SUPERCOOLING REFRIGERATOR

Abstract

Disclosed is a supercooling refrigerator including: a main body having a refrigerating chamber for housing and holding stores including containers with a beverage filled therein in a supercooled state; a door for opening/closing an opened front or the refrigerating chamber; at least one shelf arranged in the refrigerating chamber in multiple stages with spaces therebetween for placing the stores thereon; a supply duct mounted in the refrigerating chamber in a vertical direction for circulating air in the refrigerating chamber; air holes formed in the supply duct; a heat exchanger arranged in the supply duct for cooling the air from the refrigerating chamber; a cooling unit connected to the heat exchanger for circulating refrigerant through the heat exchanger; and a mixing unit for introducing the air from the refrigerating chamber to the supply duct and continuously circulating the air to the refrigerating chamber through the heat exchanger, thereby permitting down-sizing of the refrigerator and supercooling beverages having different supercooling temperatures from one another at the same time.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0093789 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jul. 24, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] (a) Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a refrigerator for supercooling food and drinks including beverages such as juice and alcohol.

[0004] (b) Description of the Related Art

[0005] As shown in patent documents 1-3, it is known that a beverage may be frozen into a sherbet state instantly by applying an impact to a super-cooled beverage left in a liquid state below a freezing point. Patent document 3 discloses that, if the beverage in a plurality of containers is super-cooled with the refrigerator, the container is drawn out of the refrigerator and the beverage is poured in a cup or the like, the beverage is instantly frozen into the sherbet state.

[0006] [Patent Document 1]: Japanese Laid Open Patent No. 2002-22333 Publication (Paragraph No. 0028-0029)

[0007] [Patent Document 2]: Japanese Laid Open Patent No. 2001-325656 Publication (Paragraph No. 0019-0020)

[0008] [Patent Document 3]: Japanese Laid Open Patent No. H10-9739 Publication (Paragraph No. 0017, FIG. 1)

[0009] There is a limit in a temperature range in which the supercooled beverage is left in a liquid state (as an example, for an alcoholic beverage it is -15° C.˜-12° C.). If the beverage has a temperature thereof dropped below the limit described above, the beverage becomes frozen in the refrigerator. Therefore, in order to have appropriate supercooling of all beverages filled in a plurality of containers, it is required that an inside temperature of the refrigerator is made to be uniform within the limited temperature range. Further, the supercooled beverage is susceptible to a temperature change to fail the sherbet state freezing when the beverage is poured in the cup or the like, even if the temperature is elevated only a few degrees. Therefore, it is required to stabilize the temperature by suppressing a temperature change in the refrigerator. In this point of view, patent document 3 fails to disclose a detailed structure for making the temperature in the refrigerator uniform and stable.

[0010] On this point, the applicant of the present invention has achieved an effect on making stable and effective supercooling in Korea Registered Patent No. 10-1205822 (Title of the invention: Refrigerator) previously filed and registered.

[0011] The applicant of the present invention has continued with research and development on the related art refrigerator in an attempt to develop a refrigerator that is further advanced and which may simplify a structure of the refrigerator to down-size the same and may supercool different products having different supercooling temperatures from one another.

[0012] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a supercooling refrigerator having advantages of down-sizing a related art refrigerator and supercooling beverages having different supercooling temperatures from one another.

[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide a supercooling refrigerator by improving a related art refrigerator, enabling down-sizing of the same.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple level supercooling refrigerator for supercooling beverages having supercooling temperatures different from one another.

[0016] To achieve the objects of the present invention, a supercooling refrigerator may include: a main body having a refrigerating chamber for housing and holding stores including containers with a beverage filled therein in a supercooled state; a door for opening/closing an opened front or the refrigerating chamber; at least one shelf arranged in the refrigerating chamber in multiple stages with spaces therebetween for placing the stores thereon; a supply duct mounted in the refrigerating chamber in a vertical direction for circulating air in the refrigerating chamber; air holes formed in the supply duct; a heat exchanger arranged in the supply duct for cooling the air from the refrigerating chamber; a cooling unit connected to the heat exchanger for circulating refrigerant through the heat exchanger; and a mixing unit for introducing the air from the refrigerating chamber to the supply duct and continuously circulating the air to the refrigerating chamber through the heat exchanger.

[0017] The main body may have a separator formed therein in a horizontal direction to form at least two refrigerating chambers in the main body separated from each other, the door may be mounted to each of the opened front sides of the refrigerating chambers to individually open/close the refrigerating chambers, and each of the refrigerating chambers may have the supply duct, the heat exchanger, and the mixing unit provided thereto to be operated.

[0018] The refrigerating chambers in the main body may have different supercooling temperature ranges of the stores from one another.

[0019] The cooling unit may include a compressor connected to the heat exchanger for compressing a refrigerant, and a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant and forwarding the condensed refrigerant to the heat exchanger, wherein the cooling unit may be provided in a plural number thereof that is matched to a number of the refrigerating chambers and arranged on a lower side of the refrigerating chamber.

[0020] The supply duct may have an inlet formed between an upper side thereof and the main body, and the mixing unit may include at least one fan or blower mounted to the inlet to the supply duct for drawing the air from the refrigerating chamber into the inlet to the supply duct and circulating the air to the refrigerating chamber through air holes by driving the fan or blower.

[0021] The supply duct may be mounted connected between a top and a bottom of the main body, and the mixing unit may include at least one fan or blower arranged over the heat exchanger in the supply duct for circulating the air from the refrigerating chamber through the air holes in the supply duct by the fan or blower.

[0022] The supply duct may be mounted to be connected between a top and a bottom of a main body, with a partition wall formed therein for partitioning a heat exchanging area and an air hole area to partition the supply duct into a heat exchanger passage and an air hole passage, with the heat exchanger passage having an inlet connected to an introduction hole formed in the supply duct and an outlet connected to the air hole passage through the partition wall, wherein the mixing unit may include at least one fan or blower mounted to the outlet of the partition wall or the heat exchanger passage for circulating the air from the refrigerating chamber to the supply duct through the air holes formed in the supply duct.

[0023] The supercooling refrigerator may further include a temperature sensor mounted to the supply duct for detecting a temperature of the refrigerating chamber, and a controller for calculating a detected value of the temperature sensor and controlling the cooling unit and the mixing unit to make the temperature of the refrigerating chamber be within a predetermined temperature range.

[0024] The air holes may be formed in a front side of the supply duct distributed thereon at a position matched to an upper space of each of the shelves.

[0025] The air holes may have a number or a size thereof that is increased as a formed position of the hole goes from the lower side to the upper side of the refrigerating chamber the more.

[0026] The supply duct may be mounted at at least one side of an inner side or to opposite side of the refrigerating chamber.

[0027] The main body may have two refrigerating chambers provided therein in the vertical direction, wherein the temperature of one refrigerating chamber is controlled to be in a range of 0° C.˜-10° C., and the temperature of the other refrigerating chamber is controlled to be in a range of -10° C.˜-20° C. Thus, according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the arrangement of the heat exchanger in the supply duct for forming the cold air permits down-sizing of the refrigerator enabling maximal enlargement of the refrigerating chamber.

[0028] Therefore, spatial utilization of the refrigerating chamber may be enhanced, and even if the refrigerating chamber has two or more levels, there will be less inconvenience of use owing to a lower height of the refrigerator.

[0029] Moreover, the multiple levels of the refrigerating chambers with individual operation of the multiple refrigerating chambers permit supercooling of various products having different supercooling temperatures from one another and serving the products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a partial front view of a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a plan view of an air curtain unit in a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a plan view of a cooling unit in a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a control system for controlling a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0037] Technical terms used hereafter are only for describing a particular embodiment, and are not intended to limit the present invention. A singular expression in this specification includes a plural expression as long as the singular expression is not obviously singular in view of a context of a passage. The word of "include" used in this specification specifies particular characteristics, regions, integers, steps, actions, elements, and/or components, but does not exclude existence or addition of other particular characteristics, regions, integers, steps, actions, elements, components, and/or groups.

[0038] Hereafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings such that a person skilled in this field of art may easily carry out the present invention. As a person skilled in this field of art may easily carry out the present invention, the preferred embodiment described hereafter may be varied and modified within aspects and the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, as those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

[0039] FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Hereinafter, the first preferred embodiment will be described taking a supercooling refrigerator 100 applicable to beverages, such as juice and alcoholic drinks, as an example. However, the supercooling refrigerator 100 is not limited thereto, and is applicable not only to the beverages, but also to agricultural and marine products, such as fish, meat, vegetable, and fruit, and all other food and drinks, such as fried dishes.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the supercooling refrigerator 100 in accordance with the present exemplary embodiment includes a main body 10 having a refrigerating chamber 12 for housing and holding containers P with a beverage filled therein in a supercooled state, a door 14 mounted to an opened front of the main body 10 for opening/closing the opened front, a plurality of shelves 16 arranged in the refrigerating chamber 12 in multiple stages with spaces therebetween for placing the containers thereon, a supply duct 20 mounted in the refrigerating chamber 12 in a vertical direction for circulating air in the refrigerating chamber 12, air holes 22 formed in the supply duct 20, a heat exchanger 23 arranged in the supply duct 20 in a vertical direction for cooling the air in the refrigerating chamber 12, a cooling unit 28 connected to the heat exchanger 23 for circulating refrigerant through the heat exchanger 23, and a mixing unit for introducing the air from the refrigerating chamber 12 to the supply duct 20 and continuously circulating the air to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the heat exchanger 23.

[0042] The main body 10 is a hexahedral heat insulated structure having an opened front side and the other closed sides. The main body 10 has the front side with the door 14 rotatably mounted thereto for opening/closing the opened front. The door 14 is constructed of a heat insulated structure, and may have a window made of a transparent material added to a front side thereof for looking inside.

[0043] The main body 10 has an inside which construes the refrigerating chamber 12 which is a space for holding the container P therein. In the refrigerating chamber 12 in the main body 10, there are a plurality of horizontal shelves 16 arranged in the vertical direction with spaces therebetween for placing the containers thereon. In this case, the vertical direction is a direction vertical from a floor when the refrigerator 100 is installed on the floor.

[0044] The refrigerator in accordance with the first preferred embodiment has a separator 30 formed in the main body 10 in a horizontal direction to form two refrigerating chambers 12 in the main body separated in the vertical direction. The upper and lower refrigerating chambers 12 are completely separated by the separator 30 from each other to form individual spaces. The separator 30 may be formed as one unit with the main body.

[0045] There are two doors mounted to the opened front sides of the refrigerating chambers 12 for opening/closing the refrigerating chambers 12, respectively. Each of the refrigerating chambers 12 has the supply duct 20, the heat exchanger 23, and the mixing unit provided thereto to be individually operated. The refrigerator may have one separator 30 provided thereto to form two stories of the refrigerating chambers 12 in the vertical direction, or a plurality of separators provided thereto in addition to the two refrigerating chambers 12 to form three or more refrigerating chambers.

[0046] In this case, the refrigerator 100 in accordance with the first preferred embodiment has a structure in which temperatures of the refrigerating chambers 12, i.e., supercooling temperature ranges of goods in the refrigerating chambers 12, are different from one another.

[0047] Of the beverages, the alcoholic beverages, such as beer and soju, have a freezing point of about -10° C.˜-18° C., and other beverages such as juice and so on have a freezing point of about -8° C.˜0° C.

[0048] Therefore, of the two refrigerating chambers provided in the vertical direction in the main body, the refrigerator in accordance with the first preferred embodiment may have the temperature of one refrigerating chamber controlled to be in a range of 0° C.˜-10° C., and the temperature of the other refrigerating chamber controlled to be in a range of -10° C.˜-20° C.

[0049] Thus, by controlling the supercooling temperatures of the refrigerating chambers 12 to be different from each other, the alcoholic beverages and the juice beverages having the different supercooling temperatures separately stored in the refrigerating chambers 12 may be supercooled at the same time. Therefore, by supercooling containers of different beverages in one refrigerator 100 at the same time, different supercooled beverages may be served at the same time.

[0050] Since the two refrigerating chambers 12 provided in the main body 10 have structures that are identical in the first preferred embodiment, description of the refrigerating chambers 12 will be made hereafter with reference to the refrigerating chamber 12 arranged on an upper side while description of the refrigerating chamber 12 on a lower side is omitted.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of different containers P, such as PET bottles, cans, paper packs, and bottles containing a beverage, such as an alcoholic drink, are placed on the shelves 16 provided in the refrigerating chamber 12. The containers P are placed in the refrigerating chamber 12 arranged in a front/rear direction and a left/right direction with respect to the shelves 16. The containers P are stored at a temperature below the freezing point of the beverage in the supercooled state in which the beverage is maintained in an unfrozen state in the refrigerating chamber 12. In this case, if the container P is taken out of the refrigerator and has vibration applied thereto, or if the beverage therein is poured in a cup or the like, the beverage is instantly frozen into a sherbet state.

[0052] The shelf 16 has a flat plate structure. The shelf 16 has a surface with a plurality of guide rails 13 formed thereon for flow of cold air. The guide rails 13 spaced apart from one another are protruded upward, and a groove between adjacent guide rails 13 functions as a passage for flow of the cold air. Accordingly, when the container is placed on the shelf, the container is placed on the guide rails 13 protruded upward from the shelf 16, allowing the groove between the guide rails to maintain the passage. With this, the cold air in the refrigerating chamber 12 flows through the passage between the guide rails smoothly, to quickly and uniformly cool the containers placed on the shelf.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, one pair of shelf columns 18 are mounted on opposite left/right sides inside the refrigerating chamber 12 in a front/rear direction with a space therebetween. Each of the shelf columns 18 has an inside surface facing the refrigerating chamber 12 with a plurality of mounting holes 15 formed therein in the vertical direction for mounting a shelf support member 17 thereto. Each of the shelf support members 17 is supported on the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12 by the shelf columns 18. Each of the shelves 16 is supported on the shelf support members 17 mounted on the shelf columns 18.

[0054] In this case, the container P is in the supercooled state on the shelf, and has the beverage therein that is frozen upon application of an external impact thereto. In the first preferred embodiment, since the shelf support member 17 is mounted to the columns 18 provided to the main body, the shelf support member 17 enables a secure supporting force to support the shelf. The columns 18 are mounted at respective corners of the main body having a rectangular structure. The shelf support members 17 which support the shelf are mounted to the columns 18 for supporting the shelf more securely. Therefore, shaking of the shelf may be minimized. There is a vibration damping member 19 additionally mounted on the shelf support member 17 for damping an impact between the shelf support member 17 and the shelf. The vibration damping member 19 may be formed of, for an example, an impact preventive material, such as rubber, silicone, and a gel.

[0055] The shelf 16 has edges thereof placed on the vibration preventive member 19. With this, the shelf 16 is seated on the shelf support member 17 with the vibration preventive member 19 interposed therebetween, for suppressing transmission of vibration from the main body 10 of the refrigerating chamber to the container P through the shelf support member 17 and the shelf 16.

[0056] The shelf support member 17 is made to be detachable from the columns 18 of the refrigerating chamber 12 for adjusting a position of the shelf support member 17 in the vertical direction of the refrigerating chamber 12 as required. Therefore, a space or a position of the shelf 16 may be appropriately adjusted according to a size of the container P or the like. For this, the column 18 has the mounting holes 15 formed therein with spaces therebetween in the vertical direction for inserting the shelf support member 17 therein. Therefore, by inserting the shelf support member 17 in one side mounting hole 15 in the vertical direction of the column 18, the shelf may be secured to a desired position by moving a position of the shelf support member 17.

[0057] The container P containing the beverage is stored in the supercooled state in which the beverage is maintained in an unfrozen state at a temperature below the freezing point of the beverage within the refrigerating chamber 12. An inside temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 is appropriately controlled and maintained in a range of about 0° C.˜-20° C. to meet a supercooling condition of the beverage placed thereon.

[0058] For reducing the inside temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 to meet the supercooling condition, the heat exchanger 23, the supply duct 20, and the mixing unit are provided in the refrigerating chamber 12. The heat exchanger 23 is connected to the cooling unit 28 arranged on a lower side of the main body for having the refrigerant supplied thereto.

[0059] The supply duct 20 supplies and circulates the cold air that is cooled as the air passes through the heat exchanger 23 through the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12. The supply duct 20 has a front side with a plurality of air holes 22 formed therein to be in communication with the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the first preferred embodiment, the supply duct 20 is mounted to an inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12 in a vertical direction. A mounting position of the supply duct 20 is not limited to the inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12, and may be positioned on opposite sides facing each other.

[0061] The supply duct 20 has a front side, i.e., a side facing the refrigerating chamber 12, with a plurality of air holes 22 arranged in the vertical direction of the supply duct to make the refrigerating chamber 12 and the supply duct 20 be in communication.

[0062] The supply duct 20 has an opened top side to form an inlet for introducing the air from the refrigerating chamber 12 thereto, and the air holes 22 formed in the front side construe an outlet.

[0063] The mixing unit includes a fan or a blower 35 mounted to the top side inlet of the supply duct 20. Therefore, the air is drawn into the supply duct 20 from the refrigerating chamber 12 by the fan or blower 35, and is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 12 again through the air holes 22 formed in the front side of the supply duct 20, to continuously circulate the air within the refrigerating chamber. That is, a continuous air flow is formed within the refrigerating chamber by the supply duct 20 and the mixing unit.

[0064] In the first preferred embodiment, the supply duct 20 has the heat exchanger 23 mounted therein for cooling the air from the refrigerating chamber 12. Therefore, the air introduced to the supply duct 20 through the inlet from the refrigerating chamber 12 is cooled as the air passes through the heat exchanger 23 and is discharged as cold air through the air holes 22 which are outlets.

[0065] Thus, by arranging the heat exchanger 23 in the supply duct 20, the space of the refrigerating chamber 12 may be enlarged as much as possible. Particularly, in comparison to a structure in which the related art heat exchanger is arranged on a top side or a bottom side of the refrigerating chamber, the refrigerating chamber 12 may have a space thereof that is enlarged upward or downward. Therefore, as previously described, even if the refrigerator 100 has two or more stories of the refrigerating chambers 12, a total height of the refrigerator may be reduced. Therefore, fabrication of a refrigerator having multiple-level refrigerating chambers 12 is possible, and since a height of the refrigerator is low, even a top refrigerating chamber 12 may be used more conveniently.

[0066] The heat exchanger 23 in the supply duct 20 cools surrounding air with a cooling action in which latent heat is absorbed from the surrounding air while evaporating a refrigerant. The heat exchanger 23 is mounted, as an example, on a wall of the main body within the supply duct 20 spaced by a predetermined distance from the inside of the supply duct 20 to form a gap therebetween. While the air moves through the gap between the heat exchanger 23 and the inside of the supply duct 20, the air heat exchanges with the heat exchanger 23.

[0067] The air is drawn from the refrigerating chamber 12 by the fan or blower 35 mounted to the inlet of the supply duct 20, cooled at the heat exchanger 23, and supplied through the air holes 22 in the supply duct 20 to circulate through the refrigerating chamber 12. Accordingly, the heat exchanger 23 may be a heat absorbing unit of the cooling unit 28.

[0068] The heat exchanger 23 is connected to the cooling unit 28 arranged on a lower side of the refrigerator main body 10. The cooling unit 28 has a compressor 24, a condenser 25, and an expansion valve, and is housed in a machinery compartment arranged at the lower side of the main body. As shown in FIG. 4, the machinery compartment may have a plurality of the cooling units 28 provided thereto matched to a number of the refrigerating chambers 12 in the main body. For an example, as described above, if two refrigerating chambers 12 are provided, the machinery compartment may have two cooling units 28 connected to the heat exchangers 23 in the refrigerating chambers 12, respectively. The first preferred embodiment suggests cooling of each of the refrigerating chambers 12 with each of the cooling units 28 individually.

[0069] The supply duct 20 has the top side inlet formed to be sloped downward toward a front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 where the door 14 is. The fan or the blower 35 is mounted to the inlet to the supply duct 20. The blower 35 has a lengthy cylindrical fan provided thereto, one side thereof has a suction opening formed thereon, and the other side thereof has a discharge opening formed thereon.

[0070] The blower 35 is arranged such that the suction opening faces an inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12, and the discharge opening faces an inner side of the supply duct 20. The blower 35 draws the air from the refrigerating chamber 12 into the supply duct 20.

[0071] The air drawn into the supply duct 20 thus is mixed with cold air cooled by the heat exchanger 23 within the supply duct 20, and is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air holes 22 in the supply duct 20. The mixed cold air supplied to the refrigerating chamber rises within the refrigerating chamber 12, is drawn into the supply duct through the inlet, and is cooled again. Therefore, the cold air in the refrigerating chamber 12 consistently circulates in one direction to cool the beverage. Such uniform cold air circulation maintains a temperature difference between an upper side and a lower side of the refrigerating chamber to be below 1° C. Eventually, since the refrigerating chamber 12 has a very uniform temperature maintained by the circulating cold air, the beverage placed therein may maintain the supercooled state.

[0072] In the first preferred embodiment, as the blower 35 is used as an element which draws the air through the inlet to the supply duct 20, preventing inside/outside air from mixing, and making the air flow in one direction, accurate and consistent control and maintenance is made possible. Moreover, an air blowing area may be increased, an air flow rate may be increased or decreased easily by controlling a speed of the blower 35 enabling precise control of the flow rate, and noise caused by air suction may be reduced.

[0073] The air introduced to the supply duct 20 is cooled down and discharged to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air holes 22 formed in the front side of the supply duct 20. The air holes 22 are formed at a position that is matched to an upper space of each of the shelves 16 arranged in the vertical direction. That is, the air holes 22 are formed to an upper side such that the air holes 22 face an upper side of the container when the container is placed on the shelf 16.

[0074] The air holes 22 may be formed to be distributed uniformly between width direction opposite sides of the refrigerating chamber 12. Further, the air holes 22 arranged matched to the shelves at respective vertical direction stages have a number of holes or diameters formed to be the smaller as the holes are positioned more to the upper side. Therefore, the air may flow at a substantially uniform rate between the supply duct 20 and the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air holes 22 formed matched to the shelves 16 in the vertical direction of the refrigerating chamber 12. In some cases, such as when a cross-sectional area of a passage of the supply duct 22 is small, the air holes 22 may be set such that a number thereof facing the upper side of the space of the shelf becomes smaller as the shelf is positioned more to a lower side.

[0075] The refrigerator in accordance with the first preferred embodiment has a controller 42 (see FIG. 5) for controlling operation of the blower 35 to control the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12. In order to detect the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12, a temperature sensor 41 is mounted to one side of the supply duct 20.

[0076] The temperature sensor 41 may be mounted at a position matched to each of the shelves 16. The controller 42 drives the compressor 24 according to a result of detection of the temperature sensor 41, to form the cold air with the heat exchanger 23, or controls the air flow rate of the blower 35 for controlling the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0077] At a side of the door 14 of the main body 10, there is a door sensor (see 44 in FIG. 5) mounted thereto for opening/closing the door 14. The controller 42 may turn off operation of the cooling unit or the mixing unit when the door 14 is opened depending on an output value of the door sensor 44. That is, when the door 14 is opened, the controller 42 forcibly turns off operation of the blower 35 and the compressor 24 and suppresses a rise of the temperature in the refrigerator depending on an output signal from the door sensor 44.

[0078] When the door 14 is closed, the controller 42 re-starts operation of the blower 35 and the compressor 24.

[0079] For controlling a temperature of the cold air, the refrigerator in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention may further include a heater 45 to be mounted in the supply duct 20 for heating the cold air. The heater 45 is constructed of a hot wire for converting electrical energy into thermal energy and is mounted on a bottom in the supply duct 20. If the heater 45 is turned on, the heater 45 elevates the temperature of the mixed cold air, preventing the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 from dropping sharply, to make the temperature drop slowly. Therefore, the cold air may be appropriately controlled to meet a supercooling temperature range of the beverage.

[0080] In order to minimize a temperature change of the refrigerating chamber 12, the refrigerator in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes at least one shielding member 48 arranged continuously in the vertical direction on a front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 for shielding the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0081] In the first preferred embodiment, the shielding member 48 may be a curtain. The curtain is arranged on the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 at a position matched to each of the shelves for shielding an opened front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 in front of each of the shelves. The curtain minimizes inflow of external air into the refrigerating chamber 12 when the door 14 is opened. Therefore, a temperature rise of the refrigerating chamber 12 caused by opening of the door 14 may be suppressed.

[0082] The curtain may be formed of a transparent vinyl resin which is soft even at a low temperature. The curtain may have a structure in which the curtain is mounted to a rod or the like which is supported by opposite sides of the refrigerating chamber 12 and hung thereon. The curtain is cut in the vertical direction at fixed spacing. Therefore, after putting the curtain cut thus to one side, the container may be easily taken out of or put in the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0083] In the first preferred embodiment, the shielding member 48 may be constructed of an inner door provided to an inner side of the door. The inner door has a structure in which it is arranged on the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 at a position matched to each of the shelves and rotatably mounted to the refrigerating chamber 12 to open/close the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0084] Therefore, the inner door prevents external air from entering into the refrigerating chamber 12 when the door 14 is opened. And, by opening only the inner door arranged to the shelf to put a container therein or take it out, a temperature change of the container placed on other shelves may be minimized.

[0085] In the meantime, the refrigerator may further include an air curtain unit mounted to the shelf for ejecting air to the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 in the vertical direction for cutting off loss of the cold air from the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 3, the air curtain unit may include an air blower 50 mounted to a front edge of the shelf 16 arranged on the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12 for drawing the cold air from the refrigerating chamber 12 and discharging the cold air in the vertical direction, and a power source unit 52 for supplying power to the air blower 50.

[0087] The air blower 50 is mounted to be extended along a front edge of the shelf 16. The air blower 50 is provided with a cylindrical fan, and has one side with a suction opening formed therein for drawing the air and the other side with a discharge opening formed therein for discharging the cold air. In the first preferred embodiment, the suction opening of the air blower 50 is mounted to face a lower side, and the discharge opening is mounted to face an upper side in the vertical direction for discharging the cold air.

[0088] Therefore, the air blower 50 draws the cold air from the lower side of the refrigerating chamber 12, and blows the cold air toward the upper side in the vertical direction. Thus, the cold air flows on the front side of the shelf in the vertical direction, functioning as if a curtain is provided to the front side of the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0089] Since the air blower 50 is mounted to each of the shelves 16, a flow of the cold air is formed on the front side of the shelves even if the position of the shelf is changed within the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0090] Even if each of the shelves 16 is moved along the column 18, the power source unit 52 is made to supply the power to the air blower 50 regardless of the movement.

[0091] For this, the power source unit 52 includes a connecting connector 54 mounted to a rear edge of the shelf 16 for having the power supplied thereto, and a supply connector 56 mounted in the refrigerating chamber 12 so as to have power applied thereto and electrically coupled to the connecting connector 54.

[0092] The supply connector 56 is connected to a power source which applies power to the main body 10 for having the power supplied thereto. The supply connector 56 is mounted to an inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12 at a position matched to the connecting connector 54. The supply connector 56 is mounted in a plural number thereof to match a moving position of each of the shelves 16 in the vertical direction at fixed intervals. Therefore, after moving and securing the shelf support member 17 to a desired position, if the shelf 16 is put on a front end of the shelf support member 17 and pushed backward, the connecting connector 54 mounted to the shelf is electrically engaged with the supply connector 56 connecting the connecting connector 54.

[0093] Therefore, the power source is applied to the air blower 50 which is electrically connected to the connecting connector 54 through the supply connector 56 and the connecting connector 54. Therefore, the air blower 50 may be driven regardless of a position of the shelf, enabling formation of the air curtain with the cold air in front of the shelf.

[0094] By controlling supply of the power to the supply connector, the air blower 50 may be made to be driven only when the door 14 or the shielding member 48 is opened at a position of the shelf being used, and not to be driven when the door or the shielding member is closed.

[0095] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a control system for controlling a supercooling state of a beverage stored in a refrigerator chamber 12 of a refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention with the controller 42. As described before, the plurality of refrigerating chambers 12 provided to the refrigerator are operated at supercooling temperatures that are already respectively set, and the controller controls the refrigerating chambers 12 individually to be operated while matched to respective predetermined temperature conditions.

[0096] In the first preferred embodiment, the controller 42 receives signals from the temperature sensor 41, the door sensor 44, and an operating unit 49 for setting a temperature, and compares and calculates the same with data recorded in a storage unit 46.

[0097] Based on a result of the comparison and the calculation, the controller 42 controls and operates the blower 35, the compressor 24, or the heater 45 for controlling the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 within a predetermined temperature range meeting the supercooling temperature of the beverage.

[0098] The controller 42 controls and operates the blower 35 or the heater 45 to maintain the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 so as to not be sharply changed if the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 is within the supercooling temperature range of the beverage.

[0099] Thus, the mixed cold air supplied to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the supply duct 20 super-cools the beverage in the containers placed on the shelves 16 of the refrigerating chamber 12. Then, the air is drawn into the supply duct 20 from the refrigerating chamber 12 as the blower 35 is driven. The air drawn into the supply duct 20 thus is cooled as the air passes through the heat exchanger 23, and the cold air is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air holes 22 again as the blower 35 is driven.

[0100] The refrigerator may super-cool the beverage in the containers by maintaining a uniform temperature without a temperature difference throughout the refrigerating chamber by means of continuous circulation of the cold air, and may maintain the beverage in the container to be in the supercooling state by controlling the temperature of the cold air more easily.

[0101] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] The supercooling refrigerator in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is identical to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention except for an air cooling circulating structure in the refrigerating chamber. Accordingly, the supercooling refrigerator in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described taking a refrigerating chamber arranged on an upper side identical to the foregoing refrigerator as an example, and the same reference numbers will be used for identical elements and detailed description of which will be omitted.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 6, the supercooling refrigerator in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention has a supply duct 60 mounted and connected between a top and a bottom of the refrigerating chamber 12 of the main body, and the mixing unit includes at least one fan or blower 35 arranged over the heat exchanger 23 in the supply duct 60 for circulating the air in the refrigerating chamber 12 through air holes 62 by the fan or blower 35.

[0104] The supply duct 60 is mounted to an inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12 in a vertical direction. The supply duct 60 may not be mounted to the inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12, but may be mounted at opposite sides thereof. The supply duct 60 has a front side, i.e., a side facing the refrigerating chamber 12, with a plurality of air holes 62 formed therein arranged in a length direction of the supply duct for making the refrigerating chamber 12 communicate with the supply duct 60.

[0105] In the second preferred embodiment, the supply duct 60 has a structure in which both ends thereof in the vertical direction are fixed to and blocked by the top and the bottom of the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12, and the air holes 62 formed in the front side function as passages for circulating the cold air cooled in the supply duct 60 with the air in the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0106] A fan or a blower 35 which construes the mixing unit is mounted in a space the supply duct 60 forms. The supply duct 60 has the heat exchanger 23 mounted therein for cooling the air in the refrigerating chamber 12. Therefore, the air introduced to the supply duct through the air holes 62 from the refrigerating chamber 12 is cooled as the air passes through the heat exchanger 23, and is discharged therefrom through an outlet.

[0107] The heat exchanger 23 is mounted to, as an example, a wall side of the main body within the supply duct 60 with a predetermined space formed to the inside surface of the supply duct 60 to form a gap therebetween. As the air moves through the gap between the heat exchanger 23 and the inside surface of the supply duct 60, the air heat exchanges with the heat exchanger 23, and is discharged through the air holes 62 formed in the front side of the supply duct 60.

[0108] In the second preferred embodiment, the fan or blower 35 is arranged over the heat exchanger 23 within the supply duct 60. The blower 35 is arranged such that a suction opening thereof faces the heat exchanger 23 under the blower 35, and a discharge opening faces the front side of the supply duct 60. The blower 35 draws in the cold air from the heat exchanger 23 arranged under the blower 35 and discharges the cold air to the front side of the supply duct 60.

[0109] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the air is introduced to the supply duct 60 from the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air holes 62 formed in a lower side of the supply duct 60 which is at a position relatively far from the blower 35, and moves to an upper side of the supply duct 60. As the blower 35 is arranged over the upper side of the supply duct 60, the cold air is ejected to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air holes 62 arranged on the upper side of the supply duct 60.

[0110] The cold air ejected to the refrigerating chamber 12 from the upper side air holes 62 of the supply duct 60 moves down to the lower side of the refrigerating chamber 12, is drawn into the supply duct through the air holes 62 formed in the lower side of the supply duct 60 again, and is re-cooled therein. As the cold air circulates in one direction consistently in the refrigerating chamber 12, the cold air is provided for cooling of the beverage.

[0111] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a supercooling refrigerator in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] The refrigerator in accordance with the third preferred embodiment is identical to the foregoing embodiment except for an air cooling circulating structure in the refrigerating chamber. Therefore, the refrigerator in accordance with the third preferred embodiment will be described with reference to the refrigerating chamber arranged on the upper side the same as the foregoing embodiment as an example, elements that are identical to those of the foregoing embodiment will be given identical reference numbers, and detailed description of which will be omitted.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 7, the refrigerator 100 in accordance with the third preferred embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which a supply duct 70 is mounted to be connected between a top and a bottom of a main body to have air holes 72 formed in a front side thereof, with a partition wall 74 formed therein for partitioning a heat exchanging area and an air hole area to partition the supply duct 70 into a heat exchanger passage 76 and an air hole passage 78, with the heat exchanger passage to have an inlet connected to an introduction hole 73 formed in the supply duct 70 and an outlet connected to the air hole passage 78 through the partition wall 74. The mixing unit includes at least one fan or blower 35 mounted to the outlet of the partition wall 74 or the heat exchanger passage 76 for circulating the air from the refrigerating chamber 12 to the supply duct 70 through the air holes 72 formed in the supply duct 70.

[0114] The supply duct 70 is mounted on an inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12 in a vertical direction. The supply duct 70 may not be mounted to the inner side of the refrigerating chamber 12, but may be mounted to opposite sides of the refrigerating chamber 12. The supply duct 70 has a plurality of air holes 72 formed in the front side, i.e., a side facing the refrigerating chamber 12, arranged in a length direction of the supply duct for making the refrigerating chamber 12 communicate with the supply duct 70.

[0115] In the third preferred embodiment, the supply duct 60 has a structure in which both ends thereof in the vertical direction are fixed to and blocked by the top and the bottom of an inside of the refrigerating chamber 12, with an inside space thereof divided into the heat exchanger passage 76 and the air hole passage 78 by the partition wall 74.

[0116] The partition wall 74 is arranged parallel to the supply duct 70 along the vertical direction of the main body, with a lower end thereof extended and connected to a front side of the supply duct 70. Therefore, the heat exchanger passage 76 has a lower end connected to the front side of the supply duct at a lower side of the supply duct 70. The supply duct 70 has a front side of the lower side with an introduction hole 73 formed therein to be in communication with the heat exchanger passage 76. Therefore, the heat exchanger passage 76 is in communication with the refrigerating chamber 12 through the introduction hole 73. As a top side of the partition wall 74 is opened, the heat exchanger passage 76 and the air hole passage 78 partitioned by the partition wall 74 are made to communicate.

[0117] The heat exchanger 23 is mounted in the heat exchanger passage 76 partitioned by the partition wall 74. The front side of the supply duct 70 which faces the air hole passage 78 has the air hole 72 formed therein to be in communication with the air hole passage 78.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 7, in the third preferred embodiment, the fan or blower 35 is mounted over the opened top side of the partition wall 74. The blower 35 is arranged such that a suction opening thereof faces the heat exchanger passage 76 and a discharge opening thereof faces the air hole passage 78. The blower 35 draws in the cold air from the heat exchanger passage 76 and discharges the cold air toward the air hole passage 78.

[0119] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, as the blower 35 is driven, the cold air passed through the heat exchanger 23 is introduced from the heat exchanger passage 76 to the air hole passage 78, and supplied therefrom to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air hole 72 in the supply duct 70 in communication with the air hole passage 78. The air is drawn into the heat exchanger passage 76 from the refrigerating chamber 12 through the introduction hole 73 as the blower 35 is driven.

[0120] Thus, the air is moved toward the heat exchanger 23 from the refrigerating chamber 12 through the introduction hole 73 and cooled down by the heat exchanger 23, and the cold air cooled down thus is moved to the air hole passage 78 and is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 12 through the air hole 72. In this course, the cold air consistently circulates in one direction in the refrigerating chamber 12 and is provided to cool down the beverage.

[0121] While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

TABLE-US-00001

[0122] 10: main body 12: refrigerating chamber 14: door 15: mounting hole 16: shelf 17: shelf support member 18: column 19: vibration preventive member 20, 60, 70: supply duct 22, 62, 72: air hole 23: heat exchanger 24: compressor 25: condenser 28: cooling unit 30: separator 35: blower 41: temperature sensor 42: controller 44: door sensor 45: heater 46: storage unit 48: shielding member 49: temperature controller 50: air blower 52: power source unit 54: connecting connector 56: supply connector 74: partition wall 76: heat exchanger passage 78: air hole passage

Claims

1. A supercooling refrigerator comprising: a main body having a refrigerating chamber for housing and holding stores including containers with a beverage filled therein in a supercooled state; a door for opening/closing an opened front or the refrigerating chamber; at least one shelf arranged in the refrigerating chamber in multiple stages with spaces therebetween for placing the stores thereon; a supply duct mounted in the refrigerating chamber in a vertical direction for circulating air in the refrigerating chamber; air holes formed in the supply duct; a heat exchanger arranged in the supply duct for cooling the air from the refrigerating chamber; a cooling unit connected to the heat exchanger for circulating refrigerant through the heat exchanger; and a mixing unit for introducing the air from the refrigerating chamber to the supply duct and continuously circulating the air to the refrigerating chamber through the heat exchanger.

2. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the main body has a separator formed therein in a horizontal direction to form at least two refrigerating chambers in the main body separated from each other, the door is mounted to each of the opened front sides of the refrigerating chambers to individually open/close the refrigerating chambers, and each of the refrigerating chambers has the supply duct, the heat exchanger, and the mixing unit provided thereto to be operated.

3. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the refrigerating chambers in the main body have different supercooling temperature ranges on the stores from one another.

4. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the main body has two refrigerating chambers provided therein in the vertical direction, wherein the temperature of one refrigerating chamber is controlled to be in a range of 0.degree. C.˜-10.degree. C., and the temperature of the other refrigerating chamber is controlled to be in a range of -10.degree. C.˜-20.degree. C.

5. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the cooling unit includes a compressor connected to the heat exchanger for compressing a refrigerant, and a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant and forwarding the compressed refrigerant to the heat exchanger, wherein the cooling unit is provided in a plural number thereof that is matched to a number of the refrigerating chambers and arranged on a lower side of the refrigerating chamber.

6. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor mounted to the supply duct for detecting a temperature of the refrigerating chamber, and a controller for calculating a detected value of the temperature sensor and controlling the cooling unit and the mixing unit to make the temperature of the refrigerating chamber be within a predetermined temperature range.

7. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the supply duct has an inlet formed between an upper side thereof and the main body, and the mixing unit includes at least one fan or blower mounted to the inlet to the supply duct for drawing air from the refrigerating chamber into the inlet to the supply duct and circulating the air to the refrigerating chamber through the air holes by driving the fan or blower.

8. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the supply duct is mounted to be connected between a top and a bottom of the main body, and the mixing unit includes at least one fan or blower arranged over the heat exchanger in the supply duct for circulating the air from the refrigerating chamber through the air holes in the supply duct by the fan or blower.

9. The supercooling refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the supply duct is mounted to be connected between a top and a bottom of a main body, with a partition wall formed therein for partitioning a heat exchanging area and an air hole area to partition the supply duct into a heat exchanger passage and an air hole passage, with the heat exchanger passage having an inlet connected to an introduction hole formed in the supply duct and an outlet connected to the air hole passage through the partition wall, wherein the mixing unit includes at least one fan or blower mounted to the outlet of the partition wall or the heat exchanger passage for circulating the air from the refrigerating chamber to the supply duct through the air holes formed in the supply duct.

Images