Refrigerator having independent sterilization duct

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a chilled air duct and a sterilizer duct independently installed in the vertical direction to uniformly emit active hydrogen and negative ions for sterilization and deodorization into an entire space of a compartment. The sterilizer duct is vertically installed in the compartment in parallel relation to the chilled air duct and an MPI generator for the sterilization and deodorization is installed in an end thereof. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the sterilizer duct is coupled with a blower duct in which a blower fan for blowing air into the sterilizer duct, and the blower duct may be coupled with a rotation duct connected to a driving motor installed in a housing. In the second embodiment, the sterilizer duct and the chilled air duct have a single entrance and two exits and may be coupled with respective exits of a distribution duct in which a damper is installed.

1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 at least one compartment;    a chilled air duct for supplying chilled air to the compartment;    a sterilizer duct installed in the compartment independent from the chilled air duct; and    an ion generator for supplying sterilizing air through the sterilizer duct to the compartment.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a cooling fan for blowing the chilled air to the chilled air duct; and    a blower fan for blowing air in the compartment to the sterilizer duct,    wherein a plurality of chilled air discharge ports and sterilized air discharge ports are respectively formed in the chilled air duct and the sterilizer duct at regular intervals.    
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the chilled air duct is disposed at the central region of the rear side of the compartment, and the sterilizer duct is disposed at a corner of the rear side of the compartment.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ion generator is made of a micro plasma ion (MPI) generator for generating negative ions and active hydrogen, and is disposed in the sterilizer duct.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a blower duct, coupled with the sterilizer duct, in which the blower fan is installed;    a rotation duct coupled with the blower duct; and    a driving motor for rotating the rotation duct,    wherein the sterilizer duct is installed to rotate together with the blower duct    
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the driving motor is installed in a housing fixed to a rear wall of the compartment, and a rotation shaft of the driving motor is coupled with a hub provided in the center of the rotation duct to rotate the rotation duct.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the blower fan is coupled with a fan motor fixed in a hub provided at the center of the blower duct to rotate.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the sterilizer duct, the blower duct, and the rotation duct have a cylindrical shape and rotate.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein an insertion protrusion and an insertion recess are formed in the end rims of the blower duct, and insertion protrusions and insertion recesses are formed in respective ends of the blower duct and the rotation duct such that the insertion protrusion of the sterilizer duct is inserted into the insertion recess of the blower duct and the insertion protrusion of the blower duct is inserted into the insertion recess of the rotation duct for the convenient separation from and coupling with each other.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the sterilizer duct is coated with anti-electrification material.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the anti-electrification material comprises polyethylene.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a distribution duct installed between the sterilizer duct and the chilled air duct to communicate and block the chilled air duct to and from the sterilizer duct, 
 wherein the ion generator is installed in the sterilizer duct or the distribution duct.    
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the sterilizer duct includes a plurality of sterilized air discharge ports formed at regular intervals such that negative ions generated by the ion generator are uniformly distributed into the entire space of the compartment through the respective sterilized air discharge ports.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the ion generator is made of a micro plasma ion (MPI) generator for generating active hydrogen and the negative ions.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the distribution duct has first and second exits, and a cooling fan disposed in an entrance of the distribution duct; 
 the sterilizer duct and the chilled air duct are respectively connected to the first and second exits of the distribution duct such that chilled air blown by the cooling fan flows the sterilizer duct and the chilled air duct through the distribution duct.    
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , further comprising a damper installed between the first and second exits within the distribution duct to open and close the first and second exits.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the damper is driven by a driving motor to adjust an opening degree of the first and second exits.  
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the ion generator is disposed at the side of the first exit connected to the sterilizer duct within the distribution duct.  
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , further comprising a chilled air supply duct connected to the entrance of the distribution duct, 
 wherein a plurality of introducing holes for introducing air in the compartment is formed in the front side of the chilled air supply duct, and an evaporator is installed in the chilled air supply duct together with the cooling fan.    
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ion generator comprises: 
 a ceramic plate serving as a positive ion generator; and    a needle-shaped electrode serving as a negative ion generator.