Refrigerator

Abstract

An odorless refrigerator with a deodorizing function free from insufficient refrigeration, which is provided with a deodorizing device operable with a stable deodorizing performance for a long time, simply structured, small-sized, and provided at a low cost. The refrigerator includes a draft air duct as a passage of refrigerated air blown off forcibly by an inside fan to the compartments, a damper in the draft air duct and opens/closes to allow/prevent the supply of refrigerated air to the compartments, a bypass channel in the draft air duct between the damper and a cooling device for returning refrigerated air from the cooling device to the cooling device, and a deodorizing device in the by-pass channel for deodorizing refrigerated air supplied to the compartments. The refrigerated air inside the draft air duct between the damper and the cooling device is forcibly blown off through the bypass channel by closing the damper.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a plurality of compartments, which is provided in a front part of a body of the refrigerator, for storing such as food;    a cooling device, which is installed in a cooling device chamber provided in a back part of the body of the refrigerator, for producing refrigerated air for refrigerating the plurality of compartments;    an inside fan, which is installed in the cooling device chamber, for blowing off the refrigerated air produced by the cooling device to the plurality of compartments;    a draft air duct, which is a passage of air flow of refrigerated air to be blown off forcibly by the inside fan to the plurality of compartments;    a damper, which is installed in the draft air duct, opening/closing so as to allow/prevent a supply of the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments;    a by-pass channel, which is provided in the draft air duct between the damper and the cooling device and used for returning the refrigerated air produced by the cooling device to the cooling device; and    a deodorizing device, which is installed inside the by-pass channel, for deodorizing the refrigerated air to be supplied to the plurality of compartments;    wherein the damper is closed so that the refrigerated air inside the draft air duct between the damper and the cooling device is blown off forcibly to the by-pass channel.    
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the deodorizing device includes, 
 a deodorizing filter for absorbing odor elements, and    a refreshing unit for decomposing the odor elements absorbed by the deodorizing filter so as to prolong a life of the deodorizing filter.    
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the deodorizing filter includes a titanium oxide which is a photocatalyst, and 
 wherein the refreshing unit includes a light emitting diode which emits ultraviolet rays.    
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein air resistance in the by-pass channel having the deodorizing device inside is higher than air resistance in the draft air duct for supplying the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments so that the refrigerated air is not easily supplied to the by-pass channel in a case of opening the damper for allowing the supply of the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments.  
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a deodorizing damper, which is installed in the by-pass channel, for regulating a flow rate of the refrigerated air, so that the refrigerated air is not supplied to the by-pass channel while a refrigerating operation is being carried out.  
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the by-pass channel is installed independently of the draft air duct.  
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 a plurality of draft air ducts for supplying the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments; and    an opening adjustable damper, which is installed in at least one of the plurality of draft air ducts, for regulating a flow rate of the refrigerated air;    wherein an opening of the opening adjustable damper is adjusted so that a flow rate of refrigerated air passing through the by-pass channel and a flow rate of refrigerated air passing through the draft air duct having the opening adjustable damper inside become the same.    
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a refrigerating operation is not started while a defrosting operation is being carried out; and 
 wherein a deodorizing operation is started before starting the refrigerating operation by supplying the refrigerated air to the by-pass channel in either case of in a defrost operation and after a defrosting operation.    
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a deodorizing operation switch for starting/terminating a deodorizing operation.  
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , comprising a selection switch for selecting one of the plurality of compartments to be deodorized.  
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a plurality of compartments, which is provided in a front part of a body of the refrigerator, for storing such as food;    two cooling devices, which are installed in a back part of the body of the refrigerator, for producing refrigerated air in different temperatures so as to refrigerate the plurality of compartments;    two separate draft air ducts corresponding to the two cooling devices for blowing off the refrigerated air in different temperature ranges produced by the two cooling devices independently to different compartments with different temperatures of the plurality of compartments; and    a deodorizing device;    wherein the deodorizing device includes, deodorizing filters, which are provided in the two separate draft air ducts, for absorbing odor elements, and refreshing units for decomposing the odor elements absorbed by the deodorizing filters so as to prolong lives of the deodorizing filters.    
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , comprising: 
 by-pass channels provided, respectively, in the two individual draft air ducts; and    deodorizing devices installed, respectively, in the by-pass channels.    
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein air resistance in the by-pass channel having the deodorizing device inside is higher than air resistance in the draft air duct for supplying the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments so that the refrigerated air is not easily supplied to the by-pass channel in a case of opening the damper for allowing the supply of the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments.  
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising a deodorizing damper, which is installed in the by-pass channel, for regulating a flow rate of the refrigerated air, so that the refrigerated air is not supplied to the by-pass channel while a refrigerating operation is being carried out.  
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the by-pass channel is installed independently of the draft air duct.  
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , comprising: 
 a plurality of draft air ducts for supplying the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments; and    an opening adjustable damper, which is installed in at least one of the plurality of draft air ducts, for regulating a flow rate of the refrigerated air;    wherein an opening of the opening adjustable damper is adjusted so that a flow rate of refrigerated air passing through the by-pass channel and a flow rate of refrigerated air passing through the draft air duct having the opening adjustable damper inside become the same.    
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein a refrigerating operation is not started while a defrosting operation is being carried out; and 
 wherein a deodorizing operation is started before starting the refrigerating operation by supplying the refrigerated air to the by-pass channel in either case of in a defrost operation and after a defrosting operation.    
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising a deodorizing operation switch for starting/terminating a deodorizing operation.  
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein air resistance in the by-pass channel having the deodorizing device inside is higher than air resistance in the draft air duct for supplying the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments so that the refrigerated air is not easily supplied to the by-pass channel in a case of opening the damper for allowing the supply of the refrigerated air to the plurality of compartments.  
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , further comprising a deodorizing damper, which is installed in the by-pass channel, for regulating a flow rate of the refrigerated air, so that the refrigerated air is not supplied to the by-pass channel while a refrigerating operation is being carried out.