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US 12,504,215 B2Granted
Refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsKyong Bae Park, Sangbok Choi, Sungwook Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid inlet part of a frosting detection duct protrudes toward a flow path of a fluid to provide flow path resistance. Accordingly, a material property detected by a frosting detecting device may secure the discrimination sufficient to additionally recognize frosting-related information in addition to detecting frosting.
Claims13
A refrigerator comprising:
- a casing providing a storage compartment;
- an evaporator to cool a fluid supplied to the storage compartment;
- a fan grille arranged between the storage compartment and the evaporator;
- a shroud arranged between the fan grille and the evaporator and coupled to the fan grille;
- a frosting detecting device to detect an amount of frost or ice generated on the evaporator,
- an inlet duct formed at a lower portion of the fan grille and guiding air from the storage compartment to evaporator;
- wherein the inlet duct is positioned to be spaced apart above a bottom surface of the casing and provides a flow path such that the fluid flows between the inlet duct and the bottom surface of the casing toward the evaporator,
- wherein the frosting detecting device comprises:
- a frosting detection duct through which a portion of the fluid flows, the frosting detection duct having openings of upper and lower surfaces,
- wherein the frosting detection duct comprises:
- a guide flow path formed by recessing a surface of the fan grille facing the evaporator,
- a flow path cover covering the guide flow path to separate the guide flow path from the evaporator, and
- a fluid inlet part provided on a lower end of the flow path cover and having peripheral wall surfaces and openings of upper and lower surfaces;
- and
- a frosting sensor to measure a material property of the portion of the fluid passing through the frosting detection duct,
- wherein the fluid inlet part protrudes toward a flow path of the fluid guided between the inlet duct and the bottom surface of the casing, the fluid inlet part has an inlet that opens toward the bottom surface of the casing, and a slot that opens rearward,
- wherein the inlet of the fluid inlet part is formed on the bottom surface of the fluid inlet part, and the slot of the fluid inlet part is formed on a rear surface of a lower end of the fluid inlet part,
- wherein a slot length Ls of the slot is configured to satisfy a condition of 0.2Li≤Ls≤1.0Li with respect to a protruding length Li of the fluid inlet part.
15 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a casing providing a storage compartment;
- an evaporator to cool a fluid supplied to the storage compartment;
- a fan grille arranged between the storage compartment and the evaporator;
- a shroud arranged between the fan grille and the evaporator and coupled to the fan grille;
- a frosting detecting device to detect an amount of frost or ice generated on the evaporator,
- an inlet duct formed at a lower portion of the fan grille and guiding air from the storage compartment to evaporator;
- wherein the inlet duct is positioned to be spaced apart above a bottom surface of the casing and provides a flow path such that the fluid flows between the inlet duct and the bottom surface of the casing toward the evaporator,
- wherein the frosting detecting device comprises:
- a frosting detection duct through which a portion of the fluid flows, the frosting detection duct having openings of upper and lower surfaces,
- wherein the frosting detection duct comprises:
- a flow path cover covering the guide flow path to separate the guide flow path from the evaporator, and
- a fluid inlet part provided at a lower end of the flow path cover and having peripheral wall surfaces and openings of an upper and lower surfaces;
- and
- a frosting sensor to measure a material property of the portion of the fluid passing through the frosting detection duct,
- wherein a fluid inlet part protrudes toward a flow path of the fluid guided between the inlet duct and the bottom surface of the casing, fluid inlet part has an inlet that opens toward the bottom surface of the casing, and a slot that opens rearward,
- wherein the inlet of the fluid inlet part is formed on the bottom surface of the fluid inlet part, and the slot of the fluid inlet part is formed a rear surface of a lower end of the fluid inlet part,
- wherein an inclined surface is formed on an opposite lateral wall surface of the fluid inlet part and the inclined surface is inclined inward in a downward direction.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.