Refrigerator with icemaker

• US 7,392,665 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Myung Ryul, Kim, Seong Jae, Seo, Chang Ho, Chung, Sung Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai; William E
• Application Number:
  US11/739,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 62340-356
• US Class Current: 62/353
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/04 by using stationary moulds
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/18 of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2305/024 Rotating rake
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/046 Ice-crusher machines
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/065 with compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/087 Sealing strips
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/061 through special compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/062 along the inside of doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0666 from the freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0682 Two or more fans
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0683 the fans not of the axial type
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/04 Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/02 Geometry problems

Abstract

Refrigerator with an icemaker including a cabinet having a mullion wall for compartmentalization of a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, a case provided to a door on the refrigerating chamber, having a cavity therein, a first duct for supplying cold air from a neighborhood of an evaporator in the freezing chamber to the cavity, the icemaker in the cavity for producing ice, an ice container in the cavity for storing the ice, and a dispenser in the door in communication with the cavity, thereby having ice supplied to a user at an outside of the refrigerator through a dispenser provided to the door.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator body;

a refrigerating compartment located at a relatively upper portion of the refrigerator body;

a freezing compartment located at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body;

an ice compartment located at a position corresponding to the refrigerating compartment;

an ice maker located within the ice compartment;

a supply duct configured to guide air along a supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment; and

a return duct that extends from the ice compartment and that is configured to enable passage of air between the ice compartment and the freezing compartment.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the supply duct is configured to guide air along a majority of the supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 wherein the supply duct is configured to guide air along the entire supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the supply duct extends along a majority of the supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein the supply duct extends along the entire supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the return duct is configured to guide air along a majority of a return path from the ice compartment to freezing compartment.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 wherein the return duct is configured to guide air along the entire return path from the compartment to freezing compartment.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the return duct extends along a majority of a return path from the ice compartment freezing compartment.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 wherein the return duct extends along the entire return path from the ice compartment to freezing compartment.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising:

an evaporator positioned in the refrigerator body proximate to the freezing compartment, wherein the supply duct is configured to guide air that has been cooled by the evaporator along the supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the evaporator is positioned in the freezing compartment and the supply duct is configured to penetrate a wall defining the freezing compartment.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising:

a fan configured to promote movement of air along the supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 wherein the fan is positioned to intersect an air flow direction of air flowing along the supply path and configured to guide air flowing along the supply path.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice compartment comprises one or more walls made of thermal insulating material, wherein the one or more walls of the ice compartment surround a cavity defined within the ice compartment and the ice maker is located with the cavity.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 wherein the supply duct and the return duct interface with openings in the one or more walls of the ice compartment.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising:

a supplemental duct defining a passage through a wall separating the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, wherein the supplemental duct is configured to enable passage of air between the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

17. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice compartment is located within the refrigerating compartment.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 further comprising at least one refrigerator door, wherein the refrigerating compartment is defined by one or more walls of the refrigerator body and the at least one refrigerator door.

19. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising at least one refrigerator door, wherein the ice compartment is located within the refrigerating compartment at least when the at least one refrigerator door in a closed position.

20. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator body;

a refrigerating compartment located at a relatively upper portion of the refrigerator body;

a freezing compartment located at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body;

an ice compartment located at a position corresponding to the refrigerating compartment;

an ice maker located within the ice compartment;

means for guiding air along a supply path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment; and

means extending from the ice compartment for enabling passage of air between the ice compartment and the freezing compartment.

21. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator body;

a refrigerating compartment located at a relatively upper portion of the refrigerator body;

a freezing compartment located at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body;

an ice compartment located at a position corresponding to the refrigerating compartment;

an ice maker located within the ice compartment;

a first duct configured to guide air along a path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment; and

a damper configured to regulate air flow, from the ice compartment to the refrigerating compartment, through an opening in a wall of the ice compartment.

22. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the damper is configured to open and close the opening in the wall of the ice compartment.

23. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the damper is configured to enable regulation of a temperature associated with the refrigerating compartment by regulating air flow, from the ice compartment to the refrigerating compartment, through the opening in the wall of the ice compartment.

24. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the damper is configured to enable air flow, from the ice compartment to the refrigerating compartment, through the opening in the wall of the ice compartment when a temperature associated with the refrigerating compartment is outside of a particular temperature range.

25. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the damper is provided at an upper portion of the ice compartment.

26. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the opening in the wall of the ice compartment enables passage of air, supplied to the ice compartment through the first duct, to the refrigerating compartment.

27. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein, during typical operation, air flowing from the ice compartment to the refrigerating compartment has a temperature lower than a temperature of the refrigerating chamber.

28. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the first duct is configured to guide air along a majority of the path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

29. The refrigerator of claim 28 wherein the first duct is configured to guide air along the entire path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

30. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the first duct extends along a majority of the path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

31. The refrigerator of claim 30 wherein the first duct extends along the entire path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

32. The refrigerator of claim 21 further comprising:

an evaporator positioned in the refrigerator body proximate to the freezing compartment, wherein the first duct is configured to guide air that has been cooled by the evaporator along the path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

33. The refrigerator of claim 32 wherein the evaporator is positioned in the freezing compartment and the first duct is configured to penetrate a wall defining the freezing compartment.

34. The refrigerator of claim 21 further comprising:

a fan configured to promote movement of air along the path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment.

35. The refrigerator of claim 34 wherein the fan is positioned to intersect an air flow direction of air flowing along the path and configured to guide air flowing along the supply path.

36. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the ice compartment comprises one or more walls made of thermal insulating material and the opening in the wall of the ice compartment is an opening one of the one or more walls made of thermal insulating material.

37. The refrigerator of claim 21 further comprising:

a second duct that defines a passage through a wall separating the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment and that is configured to enable passage of air between the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

38. The refrigerator of claim 21 wherein the ice compartment is located within the refrigerating compartment.

39. The refrigerator of claim 38 further comprising at least one refrigerator door, wherein the refrigerating compartment is defined by one or more walls of the refrigerator body and the at least one refrigerator door.

40. The refrigerator of claim 21 further comprising at least one refrigerator door, wherein the ice compartment is located within the refrigerating compartment at least when the at least one refrigerator door in a closed position.

41. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator body;

a refrigerating compartment located at a relatively upper portion of the refrigerator body;

a freezing compartment located at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body;

an ice compartment located at a position corresponding to the refrigerating compartment;

an ice maker located within the ice compartment;

a first duct configured to guide air along a path from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment; and

means for regulating air flow, from the ice compartment to the refrigerating compartment, through an opening in a wall of the ice compartment.