Refrigerator having a temperature controlled compartment

Abstract

A refrigerator including a temperature controlled compartment partitioned from the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, a door for the temperature controlled compartment, a cooling unit installed in the temperature controlled compartment for supplying cold air to the temperature controlled compartment, a duct for defining a flow passage of the cold air to circulate the cold air supplied from the cooling unit within the temperature controlled compartment, a blower fan for blowing the cold air supplied from the cooling unit through the duct, and a control unit for generating control signals to drive the cooling unit and the blower fan so as to maintain a temperature in the temperature controlled compartment at a set temperature.

1 . A refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment for preserving food items, the refrigerator comprising:
 a temperature controlled compartment partitioned from the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment;   a door for the temperature controlled compartment;   a cooling unit installed in the temperature controlled compartment for supplying cold air to the temperature controlled compartment;   a duct, formed in the temperature controlled compartment, for defining a flow passage of the cold air to circulate the cold air supplied from the cooling unit within the temperature controlled compartment;   a blower fan for blowing the cold air supplied from the cooling unit through the duct; and   a control unit for generating control signals to drive the cooling unit and the blower fan so as to maintain a temperature in the temperature controlled compartment at a set temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the duct includes:
 a first flat plate portion spaced apart from an upper wall of the temperature controlled compartment while extending in a horizontal direction to leave a slit between the door and the front end of the first flat plate portion; and   a second flat plate portion bent and extended from a rear end of the first flat plate portion in a downward direction while being spaced apart from a rear wall of the temperature controlled compartment, so that the cold air is flowed passing through the flow passage and then is discharged into the temperature controlled compartment in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the first flat plate portion has a plurality of cold air holes formed at a front end thereof so that the cold air supplied from the cooling unit can be discharged from the above into temperature controlled compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the duct has a damper installed at an upstream region of the cold air holes for controlling the flow passage of the cold air, so that a part of the cold air can be discharged into the temperature compartment through the cold air holes in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the blower fan is installed to force a part of the cold air passing through the duct to discharge into the temperature controlled compartment through the slit in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the first flat plate portion has one or more cold air slots formed at a front end thereof so that the cold air supplied from the cooling unit can be discharged into temperature controlled compartment through the cold air slots. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the duct has a damper installed at an upstream region of the cold air slots for controlling the flow passage of the cold air, so that a part of the cold air can be discharged into the temperature compartment in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the blower fan is installed to force a part of the cold air passing through the duct to discharge into the temperature controlled compartment through the slit in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit includes a main cooling unit for generating the cold air to make the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment reach the set temperature; and a sub-cooling unit for constantly maintaining the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment after the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment reaches the set temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the main cooling unit is formed of an evaporator using a refrigerant; and the sub-cooling unit is formed of a thermoelectric element. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the control unit generates control signals to operate the main cooling unit and the blower fan until the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment reaches the set temperature if it is determined that a current temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature; and the control unit generates control signals to operate the sub-cooling unit and the blower fan while stopping the operation of the main cooling unit and the blower fan so that the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment is maintained at the set temperature if it is determined that the current temperature reaches the set temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , further comprising an opening/closing detector for detecting an opening/closing of the door,
 wherein the control unit generates a control signal to open the damper if the control unit receives a signal indicative of the opening of the door from the opening/closing detector.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit generates control signals to operate the main cooling unit and the blower fan until the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment reaches the set temperature if it receives a signal indicative of the closing of the door from the opening/closing detector. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , further comprising an opening/closing detector for detecting an opening/closing of the door,
 wherein the control unit generates a control signal to open the damper if the control unit receives a signal indicative of the opening of the door from the opening/closing detector.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the control unit generates control signals to operate the main cooling unit and the blower fan until the temperature in the temperature controlled compartment reaches the set temperature if it receives a signal indicative of the closing of the door from the opening/closing detector.