Refrigerator with condensation-preventing air guides

Abstract

A refrigerator including: a cabinet defining storage compartments therein, the storage compartments being divided by an intermediate partition; a plurality of doors which close the storage compartments; a machine compartment having part of a refrigerating device for cooling the storage compartments mounted therein; a cover disposed at a front part of the intermediate partition; and an air guide which guides air from the machine compartment along the front of the cover so as to prevent a formation of condensation on the cover.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-10124, filed on Feb. 16, 2004 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator with condensation-preventing air guides, and more particularly, to a condensation preventing arrangement for preventing formation of condensation on a cover of an intermediate partition of a side-by-side refrigerator.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, side-by-side refrigerators having storage compartments defined in a main body and arranged in a side by side relationship in the main body have been actively developed, as the refrigerators are high-grade and large-sized.

Generally, a side-by-side refrigerator includes a cabinet having storage compartments defined therein and divided by means of an intermediate partition in such a manner that the storage compartments are arranged side by side. The cabinet forms an outer main body of the refrigerator. The left and right doors are hinged to the front part of the cabinet for closing the storage compartments. The intermediate partition includes a heat-insulation wall, which is formed of foamed urethane, and left and right inner members provided at both sides of the heat-insulation wall. The storage compartments are divided into left and right storage compartments by the left and right inner members. To the front part of the intermediate partition is attached a cover, which is made of steel. The front ends of the left and right inner members are fixed to each other while being sealed by the cover. When the left and right doors are closed, gaskets tightly contact the cover. The outer surface of the cover is exposed to the outside. Consequently, condensation is formed on the cover when low-temperature air in the storage compartments is transmitted to the cover during the operation of the refrigerator. Condensation is undesirable as it is both a potential maintenance and health issue. The condensation spots the cover or runs down to the floor of a kitchen where the refrigerator is installed, whereby the kitchen becomes unsanitary.

One known solution to this problem is to lay a hot pipe connected to a condenser of a refrigerating cycle at the rear part of the cover so that heat from the hot pipe is discharged to the cover, and thus formation of condensation on the cover is prevented. Such an arrangement is disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-0019305 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,043.

In a refrigerator with the aforementioned arrangement, however, the hot pipe may be broken when foaming liquid is injected after the hot pipe is placed at the rear part of the cover. Also, the foaming liquid may be excessively injected between the hot pipe and the cover with the result that radiation of the heat is not properly accomplished. Furthermore, the cost and time for constructing the hot pipe are increased since the hot pipe is necessary.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator that is cable of preventing formation of condensation on a cover of an intermediate partition without using a hot pipe, thereby reducing the cost and time for mounting the hot pipe and thus improving the efficiency.

In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a refrigerator including: a cabinet defining storage compartments therein, the storage compartments being divided by an intermediate partition; a plurality of doors which close the storage compartments; a machine compartment having at least part of a refrigerating device for cooling the storage compartments mounted therein; a cover disposed at a front part of the intermediate partition; and an air guide which guides air from the machine compartment along the front of the cover so as to prevent a formation of condensation on the cover.

The refrigerator may further comprise an outlet duct for guiding air from the machine compartment to the air guide.

The refrigerator may further comprise a blowing device for blowing out the air in the outlet duct.

The air guide may be extended outward from the side of at least one of the doors so that a channel is formed between the plurality of doors in front of the cover.

The air guide may comprise a plurality of air guides extended outward from both sides of the plurality of air guides in front of the cover.

The plurality of air guides may contact each other at the end parts thereof so as to form a hermetically sealed channel in front of the cover.

The least one of the plurality of air guides may have at the end part thereof with an elastictically deformable member which is elastically deformed when a door is one of opened and closed door so as to interfere with the other door.

The plurality of air guides may extend extended longitudinally along one side of each of the plurality of doors.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a refrigerator including: a cabinet having left and right storage compartments defined therein, the left and right storage compartments being divided by an intermediate partition; left and right doors which respectively closing the left and right storage compartments; a cover disposed at a front part of the intermediate partition; and an air guide which guides air passing by the front of the cover so as to prevent a formation of condensation on the cover.

The air guide may extend outward from at least one of the opposite sides of the left and right doors, the air guide being formed such that it extends longitudinally.

The air guide may include left and right air guides extending outwardly from opposite sides of the left and right doors, and each of the left and right air guides may have an end part contacting each other so that a hermetically sealed channel is formed in front of the cover.

The at least one of the left and right air guides may have at the end part thereof with an elastictically deformable member which is elastically deformed when a door is one of opened and closed door so as not to interfere with the other door.

The left and right doors are provided with guide rails having grooves to respectively accept left and right air guides, and wherein the left and right air guides are provided with sliding insertion parts which are insertable in the guide rails.

The left and right doors may be provided with handles for allowing the doors to be opened or closed and the guide rails may be formed at the handles.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of preventing the formation of condensation on a cover of a refrigerator having a storage compartment partition behind the cover; including: directing heated air to the base of the intermediate partition; and guiding the heated air between the cover and the partition so as to evaporate moisture from the cover.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator closure assembly, including: a first door having at least one air guide at a non-hinged end thereof, the first door being movable between a closed position and an open position; a second door having at least one air guide at a non-hinged end thereof, the second door being movable between a closed position and an open position; a partition; a cover on the partition and at a position in contact with the non-hinged ends of the first and the second doors when the first and the second doors are in the closed positions; wherein the air guides and the cover form an air passage when the first and the second doors are closed.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating air guides and handles of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating how to mount the air guide to the handle of the refrigerator according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiment is described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

As illustrated in the drawings, the refrigerator includes: a cabinet 100 having side by side left and right storage compartments 120 and 130 defined therein and divided by an intermediate partition 110; and left and right doors 200 and 300, respectively, each having one side hinged to the front part of the cabinet 100 for closing the left and right storage compartments 120 and 130.

The left door 200 is provided at the front part thereof with a display unit 251 for displaying the operation of the refrigerator, and a dispenser unit 252 prepared so that ice or water is taken out without opening the left door 200. The left and right doors 200 and 300 are provided along the sides thereof, which are opposite to each other, with handles 220 and 230, respectively, by which the doors 200 and 300 may be opened and closed.

The cabinet 100 is provided at the lower rear part thereof with a machine compartment 140, in which part of a refrigerating device is mounted. In the machine compartment, specifically, are mounted a compressor 141, a condenser 142, and a blowing fan 143 for blowing air to the machine compartment. To the front part of the machine part are connected an inlet duct 144 for guiding indoor air to the machine compartment 140 and an outlet duct 145 for guiding air discharged from the machine compartment to the space defined between the left and right doors 200 and 300 in front of the intermediate partition 110.

Referring to FIG. 2, the left and right doors 200 and 300 have inner members 211 and 311 and outer members 212 and 312, respectively. Between the inner members 211 and 311 and the outer members 212 and 312 are provided heat-insulation walls 213 and 313, respectively, which are made of foamed urethane. At the rear parts of the left and right doors 200 and 300 are provided gaskets 215 and 315 having magnets 214 and 314 mounted therein, respectively. At the inner members 211 and 311 of the left and right doors 200 and 300 are provided pockets 216 and 316, in which the gaskets 215 and 315 are disposed, respectively. The gaskets 215 and 315 are provided with fixing protrusions 217 and 317, which are inserted in the pockets 216 and 316, respectively.

The intermediate partition 110 has left and right inner members 111 and 112, respectively, which are made of plastic and form the inner wall surfaces of the left and right storage compartments 120 and 130, and a heat-insulation wall 113 disposed between the left and right inner members 111 and 112 and made of foamed urethane. To the front part of the intermediate partition 110 is mounted a cover 114, which is made of a formed metal sheet. The cover 114 includes pockets 114a and 114b, in which the front ends of the left and right inner members 111 and 112 of the intermediate partition 110 are inserted such that the front ends of the left and right inner members 111 and 112 of the intermediate partition 110 are hermetically engaged in the pockets 114a and 114b, respectively, and a contact part 114c formed in the shape of a flat sheet, which the gaskets 215 and 315 tightly contact when the left and right doors 200 and 300 are closed.

To the sides of the left and right doors 200 and 300, which are opposite to each other, are fixed the handles 220 and 320, by which the doors 200 and 300 may be easily opened and closed, and left and right air guides 230 and 330 forming a hermetically sealed channel in front of the cover 114 of the intermediate partition 110 for guiding air discharged from the machine compartment 140 along the hermetically sealed channel.

The handles 220 and 320 are formed along the opposite sides of the doors 200 and 300 such that the handles 220 and 320 are vertically extended, respectively. The handles 220 and 320 are formed by extruding a metal, such as aluminum. The handles 220 and 320 have fixed parts 221 and 321 fixed to the doors 200 and 300, respectively, and grip parts 222 and 322 extended from the fixed parts 221 and 321 toward the front of the doors 200 and 300 and bent, respectively. The fixed parts 221 and 321 are fixed to the side parts of the doors 200 and 300 by fixing screws. The fixed parts 221 and 321 are provided with front protrusion parts 221a and 321a for covering the front parts of the outer members 212 and 312 of the doors 200 and 300 and rear protrusion parts 221b and 321b for covering the rear parts of the outer members 212 and 312 of the doors 200 and 300. At the grip parts 222 and 322 are provided cushion members 223 and 323, such as rubber or soft plastic, for improving tactile sensation of the grip parts 222 and 322, respectively.

The air guides 230 and 330 are extended outward from the opposite sides of the doors 200 and 300. The cross-sections of the air guides 230 and 330 gradually decrease as they extend from the opposite sides of the doors 200 and 300, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The air guides 230 and 330 are provided with base parts 231 and 331, which are fixed to the doors 200 and 300, and end parts 232 and 332 formed at the opposite sides of the base parts 231 and 331, respectively. The base parts 231 and 331 are provided with sliding insertion parts 231a, 231b and 331a, 331b, respectively, which are protruded frontward and rearward so that the air guides 230 and 330 are fixed to the handles 220 and 320. The handles 220 and 320 are provided with guide rails 221c, 221d and 321c, 321d having grooves extended vertically, in which the sliding insertion parts 231a, 231b and 331a, 331b are engaged, respectively. Each of the base parts 231 and 331 is made of a plastic resin extrusion, and each of the end parts 232 and 332 is made of an elastic material, such as rubber. The end parts 232 and 332 are attached to the base parts 231 and 331, respectively.

The end parts 232 and 332 of the left and right air guides 230 and 330 partially overlap each other so that the end parts 232 and 332 form a hermetically sealed channel in front of the cover 114 of the intermediate partition 110, and thus high-temperature air does not escape. When one of the left and right doors 200 and 300 is opened or closed, the corresponding end part 232 or 332 is elastically deformed since each of the end parts 232 and 332 is made of the elastic material, such as rubber. Consequently, the other door 300 or 200 is not affected by the opened or closed door 200 or 300 although the end parts 232 and 332 of the left and right air guides 230 and 330 partially overlap each other.

The operation of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described.

The refrigerator serves to cool food stored in the storage compartments 120 and 130 by a refrigerating device including the compressor 141 and the condenser 142.

In the refrigerator, the compressor 141 and the condenser 142 are mounted in the machine compartment 140 disposed at the lower rear part of the cabinet 100. Since the condenser 142 is not exposed to the outside, it is necessary to circulate air around the condenser 142 to cool the condenser 142. To this end, the operation of the blowing fan 143 is required. When the blowing fan 143 is operated during the operation of the refrigerator, indoor air is introduced into the machine compartment 140 through the inlet duct 144. The introduced air is circulated around the condenser 142 and the compressor 141 so that the condenser 142 and the compressor 141 are cooled by the circulated air.

The air having a high temperature by heat exchange with the compressor 141 and condenser 142 is discharged through the outlet duct 145. The discharged air is guided between the left and right doors 200 and 300 in front of the cover 114 of the intermediate partition 110 by the outlet duct 145. In front of the cover, the hermetically sealed channel is formed by the left and right air guides 230 and 330. Consequently, the high-temperature air moves to the storage compartments along the hermetically sealed channel.

When the high-temperature air flows along the hermetically sealed channel, heat is exchanged between the high-temperature air and the surrounding members forming the hermetically sealed channel. As a result, the temperature of the cover 114 of the intermediate partition 110 is increased, which is accomplished by the conventional hot pipe serving to increase the temperature of the cover 114. Consequently, formation of condensation on the cover is prevented.

The air guides 230 and 330 serve to prevent contact between the indoor air and the cover 114 in addition to the above-mentioned functions. Consequently, the effect of preventing formation of condensation is improved. When the condensation is formed on the cover, the hot air discharged from the machine compartment is continuously blown to the cover, whereby the condensation formed on the cover is quickly evaporated.

A refrigerator according to the present embodiment has air guides for guiding air discharged from a machine compartment so that it passes by the front of a cover of an intermediate partition. Consequently, formation of condensation on the cover is prevented without providing the conventional hot pipe. Furthermore, the cost and time for mounting the conventional hot pipe are decreased since the hot pipe is not necessary.

Although an embodiment of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining storage compartments therein, the storage compartments being divided by an intermediate partition;

a plurality of doors which close the storage compartments;

a machine compartment having at least part of a refrigerating device for cooling the storage compartments mounted therein;

a cover disposed at a front part of the intermediate partition; and

an air guide which guides air from the machine compartment along the front of the cover so as to prevent a formation of condensation on the cover.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an outlet duct for guiding air from the machine compartment to the air guide.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a blower for blowing air out of the outlet duct.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the air guide extends outwardly from a side of at least one of the doors so that a channel is formed between the plurality of doors and the cover.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the air guide includes a plurality of air guides extending outwardly from both sides of the plurality of air guides in front of the cover.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of air guides contact each other at end parts thereof so as to form a hermetically sealed channel in front of the cover.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of air guides has at the end part thereof with an elastictically deformable member which is elastically deformed when a door is one of opened and closed door so as not to interfere with the other door.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of air guides extend longitudinally along a side of each of the plurality of doors.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein each of the air guides have an end member and the end members partially overlap to form the hermetically sealed channel.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the elastic material is rubber.

11. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet having left and right storage compartments defined therein, the left and right storage compartments being divided by an intermediate partition;

left and right doors which respectively closing the left and right storage compartments;

a cover disposed at a front part of the intermediate partition; and

an air guide which guides air passing by the front of the cover so as to prevent a formation of condensation on the cover.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the air guide extends outwardly from at least one of opposite sides of the left and right doors, the air guide being formed such that it extends longitudinally.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the air guide comprises left and right air guides extending outwardly from opposite sides of the left and right doors, and wherein each of the left and right air guides has an end part contacting each other so that a hermetically sealed channel is formed in front of the cover.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the left and right air guides has at the end part thereof with an elastictically deformable member which is elastically deformed when a door is one of opened and closed door so as not to interfere with the other door.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the left and right doors are provided with guide rails having grooves to respectively accept left and right air guides, and wherein the left and right air guides are provided with sliding insertion parts which are insertable in the guide rails.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the left and right doors are provided with handles and the guide rails are formed at the handles.

17. A method of preventing the formation of condensation on a cover of a refrigerator having a storage compartment partition behind the cover; comprising:

directing heated air to the base of the intermediate partition; and

guiding the heated air between the cover and the partition so as to evaporate moisture from the cover.

18. A refrigerator closure assembly, comprising:

a first door having at least one air guide at a non-hinged end thereof, the first door being movable between a closed position and an open position;

a second door having at least one air guide at a non-hinged end thereof, the second door being movable between a closed position and an open position;

a partition;

a cover on the partition and at a position in contact with the non-hinged ends of the first and the second doors when the first and the second doors are in the closed positions;

wherein the air guides and the cover form an air passage when the first and the second doors are closed.