US 12,247,775 B2
Refrigerator
Seokhyun Kim, Seoul (KR); Sangoh Kim, Seoul (KR); and Junseong Jeong, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/600,266
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Apr. 1, 2020, PCT No. PCT/KR2020/004448
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 30, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/204595, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 8, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0037970 (KR), filed on Apr. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0163251 A1, May 26, 2022
Int. Cl. F25D 21/02 (2006.01); F25D 21/08 (2006.01); F25D 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 21/02 (2013.01) [F25D 21/08 (2013.01); F25D 29/00 (2013.01); F25D 2600/02 (2013.01); F25D 2600/06 (2013.01); F25D 2700/10 (2013.01); F25D 2700/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant;
an evaporator configured to perform heat exchange using the refrigerant compressed by the compressor;
an radio frequency (RF) output device spaced apart from a part area of the evaporator, and configured to output an RF signal to the evaporator for removing frost on the evaporator; and
a controller configured to control the RF output device,
wherein the controller is configured to:
based on the RF signal, control the frost to phase change into a liquid by heat radiated from a plurality of metal fins of the evaporator; and
after the phase change, control temperature of the phase changed liquid to increase by a water molecule movement based on the RF signal,
wherein the RF output device comprises a first plate and a second plate, and the evaporator is positioned between the first plate and the second plate,
wherein a height of the first plate or a height of the second plate is less than a height of the evaporator, and
wherein the first plate or the second plate is positioned at an area corresponding to a lower portion of the evaporator.