# US 11,306,962 B2 · Refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,962 B2 - Document ID: US11306962B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/295,484 - Filed: 2019-03-07 - Published: 2019-09-12 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-09 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Daehyun Yoo; Kihyun Park; Kiyoung Lim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306962B2 ## CPC - F25D 23/006: {for mounting refrigerating machinery components} - F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect - F25D 15/00: Devices not covered by group F25D11/00 or F25D13/00, e.g. non-self-contained movable devices - F25D 17/02: for circulating liquids, e.g. brine - F25D 23/003: {for cooling refrigerating machinery} - F28D 15/0275: {Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores} - F25B 2321/0211: of fans - F25B 2321/023: Mounting details thereof - F25B 2321/0252: by liquids or two-phase fluids - 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) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## Abstract A refrigerator includes an inner casing that defines a storage chamber and a cooling passage, a middle plate that is disposed outside the inner casing and that defines a foam space between the middle plate and the inner casing to accommodate a thermal-insulating material, an installation bracket that is fixed to the middle plate and that contacts the inner casing, a thermoelectric module mounted on the installation bracket and outside the foam space, and a fan assembly that is installed on the inner casing in the storage chamber and that includes a cooling fan. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: an inner casing that defines a storage chamber therein; a passage forming portion that is provided on the inner casing and that defines a cooling passage; a middle plate disposed outside the inner casing, wherein a foam space is defined between the middle plate and the inner casing and is configured to accommodate a thermal-insulating material; an installation bracket fixed to the middle plate and configured to contact an end of the passage forming portion; a thermoelectric module mounted on the installation bracket and disposed outside the foam space, wherein the thermoelectric module comprises a thermoelectric element; and a fan assembly that is arranged in the storage chamber of the inner casing and that comprises a cooling fan, wherein the installation bracket comprises: an installation plate that defines a receiving portion that receives a portion of the thermoelectric module, the installation plate having a first surface that is in contact with the middle plate and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface, an engagement boss that protrudes from the second surface of the installation plate and is coupled to the middle plate, a plurality of first engagement portions that protrude from the second surface of the installation plate and are coupled to the thermoelectric module, and a second engagement portion that protrudes from the second surface of the installation plate and is coupled to the inner casing, and wherein the inner casing comprises a plate engagement boss that is aligned with the second engagement portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric module further comprises: a module frame; a cooling sink configured to be received in the module frame so as to be in contact with the thermoelectric element; and a heat sink positioned opposite the cooling sink with respect to the thermoelectric element, and wherein the module frame is configured to be coupled to the installation bracket. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the module frame of the thermoelectric module comprises: a frame body having a space in which the thermoelectric element is disposed; and an engagement plate extending from the frame body, and wherein the engagement plate has at least one first engagement protrusion that is configured to engage with the installation bracket and that is spaced apart from the frame body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the receiving portion receives the frame body of the module frame of the thermoelectric module, and wherein the frame body is configured to couple with a gasket to contact a bottom of the receiving portion of the installation bracket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the at least one first engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame of the thermoelectric module is positioned in the engagement plate at a first location that maximizes a straight-line distance from the frame body of the module frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The refrigerator of claim 4, further comprising a connection rib that is configured to connect the at least one first engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame with the frame body of the module frame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the installation bracket has (i) at least one first protrusion receiving groove that is configured to receive the at least one first engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame, and (ii) a rib receiving groove that is configured to receive the connection rib. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the engagement plate of the module frame of the thermoelectric module has at least one second engagement protrusion that is configured to engage with the inner casing and with the installation bracket via a fastener. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the at least one second engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame is spaced apart from the frame body of the module frame, and wherein a distance between the at least one second engagement protrusion and the frame body is smaller than a distance between the at least one first engagement protrusion and the frame body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the at least one first engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame of the thermoelectric module comprises a plurality of first engagement protrusions, wherein a number of the at least one second engagement protrusion is smaller than a number of the plurality of first engagement protrusions, and wherein the at least one second engagement protrusion is positioned in a region between the plurality of the first engagement protrusions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the at least one second engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame of the thermoelectric module is configured to be connected to the frame body of the module frame via a plurality of connection ribs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein a protrusion length of the at least one second engagement protrusion is greater than a protrusion length of the at least one first engagement protrusion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the installation bracket further comprises at least one second protrusion receiving groove that is configured to accommodate the at least one second engagement protrusion of the engagement plate of the module frame of the thermoelectric module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the fan assembly comprises a fan cover having a fan installation portion that is configured to receive the cooling fan, and wherein the fan cover is arranged on the inner casing within the storage chamber in a state in which the cooling fan is received in the fan installation portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein an opening is defined in the passage forming portion, and wherein the cooling sink in the thermoelectric module is configured to be received into the cooling passage through the opening, and positioned within the cooling passage so as to face the cooling fan. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The refrigerator of claim 14, further comprising a shock-absorber that is configured to couple to the fan cover, wherein the inner casing has a receiving groove that is configured to receive the fan cover, wherein the receiving groove of the inner casing has an additional groove that is configured to accommodate the shock-absorber, wherein the additional groove has an additional engagement boss that is configured to secure the shock-absorber, and wherein the additional engagement boss is configured to engage with a fastener from a front of the fan cover. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the additional groove comprises a plurality of reinforcement ribs that are arranged along a circumference of the additional engagement boss. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the fan cover comprises (i) a first cover body, (ii) a second cover body that is spaced in a front direction and a back direction from the first cover body, and (iii) an inclined or rounded connection body that is configured to connect the first cover body and the second cover body, wherein the second cover body is located further towards the front direction than the first cover body, and wherein the fan assembly is disposed in the first cover body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second engagement portion is disposed between the plurality of first engagement portions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the engagement boss, the plurality of first engagement portions, and the second engagement portion are arranged along a periphery of the receiving portion and connected to the second surface of the installation plate.