# US 11,441,833 B2 · Entrance refrigerator

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- Number: US 11,441,833 B2
- Document ID: US11441833B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/798,683
- Filed: 2020-02-24
- Published: 2020-08-27
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-25
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Minkyu Oh; Insun Yeo; Kyukwan Choi; Yezo Yun; Yanghwan No
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441833B2

## CPC

- F25D 21/08: by electric heating
- F25D 21/14: Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays
- F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
- F25B 21/04: reversible
- F25D 23/028: {Details}
- F25D 23/10: Arrangements for mounting in particular locations, e.g. for built-in type, for corner type
- F25B 2321/0212: of electric power, current or voltage
- F25B 2321/0251: by a gas
- 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

## Abstract

A cold air supply device is applied to an entrance refrigerator. The cold air supply device includes a thermoelectric element forming a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface, a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface, a heat absorption fan disposed above the cold sink, a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface, a heat dissipation fan disposed below the heat sink, and an insulation material disposed between the cold sink and the heat sink to block heat transfer. The cold sink includes a sink body, and a plurality of heat exchange fins arranged on the upper surface of the sink body. Absorption pads are provided on both side edges of the sink body to absorb condensed water generated on the surface of the cold sink.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An entrance refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet configured to extend through a door or a wall, the cabinet including a storage compartment therein for storing goods;
a housing located at a lower side of the cabinet;
an outdoor side door coupled to an outdoor portion of the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment;
an indoor side door coupled to an indoor portion of the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment;
a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier being located in a space defined by the housing and the lower side of the cabinet; and
a controller configured to control operating of the cold air supplier,
wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface;
a heat absorption fan disposed above the cold sink;
a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface;
a heat dissipation fan disposed below the heat sink; and
first and second absorption pads provided at first and second edge portions, respectively, of the cold sink to absorb condensed water generated on a surface of the cold sink.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cold sink comprises:
a sink body in contact with the heat absorbing surface; and
a plurality of heat exchange fins located on an upper surface of the sink body,
wherein the first and second absorption pads are located at a left side and a right side, respectively, of the sink body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the sink body comprises:
a lower body contacting the heat absorbing surface; and
an upper body above the lower body, the upper body having an area larger than an area of the lower body,
wherein the heat exchange fins protrude from an upper surface of the upper body, extend lengthwise along a left-to-right direction of the upper body, and are spaced apart from each other in a front-to-rear direction of the upper body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising first and second support plates located at a left side and a right side, respectively, of the upper body,
wherein the first and second absorption pads are provided on the first and second support plates, respectively.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein an upper surface of each of the first and second absorption pads is coplanar with an upper surface of the upper body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein an upper surface of each of the first and second absorption pads is lower than an upper surface of the upper body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the left side of the upper body includes a first insertion groove into which a portion of the first support plate is inserted, and
wherein the right side of the upper body includes a second insertion groove into which a portion of the second support plate is inserted.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the cold air supplier to provide a defrosting mode in which the controller:
provides a supply of power to the heat absorption fan,
stops a supply of power to the thermoelectric element, and
stops a supply of power to the heat dissipation fan.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to resume the supply of power to the thermoelectric element and to the heat dissipation fan after a set time elapses from a time point when the supply of power to the thermoelectric element and to the heat dissipation fan is stopped.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the cold air supplier to provide a defrosting mode in which the controller:
stops a supply of power to the cold air supplier, and
supplies a reverse voltage to the thermoelectric element after a first set time elapses from a time point when the controller stops the supply of power to the cold air supplier.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to, when the reverse voltage is being supplied to the thermoelectric element, supply power to the heat absorption fan.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to, after a second set time elapses from a time point when the controller begins to supply the reverse voltage to the thermoelectric element, stop the supply of power to the thermoelectric element and the heat absorption fan.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the second set time is longer than the first set time.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to, when a temperature of the storage compartment is higher than a set temperature, and after a third set time elapses from a time point when the controller stops the supply of the reverse voltage to the thermoelectric element, supply a forward voltage to the thermoelectric element.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The entrance refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:
when the forward voltage is supplied to the thermoelectric element, perform a cooling mode by supplying power to the heat absorption fan and the heat dissipation fan; and
when the temperature of the storage compartment is equal to or lower than the set temperature, end the cooling mode by stopping the supply of power to the thermoelectric element, the heat absorption fan and the heat dissipation fan.

### Claim 16

A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet configured to be located partially within a barrier of a building, the cabinet including a storage compartment therein, the cabinet having a first opening into the storage compartment and a second opening into the storage compartment, the second opening being spaced from the first opening;
a housing located at a lower side of the cabinet;
a first door coupled to the cabinet to open or close the first opening;
a second door coupled to the cabinet to open or close the second opening; and
a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier being located within the housing,
wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface;
a heat absorption fan disposed above the cold sink;
a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface;
a heat dissipation fan disposed below the heat sink; and
first and second absorption pads provided at first and second edge portions, respectively, of the cold sink to absorb condensed water generated on a surface of the cold sink.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the cold sink comprises:
a sink body having a lower surface, an upper surface, a first side and a second side; and
a plurality of heat exchange fins located on the upper surface of the sink body,
wherein the lower surface of the sink body contacts the heat absorbing surface of the thermoelectric element,
wherein the first and second absorption pads are located at the first side and the second side, respectively, of the sink body, and
wherein an upper surface of each of the first and second absorption pads is coplanar with or lower than the upper surface of the sink body.

### Claim 18

A method of controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator including a storage compartment, a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, the cold air supplier including a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface, and a heat absorption fan, and a controller configured to control operating of the cold air supplier, the method comprising controlling the cold air supplier to provide a defrosting mode by:
stopping a supply of power to the cold air supplier;
supplying a reverse voltage to the thermoelectric element after a first set time elapses from a time point when the controller stops the supply of power to the cold air supplier; and
supplying power to the heat absorption fan when the reverse voltage is being supplied to the thermoelectric element.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, further comprising stopping the supply of power to the thermoelectric element and the heat absorption fan after a second set time has elapsed from a time point when the controller begins to supply the reverse voltage to the thermoelectric element.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19, further comprising supplying a forward voltage to the thermoelectric element when a temperature of the storage compartment is higher than a set temperature, and after a third set time has elapsed from a time point when the controller stops the supply of the reverse voltage to the thermoelectric element.