JP7181591B2 - Defrost device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a defrosting device for removing frost adhering to an evaporator of a refrigerator.

In order to melt and remove frost adhering to the evaporator of the refrigerator, in many cases, a defrosting device having a glass tube heater is provided under the evaporator. A glass tube heater for such a defrosting device must comply with the IEC standard, and the outer surface temperature of the quartz glass tube must be 360° C. or less during heat generation. Therefore, it is possible that the relatively low-temperature glass tube heater cannot melt the frost adhering to the evaporator in a short period of time.

In order to deal with this problem, a refrigerator has been proposed in which two glass tube heaters are arranged side by side under the evaporator (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent the water melted by the heat of the glass tube heater from dripping from the evaporator and hitting the glass tube heater, horizontal plate-shaped ceilings are provided above the two glass tube heaters. parts are placed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-267331

However, since the upper part of the glass tube heater is covered with a horizontal plate-like ceiling member, the ceiling member hinders the heat transfer from the glass tube heater, which causes a problem that it takes a long time to defrost the evaporator. Furthermore, when the air that circulates inside the refrigerator returns to the lower side of the evaporator during cooling of the refrigerator, the problem arises that the air flow is obstructed by the horizontal plate-like ceiling member and cannot flow smoothly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by preventing the water dripping from the evaporator from hitting the glass tube heater, making it easier for the heat of the glass tube heater to be transmitted to the evaporator, and allowing the inside of the refrigerator to flow. To provide a defrosting device in which circulating gas can smoothly flow into an evaporator.

The defrosting device of the present invention is
two glass tube heaters provided below the evaporator of the refrigerator and arranged substantially parallel with respect to the front-rear direction of the refrigerator;
two flat ceiling members provided above the two glass tube heaters and extending along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters;
with
In a side view seen from the axial direction, at least two of the ceiling members are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, or pairs of the glass tube heater and the ceiling member arranged in front and behind are different. It is characterized by being arranged at a height.

In the present invention, when viewed from the side in the axial direction of the glass tube heater, (1) the two ceiling members are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and the glass tube heater and the ceiling member are arranged one behind the other. are arranged at the same height, (2) the two ceiling members are arranged horizontally, and the pairs of the glass tube heater and the ceiling member arranged in front and behind are arranged at different heights. and (3) the two ceiling members are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and the pairs of glass tube heaters and ceiling members arranged in front and behind are arranged at different heights. There are three possible modes when there is.

In the present invention, in any one of the above three aspects, the ceiling member is provided to prevent the water dripping from the evaporator from hitting the heater, and the heat of the heater can be easily transferred to the evaporator. can smoothly flow into the evaporator.

In addition, the present invention
The predetermined angle is characterized by being in the range of 10 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less.

If the predetermined angle is less than 10 degrees, heat transfer from the glass tube heater to the evaporator and gas flow to the evaporator are likely to be affected by the ceiling member. On the other hand, if the predetermined angle is greater than 40 degrees, the distance between the evaporator and the glass tube heater must be increased, which may affect heat transfer from the glass tube heater to the evaporator. .

Therefore, when the inclination angle of the ceiling member is in the range of 10 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less, the heat from the glass tube heater is easily transmitted to the evaporator, and the gas circulating in the refrigerator can flow into the evaporator more smoothly. becomes.

Moreover, in the present invention,
The inclination directions of the two ceiling members are different from each other.

When the inclination directions of the two ceiling members are different from each other in the side view seen from the axial direction of the glass tube heater, (1) the ceiling member located on the front side is inclined so that the front side is higher and the rear side is lower, (2) when the ceiling member positioned on the rear side is arranged in an inverted V shape by being inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high; There may be a case where the ceiling member located on the rear side is arranged in a V-shape with the front side being higher and the rear side being lower.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the defrosting apparatus which can carry out efficient defrosting can be provided by setting the inclination of a ceiling member according to the frosting method in an evaporator.

Moreover, in the present invention,
The two ceiling members are characterized by being inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high.

In the present invention, the gas that has circulated inside the chamber flows from the lower front side to the upper rear side and flows into the lower portion of the evaporator. In this case, the inclination such that the front side is low and the rear side is high is an inclination along this flow, and the gas circulating in the refrigerator can be smoothly introduced by the evaporator. Along with this, the inclination of the ceiling member allows the heat from the glass tube heater to be effectively transferred to the evaporator.

Moreover, in the present invention,
A pair of the glass tube heater on the rear side and the ceiling member on the rear side is arranged higher than a pair of the glass tube heater on the front side and the ceiling member on the front side.

In the present invention, the pair of the glass tube heater on the rear side and the ceiling member on the rear side is arranged higher than the pair of the glass tube heater on the front side and the ceiling member on the front side. It is arranged along the flow of Therefore, the gas that has circulated in the storage can flow into the evaporator more smoothly. Moreover, since the heights of pairs of the front and rear glass tube heaters and the ceiling member are different, heat from the glass tube heaters can be effectively transferred to the evaporator.

As described above, in the present invention, the water dripping from the evaporator is prevented from hitting the glass tube heater, the heat of the glass tube heater is easily transmitted to the evaporator, and the gas circulating in the refrigerator is smoothly transferred to the evaporator. It is possible to provide a defrosting device that can flow into the

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is side sectional drawing which shows typically the refrigerator provided with the defrosting apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a side view which shows typically the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of a defrosting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a defrosting device according to a second embodiment of the invention; It is the perspective view and side view which show the structure of the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view and side view which show the structure of the defrosting device which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the angle (theta) with respect to the horizontal surface of a ceiling member. It is a side view which shows the conventional defrosting apparatus typically. It is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of a conventional defrosting device. It is a side view which shows typically the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view and side view which show the structure of the defrosting device which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view and side view which show the structure of the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of a defrost device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows typically the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view and side view which show the structure of the defrosting apparatus which concerns on the 7th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 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 there is a specific description.
In each drawing, members having the same function are given the same reference numerals. In consideration of the explanation of the main points or the ease of understanding, the embodiments may be divided for convenience, but the configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially replaced or combined. In the embodiments described later, the description of matters common to those described above will be omitted, and only the points of difference will be described. In particular, similar actions and effects due to similar configurations will not be mentioned sequentially for each embodiment. The sizes and positional relationships of members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

(Refrigerator equipped with a defrosting device according to one embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing a refrigerator 2 equipped with a defrosting device 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. A refrigerator 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes a freezer compartment 4A that can be opened and closed with a lower door 6A and a refrigerator compartment 4B that can be opened and closed with an upper door 6B. Entry side passages 8A and 8B partitioned by a partition plate 28 are provided on the back sides of the freezer compartment 4A and the refrigerator compartment 4B, respectively. An evaporator 22 is arranged in the entrance-side passage 8A on the freezer compartment 4A side, a fan 24 is arranged above it, and a defrosting device 10 according to the present embodiment is arranged below it.

A compressor 20 communicating with an evaporator 22 is arranged in an external machine room on the back side of the freezer compartment 4A. The refrigerant (gas) compressed by the compressor 20 is liquefied by the condenser, the liquefied refrigerant takes the heat of the gas in the refrigerator to be vaporized by the evaporator 22, and the vaporized refrigerant is again compressed by the compressor 20. repeat the cycle of A damper 26 is arranged between the entry-side passage 8A on the freezer compartment 4A side and the entry-side passage 8B on the refrigerator compartment 4B side. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the damper 26 is closed.

When the damper 26 is closed, when the compressor 20 and the fan 24 are driven, the gas in the freezer compartment 4A flows, and the cool air that has passed through the evaporator 22 is discharged from the blowout port 28A provided in the partition plate 28 into the freezer compartment. Flow into 4A. The gas that has flowed in circulates in the freezer compartment 4A and returns to the lower side of the evaporator 22 in the entry-side passage 8A. The inside of the freezer compartment 4A can be cooled by the circulation of the gas that has passed through the evaporator 22 and is cooled.

When the damper 26 is open and the compressor 20 and the fan 24 are driven, the cool air that has passed through the evaporator 22 flows not only into the freezer compartment 4A but also into the inlet channel 8B on the refrigerator compartment 4B side. . The gas that has flowed into the entry-side flow path 8B flows into the refrigerator compartment 4B from each outlet 28B provided in the partition plate 28 . The gas that has flowed in circulates in the refrigerator compartment 4B, passes through the freezer compartment 4A, and returns to the lower side of the evaporator 22 in the entrance-side passage 8A. Similar to the freezer compartment 4A, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 4B can be cooled by the circulation of the gas that has passed through the evaporator 22 and cooled.

Frost, which is condensed water contained in the air to be cooled, adheres to the surface of the heat exchange tube of the evaporator 22 . If a large amount of frost adheres to the heat exchange tubes, the cooling performance is lowered, so defrosting of the evaporator 22 is required periodically. Therefore, the defrosting device 10 is arranged below the evaporator 22 .

The defrosting device 10 is equipped with two glass tube heaters which are turned on when the compressor 20 and fan 24 are not in operation to allow radiative heat transfer by the glass tube heaters and warming of the surrounding air. Convective heat transfer that rises as the temperature rises can warm the heat exchange tubes and defrost them. Water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting flows into an evaporating dish 32 arranged in the machine room by a drain mechanism 30 arranged below the evaporator 22 . As a result, defrosting of the evaporator 22 can be realized, and the gas cooling performance of the evaporator 22 can be maintained.

(Defrosting device according to the first embodiment)
FIG. 2A is a side view schematically showing the defrosting device 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. 6A is a side view schematically showing the conventional defrosting device 110. FIG. FIG. 6B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of a conventional defrosting device 110. FIG. 2B and 6B are perspective views showing the structure of the lower area of evaporator 22 (122) and defrosting device 10 (110), and the lower views are below evaporator 22 (122). It is the side view which looked at the side area|region and the defrost device 10 (110) from the horizontal direction. In FIGS. 2A, 3A, 4A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, and 10A, the way heat is transferred is indicated by dotted line arrows, and the flow of gas is indicated by dashed line arrows.

<Conventional defrosting device>
A conventional defrosting device 110 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is provided below an evaporator 122 of a refrigerator 2 and includes two glass tube heaters 112A and 112B arranged substantially parallel in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. The heating regions of the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B have an elongated cylindrical shape. Since the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B comply with the IEC standard, the outer surface temperature of the quartz glass tube during heat generation is 360° C. or less.

The defrosting device 110 is further provided above the two glass tube heaters 112A and 112B, and extends along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B so as to cover above the two glass tube heaters 112A and 112B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 114A and 114B that extend along the length of the ceiling. The pair of the front glass tube heater 112A and the ceiling member 114A and the rear pair of the glass tube heater 112B and the ceiling member 114B are arranged at substantially the same height.

In the conventional defrost device 110, two ceiling members 114A and 114B are horizontally arranged at substantially the same height and cover the upper portions of the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B. Therefore, when the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B are turned on to defrost the evaporator 122, the radiant heat from the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B is blocked by the ceiling members 114A and 114B and reaches the evaporator 122. become difficult.

Some of the rising air currents heated by the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B flow into the evaporator 122 through the gaps between the ceiling members 114A and 114B. hit at a right angle. Therefore, the gas heated by the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B accumulates below the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B, making it difficult to reach the evaporator 122, so that sufficient convective heat transfer cannot be achieved. In particular, when the ends of the ceiling members 114A and 114B are bent downward so that the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting falls downward without hitting the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B, The gas heated by the glass tube heaters 112A, 112B tends to accumulate below the ceiling members 114A, 114B. Therefore, even if the two glass tube heaters 112A and 112B are turned on, sufficient radiant heat transfer and convective heat transfer cannot be achieved, and defrosting of the evaporator 122 may take a very long time.

Furthermore, during cooling of the refrigerator, if the gas that has circulated in the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment flows into the lower part of the evaporator 122 from the diagonally lower side, the ceiling members 114A and 114B horizontally arranged at substantially the same height Since it is blocked, it becomes difficult to flow into the evaporator 122 . This may prevent efficient gas cooling by the evaporator 122 .

<Defrosting device according to the first embodiment>
A defrosting device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is provided below an evaporator 22 of a refrigerator 2 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. . The heating regions of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B have an elongated cylindrical shape. Since the glass tube heaters 112A and 112B comply with the IEC standard, the outer surface temperature of the quartz glass tube during heat generation is 360° C. or less. To achieve this, a heater with a double fused silica tube can be employed, or a heater with a single fused silica tube using a low temperature heating element such as a carbon fiber heating element. You can also Furthermore, the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B may be an integrated heater straight tube section connected in a U shape.

The defrosting device 10 is further provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and extends along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B that extend along the length of the ceiling. In consideration of heat resistance and high reflectivity, the ceiling members 14A and 14B are preferably made of a thin metal plate, for example, an aluminum thin plate material. The pair of glass tube heater 12A and ceiling member 14A arranged on the front side and the pair of glass tube heater 12B and ceiling member 14B arranged on the rear side are arranged at substantially the same height.

The ceiling members 14A and 14B according to the first embodiment are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. In particular, the inclination directions of the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are different from each other. More specifically, the ceiling member 14A located on the front side is inclined so that the front side is high and the rear side is low, and the ceiling member 14B located on the rear side is inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high. . As a result, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in an inverted V shape when viewed from the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B.

Therefore, when the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B are turned on to defrost the evaporator 22, the radiant heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B is greater than that of the ceiling members 14A and 14B when the ceiling members are horizontal. components along the inclined surface of the .DELTA. Therefore, as compared with the conventional defrosting device 110, more effective radiant heat transfer can be achieved.

Also, the ascending airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows into the evaporator 22 through the gap between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. Further, the ascending airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows from the rear lower side to the front upper side along the inclined surface of the front ceiling member 14A, and flows into the evaporator 22 from the front side of the ceiling member 14A. The ascending airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows from the front lower side to the rear upper side along the inclined surface of the rear ceiling member 14B, and flows into the evaporator 22 from the rear side of the ceiling member 14B.

As a result, more effective convective heat transfer can be achieved than with the conventional defrosting device 110 . In particular, since heat can be transferred from the front side of the ceiling member 14A, between the ceiling members 14A and 14B, and from the rear side of the ceiling member 14B, heat can be transferred to the evaporator 22 as a whole.

Furthermore, when the refrigerator 2 is cooled, if the gas that has circulated in the freezer compartment 4A and the refrigerator compartment 4B flows obliquely downward along the inclined surfaces of the ceiling members 14A and 14B, the air flows into the lower part of the evaporator 22 from the obliquely downward side. It flows obliquely upward from the side, and smoothly flows into the lower part of the evaporator 22 from the front side of the ceiling member 14A, between the ceiling members 14A and 14B, and from the rear side of the ceiling member 14B. Thereby, efficient gas cooling by the evaporator 122 can be realized.

In addition, since the ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at an angle, the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting flows down on the ceiling members 14A and 14B and is easily discharged to the drain mechanism 30 below.

<Structure of defrosting device>
Next, the structure of the defrost device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2B. Side plates 16A are connected to both sides of the ceiling member 14A, and side plates 16B are connected to both sides of the ceiling member 14B. The side plates 16A and 16B are formed with recesses that fit the outer diameters of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, respectively. Accordingly, by fitting the concave portions of the side plates 16A and 16B to the outer diameters of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, the ceiling members 14A and 14B can be easily arranged so as to cover the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. can.

For example, the ceiling member 14A and side plates 16A on both sides thereof, and the ceiling member 14B and side plates 16B on both sides thereof can be integrally formed by bending a thin aluminum plate. However, the materials of the ceiling members 14A, 14B and the side plates 16A, 16B are not limited to aluminum, and other arbitrary metal materials such as steel and copper, ceramics, etc. can also be used. Also, the ceiling members 14A, 14B and the side plates 16A, 16B can be individually formed and joined. With the structure as described above, the defrosting device 10 including the glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and the ceiling members 14A, 14B can be easily manufactured at a low manufacturing cost.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, water dripping from the evaporator 22 is prevented from hitting the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. The defrosting device 10 can easily transfer the heat of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B to the evaporator 22 even though the ceiling members 14A and 14B are provided, and the gas circulating in the storage can smoothly flow into the evaporator 22.例文帳に追加Therefore, by turning on the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, defrosting of the evaporator 22 can be efficiently realized even if the surface temperature of the heaters is 360° C. or less.

In particular, in the first embodiment, since the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in an inverted V shape, the front side of the ceiling member 14A, the space between the ceiling members 14a and 14B, and the rear side of the ceiling member 14B are arranged. , the heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B can be transferred to the evaporator 22. Therefore, heat can be transferred to the evaporator 22 as a whole, which is particularly effective when the entire evaporator 22 is covered with frost.

(Defrosting device according to the second embodiment)
FIG. 3A is a side view schematically showing the defrosting device 10 according to the second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device 10 according to the second embodiment of the invention. The upper view of FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10, and the lower view is a lateral view of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10. is a side view.

The defrosting device 10 according to the second embodiment is also provided below the evaporator 22 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Further, the defrosting device 10 is provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and is arranged along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover the upper side of the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two extending flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B. Pairs of glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B arranged in front and behind are arranged at substantially the same height.

Similarly to the first embodiment, the ceiling members 14A and 14B according to the second embodiment are also inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and the inclination directions of the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are different from each other. However, in the second embodiment, the ceiling member 14A located on the front side is inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high, and the ceiling member 14B located on the rear side is inclined so that the front side is high and the rear side is low. is different from the first embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in the shape of the letter V when viewed from the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B.

Therefore, when the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B are turned on to defrost the evaporator 22, the radiant heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B is greater than that of the ceiling members 14A and 14B when the ceiling members 14A and 14B are horizontal. Components along the inclined surfaces of 14A and 14B and components at angles close to them reach the evaporator 22 more easily. Therefore, as compared with the conventional defrosting device 110, more effective radiant heat transfer can be achieved.

In particular, in the second embodiment, the ascending air currents warmed by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flow from the front lower side to the rear upper side along the inclined surface of the front ceiling member 14A, and flow between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. It becomes easy to flow into the evaporator 22 from the gap of . Similarly, the ascending airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows from the rear lower side to the front upper side along the inclined surface of the rear ceiling member 14B, and flows from the gap between the ceiling members 14A and 14B to the evaporator. It becomes easy to flow into 22. A part of the rising airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows into the evaporator 22 from the front side of the ceiling member 14A and the rear side of the ceiling member 14B. In the second embodiment, more heat can be transferred from between the ceiling members 14A and 14B, so heat can be transferred more effectively to the central portion of the evaporator 22 in the front-rear direction.

Furthermore, when the refrigerator 2 is cooled, if the gas that has circulated in the freezer compartment 4A and the refrigerator compartment 4B flows obliquely downward along the inclined surfaces of the ceiling members 14A and 14B, the air flows into the lower part of the evaporator 22 from the obliquely downward side. It flows obliquely upward from the side, and smoothly flows into the lower part of the evaporator 22 from the front side of the ceiling member 14A, between the ceiling members 14A and 14B, and from the rear side of the ceiling member 14B. Thereby, efficient gas cooling by the evaporator 22 can be realized.

In addition, since the ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at an angle, the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting flows down on the ceiling members 14A and 14B and is easily discharged to the drain mechanism 30 below.

As described above, in the second embodiment, since the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in an inverted V shape, the heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B is transferred from between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. easier to tell. Therefore, heat can be more effectively transferred to the central portion of the evaporator 22, which is particularly effective when frost tends to adhere to the central portion of the evaporator 22.
Since the structure of the defrosting device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment, further explanation is omitted.

As described above, in the first and second embodiments, the inclination directions of the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are different from each other. By doing so, it is possible to provide the defrosting device 10 capable of efficient defrosting.

(Defrosting device according to the third embodiment)
FIG. 4A is a side view schematically showing a defrosting device according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device according to the third embodiment of the invention. The upper view of FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrost device 10, and the lower view is a lateral view of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrost device 10. is a side view

The defrosting device 10 according to the third embodiment is also provided below the evaporator 22 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel to each other in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Further, the defrosting device 10 is provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and is arranged along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B that extend along the length of the ceiling. Pairs of glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B arranged in front and behind are arranged at substantially the same height.

Similarly to the first and second embodiments, the ceiling members 14A and 14B according to the third embodiment are also inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. However, the third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are both inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high.

In the third embodiment, since the height of the rear end of the ceiling member 14A arranged on the front side is different from the height of the front end of the ceiling member 14B arranged on the rear side, the ceiling member The ceiling members 14A and 14B do not interfere even if a predetermined gap is not provided between the 14A and 14B. For example, in plan view, even if the ceiling member 14A and the ceiling member 14B overlap each other in the front-rear direction, they do not interfere with each other.

Therefore, the dimension between the front end of the front ceiling member 14A and the rear end of the rear ceiling member 14B can be reduced. As a result, defrosting can be appropriately performed even when the evaporator 22 having a small longitudinal dimension is used.

When the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B are turned on to defrost the evaporator 22, the radiant heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B is greater than when the ceiling members are horizontal. , and components at angles close to it reach the evaporator 22 more easily. Therefore, as compared with the conventional defrosting device 110, more effective radiant heat transfer can be achieved.

In particular, in the third embodiment, the ascending air currents warmed by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flow from the front lower side to the rear upper side along the inclined surface of the front ceiling member 14A, and flow between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. It becomes easy to flow into the evaporator 22 from the gap of . Similarly, the ascending airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows from the lower front side to the upper rear side along the inclined surface of the rear ceiling member 14B, and flows into the evaporator 22 from the rear side of the ceiling member 14B. becomes easier. Part of the ascending airflow heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flows into the evaporator 22 from the front side of the ceiling member 14A.

In the third embodiment, more heat can be transferred between the ceiling members 14A and 14B and from the rear of the ceiling member 14B. I can tell you.

Furthermore, during normal cooling, the gas that has circulated inside the chamber flows diagonally from the lower front side to the upper rear side and flows into the lower portion of the evaporator 22 . In this case, the inclination such that the front side is low and the rear side is high is an inclination along this flow, and the gas circulating inside the chamber can flow smoothly into the evaporator 22 . Thereby, efficient gas cooling by the evaporator 22 can be realized. In addition, since the ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at an angle, the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting flows down on the ceiling members 14A and 14B and is easily discharged to the drain mechanism 30 below.

As described above, in the third embodiment, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are both inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high. can smoothly flow into the evaporator 22 to achieve efficient cooling. At the same time, the inclination of the ceiling members 14A and 14B allows the heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B to be effectively transmitted to the central and rear portions of the evaporator 22. It is especially effective when frost tends to adhere.
Since the structure of the defrosting device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment, further explanation is omitted.

(Inclination angle of ceiling member)
FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing the angle θ of the ceiling members 14A, 14B with respect to the horizontal plane. When the angle θ of the ceiling members 14A and 14B with respect to the horizontal plane is less than 10 degrees, the ceiling members 14A and 14B are affected by the heat transfer from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B to the evaporator 22 and the gas flow to the evaporator 22. susceptibility to 14B. On the other hand, if the angle θ is greater than 40 degrees, the distance between the evaporator 22 and the glass tube heaters 12A, 12B must be increased. may have an impact.

Therefore, the angle θ of the ceiling members 14A and 14B with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably in the range of 10 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less. Therefore, the gas circulating in the storage can flow into the evaporator 22 more smoothly.

(Defrost device according to the fourth embodiment)
FIG. 7A is a side view schematically showing a defrosting device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 7B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device according to the fourth embodiment of the invention. The upper view of FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10, and the lower view is a lateral view of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10. is a side view

The defrosting device 10 according to the fourth embodiment is also provided below the evaporator 22 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel to each other in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Further, the defrosting device 10 is provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and is arranged along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B that extend along the length of the ceiling.

However, the pair of the glass tube heater 12A and the ceiling member 14A arranged on the front side and the pair of the glass tube heater 12B and the ceiling member 14B arranged on the rear side are arranged at different heights. is different from the first to third embodiments. Also, in the fourth embodiment, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged substantially horizontally.

In the fourth embodiment, the two front and rear ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at different heights. , the ceiling members 14A and 14B do not interfere with each other. For example, in plan view, even if the ceiling member 14A and the ceiling member 14B overlap each other in the front-rear direction, they do not interfere with each other.

Therefore, the dimension between the front end of the front ceiling member 14A and the rear end of the rear ceiling member 14B can be reduced. As a result, defrosting can be appropriately performed even when the evaporator 22 having a small longitudinal dimension is used.

When the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B are turned on to defrost the evaporator 22, the radiant heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B is reduced compared to when the two ceiling members are at the same height. , 14B to reach the evaporator 22 easily. Therefore, as compared with the conventional defrosting device 110, more effective radiant heat transfer can be realized.

In the fourth embodiment, the rising air currents warmed by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B flow into the evaporator 22 from the front side of the ceiling member 14A and the rear side of the ceiling member 14B between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. can be done. In particular, most of the gas heated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B easily flows into the evaporator 22 through the vertically vacant space between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. In the fourth embodiment, since heat can be transferred from the front side of the ceiling member 14A, between the ceiling members 14A and 14B, and from the rear side of the ceiling member 14B, heat can be transferred to the evaporator 22 as a whole. can.

Furthermore, during normal cooling, the gas that has circulated inside the chamber flows diagonally from the lower front side to the upper rear side and flows into the lower portion of the evaporator 22 . In the fourth embodiment, the pair of the front side glass tube heater 12A and the front side ceiling member 14A is arranged low, and the pair of the rear side glass tube heater 12B and the rear side ceiling member 14B is arranged high. It is arranged along this line. As a result, the gas circulating in the storage can be smoothly introduced into the evaporator 22 .

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, pairs of glass tube heaters 12A and 12B and ceiling members 14A and 14B arranged in front and behind are arranged at different heights. The heat of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B is easily transmitted to the evaporator 22, and the gas circulating in the chamber smoothly reaches the evaporator 22. An inflowable defrosting device 10 can be realized. Therefore, by turning on the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, defrosting of the evaporator 22 can be efficiently realized even if the surface temperature of the heaters is 360° C. or lower.

In particular, since the pair of the rear side glass tube heater 12B and the rear side ceiling member 14B is arranged higher than the pair of the front side glass tube heater 12A and the front side ceiling member 14A, the heat circulates in the refrigerator. It is arranged along the flow of the gas, and the gas circulated inside the storage can flow into the evaporator more smoothly. Also, since the front and rear glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and the ceiling members 14A, 14B have different heights, heat from the glass tube heaters 12A, 12B can be effectively transferred to the evaporator 22.
Since the structure of the defrosting device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment, further explanation is omitted.

(Defrosting device according to the fifth embodiment)
FIG. 8A is a side view schematically showing a defrosting device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. FIG. 8B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device according to the fifth embodiment of the invention. The upper view of FIG. 8B is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10, and the lower view is a lateral view of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10. is a side view

The defrosting device 10 according to the fifth embodiment is also provided below the evaporator 22 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel to each other in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Further, the defrosting device 10 is provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and is arranged along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B that extend along the length of the ceiling.

Further, as in the fifth embodiment, pairs of glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B arranged in front and behind are arranged at different heights. More specifically, the pair of the front glass tube heater 12A and the front ceiling member 14A is arranged low, and the pair of the rear glass tube heater 12B and the rear ceiling member 14B is arranged high.

As a result, the dimension between the front end portion of the front ceiling member 14A and the rear end portion of the rear ceiling member 14b can be reduced. , can defrost properly.

However, the ceiling members 14A and 14B according to the fifth embodiment are not arranged horizontally, and similarly to the first embodiment, the ceiling member 14A located on the front side is arranged so that the front side is higher and the rear side is lower. The ceiling member 14B located on the rear side is different from the fourth embodiment in that the ceiling member 14B is inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high. As a result, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in an inverted V shape.

Also in the fifth embodiment, pairs of front and rear glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B are arranged at different heights. It is possible to realize the defrosting device 10 in which the gas circulating in the storage can smoothly flow into the evaporator 22. In addition to this, since the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in the shape of an inverted V, the convective heat generated by the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B can be more effectively transmitted from between the ceiling members 14a and 14B. can. Therefore, heat can be more effectively transferred to the central portion of the evaporator 22 in the front-rear direction, which is particularly effective when frost tends to adhere to the central portion of the evaporator 22 .

In addition, since the ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at an angle, the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting falls on the upper ceiling member 14B and then falls on the lower ceiling member 14A. It flows down on the ceiling member 14A and is discharged to the drain mechanism 30 below. As a result, the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B are not exposed to water, and the water can be reliably drained.
Since the structure of the defrosting device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment, further explanation is omitted.

(Defrosting device according to the sixth embodiment)
FIG. 9A is a side view schematically showing a defrosting device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 9B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device according to the sixth embodiment of the invention. The upper view of FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10, and the lower view is a lateral view of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrosting device 10. is a side view

The defrosting device 10 according to the sixth embodiment is also provided below the evaporator 22 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Further, the defrosting device 10 is provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and is arranged along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B that extend along the length of the ceiling.

Further, as in the fourth embodiment, pairs of glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B arranged in front and behind are arranged at different heights. More specifically, the pair of the front glass tube heater 12A and the front ceiling member 14A is arranged low, and the pair of the rear glass tube heater 12B and the rear ceiling member 14B is arranged high.

As a result, the dimension between the front end portion of the front ceiling member 14A and the rear end portion of the rear ceiling member 14B can be reduced. , can defrost properly.

However, the ceiling members 14A and 14B according to the fifth embodiment are not arranged horizontally, and similarly to the second embodiment, the ceiling member 14A located on the front side is lower in the front side and higher in the rear side. The ceiling member 14B located on the rear side is different from the fourth embodiment in that the ceiling member 14B is inclined so that the front side is high and the rear side is low. As a result, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in an inverted V shape.

Also in the sixth embodiment, pairs of front and rear glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B are arranged at different heights. It is possible to realize the defrosting device 10 in which the gas circulating in the storage can smoothly flow into the evaporator 22. In addition, since the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged in the shape of the letter V, convective heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B can be transferred from between the ceiling members 14A and 14B. Therefore, heat can be more effectively transferred to the central portion of the evaporator 22 in the front-rear direction, which is particularly effective when frost tends to adhere to the central portion of the evaporator 22 .

In addition, since the ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at an angle, the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting flows down on the ceiling members 14A and 14B and is easily discharged to the drain mechanism 30 below.
Since the structure of the defrosting device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment, further explanation is omitted.

(Defrost device according to the seventh embodiment)
FIG. 10A is a side view schematically showing a defrosting device according to a seventh embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10B is a perspective view and a side view showing the structure of the defrosting device according to the seventh embodiment of the invention. The upper view of FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrost device 10, and the lower view shows the lower region of the evaporator 22 and the defrost device 10 viewed from the side. is a side view

The defrosting device 10 according to the seventh embodiment is also provided below the evaporator 22 and includes two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B arranged substantially parallel to each other in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator. Further, the defrosting device 10 is provided above the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B, and is arranged along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters 12A and 12B. It has two flat plate-like ceiling members 14A and 14B that extend along the length of the ceiling.

Further, as in the fourth embodiment, pairs of glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B arranged in front and behind are arranged at different heights. More specifically, the pair of the front glass tube heater 12A and the front ceiling member 14A is arranged low, and the pair of the rear glass tube heater 12B and the rear ceiling member 14B is arranged high.

As a result, the dimension between the front end portion of the front ceiling member 14A and the rear end portion of the rear ceiling member 14B can be reduced. , can defrost properly.

However, the ceiling members 14A and 14B according to the seventh embodiment are not arranged horizontally, and like the third embodiment, the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are lower in the front side and higher in the rear side. It is different from the fourth embodiment in that it is inclined as shown in FIG.

Also in the seventh embodiment, pairs of front and rear glass tube heaters 12A, 12B and ceiling members 14A, 14B are arranged at different heights. It is possible to realize the defrosting device 10 in which the gas circulating in the storage can smoothly flow into the evaporator 22. In addition, since the two ceiling members 14A and 14B are both inclined so that the front side is low and the rear side is high, during normal cooling, the gas circulating in the refrigerator smoothly flows into the evaporator 22. to achieve efficient cooling. At the same time, the inclination of the ceiling members 14A and 14B enables the heat from the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B to be effectively transmitted to the central portion and the rear portion of the evaporator 22 in the longitudinal direction. This is particularly effective when frost tends to adhere to the rear portion.

In addition, since the ceiling members 14A and 14B are arranged at an angle, the water falling from the evaporator 22 due to defrosting falls on the upper ceiling member 14B and then falls on the lower ceiling member 14A. It flows down on the ceiling member 14A and is discharged to the drain mechanism 30 below. As a result, the glass tube heaters 12A and 12B are not exposed to water, and the water can be reliably drained.

Although embodiments and embodiments of the present invention have been described, the disclosure may vary in details of construction, and changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and embodiments, etc., will not affect the claimed invention. without departing from the scope and spirit of

2 Refrigerator 4A Freezer compartment 4B Cold storage compartment 6A Lower door 6B Upper door 8A, B Entrance side passage 10 Defrosting device 12A, B Glass tube heater 14A, B Ceiling member 16A, B Side plate 20 Compressor 22 Evaporator 24 Fan 26 Damper
30 drain mechanism 32 evaporating dish 110 defrosting device 112A, B glass tube heater 114A, B ceiling member 116A, B side plate 122 evaporator

Claims (3)

two glass tube heaters provided below the evaporator of the refrigerator and arranged substantially parallel with respect to the front-rear direction of the refrigerator;
two flat ceiling members provided above the two glass tube heaters and extending along the axial direction of the glass tube heaters so as to cover the upper sides of the two glass tube heaters;
with
At least two of the ceiling members are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane in a side view from the axial direction,
The defrosting device , wherein the inclination directions of the two ceiling members are different from each other .
2. The defrosting device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined angle is within a range of 10 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less.
3. A pair of the glass tube heater on the rear side and the ceiling member on the rear side is arranged higher than a pair of the glass tube heater on the front side and the ceiling member on the front side. defrosting device according to .

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