Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator including an inner case having an inner case opening, an outer case having an outer case opening, a mounting frame having a passage between the inner case opening and the outer case opening, an insulation in an insulating space where one end of the passage of the mounting frame is at the inner case opening of the inner case and another end of passage of the mounting frame is at the outer case opening, a thermoelectric element including a heat-absorbing surface and a heat-generating surface, a cooling sink in contact with the heat-absorbing surface so as to exchange heat with the heat-absorbing surface, and a heat sink in contact with the heat-generating surface so as to exchange heat with the heat-generating surface, wherein the cooling sink and the heat sink are respectively coupled to the mounting frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body including a plurality of insulating walls; and   a storage compartment within the main body;   wherein at least one of the plurality of insulating walls comprises:
 an inner case having an inner case opening; 
 an outer case, couplable to the inner case, having an outer case opening; 
 a mounting frame, arrangeable between the inner case and the outer case, having a passage so that while the mounting frame is arranged between the inner case and the outer case, the passage is between the inner case opening and the outer case opening; 
 an insulation arrangeable in an insulating space between the inner case and the outer case so that while the insulation is arranged in the insulating space, one end of the passage of the mounting frame is at the inner case opening of the inner case and another end of passage of the mounting frame, opposite the one end of the passage, is at the outer case opening; 
 a thermoelectric element, to cool the storage compartment, including a heat-absorbing surface on one side facing the storage compartment and a heat-generating surface on another side opposite the one side; 
 a cooling sink to exchange heat with the heat-absorbing surface while in contact with the heat-absorbing surface; and 
 a heat sink to exchange heat with the heat-generating surface while in contact with the heat-generating surface; 
   wherein the cooling sink and the heat sink are respectively coupled to the mounting frame.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first fastening member configured to pass through the cooling sink to be fastened to the mounting frame so as to couple the cooling sink to the mounting frame, and   a second fastening member configured to pass through the heat sink to be fastened to the mounting frame so as to couple the heat sink to the mounting frame.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cooling sink includes a cooling plate outside a path of the passage and a cooling block inside the path of the passage, and   the heat sink includes a heat dissipation plate outside the path of the passage.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein a size of one surface of the cooling plate facing the passage and a size of one surface of the heat dissipation plate facing the passage are larger than a size of a cross-section of the passage, respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the cooling block is in contact with the heat-absorbing surface, and the heat dissipation plate is in contact with the heat-generating surface. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the one end of the passage is a front inlet on one side of the mounting frame facing the storage compartment and the other end of the passage is a rear inlet, and   the thermoelectric element is closer to the rear inlet than to the front inlet.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising an insulating member configured to insulate the thermoelectric element and the mounting frame. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the mounting frame includes a recess along an inner surface of the mounting frame to allow the insulating member to be mounted. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cooling sink includes a first through hole through which a first fastening member passes,   the heat sink includes a second through hole through which a second fastening member passes, and   the mounting frame includes a first fastening hole to which the first fastening member is fastened, and a second fastening hole to which the second fastening member is fastened.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a fastening member configured to pass through the mounting frame and one of the cooling sink and the heat sink to be fastened to another one of the cooling sink and the heat sink. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein
 one of the cooling sink and the heat sink includes a first through hole through which the fastening member passes,   the mounting frame includes a second through hole through which the fastening member passes, and   another one of the cooling sink and the heat sink includes a fastening hole to which the fastening member is fastened.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein
 the passage is a first passage having a first cross-section and the mounting frame includes a second passage having a second cross-section larger than the first cross-section, and   the cooling block is a first cooling block disposed in the first passage and the cooling sink includes a second cooling block disposed in the second passage.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising
 a first fastening member configured to pass through the cooling plate and the first cooling block to be fastened to the second cooling block so as to couple the cooling sink to the mounting frame, and   a second fastening member configured to pass through the heat sink to be fastened to the mounting frame so as to couple the heat sink to the mounting frame.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein
 the cooling plate includes a first through hole through which the first fastening member passes,   the first cooling block includes a second through hole through which the first fastening member passes,   the second cooling block includes a first fastening hole to which the first fastening member is fastened,   the heat sink includes a third through hole through which the second fastening member passes, and   the mounting frame includes a second fastening hole to which the second fastening member is fastened.