JP2023092403A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that prevents decrease in heating efficiency from a glass tube heater and can reduce cost of manufacture.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a storeroom; a chiller installed in the storeroom; and a glass tube heater laid on a bottom side from the chiller. The glass tube heater is laid in a region other than a projection region of the chiller in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to refrigerators.

Refrigerators are equipped with coolers (evaporators) for cooling gases returning from a storage compartment (eg, freezer compartment). Here, the structure of the conventional cooler 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventional cooler 40. As shown in FIG. Also, FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator including a conventional cooler 40. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the cooler 40 includes a refrigerant circulation pipe 41 through which the refrigerant passes and a plurality of cooling fins 42 in contact with the refrigerant circulation pipe 41 . Further, as shown in FIG. 5, gas returning from the storage chamber 50 to the cooling chamber 51 (accommodating space of the cooler 40) flows into the cooling chamber 51 through a return duct 52 facing the bottom side of the cooling chamber 51. do. Furthermore, the gas that has flowed into the cooling chamber 51 rises in the cooling chamber 51 and reaches the cooler 40 . At this time, the rising gas comes into contact with the refrigerant distribution pipe 41 and the cooling fins 42 . As a result of heat exchange between the gas and the refrigerant, the gas that has passed through the cooler 40 is cooled.

The coolant distribution pipe 41 of the cooler 40 and the cooling fins 42 to which the heat from the coolant distribution pipe 41 is transferred are cooled to an extremely low temperature (for example, approximately -30°C). As a result, frost forms on the surfaces of the coolant flow pipe 41 and the cooling fins 42 due to moisture contained in the gas. Furthermore, if frost formation progresses enough to fill the gaps between the adjacent cooling fins 42, smooth heat exchange between the gas passing through the cooler 40 and the refrigerant is impeded. Therefore, a defrosting mechanism as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 below is provided.

JP 2021-76307 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-101310 JP 2019-203639 A

The defrosting mechanisms disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are arranged on the bottom side of the cooler, and are glass tube heaters (for example, FIGS. 5, a heater indicated by reference numeral 43). By the way, when the frost is warmed by the heat from the glass tube heater 43 , melted ice and water fall toward the glass tube heater 43 . Therefore, the defrosting mechanisms disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 further include a plate-like cover (for example, a member indicated by reference numeral 44 in FIG. 5) that protects the glass tube heater 43 from falling ice and water.

However, since the plate-like cover 44 is positioned between the cooler 40 and the glass tube heater 43 , the heat rays emitted from the glass tube heater 43 are blocked by the cover 44 . As a result, the amount of heat from the glass tube heater 43 to frost forming on the cooler 40 is reduced. In other words, despite the use of the glass tube heater 43 with high heat generation capacity, the heating efficiency may be reduced, and the defrosting effect may not be sufficiently exhibited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of these problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the heating efficiency of the glass tube heater is not reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In order to solve the above problems, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes:
a storage room;
a cooler provided in the storage chamber;
a glass tube heater disposed on the bottom side of the cooler;
with
The glass heater pipe is arranged in a region other than the projection region of the cooler in plan view.

Further, the refrigerator according to the present invention is
The cooler comprises a pair of end plates disposed on the bottom side of both sides of the cooler,
The end plate is provided with a heater support portion located forward of the projected area of the cooler and supporting the glass tube heater.

Furthermore, the refrigerator according to the present invention is
It further comprises a heat insulating member separating the storage chamber and the glass tube heater.

Furthermore, the refrigerator according to the present invention is
A surface of the heat insulating member facing the glass tube heater is a heat ray reflecting surface that reflects the heat ray from the glass tube heater.

The glass tube heater of the present invention is arranged in a region other than the projection region of the cooler (for example, a region other than the region immediately below the cooler) in plan view. That is, the ice and fruit melted in the cooler do not drop into the glass tube heater. Therefore, according to the present invention, there is no need to interpose a member (for example, the plate-shaped cover described above) to prevent breakage of the glass tube heater between the glass tube heater and the cooler. heating efficiency is not reduced. Moreover, according to the present invention, since a member for preventing breakage of the glass tube heater can be omitted, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, the glass tube heater of the present invention is supported at a position on the front side of the plane view projection area of the cooler by the heater supporting portions of the pair of end plates arranged on the bottom side of both sides of the cooler. . Therefore, according to the present invention, the heating efficiency from the glass tube heater is not reduced, and the glass tube heater can be arranged at a desired position without greatly changing the arrangement structure of the cooler in the storage chamber. .

Furthermore, according to the present invention, since a heat insulating member separating the storage chamber and the glass tube heater is further provided, storage from the glass tube heater can be prevented even if the glass tube heater is located forward of the plane view projection area of the cooler. It can insulate the heat transmitted to the room side.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the heat rays emitted from the glass tube heater toward the heat insulating member can be reflected toward the cooler. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to further improve the heating efficiency from the glass tube heater.

The side view vertical sectional view of the refrigerator which concerns on this embodiment. The side view vertical sectional view of the freezer compartment of this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of the cooler of this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of the conventional cooler. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator including a conventional cooler;

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In describing the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, the "up and down" direction corresponds to the height direction of the refrigerator 1, the "left and right" direction corresponds to the width direction of the refrigerator 1, and the "front and back" direction is It corresponds to the depth direction of the refrigerator 1 .

A configuration of a first embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a side view vertical sectional view of the freezer compartment 4 in the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cooler 73 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes a heat insulating box body 2 corresponding to a refrigerator body. The heat insulating box 2 has a plurality of storage compartments, as shown in FIG. Moreover, each of the plurality of storage compartments corresponds to the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the freezer compartment 5 in order from the top. However, the arrangement of the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the freezer compartment 5 is not limited to this.

The heat insulating box body 2 includes an outer box 2a made of steel, an inner box 2b made of synthetic resin, and a heat insulating material made of polyurethane foam filled in a gap formed between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b. A material 2c is provided. Inside the heat insulating box 2, a plurality of heat insulating partition walls (for example, members indicated by numerals 6a and 6b in FIG. 1) are arranged. The refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the freezer compartment 5 are divided by the heat insulation partition walls 6a and 6b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a cooling chamber 72 is defined on the far side of the refrigerating chamber 5 by a member such as a partition member 71 . Furthermore, a cooler 73 is provided in the cooling chamber 72 . In addition, in the following description, the area|region of the front side from the cooling chamber 72 of the freezer compartment 5 may be called a "freezer compartment."

The gas that has flowed in the freezer compartment 5 and cooled the object (for example, frozen food) stored in the freezer compartment 5 is returned to the cooling compartment 72 via a return duct 74 located at the bottom of the freezer compartment 5 . influx. Also, in the cooling chamber 72, the fan 75 provided on the upper side of the cooling chamber 72 is driven, and the pressure on the upper side of the cooling chamber 72 is lower than that on the bottom side. Therefore, the gas that has flowed into the cooling chamber 72 rises inside the cooling chamber 72 . That is, the gas that has flowed into the cooling chamber 72 flows toward the cooler 73 .

Furthermore, the gas that has reached the cooler 73 contacts the coolant circulation pipe 731 shown in FIG. As a result of heat exchange between the gas reaching the cooler 73 and the refrigerant, the gas is cooled. Further, the cooled gas rises in the cooling chamber 72 and is blown through the fan 75 to the storage chamber such as the freezing chamber 5 again.

By the way, frost forms on the refrigerant distribution pipe 731 and the cooling fins 732 due to moisture in the gas passing through the cooler 73 . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a glass tube heater 733 is provided as a defrosting mechanism. As a result, heat (heat rays) from the glass tube heater 733 reaches at least the cooler 73 and melts the frost formed on the refrigerant distribution pipe 731 and the cooling fins 732 .

The glass tube heater 733 of this embodiment includes, for example, a nichrome wire (not shown) and a cylindrical glass tube that accommodates the nichrome wire. Both ends of the nichrome wire are connected to a cable (not shown) and a power source. Current from the power supply flows through the nichrome wire through the cable, causing the nichrome wire to generate heat. As a result, the outside of the glass tube is irradiated with heat rays.

The glass tube heater 733 of the present embodiment is positioned on the bottom side of the cooling chamber 72 and arranged in a region other than the projection region 734 of the cooler 73 in plan view. Note that the projected area 734 of the cooler 73 in plan view refers to an area where the cooler 73 is projected (projected) when the cooler 73 is viewed from above (for example, an area immediately below the cooler 73). On the other hand, the “area other than the projection area 734 ” refers to, for example, an area on the front side or the rear side of the area directly below the cooler 73 .

As described above, the glass tube heater 733 is arranged in an area other than the projection area 734, and therefore is not located in an area where ice and water fall as a result of melting frost. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, there is no need to interpose a member (for example, the plate-like cover described above) between the glass tube heater 733 and the cooler 73 to prevent damage to the glass tube heater 733 . Thereby, the heating efficiency from the glass tube heater 733 is not reduced. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to omit a member for preventing breakage of the glass tube heater 733, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Here, the cooler 73 includes a pair of end plates 735 (735A, 735B) arranged on the bottom sides of both side portions 73S of the cooler 73 . Further, the end plate 735 includes heater support portions 736 (736A, 736B) that are located forward of the projected area 734 of the cooler 73 and support the glass tube heater 733 .

The form of the heater support part 736 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the glass tube heater 733 . An example of the heater support portion 736 is a recessed portion that is recessed on the front side as shown in FIG. Both ends of the glass tube heater 733 are fitted into heater support portions 736 recessed in the end plate 735 . As a result, the glass tube heater 733 of the present embodiment is arranged (supported) in front of the projection area 734 (directly below area) of the cooler 73 .

Since the glass tube heater 733 is located forward of the projection area 734 of the cooler 73, the heating efficiency from the glass tube heater 733 is not reduced. Furthermore, the glass tube heater 733 can be arranged at a desired position without greatly changing the arrangement structure of the cooler 73 in the freezer compartment 5 .

1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment further includes a heat insulating member 76 separating the freezer compartment 5 and the glass tube heater 733 from each other. Although not particularly limited, the heat insulating member 76 of the present embodiment is a plate-like member, and extends from the bottom end of the partition 71 toward the bottom, for example.

According to this embodiment, even if the glass tube heater 733 is positioned forward of the projection area 734 of the cooler 73, the heat transferred from the glass tube heater 733 to the freezer compartment 5 side can be insulated. As a result, the glass tube heater 733 can effectively prevent the freezing efficiency in the freezer compartment 5 from decreasing.

Further, the surface 761 of the heat insulating member 76 facing the glass tube heater 733 (for example, the surface facing the rear side in FIG. 1) is preferably a heat ray reflecting surface that reflects the heat ray from the glass tube heater 733 . Although not particularly limited, the facing surface 761 of the present embodiment is formed of a metal thin film with high light reflectivity. Further, the facing surface 761 may be subjected to surface treatment for improving light reflectivity.

According to the heat insulating member 76 having such a facing surface 761 , heat rays emitted from the glass tube heater 733 toward the heat insulating member 76 can be efficiently reflected toward the cooler 73 . That is, the heating efficiency from the glass tube heater 733 can be further improved.

The embodiments according to the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the above description is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may include things that can be changed and improved without departing from its spirit. The present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Refrigerator 2... Thermal insulation box body 5... Freezer compartment 72... Cooling compartment 73... Cooler (evaporator)
731 Refrigerant distribution pipe 732 Cooling fin 733 Glass tube heater 734 Projected region of cooler 735 End plate 736 Heater support 76 Heat insulating member 761 Surface facing the glass tube heater in the heat insulating member

Claims (4)

a storage room;
a cooler provided in the storage chamber;
a glass tube heater disposed on the bottom side of the cooler;
with
The refrigerator, wherein the glass heater pipe is arranged in a region other than the projection region of the cooler in plan view. The cooler comprises a pair of end plates disposed on the bottom side of both sides of the cooler,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the end plate includes a heater support portion located forward of the projection area of the cooler and supporting the glass tube heater. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a heat insulating member separating said storage compartment and said glass tube heater. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the heat insulating member facing the glass tube heater is a heat ray reflecting surface that reflects the heat ray from the glass tube heater.

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