JP2010025358A - Cooler with defrosting heater and article storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooler capable of saving a space for a cooler and a defrosting heater while reducing power consumption in defrosting, and suppressing degradation of a cooling capacity. <P>SOLUTION: This cooler 1 disposed in a refrigerator body 11 as a heat insulating housing defining storage compartments, is composed of a cooling pipe 2 and fins 4, at least the cooling pipe 2 positioned at a lowermost stage is composed of an uncovered pipe 2c while the fins 4 are not penetrated through the uncovered pipe 2c but they are close to each other, and the defrosting heater 5 is fixed to the uncovered pipe section 2c of the cooler 1 through a heat transfer plate 6, thus heat conduction of the cooling pipe 2 and the fins 4, and in-pipe convection can be improved, and defrosting can be efficiently performed. Further an area of the heat transfer plate 6 can be reduced, and ventilating resistance can be suppressed by disposing the heat transfer plate near the uncovered pipe section 2c, thus the cooling performance of the cooler 1 can be brought out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooler constituting a refrigeration cycle provided in an article storage device such as a refrigerator, and more particularly to a cooler with a defrost heater.

  In recent years, while energy saving in refrigerators is strongly demanded in the market, the power consumption of the defrosting heater is also being reviewed. In addition, the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle has a low global warming potential because there is no destruction of the ozone layer from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that have been used in the past in order to deal with ozone layer destruction and global warming problems caused by chlorofluorocarbons. Switching to a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant (hereinafter referred to as “HC refrigerant”) such as isobutane (R600a) is progressing.

  Since this HC refrigerant, such as isobutane, is a flammable refrigerant, it may ignite with a spark or the like and develop into a fire if a refrigerant leak occurs. Therefore, in the refrigerator using HC refrigerant, various explosion-proof measures are considered because it may ignite and ignite due to contact of electrical parts, relays, etc., heat generated by the defrost heater, and the like.

  For the purpose of solving such problems related to energy saving and safety of conventional defrost heaters, refrigerators that have improved the configurations of the cooler and the defrost heater have been proposed (for example, patents). Reference 1).

  In addition, conventional refrigerators generally have a machine room in the rear rear region of the storage room disposed at the lowermost part, and a compressor for a refrigeration cycle is accommodated in the machine room. With such a configuration, the storage space of the lowermost storage chamber is reduced due to the formation of the machine room, the storage volume is reduced, and the space shape of the storage space is also a complicated shape excluding the protruding part of the machine room. As a result, the storage was not good.

  On the other hand, the recessed part hollow so that the back part of the uppermost part of the storage chamber of a heat insulation box may be provided was provided, and it was equipped with the composition which stores the high-pressure side component equipment, such as a compressor which constitutes a refrigeration cycle in the recessed part. A refrigerator has been proposed, and the refrigerator having such a configuration can reduce the storage space of the cooler and the heater for defrosting in the depth direction and limit the height direction low, so that the storage capacity of the storage room is increased. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  FIG. 8 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view around the cooler of the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1. Moreover, FIG. 9 is an expanded sectional view of the defrost heater part of the cooler in the refrigerator.

  As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the cooler 60 stacks and inserts fins 62 made of thin aluminum pieces at a predetermined pitch into a long cooling pipe 61 and then bends the cooling pipe 61 in a meandering manner. Each of the storage chambers is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a predetermined width corresponding to the back surface width, a fin depth dimension, and a predetermined height dimension by bending.

  The fins 62 are disposed only in the straight pipe portion of the cooling pipe 61, and the bent portion located at the end of the cooling pipe 61 has a relatively thick, strip-shaped rigid body extending up and down the cooling pipe 61. The end plate 63 is arranged, and a fitting hole (not shown) drilled in the end plate 63 is made to coincide with the bent portion, and the cooling pipe 61 and the fin 62 are sandwiched and fixed from both sides to cool the cooler 60. Is forming.

  The end plate 63 extends further downward from the lowermost edge of the fin 62, and a defrost heater 64 that defrosts the cooler 60 is installed between both end plates of the extended portion. The defrost heater 64 is fitted into a notch 65 provided on the opposite side of the end plate 63 and is constructed between the both end plates 63.

  A heater cover 66 is disposed between the defrost heater 64 and the lowermost end portion of the fin 62 in the cooler 60. The heater cover 66 protects the upper part of the defrosting heater 64 and, along with the defrosting operation, the frost attached to the cooler 60 is melted to form water droplets on the surface of the glass tube 67 constituting the defrosting heater 64. It is for dripping and not generating an evaporating sound, and similarly to the defrost heater 64, it is fitted and held from the side in a slit-like locking groove (not shown) formed in the end plate 63. .

  The heater cover 66 may be fixed by being sandwiched between the end plates 63 together with the meandering cooling pipe 61 and the fins 62 when the cooler 60 is assembled, and the sectional shape of the heater cover 66 drops from the fins 62. Receiving the defrost water, it is formed in a mountain shape so that it can easily flow to the lower drainage basin 68, and a plurality of slits 69 that open in the width direction of the interior are formed in the slope near the top of the center. It is installed.

  In the above configuration, when the refrigerator (cooler 60) enters the defrosting operation, the heater cover 66 is first heated by the heating action of the warm air (updraft) and radiant heat generated by the defrost heater 64 that has generated heat, and the slit 69 is further heated. The cooler 60 can be heated through.

  Further, defrosting is also promoted by heating the end plate 63 by heat conduction from the heater cover 66 heated by the warm air.

  FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the inside of the heat insulation box 71 is formed with a refrigerator compartment 72, a freezer compartment 73, and a vegetable compartment 74 in order from the top. A refrigerator door 75 is provided at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 72.

  In addition, in the freezer compartment 73 and the vegetable compartment 74 located at the lower part from the center of the heat insulating box 71, a drawer type freezer compartment door 76 and a vegetable compartment door 77 that can be easily taken out in consideration of storability and convenience. Is provided.

  A plurality of storage shelves 78 are provided in the refrigerator compartment 72, and storage containers 79 a and 79 b having an open top surface are attached to the freezer compartment 73 and the vegetable compartment 74. The storage containers 79a and 79b are supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction via rollers (not shown) guided by rails (not shown) in the front-rear direction.

  The recess 80 provided in the heat insulation box 71 is a place where the top back portion extending over the outer box top surface 81 and the outer box back surface 82 is recessed so that the uppermost back portion of the refrigerator compartment 72 is lowered. The left and right sides of the recess 80 are closed by the left and right walls of the heat insulating box 71, and the upper side and the back side are open. The opening of the recess 80 is covered with a recess cover 85 including an upper plate 83 and a back plate 84 substantially perpendicular thereto. The recess cover 85 is detachably fixed to the heat insulating box 71 with screws or the like.

  The compressor 86 and the condenser 87, which are components of the refrigeration cycle, are disposed so as to be accommodated in the recess 80 together with the machine room fan 88, and are covered with a recess cover 85 including an upper plate 83 and a back plate 84. ing.

A cooler 89 and a defrost heater (not shown), which are components of the refrigeration cycle, are arranged in a limited space on the back surface of the freezer compartment 73.
JP 2004-190959 A JP 2001-99552 A

  However, the configuration of the cooler 60 described in Patent Document 1 is effective in reducing the surface temperature of the defrost heater 64 by heat conduction to the end plate 63, but the heat of the defrost heater 64 is heated by the heater cover. Since it is used for the heating of 66, the heating time of the cooler 60 is required. As a result, the defrosting time is prolonged and the energy saving effect is not sufficient.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, during the defrosting, the frost mass a melted off from the cooler 60 onto the heater cover 66 is caused by the action of surface tension and the like as the melting further proceeds. Phenomenon in which the water droplet b drips around from the end of the water.

  At this time, when the water droplet b contacts the defrost heater 64 or drops on the defrost heater 64 and evaporates, a sound is generated to give a sense of incongruity, and the glass tube 67 of the defrost heater 64 is rapidly cooled. In other words, since there is a possibility that the life of the defrosting heater 64 may be increased, some improvement is required.

  In addition, since the defrost heater 64 is arranged at intervals, the area occupied by the heater cover 66 covering the defrost heater 64 is large, and the heater cover 66 greatly obstructs the wind passing through the cooler 60. It was the composition to do.

  Furthermore, even if the cooler 60 described in Patent Document 1 is mounted on the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2, the distance between the cooler 60 and the defrost heater 64 is reduced in the structure of FIG. However, it has a problem that it is not suitable for being stored in a limited height space.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and enables the arrangement in a limited space by suppressing the overall height of the structure (cooler) composed of a cooler and a defrost heater. In addition, defrosting can be achieved by positively heating the cooling pipe to improve the defrosting efficiency by the heat conduction action of the cooling pipe and the thermosiphon effect of the refrigerant in the cooling pipe, and greatly reducing the power consumption during defrosting It aims at providing the cooler with a heater.

  The purpose of the invention is to suppress the surface temperature of the defrosting heater, to enable application to an article storage device including a refrigeration cycle device in which a flammable refrigerant is sealed, and to ensure the safety of the article storage device. is there.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the present invention provides a cooling pipe at the lowest stage of a cooler having a cooling pipe through which a plurality of fins penetrates as a bare pipe part through which the fins do not penetrate, A defrost heater that heats at least the bare pipe portion of the cooler and a heat transfer plate heated by the defrost heater are disposed below, and the heat transfer plate covers the defrost heater from above. And having a close contact portion formed continuously with the cover portion and in close contact with the lower portion of the bare tube portion, and further having an upper portion of the bare tube portion in close contact with the lower portions of the plurality of fins. is there.

  As a result, the heat on the surface of the defrost heater is transferred from the bare pipe part to the cooling pipe and the fin via the heat transfer plate, so that the heat of the defrosting heater is efficiently transferred to the cooling pipe and the fin. The fin can be positively heated.

  Therefore, heat conduction in the cooling pipe proceeds from the bare pipe portion to the upper cooling pipe, and as a result, the thermosiphon effect of the refrigerant in the cooling pipe can be improved. Furthermore, the conduction heat in the fin proceeds from the fin to the cooling pipe, and as a result, the defrosting efficiency of the cooler can be improved and the power consumption during defrosting can be greatly reduced.

  Moreover, since a defrost heater heats the said heat exchanger plate and the heat | fever conducts to a cooling pipe and a fin, the raise of the surface temperature of a defrost heater is suppressed. As a result, even when the cooler is mounted on an article storage device including a refrigeration cycle device in which a flammable refrigerant is sealed, the surface temperature of the defrost heater can be kept below the ignition temperature of the flammable refrigerant. Even if the defrost heater generates heat in a situation where the flammable refrigerant leaks into the article storage device, the leaked refrigerant is not ignited and safety can be maintained.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a guide portion that extends in a direction away from the defrost heater continuously with the cover portion, so that defrost water dripped from the cooler during defrosting is transferred to the heat transfer by the cover portion. Dropping onto the plate is restricted, and the guide is guided to a predetermined location and dropped.

  Therefore, defrosting water is prevented from dripping directly onto the defrosting heater through the bare pipe portion, evaporating sound resulting from this, thermal distortion of the defrosting heater due to direct dripping on the defrosting heater, etc. Can be prevented in advance.

  Moreover, by arranging the defrost heater in the vicinity of the cooling pipe located at the lowermost stage, the height dimension occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater is compressed, and the space occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater is reduced. be able to. As a result, the article storage volume in the article storage device can be secured more widely, and the storage capacity and usability of the articles can be improved.

  The cooler with a defrosting heater of the present invention heats the bare pipe part and the heat transfer plate by the radiant heat of the defrosting heater, and transfers heat from the heat transfer plate to the cooling pipe and the fin located further upward. It is possible to quickly heat up to the upper part of the glass, and to improve the defrosting efficiency and to greatly reduce the power consumption during the defrosting.

  Moreover, when a flammable refrigerant is used, the surface temperature of the defrost heater can be suppressed below the ignition temperature of the flammable refrigerant by the configuration in which the heat transfer plate is heated, so that safety can be maintained.

  Furthermore, by arranging the defrost heater in the vicinity of the cooling pipe located at the lowermost stage, the height dimension occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater is compressed, and the space occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater is reduced. be able to. As a result, it is possible to secure a wider article storage volume in the article storage device, and to improve article storage and usability.

  In the cooler having a cooling pipe through which a plurality of fins penetrates, the lowermost cooling pipe is a bare pipe part through which the fins do not penetrate, and at least below the cooler, A defrost heater for heating the bare pipe portion of the cooler is disposed, a heat transfer plate heated by the defrost heater is disposed above the defrost heater, and the heat transfer plate is further disposed on the bare tube. A cover portion that is located below the cover portion and covers the defrosting heater from above, a contact portion that is formed continuously with the cover portion and is in close contact with the bare tube portion, and further includes the bare tube The upper part of the part is brought into close contact with the lower parts of the plurality of fins.

  With this configuration, the defrost heater can positively heat the bare pipe portion and the heat transfer plate of the cooling pipe, and can thereby improve the thermosiphon effect of the refrigerant in the cooling pipe. Furthermore, the heat of the defrosting heater is transmitted to the fins through the heat transfer plate and the bare pipe part, and further proceeds from the fins to the cooling pipe. As a result, heat can be transmitted to the upper part of the fin, and the frost can be melted. Therefore, defrosting efficiency can be improved and power consumption during defrosting can be reduced.

  Moreover, by arranging the defrost heater in the vicinity of the cooling pipe (bare pipe portion) located at the lowest stage, the height dimension occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater can be compressed, and the cooler and the defrost heater The space occupied by can be reduced.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the cooler with a defrosting heater according to claim 1, wherein the bare pipe part includes a folded part that reverses the flow of the refrigerant, and a straight pipe that extends across the folded part. And the straight pipe part excluding the folded part is formed so as to be close to or in contact with each other, and the close contact part is brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the straight pipe part.

  By setting it as this structure, the area with respect to the direction through which the cooling air which a heat exchanger plate occupies can be decreased, the effect | action which inhibits ventilation can be suppressed, and the performance of a cooler can be pulled out.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the cooler with a defrosting heater according to the first or second aspect, the contact portion is provided over a predetermined length of the straight pipe portion.

  By setting it as this structure, the heat transfer area to the cooling pipe by the said heat exchanger plate can be increased, and the thermosiphon effect in the said cooling pipe can be strengthened. As a result, further improvement in defrosting efficiency can be expected, and as the contact area increases, the area where the heat transfer plate is fixed to the cooling pipe can also be increased, making the heat transfer plate a more robust cooling pipe. Can be fixed.

  Invention of Claim 4 is a cooler with a defrost heater as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3. WHEREIN: The guide which is formed continuously with the said cover part and is located on both sides of the said defrost heater A part is provided.

  By adopting such a configuration, the defrosting water dripped from the cooler at the time of defrosting is regulated to be dripped onto the defrosting heater by the cover portion, and the defrost water dropped on the cover portion is guided to the guide portion. Can be guided to a predetermined location and dropped.

  Therefore, defrosting water is prevented from dripping directly onto the defrosting heater through the bare pipe portion, evaporating sound resulting from this, thermal distortion of the defrosting heater due to direct dripping on the defrosting heater, etc. Can be prevented in advance.

  Invention of Claim 5 is a cooler with a defrost heater as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4. WHEREIN: The said straight pipe part and the said defrost heater are pressed and fixed to the said heat exchanger plate. A fixture is provided.

  By setting it as this structure, the distance of the said heat exchanger plate and a defrost heater can be maintained stably, and the stable defrost effect | action can be obtained resulting from this. In addition, the number of components can be reduced by simplifying the components for fixing the heat transfer plate, the cooling pipe, and the defrosting heater.

  Invention of Claim 6 provides the storage space which accommodates the said bare pipe part in the lower end part of the said fin in the cooler with a defrost heater as described in any one of Claim 1 to 5, A flange that comes into contact with the bare pipe portion is provided at an edge of the fin that forms a storage space.

  With such a configuration, the contact area between the bare tube portion and the fin can be secured, and the heat of the heat transfer plate heated by the defrost heater can be effectively transmitted to the bare tube portion and the fin. As a result, the defrosting capability can be increased and the defrosting time can be further shortened.

  Further, by ensuring the contact area between the bare tube portion and the fins, the heat transfer plate can be more closely attached to the bare tube portion, and the reliability can be improved.

  Furthermore, the arrangement | positioning to the storage space of the said bare pipe part can arrange | position close to the distance of a heat exchanger plate and a defrost heater. As a result, the size occupied by the cooler and the defrosting heater can be reduced, the incorporation into the storage device can be facilitated, and an advantageous configuration for securing the storage space of the storage device can be provided.

  The invention according to claim 7 is an article storage device including a main body formed of a heat insulating box having an opening on one side, a door for opening and closing the opening, and a refrigeration cycle device in which a refrigerant is sealed in the main body. And it is an article | item storage apparatus which used the cooler which comprises the said refrigeration cycle apparatus as the cooler with a defrost heater as described in any one of Claims 1-6.

  This makes it possible to take advantage of the defrosting characteristics of the cooler with a defrosting heater, to have high defrosting efficiency, and to greatly reduce power consumption during defrosting.

  Moreover, since it is the structure which heats a heat exchanger plate, since the surface temperature of a defrost heater can be reduced, without reducing the heat capacity of a defrost heater, in the case where a combustible refrigerant is used for the said refrigerant | coolant Even if it exists, this surface temperature can be suppressed below to the ignition temperature of a combustible refrigerant | coolant, and safety can be maintained.

  Furthermore, since the dimensions occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater can be compressed and the space occupied by the cooler and the defrost heater can be reduced, the article storage volume in the article storage device can be secured more widely, and the article Storability and usability can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view of a cooler with a defrosting heater according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooler according to the first embodiment as viewed from the direction of the arrow Z, taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the cooler with a defrosting heater according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the defrost heater of the cooler with the defrost heater in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a main part showing a mounting structure of the defrost heater of the cooler with a defrost heater in the first embodiment.

  1 to 5, the cooler 1 is mainly composed of a cooling pipe 2, an accumulator 3, and fins 4, and each of the cooling pipe 2, the accumulator 3, and the fin 4 is made of an aluminum material.

  The cooling pipe 2 is formed by bending an aluminum pipe so as to meander in a vertical direction and in a zigzag shape, and penetrates the plurality of fins 4. And the cooling pipe 2 located in the lowest part becomes the bare pipe part 2c which the fin 4 does not penetrate.

  In other words, the bare tube portion 2c is a concept of a predetermined section (continuous tube surface portion) in which the fins 4 are not provided in the refrigerant tube 2 having a plurality of fins (fin groups) as described above.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fins 4 are configured to penetrate the cooling pipes 2 folded up and down in pairs and are mainly arranged in a plurality of vertical directions, but are folded up and down at predetermined intervals. A strip-shaped long fin 4 a that penetrates the cooling pipe 2 at a time is arranged.

  The lower end of the long fin 4a protrudes longer than the main fin 4 and is close to the upper portion of the bare tube portion 2c.

  The refrigerant flowing in from the upper inlet pipe 2a sequentially exchanges heat with the air accompanied by the heat exchange promoting action by the fins 4 while passing through the meandering flow path. After going through, it flows out from the outlet pipe 2b.

  Here, the bare pipe portion 2c located at the lowermost part of the cooler 1 is a portion that does not include the fins 4 as described above, and is located at a portion that includes a substantially middle point with respect to the entire length of the cooling tube 2. is doing.

  In other words, the bare pipe portion 2c is a substantially intermediate section of the refrigerant flow, and forms a forward path (arrow X) and a return path (arrow Y) as shown in FIG. The refrigerant that has passed through the bare pipe portion 2c becomes an ascending flow after the flow is reversed and flows to the outlet pipe 2b.

  Further, the bare tube portion 2c is bent so that the straight tube portion 2e excluding the folded portion 2d approaches or comes into contact as shown in FIG. Therefore, the width dimension w of the bare tube portion 2c is formed narrower than the width dimension W of the folded portion 2d. And the folding | returning part 2d of the bare pipe part 2c protrudes rather than the fin 4 located in the outermost side, and the straight pipe part 2e is located in the width dimension L of the fin 4, as shown in FIG.

  Further, a storage space 4b for storing the straight pipe portion 2e of the bare pipe portion 2c is formed at the lower end of the long fin 4a by notching. And the flange 4c extended at right angle is formed in the edge of the elongate fin 4a which forms this storage space 4b.

  Further, as described above, the fins 4 penetrate the cooling pipe 2 and are continuous in the vertical direction. The fins 4 and the cooling pipe 2 are fixed in close contact with each other by expanding the cooling pipe 2 mechanically or hydraulically in the fin 4 penetrating state.

  The accumulator 3 is provided on the outlet pipe 2 b of the cooler 1 on the downstream side in the refrigerant flow direction, and is disposed on the upper portion of the cooler 1. Further, the thermistor 8 constituting the temperature detecting means for controlling the defrost is tightly fixed to the accumulator 3.

  Further, a defrost heater 5 is disposed below the cooler 1. The defrost heater 5 includes a heater wire 5a in which a metal resistor is formed in a coil shape, an inner glass tube 5b that covers the heater wire 5a, an outer glass tube 5c that covers the inner glass tube 5b, both glass tubes 5b, It is a double glass tube heater provided with a cap 5d that covers both end openings of 5c.

  A heat transfer plate 6 made of the same material as the cooling pipe 2 is fixed to the lower part of the bare pipe portion 2 c of the cooling pipe 2.

  The heat transfer plate 6 is in contact with the lower portion of the folded portion 2d of the bare tube portion 2c, is continuous with the end cover portion 6a that covers the cap 5d of the defrost heater 5, and the end cover portion 6a. The lower part of the straight pipe part 2e is in contact with the lower part of the defrosting heater 5 so as to gradually spread downward from each of the central cover part 6b covering the glass tubes 5b and 5c, and the end cover part 6a and the central cover part 6b. And a guide portion 6c that extends from the end cover portion 6a to the end of the center cover portion 6b, and is sandwiched between the outward and return paths of the bare tube portion 2c by the flexible deformation stress of the outward and return paths. The contact portion 6d is in close contact with each other.

  Further, the close contact portion 6d is provided with drainage recesses 6f positioned at predetermined intervals. The drain recess 6f guides the defrost water accumulated in the space formed by the bare pipe portion 2c and the close contact portion 6d to the guide portion 6c side.

  In the heat transfer plate 6, the end cover portion 6a, the central cover portion 6b, the guide portion 6c, the close contact portion 6d, the drain recess 6f, and the guide groove 6e to be described later are formed by pressing and bending a single aluminum plate. Are integrally formed. The heat transfer plate 6 can be formed by combining a plurality of parts as necessary.

  Further, the close contact portion 6d of the heat transfer plate 6 is formed along the bent shape of the bare tube portion 2c, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, a folded portion that is one end of the bare tube portion 2c. From 2d to the end of the straight pipe portion 2e, a wide area is secured and is in close contact with the bare pipe portion 2c.

  In other words, the heat transfer plate 6 is interposed between the defrosting heater 5 and the bare tube portion 2c, and a close contact portion 6d processed with a diameter equivalent to the outer diameter of the bare tube portion 2c is formed from the lower portion of the bare tube portion 2c. Since the contact is made between the opposite peripheral surfaces of the bare pipe part 2c and the return path, the approach between the defrosting heater 5 and the bare pipe part 2c is not obstructed, and a contact area between the bare pipe part 2c is secured. is doing.

  Moreover, since the contact portion 6d is continuously formed in the longitudinal direction of the central cover portion 6b as described above, a wide contact area with the bare tube portion 2c can be secured, and a sufficient heat transfer area can be formed. Can do. Thus, heat is efficiently transferred between the bare tube portion 2c and the heat transfer plate 6.

  And the bare pipe part 2c is accommodated in the storage space 4b of the elongate fin 4a in the state which maintained close_contact | adherence with the heat exchanger plate 6. FIG. Therefore, the bare pipe portion 2c is in contact with the long fins 4a and is held in a state where a heat transfer area is secured by the flange 4c.

  The defrosting heater 5 and the heat transfer plate 6 are fixed to the cooler 1 (bare tube portion 2c) by a fixture 7 made of a material having elasticity such as a metal spring.

  That is, on the side having the folded portion 2d of the bare tube portion 2c, the fixture 7 is fitted into the guide groove 5e provided in the cap 5d and the guide groove 6e provided in the heat transfer plate 2 as shown in FIGS. The flange portion 7a formed at the tip of the fixture 7 is fixed to the cooler 1 by engaging the bent portion 2f of the cooling pipe 2 using a spring back action.

  Further, the side not provided with the folded portion 2d is fixed by a well-known fixing means. In the case of the first embodiment, for example, the cap of the defrost heater 5 is fixed by a fixing tool 7b made of a spring wire. 5d, the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare tube portion 2c are held together and attached to the bare tube portion 2c using the springback action of the fixture 7b (FIG. 1).

  Note that depending on the configuration of the cooler 1, the side that does not include the folded portion 2d may be configured to attach the fixture 7 to the cooling tube 2 in the same manner as the side having the folded portion 2d of the bare tube portion 2c. it can. In this case, both the fixtures 7 can be made the same, and parts management becomes easy.

  Thus, the fixing tool 7 fixes the defrost heater 5 including the heat transfer plate 6 at the same time when fixing the defrost heater 5 to the cooling pipe 2 (with the bare pipe part 2c). 2c and the heat transfer plate 6 are kept in close contact with each other, and the bare tube portion 2c is stored and fixed in close contact with the flange 4c in the storage space 4b of the long fin 4a.

  Further, the guide portion 6c is bent in the opposite spreading direction from the bending direction of the close contact portion 6d, and the tip of the guide portion 6c is a defrosting heater indicated by a dimension l on the projection surface viewed from the side indicated by the arrow x in FIG. It extends to the extent that most of 5 is exposed.

  As a result, the defrost heater 5 is in a state surrounded by the guide portion 6c in the axial direction, and the guide portion 6c extends in a direction gradually away from the defrost heater 5, so that the defrost heater 5 is separated from the center cover portion 6b. The defrost water flowing down is guided away from the defrost heater 5 and dropped downward.

  Furthermore, by making the width dimension T of the spreading tip of the guide part 6c smaller than the distance dimension t of the cooling pipe 2 positioned at the upper part or the width dimension W of the folded part 2d of the bare pipe part 2c, the heat transfer plate 6 can be made more flexible. It can be formed compactly.

  Then, in the close contact state between the close contact portion 6d and the bare tube portion 2c, by further strengthening the close contact between the close contact portion 6d and the bare tube portion 2c by the fixture 7 formed of a material having elasticity such as a metal spring, The attachment of the heat transfer plate 6 to the bare tube portion 2c can be completed. Simultaneously with the formation of this close relationship, the heat transfer plate 2 can be reliably fixed to the bare tube portion 2c.

  Thus, by arrange | positioning the heat exchanger plate 6 to the upper part of the defrost heater 5, the defrost heater 5 becomes the structure covered with the edge part cover part 6a and the center cover part 6b, and the fin 4 at the time of defrost The defrosting water from the defrosting heater 5 does not fall on the defrosting heater 5, and the radiation heat radiation range of the defrosting heater 5 is regulated by the guide portion 6c.

  Note that the method of attaching the heat transfer plate 6 to the bare tube portion 2c and the method of tightly fixing the bare tube portion 2c to the long fins 4a are performed using the above-described flexible deformation stress of the bare tube portion 2c. In the assembling process of the cooler 1, after the center cover portion 6b and the close contact portion 6d of the heat transfer plate 6 are fitted and inserted into the bare tube portion 2c, the cooling tube 2 is inserted into the storage space 4b of the long fin 4a. By performing mechanical expansion or hydraulic expansion, the close contact portion 6d of the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare tube portion 2c are brought into close contact with each other by utilizing the action of expanding the outer diameter of the bare tube portion 2c. It is also possible to bring the bare tube portion 2c into close contact with the storage space 4b of the long fin 4a by using the spreading stress accompanying the expansion of the tube.

  In such a case, the tight fixing of the bare pipe portion 2c to the long fin 4a and the close fixing of the cooling pipe 2 and the fin 4 can be performed at the same time, and the working efficiency is improved.

  And the fixing tool 7 provided in the longitudinal both ends of the heat exchanger plate 6 is fitted in the guide groove 5e provided in the cap 5d of the defrost heater 5, and one is engaged with the bending portion 2f of the cooling pipe 2, On the other hand, the installation of the defrosting heater 5 is completed by holding and fixing the cap 5d, the bare tube portion 2c, and the heat transfer plate 6 together.

  Further, the heat transfer plate 6 may be fixed to the bare tube portion 2c by aluminum brazing after the close contact portion 6b is brought into close contact with the bare tube portion 2c.

  The cooler 1 configured as described above is mounted on a refrigeration device or the like, and performs a cooling action along with a cooling operation. Along with this, frost adheres to the fin 4 and the cooling pipe 2.

  As an example of the defrosting operation, when the cooling operation is performed for a predetermined time, the defrosting operation is performed in order to remove the frost attached to the cooler 1. This defrosting operation is a control in which the cooling operation is stopped and the defrosting heater 5 is energized.

  As a result, the heat transfer plate 6, the bare pipe portion 2c of the cooling pipe 2, and the long fins 4a are quickly heated. In particular, since the guide portion 6c extends downward and surrounds the defrost heater 5, the radiant heat of the defrost heater 5 is effectively transmitted to the heat transfer plate 6, and the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare tube portion 2c are connected. It can be heated effectively.

  As a result, the frost attached to the bare tube portion 2c starts to melt quickly, and the refrigerant staying inside the bare tube portion 2c receives heat from the heating of the bare tube portion 2c and the heat transfer plate 6, The liquid component of the refrigerant is heated and gasified, and heat is transferred from below to above as time passes.

  Therefore, in the cooling pipe 2 of the cooler 1, the temperature gradually rises from below to above due to the above-described heat transfer, so-called thermosiphon phenomenon, and the frost attached to the fins 4 and the cooling pipe 2 starts to melt. .

  Thereby, frost becomes water droplets or falls in a lump on the end cover 6a and the central cover 6b of the heat transfer plate 6, and falls downward due to the inclination of the respective cover 6a, 6b. Depending on the conditions, a part of the resin adheres to the central cover 6b at one end, where it gradually melts and flows out of the drain recess 6f, or gets over the bare pipe 2c to form water droplets and drops downward.

  In particular, the frost mass adhering to the central cover portion 6b slowly falls along the surface of the central cover portion 6b and tries to wrap around the inside of the central cover portion 6b. Therefore, dripping and contact with the defrosting heater 5 are suppressed.

  Furthermore, frost adhering to the inner surface of the heat transfer plate 6 also melts in the same manner, and tries to drip downward as water, but in a water film a state in an appropriate gap between the close contact portion 6d and the bare tube portion 2c due to surface tension. Although it adheres (FIG. 4) and grows from the water film a to the water droplet b, it moves outward due to the inclination of the guide portion 6c and falls without dropping onto the defrosting heater 5.

  Moreover, since the frost adhering to the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare tube portion 2c is quickly heated by the defrost heater 5, it is dried in a relatively short time. As a result, it is possible to increase the certainty of the above-described dripping restriction on the defrosting heater 5.

  Therefore, as a result of the guide action of the defrost water by the guide portion 6c, rapid cooling of the defrost heater 5 (outer glass tube 5c) can be prevented, the outer glass tube 5c is broken, or frost evaporating noise is generated. The thermal distortion etc. of the defrost heater 5 can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the cooling pipe 2 is heated using the thermosiphon phenomenon as described above, the heat of the defrost heater 5 can be efficiently transferred to the upper portion of the cooler 1 where frost melting is difficult. This can shorten the defrosting time.

  Further, since the heat transfer plate 6 is formed of a heat conductive good conductor (aluminum material), in addition to the heat conduction action, it also radiates and radiates the surroundings, and this radiation and heat radiation action also promotes the defrosting action. It is possible to further shorten the defrosting time and reduce the power consumption during the defrosting.

  Furthermore, since the close contact portion 6c in the heat transfer plate 6 is formed continuously especially in the longitudinal direction of the central cover portion 6b, a heat transfer area to the bare tube portion 2c can be secured, and the bare tube portion can be efficiently obtained. Heat can be transferred to 2c. Therefore, while contributing to the improvement of defrosting efficiency, the fixed area to the bare pipe part 2c of the heat exchanger plate 6 increases, and the heat exchanger plate 6 can be fixed to the cooling pipe 2 more reliably.

  Further, since the close contact portion 6d and the bare tube portion 2c can be brought into close contact with the heat transfer plate 6 at the same time as the attachment to the bare tube portion 2c, the heat transfer structure of the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare tube portion 2c in a series of assembly operations It can be obtained stably, the workability associated with the assembly is good, the increase in the number of parts can be suppressed, and the configuration can be simplified.

  Furthermore, since the cooler 1 is configured to fix the heat transfer plate 6 to the bare pipe portion 2c of the cooling pipe 2 constituting the cooler 1, and to attach the defrost heater 5 to the heat transfer plate 6, The distance between the defrost heater 5 and the heat transfer plate 6 can be stabilized, and the added value of the heat transfer plate 6 can be increased. At the same time, the quality of the cooler with the defrost heater is maintained and the reliability of the defrost characteristics is improved. Can be expected.

  In addition, since the bare pipe portion 2c is stored in the storage space 4b provided in the long fin 4a and the defrost heater 5 is pressed and fixed to the bare pipe portion 2c, the cooler 1 and the defrost heater 5 are configured. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the cooler with a defrosting heater and to provide an advantageous configuration for mounting on a refrigeration apparatus or the like.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In addition, about the same component as Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a side view in which a part of the refrigerator on which the cooler with a defrost heater according to the first embodiment is mounted is cut away. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cooler unit in the refrigerator.

  6 and 7, the refrigerator is formed of a heat insulating box, and a main body 11 provided with a plurality of storage chambers (not shown) therein, and doors 12a and 12b provided corresponding to the respective storage chambers. , 12c, 12d and a cooling device for cooling the storage chamber.

  The cooling device includes a compressor 13, a condenser, a decompression device (all not shown), and a refrigeration cycle in which the cooler 1 is connected in an annular shape, and a combustible refrigerant is used as the refrigerant.

  The cooler 1 has the configuration shown in the first embodiment, and is disposed in a cooling chamber 14 formed at the lower back of the main body 11.

  Further, the main body 11 is provided with ducts 15 and 16 which are adjacent to the cooling chamber 14 and communicate with the respective storage chambers. The cool air cooled by the cooler 1 by the blower 17 provided in the cooling chamber 14 is provided. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 7, each storage chamber is circulated. The cold air circulation configuration may be a well-known configuration and will not be described in detail.

  Furthermore, the compressor 13 is arrange | positioned at the upper rear part of the main body 11, and, thereby, the main body 11 becomes the structure which ensured the storage effective volume of the storage chamber.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below. Details of the cooler 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

  The compressor 13 is operated, and the entire cooler 1 is cooled as the cooling operation proceeds. The air cooled by the cooler 1 circulates in each storage chamber by the blower 17, and the air that has cooled each storage chamber passes through the cooler 1 from the lower part of the cooling chamber 14 and is cooled again as it passes. Thereafter, the circulation to each storage room is repeated.

  Here, the air returning from the storage chamber and passing through the cooler 1 is provided with a defrost heater 5, a heat transfer plate 6 and the like that prevent ventilation at a position corresponding to the air inlet side. It becomes the flow of.

  However, since the defrosting heater 5 and the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare pipe portion 2c, which hinder ventilation, are processed so that the straight pipe portion 2e of the bare pipe portion 2c is brought close to or in contact, the cooling air flows. The area of the heat transfer plate 6 with respect to the direction is small, and the effect of inhibiting ventilation can be suppressed.

  Further, the heat transfer plate 6 is cooled in the same manner as the cooling pipe 2 and the fins 4 (including the long fins 4a) because the close contact portion 6d is closely fixed to the bare tube portion 2c. At this time, the heat transfer plate 6 increases the outside area of the heat transfer as a part of the cooler 1, and thus acts to increase the cooling capacity of the cooler 1.

  As the cooling operation is continued, frost forms on the surfaces of the cooling pipe 2, the bare pipe portion 2 c, and the fin 4 of the cooler 1.

  Here, as is well known, when the cooling operation is switched to the defrosting operation using the accumulated operation time of the compressor 13 as a guide, a predetermined voltage is applied to the defrosting heater 5 (heater wire 5a). By applying a predetermined voltage to the defrost heater 5, the surface temperatures of the inner glass tube 5 b and the outer glass tube 5 c of the defrost heater 5 are increased, and the heat transfer plate 6 and the bare tube portion 2 c are generated by the radiant heat. The long fin 4a is heated.

  As a result, the bare pipe portion 2c is heated by the radiant heat of the defrost heater 5 and the heat transfer from the heat transfer plate 6 via the close contact portion 6d.

  In particular, in the cooler 1, as described in the first embodiment, the relative distance between the bare tube portion 2c and the defrost heater 5 is short, and the bare tube portion is radiated from the upper portion of the glass tube 5a. Since the 2c is heated, the bare pipe portion 2c is efficiently heated. As a result, the frost adhering to the surface of the bare pipe part 2c melts in a short time.

  Further, the frost melted at the time of defrosting falls from below the bare tube portion 2c, the fins 4 and the long fins 4a. However, as described in the first embodiment, the covering portion 6a of the heat transfer plate 6 is used. , 6b and the adhering portion 6d and the guide portion 6c prevent water droplets from dropping directly onto the surface of the outer glass tube 5c that has become high in temperature, thereby preventing the generation of evaporating sound.

  Furthermore, the cooler 1 in which the bare tube portion 2c is heated is heated from below to above by heat conduction from the bare tube portion 2c and the long fins 4a to the cooling tube 2, and as a result The cooler 1 is heated upward from below by the thermosyphon action described in the first embodiment, and the whole is efficiently defrosted.

  In other words, by efficiently heating the bare pipe portion 2c and the long fins 4a, the heat conduction of the cooling pipe 2 and the convection in the pipe can be improved, and the upper part of the cooler 1 where defrosting is difficult is also removed. It becomes possible to perform frost efficiently, and thereby, the defrosting time can be shortened, and the power consumption during the defrosting can be greatly reduced.

  Furthermore, since the bare pipe portion 2c and the heat transfer plate 6 can be effectively heated by the defrost heater 5 as described above, an increase in the surface temperature of the defrost heater 5 can be suppressed. Therefore, the surface temperature of the defrost heater 5 can be maintained below the ignition temperature of the combustible refrigerant, and safety is not impaired.

  Further, as described in the first embodiment, the refrigerator has a reduced size of the cooling chamber 14 because the height of the cooler with the defrost heater 5 occupied by the defrost heater 5 and the cooler 1 is reduced. Thus, the article storage capacity of the storage room can be increased, and the added value of the refrigerator can be increased.

  Further, even during the cooling operation, the area of the heat transfer plate 6 is reduced to suppress the effect of inhibiting the ventilation of the cooling air passing through the cooler 1, and therefore the cooling loss of the cooler 1 is suppressed as much as possible. The cooling performance can be extracted.

  The cooler with a defrosting heater according to the present invention can improve the defrosting efficiency and save energy, so that it is widely used in article storage devices such as household refrigerators, commercial refrigerators, showcases, and vending machines. Applicable.

The front view of the cooler with a defrost heater in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view which looked at the cross-section part by the AA line of FIG. 1 in the same cooler from the arrow Z direction Side view of cooler with defrost heater in embodiment 1 Sectional drawing which expanded the defrost heater periphery part of the cooler with a defrost heater in Embodiment 1 The principal part disassembled perspective view which shows the attachment structure of the defrost heater of the cooler with a defrost heater in Embodiment 1 The side view which notched some refrigerators in Embodiment 2 of this invention The expanded sectional view of the cooler part of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 Expanded sectional view around the refrigerator cooler of the conventional example The expanded sectional view of the defrost heater part of the cooler in the refrigerator Vertical sectional view of a refrigerator showing a different conventional example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooler 2 Cooling pipe 2c Bare pipe part 2d Folding part 2e Straight pipe part 4 Fin 4a Long fin 4b Storage space 4c Flange 5 Defrost heater 6 Heat-transfer plate 6a End cover part 6b Central cover part 6c Guide part 6d Contact | adherence Part 7 Fixing tool 7b Fixing tool 11 Main body 13 Compressor 14 Cooling chamber 17 Blower

Claims (7)

  In a cooler having a cooling pipe through which a plurality of fins penetrates, a lowermost cooling pipe is a bare pipe part through which the fins do not penetrate, and at least the bare pipe part of the cooler is heated below the cooler. Disposing a defrosting heater, disposing a heat transfer plate heated by the defrosting heater above the defrosting heater, further positioning the heat transfer plate at a lower portion of the bare pipe portion, and A cover part that covers the defrost heater from above, and a close contact part that is formed continuously with the cover part and is in close contact with the bare pipe part. Further, the upper part of the bare pipe part is provided with the plurality of fins. Cooler with defrost heater in close contact with the bottom.   The bare pipe part includes a folded part that reverses the flow of the refrigerant, and a straight pipe part that extends across the folded part, and the straight pipe part excluding the folded part is formed so as to be close to or in contact with each other. The cooler with a defrost heater according to claim 1, wherein the close contact portion is closely contacted along an outer periphery of the straight pipe portion.   The cooler with a defrosting heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact portion is provided over a predetermined length of the straight pipe portion.   The cooler with a defrost heater as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3 which provided the guide part which is formed continuously with the said cover part and is located on both sides of the said defrost heater.   The cooler with a defrost heater as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4 which provided the fixing tool which presses and fixes the said straight pipe part and the said defrost heater to the said heat exchanger plate.   6. A storage space for storing the bare tube portion is provided at a lower end portion of the fin, and a flange that contacts the bare tube portion is provided at an edge of the fin forming the storage space. The cooler with a defrost heater as described in an item.   An article storage device comprising a main body composed of a heat-insulating box having an opening on one side, a door for opening and closing the opening, and a refrigeration cycle apparatus in which a refrigerant is sealed in the main body, the refrigeration cycle apparatus being configured The article storage device in which the cooler to be used is the cooler with a defrosting heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6.