Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator may include a main body; a storage compartment inside the main body; a thermoelectric module (TM) configured to cool the compartment and including: a thermoelectric element (TE) including a heating portion (HP) and a heat absorbing portion (HAP), a heat dissipation sink (HDS); and a blocking portion configured to block a current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element based on a temperature of the heat dissipation sink exceeding a predetermined temperature.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body;   a storage compartment inside the main body;   a thermoelectric module configured to cool the storage compartment and including:
 a thermoelectric element including:
 a heating portion configured to emit heat and 
 a heat absorbing portion configured to absorb heat, and 
 
 a heat dissipation sink configured to absorb heat from the heating portion and emit the absorbed heat; and 
   a blocking portion disposed in the heat dissipation sink to block a current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element based on a temperature of the heat dissipation sink exceeding a predetermined temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat dissipation sink includes:
 a heat dissipation sink base in contact with the heating portion, and 
 a plurality of heat dissipation fins protruding from the heat dissipation sink base to an outside of the main body, and 
   the blocking portion is between two heat dissipation fins of the plurality of heat dissipation fins.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a heat absorbing sink configured to absorb heat from the storage compartment and transmit the absorbed heat to the heat absorbing portion,   the heat absorbing sink including:
 a heat absorbing sink base in contact with the heat absorbing portion, and 
 a plurality of cooling fins protruding from the heat absorbing sink base into the storage compartment, 
   a fastening member, penetrating and coupling, the heat dissipation sink base and the heat absorbing sink base, and   an insulating member between the plurality of heat dissipation fins and configured to fix the fastening member.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein
 the blocking portion is between the heat dissipation sink base and the insulating member and is fixed to the thermoelectric element.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein
 the blocking portion includes:
 a blocking portion base, and 
 a protrusion protruding upward from the blocking portion base, and the insulating member includes: 
 an insulating member base, and 
 a hook protruding downward from the insulating member base so as to be fixed to the protrusion. 
   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the predetermined temperature of the heat dissipation sink which is 150° C., and   the blocking portion is configured to block the current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element based on the temperature of the heat dissipation sink exceeding the predetermined temperature of the heat dissipation sink.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heat exchanger arranged on a rear side of the storage compartment,   wherein the thermoelectric element is configured to cool air within the storage compartment while the heat exchanger cools air within the storage compartment.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor on an outside of a heat dissipation fin of the plurality of heat dissipation fins that is at an outermost side of the plurality of heat dissipation fins.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat dissipation sink includes:
 a heat dissipation sink base in contact with the heating portion, and 
 a plurality of heat dissipation fins protruding from the heat dissipation sink base to an outside of the main body, and 
   the blocking portion is on an outside of a heat dissipation fin of the plurality of heat dissipation fins that is at an outermost side of the plurality of heat dissipation fins.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the thermoelectric module; and   a processor configured to block the current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element based on the temperature of the thermoelectric module, which is detected by the at least one temperature sensor, exceeding the predetermined temperature of the thermoelectric module.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein
 the thermoelectric module comprises a heat absorbing sink configured to absorb heat from the storage compartment and transfer the absorbed heat to the heat absorbing portion,   the at least one temperature sensor includes:
 a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat dissipation sink, and 
 a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat absorbing sink, and 
   the processor is configured to block the current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element based on the temperature of the heat absorbing sink, which is detected by the second temperature sensor, exceeding the predetermined temperature of the heat absorbing sink.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a user interface,   wherein the processor is configured to output, to the user interface, information related to whether the thermoelectric element has failed or has not failed based on whether the blocking portion is blocking the current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a user interface,   wherein the processor is configured to output, to the user interface, information related to whether the thermoelectric element has failed or has not failed based on a change in the detected temperature of the thermoelectric module.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein
 the thermoelectric module comprises a heat absorbing sink configured to absorb heat from the storage compartment and transfer the absorbed heat to the heat absorbing portion,   the at least one temperature sensor includes:
 a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat dissipation sink, and 
 a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat absorbing sink, and 0   
   the processor is configured to output, to the user interface, information related to whether the thermoelectric element has failed or has not failed based on a change in the detected temperature of the heat absorbing sink.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to cool air within the storage compartment; and   a compressor connected to the heat exchanger,   wherein the processor is configured to increase revolutions per minute (RPM) of the compressor based on the blocking portion blocking the current from being supplied to the thermoelectric element.