Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes cooling air ducts for guiding cool air into a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber. The ducts may be made of a material that allows light to transmit therethrough. LEDs are installed within the cooling air ducts to illuminate the interiors of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber. Reflection mirrors may be installed within the cooling air ductd to reflect light generated by the LEDs. A separate space for installing the LEDs is not necessary, and thus an internal capacity of the refrigerator can be increased. Also, by providing the LEDs at various locations, the interior of the refrigerator can be uniformly illuminated.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a housing;   at least one cooling air duct installed in the housing and configured to guide cool air into a storage chamber of the refrigerator; and   at least one light emitting diode (LED) installed in at least one cooling air duct and configured to illuminate an interior of the storage chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising a reflection mirror installed adjacent to the at least one LED. 
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein a plurality of LEDs are installed in the at least one cooling air duct, wherein reflection mirrors are installed adjacent each LED, and wherein the reflection mirrors are installed at different angles. 
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein cooling air ducts are installed, respectively, at opposite sides of the storage chamber, and wherein LEDs are installed in each of the cooling air ducts. 
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein a cooling air duct is also installed at a top edge of the storage chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a cooling air outlet is formed in the at least one cooling air duct, and wherein the at least one LED is installed adjacent the cooling air outlet. 
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein a plurality of LEDs are installed adjacent the cooling air outlet. 
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling air duct is installed in a corner of the storage space formed by the intersection of a rear wall and a side wall of the storage space. 
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one cooling air duct comprises:
 a first cooling air duct that is installed in a corner of the storage space formed by the intersection of a rear wall and a first side wall of the storage space; and   a second cooling air duct that is installed in a corner of the storage space formed by the intersection of the rear wall and a second side wall of the storage space, and wherein LEDs are mounted within both the first and second cooling air ducts.   
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein a plurality of cooling air outlets are formed in each of the first and second cooling air ducts, and wherein LEDs are mounted within the first and second cooling air ducts adjacent the cooling air outlets. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein reflection mirrors are also mounted in the first and second cooling air ducts adjacent the cooling air outlets. 
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the LEDs are mounted in the first and second cooling air ducts on one of the side walls and the rear wall of the refrigerator, and wherein the reflection mirrors in the first and second cooling air ducts are mounted on the other of the side walls and the rear wall. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , further comprising a third cooling air duct installed in a corner of the storage space formed by the intersection of the rear wall and a top wall of the storage space, and wherein LEDs are also mounted in the third cooling air duct. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the LEDs mounted in the first and second cooling air ducts extend in a vertical direction. 
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the portions of the cooling air ducts adjacent the LEDs are formed of a translucent material which allows light generated by the LEDs to pass through the cooling air ducts and into an interior of the storage chamber. 
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one LED is an Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED). 
   
   
       17 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a housing having a storage chamber;   a refrigeration apparatus configured to generate cool air; and   at least one cooling air duct installed in the housing and configured to guide cool air from the refrigeration apparatus into the storage chamber of the refrigerator, wherein a fluorescent material is coated on one surface of the at least one cooling air duct, and wherein the fluorescent material is configured to generate light to illuminate the storage chamber.   
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein a plurality of cooling air outlets are formed in the at least one cooling air duct, and wherein fluorescent material is coated on portions of the at least one cooling air duct adjacent the cooling air outlets. 
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein reflection mirrors are mounted in the at least one cooling air duct at locations that correspond to the cooling air outlets. 
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the reflection mirrors are configured to reflect light generated by the fluorescent material into the interior of the storage chamber.