JP2002048461A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator that is improved in reliability. SOLUTION: This refrigerator is equipped with a cooler provided in the refrigerator, a pipe heater positioned below the cooler, and an insulating member provided at the end section of the pipe heater. The refrigerator is also equipped with a lead-out section which is installed to the insulating member and to which lead wires which supply electric power to the heater are led out and a member which covers the lead-out section and has an inclined slope.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a tubular heater below a cooler for melting frost attached to the cooler.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional refrigerator, a cooler for cooling the inside of the refrigerator is arranged in a refrigerator. The cooler is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the air outside the cooler by a refrigerant flowing inside, and a conventional refrigerator is provided with a means for circulating the air in the refrigerator, and is supplied around the cooler. The cooled air is supplied again into the refrigerator and circulated.

[0003] On the other hand, the water vapor contained in the air in the refrigerator is
By exchanging heat with the cooler, it adheres to the cooler surface as frost (hereinafter, referred to as frost formation). When the amount of frost formed on the surface of the cooler increases, the area of the surface of the cooler that comes into contact with air decreases, and the heat exchange performance of the cooler decreases. In a conventional refrigerator, frost is melted by heating a cooler to which frost adheres. In particular, a tubular heater is provided below the cooler, and the heat from this heater is supplied to the upper cooler to melt frost formed on the cooler (hereinafter, defrosting). I have. One example of such a prior art is disclosed in
No. 105680.

In this conventional technique, a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment are provided in a refrigerator, and air from each compartment is sucked into a cool air passage from the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, and is sent to a cooler installed at the back of the freezer compartment. A defrosting tube heater is provided below the cooler, and a cylindrical cap formed of an insulating member having a protrusion for preventing rotation of the heater is provided at both ends of the heater. The detent projections are provided so as to protrude on both sides of the cylindrical cap, and extend in the axial direction of the tube heater of the cylindrical cap.

[0005] Below the tubular heater, a tub is provided for receiving water (defrost water) generated by defrosting. Further, a support for supporting the heater is provided from the gutter side of the tubular heater, and the heater is sandwiched by inserting the cylindrical cap into the support from above. In addition, since the rotation-preventing projection is stored in the storage section provided on the support, the projection and the storage section are engaged with each other to suppress the rotation of the tubular heater. That is, the engagement between the support and the cylindrical cap is performed when the rotation preventing projection of the cylindrical cap fits into the opening formed in the support.

Further, an upper surface cover (hereinafter, referred to as a ceiling cover) is provided above the defrosting tubular heater so as to cover the heater, and the ceiling cover is used to remove water from a cooler during defrosting. The frost water is prevented from coming into contact with the high-temperature tubular heater for defrost.

[0007] The tubular heater is provided with a heating element such as a coiled nichrome wire inside, and electricity is supplied to the heating element through a lead wire for supplying electricity. In the state where the lead portion of the lead wire is attached to the support of the tubular heater for defrosting,
It is provided below the cylindrical cap. This is because the defrost water from above does not directly hit the outlet. If the lead-out part is provided at the position where the defrost water directly hits, the defrost water from this lead-out part will reach the heating element along the lead wire and will contact the heating element of the heater and break it. There is a possibility that the power supply may be leaked or an electric current may be leaked.

[0008]

However, in the refrigerator described in the above conventional example, after the defrost water dropped from the cooler hits the upper surface or the side surface of the cylindrical cap and reaches the lower surface of the cap, the surface tension is increased. Therefore, there is a possibility that the liquid will not drop while being attached to the lower surface but will travel along the lower surface and adhere to the lead wire lead-out portion.

In this case, when the tubular heater is intermittently energized to generate a large pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the tubular heater, the defrost water attached to the outlet portion is sucked into the inside of the tubular heater. However, the prior art has not considered that the heater may be damaged or the electric current may be leaked and the reliability of the refrigerator may be reduced.

Further, if the length of the lead wire is not enough, if the heater is attached to the support portion and the lead wire immediately extends upward or horizontally from the lead-out portion, Even if the lead-out portion is below the cylindrical cap, the problem that the defrost water attached to the lead wire is led to the lead-out portion has not been considered in the above-mentioned conventional technology.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the reliability of the refrigerator is improved.

[0012]

The object of the present invention is to provide a cooler provided in a refrigerator, a tube heater disposed below the cooler, an insulating member provided at an end of the tube heater, This is achieved by a refrigerator provided with a lead portion provided on the insulating member and through which a lead wire for energizing the tube heater exits the insulating member, and a member having a slope covering the lead portion.

Further, the present invention is achieved in that the member having the slope is provided integrally with the insulating member. Further, a plate portion provided below the slope and extending vertically with the member having the slope or the insulating member, and the lead-out portion provided on a side of the slope having a lower slope than the plate portion. And a member extending vertically and having an end extending below the lead-out portion, and extending below the end of the member. This is achieved by providing the above-mentioned lead wire.

According to the above configuration, the defrost water dropped from the cooler falls from the insulating member at the end of the heater to the gutter located below the tube heater before reaching the lead-out portion of the lead wire. In addition, water droplets transmitted from the insulating member to the lead wire, or water droplets dropped from the cooler directly onto the lead wire and adhered to the lead wire, even when traveling along the lead wire and before reaching the lead-out portion of the insulating member. Falls on the gutter.

[0015]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the first embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an end portion of the tube heater of the refrigerator illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the end of the tube heater shown in FIG. 2 from below. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the structure of the end portion of the tube heater shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a refrigerator main body, 20 is a refrigerator room, 2 is a vegetable room, 3 is a freezing room, and 4 is a cooler. A gutter 7 is provided below the cooler. 5 is a cooler 4
A defrosting tube heater for dissolving frost attached to the cooler, which is installed in a lower portion of the cooling device. Reference numeral 9 denotes a fan for sending the air cooled by the cooler 4 to the freezing compartment 3, and reference numeral 10 denotes a drain for discharging defrost water dropped from the cooler 4 or the like during defrosting to the outside of the refrigerator.

The structure of this defrosting tube heater 5 is shown in FIGS.
This will be described below with reference to FIG. 2, 3, and 4, a cylindrical rubber cap 6 a as an insulating member having a rotation preventing projection 6 b is provided below the tube heater 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation preventing projection 6b is provided with a cylindrical rubber cap 6a.
Is formed vertically over the heater tube axis of the cylindrical rubber cap.

Reference numeral 7a denotes a support provided on the gutter 7 side of the tube heater 5, and this support is provided so as to extend upward from the gutter 7 below the tube heater 7. I have. The cylindrical rubber cap 6a is clamped by being inserted into the support 7a from above. That is, the support 7
a has an opening 7c opened upward so as to be able to engage with the cylindrical rubber cap 6a inserted from above.

The support 7a shown in FIG. 1 has a groove 7b for preventing rotation below the support 7a. When the cylindrical rubber cap 6a is clamped in the opening 7c, the cylindrical support 7a The detent protrusion 6b of the rubber cap 6a is formed to engage with the groove 7b of the support 7a. As described above, in the present embodiment, the engagement between the support 7a and the cylindrical rubber cap 6a is determined by the fact that the rotation preventing projections 6b of the cylindrical rubber cap 6a fit into the grooves 7b formed in the support 7a. Done.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an upper surface cover (hereinafter, referred to as a ceiling cover) attached so as to cover the upper part of the defrosting tube heater 5, and the ceiling cover 8 drops from the cooler 4 during defrosting. Water is prevented from contacting the tube heater 5. When the defrost water comes into contact with the high-temperature defrosting tube heater 5, a large evaporation sound is generated, so that the ceiling cover reduces noise generated from the refrigerator. In addition, the defrost water in contact with the tube heater 5 evaporates instantaneously, and the shock at that time prevents the tube heater from being damaged. In order to prevent the ceiling cover 8 from rotating, the mounting legs 8a formed on the side surfaces of the ceiling cover 8 are held between the circular grooves 6c on the cylindrical rubber cap side.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a lead wire for supplying electricity to a heating element of a defrosting tube heater 5 (an electric heating element such as a coiled nichrome wire in a glass tube). The lead-out portion S of the lead wire 11 is provided on the cylindrical rubber cap 6a, and is provided below the cylindrical rubber cap 6a when the defrosting tube heater 5 is attached to the support 7a.
The position of the lead-out portion S of the cylindrical rubber cap 6a is clearly shown in FIGS.

Reference numeral 6d denotes a cap cover (eave portion) formed integrally with the cylindrical rubber cap 6a and provided above and over the rubber cap 6a and the lead-out portion S.
The cap cover 6d is provided obliquely with respect to the upper surface of the cylindrical rubber cap 6a. In particular, in the present embodiment, the rubber cap 6a on the opposite side from the tube heater 5 main body side.
The upper surface is formed so as to descend toward the end. The water drops that have dropped or adhered to the upper surface of the cap cover 6d move downward along the inclined surface and flow. For this reason, it is suppressed that a water drop stays on the upper surface of the cap cover 6d, and that the water drop moves downward from the end of the cap cover 6d and approaches the lead-out portion S of the lead wire 11.

The direction of inclination of the cap cover 6d is as follows.
The present invention is not limited to the direction of the present embodiment.
It suffices if the inclination is formed so as to prevent the water droplet from moving away from the tube heater 5 or the lead-out portion S while suppressing the movement to the lower side of d. Needless to say, it is possible to prevent the tube heater 5 from flowing in the direction of the tube heater 5 and reduce the leakage and damage of the tube heater 5.

Below the cap cover 6d, there is provided a plate-like member 6e which is provided integrally with the lower surface of the cap cover 6d and the main body of the rubber cap 6a and extends vertically. The plate member 6e is provided with a cap cover 6d.
Is arranged in the middle of the tube heater 5 in the tube axis direction, and the lead-out portion S is positioned below the inclination of the cap cover 6d with respect to the plate 6e. According to this configuration, for example,
Even if the water drops move or adhere to the lower side of the cap cover 6d, even if the water drops flow along the inclination of the lower surface of the cap cover 6d or flow in the direction of the lead-out portion S along the rubber cap 6a, 6e hinders the movement of water droplets,
Water droplets are suppressed from approaching in the direction of the outlet portion S.

From the end face of the cap cover 6d,
A cap cover upper and lower portion 21 extending in the vertical direction is provided so as to be continuous with the upper surface of the cap cover 6d. The width of the cap cover upper and lower portions 21 is wider than the side surface of the rubber cap 6a main body. Further, in this embodiment, the cap cover upper and lower portions 21 have a shape extending below the position of the lead wire lead-out portion S below the rubber cap 6a.

From the lower ends of the upper and lower portions 21 to the back side (lead-out portion S
(On the side closer to), a convex portion 22 is provided, and the convex portion 22 also functions to prevent water droplets flowing on the surface of the upper and lower portions 21 from approaching the outlet portion S side. Alternatively, a gap may be provided between the surface of the upper and lower portions 21 on the rubber cap 6 main body side and the rubber cap 6a so as to prevent water droplets flowing on this surface from moving to the rubber cap 6 main body side.

Further, a notched portion formed by being depressed may be provided at the lower end of the upper and lower portions 21 of the cap cover. The notch and the lead wire 11 led out from the lead-out portion S are engaged, and the lead wire 11 is attached to the rubber cap 6a.
, And is held. That is, the upper and lower portions 21 have a portion for positioning and holding the lead wire 11.

In such a configuration, the lead wire 11 is led out downward from the lead-out portion S provided above the lower end of the cap cover upper / lower portion 21 and extends below the lower end. Will be issued. For this reason, the lead wire led out from the lead-out portion S has a portion that temporarily extends from the lead-out portion S in the vertical direction. In addition, since the lead wire 11 is positioned while holding the portion from the end of the upper and lower portions 21 to the lead-out portion S, the portion extending in the vertical direction is displaced by vibration, impact, or the like, and water droplets are removed. It is possible to suppress entry into the derivation unit S.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the cap cover 6d receives the defrost water dropped from the cooler 4, and the defrost water is directly extended from the gutter 7 or the outlet section S by the inclination of the cap cover. Falling toward the lead wire 11. In this way, it is suppressed that the water droplet moves to and approaches the lead-out portion S of the lead wire 11. Also, the water droplets that have moved below the cap cover 6d are prevented from moving in the direction of the lead-out portion S by the plate 6e that extends in the up-down direction.
Further, when the defrost water adheres to the lead wire 11, the lead wire 11 is held in a state of being always extended in the vertical direction from the lead-out portion S as described above. Cannot move upward, and does not reach the derivation unit S.

Thus, even if a large pressure difference occurs inside the defrosting tube heater 5 due to the intermittent energization of the defrosting tube heater 5, it is possible to suppress the suction of defrosting water from the lead wire lead-out portion S. . Therefore, the occurrence of electric leakage and breakage of the tube heater 5 is reduced, and the reliability of the refrigerator is improved. In the present embodiment, the cover 6d and the upper and lower portions 21 are formed of the same member as the rubber cap 6a. Performance can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the cylindrical rubber cap 6
The supporting member 7a holding n has a structure rising from the gutter side, but the cylindrical rubber cap 6a is prevented from rotating,
If the lead wire lead-out portion S is directed downward, the support may be provided at a position such as the side surface of the gutter.

In this embodiment, the cap cover 6d
The upper and lower portions 21 are provided so as to extend in the vertical direction so as to be continuous with the upper and lower portions. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure. What is necessary is just to have the surface provided in the angle which flows. Further, the same effect can be obtained even when the surfaces of the upper and lower portions 21 and the upper surface of the cap cover 6d have the same angle and are the same surface.

Next, an embodiment in which the shape of the cap cover 6d of the above-described embodiment of the present invention is modified will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an end structure of a tube heater according to a modification of the refrigerator shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the end of the tube heater shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the structure of the end of the tube heater shown in FIG. 5 from the side.

In this embodiment, the shape of the cap cover 6d is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the cylindrical rubber cap 6a, and the width of the cap cover is reduced in the middle. In addition, description of members having the same structure as in the above-described embodiment will be omitted. In this embodiment, at the place where the width of the cap cover is reduced, the upper and lower portions 23 are provided with the cap cover extending vertically below the cylindrical rubber cap 6. The cap cover upper and lower portions 23 are arranged so as to surround the lead portion S of the lead wire 11 and extend to a lower side than the lead portion S. Also, lead wire 1
1 is temporarily extended in the up-down direction from the lead-out portion S, and is extended below the upper and lower portions 23. This end may also be provided with a notch for engaging with the lead wire.

According to such a configuration, the water droplets on the upper surface of the cap cover 6d flow along the inclination of the cap cover 6d, and the leads extending from the ends of the cap cover upper and lower portions 23 to the gutter 7 or the lead-out portion S. Falling towards line 11. In this way, it is suppressed that the water droplet moves to and approaches the lead-out portion S of the lead wire 11. Also, the water droplets that have moved below the cap cover 6d are prevented from moving in the direction of the lead-out portion S by the plate 6e that extends in the up-down direction. Further, as in the case described above, the defrost water is supplied to the lead wire 11.
Does not move upward along the lead wire, and does not reach the outlet S.

Accordingly, even if a large pressure difference occurs inside the defrosting tube heater 5 due to the intermittent energization of the defrosting tube heater 5, it is possible to suppress suction of defrosting water from the lead wire lead-out portion S. . Therefore, the occurrence of electric leakage and breakage of the tube heater 5 is reduced, and the reliability of the refrigerator is improved.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A refrigerator having improved refrigerator reliability can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an end structure of a tube heater of the refrigerator shown in FIG.

3 is a diagram showing the structure of the end of the tube heater shown in FIG. 2 from below.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a structure of an end portion of the tube heater shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a structure of an end of a tube heater according to a modification of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of the end of the tube heater shown in FIG. 5 from below.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the structure of the end portion of the tube heater shown in FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Refrigerator body, 2. Vegetable room, 3. Freezer room, 4.
· Cooler, 5 · · · defrosting tube heater, 6 a · · · cylindrical rubber cap, 6 b · · · detents, 6 c · · · ceiling cover holding groove, 6 d · · · Hisashi molded integrally with the cylindrical rubber cap 7 ·· tub, 7a ·· support, 7b ·· groove, 8 ···
Ceiling cover, 8a ··· Ceiling cover mounting leg, 9 · · · fan for cooler, 10 · · drain for drainage, 11 · · lead wire,
S ··· Derivation unit, 12 ··· Refrigerator body, 13 ··· Freezer,
14 ・ ・ Refrigerator, 15 ・ Freezer inlet, 15 ′ ・ Freezer passage, 16 ・ ・ Refrigerator inlet, 16 ′ ・ Refrigerator passage, 17 ・ ・ Cooler, 18 ・ ・ For defrost Tube heater, 19a
..Cylindrical rubber cap, 19b
0, tub, 20a, support, 20b, opening frontage, 2
1. Ceiling cover, 21a Ceiling cover mounting leg, 22
..Fans for coolers, 23..Drains for drainage, 24 ..
Lead.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuaki Arakawa 800, Tomita, Ohira-cho, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture F-term in Hitachi, Ltd. Cooling and Cooling Business Dept. 3L046 AA05 AA07 BA01 CA06 MA04

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cooler provided in a refrigerator, a tube heater disposed below the cooler, an insulating member provided at an end of the tube heater, and a tube provided on the insulating member. A refrigerator comprising: a lead-out portion through which a lead wire for supplying power to a heater exits from the insulating member; and a member having a slope covering the lead-out portion. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the member having the slope is provided integrally with the insulating member. 3. A plate portion provided below the slope and extending in the vertical direction integrally with the member having the slope or the insulating member, and provided on a side of the slope having a lower slope than the plate portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the lead-out section. 4. A member extending vertically and having an end extending below the lead-out portion, and a lead wire extending below the end of the member. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.