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US 2020/0271371 A1Published application
Entrance refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsMinkyu OH, Deukwon LEE, Minseok KIM, Insun YEO, Kyukwan CHOI, Yezo YUN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an entrance refrigerator, a thermoelectric module including a cold sink is connected to be slanted at a predetermined angle from a horizontal plane, such that one of a left end and a right end of an upper surface of the cold sink is slanted to be higher than the other.
Claims20
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, the cabinet including a through-hole provided at a bottom of the cabinet;
- 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;
- and
- a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier extending through the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet,
- wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
- a thermoelectric module at least partially located within the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet;
- a heat absorption fan located above the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the storage compartment;
- and
- a heat dissipation fan located below the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the housing,
- wherein the thermoelectric module comprises:
- a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
- a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface, the cold sink configured to be exposed to air in the storage compartment to exchange heat with the air in the storage compartment;
- and
- a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface, the heat sink configured to be exposed to air in the housing to exchange heat with the air in the housing, and
- wherein the thermoelectric module is slantingly disposed within the through-hole such that the heat absorbing surface is non-parallel to a horizontal plane.
14 more elements
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, the cabinet including a through-hole provided at a bottom of the cabinet;
- 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;
- a cold air supplier configured to supply cold air to the storage compartment, at least a portion of the cold air supplier extending through the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet,
- wherein the cold air supplier comprises:
- a thermoelectric module at least partially located within the through-hole in the bottom of the cabinet;
- a heat absorption fan located above the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the storage compartment;
- and
- a heat dissipation fan located below the thermoelectric module to provide a flow of air within the housing,
- wherein the thermoelectric module comprises:
- a thermoelectric element having a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface;
- a cold sink in contact with the heat absorbing surface, the cold sink configured to be exposed to air in the storage compartment to exchange heat with the air in the storage compartment;
- and
- a heat sink in contact with the heat generating surface, the heat sink configured to be exposed to air in the housing to exchange heat with the air in the housing, and
- wherein the thermoelectric module is slantingly disposed within the through-hole such that the heat absorbing surface is non-parallel to a horizontal plane.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.