Cool air circulation structure of refrigerator and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A refrigerator having a cool air circulation system capable of drawing cool air from a freezer to an ice machine disposed in a refrigerating space. The ice machine is removably installed in the refrigerating space. A cool air inlet duct is configured to supply cool air from an evaporator of the freezer into the ice machine provided in the refrigerating space. A cool air outlet duct is configured to return the cool air, used in the ice machine, from the ice machine to the freezer. After the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating space, cool air supplied from the cool air inlet duct is used to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a refrigerating space;   a freezing space;   an ice machine disposed in the refrigerating space and configured to make ice;   an evaporator disposed in the freezing space and configured to produce cool air;   a cool air inlet duct configured to supply cool air from the evaporator into the ice machine; and   a cool air outlet duct configured to supply cool air from the ice machine to the freezing space.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice machine is removably installed in the refrigerating space, and wherein after the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating space, cool air supplied from the cool air inlet duct is used to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating space. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating space is disposed above the freezing space. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first fan installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice machine; and 
 a second fan installed between an end of the cool air outlet duct and the ice machine. 
 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a control system configured to control a temperature in the refrigerating space and a temperature in the freezing space, wherein, after the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating space, the control system is configured to maintain the temperature in the refrigerating space by controlling a cool air supply rate from the freezing space to the refrigerating space through the cool air inlet duct. 
 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating space comprises:
 an evaporator configured to generate cool air;   a third fan provided to drive cool air from the evaporator into the refrigerating space; and   a fourth fan provided to drive cool air from the refrigerating space back to the evaporator.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to control, based on a detected temperature, a speed of at least one of a rotor of the first fan and a rotor of the second fan. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense a presence of the ice machine in the refrigerating space.   
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling circulation of cool air in a refrigerator, the method comprising:
 supplying, when an ice machine is present in a refrigerating space of the refrigerator, cool air from a freezing space of the refrigerator into the ice machine through a cool air inlet duct; and   supplying, after the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating space, cool air from the freezing space into the refrigerating space through the cool air inlet duct.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein cool air is supplied from the freezing space into the ice machine or the refrigerating space via a first fan installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice machine. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 using a control system to control temperatures of the refrigerating space and the freezing space of the refrigerator,   wherein, after the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating space, the control system determining a rate at which cool air is supplied from the freezing space into the refrigerating space through the cool air inlet duct to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating space.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, based on a determined rate of supplying cool air from the freezing space into the refrigerating space, the control system controls an RPM of a rotor of a first fan installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice machine. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerating space;   a freezing space disposed below said refrigerating space;   an ice machine disposed in the refrigerating space and configured to make ice;   an evaporator disposed in the freezing space and configured to produce cool air; and   a cool air delivery system configured to circulate cool air between the freezing space and the refrigerating space.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the cool air delivery system comprises:
 a cool air inlet duct configured to supply cool air from the evaporator into the ice machine; and   a cool air outlet duct configured to supply cool air from the ice machine to the freezing space.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the cool air delivery system comprises further comprising:
 a first fan installed between an end of the cool air inlet duct and the ice machine; and   a second fan installed between an end of the cool air outlet duct and the ice machine.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the ice machine is removably mounted in the refrigerating room, and wherein, responsive to detection that the ice machine is removed from the refrigerating room, speeds of said first fan and said second fan are adjusted to maintain a temperature in the refrigerating room. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the cool air delivery system comprises further comprising:
 a third fan configured to supply cool air from the evaporator to the refrigerating space; and   a fourth fan configured to circulate cool air from the refrigerating room to the evaporator.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 16  further comprising a sensor configured to sense a presence of the ice machine.