Refrigerator having cooling air circulating structure for preventing frost

Abstract

A refrigerator including a cooling air circulating structure to prevent frost is provided. The refrigerator includes a storage chamber, a refrigerator main body to which a door that opens or closes the storage chamber is connected via a hinge, a heat exchanging chamber arranged on one side of the storage chamber along the storage chamber, a heat exchanger arranged in the heat exchanging chamber, and an air circulating unit configured to circulate cooling air in the storage chamber and the heat exchanging chamber. The heat exchanger is configured to partition a cooling air discharge flow path and a cooling air suction flow path in the heat exchanging chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator main body including a storage chamber and hinge connected with a door that opens or closes the storage chamber;   a heat exchanging chamber arranged on one side of the storage chamber along the storage chamber;   a heat exchanger having a predetermined thickness and that is arranged in the heat exchanging chamber; and   an air circulating unit configured to circulate cooling air in the storage chamber and the heat exchanging chamber, wherein the heat exchanging chamber includes a cooling air discharge flow path formed on a front surface of the heat exchanger, and a cooling air suction flow path formed on a rear surface of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling air discharge flow path is configured to communicate with the storage chamber through at least one cooling air discharge port, and the cooling air suction flow path is configured to communicate with the storage chamber through at least one cooling air suction port. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling air suction port is set in a position that is lower than the cooling air discharge port. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a defrost water draining portion arranged on a lower side of the heat exchanging chamber and configured to collect and discharge defrost water that is generated in the heat exchanging chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the cooling air suction flow path is configured to communicate with the defrost water draining portion. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plate type. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the heat exchanger is partially bent. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the storage chamber and the heat exchanging chamber are formed in a cabinet portion that is arranged inside the refrigerator main body. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , further comprising a duct assembly arranged in a rear of the cabinet portion, wherein the duct assembly includes a front panel positioned on the cabinet portion side, and a rear panel configured to open the heat exchanging chamber, and wherein the heat exchanger is spaced apart from an inner surface of the rear panel by a plurality of spacers. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the cooling air discharge flow path is positioned between the front panel and a front surface of the heat exchanger, and the cooling air suction flow path is positioned between a rear surface of the heat exchanger and the rear panel. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one plate type additional heat exchanger arranged in the heat exchanging chamber, wherein the heat exchanger and the additional heat exchanger are arranged in parallel and are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the additional heat exchanger is arranged between the heat exchanger and the rear panel. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the air circulation unit is arranged on a boundary between the cooling air discharge flow path and the cooling air suction flow path. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the air circulation unit comprises an inlet port configured to communicate with the cooling air suction flow path, and an injection port configured to communicate with the cooling air discharge flow path, wherein the injection port is smaller than the inlet port. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a defrost heater is arranged in front of the heat exchanger in the heat exchanging chamber. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber;   a heat exchanging chamber configured to communicate with the storage chamber in a rear of the storage chamber;   a plate type heat exchanger arranged in the heat exchanging chamber; and   an air circulating unit configured to compulsorily circulate cooling air between the storage chamber and the heat exchanging chamber, wherein the heat exchanging chamber includes a cooling air discharge flow path formed on a front side of the heat exchanger, and a cooling air suction flow path formed on a rear surface of the heat exchanger, and wherein the air circulating unit is configured to pass the air that flows into the heat exchanging chamber through the cooling air suction flow path to be primarily heat-exchanged, and then pass the air through the cooling air discharge flow path to be secondarily heat-exchanged.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the cooling air discharge flow path is configured to communicate with the storage chamber through at least one cooling air discharge port, wherein the cooling air suction flow path is configured to communicate with the storage chamber through at least one cooling air suction port, and wherein the cooling air suction port is set in a position that is lower than the cooling air discharge port. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the air circulation unit comprises an inlet port configured to communicate with the cooling air suction flow path, and an injection port configured to communicate with the cooling air discharge flow path, wherein the injection port is smaller than the inlet port. 
     
     
         19 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator main body;   a cabinet portion arranged inside the refrigerator main body and provided with a storage chamber and a heat exchanging chamber;   a door hinge connected to the refrigerator main body to open or close the storage chamber;   a plate type heat exchanger arranged in the heat exchanging chamber and partitioning a cooling air discharge flow path and a cooling air suction flow path that communicates with the storage chamber; and   an air circulating unit configured to receive cooling air from the cooling air suction flow path and to discharge the cooling air to the cooling air discharge flow path, wherein the cooling air suction flow path is formed on a rear side of the heat exchanger to cool the air that is received from the storage chamber, and wherein the cooling air discharge flow path is formed on a front side of the heat exchanger to cool the air that is supplied from the air circulating unit.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the cooling air suction flow path is configured to communicate with a defrost water draining portion arranged on a lower side of the heat exchanging chamber to discharge defrost water that is generated in the heat exchanging chamber.