REFRIGERATOR
According to the present invention, a refrigerator comprises: a main body having a storage compartment; a refrigerating cycle apparatus for cooling the storage compartment; a quick cooling body which accommodates beverages inserted therein, and which has a plurality of jet-colliding holes for jet-colliding the cooling air in the storage compartment against the beverages; a quick cooling air blower which enables the cooling air in the storage compartment to flow toward the quick cooling body such that the cooling air in the storage compartment passes through the jet-colliding holes, is jet-collided against the beverages, and is then discharged to the storage compartment; and a quick cooling body moving mechanism mounted in the main body and connected to the quick cooling body to move the quick cooling body, thereby minimizing the quick cooling time of the beverages.
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and, more specifically, to a refrigerator including a quick cooling body for quickly cooling beverages.
BACKGROUND ARTIn general, a refrigerator is a device for cooling storage compartments, such as a cooling compartment and a refrigerating compartment, using a refrigerating cycle apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion unit, and an evaporator.
Recently, a quick cooling compartment where a subject to be cooled is placed is additionally formed on one side of the refrigerating compartment or the cooling compartment. Some of the cooling air of a storage compartment is concentrated on the quick cooling compartment, thereby quickly cooling the subject within the quick cooling compartment.
DISCLOSURE Technical ProblemAn object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator for quickly cooling beverages by using the impingement jet of cooling air.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator for accelerating the cooling of beverages while the beverages are quickly cooled by cooling air.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator for quickly cooling beverages by using the impingement jet of cooling air and the ice storage of an ice storage heat exchanger.
Technical SolutionIn order to solve the objects, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a main body including a storage compartment; a refrigerating cycle apparatus for cooling the storage compartment; a quick cooling body in which a beverage is inserted and accommodated and a plurality of impinging-jet holes for having the beverage impinged on and jetted to the cooling air of the storage compartment is formed; a quick cooling air blower for moving the cooling air of the storage compartment to the quick cooling body so that the cooling air of the storage compartment impinged on and jetted to the beverage through the impinging-jet holes and then discharged to the storage compartment; and a quick cooling body moving mechanism mounted on the main body, connected to the quick cooling body, and moving the quick cooling body.
The refrigerator may further include an air blower mounter positioned and installed in the main body and having the quick cooling air blower installed therein; and a flexible funnel member having the air blower mounter and the quick cooling body to communicate with each other and deformed when the quick cooling body moves.
A plurality of the quick cooling bodies may be connected to the flexible funnel member.
The quick cooling body moving mechanism may be connected to one of the plurality of quick cooling bodies.
The quick cooling body may be movably connected on the lower side of the quick cooling body moving mechanism, and the quick cooling air blower may be positioned and mounted on the lower side of the quick cooling body.
The quick cooling body moving mechanism may include a motor positioned and installed in the main body, and a link fixedly connected to the shaft of the motor and rotatably connected to the quick cooling body and for eccentrically rotating the quick cooling body in a 3-D way when the motor is driven.
The link may include a shaft coupling unit to which the shaft of the motor may be connected, a quick cooling body connection unit rotatably connected to a coupling shaft formed in the quick cooling body, and a horizontal unit coupling the shaft coupling unit and the quick cooling body connection unit.
The refrigerator may further include a sprayer installed in the quick cooling body in order to vaporize a coolant and spray the vaporized coolant to the outside of the container of the beverage.
The refrigerator may further include a coolant supply hose connected to the sprayer and for supplying the coolant to the sprayer.
The refrigerator may further include a cooling air guide for downwardly guiding air ventilated by the quick cooling air blower.
The main body may include a beverage entrance formed in front of the quick cooling body, and a beverage door for opening and shutting the beverage entrance may be installed in the main body.
The refrigerator may further include an ice storage heat exchanger placed outside the quick cooling body, wherein the cooling air sucked from the storage compartment to the impinging-jet holes may be cooled while passing through the ice storage heat exchanger.
The ice storage heat exchanger may have concave-convex parts formed in the cooling air holes.
The ice storage heat exchanger may include a main ice storage unit spaced apart from the quick cooling body in the front and rear directions, and an auxiliary ice storage unit inclined and disposed on the left or right side of the main ice storage unit and spaced apart from the quick cooling body in the left and right directions.
The quick cooling body may include a tub body having an opening formed on the side opposite to the ice storage heat exchanger, and a body door opening and shutting the opening.
The refrigerator may further include an ice storage heat exchanger installed in the quick cooling body in such a way as to come in contact with the beverage and cooled by the cooling air, thus cooling the beverage.
The ice storage heat exchanger may include an ice storage pack containing an ice storage material; and an ice storage pack holder placed within the quick cooling body so that the ice storage pack is seated in the ice storage pack holder.
A plurality of the ice storage heat exchangers may be disposed within the quick cooling body in a cylindrical direction so that the plurality of ice storage heat exchangers is spaced apart from one another.
The refrigerator may further include elastic members placed and installed between the ice storage heat exchanger and the quick cooling body and for elastically supporting the ice storage heat exchanger in the direction of the beverage.
The refrigerator may further include at least one beverage holder installed in the quick cooling body and for supporting the beverage.
Advantageous EffectsThe refrigerator constructed as described above according to the present invention has an advantage in that a beverage can be more quickly cooled because the cooling air of the storage compartment impinges on the outside of a beverage through the plurality of impinging-jet holes.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that the transfer of heat of a beverage and the quick cooling of the beverage are accelerated because the beverage, together with the quick cooling body, is moved.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that when the quick cooling body moves, the flexible funnel member is modified, thereby enabling the quick cooling body to move and increasing the quick cooling efficiency of a beverage.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that a plurality of beverages can be quickly cooled at the same time and one quick cooling body driving mechanism moves a plurality of the quick cooling bodies at the same time.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that after a beverage is cooled, cooling air ventilated from the quick cooling air blower is not exchanged with the evaporator and the reentry of the cooling air to the quick cooling body can be minimized.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that the internal movement of a beverage can be more accelerated and a user can easily check current quick cooling because the quick cooling body is eccentrically rotated around the flexible funnel member in a 3-D way.
Furthermore, there is an advantage in that the time taken to quickly cool a beverage is reduced because a cooling fluid vaporized by the sprayer is evaporated in the outside of the container of the beverage.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that a deviation in the temperature of the storage compartment when a beverage is quickly cooled can be minimized and a deviation in the cooling time of a beverage or the cooling degree of the beverage can be minimized because the ice storage heat exchanger is cooled by the cooling air of the storage compartment and then the ice storage heat exchanger cools air sucked toward the quick cooling body when the beverage is quickly cooled.
Furthermore, there are advantages in that a beverage is more quickly cooled and the time taken for the quick cooling is minimized because the heat of the beverage is absorbed by the ice storage heat exchanger.
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a main body 2 including storage compartments F and R, a refrigerating cycle apparatus 10 cooling the storage compartments F and R, and a quick cooler 20 quickly cooling a beverage by forcibly moving the cooling air of the storage compartments F and R to the beverage, as shown in
The main body 2 may include an outer casing 3, inner casings 4 placed within the outer casing 3 and configured to form the storage compartments F and R, and doors 5 and 6 configured to close and shut the storage compartments F and R.
In the main body 2, an adiabetic member, such as foaming plastic, may be placed between the outer casing 3 and the inner casings 4, and an adiabetic member, such as foaming plastic, may be placed within the doors 5 and 6.
The main body 2 may include a plurality of the inner casings 4 forming the cooling compartment R and the cooling compartment F. The main body 2 may include the cooling compartment door 5 that opens and shuts the cooling compartment R and the refrigerating compartment door 6 that opens and shuts the refrigerating compartment F.
The refrigerating cycle apparatus 10 may include a compressor 11 compressing a refrigerant, a condenser 12 condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11, an expander 13 expanding the refrigerant L condensed by the condenser 12, and an evaporator 14 evaporating the refrigerant L expanded by the expander 13 and cooling the storage compartments F and R.
The compressor 11 compresses a gas refrigerant of low temperature and low pressure into a gas refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure. The compressor 11 may be installed in the machine room M of the main body 2 which is separately formed from the storage compartments F and R.
The condenser 12 may be connected to the compressor 11 through a condenser inlet pipe and to the expander 13 through a condenser exit pipe. The refrigerant introduced from the compressor 11 through the condenser inlet pipe may be condensed through the condenser 12 and then drained out to the condenser exit pipe.
The condenser 12 may be installed at the backside of the main body 2 so that it is externally exposed or may be installed in the machine room M formed in the main body 2. If the condenser 12 is installed in the machine room M, a condensing fan 15 for ventilating the external air of the main body 2 toward the condenser 12 may be installed in the main body 2.
The expander 13 may be formed of a capillary tube or an electronic expansion valve. The expander 13 may expand the condensed refrigerant drained out through the condenser exit pipe.
The evaporator 14 may be connected to the expander 13 through an evaporator inlet pipe and to the compressor 11 through an evaporator exit pipe. The refrigerant introduced from the expander 13 through the evaporator inlet pipe may be expanded through the evaporator 14 and then drained out to the evaporator exit pipe. Next, the refrigerant may flow into the compressor 11.
The evaporator 14 may be formed of an indirect cooling evaporator in which the air of the storage compartments F and R circulates and cools the storage compartments F and R while circulating through the storage compartments F and R and the evaporator 14.
The main body 2 may further include a refrigerating compartment rear panel 15 configured to form the rear of the refrigerating compartment F and to have a cooling air discharge port 15a formed on an upper part and a cooling air suction port 15b formed on an lower part, a circulation fan 16 configured to circulate the cooling air, cooled by the evaporator 14, through the refrigerating compartment F and the cooling compartment R, and a partition wall 17 configured to partition the refrigerating compartment F and the cooling compartment R and to have a cooling air discharge passage 17a formed on an upper part and a cooling air suction passage 17b formed on a lower part.
The cooling air discharge passage 17a may be formed so that the upper part of the cooling compartment R and the upper side of the evaporator 14 communicate with each other. The cooling air suction passage 17b may be formed so that the lower part of the cooling compartment R and the lower side of the evaporator 14 communicate with each other.
When the circulation fan 18 is driven, some of the cooling air cooled by the evaporator 14 may be supplied to the refrigerating compartment F through the cooling air discharge port 15a of the refrigerating compartment rear panel 15 and then flown into the lower part of the refrigerating compartment F. Next, some of the cooling air may cool the refrigerating compartment F and flow into the evaporator 14 through the cooling air suction port 15b of the refrigerating compartment rear panel 15.
Furthermore, the remainder of the cooling air cooled by the evaporator 14 may be supplied to the cooling compartment R through the cooling air discharge passage 17a formed in the partition wall 17 and then flown into the lower part of the cooling compartment R. Next, the remainder of the cooling air may cool the cooling compartment R and then flow into the evaporator 14 through the cooling air suction passage 17b of the partition wall 17.
The quick cooler 20 is installed in one of the inside of the refrigerating compartment F, the refrigerating compartment door 5, the inside of the cooling compartment R, and the cooling compartment door 6, and it quickly cools a beverage C by forcibly moving cooling air toward the beverage C.
It is preferred that the quick cooler 20 be installed in the inside of the refrigerating compartment F or the refrigerating compartment door 5 in order to quickly cool the beverage C. It is preferred that the quick cooler 20 be installed in the refrigerating compartment door 5 in order to maximize the capacity of the refrigerating compartment F.
The beverage C may be put into and taken out from the refrigerator according to the present embodiment by opening the refrigerating compartment door 5. A beverage entrance 18 through which the beverage may be put into and taken out and a beverage door 19 through which the beverage can be put into and taken out (hereinafter referred to as a beverage door), for opening and shutting the beverage entrance 18, may be installed in the refrigerating compartment door 5.
An example which the quick cooler 20 is installed in the refrigerating compartment door 5, the beverage entrance 18 is formed in front of the quick cooler 20 in the refrigerating compartment door 5, and the beverage door 19 is rotatably installed in the refrigerating compartment door 5 is described below.
The quick cooler 20 includes a quick cooling body 30 that has the beverage C inserted and accommodated therein and impinging-jet holes for impinging-jet the cooling air of the storage compartment F against the beverage C formed therein and a quick cooling air blower 40 that moves the cooling air of the storage compartment F toward the quick cooling body 30 so that the cooling air of the storage compartment F impinges on and jets out to the beverage C through the impinging-jet holes and it is then drained out to the storage compartment F again.
Here, a plurality of the impinging-jet holes is a plurality of cooling air suction holes for sucking the cooling air outside the quick cooling body 30 into the inside of the quick cooling body 30 and is spaced apart from one another.
The quick cooling air blower 40 increases the cooling speed of the cooling air by moving the cooling air into the inside of the quick cooling body 30 (i.e., a target area) at the fast speed of impinging-jet. The quick cooling air blower 40 may be installed to communicate with the quick cooling body 30.
The quick cooler 20 may further include a quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 mounted on the main body 2, connected to the quick cooling body 30, and configured to move the quick cooling body 30.
The quick cooler 20 may be moved in the state in which the quick cooling air blower 40 and the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 are positioned in the main body 2 (particularly, the refrigerating compartment door 5) and the quick cooling body 30 is placed between the quick cooling air blower 40 and the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50.
The quick cooling air blower 40 may be placed on the upper side of the quick cooling body 30 and configured to induce the cooling air on the lower side in such as a way as to pull the cooling air up to the upper side. The quick cooling air blower 40 may be placed on the lower side of the quick cooling body 30 and configured to induce the cooling air on the upper side in such as a way as to pull the cooling air down to the lower side.
When the quick cooling air blower 40 of the quick cooler 20 moves the cooling air upwardly, the cooling air whose temperature is raised when the quick cooling body 30 cools the beverage C may flow into the quick cooling body 30 again, thereby deteriorating the quick cooling performance of the beverage C. It is thus preferred that the quick cooling air blower 40 be installed on the lower side of the quick cooling body 30, thus moving the cooling air downwardly.
If the quick cooling air blower 40 of the quick cooler 20 is placed on the lower side of the quick cooling body 30, it is preferred that the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 be connected to the upper side of the quick cooling body 30, thus rotating the quick cooling body 30 on the upper side of the quick cooling body 30.
Hereinafter, it is described that the quick cooling body 30 is connected to the cooling body moving mechanism 50 so that the quick cooling body 30 is movable on the lower side of the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 and the quick cooling air blower 40 is mounted on the lower side of the quick cooling body 30.
The refrigerator according to the present embodiment may further include an input unit 60 for enabling a user, etc. to input temperature of the storage compartment or to input a beverage quick cooling command and a control unit 70 for controlling the refrigerator in response to the input to the input unit 60 and for driving the quick cooling air blower 40 and the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 when the beverage quick cooling command is received through the input unit 60, as shown in
The control unit 70 may control the compressor 11, the condensing fan 15, the circulation fan 16, and so on based on the desired temperature of the storage compartment and the current temperature of the storage compartment when the desired temperature of the storage compartment is inputted through the input unit 60 and may control the quick cooling air blower 40 and the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 in response to the beverage quick cooling command inputted through the input unit 60.
The quick cooling body 30 accommodates and supports the beverage C when the beverage C is quickly cooled, and it may be formed in a tub body shape having a space formed therein as shown in
The plurality of impinging-jet holes 32 may be formed in the entire circumferential portion of the quick cooling body 30 in a cylindrical direction and up and down directions with them spaced from one another. The cooling air impinges on the beverage C around the circumferential portion of the beverage C in a 3-D way.
The quick cooling body 30 may be formed so that the impinging-jet holes 32 are directed toward the center of the space of the quick cooling body 30.
The quick cooling body 30 may have a top surface opened so that the cooling air is sucked through not only the circumferential portion, but also the top surface. The quick cooling body 30 may have the top surface shut so that the suction of the cooling air through the circumferential portion is concentrated.
The quick cooling body 30 may have a bottom surface opened so that the cooling air impinging on the beverage C flows into the quick cooling air blower 40 or may have a cooling air discharge port formed in the bottom surface.
One quick cooling body 30 or a plurality of the quick cooling bodies 35 and 36 may be provided in the refrigerator.
The quick cooling body 30 may be formed to have a size in which a plurality of beverages is received and thus one quick cooling body 30 may be installed in the refrigerator. The quick cooling body 30 may be formed to have a size in which one beverage is received and thus the plurality of quick cooling body 35 and 36 may be installed in the refrigerator.
If a gap T between the beverage C placed within the quick cooling body 30 and the impinging-jet holes 32 is great, the impinging-jet effect of the cooling air sucked by the quick cooling body 30 may be weak. It is thus preferred that the gap T between the quick cooling body 30 and the beverage C be formed in a size capable of sufficiently forming impinging-jet.
It is preferred that the quick cooling body 30 include the plurality of quick cooling bodies 35 and 36 in order to quickly cool a large number of beverages and also produce a sufficient impinging-jet effect and the quick cooling body 30 be formed in a size capable of forming impinging-jet between the quick cooling body 30 and the beverage C.
If the quick cooling body 30 is installed in plural numbers, the plurality of quick cooling bodies 35 and 36 may be connected to a flexible funnel member 90.
Hereinafter, it is described that the quick cooling body 30 includes the left and right quick cooling bodies 35 and 36 disposed on the left and right sides.
The quick cooling air blower 40 includes a fixed pressure fan and a fan motor for rotating the fixed pressure fan.
One quick cooling air blower 40 may move cooling air to the plurality of quick cooling bodies 35 and 36, and a plurality of quick cooling air blowers 42 and 44 may move cooling air to the plurality of quick cooling bodies 35 and 36.
Hereinafter, it is described that the quick cooling air blower 40 includes the left and right quick cooling air blowers 42 and 44 disposed on the left and right sides.
The quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 rotates the quick cooling body 30 in a 3-D way for the 3-D movement of the beverage C (i.e., the subject of quick cooling), and it may be connected to one of the plurality of quick cooling bodies 35 and 36.
The quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 may include a motor 52 positioned in and fixed to the main body 2 and a link 54 fixed and connected to the shaft 53 of the motor 52, rotatably connected to the quick cooling body 30, and configured to eccentrically rotate the quick cooling body 30 in a 3-D way when the motor 52 is rotated.
An upper installation plate 55 may be installed in the main body 2 (particularly, in the rear of the refrigerating compartment door 5) so that it is protruded toward the storage compartment F. A motor bracket 56 for surrounding the left, right, and lower sides of the motor 52 may be installed in the upper installation plate 55.
The motor 52 may be installed in the motor bracket 56, and the shaft 53 may be installed in a shaft through hole formed in the lower plate unit of the motor bracket 56 so that the shaft 53 penetrate the shaft through hole.
The motor 52 may include forward and backward motors capable of rotating the link 54 in the forward and backward directions.
The link 54 may include a shaft coupling unit 57 connected to the shaft 53 of the motor 52, a quick cooling body connection unit 58 rotatably connected to the coupling shaft 37 formed in the quick cooling body 30, and a horizontal unit 59 configured to connect the shaft coupling unit 57 and the quick cooling body connection unit 58.
The shaft coupling unit 57 may be formed on one side of the left and right sides of the link 54, and the quick cooling body connection unit 58 may be formed on the other side of the left and right sides of the link 54.
When the shaft 53 of the motor 52 is rotated, the quick cooling body connection unit 58 of the link 54 may rotate the quick cooling body 30 along a circular track.
The quick cooler 20 may further include an air blower mounter 80 positioned in and fixed to the main body 2 and configured to have the quick cooling air blower 40 installed therein and the flexible funnel member 90 configured to have the air blower mounter 80 and the quick cooling body 30 communicate with each other and deformed when the quick cooling body 30 moves.
Cooling air within the quick cooling body 30 may be sucked by the quick cooling air blower 40 through the flexible funnel member 90 and the air blower mounter 80.
A lower installation plate 81 may be installed in the rear of the main body 2 (particularly, the refrigerating compartment door 5) so that it is protruded toward the storage compartment F, and the air blower mounter 80 may be installed to penetrate the lower installation plate 81.
The top of the air blower mounter 80 may penetrate a through hole formed in the lower installation plate 81, and a fastening unit, such as a screw or a hook, may be mounted on the lower installation plate 81.
The air blower mounter 80 may include a left mounter unit 82 where the left quick cooling air blower 42 of the plurality of quick cooling air blowers 42 and 44 is installed and a right mounter unit 84 where the right quick cooling air blower 44 of the plurality of quick cooling air blowers 42 and 44 is installed.
The flexible funnel member 90 may be connected to the air blower mounter 80 so that the flexible funnel member 90 communicates with the air blower mounter 80. The air blower mounter 80 may further include a suction port 86 for sucking cooling air passing through the flexible funnel member 90.
The air blower mounter 80 may be formed so that the suction port 86, the left mounter unit 82, and the right mounter unit 84 communicate with one another. The suction port 86 may be protruded upwardly from the air blower mounter 80. The left mounter unit 82 may be formed on the left side under the air blower mounter 80, and the right mounter unit 82 may be formed on the right side under the air blower mounter 80.
The flexible funnel member 90 is bent or expanded or contracts when the quick cooling body 30 moves, thus maintaining the communication state of the quick cooling body 30 and the quick cooling air blower 40. The flexible funnel member 90 may form the sucking passage of the quick cooling air blower 40.
The flexible funnel member 90 may have a top connected to the quick cooling body 30 and a bottom connected to the air blower mounter 80.
The flexible funnel member 90 may include a left flexible funnel member connected to the left quick cooling body 35 and a right flexible funnel member connected to the right quick cooling body 36 or may include one flexible funnel member in which the left quick cooling body 35 and the right quick cooling body 36 are coupled.
Hereinafter, it is described that the flexible funnel member 90 is one flexible funnel member having a top connected to the left quick cooling body 35 and the right quick cooling body 36 and having a bottom communicate with the suction port 86 of the air blower mounter 80.
The flexible funnel member 90 may be formed of an elastic member so that it can be bent when the quick cooling body 30 moves, or the flexible funnel member 90 may include a wrinkle hose unit so that it is partially expanded and contracted when the quick cooling body 30 moves.
The refrigerator according to the present embodiment may further include a sprayer 100 installed in the quick cooling body 30 in order to vaporize a coolant (e.g., water) and spray the coolant to the outside of the container of the beverage C and a coolant supply hose 102 connected to the sprayer 100 and configured to supply the coolant to the sprayer 100.
The sprayer 100 supplies a cooling fluid W vaporized in a mist particle, such as vapor, to the outside of the container of the beverage C. The cooling fluid W sprayed from the sprayer 100 is evaporated in the outside of the container of the beverage C, with the result that the cooling speed of the beverage C may be increased by latent heat.
The sprayer 100 may be installed over the quick cooling body 30 so that the vaporized cooling fluid is uniformly sprinkled over the outside of the container of the beverage C while dropping in the direction of gravity.
A coolant control valve (not shown) for controlling the supply and suspension of the coolant to the coolant supply hose 102 in response to the quick cooling command through the input unit 60 may be installed in the coolant supply hose 102.
The quick cooling body 30 may include a tub body 38 configured to have an opening 38a through which the beverage C is put into and taken out formed therein and a body door 39 installed in the tub body 38 and configured to open and shut the opening 38a.
The opening 38a may be formed in front, particularly, in the upper front part of the tub body 38.
The opening 38a may be formed in part of the circumferential portion of the tub body 38, and the opening 38a may be formed in part of the circumferential portion and part of the top of the tub body 38. It is preferred that the opening 38a be formed in part of the circumferential portion and part of the top of the tub body 38 with consideration taken of convenience that the beverage C is put into and taken out.
The body door 39 may be rotatably installed in the tub body 38. The body door 39 may be slidably installed in the cylindrical direction or the up and down directions of the tub body 38. The body door 39 may be installed in the tub body 38 so that the body door 39 can be attached to or detached from the tub body 38.
The impinging-jet holes 32 may be formed in the tub body 38 of the quick cooling body 30, and the impinging-jet holes 32 may be formed in the body door 39.
The operation of the refrigerator constructed as described above according to the present invention is described below.
First, when a user, etc. opens the beverage door 19, puts his hand into the beverage entrance 18, and then opens the body door 39, the opening 38a of the quick cooling body 30 is opened. When the user puts the beverage C into the opening 38a and shuts the body door 39, the beverage C is accommodated in the quick cooling body 30.
When a user, etc. shuts the beverage door 19 and inputs the quick cooling command through the input unit 60, the control unit 70 drives the fan motor of the quick cooling air blower 40 and drives the motor of the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50.
When the fan motor of the quick cooling air blower 40 is driven, suction is generated within the flexible funnel member 90 and the quick cooling body 30 and around the quick cooling body 30, and cooling air around the quick cooling body 30 is quickly sucked through the impinging-jet holes 32 of the quick cooling body 30. Next, the cooling air cools the beverage C while impinges on the outside of the container of the beverage C within the quick cooling body 30.
The cooling air that has impinged on and jetted to the outside of the container of the beverage C as described above cools the container of the beverage C again while passing through the gap between the beverage C and the quick cooling body 30. After the cooling air sequentially passing through the flexible funnel member 90 and the air blower mounter 90, the cooling air is sucked by the quick cooling air blower 40 and then downwardly ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40.
When the motor 52 of the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 is driven, the link 54 rotates the quick cooling body 30 in the state in which the shaft 53 of the motor 52 and the coupling shaft 37 of the quick cooling body 30 are eccentrically coupled. The quick cooling body 30 rotates while drawing a circular track in the state in which the bottom of the quick cooling body 30 is connected to the flexible funnel member 90.
When the quick cooling body 30 is rotated, part of the flexible funnel member 90 is bent, thus helping the quick cooling body 30 to be rotated around the bottom of the flexible funnel member 90 in an approximately inclined state.
When the quick cooling body 30 is rotated as described above, the beverage C is moved along with the quick cooling body 30, so that liquid stored goods within the beverage C are actively moved and the transfer of heat of the beverage C is further accelerated.
If a set time elapses after a user, etc. inputs the quick cooling command through the input unit 60 or when a user, etc. inputs a quick cooling stop command through the input unit 60, the control unit 90 stops the motor 52 of the quick cooling body moving mechanism 50 and stops the quick cooling air blower 40.
When a user, etc. opens the beverage door 19, puts his hand into the beverage entrance 18, opens the body door 39, and takes out the quickly cooled beverage C from the inside of the quick cooling body 30, the user, etc. may drink the beverage C quickly cooled by the impingement jet and the cooling air and the movement of the beverage.
The refrigerator according to the present embodiment may include a cooling air guide 92 for downwardly guiding air ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40, as shown in
The cooling air guide 92 may prevent the cooling air, downwardly ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40, from being introduced from the inside of the storage compartment F into the quick cooling body 30.
The cooling air guide 92 may be formed to surround part of the circumference of the quick cooling air blower 40 and may be formed higher than the quick cooling air blower 40.
That is, if the cooling air guide 92 does not exist, some Y of the cooling air downwardly ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40 may be raised around the quick cooling body 30 owing to the suction of the quick cooling air blower 40 and then introduced into the quick cooling body 30 again.
If the cooling air guide 92 exists, however, cooling air X downwardly ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40 does not rise around the quick cooling body 30 because it is blocked by the cooling air guide 92. Next, the cooling air X may be sucked into the evaporator 14 by the suction of the circulation fan 16 through the cooling air guide 92.
The refrigerator according to the present embodiment further includes an ice storage heat exchanger 22 for further cooling air that has been cooled by the cooling air of a storage compartment F and then forcibly moved toward a beverage. The other elements and operation of the refrigerator other than the ice storage heat exchanger 22 are identical with or similar to those of the first embodiment or the second embodiment of the present invention, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 cools cooling air sucked toward the impinging-jet holes 32 of the quick cooling body 30 in the storage compartment F before the cooling air is sucked into the quick cooling body 30. The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be placed outside the quick cooling body 30.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be installed to face part of the quick cooling body 30. A plurality of cooling air holes 24 for cooling air sucked toward the impinging-jet holes 32 when the cooling air passes through the cooling air holes 24 may be formed in the ice storage heat exchanger 22.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be disposed to surround the entire outside of the circumference of the quick cooling body 30. It is however preferred that the ice storage heat exchanger 22 be installed to face part of the quick cooling body 30 because the ice storage heat exchanger 22 may hinder the entrance and exit of the beverage C when the beverage C is put into and taken out from the quick cooling body 30.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be installed near the circumference of the quick cooling body 30 without the cooling air holes 24 so that cooling air is brought into a surface contact with the ice storage heat exchanger 20 and is then sucked by the quick cooling body 30. It is however preferred that the ice storage heat exchanger 22 be placed to block the movement path of the cooling air in order to increase heat transfer efficiency and to forcibly move the cooling air to the cooling air holes 24.
Part of the ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be disposed to come in a surface contact with the outside of the quick cooling body 30. It is however preferred that the ice storage heat exchanger 22 be spaced apart from the quick cooling body 30 because the ice storage heat exchanger 22 accumulates cooling force and then cools cooling air sucked toward the quick cooling body 30 when a beverage is quick cooled.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may include a main ice storage unit 25 spaced from the quick cooling body 30 in the front and rear directions and an auxiliary ice storage unit 26, 27 inclined and disposed on the left or right side of the main ice storage unit 27 and spaced apart from the quick cooling body in the left and right directions.
The main ice storage unit 25 may be installed and placed in the rear of the quick cooling body 30.
The auxiliary ice storage 26, 27 may include a left auxiliary ice storage unit 26 disposed from the flank of the left end of the main ice storage unit 25 to the flank of the left of the quick cooling body 30 and a right auxiliary ice storage unit 27 disposed from the flank of the right end of the main ice storage unit 25 to the flank of the right of the quick cooling body 30.
That is, the ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be disposed to surround the left, rear, and right of the quick cooling body 30.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may include bags 28 having flexibility and ice storage materials 29 contained in the bags 28.
The cooling air holes 24 of the ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be opened in the direction of the quick cooling body 30.
In the ice storage heat exchanger 22, the cooling air holes 24 formed in the main ice storage unit 25 may be opened and formed in the front and rear directions, the cooling air holes 24 formed in the left ice storage unit 26 may be opened and formed in a front right direction, and the cooling air holes 24 formed in the right ice storage unit 27 may be opened and formed in a left front direction.
The main ice storage unit 25 may be formed in the rear of the plurality of quick cooling bodies 35 and 36.
The main ice storage unit 25 may have a left and right width equal to or greater than the sum of the diameters of the quick cooling bodies 35 and 36. The number of cooling air holes 24 formed in the main ice storage unit 25 may be greater than the number of cooling air holes 24 formed in the auxiliary ice storage units 26 and 27 so that more cooling air passes through the main ice storage unit 25.
The ice storage heat exchanger 22 may be formed so that the cooling air holes 24 are downwardly inclined in the direction of the quick cooling body 30.
It is preferred that the cooling air and the electric heat time and electric heat area of the ice storage heat exchanger 22 be determined depending on the length of the cooling air holes 24 in a direction along which cooling air flows and the length of the cooling air holes 24 be lengthily formed to the highest degree. It is preferred that the ice storage heat exchanger 22 be inclined and formed toward the upper front side or the lower front side.
It is preferred that the cooling air holes 24 of the ice storage heat exchanger 22 be downwardly inclined and formed toward the lower front side by taking the flow of cooling air within the storage compartment R into consideration.
The cooling air efficiency and the electric heat efficiency of the ice storage heat exchanger 22 are increased depending on the electric heat area in the direction along which cooling air flows and whether an eddy has been formed within the cooling air holes 24. Concave-convex parts 24a and 24b may be formed in each of the cooling air holes 24 of the ice storage heat exchanger 22.
The concave-convex parts 24a and 24b may include a projecting part 24a protruded in a direction orthogonal to the direction along which cooling air flows and a depression part 24b depressed in the direction orthogonal to the direction along which cooling air flows near the projecting part 24a.
It is preferred that a plurality of the concave-convex parts 24a and 24b be formed in the length direction of the cooling air holes 24 and a plurality of the concave-convex parts 24a and 24b be formed in the cylindrical direction of the cooling air holes 24. The cooling air is subject to electric heat because an eddy is generated by the concave-convex parts 24a and 24b when the cooling air passes through the cooling air holes 24. An electric heat effect is increased as much as the electric heat area widened by the concave-convex parts 24a and 24b.
The quick cooling body 30 may include a tub body 38 configured to have an opening 38a through which a beverage C can be put into and taken out formed therein and a body door 39 installed in the tub body 38 and configured to open and shut the opening 38a, as in the first embodiment of the present invention. The opening 38a of the tub body 38 may be formed on the opposite side to the ice storage heat exchanger 22.
It is preferred that the opening 38a be formed in the front part of the tub body 38 because the ice storage heat exchanger 22 is formed in the rear and on the left and right sides of the quick cooling body 30.
In the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, cooling air cooled by the evaporator 14 when the compressor 11 and the circulation fan 16 are driven is supplied to the upper part of the refrigerating compartment F, so that the cooling air cools the refrigerating compartment F while dropping downwardly. Some of the cooling air comes into contact with the ice storage heat exchanger 22, thus cooling the ice storage heat exchanger 22.
The cooling force of the ice storage heat exchanger 22 is gradually accumulated. After a lapse of time, the cooling air no longer cools the ice storage heat exchanger 22, and the ice storage heat exchanger 22 maintains a cooled state.
When the quick cooling air blower 40 is driven, sucking force is generated within the flexible funnel member 90 and the quick cooling body 30 and around the quick cooling body 30 and the ice storage heat exchanger 22. Cooling air around the ice storage heat exchanger 22 passes through the cooling air holes 24.
Cooling air in the rear of the main ice storage unit 25 is cooled by the main ice storage unit 25 while passing through the cooling air holes 24 of the main ice storage unit 25, cooling air on the left side of the left ice storage unit 26 is cooled by the left ice storage unit 26 while passing through the cooling air holes 24 of the left ice storage unit 26, and cooling air on the right side of the right ice storage unit 27 is cooled by the right ice storage unit 27 while passing through the cooling air holes 24 of the right ice storage unit 27.
When the cooling air is cooled as described above, the cooling air is cooled at a lower temperature than cooling air when the ice storage heat exchanger 22 is not disposed. The cooling air cooled by the ice storage heat exchanger 22 passes through the impinging-jet holes 32 of the quick cooling body 30 and cools the beverage C while impinging on the outside of the container of the beverage C within the quick cooling body 30.
The cooling air that has impinged on the outside of the container of the beverage C as described above cools the container of the beverage C again while passing through the gap between the beverage C and the quick cooling body 30 and then sequentially passes through the flexible funnel member 90 and the air blower mounter 90. Next, the cooling air is sucked by the quick cooling air blower 40 and then downwardly ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40.
In the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, some of the cooling force of the refrigerating compartment F is stored in the ice storage heat exchanger 22 and is then used to quickly cool a beverage when the beverage is quickly cooled. Accordingly, the quick cooling time of a beverage can be reduced and a deviation the temperature within the refrigerating compartment F can be minimized, as compared with the case where the ice storage heat exchanger 22 is not installed.
The refrigerator according to the present embodiment may further include an ice storage heat exchanger 106 for cooling a beverage C in a contact manner by coming into contact with the beverage C when the beverage C is inputted to the quick cooling body 30. The other elements and operation of the refrigerator other than the ice storage heat exchanger 106 are identical with or similar to those of the first to third embodiments of the present invention, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be disposed in the quick cooling body 30 so that the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is cooled by the cooling air of the storage compartment F and then brought in contact with the beverage C.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 is installed within the quick cooling body 30 and is cooled by cooling air introduced into the quick cooling body 30. Next, the ice storage heat exchanger 106 may cool the beverage C.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 is disposed so that it is partially exposed outside the quick cooling body 30. The ice storage heat exchanger 106 is cooled by cooling air outside the quick cooling body 30 and cooling air within the quick cooling body 30, and then the ice storage heat exchanger 106 may cool the beverage C.
If the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is cooled by the cooling air within the quick cooling body 30, the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is placed within the quick cooling body 30. If the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is cooled by the cooling air within the quick cooling body 30 and the cooling air outside the quick cooling body 30, the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is installed to penetrate the quick cooling body 30 or part of the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is exposed to the outside of the quick cooling body 30.
Hereinafter, it is described that the ice storage heat exchanger 106 is installed within the quick cooling body 30. Here, the ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be installed along with the ice storage heat exchanger 22 of the third embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the ice storage heat exchanger 106 installed within the quick cooling body 30 may be an inner ice storage heat exchanger, and the ice storage heat exchanger 22 of the third embodiment of the present invention may be an outer ice storage heat exchanger.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be installed to face part of the quick cooling body 30.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be disposed in the entire circumference of the inside of the quick cooling body 30. However, the ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be installed to face part of the quick cooling body 30 in order to form the suction passage of cooling air because the ice storage heat exchanger 106 may hinder the entry and exit of the cooling air when the cooling air is sucked into the quick cooling body 30.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be installed so that it is placed between the beverage C and the quick cooling body 30 when the beverage C is inputted. A plurality of the ice storage heat exchangers 106 may be installed in the cylindrical direction of the quick cooling body 30 so that the ice storage heat exchangers 106 are spaced apart from one another.
That is, in the quick cooler 20, cooling air inputted to the impinging-jet holes 32 of the quick cooling body 30 may cool the ice storage heat exchangers 106, and the cooling air may be then supplied to the beverage C through a gap between the plurality of ice storage heat exchangers 106.
Each of the ice storage heat exchangers 106 may include an ice storage pack 108 configured to contain an ice storage material and an ice storage pack holder 110 placed within the quick cooling body 30 so that the ice storage pack 108 is seated in the ice storage pack 108.
The ice storage heat exchanger 106 may transfer the heat of the beverage C to the ice storage pack 108 in the state in which the entire ice storage pack 108 is inserted into the ice storage pack holder 110 and the ice storage pack holder 110 is placed between the beverage C and the ice storage pack 108.
Only part of the ice storage pack 108 of the ice storage heat exchanger 106 may be inserted into the ice storage pack holder 110, and the remainder of the ice storage pack 108 may come in contact with the beverage C over the ice storage pack holder 110. In this case, the heat of a part of the beverage C, coming in contact with the ice storage pack holder 110, may be transferred to the ice storage pack 108 through the ice storage pack holder 110, and the heat of a part of the beverage C, coming in contact with the ice storage pack 108, may be directly transferred to the ice storage pack 108.
The quick cooler 20 may further include elastic members 120 placed between the ice storage heat exchangers 106 and the quick cooling body 30 and configured to elastically support the ice storage heat exchangers 106 in the direction of the beverage.
When the size of the beverage C is large, the elastic members 120 are compressed by the ice storage heat exchangers 106 in order to help the beverage C having a large size to be inputted. When the size of the beverage C is small, the elastic members 120 pressurize the ice storage heat exchangers 106 in the direction of the beverage C using elastic force in order to help the ice storage heat exchangers 106 to come in contact with the beverage C having a small size.
The elastic members 120 may be formed of leaf springs and may be formed of coil springs. The elastic members 120 may be fixed to at least one of the ice storage heat exchangers 106 and the quick cooling body 30.
If the elastic members 120 are fixed to the ice storage heat exchanger 106, the elastic members 120 may be fixed to the ice storage pack holder 110.
Meanwhile, the quick cooler 20 may further include at least one beverage holder 130 installed in the quick cooling body 30 and configured to support the beverage C.
The beverage holder 130 may be formed of a leaf spring having an upper part connected to the quick cooling body 30 and a lower part formed of a free end.
A plurality of the beverage holders 130 may be disposed in the cylindrical direction of the quick cooling body 30 so that the beverage holders 130 are spaced apart from one another.
A plurality of the beverage holders 130 may be installed so that the beverage holders 130 are placed between the ice storage heat exchangers 106.
It is preferred that the beverage holder 130 be made of material having high electric heat performance (particularly, metal material) so that the beverage holder 130 may support the beverage C and may also cool the beverage C after being cooled by cooling air.
That is, when the beverage C is inputted to the quick cooling body 30, the beverage C may alternately come in contact with the ice storage heat exchangers 106 and the beverage holders 130 in the cylindrical direction.
In the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, when a user, etc. inserts the beverage C into the quick cooling body 30, part of the circumferential surface of the beverage C comes in a surface contact with the ice storage heat exchangers 106, and thus the beverage C is brought in contact with and supported by the plurality of beverage holders 130.
The beverage C pushes the ice storage heat exchangers 106 in its radial direction depending on its size. If the size (particularly, diameter) of the beverage C is large, the ice storage heat exchangers 106 are brought in a surface contact with the beverage C while greatly compressing the elastic members 120. If the size (particularly, diameter) of the beverage C is small, the ice storage heat exchangers 106 are brought in a surface contact with the beverage C while less compressing the elastic members 120.
When the fan motor of the quick cooling air blower 40 is driven, suction is generated within the flexible funnel member 90 and the quick cooling body 30 and around the quick cooling body 30. Cooling air around the quick cooling body 30 is quickly sucked through the impinging-jet holes 32 of the quick cooling body 30.
The cooling air sucked into the quick cooling body 30 cools the plurality of ice storage heat exchangers 106 while passing through the ice storage heat exchangers 106 and also cools the beverage C while impinging on the outside of the container of the beverage C.
The cooling air that has impinged on the outside of the container of the beverage C as described above cools the container of the beverage C again while passing through the gap between the beverage C and the quick cooling body 30. At this time, the ice storage heat exchangers 106 cool the beverage C with it being brought in a surface contact with the beverage C, and thus the beverage C is quickly cooled by the cooling action resulting from the impingement jet of the cooling air and by the suction action of the heat of the beverage C into the ice storage heat exchanger 106 which are generated at the same time.
The cooling air that has cooled the beverage C as described above sequentially passes through the flexible funnel member 90 and the air blower mounter 90. Next, the cooling air is sucked into the quick cooling air blower 40 and then downwardly ventilated by the quick cooling air blower 40.
That is, the beverage C is quickly cooled by both the impingement jet of the cooling air and the ice storage effect of the ice storage heat exchanger 100.
When the quick cooling air blower 40 is stopped, the amount of the cooling air flown into the quick cooling body 30, from the cooling air of the storage compartment F, is reduced, but some of the cooling air is sucked into the impinging-jet holes 32 of the quick cooling body 30 as the circulation fan 16 is driven, thus cooling the ice storage heat exchanger 106. Next, the cooling air sucked into the impinging-jet holes 32 is discharged to the storage compartment R through the quick cooling air blower 40. The ice storage heat exchanger 106 is ready to quickly cool the beverage C at the time of subsequent quick cooling.
Meanwhile, when a user, etc. takes the quickly cooled beverage C from the inside of the quick cooling body 30, the user may drink the beverage C that has been quickly cooled by the impingement jet of the cooling air and the ice storage of the ice storage heat exchanger 100.
Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the subject of cooling, such as ices or meat, other than beverages may be put into the quick cooler 20 and then quickly cooled. It is to be noted that the present invention may be implemented in various ways within a technical scope to which the present invention falls.
Claims
1. A refrigerator, comprising:
- a main body including a storage compartment;
- a refrigerating cycle apparatus for cooling the storage compartment;
- a quick cooling body in which a beverage is inserted and accommodated and a plurality of impinging-jet holes for having the beverage impinged on and jetted to cooling air of the storage compartment is formed;
- a quick cooling air blower for moving the cooling air of the storage compartment to the quick cooling body so that the cooling air of the storage compartment impinged on and jetted to the beverage through the impinging-jet holes and then discharged to the storage compartment;
- a quick cooling body moving mechanism mounted on the main body, connected to the quick cooling body, and moving the quick cooling body:
- an air blower mounter positioned and installed in the main body and having the quick cooling air blower installed therein; and
- a flexible funnel member having the air blower mounter and the quick cooling body to communicate with each other and deformed when the quick cooling body moves.
2. (canceled)
3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the quick cooling bodies is connected to the flexible funnel member.
4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the quick cooling body moving mechanism is connected to one of the plurality of quick cooling bodies.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein:
- the quick cooling body is movably connected on a lower side of the quick cooling body moving mechanism, and
- the quick cooling air blower is positioned and mounted on a lower side of the quick cooling body.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the quick cooling body moving mechanism comprises:
- a motor positioned and installed in the main body, and
- a link fixedly connected to a shaft of the motor and rotatably connected to the quick cooling body and for eccentrically rotating the quick cooling body in a 3-D way when the motor is driven.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the link comprises:
- a shaft coupling unit to which the shaft of the motor is connected,
- a quick cooling body connection unit rotatably connected to a coupling shaft formed in the quick cooling body, and
- a horizontal unit coupling the shaft coupling unit and the quick cooling body connection unit.
8. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a sprayer installed in the quick cooling body in order to vaporize a coolant and spray the vaporized coolant to an outside of a container of the beverage.
9. The refrigerator of claim 8, further comprising a coolant supply hose connected to the sprayer and for supplying the coolant to the sprayer.
10. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a cooling air guide for downwardly guiding air ventilated by the quick cooling air blower.
11. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein:
- the main body comprises a beverage entrance formed in front of the quick cooling body, and
- a beverage door for opening and shutting the beverage entrance is installed in the main body.
12. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising an ice storage heat exchanger placed outside the quick cooling body, wherein the cooling air sucked from the storage compartment to the impinging-jet holes is cooled while passing through the ice storage heat exchanger.
13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the ice storage heat exchanger has concave-convex parts formed in the cooling air holes.
14. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the ice storage heat exchanger comprises:
- a main ice storage unit spaced apart from the quick cooling body in front and rear directions, and
- an auxiliary ice storage unit inclined and disposed on a left or right side of the main ice storage unit and spaced apart from the quick cooling body in left and right directions.
15. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the quick cooling body comprises:
- a tub body having an opening formed on a side opposite to the ice storage heat exchanger, and
- a body door opening and shutting the opening.
16. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising an ice storage heat exchanger installed in the quick cooling body in such a way as to come in contact with the beverage and cooled by the cooling air, thus cooling the beverage.
17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the ice storage heat exchanger comprises:
- an ice storage pack containing an ice storage material; and
- an ice storage pack holder placed within the quick cooling body so that the ice storage pack is seated in the ice storage pack holder.
18. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein a plurality of the ice storage heat exchangers is disposed within the quick cooling body in a cylindrical direction so that the plurality of ice storage heat exchangers is spaced apart from one another.
19. The refrigerator of claim 16, further comprising elastic members placed and installed between the ice storage heat exchanger and the quick cooling body and for elastically supporting the ice storage heat exchanger in a direction of the beverage.
20. The refrigerator of claim 16, further comprising at least one beverage holder installed in the quick cooling body and for supporting the beverage.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 7, 2010
Publication Date: Oct 11, 2012
Inventors: Yeon Woo Cho (Geumchun-ku), Yang Gyu Kim (Geumchun-ku), Youn Seok Lee (Geumchun-ku), Deul Re Min (Geumchun-ku)
Application Number: 13/500,506
International Classification: F25D 17/06 (20060101); F25C 5/18 (20060101); F28D 5/00 (20060101);
