JP2022082234A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can improve cooling performance.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to an embodiment comprises a duct component, a cooler, a structure, and a seal member. The duct component defines at least a portion of a wall surface of a cooling chamber. The cooler is arranged in the cooling chamber, and is supplied with a refrigerant. The structure is arranged between the cooler and the duct component beside the cooler, and is not supplied with the refrigerant. The seal member blocks at least a portion of a gap between the cooler and the duct component at a position above or below the cooler.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Refrigerators are known that are located on the side of the cooler and have a sealing member that closes the gap between the cooler and the wall surface of the cooling chamber. However, when the structure is present on the side of the cooler, it may not be possible to provide the sealing member, and it may be difficult to improve the cooling performance.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-166788

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of improving cooling performance.

The refrigerator of the embodiment has a duct component, a cooler, a structure, and a sealing member. The duct component defines at least a part of the wall surface of the cooling chamber. The cooler is arranged in the cooling chamber and is supplied with a refrigerant. The structure is arranged on the side of the cooler between the cooler and the duct component, and the refrigerant is not supplied. The sealing member closes at least a part of the gap between the cooler and the duct component at a position above or below the cooler.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F2-F2 of the refrigerator shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F3-F3 of the refrigerator shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F4-F4 of the refrigerator shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the cooling chamber shown in FIG. 3 surrounded by the F5 line. The perspective view which shows the seal member of an embodiment. The perspective view which shows the seal member before attachment to the cooler of an embodiment. The perspective view which shows the seal member after attachment to the cooler of an embodiment. The perspective view which shows the seal member of an embodiment at an angle seen from diagonally below. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F10-F10 of the cooler and the sealing member shown in FIG. The cross-sectional view which shows the seal member of the 1st modification of embodiment. The cross-sectional view which shows the seal member of the 2nd modification of embodiment.

Hereinafter, the refrigerator of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, configurations having the same or similar functions are designated by the same reference numerals. Then, the duplicate description of those configurations may be omitted. In this specification, left and right are defined with reference to the direction in which the user standing in front of the refrigerator sees the refrigerator. In addition, the side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator when viewed from the refrigerator is defined as "front", and the side far from the refrigerator is defined as "rear". As used herein, the "width direction of the refrigerator" means the left-right direction of the refrigerator. As used herein, the "depth direction of the refrigerator" means the front-back direction of the refrigerator.

(Embodiment)
[1. Overall configuration of refrigerator]
The refrigerator 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a housing 10 and a plurality of doors 20.

The housing 10 has an upper wall 10a, a lower wall 10b, left and right side walls 10c and 10d, and a rear wall 10e (see FIG. 2). The upper wall 10a and the lower wall 10b extend substantially horizontally. The left and right side walls 10c and 10d stand upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 10b and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 10a. The rear wall 10e stands upward from the rear end portion of the lower wall 10b and is connected to the rear end portion of the upper wall 10a. The housing 10 is between the inner box 10i forming the inner surface of the housing 10, the outer box 10j located outside the inner box 10i and forming the outer surface of the housing 10, and the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j. It contains a foamed heat insulating material 10k such as urethane foam provided in, and has heat insulating properties (see FIG. 2).

A plurality of storage chambers 11 are provided inside the housing 10. The plurality of storage chambers 11 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11A, a chilled chamber 11Aa, a vegetable compartment 11B, an ice making chamber 11C, a small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment 11E. In the present embodiment, the refrigerating room 11A is arranged at the uppermost part, the vegetable room 11B is arranged below the refrigerating room 11A, the ice making room 11C and the small freezing room 11D are arranged below the vegetable room 11B, and the ice making room 11C and the small freezing room 11D are arranged. The main freezing chamber 11E is arranged below the small freezing chamber 11D. However, the arrangement of the storage chamber 11 is not limited to the above example. The housing 10 has an opening on the front side of each storage chamber 11 that allows food to be taken in and out of each storage chamber 11.

The housing 10 has first and second partition portions 15 and 16 (see FIG. 2). The first and second partition portions 15 and 16 are, for example, partition walls along a substantially horizontal direction, respectively. The first partition portion 15 is located between the refrigerating chamber 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B, and partitions the refrigerating chamber 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B. On the other hand, the second partition 16 is located between the vegetable compartment 11B and the ice making chamber 11C and the small freezing chamber 11D, and partitions the vegetable chamber 11B from the ice making chamber 11C and the small freezing chamber 11D. ..

The plurality of storage chambers 11 can be opened and closed by the plurality of doors 20. The plurality of doors 20 include, for example, the left and right refrigerating room doors 20Aa and 20Ab that close the opening of the refrigerating room 11A, the vegetable room door 20B that closes the opening of the vegetable room 11B, the ice making room door 20C that closes the opening of the ice making room 11C, and small freezing. Includes a small freezer door 20D that closes the opening of the chamber 11D and a main freezer door 20E that closes the opening of the main freezer 11E.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F2-F2 of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a plurality of shelves 31, a plurality of containers 35, a flow path forming component 40, a cooling unit 50, and a control device 60. The plurality of shelves 31 are arranged in the refrigerator compartment 11A. The plurality of containers 35 are separately arranged in a chilled chamber 11Aa, a vegetable compartment 11B, an ice making chamber 11C, a small freezing chamber 11D, and a main freezing chamber 11E.

The flow path forming component 40 includes a refrigerating chamber duct component 41 and a freezing chamber duct component 42. The refrigerating chamber duct component 41 is provided along the rear wall 10e of the housing 10 and extends in the vertical direction. The refrigerating chamber duct component 41 forms a refrigerating chamber duct space D1 which is a passage through which cold air (air) flows near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10. The refrigerating chamber duct space D1 includes a cooling chamber D1a in which a cooler 52, which will be described later, is arranged to cool air. The refrigerating chamber duct component 41 has a cold air outlet 41a opened in the refrigerating chamber 11A or the chilled chamber 11Aa, and a cold air return port 41b opened in the vegetable compartment 11B.

Similarly, the freezing chamber duct component 42 is provided along the rear wall 10e of the housing 10 and extends in the vertical direction. The freezing chamber duct component 42 forms a freezing chamber duct space D2, which is a passage through which cold air (air) flows, near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10. The freezing chamber duct space D2 includes a cooling chamber D2a in which a cooler 54, which will be described later, is arranged to cool air. The freezing chamber duct component 42 has a cold air outlet 42a opened at the upper part of the ice making chamber 11C, the small freezing chamber 11D, or the main freezing chamber 11E, and a cold air return port 42b opened at the lower part of the main freezing chamber 11E.

The cooling unit 50 includes, for example, a compressor 51, a cooler 52, a fan 53, a cooler 54, and a fan 55. The cooler 52 is arranged in the cooling chamber D1a of the refrigerating chamber duct space D1. The cooler 52 is supplied with the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 51 to cool the cold air flowing through the cooling chamber D1a. The fan 53 is arranged in the refrigerating chamber duct space D1. When the fan 53 is driven, the cold air cooled by the cooler 52 is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 11A and the chilled chamber 11Aa from the cold air outlet 41a. The cold air supplied to the refrigerating chamber 11A and the chilled chamber 11Aa passes through the vegetable compartment 11B and returns to the refrigerating chamber duct space D1 from the cold air return port 41b.

The cooler 54 is arranged in the cooling chamber D2a of the freezing chamber duct space D2. The cooler 54 is supplied with the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 51 to cool the cold air flowing through the cooling chamber D2a. The fan 55 is arranged in the freezing chamber duct space D2. When the fan 55 is driven, the cold air cooled by the cooler 54 is supplied to the ice making chamber 11C, the small freezing chamber 11D, and the main freezing chamber 11E from the cold air outlet 42a. The cold air supplied to the ice making chamber 11C, the small freezing chamber 11D, and the main freezing chamber 11E passes through the main freezing chamber 11E and returns to the freezing chamber duct space D2 from the cold air return port 42b.

The control device 60 includes a circuit board 61 and electronic components 62 mounted on the circuit board. The control device 60 comprehensively controls the entire refrigerator 1. For example, the control device 60 controls the operation of the compressor 51, the fan 53, and the fan 55 described above.

[2. Configuration of freezing cooling chamber]
[2.1 Duct parts]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F3-F3 of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, in order to make the freezing chamber duct space D2 easy to understand, hatching is applied to a portion other than the freezing chamber duct space D2. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the “freezing chamber duct component 42” is referred to as a “duct component 42”, and the “freezing chamber duct space D2” is referred to as a “duct space D2”.

The duct component 42 includes, for example, a back cover 71, a bottom cover 72, and a front cover 73 (see FIG. 4). The back cover 71 is arranged behind the cooler 54 and forms at least a part of the back wall surface of the duct space D2 (the back wall surface of the cooling chamber D2a). Note that all or part of the back cover 71 may be formed by a part of the inner box 10i of the housing 10 instead of being formed by a separate part from the housing 10. In the present embodiment, the left region R1 of the back cover 71 is formed by the cover component 71A attached to the housing 10. On the other hand, the right region R2 of the back cover 71 is formed by the inner box 10i of the housing 10.

In the present embodiment, the back cover 71 has a recess 71r recessed toward the rear of the refrigerator 1. By combining the back cover 71 and the front cover 73, the space formed between the recess 71r of the back cover 71 and the front cover 73 becomes the duct space D2. In the present embodiment, in the duct space D2, the space located around the cooler 54 is referred to as "cooling chamber D2a". The duct component 42 includes a first side wall portion 71a located on the first side (left side) of the cooler 54 and a second side wall portion 71b located on the second side (right side) of the cooler 54. .. The back cover 71 is an example of the “first duct component”.

The bottom cover 72 is arranged below the cooler 54 and forms at least a part of the bottom wall surface (bottom wall surface of the cooling chamber D2a) of a part of the duct space D2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F4-F4 of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG.
The front cover 73 is arranged in front of the cooler 54 and forms at least a part of the front wall surface of the duct space D2 (the front wall surface of the cooling chamber D2a). The front cover 73 defines the first member 73a that defines the front wall surface of the first duct space D2, and the inner surface of the storage chamber 11 (ice making chamber 11C, small freezing chamber 11D, and main freezing chamber 11E) of the refrigerator 1. It has two members 73b and a heat insulating member 73c provided between the first member 73a and the second member 73b. The front cover 73 has a cold air return port 42b at a height position corresponding to the lower part of the cooler 54. Further, the front cover 73 has an internal vent 73d at a height above the cooler 54, through which the cold air that has passed through the cooler 54 passes toward the cold air outlet 42a. The front cover 73 is an example of a “second duct component”.

In this embodiment, the fan 55 is located above the cooler 54 in the duct space D2. The air returned from the cold air return port 42b to the duct space D2 passes through the cooler 54 from the lower side to the upper side, and in this process, the air is cooled by the cooler 54. The air cooled through the cooler 54 is sent from the internal vent 73d to the cold air outlet 42a by the fan 55, and is sent from the cold air outlet 42a to the storage chamber 11 (ice making chamber 11C, small freezing chamber 11D, and main refrigerating chamber 11D). It is supplied to room 11E).

The term "duct component" as used herein is not limited to a cylindrical component, but broadly means a component that defines an air passage. In the present specification, the “wall surface” is not limited to a flat wall surface, but may include a wall surface provided with a boss, an insertion hole, or the like and having irregularities.

[2.2 Cooler]
The cooler 54 is a component that constitutes the refrigeration cycle device together with the compressor 51. The cooler 54 is an evaporator (evaporator) in which a refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 51 and at least a part of the supplied refrigerant evaporates in the cooler 54 to cool the air passing through the cooling chamber D2a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cooler 54 is arranged in the cooling chamber D2a. The cooler 54 has, for example, a cooling pipe 81, a plurality of fins 82, a first end plate 83, and a second end plate 84. The cooling pipe 81 extends in the horizontal direction and is folded back at the left and right ends of the cooler 54, so that the cooling pipe 81 extends back and forth between the left and right ends of the cooler 54 a plurality of times. In other words, the cooling pipe 81 is a plurality of folded portions connecting a plurality of horizontally extending straight portions 81a and two adjacent straight portions 81a among the plurality of straight portions 81a at the left end or right end of the cooler 54. Has 81b and. A plurality of fins 82 are attached to each straight line portion 81a. Each of the plurality of fins 82 has a plate shape along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1.

The first end 81c (upstream end) of the cooling pipe 81 is connected to the refrigerant discharge port of the compressor 51 via a capillary tube, a three-way valve, a dryer, and a condenser. On the other hand, the second end 81d (downstream end) of the cooling pipe 81 is connected to the refrigerant return port of the compressor 51 via an accumulator 92 and a suction pipe, which will be described later.

The first end plate 83 is provided at the left end portion of the cooler 54, and is arranged on the first side (left side) with respect to the plurality of fins 82. The second end plate 84 is provided at the right end portion of the cooler 54, and is arranged on the second side (right side) with respect to the plurality of fins 82. Each of the first end plate 83 and the second end plate 84 has a through hole 83a (see FIG. 4) through which the straight portion 81a of the cooling pipe 81 is passed, and the straight portion 81a is fixed. That is, the folded portion 81b of the cooling pipe 81 is folded at a position to the left of the first end plate 83 or to the right of the second end plate 84. Each of the first end plate 83 and the second end plate 84 has a plate shape along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1. Each of the first end plate 83 and the second end plate 84 has a larger area than the individual fins 82 and is thicker than the individual fins 82.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of linear portions 81a of the cooling pipe 81 are arranged in a plurality of stages (for example, four stages) in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the plurality of straight line portions 81a are arranged in two straight line portions 81a arranged in the uppermost stage, three straight line portions 81a arranged in the second stage from the top, and the third straight portion 81a arranged in the third stage from the top. It includes three straight lines 81a and three straight lines 81a arranged at the bottom.

Here, when the uppermost two straight lines 81a are regarded as one group, the center C1 in the front-rear direction of the two straight lines 81a is larger than the center C2 in the front-back direction of the first end plate 83. It is placed offset to the rear. This is because the air flowing from the front side of the lower end portion of the cooler 54 toward the cooler 54 flows diagonally upward and backward inside the cooler 54 and passes through the cooler 54. As a result, a relatively wide area RF to which the seal member 97 described later can be attached is provided at the front end portion of the upper portion of the cooler 54.

[2.3 Other configurations related to the cooler]
Next, returning to FIG. 3, other configurations related to the cooler 54 will be described. In addition to the above-described configuration, the refrigerator 1 includes a defrost water receiver 91, an accumulator 92, a pipe heater 93, a bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 (electrical wiring of the pipe heater 93), a fuse component 95, a fuse fixture 96, and a first. A seal member 97 and a second seal member 98 are provided. Here, the defrosting water receiver 91, the pipe heater 93, and the second seal member 98 will be described first, and then the remaining configurations will be described.

The defrost water receiver 91 is arranged below the cooler 54. The defrost water receiver 91 is formed in a flat bowl shape, and collects the water melted by the cooler 54 when the cooler 54 is defrosted. The water collected by the defrost water receiver 91 is sent to the evaporating dish via the drain gutter.

The pipe heater 93 is a heating device fixed to the cooler 54 and heating the cooler 54 when the cooler 54 is defrosted. For example, the pipe heater 93 has a pipe fixed to the first end plate 83 and the second end plate 84, and a heat transfer wire provided inside the pipe. The pipe heater 93 is an example of a “heater”.

In the present embodiment, the pipe heater 93 extends in the horizontal direction and is folded back at the left and right ends of the cooler 54 so as to extend back and forth between the left and right ends of the cooler 54 a plurality of times. There is. In other words, the pipe heater 93 is a plurality of folded straight portions 93a extending horizontally and connecting two adjacent straight portions 93a among the plurality of straight portions 93a at the left end portion or the right end portion of the cooler 54. It has a portion 93b. The plurality of straight line portions 93a are separately arranged at the front end portion, the rear end portion, and the lower end portion of the first end plate 83 (see FIG. 4). That is, the vertical center C3 of the pipe heater 93 is located below the vertical center of the cooler 54 (for example, the vertical center C4 of the first end plate 83) (see FIG. 4). The folded portion 93b of the pipe heater 93 is folded at a position to the left of the first end plate 83 or to the right of the second end plate 84.

The second seal member 98 is arranged on the second side (right side) of the cooler 54, and is located between the cooler 54 and the second side wall portion 71b of the duct component 42. The second seal member 98 is a block component in which aluminum tape is attached to a foamed heat insulating component (for example, expanded polystyrene such as EPS (Expanded Polystyrene)). The position of the second seal member 98 is fixed by being sandwiched between a plurality of straight portions 81a (or a plurality of folded portions 81b) of the cooling pipe 81 of the cooler 54, for example. The second seal member 98 closes at least a part of the gap S2 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 on the second side (right side) of the cooler 54. However, the second seal member 98 may have the same configuration as the first seal member 97, which will be described later, instead of the above example.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the cooling chamber D2a shown in FIG. 3 surrounded by the F5 line.
As described above, the accumulator 92 is connected to the second end portion 81d of the cooling pipe 81. The accumulator 92 is arranged on the first side (left side) of the cooler 54 between the cooler 54 and the first side wall portion 71a of the duct component 42. The vertical center C5 of the accumulator 92 is positioned upwardly with respect to the vertical center of the cooler 54 (for example, the vertical center C4 of the first end plate 83). A part of the accumulator 92 is located above the upper end of the cooler 54 (for example, the upper end of the first end plate 83 or the upper end of the uppermost fin 82).

The end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93 protrudes significantly toward the first side (left side) of the cooler 54 as compared with the folded portion 93b of the pipe heater 93. The end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93 extends so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, for example. The end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93 is arranged on the first side of the cooler 54 between the cooler 54 and the first side wall portion 71a of the duct component 42.

The bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 is connected to the end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93 on the first side of the cooler 54. The bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 extends upward on the first side of the cooler 54 through the space between the cooler 54 and the first side wall portion 71a of the duct component 42. The bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 is a bundle of power supply wiring that supplies a current to the pipe heater 93.

The fuse component 95 is a thermal fuse that reacts to the temperature of the pipe heater 93 (or cooler 54). The fuse component 95 operates when the temperature of the pipe heater 93 (or the cooler 54) rises abnormally (when the temperature rises beyond the threshold value), and the current from the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 to the pipe heater 93 increases. Cut off the supply. The fuse component 95 is arranged on the first side of the cooler 54 between the cooler 54 and the first side wall portion 71a of the duct component 42.

The fuse fixture 96 is a fixture for fixing the fuse component 95 in the cooling chamber D2a. In this embodiment, the fuse fixture 96 fixes the fuse component 95 to the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54. For example, the fuse fixture 96 includes a holding portion 96a that holds the fuse component 95 and a fixing portion 96b that is fixed to the upper end portion of the first end plate 83 (see FIG. 7). The fixing portion 96b is, for example, a holding portion that holds the upper end portion of the first end plate 83. The fixing portion 96b has a plate-shaped protrusion (knob portion) 96ba for the assembling worker of the refrigerator 1 to pinch the fuse fixing tool 96. The protrusion 96ba projects upward from the fixing portion 96b. That is, the protrusion 96ba projects above the cooler 54 (above the first end plate 83).

In the present embodiment, at least one of the accumulator 92, the end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93, the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93, the fuse component 95, or the fuse fixture 96 described above is on the first side of the cooler 54. The arrangement makes it difficult to attach the seal member between the cooler 54 and the first side wall portion 71a of the duct component 42. Each of the accumulator 92, the end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93, the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93, the fuse component 95, and the fuse fixture 96 is an example of a “structure”. Further, each of the end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93, the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93, the fuse component 95, and the fuse fixture 96 is an example of a “structure to which no refrigerant is supplied”.

[3. 1st seal member]
Next, the first seal member 97 will be described.
The first seal member 97 is an everside seal that closes at least a part of the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 at a position above the cooler 54. "Above the cooler 54" is an example of a position outside the lateral region RS of the cooler 54 (height range between the upper and lower ends of the cooler 54). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the "first seal member 97" may be referred to as a "seal member 97".

[3.1 Windshield of the first seal member]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the seal member 97. The seal member 97 has a windshield portion 110 and a holding portion (fixing portion) 120. The windshield portion 110 is formed in a plate shape. The sandwiching portion 120 is provided at the lower end portion on the front side of the windshield portion 110, and projects downward from the windshield portion 110. The seal member 97 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, but is not limited thereto.

Returning to FIG. 5, the arrangement of the seal member 97 will be described. At least a part of the windbreak portion 110 of the seal member 97 (in the example shown in FIG. 5, the entire windshield portion 110) is the upper end portion of the cooler 54 (for example, the upper end portion or the uppermost fin of the first end plate 83). It is located above the upper end of 82). At least a portion of the windshield 110 is above the top edge of the cooler 54 (ie, off the side region RS of the cooler 54) and is a gap between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42. Block at least part of S1. In the present embodiment, the windshield portion 110 has a size that closes most of the gap S1. The windshield 110 has a notch 111 through which a connecting pipe CP connecting the accumulator 92 and the suction pipe is passed (see FIG. 6).

In the present embodiment, the windshield portion 110 of the seal member 97 is provided so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. For example, the windshield 110 is inclined so as to be located upward from the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54 toward the first side (left side). As a result, the upper surface of the windshield 110 has an inclined surface 112. The inclined surface 112 is inclined at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal direction.

In the present embodiment, the duct component 42 has a bulging portion 130 above the cooler 54, which bulges toward the center of the refrigerator 1 in the width direction of the refrigerator 1. The bulging portion 130 bulges so as to cover a part of the cooling chamber D2a (that is, to form a partial ceiling portion 131 with respect to the cooling chamber D2a). For example, the ceiling 131 extends at a relatively small angle with respect to the horizontal direction (ie, a smaller angle with respect to the horizontal direction than with respect to the vertical direction). The ceiling 131 of the bulge 130 is second side (to the right) of at least a portion of the accumulator 92, at least a portion of the end 93c of the pipe heater 93, and at least a portion of the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93. ) Extends to the position. For example, the ceiling 131 of the bulge 130 covers at least a portion of the accumulator 92, at least a portion of the end 93c of the pipe heater 93, and at least a portion of the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93. By providing the bulging portion 130, the width of the duct space D2 in the width direction of the refrigerator 1 is narrowed at the height position where the bulging portion 130 exists.

The windbreak portion 110 of the seal member 97 extends inclined in the horizontal direction from the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54 toward the bulging portion 130 of the duct component 42. In the present embodiment, the upper end portion 113 of the windshield portion 110 is arranged at a position on the first side (left side) of at least a part of the ceiling portion 131 of the bulging portion 130. The upper end 113 of the windshield 110 is located below the ceiling 131 of the bulge 130.

[3.2 Holding part of the first seal member]
The sandwiching portion 120 of the seal member 97 is detachably attached to the upper end portion of the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54. The sandwiching portion 120 is fixed to the upper end portion of the first end plate 83 by sandwiching the upper end portion of the first end plate 83. The windshield portion 110 described above is supported by the first end plate 83 by fixing the holding portion 120 to the first end plate 83.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sandwiching portion 120 includes an insertion space 120s into which the upper end portion of the first end plate 83 is inserted, and a first portion 121 that surrounds the insertion space 120s in the width direction and the vertical direction of the refrigerator 1 from three directions. , Second part 122, and third part 123. More specifically, the first portion 121 faces the upper end portion of the first end plate 83 from the left. The first portion 121 is formed in a plate shape along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1, and is arranged substantially parallel to the first end plate 83. The second portion 122 faces the upper end portion of the second end plate 84 from the right side. The second portion 122 has a plate portion 122a along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1, and a bent portion 122b provided below the plate portion 122a and bent from the plate portion 122a toward the first end plate 83. .. By providing the plate portion 122a and the bent portion 122b, the sandwiching portion 120 has elasticity and sandwiches the first end plate 83 between the first portion 121 and the second portion 122. The plate portion 122a and the bent portion 122b may be provided in the first portion 121 in place of / in addition to the second portion 122. The third portion 123 connects the upper end portion of the first portion 121 and the upper end portion of the second portion 122. The third portion 123 faces the first end plate 83 in the vertical direction.

In the present embodiment, the end faces (rear surfaces of the sandwiching portion 120) of the first portion 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123 are inserted spaces as they approach the insertion space 120s with respect to the width direction of the refrigerator 1. It has an inclined portion 120i inclined toward the inside of the 120s. That is, the first portion 121 has an inclined portion 120i that is inclined so as to be located forward from the left to the right. Similarly, the second portion 122 has an inclined portion 120i that is tilted so as to be located forward from the right to the left. The third portion 123 has an inclined portion 120i inclined so as to be located forward from the upper side to the lower side. The inclined portion 120i is a chamfered portion (so-called C surface) provided on the inner peripheral side of each end surface of the first portion 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123.

7 and 8 are perspective views showing a process of attaching the seal member 97 to the cooler 54. FIG. 7 shows the seal member 97 before mounting on the cooler 54. FIG. 8 shows the seal member 97 after being attached to the cooler 54. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the seal member 97 is attached to the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54 from the front. That is, the seal member 97 moves the seal member 97 from the front to the rear with respect to the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54, so that the first end plate 83 is moved to the holding portion 120 of the seal member 97. It is inserted and attached to the first end plate 83.

As shown in FIG. 8, the sandwiching portion 120 is provided only at the front end portion of the windshield portion 110. In the present embodiment, a gap 114 is provided between the portion of the windshield 110 in which the sandwiching portion 120 is not provided and the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54. By providing the gap 114, the water droplets melted after icing on the inclined surface 112 of the windshield 110 pass through the outside of the cooler 54 and fall to the defrost water receiver 91. Further, the protrusion 96ba of the fuse fixing tool 96 is passed through the gap 114. As a result, the seal member 97 is attached to the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54 without interfering with the protrusion 96ba of the fuse fixture 96.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the seal member 97 at an angle viewed from diagonally below. The sandwiching portion 120 of the seal member 97 includes a fourth portion 124. The fourth portion 124 is provided between the first portion 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123 so as to close at least a part of the front end portion of the insertion space 120s in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1. .. The fourth portion 124 faces the insertion space 120s in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1. That is, the fourth portion 124 faces the first end plate 83 in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F10-F10 of the cooler and the sealing member shown in FIG. The fourth portion 124 of the sandwiching portion 120 comes into contact with the front surface of the first end plate 83 when the seal member 97 is attached to the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54. As a result, the seal member 97 does not move further backward, and the position of the seal member 97 in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1 is restricted.

In this embodiment, after the seal member 97 is attached to the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54, the front cover 73 of the duct component 42 is combined with the back cover 71. When the front cover 73 of the duct component 42 is combined (for example, fixed) with respect to the back cover 71, the sealing member 97 regulates the position of the refrigerator 1 in the depth direction between the front cover 73 and the cooler 54. Will be done. As used herein, the term "position is restricted" is not limited to the case where the position is completely fixed, and may include the case where there is some rattling (play).

[4. Action]
Next, the operation of the seal member 97 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, a second seal member 98 is provided on the second side (right side) of the cooler 54. As a result, at least a part of the right gap S2 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 is closed.

On the other hand, on the first side (left side) of the cooler 54, an accumulator 92, an end portion 93c of the pipe heater 93, a bundle wire 94 of the pipe heater 93, a fuse component 95, a fuse fixture 96, and the like are arranged. Therefore, it is not easy to arrange the seal member in the side region RS of the cooler 54. However, in the present embodiment, the first seal member 97 is provided at a position above the cooler 54 to close at least a part of the left gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42.

As a result, the air that has flowed into the cooling chamber D2a from the cold air return port 42b has a right gap S2 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42, and a left gap between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42. It is difficult to flow into S1. Therefore, a large amount of air flowing into the cooling chamber D2a from the cold air return port 42b passes between the first end plate 83 and the second end plate 84 of the cooler 54 (that is, a plurality of fins 82 of the cooler 54). (Passing between) and flows toward the internal vent 73d located above. As a result, the air that has flowed into the cooling chamber D2a from the cold air return port 42b is efficiently cooled by the cooler 54, and is supplied to the storage chamber 11 as colder air.

[5. advantage]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 is arranged between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 on the side of the cooler 54, and the structure (for example, the pipe heater 93) to which the refrigerant is not supplied is provided. The end, the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93, or the fuse component 95) is provided. When such a structure is provided, it is difficult to attach a type of sealing member sandwiched between a plurality of straight portions 81a (or a plurality of folded portions 81b) of the cooling pipe 81 of the cooler 54, and the duct of the cooler 54. It becomes difficult to close the gap S1 between the component 42 and the component 42.

Therefore, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment has a seal member 97 that closes at least a part of the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 above the cooler 54. According to such a configuration, even if the structure is provided on the side of the cooler 54, at least the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 is not disturbed by the structure. It can block a part. As a result, the flow rate of air passing through the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 can be reduced, and the cooling efficiency of the cooler 54 can be improved. This makes it possible to improve the cooling performance.

In the present embodiment, the structure is a part of the pipe heater 93 for heating the cooler 54, the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93, or the fuse component 95. According to such a configuration, in the structure in which the heater for defrosting is attached to the cooler 54, the seal member 97 can be arranged while avoiding the related parts. For example, since the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 extends relatively long on the side of the cooler 54, it is between a plurality of straight portions 81a (or a plurality of folded portions 81b) of the cooling pipe 81 of the cooler 54. It is especially difficult to attach a sandwich type seal member. However, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, even when the bundled wire 94 of the pipe heater 93 extends relatively long on the side of the cooler 54, the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 is effective. Can be closed to.

In the present embodiment, the vertical center C3 of the pipe heater 93 is located below the vertical center C4 of the cooler 54. The seal member 97 closes at least a part of the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 above the cooler 54. According to such a configuration, considering that heat is easily transferred in the upward direction, the pipe heater 93 is arranged at a lower position with respect to the cooler 54 to improve the heat transfer efficiency from the pipe heater 93 to the cooler 54. be able to. In such a configuration, attention is paid to the fact that the mounting density of parts increases at a position lower than the cooler 54, while a margin is likely to occur at a position higher than the cooler 54. The seal member 97 is arranged in a space where such a margin is likely to occur. As a result, the shape and size of the seal member 97 are not easily restricted, and the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 can be closed more effectively.

In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the seal member 97 has an inclined surface 112. According to such a configuration, even if icing occurs on the upper surface of the seal member 97, the upper surface of the seal member 97 has the inclined surface 112, so that the water droplets melted at the time of defrosting flow down along the inclination. This makes it possible to prevent ice from growing on the upper surface of the seal member 97. Here, in the present embodiment, since the seal member 97 is provided in a region above the cooler 54 where there is room for space, the seal member 97 is greatly tilted (for example, 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction). It can be arranged (tilted at the above angles). With such a configuration, the water droplets melted during defrosting flow down more smoothly. On the other hand, when the seal member is arranged in the side region RS of the cooler 54, the plurality of folded portions 81b of the cooling pipe 81 become an obstacle, and it is difficult to arrange the seal member 97 with a large inclination. That is, it can be said that the seal member 97 can be arranged with a large inclination only in the structure in which at least a part of the seal member 97 is arranged above the cooler 54.

In the present embodiment, a gap 114 is provided between at least a part of the seal member 97 and the cooler 54 to drop water droplets melted after icing on the inclined surface 112 of the seal member 97 to the outside of the cooler 54. Has been done. According to such a configuration, water droplets melted at the time of defrosting after icing on the inclined surface 112 of the seal member 97 flow into the inside of the cooler 54, and water remains in the cooler 54 (more specifically, cooling). It is possible to suppress the re-icing inside the vessel 54). This makes it easier to maintain high performance of the cooler 54.

In the present embodiment, the duct component 42 has a bulging portion 130 that bulges toward the center of the refrigerator 1 in the width direction of the refrigerator 1 above the cooler 54. The seal member 97 extends between the cooler 54 and the bulge 130. According to such a configuration, the seal member 97 and the bulging portion 130 can effectively close the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 even with a relatively small seal member 97. As a result, the cost of the seal member 97 can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the upper end portion 113 of the windshield portion 110 is located below the ceiling portion 131 of the bulging portion 130. According to such a configuration, even if the mounting position of the seal member 97 is displaced in the width direction of the refrigerator 1 due to the component tolerance, the gap between the upper end portion 113 of the windshield portion 110 of the seal member 97 and the duct component 42. Is easy to keep small. As a result, the gap S1 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 can be effectively closed.

In the present embodiment, the seal member 97 has a holding portion 120 that holds the upper end portion of the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54. With such a configuration, the workability of attaching the seal member 97 can be improved. This contributes to the cost reduction of the refrigerator 1.

In the present embodiment, the sandwiching portion 120 of the seal member 97 has an insertion space 120s into which the first end plate 83 is inserted, and a first portion 121 that surrounds the insertion space 120s in the width direction and the vertical direction of the refrigerator 1 from three directions. It has a second part 122 and a third part 123. At least one end face of the first portion 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123 in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1 is inside the insertion space 120s as it approaches the insertion space 120s with respect to the width direction of the refrigerator 1. It has an inclined portion 120i inclined toward it. According to such a configuration, when the first seal member 97 is attached to the first end plate 83, the first seal member 97 is easily attached to the first end plate 83 by being guided by the inclined portion 120i. This makes it possible to improve the workability of attaching the seal member 97. In the above-described embodiment, the inclined portion 120i is provided in all of the first portion 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123, but the inclined portion 120i is provided in the first portion 121 and the second portion 122. , And only one or two of the third portion 123 may be provided.

In the present embodiment, the sandwiching portion 120 has a fourth portion 124 that abuts on the first end plate 83 in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1. According to such a configuration, when the sealing member 97 is attached to the first end plate 83, the first end plate 83 is also held by the holding portion 120 until the first end plate 83 comes into contact with the fourth portion 124 of the holding portion 120. By inserting the seal member 97, the seal member 97 does not move further backward. This makes it possible to position the seal member 97 with respect to the first end plate 83 in the insertion direction. This makes it possible to improve the workability of attaching the seal member 97.

In the present embodiment, the duct component 42 includes a back cover 71 located behind the cooler 54 and a front cover 73 located in front of the cooler 54 in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1. The position of the seal member 97 in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1 is restricted by the cooler 54 and the front cover 73. For example, when the front cover 73 is located in front of the seal member 97, the seal member 97 does not move further forward. This makes it possible to position the seal member 97 with respect to the first end plate 83 in the insertion direction. This makes it possible to improve the workability of attaching the seal member 97. Further, according to the above configuration, even if the seal member 97 is unintentionally half-inserted into the first end plate 83, the seal member 97 is pushed backward by the front cover 73 when the front cover 73 is attached. , The seal member 97 is fixed in the normal position. Also from this point of view, the workability of attaching the seal member 97 can be improved.

Hereinafter, some modification examples will be described. In each modification, the configurations other than those described below are the same as the configurations of the above-described embodiments.

(First modification)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the seal member 97A of the first modification. In this modification, the windshield portion 110 of the seal member 97A includes a first portion 117 and a second portion 118. The first portion 117 and the second portion 118 are arranged so as to be overlapped with each other in a direction of blocking the air flow. The first portion 117 is a portion corresponding to the windshield portion 110 of the above-described embodiment, and is made of synthetic resin. The second portion 118 is formed of a heat insulating material such as EPS and has higher heat insulating properties than the first portion 117. The second portion 118 has a size of more than half the area of the first portion 117. According to such a configuration, the seal member 97A can suppress heat transfer between the air before passing through the cooler 54 and the air after passing through the cooler 54. This makes it possible to further improve the cooling performance.

(Second modification)
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the seal member 97 of the second modification. In this modification, the seal member 97 closes at least a part of the gaps S1 and S2 between the cooler 54 and the duct component 42 at a position below the cooler 54. For example, the seal member 97 has a holding portion (fixing portion) 120 that sandwiches the lower end portion of the first end plate 83 or the second end plate 84 of the cooler 54, and the lower end of the first end plate 83 of the cooler 54. It is fixed to the portion or the lower end portion of the second end plate 84. The sandwiching portion 120 may be fixed to the first end plate 83 or the second end plate 84 of the cooler 54 by using an auxiliary fixing member such as a seal or an adhesive. Even with such a configuration, the same operation as that of the above embodiment can be expected.

Although the embodiments and modifications have been described above, the embodiments and modifications are not limited to the above-mentioned examples. For example, the seal member 97 is sandwiched between the front cover 73 and the back cover 71, for example, instead of being restricted in position between the front cover 73 and the cooler 54, so that the front cover 73 and the back cover 71 are sandwiched between the front cover 73 and the cooler 54. The position may be restricted between the cooler 54 and the back cover 71, and the position may be restricted between the cooler 54 and the back cover 71 by being sandwiched between the cooler 54 and the back cover 71. Further, the position may be restricted by three members of the cooler 54, the back cover 71, and the front cover 73. The structure arranged between the cooler and the duct component is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and may be another component.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the cooling performance is improved by having a sealing member that closes at least a part of the gap between the cooler and the duct component at a position above or below the cooler. Can be planned.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof, as are included in the scope and gist of the invention.

1 ... Refrigerator, 42 ... Freezer room duct parts (duct parts), 54 ... Cooler, 71 ... Back cover (first duct parts), 73 ... Front cover (second duct parts), 81 ... Cooling pipe (pipe), 82 ... Fins, 83 ... 1st end plate, 84 ... 2nd end plate, 92 ... Accumulator (structure), 93c ... Pipe heater end (structure), 94 ... Pipe heater bundled wire (electrical wiring, structure) Body), 95 ... Fuse component (structure), 96 ... Fuse fixture (structure), 97 ... First seal member (seal member), 110 ... Wind shield, 112 ... Inclined surface, 114 ... Gap, 120 ... Holding part, 120s ... Insertion space, 120i ... Inclined part, 121 ... First part, 122 ... Second part, 123 ... Third part, 124 ... Fourth part, 130 ... Swelling part, 131 ... Ceiling part.

Claims (11)

Duct parts that define at least part of the wall of the cooling chamber,
A cooler arranged in the cooling chamber and supplied with a refrigerant, and
A structure arranged between the cooler and the duct component on the side of the cooler and to which the refrigerant is not supplied.
A sealing member that closes at least a part of the gap between the cooler and the duct component at a position above or below the cooler.
Refrigerator equipped with. The structure is a portion of a heater that heats the cooler, electrical wiring connected to the heater, or a fuse for the heater.
The refrigerator according to claim 1. The structure is a part of a heater that heats the cooler, and the vertical center of the heater is located below the vertical center of the cooler.
The sealing member closes at least a part of the gap between the cooler and the duct component above the cooler.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2. The upper surface of the seal member has an inclined surface and has an inclined surface.
The inclined surface is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal direction.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The upper surface of the seal member has an inclined surface and has an inclined surface.
A gap is provided between at least a part of the sealing member and the cooler so that water droplets melted after icing on the inclined surface can be dropped to the outside of the cooler.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The duct component has a bulge portion that bulges toward the center of the refrigerator in the width direction of the refrigerator above the cooler.
The seal member extends between the cooler and the bulge.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The cooler includes a pipe through which the refrigerant flows, a plurality of fins, and an end plate located on the side of the plurality of fins to which the pipe is fixed.
The sealing member has a holding portion that holds the upper end portion or the lower end portion of the end plate.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The sandwiching portion has an insertion space into which the end plate is inserted, and a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion that surround the insertion space from three directions in the width direction and the vertical direction of the refrigerator.
At least one end face of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion in the depth direction of the refrigerator is inside the insertion space as it approaches the insertion space in the width direction of the refrigerator. Has an inclined part that is tilted toward
The refrigerator according to claim 7. The sandwiching portion includes an insertion space into which the end plate is inserted, a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion that surround the insertion space from three directions in the width direction and the vertical direction of the refrigerator, and the refrigerator. Including a fourth portion that abuts on the end plate in the depth direction,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 7 and 8. The duct component includes a first duct component located behind the cooler and a second duct component located in front of the cooler in the depth direction of the refrigerator.
The position of the seal member in the depth direction of the refrigerator is restricted by two or more parts of the cooler, the first duct component, or the second duct component.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9. A duct component having a bulging portion that defines at least a part of the wall surface of the cooling chamber and bulges so as to cover a part of the cooling chamber.
A cooler arranged in the cooling chamber and supplied with a refrigerant, and
A structure placed between the cooler and the duct component on the side of the cooler,
A sealing member that includes a portion extending between the cooler and the bulge and closes at least a portion of the gap between the cooler and the duct component at a position above or below the cooler. ,
Refrigerator equipped with.

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