and the second evaporator;
a fan configured to promote movement of cool air to the freezing compartment;
a damper configured to open and close a duct that guides air for the cooling apparatus;
an agitating member that is configured to agitate the container holding the liquid; and
a power generator configured to generate a driving force that causes the agitating member to agitate the container holding the liquid,
wherein the controller is configured to start operation of the cooling apparatus by controlling the compressor to operate, controlling the fan to operate, controlling the valve to direct all refrigerant from the compressor to the second evaporator, opening the damper, and starting the power generator.
19. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator by determining that the cooling apparatus is operating after detecting the condition and stopping operation of the cooling apparatus based on the determination that the cooling apparatus is operating after detecting the condition.
20. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator by determining that the cooling apparatus is off after detecting the condition and preventing operation of the cooling apparatus until the detected condition has been resolved based on the determination that the cooling apparatus is off after detecting the condition.
21. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator by determining that the cooling apparatus is operating after detecting the condition and modifying operational parameters of the cooling apparatus without stopping operation of the cooling apparatus based on the determination that the cooling apparatus is operating after detecting the condition.
22. A method comprising:
detecting a condition of a refrigerator that includes a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, and a cooling apparatus, the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment being configured to maintain operating temperatures that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment, and the cooling apparatus being positioned in the refrigerating compartment and being configured to cool liquid held by a container positioned in the cooling apparatus to a refrigerated temperature faster than the refrigerating compartment; and
controlling, by a controller, operation of the cooling apparatus based on the detected condition of the refrigerator.
Priority Applications (1)
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US13/182,246 US20120011884A1 (en) | 2010-07-13 | 2011-07-13 | Refrigerator and cooling apparatus |
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KR1020100067196A KR20120006628A (en) | 2010-07-13 | 2010-07-13 | Cooling apparatus |
KR10-2010-0067196 | 2010-07-13 | ||
KR1020100068466A KR20120007773A (en) | 2010-07-15 | 2010-07-15 | Control method for cooling apparatus |
KR10-2010-0068244 | 2010-07-15 | ||
KR1020100068461A KR20120007768A (en) | 2010-07-15 | 2010-07-15 | Cooling apparatus and storage apparatus equipped with the same |
KR10-2010-0068466 | 2010-07-15 | ||
KR10-2010-0068461 | 2010-07-15 | ||
KR1020100068244A KR20120007617A (en) | 2010-07-15 | 2010-07-15 | Cooling apparatus |
KR10-2010-0069358 | 2010-07-19 | ||
KR1020100069358A KR101737118B1 (en) | 2010-07-19 | 2010-07-19 | Cooling apparatus and refrigerator having this |
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KR1020100115549A KR101678224B1 (en) | 2010-11-19 | 2010-11-19 | Cooling apparatus and refrigerator having this |
KR10-2011-0062878 | 2011-06-28 | ||
KR1020110062878A KR101852831B1 (en) | 2011-06-28 | 2011-06-28 | Cooling apparatus and refrigerator having this and control method of refrigerator |
US13/182,246 US20120011884A1 (en) | 2010-07-13 | 2011-07-13 | Refrigerator and cooling apparatus |
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US13/182,206 Active 2032-02-16 US8863549B2 (en) | 2010-07-13 | 2011-07-13 | Refrigerator and rapid fluid cooling apparatus |
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US13/182,206 Active 2032-02-16 US8863549B2 (en) | 2010-07-13 | 2011-07-13 | Refrigerator and rapid fluid cooling apparatus |
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- 2011-07-13 CN CN201180034527.0A patent/CN103003648B/en active Active
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- 2011-07-13 WO PCT/KR2011/005160 patent/WO2012008756A2/en active Application Filing
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Cited By (10)
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US9080807B2 (en) * | 2010-07-13 | 2015-07-14 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Cooling apparatus and refrigerator having the same |
US9285153B2 (en) | 2011-10-19 | 2016-03-15 | Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) Llc | High performance refrigerator having passive sublimation defrost of evaporator |
US9310121B2 (en) | 2011-10-19 | 2016-04-12 | Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) Llc | High performance refrigerator having sacrificial evaporator |
KR20140000437A (en) * | 2012-06-22 | 2014-01-03 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator |
EP2677256A3 (en) * | 2012-06-22 | 2016-09-07 | LG Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
US9677801B2 (en) | 2012-06-22 | 2017-06-13 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
KR101916462B1 (en) * | 2012-06-22 | 2019-01-07 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator |
US20150285552A1 (en) * | 2014-04-07 | 2015-10-08 | General Electric Company | Refrigerator appliance and a method for defrosting a food item |
US20170309507A1 (en) * | 2014-12-01 | 2017-10-26 | National Institute Of Advanced Industrial Science And Technology | Compact manufacturing device, and inter-device transport system for production line |
CN112539600A (en) * | 2020-12-24 | 2021-03-23 | 徐建望 | Beef processing fluidization quick-freezing equipment |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2012008754A3 (en) | 2012-05-31 |
CN102985772B (en) | 2015-05-13 |
US8863549B2 (en) | 2014-10-21 |
WO2012008754A2 (en) | 2012-01-19 |
CN103003649A (en) | 2013-03-27 |
EP2593732B1 (en) | 2021-09-08 |
WO2012008756A3 (en) | 2012-05-31 |
US20120011885A1 (en) | 2012-01-19 |
CN103003649B (en) | 2016-01-20 |
CN103003648A (en) | 2013-03-27 |
CN103003648B (en) | 2015-11-25 |
EP2593733B1 (en) | 2022-09-07 |
US20120011882A1 (en) | 2012-01-19 |
EP2593733A2 (en) | 2013-05-22 |
CN102985772A (en) | 2013-03-20 |
WO2012008756A2 (en) | 2012-01-19 |
US8935939B2 (en) | 2015-01-20 |
EP2593731A2 (en) | 2013-05-22 |
WO2012008758A2 (en) | 2012-01-19 |
EP2593731A4 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
EP2593732A4 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
WO2012008758A3 (en) | 2012-05-31 |
EP2593732A2 (en) | 2013-05-22 |
EP2593733A4 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
EP2593731B1 (en) | 2020-01-08 |
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