Refrigerator with icemaker compartment having an improved air flow

Abstract

A refrigerator includes body having a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, and an ice making compartment disposed outside the freezing compartment. The ice making compartment is in communication with an evaporator space via a supply duct to supply cold air from the evaporator to the ice making compartment, a blowing fan to introduce cold air from the evaporator into the ice making compartment, and a return duct configured so that circulated air inside the ice making compartment is discharged through an outlet of the return duct and mixed together with circulated air from inside the freezing compartment at a lower region of the evaporator space, the mixed air flowing through the evaporator in an upward direction as the mixed air is heat exchanged by the evaporator before being discharged to the freezing compartment or the supply duct.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body having a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, a horizontal insulation partition provided between the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and an ice making compartment disposed outside the freezing compartment, the refrigerating compartment including a refrigerator door,   wherein the refrigerating compartment comprises a refrigerating space forming a refrigerating storing space, a first evaporator space containing a first evaporator for generating cold air and a first blowing fan to introduce cold air into the refrigerating space,   the freezing compartment comprises a freezing space forming a freezing storing space, a second evaporator space containing a second evaporator to generate cold air and a second blowing fan to introduce cold air into the freezing space,   the ice making compartment is in communication with the second evaporator space via a supply duct to supply cold air from the second evaporator to the ice making compartment, a third blowing fan to introduce cold air from the second evaporator into the ice making compartment, and a return duct configured so that circulated air inside the ice making compartment is discharged through an outlet of the return duct and mixed together with circulated air from inside the freezing storing space at a lower region of the second evaporator space, the mixed air flowing through the second evaporator in an upward direction as the mixed air is heat exchanged by the second evaporator before being discharged to the freezing storing space or the supply duct.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice making compartment is located within the refrigerating compartment behind the refrigerator door and the supply duct is arranged through an insulation wall of the refrigerator compartment behind the refrigerator door to supply cold air from an outlet of the second evaporator to the ice making compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the supply duct is arranged through an insulation wall of the refrigerator compartment to supply cold air from an outlet of the second evaporator to the ice making compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the return duct is arranged through the insulation wall of the refrigerator compartment to return air from the ice making compartment to an inlet of the second evaporator. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice making compartment includes an inlet at a rear surface of the ice making compartment for communicating the ice making compartment to the supply duct and an outlet for communicating the ice making compartment to the return duct, thereby supplying cold air from a rear side to a front side of the ice making compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the third blowing fan comprises a cross-flow fan to supply cold air to the ice making compartment, and the second blowing fan comprises an axial fan to supply cold air to the freezing compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice making compartment is located within the refrigerating compartment behind the refrigerator door and the supply duct is arranged outside an insulation wall of the refrigerator compartment behind the refrigerator door to supply cold air from an outlet of the second evaporator to the ice making compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the return duct is arranged outside the insulation wall of the refrigerator compartment to return air from the ice making compartment to an inlet of the second evaporator.