US 12,298,055 B2
Refrigerator
Kyungroc Moon, Seoul (KR); Jaekeun Lee, Seoul (KR); Youngmin Park, Gyeongsangnam-do (KR); and Jongpil Park, Busan (KR)
Assigned to LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/914,524
Filed by LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Mar. 26, 2021, PCT No. PCT/KR2021/003797
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 26, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/194313, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0037855 (KR), filed on Mar. 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0145778 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. F25D 21/14 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 21/14 (2013.01) [F25D 2321/1412 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines (i) a storage space, (ii) a heat exchange space that accommodates an evaporator, and (iii) a machine room that accommodates a compressor and a condenser;
a grill pan assembly that is provided in the cabinet and that separates the storage space and the heat exchange space from each other; and
an air suction passage configured to fluidly connect the heat exchange space with the machine room,
wherein the grill pan assembly includes:
a case that is in fluid communication with the heat exchange space,
a fan provided in the case,
a grill pan provided on a front surface of the case, the grill pan having a cold air discharge port and a cold air suction port,
an exhaust passage configured to fluidly connect the case with the machine room,
an exhaust damper provided in the case and configured to open and close the exhaust passage, and
a partition provided in an inside of the case,
wherein the partition partitions the inside of the case into (i) a first space that defines a first flow path configured to carry air circulating between the heat exchange space and the storage space and (ii) a second space that defines a second flow path configured to heat air circulating between the machine room and the heat exchange space,
wherein the case includes:
a case plate that defines a rear surface of the case,
a case flange that extends forward from the case plate and that is disposed along a circumference of the case plate, and
a flow path forming portion that is spaced apart from the case flange, that protrudes forward from the case plate, and that is covered by the partition, and
wherein a protrusion height of the flow path forming portion from the case plate is less than a protrusion height of the case flange from the case plate.