| CPC F25D 17/08 (2013.01) [F25D 17/067 (2013.01); F25D 2317/0671 (2013.01); F25D 2323/0024 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage compartment;
an evaporator located inside the cabinet;
a first duct assembly located at a front of the evaporator, the first duct assembly comprising a blower fan configured to generate a flow of cold air passing through the evaporator; and
a second duct assembly coupled to an upper side of the first duct assembly and configured to guide the cold air received from the first duct assembly to the storage compartment,
wherein the first duct assembly comprises a plurality of flow guides that are disposed inside the first duct assembly, the plurality of flow guides defining:
a circumferential flow path that accommodates at least a portion of the blower fan and is configured to guide the cold air in a circumferential direction of the blower fan,
an upper flow path configured to guide the cold air from the circumferential flow path to the second duct assembly,
a lower flow path configured to guide the cold air supplied from the circumferential flow path to a lower end of the first duct assembly,
a first discharge part defined within the circumferential flow path and configured to discharge the cold air into the storage compartment,
a second discharge part defined at a lower end of the lower flow path and configured to discharge the cold air guided along the lower flow path into the storage compartment,
a third discharge part defined within the lower flow path, the third discharge part being defined between the first discharge part and the second discharge part and configured to discharge a portion of the cold air guided along the lower flow path into the storage compartment, and
a drain hole defined at a lower portion of the circumferential flow path, the drain hole being defined between a lower circumference of the blower fan and the third discharge part to thereby to provide water from the circumferential flow path to the lower flow path, wherein a width of the lower flow path is greater than a width of the drain hole, wherein the width of the drain hole is less than a width of the third discharge part,
wherein the plurality of flow guides comprise:
a first flow guide that surrounds the lower circumference of the blower fan and defines the circumferential flow path,
a second flow guide that extends to an upper side of the first flow guide and defines the upper flow path, and
a third flow guide that extends from a lower end of the first flow guide and defines the lower flow path,
wherein a lower portion of the first flow guide extends inward toward a vertical reference line passing through a center of the blower fan along the circumferential direction of the blower fan, the lower portion of the first flow guide defining the lower end of the first flow guide that is connected to an upper end of the third flow guide, and
wherein an upper portion of the third flow guide extends downward from the upper end of the third flow guide and is curved outward away from the vertical reference line of the blower fan to thereby define the drain hole between the first flow guide and the third flow guide.
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