JP2008151378A - Cooler with defroster and refrigerator comprising cooler with defroster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooler with a defroster capable of reducing an installation space of a defroster and a cooler, and reducing the probability that a cap, a glass tube and a lead wire as components of a glass tube heater may be damaged by a cooling fin of the cooler. <P>SOLUTION: The cooling fin 23 is provided with a cutout 25, the glass tube heater 24 is inserted into the cutout 25, and the cap 28 is mounted on a refrigerant pipe 22, to fix the glass tube heater 23 to the cooler 21, thus the glass tube heater 23 and the cooler 21 are integrated, and the probability that the cap 28, the glass tube 27 and the lead wire 29 as the components of the glass tube heater 24 may be damaged by the cooling fin 23 of the cooler 21 can be reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator such as a refrigerator having a defrosting device and a refrigerator equipped with the cooler.

  A conventional refrigerator cooler will be described (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1.

  In FIG. 11, the refrigerator has a freezer compartment 1, a freezer compartment door 2 at the front of the freezer compartment 1, a refrigerating compartment 3 above the freezer compartment 1, a refrigerating compartment door 4 at the front of the refrigerating compartment 3, and a cooling at the lower rear of the refrigerator body. A fan 7 is provided above the cooler 5 and a glass tube heater 6 as a defrosting device disposed in a notch that opens downward in the lower part of the cooler 5 and the cooler 5.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below.

  The cooler 5 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the cooler 5, and the freezer compartment 1 and the refrigerator compartment 3 are cooled by the operation of the fan 7. Here, the air exchanged by the cooler 5 is caused by inflow of high-temperature outside air by opening / closing the freezer compartment door 2 or the refrigerator compartment door 4 or evaporation of moisture contained in the stored food in the freezer compartment 1 or the refrigerator compartment 3. Since the air is highly humidified, moisture in the air forms frost and accumulates on the cooler 5 that is at a low temperature due to the air.

  As the amount of frost increases, heat transfer between the surface of the cooler 5 and the air that exchanges heat is hindered, and air flow resistance decreases and the air volume decreases, resulting in a decrease in heat transmission rate and insufficient cooling. .

Therefore, before the cooling becomes insufficient, the glass tube heater 6 is energized, and the cooler 5 is heated and defrosted by radiant heat.
JP 2002-5553 A

  However, in the structure described in the above-mentioned conventional patent document 1, the arrangement space of the defroster and the cooler can be reduced by arranging the glass tube heater 6 so as to be embedded below the cooler 5. However, when assembling the cooler 5 and the glass tube heater 6 into the refrigerator, the glass tube heater 6 is first attached to the refrigerator, and then the cooler 5 is attached to the refrigerator. Here, the space for mounting the cooler 5 and the glass tube heater 6 on the refrigerator is very narrow, and the mounting of the cooler 5 is an operation in the very narrow space, so the cooler 5 is mounted on the refrigerator. At this time, there is a problem that the cap, the glass tube, and the lead wire which are components of the glass tube heater 6 may be damaged.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and reduces the arrangement space between the defroster and the cooler, and the cap, glass tube, and lead wire, which are components of the glass tube heater, with the cooling fins of the cooler. An object of the present invention is to provide a cooler with a defrosting device that reduces the possibility of damage.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a cooler with a defrosting device of the present invention includes a cooler including a plurality of cooling fins and a refrigerant pipe that penetrates the cooling fin, and a defrosting that defrosts the cooler. The defroster is a glass tube heater comprising a glass tube, a heater wire made of a metal resistor installed inside the glass tube, and an elastic cap that covers both ends of the glass tube, A notch is provided in a part of the cooling fin, the glass tube heater is inserted into the notch, and the cap is directly or indirectly locked to the refrigerant tube, whereby the glass tube heater is connected to the cooler. It is fixed to.

  Thus, by inserting the glass tube heater into the notch of the cooler, the distance between the glass tube heater and the cooler is shortened, the space for arranging the defrosting device and the cooler is reduced, and the cooler, the glass tube heater, The glass tube heater is attached to the cooler in advance, so that the cooler and the glass tube heater can be integrated in advance. Caps, glass tubes and leads that are components of the glass tube heater The possibility of damaging the wire with the cooling fins of the cooler can be reduced.

  The cooler with a defroster according to the present invention can reduce the arrangement space between the defroster and the cooler and can damage caps, glass tubes and lead wires that are components of the glass tube heater with the cooling fins of the cooler. The workability when attaching the cooler to the refrigerator can be improved.

  The invention according to claim 1 includes a cooler including a plurality of cooling fins and a refrigerant pipe penetrating the cooling fin, and a defrosting device for defrosting the cooler, wherein the defrosting device includes a glass tube. And a glass tube heater comprising a heater wire made of a metal resistor installed inside the glass tube and an elastic cap that covers the openings at both ends of the glass tube, and a notch is provided in a part of the cooling fin, The glass tube heater and the cooler are fixed by inserting the glass tube heater into the notch and fixing the glass tube heater to the cooler by directly or indirectly locking the cap to the refrigerant tube. The space between the defroster and the cooler is reduced, and the cooler and the glass tube heater are not attached to the refrigerator. A glass tube heater can be installed in the chamber, and the cooler and glass tube heater can be integrated, reducing the possibility of damaging caps, glass tubes and lead wires that are components of the glass tube heater with the cooling fins of the cooler. In addition, it is possible to improve workability when attaching the cooler to the refrigerator.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the notch is provided in the lower end portion of the cooling fin so as to open downward, so that the heat of the glass tube heater is efficiently supplied to the cooling fin. Therefore, it can be efficiently defrosted.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the cap is engaged with the refrigerant pipe above the glass tube to support the glass tube heater in the notch. Thus, the area of the notch is minimized, and the reduction in heat exchange performance due to the reduction of the heat transfer area of the cooling fin caused by the notch can be minimized.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap is disposed outside the cooling fins at both ends of the cooler, and is disposed outside the cooling fins at both ends. By being locked to the refrigerant pipe positioned, the vertical direction of the glass tube heater is fixed at the attachment part to the refrigerant pipe located outside the cooling fins arranged at both ends, and the glass tube heater and the cooling pipe are fixed. Can be fixed, and the length of the glass tube heater can be used for maximum defrosting.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cap is brought into contact with the cooling fins disposed at both ends, whereby the horizontal direction of the glass tube heater is: Fixing with cooling fins arranged at both ends, the glass tube heater and the cooler can be fixed with a simple cap shape, and the cap can be made inexpensive.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cap is provided with a protrusion for attaching the cap to the refrigerant pipe, whereby the refrigerant pipe is provided in the cap. Since there is no need for a separate part for attaching the glass tube heater, the glass tube heater can be attached to the cooler without increasing the number of parts, and the glass tube heater can be cooled only by an easy operation of attaching the protrusion to the refrigerant tube. Can be fixed to the vessel.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the glass tube heater is fixed to the cooler by using a holding member separate from the cap. The glass tube heater can be fixed at an optimum position without being influenced by the above.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the seventh aspect, since the cap is provided with a rib for positioning the holding member, the holding member can be easily positioned. Installation work becomes easy.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a bent portion formed by bending the cooling fin on a part of the cooling fin and an open portion opened. By providing a notch having a peripheral edge, inserting the glass tube heater into the notch, and contacting the bent portion and the glass tube, the open portion prevents the effect of radiant heat. Therefore, the heat is effectively supplied to the cooler by the radiant heat of the glass tube heater, and furthermore, since the bent portion provided on the cooling fin and the glass tube are in contact, it is given from the heater wire. Since the heat of the surface of the glass tube is directly conducted to the bent portion of the cooling fin by heat conduction, heat can be effectively supplied to the cooler.

  The invention according to claim 10 is a refrigerator including a cooler with a defrosting device in which the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is a flammable refrigerant. Since the heat on the surface of the glass tube conducts to the cooling fin, the surface temperature of the glass tube can be suppressed to the ignition temperature or less of the flammable refrigerant without reducing the heat capacity of the glass tube heater.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the same components as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooler with a defroster according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooler with a defroster according to the same embodiment as viewed from below, and FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the defroster of the cooler with a defroster according to the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a side view of the cooler with a defroster according to the embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the cooler with a defroster according to the embodiment, and FIG. The perspective view of the cooling fin of the cooler with a defroster in a form, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cap of the cooler with a defroster in the embodiment.

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the cooler 20 with a defroster is a cooler 21 including a plurality of cooling fins 23 and a refrigerant pipe 22 penetrating the cooling fins 23, and a defroster that is in contact with the cooling fins 23. A glass tube heater 24.

  Isobutane, which is a flammable refrigerant, is sealed in the refrigerant tube 22.

  In FIG. 4, a glass tube heater 24 includes a heater wire 26 in which a metal resistor is formed in a coil shape, a glass tube 27 covering the heater wire 26, a cap 28 covering the opening of the glass tube 27, and the heater wire 26. And connected lead wires 29.

  In FIG. 3, a notch 25 that opens downward is provided substantially at the center of the lower end of the cooling fin 23 of the cooler 21, and a bent portion 30 is provided only at the peripheral edge in the vertical direction of the notch 25. Yes.

  Moreover, the open part 31 exists in the part where the bent part 30 is not formed in the peripheral part of the notch 25, and the bent part 30 is continuously formed in the entire peripheral part of the notch 25. It is not something.

  The open portion 31 has a meaning that it is a portion where the bent portion 30 is not formed. For example, the open portion 31 includes a so-called collar portion that is often processed at the end face of the cooling fin 23 into a portion where the refrigerant pipe is inserted. .

  And the glass tube heater 24 is inserted in the notch 25, and the bending part 30 and the glass tube 27 are contacting.

  Here, the expression “vertical direction” is used, but the gist is that the bent portion 30 extends in a planar shape along the vertical direction of the cooler 21.

  More specifically, when the cooler 21 is arranged as shown in FIG. 1, the glass tube heater 24 is inserted in the notch 25 at the lower part of the cooling fin 23 in the horizontal direction, and only in the peripheral edge in the vertical direction of the notch 25. The provided bent portion 30 is brought into contact with the glass tube 27 of the glass tube heater 24.

  The glass tube 27 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter of 10.5 mm and an inner diameter of 8.5 mm.

  The lateral width a of the cap 28 is 40 mm, the outer diameter of the refrigerant tube 22 is 6.35 mm, and the pitch b of the refrigerant tube is 25.4 mm.

  In addition, the bending part 30 provides two bending parts with respect to one cooling fin, and the bending part 30 and the cooling fin are provided on both sides of the outer periphery of the glass tube 27 in the installation direction of the glass tube 27. 23 is in contact.

  The refrigerant tube 22 and the cooling fin 23 are made of aluminum, which has a high thermal conductivity, and the cap 28 that covers the opening of the glass tube 27 is made of silicone rubber.

  4 to 9, the cap 28 is integrally formed with the cap 28, and a protrusion 40 for attaching the cap 28 to the refrigerant pipe 22 is provided on the upper portion of the cap 28. The projecting portion 40 includes a vertical portion 41 and a horizontal portion 42, and a vertical portion 41 is provided downward at the tip of the substantially T-shaped horizontal portion 42. The protrusion 40 is attached to the curved pipe portion 22 </ b> A of the refrigerant pipe 22 located outside the cooling fins 23 </ b> A disposed at both ends of the cooling fin 23, and the protrusion 40 is included in the cooling fin 23. The glass tube heater 24 is fixed to the cooler 21 by being brought into contact with the cooling fins 23A disposed at both ends. More specifically, the cap 28 is attached to the refrigerant tube 22 by hooking the refrigerant tube 22 in a recess formed by the horizontal portion 42 and the vertical portion 41. The cap 28 is locked to the refrigerant pipe 22 above the glass pipe 27.

  An effect | action is demonstrated below about the cooler with a defroster comprised as mentioned above.

  When the frosted cooler 21 is defrosted, the heater wire 26 generates heat by energization from the lead wire 29, and heat is radiated to the glass tube 27. Heat is further radiated from the glass tube 27 to defrost the cooler 21. Further, the heat of the surface of the glass tube 27 given from the heater wire 26 is supplied to the bent portion 30 by heat conduction because the bent portion 30 of the cooling fin 23 and the glass tube 27 are in contact with each other. The fins 23 are defrosted.

  Further, the glass tube heater 24 is inserted into the notch 25 in the lower part of the cooling fin 23 in the horizontal direction, and the bent portion 30 provided only at the peripheral edge in the vertical direction of the notch 25 and the glass tube 27 of the glass tube heater 24 are provided. Since there is no part that obstructs the effect of radiant heat on the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass tube 27, the entire cooler 21 is defrosted using the radiant heat in the upper surface direction of the glass tube 27. In addition, in the direction of the lower surface of the glass tube 27, it is effective for defrosting a drain pan (not shown) part below the cooler 21, and the defrosting efficiency can be improved.

  The glass tube heater 24 is fixed to the bent tube portion 22A of the refrigerant tube 22 of the cooler 21, thereby facilitating the workability of attaching the cooler 21 to the refrigerator. Moreover, in the conventional refrigerator, although the site | part for fixing the cooler 5 and the glass tube heater 6 was each provided in the refrigerator, the fixing site | part for attaching the glass tube heater 24 becomes unnecessary, and it becomes cheap.

  Moreover, the cooler with a defrosting apparatus which improved the defrosting capability by making the glass tube 27 and the cooling fin 23 contact can attach the cooler 21 to a refrigerator after attaching the glass tube heater 24 to a refrigerator. Conceivable. At that time, in order to attach the cooler 21, it is necessary to pay close attention so that the cooling fins 23 do not damage the glass tube 27, the cap 28, and the lead wire 29 that are components of the glass tube heater 24. However, by fixing the glass tube heater 24 to the cooler 21 and integrating the glass tube heater 24 and the cooler 21 in advance, the workability of attaching the cooler 21 to the refrigerator is improved and the glass tube 27 is fixed. And it becomes easy to make the bending part 30 of the cooling fin 23 contact reliably.

  In addition, the volume of the cooler with a defroster can be made small by providing the notch 25 in the cooling fin 23 and providing the space for inserting the glass tube heater 24. Further, by providing the bent portion 30 in the cooling fin 23, the close contact with the glass tube 27 can be further ensured.

  It is desirable that the bent portion 30 has a flat shape, and it is easy to bend and the adhesion to the glass tube 27 can be increased.

  Since the material of the cap 28 is silicone rubber, the cap 28 can be easily attached to the refrigerant pipe 22 by utilizing its elasticity.

  The lateral width a of the projection 40 of the cap 28 is set to be longer than the pitch b of the two refrigerant tubes, and the glass tube heater 24 can be securely fixed by the two refrigerant tubes, and the glass tube heater 24 is After being attached to the refrigerant tube 22, the possibility that the glass tube heater 24 is displaced downward is reduced.

  By providing the notch 25 with a lower opening at the lower end of the cooling fin 23, the heat of the glass tube heater 24 is efficiently transmitted to the cooling fin 23, and defrosting can be performed efficiently.

  Further, the cap 28 is locked to the refrigerant tube 22 above the glass tube 27 and the glass tube heater 24 is supported in the cutout 25, thereby minimizing the area of the cutout 25. The reduction in heat exchange performance due to the reduction in the heat transfer area of the cooling fins 23 can be minimized.

  In addition, the cap 28 is attached to the refrigerant pipes 22 located outside the cooling fins disposed at both ends of the cooling fins 23, so that the frost attached to the vicinity of the cooling fins at both ends of the cooling fins 23 is sufficient. It is possible to reduce the possibility of problems such as not defrosting or extending the defrosting time, and it is possible to reliably defrost, and when the cap 28 is attached to the refrigerant pipe 22, the cap 28 is torn by the cooling fins 23. Absent.

  In addition, by fixing the protrusions 40 of the cap 28 in contact with the cooling fins 23 at both ends, the glass tube heater 24 can be fixed in the horizontal direction, and the cap 28 can be formed into a simple shape. 28 can be made inexpensive. Note that the cooling fins at both ends include the end plate in a cooler having a so-called end plate.

  Moreover, since the projection part 40 is formed in the left-right symmetrical position of the cap 28, the glass tube heater 24 can be more stably fixed to the cooler 21.

  On the other hand, when the refrigerant sealed in the refrigerant tube is made of isobutane, which is a flammable refrigerant, the surface temperature of the glass tube must be set to 394 ° C. or lower, which is 100 ° C. lower than the ignition temperature, to ensure safety. In this Embodiment, the glass tube 27 and the cooling fin 23 are contacting, and the heat of a glass tube heater is transmitted to a cooling fin by heat conduction. In addition, since the refrigerant tube 22 and the cap 28 are fixed, there is little possibility that a gap is generated in the contact portion between the glass tube 27 and the cooling fin 23 when attaching to the refrigerator, and the heat capacity of the glass tube heater 24 is reduced. The surface temperature of the glass tube can be surely set to 394 ° C. or lower.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cooler with a defroster according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, a description will be given centering on points different from the points described in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the defroster-equipped cooler 38 fixes the glass tube heater 33 to the cooler 37 using a holding member 32 that is separate from the cap 34. Specifically, the glass tube heater 33 can be fixed to the cooler 37 by binding the holding member 32 to the cap 34 and the refrigerant tube 36. Here, the ribs 35 are formed integrally with the cap 34, and two ribs 35 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cap 34.

  By fixing the glass tube heater 33 to the cooler 37 using a holding member 32 that is separate from the cap 34, the glass tube heater 33 is placed in an optimum position without being influenced by the arrangement of the refrigerant tubes 36. Can be fixed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, when the lowermost refrigerant pipe 36 is arranged at different heights (that is, when the lowermost refrigerant pipe 36 is not arranged in the horizontal direction), the holding member The glass tube heater 33 can be easily fixed to the cooler 37 by binding 32 to the cap 34 and the refrigerant tube 36. That is, the glass tube heater 33 can be fixed at an optimum position regardless of the position of the lowermost refrigerant pipe 36.

  Further, by providing the cap 34 with the rib 35 for facilitating the positioning of the holding member 32, the attaching operation of the holding member 32 becomes easy.

  In the present embodiment, the holding member 32 is an elongated flat plate-like resin member, but a metal wire or the like may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the rib 35 is formed integrally with the cap 34, but may be separate from the cap 34.

  In the present embodiment, the ribs 35 are continuously projected on the circumference of the cap 34, but may be projected on a part of the circumference.

  As described above, the defroster-equipped cooler according to the present invention reduces the arrangement space between the defroster and the cooler, and the cap, glass tube, and lead wire, which are components of the glass tube heater, are included in the cooler. Since the possibility of being damaged by the cooling fins can be reduced, the present invention can be applied to refrigerators, vending machines, and the like.

The perspective view of the cooler with a defroster in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view which looked at the cooler with a defroster in the embodiment from the lower surface AA line sectional view of FIG. Sectional drawing of the principal part of the defroster of the cooler with a defroster in the embodiment Front view of a cooler with a defroster in the same embodiment Side view of a cooler with a defroster in the same embodiment Sectional drawing of the principal part of the cooler with a defroster in the same embodiment The perspective view of the cooling fin of the cooler with a defroster in the embodiment The perspective view of the cap of the cooler with a defroster in the embodiment The perspective view of the cooler with a defroster in Embodiment 2 of this invention Cross section of the main part of a conventional refrigerator

Explanation of symbols

20, 38 Cooler with defrosting device 21, 37 Cooler 22, 36 Refrigerant tube 23 Cooling fin 24, 33 Glass tube heater 25 Notch 26 Heater wire 27 Glass tube 28, 34 Cap 29 Lead wire 30 Bending portion 31 Opening Portion 32 Holding member 35 Rib 40 Projection

Claims (10)

  A cooler comprising a plurality of cooling fins and a refrigerant pipe penetrating the cooling fin; and a defrosting device for defrosting the cooler, wherein the defrosting device is a glass tube and a metal installed inside the glass tube A glass tube heater composed of a heater wire made of a resistor and an elastic cap that covers the openings at both ends of the glass tube. A cutout is provided in a part of the cooling fin, and the glass tube heater is inserted into the cutout. And the cooler with a defroster which fixed the said glass tube heater to the said cooler by latching the said cap to the said refrigerant | coolant pipe | tube directly or indirectly.   The cooler with a defroster according to claim 1, wherein the notch is provided with a lower opening at a lower end portion of the cooling fin.   The cooler with a defrosting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cap is locked to the refrigerant tube above the glass tube and the glass tube heater is supported in the cutout.   The defrosting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap is disposed outside the cooling fins at both ends of the cooler and is engaged with the refrigerant pipe positioned outside the cooling fins at both ends. With cooler.   The cooler with a defrosting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cap is brought into contact with cooling fins disposed at both ends.   The cooler with a defrosting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a protrusion for attaching the cap to the refrigerant pipe is provided on the cap.   The cooler with a defrosting device according to claim 1, wherein the glass tube heater is fixed to the cooler using a holding member separate from the cap.   The cooler with a defrosting device according to claim 7, wherein a rib for positioning the holding member is provided on the cap.   A notch having a periphery formed by a bent portion formed by bending the cooling fin and an open open portion is provided in a part of the cooling fin, the glass tube heater is inserted into the notch, and the folding is performed. The cooler with a defroster as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4 which made the curved part and the said glass tube contact.   The refrigerator provided with the cooler with a defroster as described in any one of Claim 1 to 9 which made the refrigerant | coolant which flows through the inside of the said refrigerant | coolant pipe | tube the combustible refrigerant | coolant.

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