IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,736,270
Granted Patent B2
US 12,736,270 · App. 18/822,778 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Vacuum adiabatic body and refrigerator

Inventors: Bongjin Kim (Seoul, KR); Hyeunsik Nam (Seoul, KR); Deokhyun Youn (Seoul, KR); Jaehyun Bae (Seoul, KR); Jangseok Lee (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
F25D17/08F25D23/028F25D23/069F25D2201/14F25D2317/062
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,736,270
App. No.
18/822,778
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a vacuum adiabatic body. The vacuum adiabatic body includes a mullion configured to divide a space within the refrigerator into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, an ice maker placed in the freezing compartment, and an ice-making cool air passage passing through the mullion to connect the freezing compartment to the ice maker. Therefore, cool air may be supplied in an adiabatic state to the ice maker disposed in the refrigerating compartment.

Claims (57)

1 . A refrigerator comprising:

a first vacuum adiabatic body including

a first plate configured to provide at least a portion of a wall defining a first storage space,

a second plate configured to provide a portion of an outer wall of the refrigerator, and

a first vacuum space between the first plate and the second plate;

a door configured to open or close the first storage space;

a second vacuum adiabatic body including

a third plate configured to provide at least a portion of a wall defining a second storage space,

a fourth plate configured to provide another portion of the outer wall of the refrigerator, and

a second vacuum space between the third plate and the fourth plate;

an ice maker provided in the first vacuum adiabatic body or the door;

a connection passage provided between the first vacuum adiabatic body and the second vacuum adiabatic body and configured to allow air in the second storage space to flow to the ice maker; and

an adiabatic material to surround the connection passage.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the connection passage connects the second plate of the first vacuum adiabatic body to the fourth plate of the second vacuum adiabatic body.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the connection passage connects the first plate of the first vacuum adiabatic body to the third plate of the second vacuum adiabatic body.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the connection passage passes through the first and second plates of the first vacuum adiabatic body.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the connection passage passes through the third and fourth plates of the second vacuum adiabatic body.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the adiabatic material includes a wall to define at least a portion of the connection passage.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the connection passage includes first and second passages to be spaced apart from each other.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 7 ,

wherein the adiabatic material includes a first part, a second part and a third part, and

wherein the first part and the second part define the first passage, and the second part and the third part define the second passage.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first plate is spaced apart from the second plate in a first direction, and

wherein the first passage and the second passage are spaced apart from each other in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a conductive resistance sheet to reduce heat conduction between the first plate and the second plate,

wherein the conductive resistance sheet includes a wall to define at least a portion of the connection passage.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first vacuum adiabatic body is spaced apart from the second vacuum adiabatic body, and

wherein the refrigerator further comprises a gap maintenance portion provided in a gap between the first vacuum adiabatic body and the second vacuum adiabatic body.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , further comprising a component provided in the gap and configured to operate the refrigerator,

wherein the gap maintenance portion shields the component.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first vacuum adiabatic body is stacked on the second vacuum adiabatic body in a first direction, and

wherein a thickness of the adiabatic material in the first direction is greater than a thickness of the first vacuum space or the second vacuum space in the first direction.

14 . A refrigerator comprising:

a first vacuum adiabatic body including

a first plate configured to provide at least a portion of a wall defining a first storage space,

a second plate configured to provide a portion of an outer wall of the refrigerator, and

a first vacuum space between the first plate and the second plate;

a second vacuum adiabatic body including

a third plate configured to provide at least a portion of a wall defining a second storage space,

a fourth plate configured to provide another portion of the outer wall of the refrigerator, and

a second vacuum space between the third plate and the fourth plate;

an ice maker positioned away from the second storage space; and

an adiabatic material provided between the first vacuum adiabatic body and the second vacuum adiabatic body and having an air passage to allow air in the second storage space to flow to the ice maker.

15 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the adiabatic material is made of a porous material.

16 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the first vacuum adiabatic body includes a first opening configured to fluidly connect to the air passage, and a first conductive resistance sheet configured to define at least a portion of the first opening.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the second vacuum adiabatic body includes a second opening configured to fluidly connect to the air passage and a second conductive resistance sheet configured to define at least a portion of the second opening.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , further comprising a gap maintenance portion provided in a gap between the first vacuum adiabatic body and the second vacuum adiabatic body, the gap maintenance portion being configured to shield the adiabatic material.

19 . A refrigerator comprising:

a first vacuum adiabatic body including a first vacuum insulation wall to define a first storage space;

a second vacuum adiabatic body including a second vacuum insulation wall to define a second storage space;

an ice maker positioned away from the first storage space;

an adiabatic material provided between the first vacuum adiabatic body and the second vacuum adiabatic body; and

an air passage passing through the first vacuum insulation wall, the second vacuum insulation wall and the adiabatic material.

20 . The refrigerator according to claim 19 , wherein at least one of the first vacuum insulation wall or the second vacuum insulation wall includes a first plate, a second plate and a vacuum space between the first plate and the second plate.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0082645 · Jul 9, 2019 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18241649 · Sep 1, 2023
Continuation 17620097 · Jul 9, 2020
Related Publication 20240426545A1 · Dec 26, 2024
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