IP Library Granted Patent US 11,300,331
Granted Patent B2
US 11,300,331 · App. 15/924,741 · Granted Apr 12, 2022

Thermoelectric refrigerator

Inventors: Jeehoon Choi (Seoul, KR); Seokhyun Kim (Seoul, KR); Heayoun Sul (Seoul, KR); Minkyu Oh (Seoul, KR); Hyoungkeun Lim (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
F25B21/02F25D11/00F25D19/00F25D21/14F25D23/003F25D23/066F25B2321/0251F25B2321/0252F25D17/062F25D2500/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,300,331
App. No.
15/924,741
Granted
Apr 12, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator including an inner case having a storage chamber defined therein; a thermoelectric module configured to cool the storage chamber, wherein the thermoelectric module includes a thermoelectric element and a heat sink; a heat-dissipation fan assembly provided adjacent to the heat sink; a heat-dissipation cover spaced apart from the inner case, wherein the heat-dissipation cover has at least one outer intake hole defined therein and wherein the intake hole faces the heat-dissipation fan assembly; and a gasket configured to block a gap between the heat-dissipation cover and the heat-dissipation fan assembly.

Claims (45)

1. A thermoelectric refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a bottom plate and a back plate;

an inner case having a storage chamber defined therein and disposed in the cabinet adjacent to the back plate;

a door configured to open and close the storage chamber and spaced above the bottom plate;

a thermoelectric module provided adjacent to the storage chamber and configured to cool the storage chamber, wherein the thermoelectric module includes a thermoelectric element, a heat sink, and a cooling sink;

a heat-dissipation fan assembly provided adjacent to the heat sink; and

a heat-dissipation cover provided adjacent to and spaced apart from the inner case in a first direction, wherein the heat-dissipation cover includes at least one outer intake hole which faces the heat-dissipation fan assembly;

a gasket configured to block a gap between the heat-dissipation cover and the heat-dissipation fan assembly,

wherein the back plate has a through-hole, the inner case has a thermoelectric module mounting hole, and the through-hole of the back plate is provided at a position corresponding to the thermoelectric module mounting hole of the inner case,

wherein the thermoelectric element and the cooling sink are positioned in front of the through-hole, while the heat sink is partially located behind the through-hole,

wherein the heat-dissipation fan assembly is to face the heat sink at a rear of the heat sink, and comprise at least one fixing pin, and

wherein the fixing pin is to contact the heat sink and separates the heat-dissipation fan assembly from the heat sink,

wherein the fixing pin comprising:

a head to contact the heat sink,

a pin body to be disposed in the heat-dissipation fan assembly,

a fixing portion to be fixed to a shroud of the heat-dissipating fan assembly while being in contact with a rear face of the shroud, and

an extension to couple with the heat-dissipation cover or to pass through the heat-dissipation cover,

wherein the heat-dissipation cover includes a suction grill formed of a mesh having a plurality of wires, wherein a thickness of each wire is between 1 mm and 1.6 mm,

wherein the thermoelectric refrigerator further comprises:

a fan configured to circulate air, which has exchanged heat with the cooling sink, to the storage chamber;

a fan cover configured to cover the fan and having an upper discharge hole, a lower discharge hole, and an inner suction hole formed between the upper discharge hole and the lower discharge hole;

a first receiving member disposed in the storage chamber; and

a second receiving member disposed over the first receiving member to be spaced apart from the first receiving member, the second receiving member including a rear face facing the upper discharge hole, and at least a portion of the rear face is an inclined face configured to guide air ejected from the upper discharge hole to a top of the storage chamber,

wherein the inner suction hole does not horizontally overlap each of the first receiving member and the second receiving member, and

wherein a lower portion of the upper discharge hole horizontally overlaps the second receiving member, and an upper portion of the upper discharge hole horizontally overlaps a space between a top face of the storage chamber and the second receiving member,

wherein a first spaced distance between the rear face of the second receiving member and a rear surface of the storage chamber is greater than a second spaced distance between the first receiving member and the rear surface of the storage chamber.

2. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

an electronic component disposed above the heat sink; and

a barrier disposed between the electronic component and the heat sink,

wherein the electronic component and the barrier are disposed between the back plate and the heat-dissipation cover.

3. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cabinet bottom located inside the cabinet and configured to support the inner case from below, and

a lower dissipated-heat flow channel defined between the cabinet bottom and the cabinet.

4. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 3 , comprising a tray arranged between the cabinet bottom and the bottom plate.

5. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a drain pipe that communicates with the storage chamber and is connected to a lower portion of the inner case,

a tray configured to receive water dropped from the drain pipe and positioned below the drain pipe.

6. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the head of the fixing pin is larger than a diameter of the pin body of the fixing pin, and

a diameter of the extension of the fixing pin is smaller than or equal to a diameter of the fixing portion of the fixing pin.

7. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprises a heat-dissipation plate, a heat-dissipation pipe, and a heat-dissipation fin structure,

wherein a fin of the heat-dissipation fin structure has a groove defined in a portion at which the heat-dissipation pipe is located, and

the head of the fixing pin is to be inserted into the groove of the fin of the heat-dissipation fin structure.

8. The thermoelectric refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a rear dissipated-heat flow channel defined between the back plate and the heat-dissipation cover, the heat sink and the heat-dissipation fan assembly are disposed in the rear dissipated-heat flow channel; and

a lower dissipated-heat flow channel configured to communicate with the rear dissipated-heat flow channel and positioned below the storage chamber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2018
From: CHOI, JEEHOON; KIM, SEOKHYUN; SUL, HEAYOUN; OH, MINKYU; LIM, HYOUNGKEUN
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 045273/0360 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0035608 · Mar 21, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180274825A1 · Sep 27, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,498,146