Cooled-air circulation structure of refrigerator and method for controlling the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator comprising a main body comprising a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, an ice machine installed in the refrigerating compartment, a cooled-air inlet duct configured to supply cooled air from the freezing compartment into the ice machine of the refrigerating compartment, a cooled-air outlet duct configured to return the cooled air, used in the ice machine, from the ice machine to the freezing compartment, a first fan installed between an end of the cooled-air inlet duct and the ice machine; and a second fan installed between an end of the cooled-air outlet duct and the ice machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body comprising a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;   an ice machine installed in the refrigerating compartment;   a cooled-air inlet duct configured to supply cooled air from the freezing compartment into the ice machine of the refrigerating compartment;   a cooled-air outlet duct configured to return the cooled air, used in the ice machine, from the ice machine to the freezing compartment;   a first fan installed between an end of the cooled-air inlet duct and the ice machine; and   a second fan installed between an end of the cooled-air outlet duct and the ice machine.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , comprising a bottom-freezing compartment refrigerator in which the refrigerating compartment is disposed above the freezing compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein an RPM of a rotor of a first fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan are controlled depending on a temperature in the ice machine. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein when the temperature in the ice machine is higher than a threshold, the RPM of the rotor of the first fan is controlled to be increased, and
 when temperature in the ice machine is lower than the threshold, the RPM of the rotor of the first fan is controlled to be reduced.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein an RPM of a rotor of the first fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan are controlled depending on an operational mode of the refrigerator. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice machine comprises:
 a cooled-air inlet port through which cooled air is supplied from the cooled-air inlet duct into the ice machine; and   a cooled-air outlet port through which the cooled air used in the ice machine is discharged out of the ice machine,   wherein the cooled-air inlet port is aligned with the first fan, and the cooled-air outlet port is aligned with the second fan.   
     
     
         7 . A method for controlling circulation of cooled air in a refrigerator, the method comprising repeatedly conducting operations of:
 supplying cooled air through a cooled-air inlet duct from a freezing compartment into an ice machine installed in a refrigerating compartment;   producing ice in the ice machine using the cooled air supplied thereinto;   returning the cooled air used to produce the ice from the ice machine to the freezing compartment through a cooled-air outlet duct,   wherein the cooled air is supplied into the ice machine via a first fan installed between an end of the cooled-air inlet duct and the ice machine,   and wherein the cooled air is discharged out of the ice machine via a second fan installed between an end of the cooled-air outlet duct and the ice machine.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein an RPM of a rotor of a first fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan are controlled depending on a temperature in the ice machine. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein an RPM of a rotor of is the first fan and an RPM of a rotor of a second fan controlled depending on an operational mode of the refrigerator.