Refrigerator and method for producing supercooled liquid

Abstract

A refrigerator for supercooling beverage into supercooled liquid and a method of producing the supercooled liquid using the same. The refrigerator includes a mixing room provided in a main body to mix chilled air from a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment with each other and having a first suction port for suctioning the freezer compartment chilled air and a second suction port for suction the refrigerator compartment chilled air, and a supercooling compartment provided in the main body to be directly or indirectly refrigerated by the chilled air mixed in the mixing room. The mixing room and the supercooling compartment may be provided either in the refrigerator compartment or in the freezer compartment, or in an independent refrigerator compartment to form an independent refrigerating room separated from the freezer compartment.

1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main body having a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment;    a mixing room provided in the main body to suction and mix chilled air from the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment with each other;    a supercooling compartment provided in the main body to be refrigerated by the chilled air mixed in the mixing room; and    a controller for controlling a quantity of a freezer compartment chilled air and a refrigerator compartment chilled air suctioned into the mixing room.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixing room comprises: 
 a first suction port communicated with the freezer compartment to suction the freezer compartment chilled air;    a second suction port communicated with the refrigerator compartment to suction the refrigerator compartment chilled air; and    a chilled air supply port through which the chilled air mixed in the mixing room is supplied into the supercooling compartment.    
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein in the first suction port and the second suction port, blower fans are installed to suction the chilled air.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the mixing room further comprises a mixing device by which the chilled air suctioned through the first suction port and the second suction port is mixed with each other when traveling to the chilled air supply port and attains an equilibrium state.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the mixing device comprises a mixing passage formed between the suction ports and the chilled air supply port.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the mixing passage is formed in a serpentine shape by at least one passage forming plate.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the mixing device further includes a fan rotated in the mixing room to accelerate the mixing of the chilled air.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the supercooling compartment includes a temperature sensor installed therein, and the controller compares a temperature measured by the temperature sensor with a set temperature of the supercooling compartment to control the blower fans such that a suction quantity of the freezer compartment chilled air and a suction quantity of the refrigerator compartment chilled air are adjusted.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixing room and the supercooling compartment are provided in the freezer compartment or in the refrigerator compartment.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises an independent refrigerator compartment separated from the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment and having a separate refrigerating room, and the mixing room and the supercooling compartment are provided in the independent refrigerator compartment.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixing room and the supercooling compartment are disposed adjacent to each other.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixing room is spaced apart from the supercooling compartment and further comprises a connector duct provided between the mixing room and the supercooling compartment to connect the mixing room to the supercooling compartment.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the supercooling compartment is disposed in the mixing room.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the supercooling compartment further comprises a chilled air introducing port communicated with the mixing room to receive the chilled air mixed in the mixing room, and the chilled air introducing port is installed with a damper for opening and closing the chilled air introducing port.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a casing for separating the mixing room from the supercooling compartment, wherein the casing is made of material of a high heat capacity.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixing room and the supercooling compartment further comprise insulators for preventing affect due to temperature of the refrigerator compartment and of the freezer compartment.  
   
   
       17 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main body having a refrigerator compartment and an evaporator for generating chilled air;    a mixing room provided in the main body to suction and mix the chilled air from the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator with each other;    a supercooling compartment provided in the main body to be refrigerated by the chilled air mixed in the mixing room; and    a controller for controlling suction quantities of a refrigerator compartment chilled air and an evaporator chilled air suctioned into the mixing room.    
   
   
       18 . A method of producing a supercooled liquid utilizing a refrigerator comprising a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, the method comprising: 
 suctioning chilled air from the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment and mixing the chilled air in a mixing room; and    blowing the chilled air mixed in the mixing room into a supercooling compartment.    
   
   
       19 . The method of producing a supercooled liquid according to  claim 18 , further comprising adjusting a suction quantity of a freezer compartment chilled air and a suction quantity of a refrigerator compartment chilled air suctioned into the mixing room such that a temperature of the supercooling compartment is maintained at a set temperature.  
   
   
       20 . The method of producing a supercooled liquid according to  claim 18 , wherein the supercooling compartment comprises: 
 a chilled air supply port through which the chilled air mixed in the mixing room is supplied; and    a damper for opening and closing the chilled air supply port.    
   
   
       21 . The method of producing a supercooled liquid according to  claim 20 , further comprising closing the damper and indirectly refrigerating the supercooling compartment using the chilled air in the mixing room.  
   
   
       22 . A method of producing a supercooled liquid utilizing a refrigerator comprising a refrigerator compartment and an evaporator for generating chilled air, the method comprising: 
 suctioning the chilled air from the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator and mixing the chilled air with each other in a mixing room; and    blowing the chilled air mixed in the mixing room into a supercooling compartment.