Cool-air supplying apparatus and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

A cool-air supplying apparatus of a refrigerator includes a fan that has a body and a plurality of blades mounted around a circumference of the body. A motor of the cool-air supplying apparatus is mounted at least partially in a recess formed within the fan body. A rotor of the motor is coupled to the inner surface of the recess so that the fan and rotor rotate together as one body. Because the motor is mounted within a recess of the fan body, an overall height of the combined fan and motor is smaller than in conventional cool-air supplying devices. As a result, when the cool-air supplying apparatus is mounted within a cool-air supply duct of a refrigerator, more space within the refrigerator can be devoted to the storage space, which increases the internal capacity of the refrigerator. In addition, less room within the cool-air supply duct is consumed by the motor, which increases the flow of cool air through the duct.

1 . A cool-air supplying apparatus of a refrigerator, comprising:
 a fan comprising a body and a plurality of blades arranged around a circumference of the body, wherein a recess is formed in the body; and   a motor that is at least partially mounted within the recess of the fan body, wherein a rotor of the motor is attached to the fan body such that the rotor and the fan body rotate together.   
   
   
       2 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises:
 a stator; and   a rotor positioned outside the stator, wherein the rotor is coupled to an inner surface of the recess of the fan body.   
   
   
       3 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the rotor of the motor is formed of an inner surface of the recess of the fan body and a plurality of magnets that are mounted on the inner surface of the recess 
   
   
       4 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the motor is coupled to an inner surface of the recess of the fan body. 
   
   
       5 . A refrigerator comprising the cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fan and the motor are mounted in a cool-air duct formed adjacent to a storage space of the refrigerator. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the cool-air duct is separated into a first portion and a second portion by a shroud, wherein air from a refrigerating apparatus of the refrigerator is supplied through the first portion of the cool-air duct, and wherein the fan and motor are mounted in the second portion of the cool-air duct. 
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein a grill is located between the second portion of the cool-air duct and a storage space of the refrigerator, and wherein the motor is mounted on the grill. 
   
   
       8 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the blades is between approximately 19% and 23% of an outside diameter of the fan. 
   
   
       9 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fan further comprises a fan-shroud, and wherein the blades are mounted between the body and the fan-shroud. 
   
   
       10 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein an inside diameter of the fan-shroud is between approximately 70% and 85% of an outside diameter of the fan. 
   
   
       11 . The cool-air supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein inner edges of the blades form a circle having a diameter that is between approximately 55% and 62% of an outside diameter of the fan. 
   
   
       12 . The cool-air supplying device of  claim 1 , wherein an angle  01  formed between a tangent line on an inner edge of the blades and a tangent line of a circle formed by the inner edges of the blades is between approximately 33 and 35 degrees. 
   
   
       13 . The cool-air supplying device of  claim 1 , wherein an angle  02  formed between a tangent line on an outer edge of the blades and a tangent line of an outer diameter of the fan is between approximately 31 and 33 degrees. 
   
   
       14 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage space;   a refrigerating apparatus configured to supply cool air;   a cool-air supply duct that conducts cool air from the refrigerating apparatus to the storage space, wherein the cool-air supply duct is formed between a rear wall of the refrigerator and a grill that opens into the storage space;   a shroud located in the cool-air supply duct and including an orifice; and   a cool-air supplying device mounted between the grill and the shroud, wherein the cool air supplying device comprises:
 a fan provided with a body and a plurality of blades arranged around a circumference of the body, wherein a recess is formed in the body; and 
 a motor that is at least partially mounted within the recess, wherein a rotor of the motor is coupled to the recess of the body. 
   
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the cool-air supplying apparatus further comprises a fan-shroud, and wherein the blades are mounted between the fan-shroud and the body. 
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein an inside diameter of the fan-shroud is between approximately 70% and 85% of an outside diameter of the fan. 
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the cool-air supplying apparatus is mounted adjacent the orifice formed in the shroud such that the cool-air supplying apparatus pulls cool air from a space between the rear wall of the refrigerator and the shroud and discharges the cool air into the storage space through the grill. 
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the motor is mounted to the grill. 
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein a rotor of the motor is integrally formed with an inner surface of the recess of the fan body. 
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the rotor of the motor is formed by mounting a plurality of magnets on an inner surface of the recess of the fan body.