Refrigerator related technology

Abstract

A refrigerator is disclosed in which cool air ducts guide cool air from a freezing chamber to an ice making chamber provided at a refrigerating chamber door. The cool air ducts are provided at a barrier sectioning the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber and at the refrigerating chamber door.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator body;   a refrigerating compartment defined at a first portion of the refrigerator body;   a freezing compartment defined at a second portion of the refrigerator body, the second portion of the refrigerator body being different than the first portion of the refrigerator body;   a barrier that separates the freezing compartment from the refrigerating compartment;   at least one evaporator configured to cool air used in regulating operating temperatures in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment;   a refrigerating compartment door that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment;   a freezing compartment door that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the freezing compartment;   an ice compartment positioned at the refrigerating compartment door and configured to receive cool air from the freezing compartment;   a first duct positioned at the barrier that separates the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment and defines a passage at least partially through the barrier;   a second duct positioned at the refrigerating compartment door and configured to, when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in a closed position, connect with the first duct to define an air flow passage between the freezing compartment and the ice compartment; and   a unit that is positioned at the barrier separating the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, that is configured to open the first duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position, and that is configured to close the first duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in an opened position.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the first duct is separated from the second duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the opened position. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the second duct is a supply duct configured to guide air to the ice compartment, further comprising:
 a return duct positioned at the refrigerating compartment door and configured to guide air from the ice compartment.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the supply duct is positioned on an interior surface of the refrigerating compartment door at a first side of the refrigerating compartment door, and the return duct is positioned on the interior surface of the refrigerating compartment door at a second side of the refrigerating compartment door that is opposite of the first side. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the supply duct has an outlet oriented to output cool air in a first direction and the return duct has an inlet oriented to receive cool air in a second direction that is different than the first direction. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the supply duct extends into the ice compartment to a first height and the return duct extends into the ice compartment to a second height that is different than the first height. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , further comprising an ice maker positioned within the ice compartment and configured to freeze liquid water into ice,
 wherein an outlet of the supply duct and an inlet of the return duct are positioned on opposite sides of the ice maker such that air flow from the outlet of the supply duct to the inlet of the return duct passes over the ice maker.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the second duct is positioned such that at least a portion of the second duct is within a range of the refrigerator body when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating compartment door comprises a protrusion on its inner surface such that the protrusion is positioned in the refrigerator body when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position, and the second duct is positioned on an inner face of the protrusion or at an inner side of the protrusion. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the first duct comprises a freezing compartment duct such that a first end of the freezing compartment duct communicates with the freezing compartment and a second end of the freezing compartment duct communicates with the second duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising a fan that is oriented such that its discharge side communicates with the freezing compartment duct and promotes movement of air along the freezing compartment duct. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the unit comprises a housing having one or more cool air through holes that allow the second duct to communicate with the freezing compartment through the first duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position, and a plate configured to open and close the one or more cool air through holes of the housing in response to closing and opening of the refrigerating compartment door. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising an elastic member positioned at one side of the plate, and, when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the opened position, the elastic member applies force to the plate in a direction that causes the plate to close the one or more cool air through holes. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising a guide hole defined by the housing, and a guide unit that is coupled to the plate, that has at least a portion inserted into the guide hole, that is configured to be pressed by the refrigerating compartment door when the refrigerating compartment door moves from the opened position to the closed position, and that is configured to, in response to being pressed by the refrigerating compartment door, move the plate from a first position in which the plate closes the one or more cool air through holes to a second position in which the plate opens the one or more cool air through holes. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising a sealing member provided to at least one of the second duct and the one or more cool air through is holes. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein a portion of the housing where an end of the second duct interfaces with the one or more cool air through holes is inclined relative to ground when the refrigerator body is oriented in an ordinary operating orientation. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator body;   a refrigerating compartment defined at a first portion of the refrigerator body;   a freezing compartment defined at a second portion of the refrigerator body, the second portion of the refrigerator body being different than the first portion of the refrigerator body;   a barrier that separates the freezing compartment from the refrigerating compartment;   at least one evaporator configured to cool air used in regulating operating temperatures in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment;   a refrigerating compartment door that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment;   a freezing compartment door that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the freezing compartment;   is an ice compartment positioned at the refrigerating compartment door;   a supply duct positioned at the refrigerating compartment door and configured to guide air to the ice compartment;   a return duct positioned at the refrigerating compartment door and configured to guide air from the ice compartment; and   a unit that is positioned at the barrier separating the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, that defines, through the barrier, a supply passage configured to interface with the supply duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in a closed position and separate from the supply duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in an opened position, that defines, through the barrier, a return passage configured to interface with the return duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position and separate from the return duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the opened position, and that includes at least one blocking unit that is configured to open the supply passage and the return passage when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position and close the supply passage and the return passage when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the opened position.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17  further comprising an ice maker positioned within the ice compartment,
 wherein the supply duct is positioned on an interior surface of the refrigerating compartment door at a first side of the refrigerating compartment door, the return duct is positioned on the interior surface of the refrigerating compartment door at a second side of the refrigerating compartment door that is opposite of the first side, and an outlet of the supply duct and an inlet of the return duct are positioned on opposite sides of the ice maker such that air flow from the outlet of the supply duct to the inlet of the return duct passes over the ice maker.   
     
     
         19 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator body;   a refrigerating compartment defined at a first portion of the refrigerator body;   a freezing compartment defined at a second portion of the refrigerator body, the second portion of the refrigerator body being different than the first portion of the refrigerator body;   a barrier that separates the freezing compartment from the refrigerating compartment;   at least one evaporator configured to cool air used in regulating operating temperatures in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment that differ, with the freezing compartment having an operating temperature that is lower than an operating temperature of the refrigerating compartment;   a refrigerating compartment door that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment;   a freezing compartment door that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the freezing compartment;   an ice compartment positioned at the refrigerating compartment door;   a door supply duct configured to guide air to the ice compartment and positioned on an interior surface of the refrigerating compartment door at a first side of the refrigerating compartment door;   a door return duct configured to guide air from the ice compartment and positioned on the interior surface of the refrigerating compartment door at a second side of the refrigerating compartment door that is opposite of the first side;   a barrier supply duct that is positioned at the barrier that separates the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, that defines a passage at least partially through the barrier, and that is configured to connect with the door supply duct to define a supply air flow passage from the freezing compartment to the ice compartment when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in a closed position; and   a barrier return duct that is positioned at the barrier that separates the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, that defines a passage at least partially through the barrier, and that is configured to connect with the door return duct to define a return air flow passage from the ice compartment to the freezing compartment when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 19  further comprising:
 a unit that is positioned at the barrier separating the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, that is configured to open the barrier supply duct and the barrier return duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in the closed position, and that is configured to close the barrier supply duct and the barrier return duct when the refrigerating compartment door is oriented in an opened position.