EP4030127A1

EP4030127A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP4030127A1
Application number: EP20863842.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Koya TSUKAHARA; Yuta Suzuki
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-11
Filing date: 2020-09-10
Publication date: 2022-07-20
Also published as: EP4030127A4; CN114467001B; JP7369434B2; WO2021047571A1; JP2021042906A; CN114467001A

Abstract

A refrigerator capable of receiving components constituting a freezing cycle system in a mechanical chamber compactly, and effectively discharging the heat released from these components upon operation out of the refrigerator. In the refrigerator (10), a compressor (22), a micro-channel condenser (23), an air blower (21) and an evaporating tray (25) are received in the mechanical chamber (14); a first open area (256), a closed area (257) and a second open area (258) are formed sequentially on an upper surface side of the evaporating tray (25), starting from an upstream side of the air blower (21); when the air blower (21) supplies air, an air passage route (35) and an air circulation route (36) are formed in the mechanical chamber (14).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and particularly to a refrigerator in which components constituting a freezing cycle system are integrated in a mechanical chamber.

BACKGROUND

In ordinary refrigerators, a storage compartment such as a refrigeration compartment is formed in an interior of a heat-insulating cabinet. The storage compartment is cooled by a freezing cycle system so that the storage compartment is in an appropriate range of temperature for cooling articles stored in the storage compartment.
The freezing cycle system comprises a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator. To achieve heat exchange between a refrigerant in a high-pressure and high-temperature state and external air, the condenser is designed to have a large size, and a refrigerant pipe meandering is formed nearby a rear surface or nearby a bottom surface of the heat-insulating cabinet.
The following patent document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which the compressor and the condenser are arranged in a mechanical chamber of the heat-insulating cabinet. Specifically, the mechanical chamber is formed at the lowermost part of the rear side of the heat-insulating cabinet, and the compressor and the condenser are arranged in the interior of the mechanical chamber. In addition, an air blower is disposed between the compressor and the condenser. Upon operation of the freezing cycle system, air may be supplied by the air blower to the condenser so that heat exchange with a better effect can be achieved at the condenser, and effective operation of the freezing cycle system can be ensured.
[Patent document 1] JP Laid-open Gazette No. 2015-1344 .

SUMMARY

[Problem to be solved by the present invention]

Usually there is a large fin-type condenser in the above refrigerator, so it is difficult to further miniaturize the refrigerator. To achieve the overall miniaturization of the refrigerator, thoughts are given to integrating components constituting the freezing cycle system in a mechanical chamber formed in a rear lower portion of the heat-insulating cabinet. However, the condenser and compressor constituting the freezing cycle system generate a lot of thermal energy upon operation of the freezing cycle system. Therefore, it is difficult to enable the heat generated by these components to be discharged out of the refrigerator in a case where the condenser and compressor are received in the mechanical chamber with a small space.
In addition, in addition to the condenser and compressor constituting the freezing cycle system, components such as an evaporating tray also need to be received in the mechanical chamber, so it is difficult to receive these components in the mechanical chamber compactly.
In view of the above conditions, the present invention is envisioned. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of receiving the components constituting the freezing cycle system in the mechanical chamber compactly, and effectively discharging the heat released from these components upon operation out of the refrigerator.

[Means for solving the problem]

The refrigerator according to the present invention is a refrigerator having the following portions: a heat-insulating cabinet forming storage compartments; a freezing cycle system comprising a compressor, a micro-channel condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator; a mechanical chamber formed in a rear lower portion of the heat-insulating cabinet; an air blower supplying air into an interior of the mechanical chamber; an evaporating tray for accumulating defrost water generated when the evaporator is defrosted; an air inlet formed on one end side of the mechanical chamber and configured to guide air from the external into the mechanical chamber; and an air outlet formed on the other end side of the mechanical chamber and configured to discharge the air supplied by the air blower out of the mechanical chamber; wherein the compressor, the micro-channel condenser, the air blower and the evaporating tray are all received in the mechanical chamber; a first open area, a closed area and a second open area are formed sequentially on an upper surface side of the evaporating tray, starting from an upstream side of the air blower; when the air blower supplies air, an air passage route and an air circulation route are formed in the mechanical chamber; the air passage route is a route by which air passes through the air inlet, the micro-channel condenser, the air blower, the compressor and the air outlet; the air circulation route is a route by which air circulates in the second open area, the closed area, the first open area, the micro-channel condenser and the air blower.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the evaporating tray has a side wall portion disposed on a downstream side of the air blower.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor with the micro-channel condenser passes by the second open area, the vicinity of a bottom surface of the evaporating tray, and the first open area.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the closed area is provided with a shielding plate that closes the evaporating tray from above, and the micro-channel condenser and the air blower are arranged on an upper surface of the shielding plate.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, an opening area of the air inlet is larger than an area of a wind tunnel of the air blower.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, an opening area of the air outlet is larger than an area of the wind tunnel of the air blower.

[Effects achieved by the present invention]

The refrigerator according to the present invention is a refrigerator having the following portions: a heat-insulating cabinet forming storage compartments; a freezing cycle system comprising a compressor, a micro-channel condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator; a mechanical chamber formed in a rear lower portion of the heat-insulating cabinet; an air blower supplying air into an interior of the mechanical chamber; an evaporating tray for accumulating defrost water generated when the evaporator is defrosted; an air inlet formed on one end side of the mechanical chamber and configured to guide air from the external into the mechanical chamber; and an air outlet formed on the other end side of the mechanical chamber and configured to discharge the air supplied by the air blower out of the mechanical chamber; wherein the compressor, the micro-channel condenser, the air blower and the evaporating tray are all received in the mechanical chamber; a first open area, a closed area and a second open area are formed sequentially on an upper surface side of the evaporating tray, starting from an upstream side of the air blower; when the air blower supplies air, an air passage route and an air circulation route are formed in the mechanical chamber; the air passage route is a route by which air passes through the air inlet, the micro-channel condenser, the air blower, the compressor and the air outlet; the air circulation route is a route by which air circulates in the second open area, the closed area, the first open area, the micro-channel condenser and the air blower. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the compressor and the micro-channel condenser constituting the freezing cycle system can be received compactly in the mechanical chamber. Therefore, large storage compartments can be ensured, and a volume utilization rate can be increased. In addition, since air is supplied by the air blower into the interior of the mechanical chamber, the heat generated by the compressor and the micro-channel condenser upon operation of the refrigerator can be discharged efficiently to the external. In addition, since the air passage route and the air circulation route are formed in the interior of the mechanical chamber, the air heated by heat exchange with the micro-channel condenser circulates above the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray, and the defrost water can be evaporated effectively. In addition, the air cooled by the evaporation of the defrost water circulates around the micro-channel condenser, the refrigerant can be condensed effectively by the micro-channel condenser.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the evaporating tray has a side wall portion disposed on a downstream side of the air blower. As such, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, a portion of the air supplied by the air blower impinges on the side wall portion of the evaporating tray, thereby forming the air circulation route.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor with the micro-channel condenser passes by the second open area, the vicinity of a bottom surface of the evaporating tray, and the first open area. As such, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray can be evaporated by the heat of the compressed refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant pipe, and the heat exchange of the compressed refrigerant can be promoted.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the closed area is provided with a shielding plate that closes the evaporating tray from above, and the micro-channel condenser and the air blower are arranged on an upper surface of the shielding plate. As such, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the micro-channel condenser and the air blower are disposed above the evaporating tray, the components constituting the freezing cycle system can be received compactly in a limited space of the mechanical chamber.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, an opening area of the air inlet is larger than an area of a wind tunnel of the air blower. As such, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the increased opening area of the air inlet ensures a larger amount of air supplied by the air blower, the heat exchange of the micro-channel condenser and the compressor can be increased, and furthermore, the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray can be evaporated effectively.
In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, an opening area of the air outlet is larger than an area of the wind tunnel of the air blower. As such, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the increased opening area of the air outlet ensures a larger amount of air supplied by the air blower, the heat exchange of the micro-channel condenser and the compressor can be increased, and furthermore, the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray can be evaporated effectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a perspective view of the refrigerator as viewed from above a rear side.
FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a perspective view of a mechanical chamber as viewed from above a rear side.
FIG. 4 is a view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a perspective view of various components received in the mechanical chamber as viewed from above a rear side.
FIG. 5(A) is a view of various components received in the mechanical chamber as viewed from above; FIG. 5(B) is a view of various components received in the mechanical chamber as viewed from the rear.
FIG. 6 is a view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a perspective view showing associated configurations of an evaporating tray and a refrigerant pipe.
Fig. 7(A) is a perspective view of the mechanical chamber as viewed from the rear left side; Fig. 7(B) is a perspective view of the mechanical chamber as viewed from the rear right side; Fig. 7(C) is a perspective view of an air blower as viewed from above the right side.
FIG. 8 is a view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a block diagram of a configuration in which components are connected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to figures. In addition, when the present embodiment is described, the same reference numbers are used to denote the same parts in principle, and repeated depictions will be omitted. The present embodiment will be described using directional terms such as "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left" and "right", and the left-right direction is a left-right direction as viewed from the rear of the refrigerator 10.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above the rear. The refrigerator 10 has a heat-insulating cabinet 11 and storage compartments formed in the interior of the heat-insulating cabinet 11. The storage compartments comprise a refrigeration compartment 12, a vegetable compartment 114 and a freezing compartment 13. A front opening of the refrigeration compartment 12 is closed by a rotatable heat-insulating door 18, a front opening of the vegetable compartment 114 is closed by a drawer-type heat-insulating door 19, and a front opening of the freezing compartment 13 is closed by a drawer-type heat-insulating door 20. A housing 111 of the refrigerator 10 is composed of a top panel 151 facing upward, a side panel 152 facing left, a side panel 153 facing right, and a back panel 154 facing the rear.
A mechanical chamber 14 as a cavity is formed in the lowermost portion of the rear side of the refrigerator 10. The mechanical chamber 14 is formed to be communicated from a left end to a right end of the heat-insulating cabinet 11. In addition, a rear opening of the mechanical chamber 14 is closed with a mechanical chamber cover 155.
An air inlet 26 through which external air enters the mechanical chamber 14 is formed on the right side of the mechanical chamber 14. The air inlet 26 comprises a plurality of openings provided at the side panel 153 and the mechanical chamber cover 155. In addition, an air outlet 27 through which air is discharged out of the mechanical chamber 14 is formed on the left side of the mechanical chamber 14. The air outlet 27 comprises a plurality of openings provided at the side panel 152 and the mechanical chamber cover 155. The air inlet 26 and air outlet 27 are described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. The air inlet 26 and air outlet 27 are set in a slit shape to prevent foreign matter from entering the mechanical chamber 14 from the external.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator 10. Referring to this figure, the heat-insulating cabinet 11 comprises the following portions: a housing 111 made of a steel plate bent into a predetermined shape; an inner liner 112 made of a synthetic resin plate disposed inside the housing 111 and separated from the housing 111; and a heat-insulating material 113 filled between the housing 111 and the inner liner 112.
A cooling compartment 115 is defined inside the freezing compartment 13, and the evaporator 116 is received in the cooling compartment 115. An air supply duct 118 is formed above the cooling compartment 115. The air cooled by the evaporator 116 in the cooling compartment 115 is supplied to the air supply duct 118 by a fan (not shown here) for supplying cold air. The air cooled by the evaporator 116 is also supplied into the freezing compartment 13.
A defrosting heater 117 is arranged below the evaporator 116 inside the cooling compartment 115. The defrosting heater 117 is a heater which generates heat when energized. During the defrosting process, the defrosting heater 117 is energized and generates heat to melt the frost on the evaporator 116. The defrost water resulting from the defrosting reaches the evaporating tray 25 through a water conduit 31 shown in FIG. 4, and is evaporated by heat exchange with the high-temperature compressed refrigerant.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interior of the mechanical chamber 14 as viewed from above the rear side. FIG. 3 shows conditions when the mechanical chamber cover 155 is removed from the refrigerator 10.
Starting from the right, a micro-channel condenser 23, an air blower 21, the evaporating tray 25 and the compressor 22 are mounted in the mechanical chamber 14. In addition, a refrigerant pipe is also mounted in the mechanical chamber 14 and configured to connect components constituting a vapor compression-type freezing cycle system including the micro-channel condenser 23 and the compressor 22 to one another.
In this way, the components constituting the freezing cycle system is accommodated in the mechanical chamber 14 together with the evaporating tray 25, so that the volume for accommodating the components necessary for the operation of the refrigerator 10 can be reduced. Therefore, in the refrigerator 10 as a whole, the effective volume occupied by the storage compartments can be increased. As such, more items can be accommodated in the refrigerator 10, and the external dimensions of the refrigerator 10 can be reduced.
Reference is made to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 to describe the components received in the mechanical chamber 14, and meanwhile to describe air flow directions in the interior of the mechanical chamber 14. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the components received in the mechanical chamber 14, FIG. 5(A) is a top view of these components as viewed from above, and FIG. 5(B) is a rear view of these components as viewed from behind.
Referring to FIG. 4, in the interior of the mechanical chamber 14, the compressor 22 is arranged on the left side, and the evaporating tray 25 is arranged on the right side. The compressor 22 and the evaporating tray 25 are components with larger sizes among the components received in the mechanical chamber 14. In the present embodiment, since the compressor 22 and the evaporating tray 25, as large components, are arranged side by side in a left-right direction, so that the space of the mechanical chamber 14 can be effectively utilized.
The compressor 22 constitutes the vapor compression-type freezing cycle system together with the micro-channel condenser 23, an expansion device not shown, and the evaporator 116. Frost is formed on the surface of the evaporator 116 along with the cooling operation using the freezing cycle system. Since the generation of a large amount of frost on the surface of the evaporator 116 hinders heat transfer and air supply, the defrost heater 17 is used to heat the evaporator 116 to defrost periodically. The defrost water resulting from defrosting the evaporator 116 passes through the water conduit 31 and accumulates in the evaporating tray 25, and is evaporated by heat generated from the refrigerant.
The air blower 21 and the micro-channel condenser 23 are arranged above the evaporating tray 25. By doing so, the space above the evaporating tray 25 which is a flat member can be used effectively.
The air blower 21 is disposed on an upper surface of a shielding plate 28 described later. A fan arranged inside the air blower 21 rotates to blow air from the right to the left.
The micro-channel condenser 23 is a small condenser, and is arranged on the upper surface of the shielding plate 28. The micro-channel condenser 23 is a microchannelized condenser comprising a heat transfer tube (not shown here) and heat-dissipating fins. The micro-channel condenser 23 can achieve a larger heat exchange capacity with a smaller volume than an ordinary condenser. The micro-channel condenser 23 is arranged at a position on the upper surface of the shielding plate 28, more rightward (upstream side) than the air blower 21.
The evaporating tray 25 is a tray-shaped member for temporarily receiving the above-mentioned defrost water, and is made of an integrally molded synthetic resin. Specifically, the evaporating tray 25 has a bottom surface portion 251, a front side surface portion 252, a rear side wall portion 253, a left side wall portion 254, and a right side wall portion 255. In addition, a lower end of the water conduit 31 is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom surface portion 251 of the evaporating tray 25. The water conduit 31 is a conduit for guiding the defrost water generated by defrosting the evaporator 116 to the evaporating tray 25.
A first open area 256, a closed area 257 and a second open area 258 are formed sequentially starting from the right side on the upper surface side of the evaporating tray 25. The first open area 256 is an area that is on the right side, does not close the upper surface of the evaporating tray 25 and is open upward. The closed area 257 is an area where the upper surface of the evaporating tray 25 is closed by the shielding plate 28. The second open area 258 is an area that is on the left side, does not close the upper surface of the evaporating tray 25 and is open upward. By forming the first open area 256, the closed area 257 and the second open area 258 at the upper surface of the evaporating tray 25 in this way, an air circulation route for properly evaporating the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray 25 can be formed as described later.
The shielding plate 28 is arranged at the upper surface of the evaporating tray 25. The shielding plate 28 is made of a metal plate or a resin plate, and covers a central portion of the evaporating tray 25 from above in the left-right direction. A rear end side of the shielding plate 28 is fixed to an upper end of the rear side wall portion 253, and a front end side of the shielding plate 28 is fixed to an upper end of the front side surface portion 252.
The micro-channel condenser 23 and the air blower 21 are arranged in turn starting from the right on the upper surface of the shielding plate 28. The shielding plate 28 partially closes the evaporating tray 25 from above and serves as a stage for carrying the air blower 21 and the micro-channel condenser 23. A support plate 29 made of a metal plate is fixed at a lower surface of the micro-channel condenser 23. A left end of the support plate 29 is fixed on the upper surface of the shielding plate 28. In addition, a right end of the support plate 29 is fixed to a protruding support portion 30 protruding upward from the bottom surface portion 251 of the evaporating tray 25.
Since the air blower 21 rotates when the refrigerator 10 is operating, external air is guided in through the air inlet 26 shown in FIG. 3, and the guided-in air passes through the micro-channel condenser 23, the air blower 21 and the compressor 22 in the mechanical chamber 14. After that, the air is discharged to the external through the air outlet 27 shown in FIG. 3.
The compressor 22 and the micro-channel condenser 23 are connected to each other by the refrigerant pipe 37, and the compressed refrigerant compressed by the compressor 22 and heated to a high temperature is sent to the micro-channel condenser 23 through the refrigerant pipe 37. The refrigerant pipe 37 meanders nearby the bottom surface portion 251 of the evaporating tray 25 starting from the second open area 258, leaves the first open area 256 upward, and then is connected to the micro-channel condenser 23. Since the refrigerant pipe 37 meanders in the interior of the evaporating tray 25, the compressed refrigerant can be cooled by the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray 25, and the evaporation of the defrost water can be facilitated. The refrigerant pipe 37 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.
An air route formed in the interior of the mechanical chamber 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5(A) is a top view of components mounted in the mechanical chamber as viewed from above, and FIG. 5(B) is a rear view of these component as viewed from the rear.
Referring to FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B), when air is supplied by the air blower 21, an air passage route 35 and an air circulation route 36 are formed in the interior of the mechanical chamber 14.
The air passage route 35 is a route by which air blows from right to left in the interior of the mechanical chamber 14. Specifically, the air passing route 35 is a route by which the air entering from the air inlet 26 shown in FIG. 3 passes through the micro-channel condenser 23, the air blower 21 and the compressor 22 sequentially and is discharged through the air outlet 27 shown in FIG. 3 to the external. Since the air passage route 35 is formed, the heat exchange at the micro-channel condenser 23 and the compressor 22 is promoted, the refrigerant is well condensed in the micro-channel condenser 23, and the compressor 22 is cooled well.
The air circulation route 36 is a route by which air circulates in the interior of the mechanical chamber 14. Specifically, in the air circulation route 36, the air first passes through the micro-channel condenser 23 and the air blower 21 sequentially. Next, a portion of the air passing through the air blower 21 is blocked by the left side wall portion 254 of the evaporating tray 25 and enters the interior of the evaporating tray 25 from the second open area 258. The air that has entered the interior of the evaporating tray 25 advances rightward along the vicinity of the liquid level of the defrost water below the shielding plate 28. At this time, the evaporation of the defrost water is facilitated. In FIG. 5(B), the liquid level of the defrost water is shown by a dash-dotted line. After that, the air that advances further to the right is blocked by the right side wall portion 255, advances upward through the first open area 256, and then returns to the micro-channel condenser 23 and the air blower 21.
Since the air is circulated by the air circulation route 36, the air that has undergone heat exchange with the micro-channel condenser 23 and has become hot passes by an upper surface of the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray 25 and exchanges heat with the defrost water, thereby facilitating the evaporation of defrost water. In addition, the air cooled by evaporating the defrost water inside the evaporating tray 25 returns from the first open area 256 and passes through the micro-channel condenser 23. Thereby, heat exchange at the micro-channel condenser 23 is promoted, and the refrigerant can be efficiently condensed. In addition, since a portion of the air circulated in the air circulation route 36 is discharged through the air passage route 35 to the external, the evaporated defrost water does not fill the interior of the mechanical chamber 14.
In addition, since dry low-temperature air can always be guided through the air inlet 26 from the external to the mechanical chamber 14 by virtue of the formed air passage route 35, the heat exchange of the micro-channel condenser 23 and the evaporation of defrost water can be promoted. Since the air can always be discharged through the air outlet 27 to the external by virtue of the formed air passage route 35, it is possible to prevent the air heated by the heat exchange of the micro-channel condenser 23 and the compressor 22 from filling the mechanical chamber 14.
Here, the air passage route 35 and the air circulation route 36 are not completely separate routes, and instead, the air is mixed in the air passage route 35 and the air circulation route 36. In other words, since the air constituting the air passage route 35 is introduced into the air circulation line 36, the dry air supplied from the external can be used to evaporate the defrost water well. In addition, since the air constituting the air circulation line 36 is introduced into the air passage route 35, the heat generated from the micro-channel condenser 23 and the moisture generated by the evaporation of the defrost water can be well discharged from the mechanical chamber 14 to the external.
Here, a configuration for improving the air flow in the air circulation route 36 will be described.
Referring to FIG. 5(A), relative sizes of the first open area 256, the closed area 257 and the second open area 258 may be set in a proper range for forming the air circulation route 36. For example, respective opening areas of the first open area 256 and the second open area 258 may be made larger than the closed area 257. By doing so, the flow of the air passing through the first open area 256 and the second open area 258 is increased, and heat exchange of the micro-channel condenser 23 and evaporation of defrost water can be promoted.
Referring to FIG. 5(B), an upper end P2 of the left side wall portion 254 of the evaporating tray 25 is arranged below a lower end P1 of the air blower 21. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray 25 from reaching the air blower 21 while forming the air passage route 35 by blocking part of the air supplied by the air blower 21.
Associated configurations of the evaporating tray 25 and the refrigerant pipe 37 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the components received in the mechanical chamber 14 as viewed from above.
As stated above, the evaporating tray 25 is adjoined on the right side of the compressor 22. In addition, the refrigerant pipe 37 in which the compressed refrigerant circulates is led out from the compressor 22. The refrigerant pipe 37 is formed to go over the left side wall portion 254 of the evaporating tray 25 and meander along the bottom surface portion 251. In addition, spacers 38 are arranged at a plurality of positions of the refrigerant pipe 37 formed meandering on the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 251. Since the spacers 38 are arranged, the refrigerant pipe 37 may be spaced apart from the bottom surface portion 251 by a specified distance. Therefore, a larger contact area between the defrost water accumulated in the evaporating tray 25 and the refrigerant pipe 37 can be ensured, the high-temperature refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant pipe 37 can efficiently exchange heat with the defrost water, and the defrost water can be evaporated well.
The opening areas of the air inlet 26 and the air outlet 27 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Fig. 7(A) is a perspective view of a lower end portion of the refrigerator 10 as viewed from the left side, FIG. 7(B) is a perspective view of the lower end portion of the refrigerator 10 as viewed from the right side, and FIG. 7(C) is a perspective view illustrating the air blower 21 in detail .
Referring to FIG. 7(A), the air outlet 27 is formed on the left end side of the mechanical chamber 14, and is an opening through which air is discharged from the mechanical chamber 14 to the external. The air outlet 27 comprises a first air outlet 271, a second air outlet 272 and a third air outlet 273. The first air outlet 271 is disposed at an open position near a rear lower end of the side panel 152. The second air outlet 272 is disposed at an open position of a left end of the mechanical chamber cover 155. The third air outlet 273 is disposed at an open position on an upper left side of the mechanical chamber cover 155. The first air outlet 271, the second air outlet 272 and the third air outlet 273 are constituted by a plurality of openings arranged in rows or columns.
Referring to FIG. 7(B), the air inlet 26 is an opening formed on the right end side of the mechanical chamber 14, and air is guided into the mechanical chamber 14 through the air inlet 26. The air inlet 26 has a first air inlet 261 and a second air inlet 262 . The first air inlet 261 is formed by opening a lower rear portion of the side panel 153. The second air inlet 262 is formed by opening a right end side of the mechanical chamber cover 155. The first air inlet 261 and the second air inlet 262 are constituted by a plurality of openings arranged in rows or columns.
Referring to FIG. 7(C), the air blower 21 is an axial flow fan, and a wind tunnel 212 is formed in the interior of the housing 211 of the air blower 21. When a fan not shown here rotates inside the wind tunnel 212, the air blower 21 blows air from the right side to the left side.
In the present embodiment, an opening area A1 of the air outlet 27 is set to be larger than an opening area A3 of the wind tunnel 212 of the air blower 21. Specifically, the opening area A1 of the air outlet 27 shown in FIG. 7(A) is calculated from a sum of the opening area A11 of the first air outlet 271, the opening area A12 of the second air outlet 272 and the opening area A13 of the third air outlet 273. Here, the opening area A1 of the air outlet 27 is made larger than the opening area A3 of the wind tunnel 212 shown in FIG. 7(C). By doing so, air can be well discharged through the air outlet 27 from the mechanical chamber 14 to the external, and the micro-channel condenser 23 and the compressor 22 received in the mechanical chamber 14 can be cooled efficiently.
In the present embodiment, the opening area A2 of the air inlet 26 is set to be larger than the opening area A3 of the wind tunnel 212 of the air blower 21. Specifically, the opening area A2 of the air inlet 26 shown in FIG. 7(B) is calculated from a sum of the opening area A21 of the first air inlet 261 and the opening area A22 of the second air inlet 262. The opening area A2 of the air inlet 26 is set to be larger than the opening area A3 of the wind tunnel 212 shown in FIG. 7(C). By doing so, air can be well guided into the mechanical chamber 14 through the air inlet 26, and the micro-channel condenser 23 and the compressor 22 received in the mechanical chamber 14 can be properly cooled.
The connection structure of the refrigerator 10 having the configuration will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 8. The refrigerator 10 comprises a calculation control portion 24, a temperature sensor 32, a timer 33, a compressor 22, the air blower 21 and a defrosting heater 34.
The calculation control portion 24 is constituted by for example a CPU, receives inputs from various sensors, performs designated calculation processing, and controls actions of various components such as the compressor 22 based on a processing result. In addition, the calculation control portion 24 may have a semiconductor storage device for storing various constants and programs for performing the cooling operation. Through the calculation control portion 24, the storage compartments achieve appropriate temperature ranges for storing articles, and perform a defrosting process at an appropriate timing.
The temperature sensor 32 and the timer 33 are connected to an input end of the calculation control portion 24. The temperature sensor 32 is mounted in the respective storage compartments to measure the temperature in the interior of these storage compartments. The timer 33 measures the cooling time for cooling the storage compartments, the operation time of the defrosting heater 34, and so on.
The compressor 22, the air blower 21 and the defrosting heater 34 are connected to an output end of the calculation control portion 24. The components such as the compressor 22 operate based on an output signal output from the calculation control portion 24.
During the cooling operation of the refrigerator 10, the calculation control portion 24 enables the compressor 22 and the air blower 21 to operate, and uses the temperature sensor 32 to measure that the temperature in each storage component reaches a specified temperature range. The air cooled by the vapor compression-type freezing cycle system including the compressor 22 is supplied into the respective storage compartments, thereby cooling the respective storage compartments to the specified temperature range. In addition, during the operation of the compressor 22, the micro-channel condenser 23 and the compressor 22 are cooled by the air supplied by the air blower 21.
In the present embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 5, the air passage route 35 and the air circulation route 36 are formed inside the mechanical chamber 14, so that heat exchange at positions such as the micro-channel condenser 23 can be promoted, and the defrost water can be evaporated well.
In addition, when the frost formation at the evaporator 116 reaches a certain level or more, a defrosting process is performed to melt the frost grown at the evaporator 116. For example, frost formation at the evaporator 116 is detected when the cooling time measured by the timer 33 reaches a certain time. In addition, the defrost water generated by the melting of frost passes through the water conduit 31 shown in FIG. 4 and is accumulated in the evaporating tray 25. In the present embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 5, since the air circulation route 36 by which the air circulates between the evaporating tray 25 and the micro-channel condenser 23 is formed, the defrost water can be evaporated effectively using the heat released from the micro-channel condenser 23.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In addition, there may be various variations of implementations without departing from the scope of the essence and spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the present embodiment with reference to FIG. 4, the micro-channel condenser 23 and the air blower 21 are arranged sequentially starting from the right side, but the sequence may be reversed, and the air blower 21 and the micro-channel condenser 23 may be arranged sequentially starting from the right side.

[Listing of reference numbers]

10 Refrigerator
11 Heat-insulating cabinet
111 Housing
112 Inner liner
113 Heat-insulating material
114 Vegetable compartment
115 Cooling compartment
116 Evaporator
117 Defrosting heater
118 Air supply duct
12 Refrigeration compartment
13 Freezing compartment
14 Mechanical chamber
151 Top panel
152 Side panel
153 Side panel
154 Back panel
155 Mechanical chamber cover
17 Defrosting heater
18 Heat-insulating door
19 Heat-insulating door
20 Heat-insulating door
21 Air blower
211 Housing
212 Wind tunnel
22 compressor
23 Micro-channel condenser
24 Calculation control portion
25 Evaporating tray
251 Bottom surface portion
252 Front side surface portion
253 Rear side wall portion
254 Left side wall portion
255 Right side wall portion
256 First open area
257 Closed area
258 Second open area
26 Air inlet
261 First air inlet
262 Second air inlet
27 Air outlet
271 First air outlet
272 Second air outlet
273 Third air outlet
28 Shielding plate
29 Support plate
30 Protruding support portion
31 Water conduit
32 Temperature sensor
33 Timer
34 Defrosting heater
35 Air passage route
36 Air circulation route
37 Refrigerant pipe
38 Spacer

Claims

A refrigerator, comprising:
a heat-insulating cabinet forming storage compartments;

a freezing cycle system comprising a compressor, a micro-channel condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator;

a mechanical chamber formed in a rear lower portion of the heat-insulating cabinet;

an air blower supplying air into an interior of the mechanical chamber;

an evaporating tray for accumulating defrost water generated when the evaporator is defrosted;

an air inlet formed on one end side of the mechanical chamber and configured to guide air from the external into the mechanical chamber; and

an air outlet formed on the other end side of the mechanical chamber and configured to discharge the air supplied by the air blower out of the mechanical chamber;

wherein the compressor, the micro-channel condenser, the air blower and the evaporating tray are all received in the mechanical chamber,

a first open area, a closed area and a second open area are formed sequentially on an upper surface side of the evaporating tray, starting from an upstream side of the air blower,

when the air blower supplies air, an air passage route and an air circulation route are formed in the mechanical chamber,

the air passage route is a route by which air passes through the air inlet, the micro-channel condenser, the air blower, the compressor and the air outlet;

the air circulation route is a route by which air circulates in the second open area, the closed area, the first open area, the micro-channel condenser and the air blower.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the evaporating tray has a side wall portion disposed on a downstream side of the air blower.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor with the micro-channel condenser passes by the second open area, the vicinity of a bottom surface of the evaporating tray, and the first open area.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the closed area is provided with a shielding plate that closes the evaporating tray from above, and the micro-channel condenser and the air blower are arranged on an upper surface of the shielding plate.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an opening area of the air inlet is larger than an area of a wind tunnel of the air blower.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an opening area of the air outlet is larger than an area of the wind tunnel of the air blower.