Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator including a main body; a storage room inside the main body; a thermoelectric module including a module plate including an element mounting portion, a heat dissipation sink on a first side of the module plate, a cooling sink on a second side of the module plate, and a thermoelectric element positioned in the element mounting portion such that a first surface of the thermoelectric element contacts the heat dissipation sink and a second surface of the thermoelectric element contacts the cooling sink; and a coupling member penetrating the module plate of the thermoelectric module to couple the thermoelectric module to an upper surface of the main body.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body;   a storage room inside the main body;   a thermoelectric module including:
 a module plate including an element mounting portion, 
 a heat dissipation sink on a first side of the module plate, 
 a cooling sink on a second side of the module plate, and 
 a thermoelectric element positioned in the element mounting portion such that a first surface of the thermoelectric element contacts the heat dissipation sink and a second surface of the thermoelectric element contacts the cooling sink; and 
   a coupling member penetrating the module plate of the thermoelectric module to couple the thermoelectric module to an upper surface of the main body.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the main body includes:
 an inner case, 
 an outer case coupled to an outer side of the inner case, and 
 a connecting frame between the inner case and the outer case. 
   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein
 the coupling member is coupled to the connecting frame.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein
 the coupling member penetrates the outer case to be coupled to the connecting frame.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein
 the connecting frame includes an installation opening connecting the storage room to outside of the main body.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein
 at least one portion of the thermoelectric module is positioned inside the installation opening.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the module plate includes a wing portion supported on the upper surface of the main body.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein
 the module plate includes a plate base configured to support the heat dissipation sink.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein
 the wing portion is stepped relative to the plate base, and   the module plate includes a connecting portion connecting the plate base to the wing portion.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein
 the main body includes:
 an inner case, 
 an outer case coupled to an outer side of the inner case, and 
 a connecting frame between the inner case and the outer case, and 
   the connecting frame includes a middle support protruding to support an end of the plate base of the module plate.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the main body includes:
 an inner case, 
 an outer case coupled to an outer side of the inner case, and 
 a connecting frame between the inner case and the outer case, and 
   the connecting frame comprises a sink end support protruding to support an end of the cooling sink.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the thermoelectric module includes a coupling member penetrating the heat dissipation sink, the module plate, and the cooling sink to couple the heat dissipation sink and the cooling sink to the module plate.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the thermoelectric module includes a sink insulator between the module plate and the cooling sink.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heat dissipation duct coupled to the thermoelectric module and configured to dissipate heat from the heat dissipation sink.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein
 the heat dissipation duct is coupled to the thermoelectric module by the coupling member.