Refrigerator with illumination unit

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a storage compartment and an air channel assembly extending along an inner wall of the storage compartment. The air channel assembly includes a first wall facing a storage space and a second wall opposite to the first wall, and there is an interval between the first wall and the second wall to form an air channel. The first wall includes at least one air vent in fluid communication with the storage space and the air channel. An illumination unit is disposed on the second wall and is configured to emit light toward the first wall to illuminate the air vent.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a storage compartment having an inner wall;   an air channel assembly extending along said inner wall of said storage compartment, wherein said air channel assembly having a first wall facing a storage space and a second wall opposite to said first wall, defined between said first wall and said second wall is an interval forming an air channel, and said first wall having at least one air vent in fluid communication between said storage space and said air channel; and   an illumination unit, disposed on said second wall, and configured to emit light toward said first wall to illuminate said at least one air vent.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein projections of said illumination unit and said air vent on said second wall do not overlap. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein said at least one air vent is one of at least two air vents distributed at an interval, said illumination unit being disposed between adjacent ones of said air vents. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 17 , wherein in a pair of adjacent said air vents, said illumination unit is closer to an air vent of said pair of adjacent said air vents disposed upstream in an airflow direction. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 17 , wherein air flows from bottom to top in said air channel, and in a pair of vertically adjacent said air vents, said illumination unit is closer to a lower air vent in said pair of vertically adjacent said air vents. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 18 , wherein said pair of adjacent said air vents are provided with air deflectors disposed along edges of said air vents, said air deflectors extend into said air channel, each of said air deflectors contains a first surface facing said air vents and a second surface opposite to said first surface, said first surface of said air deflector of said air vent disposed downstream in the airflow direction is exposed to said illumination unit disposed between said pair of adjacent said air vents, and said second surface of said air deflector of said air vent disposed upstream in the airflow direction is exposed to said illumination unit disposed between said pair of adjacent said air vents. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 said at least one air vent is one of at least three air vents distributed at intervals in an airflow direction of said air channel; and   said illumination unit is one of at least two illumination units, each of said illumination units and each of said air vents being distributed in a staggered manner in the airflow direction in said air channel.   
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein said illumination unit contains a light emitting element, and an intersection between an optical axis of said light emitting element and said first wall is disposed outside said at least one air vent. 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerator according to  claim 17 , wherein said illumination unit has a light emitting element, and an intersection between an optical axis of said light emitting element and said first wall is disposed between a pair of said air vents distributed at the interval. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein said illumination unit has a light emitting element, and an optical axis of said light emitting element is parallel to a thickness direction of said first wall, or an angle between the optical axis of said light emitting element and the thickness direction of said first wall is less than 15 degrees. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 ,
 further comprising a glass tray; and   wherein said storage compartment has a rear wall and said air channel extends along said rear wall of said storage compartment;   wherein said storage compartment has side walls, said side walls of said storage compartment have at least two support portions distributed at an interval in a vertical direction, said support portions are configured to support said glass tray; and   wherein said illumination unit is adapted to illuminate said at least one air vent disposed between a pair of vertically adjacent said support portions to form a mirror image of said at least one air vent through said glass tray.   
     
     
         26 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein said second wall has a groove formed therein and recessed away from said air channel, and said illumination unit is at least partially disposed in said groove. 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerator according to  claim 26 , wherein said illumination unit has a lampshade facing said first wall, said lampshade is at least partially disposed in said groove to avoid protruding from or to protrude slightly from a front surface of said second wall facing said first wall. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerator according to  claim 26 , wherein a length of said groove is greater than a length of said illumination unit, and during mounting, a first end of said illumination unit is adapted to slide in a length direction of said groove until a stop portion located at said first end of said illumination unit extends into an inner side of a block portion that protrudes from one end wall of said groove toward another end wall of said groove.