JP2024001226A - Defroster and refrigerator having defroster - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a defroster which can be manufactured at a low cost, and has sufficient defrosting property.

SOLUTION: A defroster 2 comprises: a defrosting heater having a heating element in a single-wall glass pipe 12 of which the cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction is circular; a roof portion arranged above the glass pipe, extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass pipe, and constituted by forming a metallic thin plate protrusive upwardly; a tray 30 arranged below the glass pipe, extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass pipe, and formed with an opening 32 at a bottom portion; and a drain pipe 40 extending downward from the opening. In a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the glass pipe, the roof portion is located on a perpendicular line VL substantially passing a center G of the glass pipe at an apex P, and formed into a symmetric shape with respect to the perpendicular line in at least prescribed ranges S at both sides of the perpendicular line, and also in a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the glass pipe including the perpendicular line, the roof portion is formed inclined downward in such a manner that end portion regions at both the sides in the longitudinal direction reflect radiation heat from a lower side to the lower side, and the opening is located immediately below the glass pipe.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a defrosting device for removing frost from an evaporator of a refrigerator, and a refrigerator equipped with this defrosting device.

Refrigerators equipped with a defrost device having a glass tube heater below the evaporator are widely used to remove frost from the evaporator. In such a refrigerator, the outer surface temperature of the glass tube heater needs to be sufficiently lower than the flammable temperature of the solvent flowing in the evaporator. However, if the power input to the glass tube heater is suppressed in order to lower the outer surface temperature of the glass tube heater, sufficient defrosting performance may not be obtained. In particular, even if the frost on the upper evaporator melts due to natural convection heat transfer by the glass tube heater, there is a possibility that the water that has melted down from the evaporator will refreeze in the saucer placed below the glass tube heater. be.

In order to deal with this, a defrosting device using a defrosting heater having a heating element inside a double glass tube has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the defrosting device described in Patent Document 1, by using double glass tubes, although the outer surface temperature of the glass tube heater is low, it is possible to apply sufficient heat to melt the frost refrozen in the saucer. can.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-198097

However, a glass tube heater including double glass tubes has a problem that its manufacturing cost is high, and the manufacturing cost of a defrost device equipped with the glass tube heater or a refrigerator equipped with the defrost device is high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a defrosting device that can be manufactured at low cost and has sufficient defrosting performance, and a refrigerator equipped with this defrosting device. .

The defrosting device of the present invention includes:
A defrost heater having a heating element in a single glass tube whose cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is circular;
a roof portion disposed above the glass tube, extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube, and made of a thin metal plate formed into an upwardly convex shape;
a saucer disposed below the glass tube, extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube, and having an opening formed at the bottom;
a drain pipe extending downward from the opening;
Equipped with
In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube,
The roof portion has a top portion located on a perpendicular line passing approximately through the center of the glass tube, and is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line within at least a predetermined range on both sides of the perpendicular line,
In a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube including the perpendicular line,
The roof portion is formed such that end regions on both sides in the longitudinal direction are inclined downward so as to reflect radiant heat from below downward;
The opening is located directly below the glass tube.

According to the present invention, the manufacturing cost of the defroster device can be reduced by using a single glass tube. In order to lower the outer surface temperature of the glass tube, even if the power input to the defrost heater is suppressed, the roof reflects the radiant heat from the defrost heater toward the saucer, melting the frost that has refrozen inside the saucer. can do. In particular, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube, the upwardly convex shape of the roof is formed symmetrically with respect to the perpendicular line, at least within a predetermined range on both sides of the perpendicular line passing approximately through the center of the glass tube. . Furthermore, in a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube including the above-mentioned perpendicular line, the upwardly convex shape of the roof is inclined at both end regions so as to reflect the radiant heat from below downward. It is formed. In other words, the roof portion is formed in a shape that enhances reflection on all sides. This allows radiant heat to be incident on the main parts of the saucer with less variation and bias, except for the area directly below the glass tube.

Furthermore, since the opening of the saucer is located directly below the glass tube, the radiant heat from the defrosting heater directly enters the opening and its surroundings. Thereby, the frost refrozen in the saucer can be melted and reliably discharged through the opening and the drain pipe.
As described above, it is possible to provide a defroster device that can be manufactured at low cost and has sufficient defrost performance.

Moreover, the present invention
In the height direction, the lower end of the roof portion is located at the same position as or higher than the upper end of the glass tube,
In the height direction, the position of the top of the roof is the same as or lower than the top end of the glass tube plus a length equivalent to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the glass tube. It is characterized by being

According to the present invention, the lower end of the roof is located at the same position as or above the upper end of the glass tube, so heat transfer by natural convection removes frost on the evaporator above. It can definitely be dissolved. Further, in the height direction, the position of the top of the roof portion is the same as or lower than the position of the upper end of the glass tube plus a length equivalent to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the glass tube. Since the glass tube is located close to the evaporator, the effect of melting frost on the evaporator can be increased. At the same time, since the top of the roof is not too far away from the saucer, the radiant heat from the defrosting heater is strongly reflected toward the saucer by the roof, thereby increasing the effect of melting the frost in the saucer.
By arranging the roof portion as described above, frost on the evaporator and saucer can be effectively melted, and high defrosting performance can be exhibited.

Moreover, the present invention
In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube, the width at the lower end of the roof portion is within a range of 2 times or more and 3 times or less the outer diameter of the glass tube.

By setting the width at the lower end of the roof within a range of 2 times or more and 3 times or less the outer diameter of the glass tube, frost on both the evaporator and the saucer can be effectively melted in a well-balanced manner.

Moreover, the present invention
It further includes a defroster member made of a bent metal rod,
The defrosting member is
a hook portion formed at one end of the metal rod and rotatably inserted into a hole provided in the roof portion;
a heat receiving part connected to the hook part and extending diagonally downward while in contact with the roof part;
a detour part connected to the heat receiving part and bent so as to detour around the glass tube;
a heat radiation part connected to the detour part and extending downward to the inside of the saucer and the inside of the drain pipe;
It is characterized by having the following.

According to the present invention, the defrost member rotatably attached to the roof by the hook part is arranged so that the heat receiving part is in contact with the roof due to gravity, and the defrost member is connected to the defrost heater through the metal roof. Can receive heat. Moreover, the detour portion allows the heat radiating portion to be placed inside the saucer and the drain pipe by gravity without interfering with the glass tube. The heat received at the roof is conducted to the heat radiating part extending downward via the detour part, and the heat can be supplied from the heat radiating part to the frost and water in the saucer and drain pipe.
As described above, by using the defrost member, it can be manufactured at low manufacturing cost, and the heat from the defrost heater can be effectively supplied to the frost and water in the saucer and drain pipe.

Moreover, the refrigerator of the present invention has
It is characterized by being equipped with the above-mentioned defroster device.

The refrigerator of the present invention can also exhibit any of the above-mentioned effects.

As described above, the present invention can provide a defrost device that can be manufactured at low cost and has sufficient defrost performance, and a refrigerator equipped with this defrost device.

1 is a side sectional view schematically showing an example of a refrigerator equipped with a defrost device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an outline of a defrost device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the defrost device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube when viewed from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2. FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the defrost device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which is a diagram showing a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube including a perpendicular line passing through the approximate center of the circular outer shape of the glass tube. It is. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube as seen from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, and is a side sectional view for explaining the arrangement of the roof portion according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube as seen from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, and is a side sectional view schematically showing a defrost device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube as seen from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, and is a side sectional view schematically showing a defrost device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube as seen from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, and is a side sectional view schematically showing a defrost device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a defroster member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the defrosting device described below is for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following unless specifically stated.
In each drawing, members having the same function may be designated by the same reference numerals. In consideration of ease of explanation or understanding of main points, embodiments and examples may be shown for convenience, but it is possible to partially replace or combine the configurations shown in different embodiments. In the embodiments described below, descriptions of common matters with those described above will be omitted, and only different points will be explained. In particular, similar effects due to similar configurations will not be mentioned in each embodiment or example. The sizes, positional relationships, etc. of members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. In the following description and drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are shown assuming that the refrigerator is placed inside a refrigerator installed on the floor. The vertical direction is indicated by the Z-axis, and the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 constituting the defrost heater 10, which will be described later, is indicated by the X-axis.

(Refrigerator equipped with defrost device of the present invention)
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing an example of a refrigerator 100 including a defrost device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a freezer compartment 102A and a refrigerator compartment 102B. Inlet flow paths 104A and 104B partitioned off by a partition plate 106 are provided on the back sides of the freezer compartment 102A and the refrigerator compartment 102B. An evaporator 110 is arranged in the inlet flow path 104A on the side of the freezer compartment 102A, and a fan 130 is arranged above the evaporator 110. A defrost device 2 according to each embodiment described below is arranged below the evaporator 110.

A compressor 120 that communicates with the evaporator 110 is arranged in an external machine room on the back side of the freezer compartment 102A. The refrigerant (gas) compressed by the compressor 120 is liquefied by the condenser, the liquefied refrigerant absorbs heat from the gas in the refrigerator and vaporizes by the evaporator 110, and the vaporized refrigerant is compressed again by the compressor 120. This cycle is repeated. A damper 140 is disposed between the inlet channel 104A on the freezing compartment 102A side and the inlet channel 104B on the refrigerator compartment 102B side. In FIG. 1, the damper 140 is shown in a closed state.

As shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1, when the damper 140 is closed, when the compressor 120 and the fan 130 are driven, the gas in the freezer compartment 102A flows, and the cold air that has passed through the evaporator 110 flows through the partition plate 106. It flows into the freezer compartment 102A from the air outlet 106A provided in the freezer compartment 102A. The gas that has flowed in circulates within the freezing chamber 102A and returns to the lower side of the evaporator 110 within the inlet flow path 104A. By circulating the cooled gas through the evaporator 110, the inside of the freezer compartment 102A can be cooled. When the damper 140 is open, cold air also circulates to the refrigerator compartment 102B side.

Moisture contained in the air to be cooled condenses and frost adheres to the surface of the heat exchange tube of the evaporator 110. If a large amount of frost adheres to the heat exchange tubes, the cooling performance will decrease, so it is necessary to periodically defrost the evaporator 110. For this reason, the defrost device 2 is arranged below the evaporator 110. The defrost device 2 is equipped with a defrost heater 10, and by turning on the defrost heater 10 when the compressor 120 and fan 130 are not operating, the heat exchange tube can be warmed and defrosted. The water from which the frost in the evaporator 110 has melted flows from the drain pipe 40 of the defrosting device 2, through the drain pipe 150 of the refrigerator 100, and is discharged to the evaporating tray 160 arranged in the machine room.

(Defrost device according to the first embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the outline of the defrost device 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 when viewed from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, and is a side cross section schematically showing the defrost device 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube including a perpendicular line passing approximately through the center of the circular outer shape of the glass tube, and schematically shows the defrost device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. In FIG. 4, the illustration of the saucer is omitted. Next, the defrost device 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The defrost device 2 according to this embodiment includes a defrost heater 10 having a heating element inside a single quartz glass tube 12. The defroster device 2 also includes a heater cover 20 that is disposed above the glass tube 12 and has a roof portion 22 that extends along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 and is made of a thin metal plate formed in an upwardly convex shape. . The defrosting device 2 also includes a saucer 30 that is disposed below the glass tube 12 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12, and a drain pipe 40 that extends downward from an opening 32 provided at the bottom of the saucer 30. Be prepared. In FIG. 3, the drain pipe 40 shown in FIG. 2 is schematically shown.

Furthermore, the defrost device 2 according to this embodiment includes a defrost member 50 made of a bent metal rod. The defroster member 50 includes a hook portion 52 formed at one end of a metal rod and rotatably inserted into a hole 26 provided in a thin metal plate constituting the roof portion 22; A heat receiving part 54 extends obliquely downward while being in contact with the thin metal plate constituting the roof part 22; a detour part 56 is connected to the heat receiving part 54 and is bent so as to bypass the glass tube 12; and a heat radiating part 58 extending downward to the inside of the saucer 30 and the inside of the drain pipe 40.

<Defrost heater>
The glass tube 12 constituting the defrost heater 10 according to this embodiment has an elongated cylindrical shape. A heating element made of a metal wire such as a nichrome wire is arranged inside the glass tube 12. A coiled heater in which a metal wire is wound into a coil is arranged in the heat generating area at the center of the glass tube 12, and the metal wire extends outward from both ends of the coiled heater. Both ends of the glass tube 12 are covered with cap parts 14 made of a material with excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation properties, such as silicone rubber. The metal wires extending from both sides of the coiled heater extend to the outside of the glass tube 12 via the cap portion 14 and are electrically connected to an external cable.

In order to comply with IEC standards, the input power is controlled so that the outer surface temperature of the glass tube 12 during heat generation is 360° C. or less. The fact that even with such control of input power, practically sufficient defrosting of the evaporator 110 can be performed will be described in detail later.

<Heater cover>
The heater cover 20 extends along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 and includes a roof section 22 in which a metal thin plate is formed in an upwardly convex shape, and brackets 24 provided on both sides of the roof section 22 in the longitudinal direction. The cap portions 14 at both ends of the glass tube 12 are inserted into substantially C-shaped openings provided in the bracket 24, and the heater cover 20 is attached to the defrosting heater 10.
In this embodiment, a thin aluminum plate having high reflectance and high thermal conductivity is used as the thin metal plate constituting the roof portion 22. However, the material is not limited thereto, and any other metal thin plate including copper can be used. A convex shape can be formed by bending a thin aluminum plate, or a convex shape can be formed by joining two thin aluminum plates.

The roof portion 22 is formed by forming a metal thin plate into an upwardly convex shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 when viewed from the X-axis direction. At least within a predetermined range S on both sides of the perpendicular line VL passing through the approximate center G, it is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL. Here, the predetermined ranges S on both sides of the perpendicular line VL are defined as two areas divided by the perpendicular line VL along the Z-axis direction, which have a width S left and right from the perpendicular line VL in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the perpendicular line VL. means range. The upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 has a first region 22A and a second region 22B, which are two flat plates. As will be described later, the reflective surfaces of the first region 22A and the second region 22B can be made of flat surfaces or smoothly curved surfaces.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in a cross section taken along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12, the roof section 22 is configured to reflect radiant heat from below downward at both end regions in the longitudinal direction. It has a third region 22C and a fourth region 22D that slope downward. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, the roof section 22 has a structure like a hipped roof made up of four thin plate-like members in the first to fourth regions 22A to 22D, and has a structure that prevents reflection on all four sides. It is formed into a raised shape. The reflective surfaces of the third region 22C and the fourth region 22D can be made of flat surfaces or smoothly curved surfaces.
With the above configuration, the radiant heat from the defrosting heater 10 can be reflected downward and can be made to enter the main part of the saucer 30 below. Thereby, the frost refrozen on the saucer 30 can be melted.

<Saucer and drain pipe>
The saucer 30 extends along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12, has a bottom portion 30A and a side wall portion 30B surrounding the bottom portion 30A, and is open at the top. An opening 32 is provided at approximately the center of the bottom portion 30A of the saucer 30 in the longitudinal direction. The bottom portion 30A of the saucer 30 is sloped so that the opening 32 has the lowest height. Thereby, water falling from the upper evaporator 110 flows through the bottom 30A of the saucer 30 and flows into the opening 32. A drain pipe 40 is attached to the opening 32 provided in the bottom 30A of the saucer 30, and the drain pipe 40 extends downward from the opening 32.

In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the opening 32 of the saucer 30 is located directly below the glass tube 12. With this arrangement, the opening 32 and the area around it can directly receive radiant heat from the defrost heater 10, and can melt the frost refrozen on the saucer 30.
Preferably, the saucer 30 is made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. Considering the ease of attaching the defrosting device 2 to the refrigerator 100, the drain pipe 40 is preferably formed of an elastic resin material or the like.

(Roof arrangement)
FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining the arrangement of the roof portion 22 according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube as seen from the X-axis direction in FIG. be. In FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6 to 8 described later, the radiant heat emitted from the defrost heater 10 is indicated by a dotted line arrow, and the upward flow due to natural convection of the surrounding gas warmed by the defrost heater 10 is indicated by a dashed line. Indicated by arrow. In FIG. 5, explanation will be given taking as an example the defrost device according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. The functions of the section 22 are basically the same.

The upward convex shape of the roof portion 22 is within a predetermined range S on both sides of a perpendicular line VL passing through the approximate center G of the circular outer shape of the glass tube 12 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction. , it is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL. In the first embodiment, the predetermined range S corresponds to the entire area of the roof portion 22, and the entire area is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other cases will be explained in detail later.

Preferably, the predetermined range S is determined in accordance with the width dimension of the saucer 30 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as viewed from the X-axis direction. When both ends of the saucer 30 in the width direction are located at the same distance from the perpendicular line VL, the upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL to the extent that reflected light reaches both ends of the saucer 30. It is preferable that it has a shape. If the distances from the perpendicular line VL of both ends in the width direction of the saucer 30 are different, the upwardly convex shape of the roof part 22 will be different from the perpendicular line VL, at least to the extent that the reflected light reaches the end closer to the perpendicular line VL. It is preferable to have a symmetrical shape. Thereby, radiant heat with little variation or bias can be incident on the main part of the saucer 30, and the frost inside the saucer 30 can be efficiently melted.

In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the first region 22A and the second region 22B are shown as two sides connected at the top P located on the perpendicular line VL. The angle θ between the first region 22A and the perpendicular line VL and the angle θ between the second region 22B and the perpendicular line VL substantially match. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the lengths of the first region 22A and the second region 22B are also the same.

This means that in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the first region 22A and the second region 22B form an isosceles triangle whose apex is a point P located on the perpendicular line VL. It can also be said that they form two equilateral sides.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, when the first region 22A and the second region 22B are each extended diagonally downward, they intersect with a horizontal line extending from the bottom surface of the saucer 30. This forms the upper half of the parallelogram. Then, the center of the opening 32 of the saucer 30 substantially coincides with the position of the perpendicular line VL. That is, the opening 32 of the saucer 30 is located at the center of a parallelogram whose two sides are the upwardly convex roof 22 and its extension.

With this arrangement, the radiant heat emitted upward from the defrosting heater 10 is reflected downward by the roof 22, and the radiant heat is distributed to the main parts of the saucer 30, excluding the area directly below the glass tube 12, with little variation or bias. can be made incident. Directly below the glass tube 12, there is a region where the reflected light from the roof 22 does not reach, but in such a region, the radiant heat emitted downward from the defrosting heater 10 directly enters. Thereby, the refrozen frost can be efficiently melted in the main portion on the saucer 30. The melted water flows into the drain pipe 40 through the opening 32, flows through the drain pipe 150 of the refrigerator 100, and is discharged to the evaporating dish 160 located in the machine room.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the lower end position H1 of the roof portion 22 is located above the upper end position H0 of the glass tube 12 in the height direction (Z-axis direction). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower end position H1 of the roof portion 22 may be located at the same position as the upper end position H0 of the glass tube 12. That is, in the height direction (Z-axis direction), the position H1 of the lower end of the roof portion 22 is located at or above the position H0 of the upper end of the glass tube 12.
With such a setting, the gas around the glass tube 12 warmed by the defrosting heater 10 can be efficiently caused to flow upward by natural convection. Thereby, heat can be supplied to the evaporator 110 by natural convection heat transfer, so that frost attached to the evaporator 110 can be reliably melted.

In addition, in the height direction (Z-axis direction), the position H2 of the top P of the roof 22 is determined by adding a length equivalent to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the glass tube 12 to the position H0 of the upper end of the glass tube 12. It is located at the same position as or below the original position. With such a setting, the defrosting heater 10 can be placed relatively close to the evaporator 110, so that the effect of melting frost attached to the evaporator 110 can be enhanced. At the same time, since the top P of the roof 22 is not far away from the saucer 30, the radiant heat from the defrosting heater 10 is strongly reflected toward the saucer 30 by the roof 22, increasing the effect of melting the frost inside the saucer 30. be able to.
By arranging the roof portion 22 as described above, frost on the evaporator 110 and the saucer 30 can be effectively melted, and high defrosting performance can be exhibited.

Further, in the present embodiment, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 when viewed from the X-axis direction, the width dimension W at the lower end of the roof portion 22 is greater than or equal to 2 times and less than 3 times the outer diameter D of the glass tube. within range. Furthermore, if the distance between the lower end of the roof portion 22 in the width direction and the outer shape of the glass tube 12 is M, then the relationship is 0.5D <= M <= D.

If the width W at the lower end of the roof portion 22 is not so large compared to the outer diameter of the glass tube 12, the heat generated by the defrost heater 10 cannot be sufficiently reflected downward. On the other hand, if the width W at the lower end of the roof portion 22 is considerably larger than the outer diameter of the glass tube 12, it becomes difficult to supply heat to the upper evaporator 110 side by natural convection.
Therefore, by setting the width W at the lower end of the roof portion 22 within the range of 2 times or more and 3 times or less the outer diameter of the glass tube 12, frost on both the evaporator 110 and the saucer 30 can be effectively and well-balanced. Can be dissolved in
A similar relationship is also shown in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from a direction 180 degrees opposite to the X-axis direction.

(Defrost device according to second embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a defrost device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a view showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube when viewed from the X-axis direction in FIG. be.
Also in the defrost device 2 according to the second embodiment, the roof portion 22 has an upwardly convex shape in which two flat plate-shaped first regions 22A and second regions 22B are connected. However, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the length of the second region 22B is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the length of the first region 22A is , is longer than the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 is on both sides of a perpendicular line passing through approximately the center G of the circular outer shape of the glass tube 12. Although it is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL within a certain range S, it is not symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL in all regions. One first region 22A of the roof portion 22 is extended by a width T.

In the first embodiment described above, in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the widthwise end of the lower saucer 30 is in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the perpendicular line VL. Although they are located at approximately the same distance from the perpendicular line VL, in the second embodiment, both ends of the saucer 30 in the width direction are located at different distances from the perpendicular line VL.
The upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL to the extent that the reflected light is incident on the end near the perpendicular VL in the width direction of the saucer 30 (the end on the right side in the drawing). . By adjusting the length of the roof portion 22, the reflected light also enters the other end (the end on the left side in the drawing).
A cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from a direction 180 degrees opposite to the X-axis direction shows a similar relationship, although the left and right sides are reversed.

(Defrost device according to third embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 as seen from the X-axis direction of FIG. 2, and is a side cross section schematically showing the defrost device 2 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram.
In the defrosting devices according to the first and second embodiments described above, the roof portion 22 is composed of two flat plate-shaped first regions 22A and second regions 22B, but in the third embodiment, , the roof portion 22 is configured with a smooth curved surface.

Even in this case, by appropriately determining the curvature of the curved surface of the roof portion 22, as shown in FIG. This allows the light to enter the main part of the saucer 30, excluding the area blocked by the glass tube 12.
In the third embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the entire area of the roof portion 22 is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL passing through the approximate center G of the circular outer shape of the glass tube 12. A similar relationship is also shown in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from a direction 180 degrees opposite to the X-axis direction.

(Defrost device according to fourth embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 as seen from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, and is a side cross section schematically showing the defrost device 2 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram.
In the fourth embodiment as well, the roof portion 22 is configured with a smooth curved surface. In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from the X-axis direction, the upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 is within a certain range S on both sides of a perpendicular line passing through the approximate center G of the circular outer shape of the glass tube 12. , is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL, but the roof portion 22 is not symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL in all areas. One first region 22A of the roof portion 22 is extended by a width T.

In the fourth embodiment, in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 when viewed from the X-axis direction in FIG. 2, both ends of the saucer 30 in the width direction are located at different distances from the perpendicular line VL. .
The upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL to the extent that the reflected light is incident on the end near the perpendicular VL in the width direction of the saucer 30 (the end on the right side in the drawing). . By adjusting the length of the roof portion 22, the reflected light also enters the other end (the end on the left side in the drawing). A cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 viewed from a direction 180 degrees opposite to the X-axis direction shows a similar relationship, although the left and right sides are reversed.

As described above, in any of the defroster devices 2 according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the defroster has a heating element in the single glass tube 12 whose cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is circular. a heater 10; a roof portion 22 disposed above the glass tube 12; extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12; and formed by forming a thin metal plate into an upwardly convex shape; It includes a saucer 30 that extends along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12 and has an opening 32 formed at its bottom, and a drain pipe 40 that extends downward from the opening 32. The portion 22 has a top portion P located on a perpendicular line VL passing through the approximate center G of the glass tube 12, and is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL at least within a predetermined range on both sides of the perpendicular line VL, and includes the perpendicular line VL. In the cross section along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 12, the roof portion 22 is formed such that the end regions on both sides in the longitudinal direction are inclined downward so as to reflect radiant heat from below downward, and the opening 32 is located directly below the glass tube 12.

By using the single glass tube 12, the manufacturing cost of the device can be reduced. Even if the power input to the defrost heater 10 is suppressed in order to lower the outer surface temperature of the glass tube 12, the roof 22 reflects the radiant heat from the defrost heater 10 toward the saucer side 30, causing the inside of the saucer 30 to be reduced. Can melt frost. In particular, the upwardly convex shape of the roof portion 22 is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL within at least a predetermined range S on both sides of the perpendicular line VL passing through the approximate center G of the glass tube 12, and is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line VL ( In the X-axis direction shown in FIG. It is located directly below the pipe 12. Thereby, the reflected heat from the roof portion 22 and the radiant heat directly received from the defrosting heater 10 can cause radiant heat to be incident on the main portion of the saucer 30 with less variation and bias.

Therefore, the frost attached to the evaporator 110 can be melted and discharged through the opening 32 of the saucer 30 and the drain pipe 40. As described above, it is possible to provide the defroster device 2 that can be manufactured at low cost and has sufficient defrost performance.

Further, according to the defroster device 2 according to the first to fourth embodiments, the position H1 of the lower end of the roof portion 22 is the same as the position H0 of the upper end of the glass tube 12 in the height direction (Z-axis direction). Alternatively, since the evaporator 110 is disposed above the evaporator 110, the frost formed on the evaporator 110 can be effectively melted by natural convection heat transfer. Furthermore, in the height direction (Z-axis direction), the position H2 of the top P of the roof portion 22 is equal to the position H0 of the upper end of the glass tube 12 by adding a length equivalent to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the glass tube 12. Since it is disposed at the same position as or below the position, it is possible to enhance the effect of melting the frost on the evaporator 110, and it is also possible to enhance the effect of melting the frost inside the saucer 30.
By arranging the roof portion 22 as described above, frost on the evaporator 110 and the saucer 30 can be effectively melted, and high defrosting performance can be exhibited.

Further, according to the defroster device 2 according to the first to fourth embodiments, the width W at the lower end of the roof portion 22 is within the range of 2 times or more and 3 times or less the outer diameter D of the glass tube 12. , the frost on both the evaporator 110 and the saucer 30 can be effectively melted in a well-balanced manner.

(Defrost removal member)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view for explaining the defrost member according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, the shape of the roof portion 22 is simply shown.
Any of the defroster devices 2 according to the embodiments described above includes a defroster member 50 made of a bent metal rod. As shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 9, the defroster member 50 is formed at one end of a metal rod and is rotatably inserted into a hole 26 provided in a thin metal plate constituting the roof portion 22. It has a hook portion 52 that can be Furthermore, the defrosting member 50 has a heat receiving part 54 that is connected to the hook part 52 and extends obliquely downward while being in contact with the thin metal plate that constitutes the roof part 22. The defrosting member 50, which is rotatably attached to the roof section 22 by a hook section 52 at one end, is in a suspended state due to gravity, and the heat receiving section 54 is diagonally in contact with the thin metal plate that constitutes the roof section 22. extends downward.

Further, the defrosting member 50 has a detour portion 56 connected to the heat receiving portion 54 and bent so as to bypass the glass tube 12 . Since the position of the heat receiving part 54 is fixed by gravity in contact with the thin metal plate constituting the roof part 22, the detour part 56 can be reliably maintained at a position separated from the glass tube 12. Furthermore, the defrosting member 50 has a heat radiation part 58 that is connected to the detour part 56 and extends downward to the inside of the saucer 30 and the inside of the drain pipe 40 . The defroster member 50 terminates at the end of the heat radiation section 58.

The defroster member 50 rotatably attached to the roof 22 by the hook 52 has its heat receiving part 54 in contact with the roof 22 due to gravity. , receives heat from the defrosting heater 10. Furthermore, the heat received by the heat receiving section 54 is thermally conducted to the heat radiating section 58 extending downward via the detour section 56. Thereby, heat is supplied from the heat radiation part 58 to the frost and water in the saucer 30 and the drain pipe 40. Thereby, the frost in the saucer 30 and the drain pipe 40 can be melted and removed via the drain pipe 40.

As described above, by using the defroster member 50 in addition to the roof portion 22, heat from the defrost heater 10 is effectively supplied to the frost and water in the saucer 30 and the drain pipe 40 at low manufacturing cost. be able to.

Furthermore, as shown by arrows A and B in FIG. 9, the defroster member 50 can be rotated and placed along the surface of the roof portion 22. Therefore, when installing the defrosting device 2 in the refrigerator 100, removing it, replacing parts, etc., by aligning the defrosting member 50 along the surface of the roof portion 22 and fastening it with tape or the like, the defrosting member 50 can be easily removed from the refrigerator 100. By preventing interference with other members, work efficiency can be improved.

(refrigerator)
The refrigerator 100 equipped with the defrost device 2 according to the above-described embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 can also have the above-mentioned arbitrary effects.

Although the embodiments and modes of implementation of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may vary in the details of the configuration, and changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and modes of implementation may differ from the claimed invention. This can be realized without departing from the scope and philosophy of

2 Defrost device 10 Defrost heater 12 Glass tube 14 Cap part 20 Heater cover 22 Roof part 22A First area 22B Second area 22C Third area 22D Fourth area 24 Bracket 26 Hole 30 Saucer 30A Bottom 30B Side wall 32 Opening 40 Drain pipe 50 Defrosting member 52 Hook part 54 Heat receiving part 56 Detour part 58 Heat radiating part 100 Refrigerator 102A Freezer compartment 102B Refrigerator compartments 104A, B Inlet channel 106 Partition plate 106A Air outlet 110 Evaporator 120 Compressor 130 Fan 140 Damper 150 Drain pipe 160 Evaporating dish G Approximate center of glass tube VL Perpendicular line S Predetermined range

Claims (1)

A defrost heater having a heating element in a single glass tube whose cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is circular;
a roof portion disposed above the glass tube, extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube, and made of a thin metal plate formed into an upwardly convex shape;
a saucer disposed below the glass tube, extending along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube, and having an opening formed at the bottom;
a drain pipe extending downward from the opening;
Equipped with
In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the glass tube,
The roof portion has a top portion located on a perpendicular line passing approximately through the center of the glass tube, and is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular line within at least a predetermined range on both sides of the perpendicular line,
In a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube including the perpendicular line,
The roof portion is formed such that end regions on both sides in the longitudinal direction are inclined downward so as to reflect radiant heat from below downward;
The defrosting device is characterized in that the opening is located directly below the glass tube.

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