HEAT DISSIPATION DEVICE OF BUILT-IN REFRIGERATOR

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111 (a), of international application No. PCT/KR2023/020872, filed Dec. 18, 2023, which claims priority under 35 U. S. C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0000695, filed Jan. 3, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a heat dissipation device of a built-in refrigerator capable of lowering a temperature of a machine room of the built-in refrigerator.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, a refrigerator may include a storage room and a refrigeration cycle device that can maintain the storage room at a low temperature to enable food to be stored at a low temperature.

The refrigeration cycle device may include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.

The refrigerator may include a machine room in which the compressor and the condenser are disposed.

The refrigerant compressed by the compressor exchanges heat with external air as it passes through the condenser, so that the temperature of the machine room rises. A fan may be disposed in the machine room to suck in the external air and exhaust the sucked external air to the outside after passing through the condenser.

The evaporator may be disposed adjacent to the storage room to cool the air in the storage room. For example, a fan may be configured to allow the air in the storage room to pass through the evaporator and then be exhausted back into the storage room. Then, the temperature in the storage room may be kept low.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

An aspect of the disclosure is to provide a heat dissipation device for a refrigerator capable of lowering temperature of a machine room of a built-in refrigerator.

An aspect of the disclosure is to provide a heat dissipation device for a refrigerator that can support a built-in refrigerator and have a height corresponding to a baseboard of surrounding furniture.

Technical Solution

A heat dissipation device of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may include a pedestal, to be installed at a bottom of the refrigerator, including a suction port on an upper surface of the pedestal; a heat dissipation duct to be installed inside the pedestal and while the heat dissipation duct is installed inside the pedestal that is installed at the bottom of the refrigerator, the heat dissipation duct connecting the suction port of the pedestal and a front surface of the pedestal; and a heat dissipation fan to be installed in the heat dissipation duct below the suction port.

The heat dissipation duct may be detachable from the pedestal.

The heat dissipation duct may be configured in a channel shape with one end closed and another end open, and the heat dissipation fan may be installed adjacent to the one end closed of the heat dissipation duct.

The suction port of the pedestal may be provided at a position corresponding to a plurality of holes provided on a lower surface of a machine room of the refrigerator.

The heat dissipation fan may be configured to suck in air of the machine room and discharge the air toward the front surface of the pedestal.

The heat dissipation device may further include: a front plate coupleable to and decoupleable from the front surface of the pedestal.

The front plate may include a plurality of air holes.

The front plate may be configured as a louver.

The front plate may include a pair of coupling protrusions on both ends of the front plate, and the pedestal may include a pair of coupling grooves on the front surface of the pedestal, wherein the pair of coupling protrusions of the front plate may be insertable into the pair of coupling grooves.

The heat dissipation device may further include: a temperature sensor installed in the heat dissipation duct and configured to measure a temperature of air discharged from a machine room of the refrigerator; and a processor configured to turn the heat dissipation fan on/off based on the temperature of the air measured by the temperature sensor.

The pedestal may include: a top plate; a plurality of support parts extending from a lower surface of the top plate; and a duct seat provided between the plurality of support parts and in which the heat dissipation duct is installed. The suction port may be formed on the top plate to communicate with the duct seat.

A heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may include: a pedestal, to be installed at a bottom of the refrigerator, including a suction port on an upper surface of the pedestal; a heat dissipation duct coupleable to and decoupleable from an inside the pedestal and while the heat dissipation duct is coupled to the inside the pedestal that is installed at the bottom of the refrigerator, the heat dissipation duct connecting the suction port of the pedestal and a discharge port on a front surface of the pedestal; a heat dissipation fan installed in the heat dissipation duct below the suction port; and a front plate coupleable to and decoupleable from the front surface of the pedestal.

The heat dissipation duct may be configured in a channel shape with one end closed and another end open, and the heat dissipation fan may be installed adjacent to the one end closed of the heat dissipation duct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a built-in refrigerator having a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating a machine room and a cover of the built-in refrigerator of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view illustrating a lower surface of the built-in refrigerator of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the heat dissipation device f the refrigerator of FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the heat dissipation device of the refrigerator of FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the heat dissipation device of the refrigerator of FIG. 4 taken along line A-A according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view illustrating a pedestal of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating an arrangement relationship of a suction port of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure and a plurality of holes of a machine room of a built-in refrigerator.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a heat dissipation kit of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a heat dissipation kit of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate of a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a front view illustrating a state in which a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is disposed in a refrigerator disposed in a built-in furniture cabinet.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an airflow of the built-in refrigerator 100 and the heat dissipation device of FIG. 16 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an airflow of the built-in refrigerator and the heat dissipation device of FIG. 16 according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a front view illustrating a state in which a heat dissipation device of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is not disposed at the bottom of a refrigerator disposed in a built-in furniture cabinet.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Since the embodiments of the disclosure can apply various transformations and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the scope to the specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiment of the disclosure. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like elements.

In describing the disclosure, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the disclosure, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the following embodiments may be modified in many different forms, and the scope of the technical idea of the disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the spirit of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

Terms used in this disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of rights. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this disclosure, expressions such as “has,” “can have”, “includes,” or “can include” indicate the existence of a corresponding feature (e.g., numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part) and do not preclude the existence of additional features.

In this disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or/and B,” or “one or more of A or/and B” may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A or/and B,” or “one or more of A or/and B” may refer to all cases (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including both at least one A and at least one B.

Expressions such as “first,” “second,” “primary,” or “secondary,” as used in this disclosure may modify various components regardless of order and/or importance, are used only to distinguish one component from other components, and do not limit the corresponding components.

Further, terms such as ‘leading end’, ‘rear end’, ‘upper side’, ‘lower side’, ‘top end’, ‘bottom end’, etc. used in the disclosure are defined with reference to the drawings. However, the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a built-in refrigerator 100 having a heat dissipation device 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating a machine room 120 and a cover of the built-in refrigerator 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view illustrating a lower surface of the built-in refrigerator 100 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may be disposed at the bottom of a built-in refrigerator 100.

The built-in refrigerator 100 may be configured so that it is accommodated in a built-in furniture cabinet.

The refrigerator 100 may be at a certain height from the floor by the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator. The heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator may have a height of a baseboard of a piece of furniture disposed next to the built-in furniture cabinet, for example, a baseboard of a sink.

A plurality of protrusions 101 may be provided on the lower surface of the refrigerator 100. Accordingly, when the refrigerator 100 is installed on the upper surface of the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator, a space S may be formed between the lower surface of the refrigerator 100 and the upper surface of the heat dissipation device 1. For example, the plurality of protrusions 101 may include two adjusting screws installed adjacent to the front side of the refrigerator 100 and two wheels installed adjacent to the rear side of the refrigerator 100.

The refrigerator 100 may include a machine room 120. The machine room 120 may be provided at the lower portion of the rear side of a main body 110 of the refrigerator 100. The machine room 120 may be provided as a concave space inwardly from the rear side of the main body 110 of the refrigerator 100.

An opening 1201 may be provided at the front side of the machine room 120, and the opening 1201 may be covered with a machine room cover 125. The machine room cover 125 may include a plurality of slits 1251. External air may be introduced into or discharged from the machine room 120 through the plurality of slits 1251.

Referring to FIG. 2, a compressor 121, a condenser 122, and a fan 123 may be disposed in the machine room 120.

The compressor 121 may compress a refrigerant to make the refrigerant a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous state. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 121 may exchange heat with the external air while passing through the condenser 122 so as to become a liquid. The fan 123 may be configured to suck the external air into the machine room 120 and make the external air pass through the condenser 122. In other words, the external air may be sucked into the machine room 120, pass through the condenser 122, and then be discharged outside the machine room 120 by the fan 123.

Referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of holes 126 may be provided on the lower surface of the refrigerator 100, that is, the lower surface of the machine room 120. Through the plurality of holes 126, external air may be introduced into the machine room 120, and air passing through the condenser 122 may be discharged outside the machine room 120.

In this embodiment, the plurality of holes 126 formed on the lower surface of the machine room 120 may include a plurality of left holes 1261 and a plurality of right holes 1262. The plurality of left holes 1261 and the plurality of right holes 1262 may be spaced apart from each other by a certain distance. The distance between the plurality of left holes 1261 and the plurality of right holes 1262 may be greater than the length of a portion where the plurality of left holes 1261 are formed or the length of a portion where the plurality of right holes 1262 are formed.

The plurality of left holes 1261 may be provided adjacent to the condenser 122. The plurality of right holes 1262 may be provided adjacent to the compressor 121. The fan 123 may be disposed between the condenser 122 and the compressor 121. When the fan 123 operates, external air may be drawn in the machine room 120 through the plurality of left holes 1261, pass through the condenser 122, and then be discharged toward the compressor 121 by the fan 123.

The heat dissipation device 1 may be configured to support the refrigerator 100, position the refrigerator 100 at a certain height from the floor, and forcibly discharge air from the machine room 120 to the outside.

Hereinafter, the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 11.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator of FIG. 4 taken along line A-A. FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view illustrating a pedestal 10 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 8, the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may include a pedestal 10, a heat dissipation duct 20, and a heat dissipation fan 30.

The pedestal 10 may be disposed at the bottom of the refrigerator 100. The pedestal 10 may be formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The pedestal 10 may be configured to have a shape and area that correspond to a footprint of the refrigerator 100 to be supported.

The pedestal 10 may be formed to have a certain height. The pedestal 10 may be formed to have a height that corresponds to the height of the baseboard of another built-in furniture disposed on one side of the built-in refrigerator 100, for example, the baseboard of a sink.

A suction port 11 may be provided on the upper surface of the pedestal 10. The suction port 11 may be formed to communicate with the heat dissipation duct 20 provided at the lower portion of the pedestal 10. The suction port 11 may be formed to penetrate the pedestal 10 upward and downward.

The pedestal 10 may be configured to support the refrigerator 100 to be disposed on the upper surface thereof. The pedestal 10 may be formed by molding with plastic, resin, or the like.

The pedestal 10 may include a top plate 12 and a support part 13.

The top plate 12 may be formed in an approximately rectangular flat plate shape. The top plate 12 may be formed in a shape and area that approximately correspond to the footprint of the refrigerator 100 to be supported.

The support part 13 may extend downward from the lower surface of the top plate 12. The support part 13 may support the top plate 12 and allow the top plate 12 to be spaced apart from the floor by a certain distance. Therefore, the thickness of the top plate 12 and the height of the support part 13 may form the height of the pedestal 10.

The support part 13 may be formed along the edge of the top plate 12. The support part 13 may be formed in a structure that may support the weight of the refrigerator 100 and reduce the weight of the pedestal 10 itself. For example, the support part 13 may be formed in a grid structure. The plurality of grids forming the support part 13 may be formed with a high density in a portion corresponding to the edge of the top plate 12 and with a low density in a portion corresponding to the center of the top plate 12.

A duct seat 15 in which the heat dissipation duct 20 is installed may be provided in the support part 13. The duct seat 15 may be provided under the top plate 12. The duct seat 15 may be formed as a space in the support part 13. Therefore, the heat dissipation duct 20 may be installed inside the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation duct 20 may not protrude outside the pedestal 10. In other words, the heat dissipation duct 20 may not protrude from the lower surface of the pedestal 10. The lower surface of the heat dissipation duct 20 and the lower surface of the pedestal 10 may form the same plane.

An opening 14 into which the heat dissipation duct 20 is inserted may be provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10. The opening 14 of the pedestal 10 may form an inlet of the duct seat 15.

The suction port 11 may be provided on the top plate 12 of the pedestal 10. The suction port 11 may be formed to communicate with the duct seat 15 on the top plate 12. In other words, the suction port 11 formed on the top plate 12 may be communicated with the duct seat 15 provided below the top plate 12.

The suction port 11 may be provided at a position corresponding to the plurality of holes 126 formed on the lower surface of the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating an arrangement relationship of a suction port 11 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure and a plurality of holes 126 of a machine room 120 of a built-in refrigerator 100.

Referring to FIG. 9, the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10 may be formed adjacent to the plurality of holes 126 provided on the lower surface of the machine room 120. For example, the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10 may be formed to be located below the plurality of right holes 1262 of the machine room 120. The suction port 11 may be formed at a position overlapping some of the plurality of right holes 1262 of the machine room 120.

The heat dissipation duct 20 may be installed inside the pedestal 10. The heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed to connect the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10 and the front surface of the pedestal 10. In other words, an open end 22 of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be located at the discharge port of the pedestal 10. The heat dissipation duct 20 may be detachably installed in the pedestal 10.

In this embodiment, the heat dissipation duct 20 may not be fixed to the pedestal 10. In other words, when the heat dissipation duct 20 is installed in the duct seat 15 of the pedestal 10 disposed on the floor, the heat dissipation duct 20 may be supported by the floor. Therefore, the heat dissipation duct 20 may be inserted into the duct seat 15 through the opening 14 provided in the front surface of the pedestal 10. In addition, the heat dissipation duct 20 may be separated from the duct seat 15 through the opening 14 of the pedestal 10. Therefore, it may be easy to maintain the heat dissipation fan 30 installed inside the heat dissipation duct 20.

As another example, although not illustrated, the heat dissipation duct 20 may be fixed to the pedestal 10 with fastening members such as bolts.

The heat dissipation fan 30 may be installed inside the heat dissipation duct 20. The heat dissipation fan 30 may be installed in the heat dissipation duct 20 below the suction port 11. The heat dissipation fan 30 may be configured to suck in air from the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100 and discharge the air to the heat dissipation duct 20.

The heat dissipation duct 20 and the heat dissipation fan 30 may form a heat dissipation kit 50. In other words, the heat dissipation kit 50 may include the heat dissipation duct 20 and the heat dissipation fan 30 installed inside the heat dissipation duct 20.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a heat dissipation kit 50 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

The heat dissipation kit 50 may be detachably installed on the pedestal 10. In other words, the heat dissipation kit 50 may be detachably installed in the duct seat 15 provided at the bottom of the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed in a channel shape with one end closed and the other end open. For example, the cross-section of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed in a U shape with a flat bottom and a wide width.

One end of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed in a semicircular shape to surround the heat dissipation fan 30. One end of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed in a shape that surrounds half of the suction port 11 around the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10. In other words, one end of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed as a semicircular wall 21.

The width of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be larger than the diameter of the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10 and the diameter of the heat dissipation fan 30. The diameter of the semicircular wall 21 of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be the same as the width of the heat dissipation duct 20.

The other end of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be open to form the discharge port 22 for discharging air emitted by the heat dissipation fan 30 to the outside. The other end of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be formed to have a width wider than the width of the heat dissipation duct 20 so that the discharged air may spread toward the front of the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation duct 20 may include a fan seat 23 in which the heat dissipation fan 30 is installed. The fan seat 23 may be provided adjacent to one end of the heat dissipation duct 20. In other words, the fan seat 23 may be provided adjacent to the semicircular wall 21 of the heat dissipation duct 20. The fan seat 23 may be provided on the lower surface of the heat dissipation duct 20.

The heat dissipation duct 20 may include a plurality of support ribs 25. The plurality of support ribs 25 may be formed to prevent the top plate 12 of the pedestal 10 positioned above the heat dissipation duct 20 from sagging.

The plurality of support ribs 25 may formed in a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the heat dissipation duct 20. The plurality of support ribs 25 may be formed spaced apart from each other at a certain interval in the longitudinal direction of the heat dissipation duct 20. The plurality of support ribs 25 may be installed at the center of the width of the heat dissipation duct 20.

The heat dissipation fan 30 may be configured to suck in air from the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100 and discharge the air into the heat dissipation duct 20. The air discharged by the heat dissipation fan 30 may move along the heat dissipation duct 20 and be discharged toward the front of the pedestal 10. In other words, the heat dissipation fan 30 may be configured to suck in air from the machine room 120 and discharge the air toward the front of the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation fan 30 may include a motor 31 and a plurality of blades 32.

When the motor 31 rotates, the plurality of blades 32 may rotate to suck in air from the machine room 120 and discharge the air into the heat dissipation duct 20. The heat dissipation fan 30 may be implemented as various types of fans. For example, the heat dissipation fan 30 may be implemented as a centrifugal fan.

When the heat dissipation fan 30 is implemented as a centrifugal fan, air in the machine room 120 may be sucked in through the suction port 11 located above the heat dissipation fan 30, and the air in the machine room 120 may be discharged to the outside of the pedestal 10 through a discharge path formed by the heat dissipation duct 20 and the top plate 12 of the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation fan 30 may be installed adjacent to one end of the heat dissipation duct 20. For example, the heat dissipation fan 30 may be disposed in the fan seat 23 provided adjacent to the semicircular wall 21 of the heat dissipation duct 20. The heat dissipation fan 30 may be installed so that the center of the rotation of the heat dissipation fan 30 coincides with the center of the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation kit 50 may include a control part 40 that controls the heat dissipation fan 30. The control part 40 may be configured to turn the heat dissipation fan 30 on/off according to the temperature of the air around the heat dissipation fan 30. The control part 40 may be installed on the outside of the heat dissipation duct 20.

For example, the control part 40 may be installed on one end of the heat dissipation duct 20, that is, on the semicircular wall 21. The control part 40 may include a processor 41, a temperature sensor 42, and a power supply 43. The processor 41, the temperature sensor 42, and the power supply 43 may be accommodated inside a box-shaped control box 44.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a heat dissipation kit 50 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, the heat dissipation kit 50 may include the heat dissipation fan 30 and the control part 40.

The heat dissipation fan 30 may include the motor 31 and the plurality of blades 32. The motor 31 of the heat dissipation fan 30 may be turned on/off by the control part 40.

The control part 40 may be configured to turn the heat dissipation fan 30 on/off according to the temperature of air sucked into the heat dissipation fan 30.

The control part 40 may include the processor 41, the temperature sensor 42, and the power supply 43.

The temperature sensor 42 may be installed to measure the temperature inside the heat dissipation duct 20. The temperature sensor 42 may be configured to measure the temperature of the air inside the heat dissipation duct 20, that is, the temperature of the air around the heat dissipation fan 30, and transmit an electric signal including the measured temperature information, that is, a temperature signal, to the processor 41. The inside of the heat dissipation duct 20 is communicated with the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100 through the suction port 11 of the pedestal 10 and the plurality of holes 126 of the machine room 120, so that when the air temperature of the heat dissipation duct 20 is measured, the air temperature of the machine room 120 may be known.

The temperature sensor 42 may be implemented as a thermistor. However, the temperature sensor 42 may not be limited thereto. Various temperature sensor 42 may be used as long as they can measure the temperature of the air inside the heat dissipation duct 20 and transmit an electric signal including temperature information to the processor 41.

The temperature sensor 42 may be installed at one end of the heat dissipation duct 20 adjacent to the heat dissipation fan 30. For example, the temperature sensor 42 may be installed on the semicircular wall 21 of the heat dissipation duct 20 so as to be exposed to the inside of the heat dissipation duct 20.

The processor 41 may be configured to operate the heat dissipation fan 30 when the temperature of the air in the machine room 120, that is, the temperature of the air inside the heat dissipation duct 20, is higher than a reference temperature, and to not operate the heat dissipation fan 30 when the temperature of the air is lower than the reference temperature. In addition, the processor 41 may be configured so that when the heat dissipation fan 30 operates and the temperature of the machine room 120 decreases, the processor 41 stops the heat dissipation fan 30.

For example, the processor 41 may receive a temperature signal transmitted from the temperature sensor 42 and recognize the temperature of the internal air of the heat dissipation duct 20 from the received temperature signal. When the recognized air temperature of the heat dissipation duct 20 is higher than the reference temperature, the processor 41 may operate the heat dissipation fan 30. When the recognized air temperature of the heat dissipation duct 20 is lower than the reference temperature, the processor 41 may not operate the heat dissipation fan 30. After the operating the heat dissipation fan 30, the processor 41 may recognize the air temperature of the heat dissipation duct 20 using the temperature signal transmitted from the temperature sensor 42. When the air temperature of the heat dissipation duct 20 is lowered below the reference temperature, the processor 41 may stop the heat dissipation fan 30.

The power supply 43 may be configured to supply power to the heat dissipation fan 30 and the processor 41. The power supply 43 may be connected to an external commercial power supply. The power supply 43 may be configured to convert commercial power into a voltage suitable for the heat dissipation fan 30 and the processor 41 and supply it.

The heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may further include a front plate 60. The front plate 60 may be detachably installed on the front surface of the pedestal 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the front plate 60 may be formed to cover the front surface of the pedestal 10. Therefore, the opening 14 formed on the front surface of the pedestal 10 may be covered by the front plate 60. The front plate 60 may be formed to have a height corresponding to the height of the pedestal 10.

The front plate 60 may be formed to discharge air discharged from the discharge port 14 of the heat dissipation duct 20 installed in the pedestal 10 forward.

A pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be provided on both ends of the rear surface of the front plate 60. A pair of coupling grooves 16 into which the pair of coupling protrusions 64 are inserted may be provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10. Accordingly, the front plate 60 may be detachably coupled to the pedestal 10 by the pair of coupling protrusions 64 and the pair of coupling grooves 16.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate 60 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, the front plate 60 according to one embodiment of the disclosure may be formed as a louver. In detail, the front plate 60 may include a pair of vertical bars 61 and a plurality of louver plates 62.

The pair of vertical bars 61 may be installed at both ends of the plurality of louver plates 62. The plurality of louver plates 62 may be installed at regular intervals in the vertical direction along the pair of vertical bars 61. Each of the plurality of louver plates 62 may be formed as a flat plate having a narrow width and a long length. The plurality of louver plates 62 may be installed at an angle with respect to the pair of vertical bars 61. The plurality of louver plates 62 may be installed to be inclined downward so that air discharged from the heat dissipation duct 20 may be discharged toward the floor.

Accordingly, the air discharged from the heat dissipation duct 20 may be discharged to the front of the front plate 60 through a plurality of spaces 63 between the plurality of louver plates 62 of the front plate 60. At this time, because the plurality of louver plates 62 are installed to be inclined downward, the air discharged from the heat dissipation duct 20 may be discharged toward the floor where the pedestal 10 is installed.

A front end of each of the plurality of louver plates 62 may include an extension portion 621 extending vertically toward the floor. Thus, the air that has passed through the plurality of spaces 63 between the plurality of louver plates 62 may be discharged toward the floor adjacent to the front plate 60 by the plurality of extension portions 621.

A pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be provided on the rear surfaces of the pair of vertical bars 61. The pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10. When the pair of coupling protrusions 64 provided on the pair of vertical bars 61 are inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10, the front plate 60 formed as a louver may be installed on the front surface of the pedestal 10.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate 60 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 13, the front plate 60 according to one embodiment of the disclosure may be formed with a plurality of grids 651. For example, the plurality of grids 651 may be formed inside a rectangular frame having a size corresponding to the front surface of the pedestal 10. Thus, a plurality of grid holes 652 may be formed by the plurality of grids 651. The plurality of grid holes 652 may penetrate the front plate 60.

Therefore, the air coming out of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be discharged to the front of the front plate 60 through the plurality of grid holes 652 of the front plate 60.

A pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be provided on both ends of the rear surface of the frame 65. The pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10. When the pair of coupling protrusions 64 provided on the frame 65 are inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10, the front plate 60 formed as the plurality of grids 651 may be installed on the front surface of the pedestal 10.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate 60 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 14, the front plate 60 according to one embodiment of the disclosure may include a plurality of air holes 66 formed in a rectangular flat plate. The plurality of air holes 66 may be formed to penetrate the front plate 60. The plurality of air holes 66 may be formed throughout the front plate 60. Alternatively, the plurality of air holes 66 may be formed in an area corresponding to the opening 14 of the pedestal 10 in which the discharge port 22 of the heat dissipation duct 20 is disposed.

Accordingly, the air coming out of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be discharged to the front of the front plate 60 through the plurality of air holes 66 of the front plate 60.

A pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be provided on both ends of the rear surface of the front plate 60. The pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10. When the pair of coupling protrusions 64 provided on the front plate 60 are inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10, the front plate 60 including the plurality of air holes 66 may be coupled to the front surface of the pedestal 10.

In the above, the front plate 60 is formed as a flat plate including one of the louver, the plurality of grids, and the plurality of air holes that may discharge air coming out of the heat dissipation duct 20 forward. However, the structure of the front plate 60 is not limited thereto. The front plate 60 may be formed in various shapes as long as it can discharge air coming from the heat dissipation duct 20 forward and cover the front surface of the pedestal 10.

As another example, the front plate 60 may be formed as a decorative plate that decorates the front surface of the pedestal 10 without a hole through which air may pass.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a front plate 60 of a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 15, the front plate 60 may be formed as an approximately flat plate. The front plate 60 may not include a hole through which air may pass. In this case, the front plate 60 may have a function of covering the opening 14 formed on the front surface of the pedestal 10. Therefore, the opening 14 of the pedestal 10 may not be exposed to the outside.

A pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be provided on both ends of the rear surface of the front plate 60. The pair of coupling protrusions 64 may be inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10. When the pair of coupling protrusions 64 provided on the front plate 60 are inserted into the pair of coupling grooves 16 provided on the front surface of the pedestal 10, the front plate 60 may be installed on the front surface of the pedestal 10.

The front plate 60 illustrated in FIG. 15 may be used when the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure does not perform the heat dissipation function.

For example, when the refrigerator 100 is not installed as built-in, or when there is a sufficient space between the refrigerator 100 and the built-in furniture cabinet, the temperature of the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100 may not rise above the reference temperature. In this case, the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may not perform the heat dissipation function. Therefore, the heat dissipation kit 50 may be removed from the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator, and only the height of the refrigerator 100 may be increased by using the pedestal 10. In this case, for the aesthetics of the pedestal 10, the front plate 60 of FIG. 15 without air holes may be installed on the front surface of the pedestal 10.

Various color sheets may be attached to the front surface of the front plate 60 illustrated in FIG. 15. In other words, a color sheet corresponding to the color of the baseboard of the furniture, for example, the baseboard of a sink, around where the refrigerator 100 is disposed, may be attached to the front surface of the front plate 60.

Hereinafter, the operation of the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18.

FIG. 16 is a front view illustrating a state in which a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is disposed in a refrigerator 100 disposed in a built-in furniture cabinet 200. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an airflow of the built-in refrigerator 100 and the heat dissipation device of FIG. 16. FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an airflow of the built-in refrigerator 100 and the heat dissipation device of FIG. 16.

Referring to FIG. 16, the refrigerator 100 may be installed in a built-in furniture cabinet 200. The heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may be installed at the bottom of the refrigerator 100.

Because the gap between the refrigerator 100 and the built-in furniture cabinet 200 is narrow, when the fan 123 of the machine room 120 operates, the external air may be hardly sucked into the machine room 120 through the gap between the refrigerator 100 and the built-in furniture cabinet 200.

The heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure, which is installed at the bottom of the refrigerator 100, may operate the heat dissipation fan 30 when the temperature of the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100 rises to the reference temperature or more.

In detail, when the fan 123 of the machine room 120 operates, as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, external air may be introduced into the machine room 120 through the plurality of left holes 1261 and the space between the lower surface of the refrigerator 100 and the upper surface of the pedestal 10 (see arrow F1).

When the fan 123 of the machine room 120 operates, a portion of the air in the machine room 120 may be discharged through the plurality of right holes 1262 provided on the lower surface of the machine room 120. At this time, the temperature sensor 42 of the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is installed adjacent to the plurality of right holes 1262 at the lower surface of the machine room 120, so that the temperature sensor 42 may measure the temperature of the internal air of the machine room 120.

The temperature sensor 42 may transmit a temperature signal including temperature information to the processor 41 of the control part 40 of the heat dissipation kit 50.

The processor 41 may recognize the temperature of the internal air of the machine room 120 from the temperature signal transmitted from the temperature sensor 42. When the temperature of the internal air of the machine room 120 is higher than the reference temperature, the processor 41 may operate the heat dissipation fan 30.

When the heat dissipation fan 30 operates, the air inside the machine room 120 may be sucked into the heat dissipation fan 30 through the plurality of right holes 1262 on the lower surface of the machine room 120 and the suction port 11 provided on the upper surface of the pedestal 10.

The heat dissipation fan 30 may discharge the sucked air into the heat dissipation duct 20. Then, the air inside the machine room 120 may move along the heat dissipation duct 20 and be discharged to the front of the front plate 60 as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18 (see arrow F2).

Because the front plate 60 is formed with louvers, the air coming out of the heat dissipation duct 20 may be discharged toward the floor where the pedestal 10 is installed through the spaces 63 between the plurality of louver plates 62.

When the heat dissipation fan 30 operates, the temperature of the machine room 120 may be lowered. When the air temperature of the machine room 120 measured by the temperature sensor 42 is lowered below the reference temperature, the processor 41 may stop the heat dissipation fan 30.

As described above, the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may be configured so that the heat dissipation fan 30 operates or stops depending on the internal temperature of the machine room 120. Therefore, the power consumption required for the operation of the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator may be minimized.

When the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure having the structure as described above is used, the temperature of the machine room 120 may be lowered, so that the power consumption of the refrigerator 100 may be reduced.

The inventors conducted an experiment to check the reduction in power consumption by the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

In detail, the power consumption of the refrigerator 100 in the case where the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is installed at the bottom of the refrigerator 100 installed in the built-in furniture cabinet 200 as illustrated in FIG. 16 was compared with the power consumption of the refrigerator 100 that did not use the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure as illustrated in FIG. 19.

FIG. 19 is a front view illustrating a state in which a heat dissipation device 1 of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is not disposed at the bottom of a refrigerator 100 disposed in a built-in furniture cabinet 200.

In FIG. 19, the left surface, right surface, and upper surface of the refrigerator 100 are adjacent to the left surface, right surface, and upper surface of the built-in furniture cabinet 200, so that when the fan 123 of the machine room 120 operates, air may hardly flow into the gap between the refrigerator 100 and the built-in furniture cabinet 200. When the fan 123 of the machine room 120 operates, air may flow into the gap between the lower surface of the refrigerator 100 and the floor 400.

In this case, the temperature of the storage room of the refrigerator 100 of FIG. 16 was maintained the same as the temperature of the storage room of the refrigerator 100 of FIG. 19. For example, the temperature of the storage room of the refrigerator 100 was maintained at −20° C.

In this state, the refrigerator 100 of FIG. 16 and the refrigerator 100 of FIG. 19 were operated for one month, and their monthly power consumptions were measured. The results are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1
	No heat	With heat
	dissipation	dissipation
Installation conditions	device (FIG. 19)	device (FIG. 16)

Storage room temperature (° C.)	−20.0	−20.0
Machine room maximum	66.0	59.3
temperature (° C.)
Monthly power consumption	50.0	45.3
(KWh/month)
Power consumption reduction	—	−4.7(9.4%)
amount

Referring to Table 1, while the refrigerator 100 having the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure illustrated in FIG. 16 was operating, the maximum temperature of the machine room 120 was 59.3° C., and the monthly power consumption was 45.3 KWh. Meanwhile, while the refrigerator 100 not having the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure illustrated in FIG. 19 was operating, the maximum temperature of the machine room 120 was 66.0° C., and the monthly power consumption was 50.0 KWh. Therefore, it can be seen that using the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure reduces the monthly power consumption of the refrigerator 100 by 4.7 KWh. That is, using the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may reduce the monthly power consumption of the refrigerator 100 by about 9.4%.

As described above, when the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is used, the temperature of the machine room 120 of the built-in refrigerator 100 may be lowered, thereby reducing the power consumption of the refrigerator 100. Accordingly, the energy efficiency of the refrigerator 100 may be increased.

In addition, when the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure is used, the temperature of the machine room 120 of the built-in refrigerator 100 may be lowered, thereby preventing the machine room 120 of the refrigerator 100 from being heated and causing a fire.

In addition, in the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure, the front plate 60 and the heat dissipation kit 50 may be separated from the pedestal 10 while the pedestal 10 is installed at the bottom of the refrigerator 100. Accordingly, the maintenance of the heat dissipation fan 30 and the control part 40 installed in the heat dissipation kit 50 may be easy.

In addition, the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure may match the bottom part of the refrigerator 100 with the baseboard 301 of the surrounding furniture 300, so that the refrigerator 100 may be harmonized with the interior of the room.

In addition, because the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the disclosure includes a detachable heat dissipation kit 50, when the heat dissipation of the refrigerator 100 is not required, the heat dissipation device 1 of the refrigerator may be used for interior purposes by matching the installation height of the refrigerator 100 with the height of the baseboard 301 of the surrounding furniture 300.

In the foregoing, the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.