JP2002267353A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure safety without being involved in a fire even when a combustible refrigerant leaks by arranging a control circuit in the vicinity of a machine room to improve a cabinet design efficiency, in a refrigerator using a combustible refrigerant, as a substitution refrigerant, reducing the occurrence of an opportunity to exert an adverse influence on global environment. SOLUTION: A containing part 40 for a control circuit 33 and a containing part cover 41 are sealed by a plurality of seal means, consisting of first and second seam means 42 and 43. Since a control circuit 33 is arranged in the vicinity of a machine room 25, sealing of a control circuit 33 having a fear of forming a firing source is reinforced, and safety can be secured without being involved in a fire.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator using a flammable refrigerant such as R600a as a refrigerant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, chlorofluorocarbon (hereinafter referred to as C)
Attention has been focused on environmental problems such as ozone layer depletion and global warming under the influence of FC. From such a viewpoint, the complete elimination of CFC as a refrigerant has been a very important theme. In Japan, the conversion of CFCs to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (hereinafter referred to as HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (hereinafter referred to as HFCs) has been completed. On the other hand, hydrocarbons, which are flammable but have very little impact on global warming, have been completed. Some countries are working on carbon (hereafter referred to as HC).

A conventional refrigerator to which such a flammable refrigerant is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-200944, and FIG. 15 is a refrigeration cycle diagram thereof.

[0005] Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body of the refrigerator-freezer 2, and a front surface has a plurality of doors 3 for a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, and the like.

The lower part of the refrigerator body 1 is a machine room 5 having a removable cover 4. The machine room 5 has a compressor 7, a condenser 8, and a throttle device (capillary tube) constituting a refrigeration cycle 6. 9) A heat radiation blower 10 is disposed.

[0007] The evaporator 11 and the internal cooling blower 12 are disposed in the internal storage, and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 7 as shown in FIG.
The refrigeration cycle 6 is configured to pass through the condenser 8 → the expansion device 9 → the evaporator 11 and return to the compressor 7 again. A flammable refrigerant such as propane or isobutane, which is heavier than air, is used as the refrigerant.

A control circuit 13 for controlling the refrigerating cycle has a shape in which an electric element, a semiconductor element and the like are incorporated in a control board, and is arranged in a concave portion 14 provided on the upper rear surface of the refrigerator main body 1. 15 and is located further above the uppermost evaporator 11 constituting the refrigeration cycle 6.

According to the refrigerator having the above-described structure, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 7 is passed by the control circuit 13 through the compressor 7, the throttle device 9, the evaporator 11, and returns to the compressor 7 again. The refrigeration cycle 6 is configured. At this time, in the evaporator 11, the cold air subjected to the heat exchange repeats the circulation sent out from the in-compartment cooling blower 12 into each of the compartments.

In this operation, for example, even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, it is harder to reach the control circuit 13, which is a spark generation source, because it is heavier than air. In consideration of the arrival of the flammable refrigerant due to leakage,
It has a closed structure.

[0011]

In the above-mentioned conventional structure, which is generally adopted in recent HFC refrigerant-applied refrigerators, in which a control circuit is arranged at an upper portion of the refrigerator, the flammability is higher than that of air. Naturally, even if the refrigerant leaks, it is difficult to reach the control circuit at a high position of the refrigerator.

Although the recess 14 has a closed structure with the cover 15 in consideration of the arrival of the flammable refrigerant due to leakage, the seal becomes incomplete due to deformation during molding of the recess and the cover. There was a risk of fire due to the intrusion of the fire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and uses a flammable refrigerant which does not adversely affect the global environment as an alternative refrigerant by securely sealing the housing of the control circuit. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which safety is ensured without causing ignition or the like even if a refrigerant leaks.

[0014] In addition, due to the recent changes in housing conditions, especially in condominium houses and the like, there is a strong need for a refrigerator having as large an internal volume as possible within a limited installation space allocated to the refrigerator. In order to respond to such market needs, the ineffective space is reduced by arranging the components such as the control circuit in the vicinity of the machine room in a concentrated manner, that is, the cabinet design efficiency (the effective inner volume of the refrigerator is reduced by the outer volume of the refrigerator. Refrigerators that have a larger effective internal volume with a smaller refrigerator installation area, with improved (divided numerical values) are starting to be released. In a refrigerator having such features, there is a problem in that, when the control circuit is disposed above the refrigerator, a desired improvement in design efficiency is sacrificed.

Another object of the present invention is to arrange a control circuit near a machine room in order to improve cabinet design efficiency, and to use a flammable refrigerant which does not adversely affect the global environment as an alternative refrigerant. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that ensures safety without causing ignition or the like even if a flammable refrigerant leaks.

[0016]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigeration cycle is provided with a control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, and a housing for covering the housing. And the housing cover is sealed by a plurality of sealing means, and the sealing between the housing of the control circuit and the outside is further strengthened and assured,
Even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, the flammable refrigerant can be prevented from entering the control circuit, which may be the ignition source, and the atmosphere in the control circuit housing can be maintained at a concentration below the flammable limit lower limit. As a result, safety is ensured without causing ignition.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the housing of the control circuit is installed near a machine room housing the compressor. The flammable refrigerant leaks while reducing the ineffective space by intensively placing it near the machine room, that is, improving the volumetric efficiency of the cabinet (the value obtained by dividing the effective internal volume of the refrigerator by the external volume of the refrigerator). Also, the seal of the control circuit, which may be a source of ignition, is reinforced by using a plurality of sealing means, and the atmosphere in the control circuit housing can be maintained at a concentration equal to or lower than the flammable limit lower limit. Safety is ensured without leading to any problems.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigerator having a control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, wherein the housing for the control circuit is sealed by sealing means. In, the machine room that houses the compressor has a machine room cover, and the housing cover of the control circuit is arranged so as to be covered in the machine room cover, so even if a flammable refrigerant leaks, Due to the dual structure of the machine room cover and the housing cover, the control circuit can be reliably prevented from entering the housing, and the atmosphere in the control circuit housing can be maintained at a concentration below the flammability limit lower limit, causing ignition. etc Safety is ensured without lead.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigerator having a control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, wherein the housing for the control circuit is sealed by sealing means. In, since the machine room that houses the compressor has a machine room cover, and the housing cover of the control circuit is formed by the machine room cover,
The effect that it is easy to prevent the concentration in the control circuit housing part from becoming the concentration lower than the lower limit of the flammable limit in the event that the flammable refrigerant leaks while improving the cost-effectiveness with a small number of parts and a small number of assembly man-hours. Have.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigerator having a control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, wherein the housing for the control circuit is sealed by sealing means. In the above, since the machine room housing the compressor has a machine room cover and the housing cover of the control circuit is arranged independently of the machine room cover, the flammable cycle piping portion in the machine room should be flammable. When the refrigerant leaks, first, the refrigerant leakage is blocked by the machine room cover, and the diluted flammable refrigerant atmosphere leaking from the machine room cover wraps the housing cover of the control circuit. It increased sealing effect of the control circuit housing portion, having the effect that no safety is secured to lead to ignition and the like.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the sealing means comprises a plurality of sealing means, so that the sealing effect of the control circuit housing portion is enhanced. In the event that the flammable refrigerant leaks, the control circuit accommodating portion has an effect of easily preventing the concentration in the control circuit housing portion from being equal to or higher than the flammable limit lower limit.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the sealing means includes: first sealing means for sealing the housing cover and the refrigerator housing; and a housing for the control circuit and the housing. Since it comprises the second sealing means for sealing between the covers, in the event that the flammable refrigerant leaks,
Even if a failure occurs in one of the sealing means, the other sealing means makes it easier to prevent intrusion of the flammable refrigerant, so that the concentration is kept below the lower limit of the flammable limit and safety is not caused by ignition etc. Is secured.

The invention according to claim 8 is provided with a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The pipe weld in the machine room that houses the compressor and houses the compressor is located at a lower position than the lead wire penetration in the control circuit housing. Even if conductive refrigerant leaks, the lead wire penetration of the control circuit housing is set at a higher position than the pipe weld, so refrigerant heavier than air stays at the bottom of the machine room and enters the control circuit housing. Difficult
It has an effect that it is easy to prevent the concentration from being lower than the lower limit of the combustion limit.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. Is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant and has a lead wire penetrating portion of the control circuit accommodating portion, and a gap is formed because the lead wire penetrating portion uses a sealing filler for preventing intrusion of flammable gas. Since the sealing material is also easily filled in the space between the lead wires, which is likely to be easily leaked, there is an effect that the leakage of the flammable refrigerant from the lead wire penetrating portion can be prevented.

The invention according to claim 10 of the present invention is characterized in that the lead wire to the control circuit accommodating portion penetrates from the side of the heat insulating material of the cabinet, so that the pipe welding portion in the machine room should be used. Even if flammable refrigerant leaks from the chamber, the lead-through portion of the control circuit housing section enters the control circuit housing section through the heat insulating material of the cabinet, so that the flammable refrigerant enters through the lead-through section. Can be prevented.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the electric component mounting surface of the control circuit is on the inner surface side of the control circuit housing portion. In this way, even if the leaked flammable refrigerant enters the vicinity of the control circuit accommodating section, it is difficult to come into contact with the electrical parts of the control circuit, and it is easy to prevent ignition etc. It has the effect that the property is secured.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape,
Since the refrigeration cycle is equipped with a gas leak detection sensor that detects flammable gas and an exhaust fan in the control circuit housing section, it is flammable from the welded pipe in the machine room. Even if the refrigerant leaks, the leakage is detected by a gas leak detection sensor provided in the control circuit housing, and the signal is leaked into the control circuit housing by operating the exhaust fan provided in the control circuit housing upon receiving this signal. Prevents refrigerant from entering. In addition, the operation of the exhaust fan also stirs the refrigerant leaking in the machine room and exhausts the refrigerant to the outside of the machine room, thereby making it difficult to form a flammable atmosphere.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the control circuit according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, further comprising a compressor capacitor, a compressor starting function, and a compressor protection function. Even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, there is no electrical component near the machine room other than the control circuit housing, so ignition can be prevented even if the flammable refrigerant leaks. Is secured.

[0029]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition,
The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the related art, and the detailed description is omitted.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external side view of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of a rear part of a machine room of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the refrigerator of the embodiment.

1, 2, 3 and 4, reference numeral 21 denotes a refrigerator main body of a refrigerator 22, and a front surface is a plurality of doors 23 for a freezer compartment, a refrigerator compartment, and the like. I have.

The lower part of the refrigerator body 21 is a machine room 25 having a removable machine room cover 24. The machine room 25 includes a compressor 26, a condenser 27, a dryer 28, A device (capillary tube) 29 and a radiator blower 30 are arranged.

The evaporator 31 and the blower 32 for cooling the inside of the refrigerator are disposed in the refrigerator, and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 26 is supplied to a discharge pipe 26a, a condenser 27, and a dryer 2 as shown in FIG.
8, throttle device 29, evaporator 31, suction pipe 26
A refrigeration cycle 34 that passes through b and returns to the compressor 26 again is configured. In the refrigeration cycle 34,
A flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant such as propane or isobutane, which is heavier than air, is used as the refrigerant.

The control circuit 33 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator has a shape in which an electric element, a semiconductor element and the like are incorporated in a control board, and is provided in a control circuit housing 35 provided near the machine room 25 of the refrigerator main body 21. Are located in A recess 35 a is formed over the entire circumference of the control circuit housing 35. Reference numeral 36 denotes a housing cover, around which a protruding portion 36a is formed, which is fitted with a recessed shape 35a provided over the entire circumference of the control circuit housing portion 35 to ensure sealing performance, and air from the machine room 25 is secured. Is regulated. Reference numeral 37 denotes a sealing tape which seals the space between the control circuit housing 35 and the housing cover 36 over the entire circumference and regulates the inflow of air from inside the machine room 25. From the viewpoint of sealing properties, it is preferable that the sealing tape 37 be made of a closed-cell type material rather than an open-cell type material.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. During normal operation, the control circuit 33
The operation of the refrigeration cycle 34 is controlled so that the inside of the refrigerator 22 is kept at an appropriate temperature by various temperature sensors attached to the refrigerator, and the temperature of the stored food is maintained at an appropriate temperature. When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle 34 installed in the machine room 25 for some reason such as a crack, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays in the machine room 25 within the combustion limit range.

On the other hand, the control circuit 3 which may become an ignition source
3, since the space between the control circuit housing 35 and the housing cover 36 is sealed with the sealing tape 37, the hydrocarbon refrigerant remaining in the machine room 25 is prevented from flowing into the control circuit 33. Is done. Further, since the concave shape 35a formed over the entire circumference of the control circuit housing portion 35 and the convex shape 36a formed over the entire circumference of the housing portion cover 36 have a fitting structure, leakage is also caused by the sealing structure at this portion. The intrusion of the refrigerant is prevented. By using a plurality of sealing means in this manner, the leakage of the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaked in the machine room 25 into the control circuit 33 is restricted, so that the possibility of ignition when the flammable refrigerant leaks is reduced. It can be eased and safety can be easily secured.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes the compressor 26, the condenser 27, the expansion device 29, and the evaporator 3.
A refrigeration cycle 34 in which a suction pipe 26a and a suction pipe 26a are sequentially connected in an annular manner. A refrigeration cycle 34 is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and a control circuit 33 for controlling a refrigeration cycle is provided near the machine room 25. The housing 35 of the control circuit 33 and the housing cover 36 are provided, and the housing 35 of the control circuit 33 is sealed by a plurality of sealing means.

Accordingly, the ineffective space of the entire refrigerator is reduced by arranging the electrical components such as the control circuit in the vicinity of the machine room in a concentrated manner, that is, the cabinet design efficiency (the effective inner volume of the refrigerator is reduced by the outer volume of the refrigerator). In this case, the seal of the control circuit, which may become an ignition source even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, is reinforced by using a plurality of sealing means while improving the divided value.

As a result, the atmosphere in the control circuit accommodating portion can be easily maintained at a concentration equal to or lower than the lower limit of the flammability limit, so that safety is ensured without causing ignition or the like.

Since the control circuit housing 35 and the housing cover 36 have a fitting structure, the housing cover 36
Good workability of mounting.

In the present embodiment, a refrigerator having the machine room cover 24 has been described as an example. However, it is needless to say that the same effect can be obtained in a refrigerator having no machine room cover 24. Similar effects can be obtained by using an O-ring, packing, or the like as the sealing means.

Further, in this embodiment, a refrigerator in which the accommodation section of the control circuit is installed in the vicinity of the machine room has been described as an example, but the accommodation section of the control circuit is located in the vicinity of the machine room without intending to improve cabinet design efficiency. Even in the case where the flammable refrigerant is not installed, the effect that the accommodating portion of the control circuit of the refrigerator using the flammable refrigerant is strengthened by using a plurality of sealing means can be obtained.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, the lower part of the refrigerator body 21 is
A machine room 25 having a removable machine room cover 24 is provided. In the machine room 25, a compressor (not shown) and the like constituting a refrigeration cycle are arranged.

An evaporator 31 and a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the inside of the refrigerator are disposed in the refrigerator, and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 26 is discharged into a discharge pipe 26a, a condenser 27, a dryer 28, as shown in FIG. A refrigeration cycle 34 that returns to the compressor 26 through the expansion device 29, the evaporator 31, and the suction pipe 26b is configured. Refrigeration cycle 3
A flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant such as propane or isobutane, which is heavier than air, is used as a refrigerant in the chamber 4.

The control circuit 33 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator has a shape in which an electric element, a semiconductor element and the like are incorporated in a control board, and is provided in a control circuit accommodating section 40 provided near the machine room 25 of the refrigerator body 21. Are located in Reference numeral 41 denotes a housing cover, which covers the control circuit housing 40 so that dust does not enter the control circuit housing 40. The machine room cover 24 is attached so as to cover the housing cover 41 of the control circuit housing 40.

Reference numeral 42 denotes a sealing tape (first sealing means) which seals the space between the outer shell of the refrigerator main body 21 and the housing cover 41 over the entire circumference to prevent air from flowing from the inside of the machine room 25. Regulating.

Reference numeral 43 denotes a sealing tape (second sealing means) which seals the space between the control circuit housing section 40 and the housing section cover 41 over the entire circumference and cannot be prevented from entering by the first sealing means 42. Inflow of air from inside the machine room 25 is restricted. Sealing tape (first sealing means)
For 42, an open-cell type material having a small repulsive force at the time of attachment is used, and a closed-cell type material having a large repulsive force but a good sealing property is used as a sealing tape (second sealing means). Increase.

Regarding the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle 34 installed in the machine room 25 for some reason such as a crack, and the machine room 2
In 5, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit range. However, first, the entire space between the outer shell of the refrigerator main body 21 and the housing portion cover 41 is sealed with the sealing tape 42 made of a flexible open-cell type material to prevent air from flowing in the machine room 25. Suppress. The leaked refrigerant that could not be suppressed in this portion is prevented from entering the control circuit housing 40 by the sealing tape 43 as the second sealing means made of a highly airtight closed cell type material. Since the surroundings of the control circuit can be prevented from becoming a flammable atmosphere, safety is ensured.

Further, since the housing cover of the control circuit is disposed so as to be covered in the machine room cover, a double structure of the machine room cover and the housing cover prevents entry of the control circuit into the housing. In addition, it can be prevented more reliably.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes the compressor 26, the condenser 27, the expansion device 29, and the evaporator 3.
1 and a suction pipe 26b are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigeration cycle 34 is provided. The refrigeration cycle 34 is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and a control circuit 33 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator and an accommodating portion of the control circuit are provided. 40 and a housing section cover 41 are provided, and as means for sealing the housing section 40,
A first sealing means 42 having a plurality of sealing means for sealing the housing cover 41 and the outer periphery of the refrigerator body 21;
And a second sealing means 43 for sealing between the accommodating section 40 of the control circuit and the accommodating section cover so that the accommodating section 40 and the accommodating section cover 41 of the control circuit are covered in the machine room cover 24. In the event that the flammable refrigerant leaks, the double structure of the machine room cover and the housing cover ensures that the control circuit can be reliably prevented from entering the housing if the flammable refrigerant leaks. Even if a failure occurs in the sealing means, the other sealing means can easily prevent the inflammable refrigerant from entering. As a result, the concentration is kept below the lower limit of the flammability limit, and safety is ensured without causing ignition or the like. The sealing performance can be easily adjusted according to the airtightness of the housing structure by changing the combination of the material of the open-cell type and the material of the closed-cell type and the combination of the tape width and the tape height in various ways. .

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, the lower part of the refrigerator body 21 is
The machine room 25 has a removable machine room cover 50. In the machine room 25, a compressor (not shown) constituting a refrigeration cycle and the like are arranged. The control circuit 33 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator has a shape in which an electric element, a semiconductor element, and the like are incorporated in a control board, and is disposed in a control circuit accommodating portion 51 provided near the machine room 25 of the refrigerator body 21. ing. The machine room cover 50 includes a control circuit housing 51.
And covers the control circuit housing 51 so that dust does not enter the control circuit housing 51. Reference numeral 52 denotes a sealing tape (first sealing means) that seals the entire space between the control circuit accommodating portion 51 and the machine room cover 50, and
It regulates the inflow of air from inside. Numeral 53 denotes a sealing tape (second sealing means).
And the machine room cover 50 are sealed over the entire circumference.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle installed in the machine room 25 for some reason such as a crack, and the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit range in the machine room 25.
However, first, the inflow of air from inside the machine chamber 25 is suppressed by the sealing tape 52 as the first sealing means. The leaked refrigerant that could not be suppressed in this portion is to prevent the leaked refrigerant from entering the control circuit housing portion 51 with the sealing tape 53 as the second sealing means,
Since the machine room cover 50 also serves as a cover for the control circuit accommodating portion and has a relatively small number of components, it is possible to prevent the surroundings of the control circuit from becoming a flammable atmosphere, thereby ensuring safety.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment has the machine room cover 50 in the machine room 25 accommodating the compressor.
Since the housing cover of the control circuit is formed by the machine room cover 50, the control circuit can be housed in the event that a flammable refrigerant leaks, while achieving cost-effective efficiency with a small number of parts and a small number of assembly steps. This has the effect that it is easy to prevent the concentration in the part from becoming lower than the lower limit of the flammability limit.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part of a rear part of a machine room of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

In FIG. 7, a detachable machine room cover 55 is attached to the refrigerator main body 21 with screws 55a at the lower rear portion of the refrigerator main body 21. Reference numeral 57 denotes a housing cover of the control circuit which is arranged independently of the machine room cover 55, and seals the housing of the control circuit with a sealing means (not shown).
And a part of the machine room cover 55 is opened, and is attached to the refrigerator main body by a screw 57a as a lid for a control circuit housing (not shown).
The machine room cover 55 is provided with a convection hole 56 for dissipating heat generated from the refrigeration cycle.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below.

When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle installed in the machine room for some reason such as a crack, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit within the machine room. Further, a part of the leaked refrigerant diffuses into the atmosphere through a convection hole 56 provided in the machine room cover 55. The leaked refrigerant first stays in the machine room cover, and the diluted refrigerant atmosphere leaking from the machine room cover reaches around the housing 57 of the control circuit. Machine room cover 5
In addition to being disposed independently of the control unit 5, the housing of the control circuit is sealed by a sealing means, so that it is difficult to enter the housing of the control circuit.

As described above, since the storage portion cover 57 of the control circuit is made independent, the influence of the refrigerant leakage in the machine room is reduced, so that the leakage of the leaked refrigerant into the control circuit storage portion is easily prevented. is there.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment has the machine room cover 55 in the machine room housing the compressor, and the housing cover 57 of the control circuit is arranged independently of the machine room cover 55. Therefore, in the event that flammable refrigerant leaks from the refrigeration cycle piping in the machine room, the refrigerant leak is first blocked by the machine room cover 55 and the machine room cover 55
Since the diluted flammable refrigerant atmosphere leaking out of the casing wraps the housing 57 of the control circuit, the sealing effect of the control circuit housing is relatively increased, and safety is ensured without leading to ignition or the like. is there.

In the present embodiment, the housing cover 57 of the control circuit is provided at a place where a part of the machine room cover 55 is opened. Alternatively, they may be provided side by side.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a main part of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention with a machine room cover and a control circuit housing cover removed.

In FIG. 8, the lower part of the refrigerator body 21 is
The machine room 25 has a compressor 26, a discharge pipe 26a, a suction pipe 26b, a condenser 27, a dryer 28 disposed on the bottom of the machine room 25, and a throttle device (capillary). (Tube) 29 and a heat radiation blower 30 are arranged.

The discharge pipe 26a and the suction pipe 26
b is connected to the compressor 25 at the welding points 60 and 61, respectively, and is located relatively below the machine room 25. The dryer 28 is connected to the condenser 27 and the expansion device 28 at welding points 62 and 63, respectively, and is located near the bottom of the machine room 25. A control circuit housing 65 houses a control circuit 66 in which electric elements, semiconductor elements, and the like are incorporated in a control board.

A lead wire penetrating portion 67 is provided above the control circuit housing portion 65, and the lead wire penetrating portion 67 is located relatively above the machine room 25. Lead wire group 68 of electrical components inside refrigerator and lead wire group 6 from compressor 25
9 is connected to the control circuit 66 through the lead wire penetrating portion 67. In the refrigeration cycle, a flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant such as propane or isobutane, which is heavier than air, is used as a refrigerant.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below.

When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from the welding point of the refrigeration cycle installed in the machine room 25 for some reason, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays in the machine room 25 within the combustion limit range. However, since the welding point is located relatively below the machine room 25, the leaking refrigerant having a property heavier than air stays from below the machine room 25 to near the bottom surface. On the other hand, since the lead wire penetrating portion 67 is located relatively above the machine room 25, the leaking refrigerant that is heavier than the air stagnating on the bottom surface from below the machine room 25 is less likely to reach the lead wire penetrating portion 67. It is possible to easily prevent the leakage refrigerant from entering the control circuit 66 via this portion.
Safety against ignition can be improved.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes the compressor 26, the condenser 27, the expansion device 28, and the evaporator 3.
1 and a suction pipe 26b are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant and a machine room 25 accommodating the compressor 26.
Since the pipe welding portion 60 in the inside is disposed at a position lower than the lead wire penetration portion 67 of the control circuit housing portion 65, even if the flammable refrigerant leaks from the pipe welding portion in the machine room, the control is performed. Since the lead wire penetration part of the circuit housing part is set at a position higher than the pipe welded part, refrigerant heavier than air stays at the bottom of the machine room and hardly enters the control circuit housing part, and the concentration becomes lower than the lower limit of combustion limit It is easy to prevent things.

In a refrigerator of the type having no machine room cover, the leaked refrigerant stagnating downward increases the diffusion to the outside of the machine room and it is difficult to reach the upper part. Especially effective for refrigerators.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention with a machine room cover and a control circuit housing cover removed.

In FIG. 9, the lower part of the refrigerator body 21 is
A machine room 25 is provided. In the machine room 25, a compressor 26 and a radiator blower 30 which constitute a part of the refrigeration cycle shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 70 denotes a control circuit housing portion, which houses a control circuit 71 in which electric elements, semiconductor elements, and the like are incorporated in a control board.

A lead wire penetrating part 72 is provided in a part of the control circuit housing part 70. A group of leads 73 of electric components inside the refrigerator and a group of leads 74 from the compressor 26 pass through the lead wire penetrating portion 72 and are connected to the control circuit 71. For the lead wire penetrating portion 72, a sealing filler 75 for filling a gap between the lead wires is used. Sealing filler 75
May be a type that cures after filling, or a type that retains flexibility. In the refrigeration cycle,
A flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant such as propane or isobutane, which is heavier than air, is used as the refrigerant.

The refrigerator configured as described above
The operation will be described below.

When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from the welding point of the refrigeration cycle installed in the machine room 25 for some reason, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays in the machine room 25 within the combustion limit range. The leaked refrigerant enters the inside of the structure housed in the machine room 25 through the gap. In particular, the lead wire overlaps the lead wire penetration part, and a gap is easily formed between the lead wires,
In the present invention, since the sealing filler 75 is used in this portion, it is possible to easily prevent the leakage refrigerant from entering the control circuit 71 via this portion,
Safety against ignition can be improved.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes the compressor 26, the condenser 27, the expansion device 29, and the evaporator 3.
1 and a suction pipe 26b are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and is provided with a lead wire penetrating portion 72 of a control circuit housing portion 70. Since the sealing filler 75 for preventing inflammable gas intrusion is used in the portion 72, the space between the lead wires where a gap is easily formed is easily filled with the sealing material. This prevents leakage of the flammable refrigerant. Further, even if the position of the lead wire penetrating portion is variously changed due to structural restrictions, the sealing performance can be easily ensured in response to the structural change.

(Embodiment 7) FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

In FIG. 10, the lower part of the refrigerator main body 21 has a machine room 25 having a removable machine room cover 50.
In the machine room 25, a compressor (not shown) constituting a refrigeration cycle and the like are arranged. The control circuit 80 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator has a shape in which an electric element, a semiconductor element, and the like are incorporated in a control board.
It is arranged in a control circuit housing part 81 provided in one machine room 25. The machine room cover 50 is used for the control circuit housing 8.
The cover 1 also serves as a cover for preventing dust from entering the control circuit housing portion 81. Reference numeral 52 denotes a sealing tape that seals the entire space between the control circuit housing portion 81 and the machine room cover 50 and regulates the inflow of air from inside the machine room 25. 53 is also a sealing tape, which seals the entire space between the control circuit housing 51 and the machine room cover 50. Reference numeral 82 denotes a lead wire, which passes through the inside of a heat insulating material 83 which also serves as a part of the outer periphery of the refrigerator main body 21 without passing through the inside of the machine room 25, and is directly connected to the control circuit 80.

The refrigerator configured as described above
The operation will be described below.

For some reason, such as a crack, the machine room 2
When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle installed in the fuel cell 5, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit range in the machine room 25. However, since the entire space between the machine room cover 50 and the control circuit housing portion 81 is sealed by the sealing tapes 52 and 53, the inflow of the leaked refrigerant remaining in the machine room 25 is prevented. . Further, since the lead wire 82 passes through the inside of the heat insulating material 83 and is directly connected to the control circuit 80 without touching the leaked refrigerant atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the leaked refrigerant from entering from the lead wire penetrating portion.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is characterized in that the lead wire 82 to the control circuit accommodating portion 81 is penetrated from the heat insulating material 83 side of the cabinet, so that the Even if the flammable refrigerant leaks from the pipe welding part, the lead wire penetration of the control circuit housing enters the control circuit housing through the heat insulating material of the cabinet, so the combustible refrigerant from the lead wire penetration It is possible to prevent the intrusion of the conductive refrigerant. In addition, since the heat insulating material itself is used as a sealant, it is not necessary to add a special sealant to seal the entry of the flammable refrigerant from the lead wire penetrating portion.

(Eighth Embodiment) FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room of a refrigerator according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 11, the lower part of the refrigerator main body 21 has a machine room 25 having a removable machine room cover 50.
In the machine room 25, a compressor (not shown) constituting a refrigeration cycle and the like are arranged. The control circuit 85 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator includes an electric element, a semiconductor element, and the like incorporated in a control board, a component mounting surface 85a of the electric element and the semiconductor element and the like inside the control circuit housing portion 86, and a printed circuit surface 85b housing the control circuit. The control circuit housing 86 is attached so as to cover the outer surface of the unit 86.

The refrigerator configured as described above
The operation will be described below.

For some reason, such as a crack, the machine room 2
When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle installed in the fuel cell 5, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit range in the machine room 25. Since the entire space between the machine room cover 50 and the control circuit housing 86 is sealed by the sealing tapes 52 and 53, leakage of the refrigerant leaking from the machine room 25 is prevented. Even if the seal with the sealing tapes 52 and 53 is broken and leaked refrigerant enters, the control circuit housing 8
6 is covered by the control circuit 85, and the component mounting surface 85a having contacts and the like is located inside the control circuit housing portion 86, so that it does not come into contact with the leaked refrigerant. Thereby, ignition of the leaked refrigerant can be prevented.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is provided with the electric element of the control circuit 85 and the component mounting surface 85a such as a semiconductor.
Is disposed so as to be on the inner surface side of the control circuit housing portion 86, even if the leaked flammable refrigerant enters the vicinity of the control circuit housing portion, it becomes difficult to contact the electric components of the control circuit, Safety can be ensured because it becomes easier to prevent the ignition or the like. It is more effective if a coating agent is applied to the printed circuit surface 85 of the control circuit 85 to prevent direct contact with the flammable refrigerant.

(Embodiment 9) FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

In FIG. 12, the lower part of the refrigerator body 21 has a machine room 25 having a removable machine room cover 50.
In the machine room 25, a compressor (not shown) and the like which constitute a part of the refrigeration cycle shown in FIG. 4 are arranged.

The control circuit 90 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator has a shape in which an electric element, a semiconductor element and the like are incorporated in a control board, and is provided in a control circuit housing portion 91 provided in the machine room 25 of the refrigerator body 21. Are located in Reference numeral 92 denotes a gas leak detection sensor for detecting leakage of combustible refrigerant, and has a function of detecting refrigerant leakage of a predetermined concentration or more and outputting an operation signal of the fan motor 93. Gas leak detection sensor 92
The fan motor 93 and the fan motor 93 are arranged in the control circuit housing 91, respectively.

The machine room cover 50 also serves as a cover for the control circuit housing section 91, and covers the control circuit housing section 91 so that dust does not enter. Reference numeral 52 denotes a sealing tape that seals the entire space between the control circuit housing portion 91 and the machine room cover 50 to restrict the inflow of air from inside the machine room 25. 53 is also a sealing tape, which seals the entire space between the control circuit housing 91 and the machine room cover 50.

[0092] Regarding the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below.

The machine room 2 for some reason such as a crack
When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle installed in the fuel cell 5, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit range in the machine room 25. If the seal between the control circuit housing portion 91 and the machine room cover 50 also serving as the cover of the control circuit housing portion 91 is insufficient, the leaking refrigerant enters the control circuit housing portion 91.

A gas leak detection sensor 92 installed in the control circuit housing portion 91 detects a refrigerant leak, and operates the fan motor 93 when the concentration reaches, for example, 25% of the lower limit of the flammability limit, thereby controlling the control circuit housing. The inside of the part 91 is stirred. When the inside of the control circuit housing section 91 reaches a predetermined concentration or less (for example, a level of 5% or less of the flammability limit lower limit value) by the operation of the fan motor 93, the operation of the fan motor 93 is stopped.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes the compressor 26, the condenser 27, the expansion device 29, and the evaporator 3.
1 and a suction pipe 26b are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant and controls a gas leak detection sensor 92 for detecting flammable gas and an exhaust fan 93. Since the flammable refrigerant leaks from the machine room and a part of the flammable refrigerant leaks into the control circuit housing part 91, the leak is provided in the control circuit housing part because it is provided in the circuit housing part 91. By detecting the gas leak sensor and operating an exhaust fan provided in the control circuit housing, an increase in the leakage refrigerant concentration in the control circuit housing is prevented.

When the exhaust fan is operated, the leaked refrigerant in the machine room is quickly diffused to the outside of the machine room, making it difficult to form a flammable atmosphere.

(Embodiment 10) FIG. 13 is an electric wiring diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

In FIG. 13, reference numeral 95 denotes a control circuit.
Compressor 2 depends on the temperature condition of each storage room constituting the refrigerator.
6 has a function of performing ON / OFF operation. 96
Is connected to a compressor relay 97 for improving the operating efficiency of the compressor 26 in parallel with a start relay (compressor start function) of the compressor 26 and a start relay (compressor start function) 96. An overload protection device (compressor protection function) 98 is connected in series with the compressor 26, and has a function of protecting the compressor motor from burning due to overheating or abnormal current of the compressor 26. Start relay (compressor start function) 96, compressor condenser 97, overload protection device (compressor protection function)
Reference numerals 98 are housed together with the control circuit 95 in a control circuit housing section (not shown).

The refrigerator configured as described above
The operation will be described below.

Machine room 2 for some reason such as cracks
When the hydrocarbon refrigerant leaks from a component of the refrigeration cycle installed in the fuel cell 5, the hydrocarbon refrigerant stays within the combustion limit range in the machine room 25. However, the overload protection device 98 installed in the machine room
All electrical components such as a start relay 96 having a contact like that described above, or a type that easily causes an increase in temperature, and a capacitor for a compressor that may cause an arc, etc., are provided in a control circuit housing part in which sealing properties are secured. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the leakage refrigerant from becoming an ignition source.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment has the compressor condenser 97, the compressor start function 96, and the compressor protection function 98 installed in the control circuit accommodating section. However, since there are no electrical components near the machine room other than the control circuit housing, ignition can be prevented and safety can be ensured without causing ignition or the like. In addition, since the accommodating portions for the electric components are concentrated in one place, it is only necessary to perform the sealing performance management in only one place, and the efficiency of the assembly precision management can be improved.

[0102]

As described above, the first aspect of the present invention includes a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The refrigeration cycle is provided with a control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, and a housing for the control circuit. The housing cover is sealed with a plurality of sealing means, and the sealing between the housing of the control circuit and the outside is strengthened and assured, and even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, it may become an ignition source. It is possible to prevent the flammable refrigerant from entering the control circuit with the air, and the atmosphere in the control circuit housing can be maintained at a concentration equal to or lower than the lower limit of the flammability limit, thereby ensuring safety without causing ignition or the like.

The invention described in claim 2 is the first invention.
In the invention described in (1), the accommodating portion of the control circuit is installed near the machine room accommodating the compressor, and the ineffective space is reduced by intensively arranging the components such as the control circuit near the machine room. In other words, while improving the cabinet design efficiency (the value obtained by dividing the effective inner volume of the refrigerator by the outer volume of the refrigerator), even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, the seal of the control circuit that may become an ignition source should be improved. Since a plurality of sealing means are used to reinforce the atmosphere, the atmosphere in the control circuit accommodating section can be maintained at a concentration equal to or lower than the lower limit of the flammability limit.

The invention according to claim 3 is provided with a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing are provided, and the housing for the control circuit is sealed by sealing means. In a refrigerator, a machine room housing a compressor has a machine room cover, and the housing cover of the control circuit is arranged so as to be covered in the machine room cover. Also, due to the double structure of the machine room cover and the housing cover,
The control circuit can be reliably prevented from entering the housing, and the atmosphere in the control circuit housing can be maintained at a concentration equal to or lower than the lower limit of the flammability limit, thereby ensuring safety without causing ignition or the like.

The invention according to claim 4 includes a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing are provided, and the housing for the control circuit is sealed by sealing means. In the refrigerator, a machine room cover for the compressor is provided with a machine room cover, and the housing cover of the control circuit is formed by the machine room cover. In a case where the flammable refrigerant leaks, it is possible to prevent the concentration in the control circuit accommodating portion from being equal to or higher than the lower limit of the flammable limit while improving the efficiency.

The invention according to claim 5 includes a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, a generator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A control circuit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing are provided, and the housing for the control circuit is sealed by sealing means. In the refrigerator, the machine room that houses the compressor has a machine room cover, and the housing cover of the control circuit is arranged independently of the machine room cover. When the flammable refrigerant leaks, first, the leakage of the refrigerant is blocked by the machine room cover, and the diluted flammable refrigerant atmosphere leaking from the machine room cover wraps the housing cover of the control circuit. Sealing effect of the control circuit housing portion is increased, safety is secured without leading to fire or the like.

The invention described in claim 6 is the third invention.
In the invention according to any one of claims 5 to 5, since the sealing means is a plurality of sealing means, the sealing effect of the control circuit storage part is enhanced, and if the flammable refrigerant leaks, the inside of the control circuit storage part is reduced. It is easy to prevent the concentration from being lower than the lower limit of the flammability limit.

The invention according to claim 7 is the same as the invention according to claim 3.
In the invention described in (1), the sealing means includes first sealing means for sealing the housing cover and the refrigerator outer shell, and second sealing means for sealing between the housing of the control circuit and the housing cover. In the unlikely event that a flammable refrigerant leaks, even if a failure occurs in one of the sealing means, it becomes easier to prevent the flammable refrigerant from entering by the other sealing means, so that the concentration is set to a value below the flammable limit lower limit. The safety is assured without causing ignition. In addition, the combination of open-cell type material and closed-cell type material, and
By variously changing the combination of the tape width and the tape height, the sealing performance can be adjusted so as to maximize the cost-effectiveness in accordance with the airtightness of the housing structure.

The invention according to claim 8 includes a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The pipe weld in the machine room that contains the hydrocarbon refrigerant and houses the compressor is located lower than the lead wire penetration in the control circuit housing. Even if flammable refrigerant leaks from the control circuit housing, the lead wire penetration of the control circuit housing is set at a higher position than the pipe weld, so refrigerant heavier than air stays at the bottom of the machine room. It is hard to penetrate, and it is easy to prevent the concentration from being lower than the lower limit of the combustion limit. Further, in the refrigerator having no machine room cover, the leaked refrigerant that has accumulated below is more difficult to reach the upper part because the diffusion to the outside of the machine room increases. Is valid.

The invention according to claim 9 of the present invention provides
A compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a refrigeration cycle formed by sequentially connecting a suction pipe with a refrigeration cycle.The refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant,
The control circuit accommodating portion has a lead wire penetrating portion, and the lead wire penetrating portion uses a filler for sealing for preventing combustible gas from entering, so that a space is easily formed between the lead wires where a gap is easily formed. Also, since the sealing material is easily filled, the leakage of the flammable refrigerant from the lead wire penetrating portion can be prevented. Also,
Even if the position of the lead wire penetrating portion is variously changed due to structural restrictions, it is easy to ensure sealing performance in response to the structural change.

The invention according to claim 10 of the present invention is characterized in that the lead wire to the control circuit accommodating portion penetrates from the heat insulating material side of the cabinet. Even if the flammable refrigerant leaks from the weld, the lead wire penetrating part of the control circuit housing part enters the control circuit housing part through the heat insulating material of the cabinet, so the flammable refrigerant from the lead wire penetrating part Can be prevented from entering. Further, since the heat insulating material itself is used as a sealant, it is not necessary to add a special sealant to seal the lead wire penetrating portion.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in accordance with any one of the first to tenth aspects, the electrical component mounting surface of the control circuit is provided on the inner surface side of the control circuit housing portion. Therefore, even if the leaked flammable refrigerant enters the vicinity of the control circuit accommodating portion, it is difficult to come into contact with the electrical components of the control circuit, and it is easy to prevent the ignition or the like. Therefore, safety is ensured.

The invention according to claim 12 of the present invention comprises a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The cycle is equipped with a gas leak detection sensor that detects a flammable gas and an exhaust fan in the control circuit housing part, in which the flammable refrigerant is sealed from the pipe weld in the machine room. Leaks, the leakage is detected by a gas leak detection sensor provided in the control circuit housing, and the signal is received to operate the exhaust fan provided in the control circuit housing, whereby the refrigerant leaking into the control circuit housing is received. Prevent intrusion. In addition, when the exhaust fan operates, the leaked refrigerant in the machine room is also stirred and exhausted to the outside of the machine room, so that a flammable atmosphere is hardly formed and safety is ensured.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the compressor according to any one of the first to seventh aspects further comprises a compressor condenser, a compressor starting function, and a compressor protection function. Since it is installed in the control circuit housing, even if the flammable refrigerant leaks, there is no electric component near the machine room other than the control circuit housing, so ignition can be prevented and it will not lead to ignition etc. Safety is ensured. In addition, the housing of electrical components has been concentrated in one place,
It is only necessary to perform the sealing performance management at only one place, and the efficiency of the assembly accuracy management can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external side view of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of a rear part of a machine room of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part of a rear part of a machine room according to a fourth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a main part of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention with a machine room cover and a control circuit housing portion cover removed.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention with a machine room cover and a control circuit housing portion cover removed.

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a machine room portion of a refrigerator according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room part according to an eighth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a machine room according to a ninth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an electric wiring diagram of a refrigerator according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional refrigerator.

FIG. 15 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of a conventional refrigerator.

[Explanation of symbols]

24, 50, 55 Machine room cover 25 Machine room 26 Compressor 26a Suction pipe 27 Condenser 29 Capillary tube 31 Evaporator 33, 85 Control circuit 35, 40, 51, 65, 70, 81, 86, 91 Control circuit housing 35a Concave shape 36, 41, 57 Housing cover 36a Convex shape 37, 42, 43, 52, 53 Sealing tape 60, 61, 62, 63 Welding point 67, 72 Lead wire penetrating parts 68, 69, 73, 74 Lead wire group 75 Sealant 82 Lead wire 83 Insulation material 85a Parts mounting surface 92 Gas leak detection sensor 93 Exhaust fan 96 Starting relay 97 Compressor capacitor 98 Overload protection device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yuji Kishinaka 4-5-2-5 Takaida Hondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Inside Matsushita Refrigerating Machinery Co., Ltd. Matsushita Refrigerating Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Mikihiro Nakayama 4-2-5 Takaida Hondori, Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture F-term in Matsushita Refrigerating Machinery Co., Ltd. 3L045 AA07 DA02

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerating cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe sequentially connected in a ring shape. A control circuit for operation control, a housing section for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing section are provided, and the housing section for the control circuit and the housing cover are sealed by a plurality of sealing means. A refrigerator characterized by that: 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the control circuit is installed near a machine room that houses the compressor. 3. A refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe sequentially connected in a ring shape, wherein a refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and A refrigerator is provided with a control circuit for operation control, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, and the housing is sealed with sealing means to house the compressor. A refrigerator having a machine room cover in a machine room, wherein a housing cover of the control circuit is arranged so as to be covered in the machine room cover. 4. A refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe sequentially connected in a ring shape, wherein a refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and A refrigerator is provided with a control circuit for operation control, a housing part for the control circuit, and a housing part cover for covering the housing part, and the housing is sealed with sealing means to house the compressor. A refrigerator comprising a machine room cover in a machine room, and a housing cover for a control circuit formed by the machine room cover. 5. A refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe sequentially connected in a ring shape, wherein a refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and A refrigerator is provided with a control circuit for operation control, a housing for the control circuit, and a housing cover for covering the housing, and the housing is sealed with sealing means to house the compressor. A refrigerator having a machine room cover in a machine room, wherein a housing cover of a control circuit is arranged independently of the machine room cover. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the sealing means includes a plurality of sealing means. 7. The sealing means comprises a first sealing means for sealing the housing cover and the refrigerator casing, and a second sealing means for sealing between the housing of the control circuit and the housing cover. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: 8. A refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe are sequentially connected in a ring shape, wherein a refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant and compressed. A refrigerator in which a pipe welding portion in a machine room for housing a machine is disposed at a position lower than a lead wire penetration portion of a control circuit housing portion. 9. A refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe which are sequentially connected in a ring shape. A refrigerator comprising a lead wire penetrating portion of a circuit accommodating portion, wherein the lead wire penetrating portion uses a sealing filler for preventing combustible gas from entering. 10. The lead wire of the control circuit housing portion penetrates from the heat insulating material side of the cabinet.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an electric component mounting surface of the control circuit is disposed so as to be located inside the control circuit housing portion. 12. A refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator, and a suction pipe sequentially connected in a ring shape, wherein a refrigeration cycle is filled with a hydrocarbon refrigerant, and A refrigerator comprising a gas leak detection sensor for detecting a volatile gas and an exhaust fan in a control circuit housing. 13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a compressor starting function, a compressor condenser, and a compressor protection function are provided in the control circuit housing portion.