IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,644,636
Granted Patent B2
US 12,644,636 · App. 18/384,560 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Refrigerator

Inventors: Youngmin You (Suwon-si, KR); Jinyoung Song (Suwon-si, KR); Byungkwan Yang (Suwon-si, KR); Jaehyun Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jongwoo Han (Suwon, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
F25D17/065F25D17/067F25D17/08F25D2317/067
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,644,636
App. No.
18/384,560
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator includes an inner case forming a storage compartment, a duct in the storage compartment, the duct including: a duct body, and a first coupling portion on a front side of the duct body, and a partition detachably mountable in front of the duct and dividing the storage compartment into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, the partition including: a partition body, a second coupling portion on a rear surface of the partition body and couplable to the first coupling portion, a partition hole in the partition body, and a partition insulator within the partition body and including an exposed portion exposed through the partition hole, wherein the partition insulator is configured so that when the partition is mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion is coupled to the first coupling portion, the exposed portion is in close contact with the duct body.

Claims (72)

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:

an inner case forming a storage compartment;

a duct in the storage compartment, the duct including:

a duct body including a protrusion protruding from a front surface of the duct body, and

a first coupling portion on the front surface of the duct body,

wherein the duct allows air to flow through the duct; and

a partition detachably mountable in front of the duct so as to divide the storage compartment into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment positioned below the refrigerating compartment, the partition including:

a partition body,

a second coupling portion on a rear surface of the partition body and couplable to the first coupling portion,

a partition hole in the rear surface of the partition body, and

a partition insulator within the partition body and including an exposed portion that protrudes backward into the partition hole so as to be exposed to an outside of the partition body through the partition hole, wherein the partition and the duct are configured such that, with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the exposed portion is in close contact with the duct body and the protrusion protrudes toward and presses against the partition.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

one of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion includes a coupling protrusion,

another one of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion includes a coupling groove corresponding to the coupling protrusion, and

with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the coupling protrusion is detachably coupled to the coupling groove.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the first coupling portion includes:

an upper groove, and

a lower groove spaced downward from the upper groove, and

the second coupling portion includes:

an upper protrusion, and

a lower protrusion spaced downward from the upper protrusion, and

with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the upper protrusion is inserted into the upper groove and the lower protrusion is inserted into the lower groove.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the first coupling portion includes:

an upper groove, and

a lower groove spaced downward from the upper groove,

the protrusion is between the upper groove and the lower groove,

the second coupling portion includes:

an upper protrusion, and

a lower protrusion spaced downward from the upper protrusion, and

with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the upper protrusion is inserted into the upper groove and the lower protrusion is inserted into the lower groove.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the partition body includes:

a first partition body having a lower portion,

a second partition body detachably coupled to the lower portion, and

a parting line between the first partition body with the second partition body.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the parting line is closer to the freezing compartment than the refrigerating compartment with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a duct insulator within the duct body, and

in response to the protrusion pressing against the partition with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the duct body and the duct insulator are brought into close contact with each other.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is disposed at a vertical center line of the duct body.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the partition hole is a first partition hole,

the exposed portion is a first exposed portion,

and

the partition further includes:

a second partition hole on a side surface of the partition body, and

a second exposed portion exposed through the second partition hole and configured such that, with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the second exposed portion is in close contact with the inner case.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein a second exposed portion is configured such that with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the second exposed portion is in close contact with at least one side wall of the inner case.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

an evaporator disposed within the storage compartment; and

the duct further includes:

a first outlet communicating with the refrigerating compartment to allow air that has exchanged heat with the evaporator to be supplied to the refrigerating compartment,

a first recovery port positioned below the first outlet and communicating with the refrigerating compartment to allow air in the refrigerating compartment to be recovered,

a second outlet communicating with the freezing compartment to allow air that has exchanged heat with the evaporator to be supplied to the freezing compartment, and

a second recovery port positioned below the second outlet and communicating with the freezing compartment to allow air in the freezing compartment to be recovered.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the partition is between the first recovery port and the second outlet with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the protrusion includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a sealing member interposed between the duct and the partition with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a fastening body extending from the partition body; and

a screw extending through the fastening body and into the duct to maintain a coupling force between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the partition hole is among a plurality of partition holes in a rear surface of the partition body,

the exposed portion is among a plurality of exposed portions respectively corresponding to the plurality of partition holes, and

each exposed portion of the plurality of exposed portions protrudes backward into a respectively corresponding partition hole of the plurality of partition holes so as to be exposed to an outside of the partition body through the respectively corresponding partition hole.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the partition insulator is further configured such that, with the partition mounted in front of the duct and the second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion, the exposed portion is exposed to the outside of the partition body toward the duct.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is exposed to a rear side of the partition body.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the exposed portion is connected to the rear surface of the partition body.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2023
From: YOU, YOUNGMIN; SONG, JINYOUNG; YANG, BYUNGKWAN; LEE, JAEHYUN; HAN, JONGWOO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065373/0234 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0001430 · Jan 4, 2023 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023015980 · Oct 17, 2023
Related Publication 20240219098A1 · Jul 4, 2024
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