# US 2021/0239383 A1 · Refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0239383 A1 - Document ID: US20210239383A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/159,875 - Filed: 2021-01-27 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-04 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Kihwang KIM; Sunghee KANG; Sangho JUNG; Yonghyeon CHO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239383A1 ## CPC - F25D 17/08: using ducts - F25D 17/062: {in household refrigerators} - F25D 17/067: {Evaporator fan units} - F25D 21/14: Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays - F25D 23/028: {Details} - F25D 2317/062: along the inside of doors - F25D 2317/0672: Outlet 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) ## Abstract A refrigerator includes: an evaporator provided in a storage space and configured to supply cold air to the storage space, a duct assembly provided above the evaporator and configured to guide the cold air supplied to the storage space, a door supply duct coupled to the duct assembly and configured to guide a part of the cold air flowing through the duct assembly to a door, and a fan motor assembly coupled to a lower end of the duct assembly and configured to suction air cooled by the evaporator and blow the suctioned air into the duct assembly. The duct assembly defines a first passage and a second passage that are spaced apart from each other, where the second passage includes a main passage configured to supply the cold air to the storage space and a sub-passage branched from the main passage and coupled to the door supply duct. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet defining a storage space; a door configured to open or close the storage space; an evaporator provided in the storage space and configured to supply cold air to the storage space; a duct assembly provided above the evaporator, extending in a vertical direction, and configured to guide the cold air supplied to the storage space; a door supply duct coupled to the duct assembly and configured to guide a part of the cold air flowing through the duct assembly to be supplied to the door; and a fan motor assembly that is coupled to a lower end of the duct assembly and that is configured to suction air cooled by the evaporator and blow the suctioned air into the duct assembly, wherein the duct assembly defines a first passage and a second passage that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the second passage comprises: a main passage configured to supply the cold air to the storage space, and a sub-passage branched from the main passage and coupled to the door supply duct, and wherein, based on the cold air being supplied to the second passage, a flow rate of the cold air supplied through the second passage is greater than a flow rate of the cold air supplied through the first passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the first passage is less than a volume of the second passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door comprises: a main door that is configured to rotate to open or close the storage space, that defines an opening, and that includes a door accommodation member defining a door storage space accessible through the opening; and a sub-door provided in front of the main door and configured to rotate to open or close the opening, and wherein a rear end of the door supply duct is coupled to the sub-passage, and a front end of the door supply duct is in communication with the door accommodation member in a state in which the main door is closed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the door supply duct is provided on an upper surface of the storage space. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first passage and the second passage are respectively disposed on a left side and a right side with respect to a center of the storage space, and wherein the second passage faces the door accommodation member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the fan motor assembly comprises: a blowing fan configured to suction cold air in an axial direction and discharge the suctioned air in a circumferential direction; a front housing defining a front surface of the fan motor assembly and including an inlet corresponding to the blowing fan and through which cold air is introduced; and a rear housing coupled to the front housing to define a rear surface of the fan motor assembly and defining (i) a first space in which a fan module is accommodated and (ii) a second space configured to guide cold air toward the duct assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising a rear cover that defines a rear wall surface of the storage space, that includes a suction port and a discharge port through which cold air passes, and that is configured to shield the evaporator, the fan motor assembly, and the duct assembly, wherein the rear cover is spaced apart from the inlet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a heat insulation material is disposed on a rear surface of the rear cover facing the inlet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are coupled to each other and comprise: a first guide part coupled to the first passage and configured to guide cold air discharged from the blowing fan to the first passage; and a second guide part coupled to the second passage and configured to guide cold air discharged from the blowing fan to the second passage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the first guide part extends upward from an upper side of the blowing fan, and wherein the second guide part extends laterally and upward from one side of left and right sides of the blowing fan facing the second passage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the blowing fan is disposed at a lower end of the fan motor assembly and is configured to rotate in a direction in which the discharged cold air passes through the first guide part and the second guide part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein a width of an inlet of the second guide part is greater than a diameter of the blowing fan, and wherein a width of an inlet of the first guide part is less than the width of the inlet of the second guide part. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein an upper end of the fan motor assembly comprises: a first housing outlet that defines an opened upper surface of the first guide part and that is coupled to an opened lower end of the first passage; and a second housing outlet that defines an opened upper surface of the second guide part and that is coupled to an opened lower end of the second passage, wherein an area of the second housing outlet is greater than an area of the first housing outlet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a bottom hole defined in the fan motor assembly and opened toward the evaporator such that defrost water is discharged; and a discharge guide extending obliquely from a first side of the bottom hole and covering a part of the bottom hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein a drain pan configured to discharge the defrost water to the outside of the storage space is provided on a bottom surface of the storage space, and wherein the discharge guide extends toward the drain pan. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the discharge guide extends in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of a blowing fan provided in the fan motor assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the bottom hole is located below and between left and right ends of a blowing fan provided in the fan motor assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the fan motor assembly defines a bottom hole that is opened toward the evaporator such that defrost water is discharged, wherein a discharge guide extending obliquely downward to guide the defrost water discharged through the bottom hole is provided at a first end of the bottom hole, and wherein the discharge guide extends from one end of the bottom hole that is closer to the second guide part between both ends of the bottom hole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the discharge guide extends obliquely in a direction away from the second guide part as the discharge guide extends downward. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the bottom hole and the discharge guide are located at a position closer to the second guide part compared to the first guide part with respect to a vertical extension line passing through the center of the blowing fan.