# US 10,371,431 B2 · Refrigeration with air purification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,431 B2 - Document ID: US10371431B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/398,798 - Filed: 2017-01-05 - Published: 2017-07-06 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-05 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Hyunwoo Seo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371431B2 ## CPC - F25D 17/042: {Air treating means within refrigerated spaces (air conditioning in general F24F)} - F25D 2317/0417: using an UV-lamp - F25D 2317/067: characterised by air ducts - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator including: a cabinet that has a storage space formed therein; a grill pan that defines a rear wall surface of the storage space; a purification device that is mounted on the grill pan to suck and purify air within the storage space; and a duct unit in which a cold air passage that is formed on a rear side of the grill pan to guide cold air of an evaporator to the storage space and a purification passage that guides the air purified by the purification device to the storage space again. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet that includes an interior area; an evaporator that is provided in the interior area and configured to cool a first portion of air in the interior area; a grill pan that faces the interior area, the grill pan including a first discharge port and a second discharge port; a purification device that is coupled to an upper portion of the grill pan and that is configured to (i) draw a second portion of the air from the interior area and (ii) purify the second portion of the air, the purification device including a suction port into which the second portion of the air is introduced and a purification fan; a cold air duct that is disposed rearward of the grill pan and that is configured to guide the first portion of the air that has been cooled by the evaporator through a first passage; a purification duct that is spaced apart from the cold air duct, the purification duct including (i) a duct hole communicated with the suction port and (ii) a second passage through which the second portion of the air passing through the purification fan flows to the interior area; and a cold air fan that is configured to provide the first portion of the air from the evaporator to the first passage, wherein the first passage is isolated from the second passage, wherein the cold air fan is located in a lower side of the grill pan such that the first portion of the air passing through the cold air fan flows upwardly and is discharged toward the interior area through the first discharge port, and wherein the suction port of the purification device is located above the second discharge port such that the second portion of the air passing through the purification fan flows downwardly and is discharged toward the interior area through the second discharge port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising: a purification device mounting port that is provided at the grill pan and coupled to the purification device, and a purification device mounting part that is provided at the purification duct and coupled to the purification device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the purification duct is coupled to a central area of the grill pan and, wherein the cold air duct comprises a plurality of cold air ducts disposed at both sides of the purification duct. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising: a duct panel that is coupled to the grill pan, and a duct cover that is spaced apart from the duct panel, and wherein the purification duct and the cold air duct are located between the duct panel and the duct cover. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the purification duct includes a purification passage part that is a recessed portion of the purification duct, wherein the refrigerator further comprises: a duct cover that is coupled to a portion of the purification duct other than the purification passage part and that is spaced apart from the purification passage part, and wherein the second passage is at a space between the purification passage part and the duct cover. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The refrigerator of claim 5, further comprising: an air guide that is coupled to the purification duct and that is configured to (i) receive the second portion of the air from the purification device and (ii) guide the second portion of the air to the purification passage part. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising: a heat insulating member that is coupled between the grill pan and the cold air duct and that is configured to block heat transfer between the grill pan and the cold air duct. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the evaporator is located vertically below the grill pan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cold air fan is configured to provide the first portion of the air to the first passage at a space between the purification duct and the cold air duct. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising: a mounting member holder that is configured to hold a shelf in the interior area, wherein the grill pan includes a recess into which the mounting member holder is inserted. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the recess of the grill pan is isolated from the second passage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the purification device includes: a purification filter that is located adjacent to the purification fan and that is configured to purify the first portion of the air, and a purification device cover that is located adjacent to the purification filter and that is configured to cover the purification fan and the purification filter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the suction port includes a plurality of purification suction ports disposed at a circumference of the purification device cover. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the purification device further includes: an ultraviolet light emitting device (LED) that is located between the purification filter and the purification fan and that is configured to sterilize the second portion of the air. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the purification device further includes: a sensor that is configured to obtain chemical information of the air in the interior area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the first passage is formed between the plurality of cold air ducts.