Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator including a main body cabinet including a storage compartment and a convertible compartment divided from the storage compartment; and a cool air providing part including a storage compartment evaporator to cool the storage compartment, a convertible compartment evaporator connected to the storage compartment evaporator in series to cool the convertible compartment, and a cooling fan providing cool air generated in the convertible compartment evaporator to the convertible compartment so as to function as one of freezing or refrigerating. Thus, the refrigerator includes a convertible compartment divided from a freezing compartment or a refrigerating compartment to store food by being provided with cool air separately. Further, the refrigerator prevents cool air in a freezing compartment or a refrigerating compartment from flowing out when a convertible compartment is open.

1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main body cabinet comprising a storage compartment and a convertible compartment divided from the storage compartment; and    a cool air providing part comprising a storage compartment evaporator to cool the storage compartment, a convertible compartment evaporator connected to the storage compartment evaporator in series to cool the convertible compartment, and a cooling fan providing cool air generated in the convertible compartment evaporator to the convertible compartment so as to function as one of freezing or refrigerating.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment comprises a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment; the storage compartment evaporator includes a freezing compartment evaporator to cool the freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment evaporator to cool the refrigerating compartment; and the convertible compartment evaporator is connected to either the freezing compartment evaporator or the refrigerating compartment evaporator in series.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , further comprising a freezing compartment door, a refrigerating compartment door, and a convertible compartment door mounted in the main body cabinet to open and close the freezing compartment, the refrigerating compartment, and the convertible compartment, respectively.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , further comprising a sub-wall dividing the convertible compartment from either the freezing compartment or the refrigerating compartment up and down.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator are connected to each other in series.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator are connected to each other in parallel.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a refrigerant pipe connecting the storage compartment evaporator and the convertible compartment evaporator so that the storage compartment evaporator and the convertible compartment evaporator which are separated from each other are formed with one evaporating pipe.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the refrigerant pipe comprises a first refrigerant pipe disposed between the storage compartment evaporator and the convertible compartment evaporator to transfer a refrigerant passing through a part of the storage compartment evaporator to the convertible compartment evaporator and a second refrigerant pipe disposed between the storage compartment evaporator and the convertible compartment evaporator to transfer the refrigerant transferred from the first refrigerant pipe and passing through the convertible compartment evaporator to the other part of the storage compartment.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the convertible compartment is set in a range of −25° C. to 5° C. to function as a subsidiary freezing compartment.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the convertible compartment is set in a range of −18° C. to 10° C. to function as a subsidiary refrigerating compartment.  
   
   
       11 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main body cabinet comprising a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment which are divided from each other, and a freezing convertible compartment and a refrigerating convertible compartment which are divided from the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment to function as either refrigerating or freezing; and    a cool air providing part comprising a freezing compartment evaporator and a refrigerating compartment evaporator to cool the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, a freezing convertible compartment evaporator and a refrigerating convertible compartment evaporator respectively connected to the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator in series to cool the freezing convertible compartment and the refrigerating convertible compartment, and a plurality of cooing fans respectively providing cool air generated in the freezing convertible compartment evaporator and the refrigerating convertible compartment evaporator to the freezing convertible compartment and the refrigerating convertible compartment.    
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , comprising a freezing compartment door, a refrigerating compartment door, a freezing convertible compartment door, and a refrigerating convertible compartment door which are mounted in the main body cabinet to open and close the freezing compartment, the refrigerating compartment, the freezing convertible compartment, and the refrigerating convertible compartment, respectively.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator are connected to each other in series.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator are connected to each other in parallel.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , further comprising refrigerant pipes connecting the freezing compartment evaporator and the freezing convertible compartment evaporator, and connecting the refrigerating compartment evaporator and the refrigerating convertible compartment evaporator so that the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator are formed with one evaporating pipe along with the freezing convertible compartment evaporator and the refrigerating convertible compartment evaporator, respectively.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the freezing convertible compartment is set in a range of −25° C. to 5° C. and the refrigerating convertible compartment is set in a range of −18° C. to 10° C.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising a cutoff plate disposed between the convertible compartment evaporator and the storage compartment evaporator to form paths of cool air in the storage compartment and the convertible compartment separately.  
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , further comprising a cutoff plate disposed between the freezing convertible compartment evaporator and the freezing compartment evaporator to form paths of cool air in the freezing compartment and the freezing convertible compartment separately.  
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , further comprising a cutoff plate disposed between the refrigerating convertible compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator to form paths of cool air in the refrigerating compartment and the refrigerating convertible compartment separately.