Refrigerator having independent sterilization duct

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a chilled air duct and a sterilizer duct independently installed in the vertical direction to uniformly emit active hydrogen and negative ions for sterilization and deodorization into an entire space of a compartment. The sterilizer duct is vertically installed in the compartment in parallel relation to the chilled air duct and an MPI generator for the sterilization and deodorization is installed in an end thereof. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the sterilizer duct is coupled with a blower duct in which a blower fan for blowing air into the sterilizer duct, and the blower duct may be coupled with a rotation duct connected to a driving motor installed in a housing. In the second embodiment, the sterilizer duct and the chilled air duct have a single entrance and two exits and may be coupled with respective exits of a distribution duct in which a damper is installed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 2005-110217 and 2005-110218, both filed on Nov. 17, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator in which a sterilization duct is arranged independently from a chilled air duct for distributing chilled air into compartments to sterilize and deodorize so that the compartments can be maintained clean. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Generally, a refrigerator is structured to maintain compartments such as a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment at suitable temperatures for accommodating foods so that the foods accommodated in the compartments can be kept fresh for a long time. In this refrigerator, vegetables, meat, fish, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which an ion generator for generating active hydrogen and sterilizing ions is installed near an end of a sterilizer duct to improve the sterilizing and deodorizing effect.

[0014] It is a still another aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of conveniently adjusting quantity and rate of air passing through a sterilizer duct.

[0023] An insertion protrusion and an insertion recess may be formed in the end rims of the blower duct, and insertion protrusions and insertion recesses may be formed in respective ends of the blower duct and the rotation duct such that the insertion protrusion of the sterilizer duct is inserted into the insertion recess of the blower duct and the insertion protrusion of the blower duct is inserted into the insertion recess of the rotation duct for the convenient separation from and coupling with each other.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, unless the compartments are cleaned periodically, the compartments become impregnated with odors emitted from various foods and mold, bacteria, and viruses propagate in the compartments so that the compartments can be considered unhealthy and unpleasant for a user.

However, since the sterilizer and the deodorizer of the conventional refrigerator are disposed between shelves and the sterilized and deodorized air is discharged into their vicinity, the sterilized and deodorized air does not propagate into the space of the compartments uniformly so that the sterilizing and deodorizing effect is deteriorated.

Moreover, since the sterilizer and the deodorizer of the conventional refrigerator sterilizes and deodorizes air only therein, the sterilizer and the deodorizer of the conventional refrigerator cannot effectively sterilize and deodorize air in the compartments.

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