# US 12,111,098 B2 · Vacuum adiabatic body and refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,098 B2 - Document ID: US12111098B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/241,649 - Filed: 2023-09-01 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-09 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Bongjin Kim; Hyeunsik Nam; Deokhyun Youn; Jaehyun Bae; Jangseok Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111098B2 ## CPC - F25D 17/08: using ducts - F25D 23/065: {Details} - F25D 17/065: {with compartments at different temperatures} - F25D 23/028: {Details} - F25C 2400/10: Refrigerator units - F25D 23/04: with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners - F25D 23/069: {Cooling space dividing partitions} - F25D 2201/14: using subatmospheric pressure - F25D 2317/061: through special compartments - F25D 2317/062: along the inside of doors - 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) - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE ## Abstract Provided is a vacuum adiabatic body. The vacuum adiabatic body includes a mullion configured to divide a space within the refrigerator into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, an ice maker placed in the freezing compartment, and an ice-making cool air passage passing through the mullion to connect the freezing compartment to the ice maker. Therefore, cool air may be supplied in an adiabatic state to the ice maker disposed in the refrigerating compartment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a vacuum adiabatic body including: a first plate configured to provide at least a portion of a wall defining a space within the refrigerator, a second plate configured to provide at least a portion of an outer wall of the vacuum adiabatic body, and a vacuum space between the first plate and the second plate; a partition configured to divide the space within the refrigerator into a first space and a second space; an ice maker positioned away from the first space; a side panel provided at a wall of the second space; and an air passage passing through the partition to fluidly connect the first space and the ice maker, at least a section of the air passage being accommodated in the side panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the air passage extends along the first plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least a first portion of the air passage extends along the partition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein a second portion of the air passage is accommodated in the partition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air passage has a cross-section that extends further in a first direction than in a second direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an evaporator positioned in the first space to generate cool air; and a door configured to open and close the second space, wherein the ice maker is positioned in the door. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising a door-side passage in the door, the door-side passage having an opening on a side surface or a bottom surface of the door, wherein the air passage is fluidly connected to the door-side air passage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a gate is provided adjacent to an intersection of the air passage and the door-side air passage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a side panel adiabatic material is configured to surround at least a portion of the air passage in the side panel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the partition includes a partition panel and a partition adiabatic material provided in the partition panel, and wherein the partition adiabatic material is configured to surround at least a portion of the air passage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air passage includes: a first air passage configured to supply air from the first space toward the ice maker; and a second air passage configured to return air from the ice maker toward the first space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum adiabatic body further includes a conductive resistance sheet to reduce heat conduction between the first plate and second plate, the conductive resistance sheet being connected to the first plate. ### Claim 13 A refrigerator comprising: a main body including a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space and including a vacuum adiabatic module; an ice maker provided in the door; and an air passage provided in the door and configured to be fluidly connected to the ice maker, wherein the vacuum adiabatic module is configured to surround at least a portion of the ice maker and includes a first module section extending in a first direction and a second module section extending in a second direction that is different from the first direction, and wherein at least a portion of the air passage is disposed between the second module section and the ice maker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the first module section is provided at a first surface of the door and the second module section is provided at a second surface of the door. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The refrigerator according to claim 13, further comprising an adiabatic material interposed in a gap between an outer case and an inner cover of the door, wherein the adiabatic material is configured to surround at least a portion of the vacuum adiabatic module. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the vacuum adiabatic module includes an opening for a dispenser provided on a front surface of the door. ### Claim 17 A refrigerator comprising: a main body including a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space and including an outer case and an inner cover; an ice maker provided in the door; and a vacuum adiabatic module provided in a space defined by the outer case and the inner cover, wherein the vacuum adiabatic module includes: a first module section extending along a front surface of the door, a second module section extending along a side surface of the door, and a bent section to connect the first module section and the second module section.