JP7424742B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This embodiment relates to a refrigerator.

2. Description of the Related Art Refrigerators have conventionally been proposed in which frost adhering to a cooler that generates cold air is heated and removed by a defrosting heater (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-90257

In a refrigerator equipped with a defrosting heater, it has been considered to prevent defrosting water dripping from the cooler from coming into direct contact with the heater by providing a cover member above the heater. However, in a configuration in which a cover member is provided above the heater, radiant heat generated by the heater tends to stay in the space between the heater and the cover member, and there is a risk that the temperature may rise excessively.

The present embodiment provides a refrigerator in which a cover member is provided between a cooler and a heater so that radiant heat generated by the heater is less likely to stay in the space between the heater and the cover member.

Further, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a cooler that generates cold air, a means for defrosting the cooler, and a cover member provided between the cooler and the means for defrosting the cooler. , the means for defrosting the cooler has a shape extending in one direction, and the cover member is configured to cover the lower surface of the cooler and the cooler when viewed from the direction in which the means for defrosting the cooler extends. With a reference line connecting the center of the defrosting means in the vertical direction as a reference, a first part located on one side of the reference line and forming one end side of the cover member, and a first part located on the other side of the reference line. a second portion constituting the other end side of the cover member, and a first distance, which is a distance between the first portion and a means for defrosting the cooler, is a distance between the second portion and the The second distance is longer than the second distance between the cooler and the means for defrosting the cooler, and the end of the second part is bent, and the end of the second part is The angle formed with the direction in which the end portion is bent at a right angle is greater than or equal to the inclination angle at which the cover member is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the reference line, and the cover member is The frosting means is supported by a fixing member that fixes the frosting means, and the fixing member includes a first support part that supports the first part of the cover member, and a second support part that supports the second part of the cover member. and a height of the first support part and a height of the second support part are different from each other to support the cover member in an inclined state with respect to a direction perpendicular to the reference line. The covering member includes a supported portion supported by the first support portion and the second support portion, and a damming portion that dams water flowing toward the supported portion.

A longitudinal side view schematically showing a configuration example of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment A perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of a heater and its surrounding parts according to the present embodiment An exploded perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of a heater and its surrounding parts according to the present embodiment A vertical cross-sectional side view schematically showing a configuration example of the heater and its surrounding parts according to the present embodiment A longitudinal side view schematically showing a configuration example of a cooling chamber and its surrounding parts according to the present embodiment A diagram (part 1) schematically showing an example of the positional relationship of the cooler, heater, and cover member according to the present embodiment Diagram (part 2) schematically showing an example of the positional relationship between the cooler, heater, and cover member according to the present embodiment A diagram (part 1) schematically showing a configuration example of a cover member according to a modification of the present embodiment Diagram (part 2) schematically showing a configuration example of a cover member according to a modification of the present embodiment Diagram (part 3) schematically showing a configuration example of a cover member according to a modification of the present embodiment

Hereinafter, one embodiment of a refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. The refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of storage chambers 12 and 13 inside a rectangular box-shaped heat insulating box body 11 that constitutes the outer shell of the refrigerator 10 . In this case, the storage compartment 12 is a freezing compartment maintained at a freezing temperature range, and the storage compartment 13 is a refrigerating compartment maintained at a refrigeration temperature range. The front opening of the storage chamber 12 and the front opening of the storage chamber 13 are each opened and closed by a storage chamber door (not shown). Note that the refrigerator 10 may have a configuration in which the storage compartment 12 is a refrigerator compartment and the storage compartment 13 is a freezing compartment. Further, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include other storage compartments, such as a vegetable compartment, a chilled compartment, which is maintained at a refrigeration temperature range, a small freezer compartment, which is maintained at a freezing temperature range, and an ice-making compartment.

The heat insulating box 11 has a structure including a heat insulating material (not shown) between an outer box 14 made of a steel plate and an inner box 15 made of synthetic resin. Examples of the heat insulating material include vacuum heat insulating panels and urethane foam. The outer box 14 constitutes the outer surface of the heat insulating box 11, and the inner box 15 constitutes the inner surface of the heat insulating box 11.

A cooling chamber 16 is provided on the rear surface of the heat insulating box 11, in this case, on the rear surface of the storage chamber 12. A cooler 17 is housed inside this cooling chamber 16. The cooler 17 constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle mechanism together with a condenser, a compressor, etc. (not shown). The cooler 17 generates cold air for cooling the storage chambers 12 and 13 as the compressor circulates refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle mechanism. The cold air generated by the cooler 17 is supplied from the cooling chamber 16 to the storage chambers 12 and 13 via a cold air duct (not shown) by the blowing action of a cold air supply fan (not shown). Thereby, the inside of the storage chambers 12 and 13 is maintained cooled to a predetermined temperature range.

Further, a return duct 18 is connected to the cooling chamber 16 . In this case, the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is provided at the lower part of the rear surface of the cooling chamber 16. The return duct 18 is connected from the upper part of the rear surface of the storage chamber 13 to the lower part of the rear surface of the cooling chamber 16 so as to wrap around from the rear. It is designed to flow into the cooling chamber 16. That is, the cold air supplied from inside the cooling chamber 16 into the storage chamber 13 is returned from inside the storage chamber 13 to the inside of the cooling chamber 16 via the return duct 18.

Furthermore, a heater 21 is provided inside the cooling chamber 16 . The heater 21 is a defrosting heater that heats and removes frost generated on the cooler 17. In this embodiment, the heater 21 is provided below the cooler 17. Next, an example of the configuration of the heater 21 and its surroundings will be described in detail.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heater 21 is configured by a so-called glass tube heater that extends linearly along the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the heater 21 includes a plurality of glass tubes 22 and 23, in this case two glass tubes 22 and 23, each having a different diameter. The glass tube 22 constitutes the outer shell of the heater 21. The glass tube 23 has a diameter shorter than the diameter of the glass tube 22 and is housed inside the glass tube 22. The glass tube 22 and the glass tube 23 are arranged concentrically, and the heater 21 has a space between the inner surface of the glass tube 22 and the outer surface of the glass tube 23. Further, the heater 21 is configured to include a heating element (not shown) inside the inner glass tube 23. The power supply to the heating element of the heater 21 is controlled by a control device (not shown) that controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 10. The control device is configured to energize the heater 21 during a defrosting operation to melt and remove frost attached to the cooler 17 according to a control program.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, fixed portions 24 are provided at both ends of the heater 21 in the longitudinal direction. The glass tubes 22 and 23 are configured such that both longitudinal ends of the glass tubes 22 and 23 are fitted into the fixed portion 24 .

On the other hand, fixing members 31 are attached to both left and right side surfaces of the cooling chamber 16. The fixing members 31 each have a hook portion 32. The fixing member 31 is attached to both the left and right side surfaces of the cooling chamber 16 by hooking the hook portion 32 to a hooked portion (not shown) provided at a position lower than the cooler 17 on both the left and right side surfaces of the cooling chamber 16. It will be done. Further, the fixing member 31 has a heater fixing part 33. The heater fixing part 33 is constituted by a set of piece parts that protrude upward from the base part 34 of the fixing member 31 in a manner that faces each other and smoothly curves outward in an arc shape. The heater 21 is fixed below the cooler 17 by fitting the fixed parts 24 at both ends into the heater fixing parts 33 of the left and right fixing members 31, respectively.

Furthermore, the fixing member 31 has a front support part 35 and a rear support part 36, respectively. The front support part 35 and the rear support part 36 are opposed to each other and protrude linearly upward from the base part 34 of the fixing member 31 . The front support part 35 and the rear support part 36 are provided between the hook part 32 and the heater fixing part 33 in the fixing member 31 .

The front support part 35 is an example of a first support part, and the rear support part 36 is an example of a second support part. As illustrated in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the height of the front support part 35 and the height of the rear support part 36 are different from each other, and in this case, the height of the front support part 35 is higher than that of the rear support part 36. It is higher than that. Further, a claw portion 35a that protrudes forward is provided on the front surface of the upper end of the front support portion 35, and a claw portion 36a that projects rearward is provided on the rear surface of the upper end of the rear support portion 36. ing.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, a cover member 41 is provided above the heater 21 fixed by the fixing member 31 at a position below the cooler 17 in the cooling chamber 16. . As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover member 41, like the heater 21, is a plate-shaped member that extends linearly in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. Supported holes 42 and 43 are provided at both ends of the cover member 41 in the longitudinal direction, respectively. The supported holes 42 and 43 are examples of supported parts, and are long rectangular holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the cover member 41. Further, the supported hole 42 is provided on the front side of the center portion of the cover member 41 in the width direction, and the supported hole 43 is provided on the rear side of the center portion of the cover member 41 in the width direction. ing.

In this embodiment, this cover member 41 is also fixed by the fixing member 31. That is, above the heater 21 fixed to the fixing member 31, the front support parts 35 of the left and right fixing members 31 are inserted from below into the supported holes 42 at both longitudinal ends of the cover member 41, respectively. The claw portion 35a is engaged with the upper surface of the cover member 41. Further, above the heater 21 fixed to the fixing member 31, the rear support parts 36 of the left and right fixing members 31 are inserted from below into the supported holes 43 at both ends of the cover member 41 in the longitudinal direction. , the claw portion 36a is engaged with the upper surface of the cover member 41. Thereby, the cover member 41 is fixed above the heater 21 fixed to the fixing member 31. That is, the refrigerator 10 has a configuration in which the common fixing member 31 serves as a fixing member for fixing the heater 21 and a fixing member for fixing the cover member 41.

As described above, the fixing member 31 is configured such that the front support portion 35 is higher than the rear support portion 36. Therefore, the cover member 41 supported by the front support part 35 and the rear support part 36 is provided in an inclined state so that the front side is higher than the rear side.

Furthermore, a plurality of protrusions 44, in this case two protrusions 44, are provided on the upper surface of the cover member 41. The protruding portion 44 is an example of a damming portion, and extends linearly along the lateral direction of the cover member 41 at both ends of the cover member 41 in the longitudinal direction. Further, the protruding portion 44 is provided closer to the center than the supported holes 42 and 43 in the longitudinal direction of the cover member 41 . A portion of the upper surface of the cover member 41 between the protrusions 44 is a flat surface having no uneven shape. Therefore, during the defrosting operation in which the heater 21 is energized, the defrosting water that hangs down from the cooler 17 easily flows on the flat surface of the cover member 41. Further, even if the defrosting water tries to flow toward the supported holes 42 and 43 on the upper surface of the cover member 41, the defrosting water is dammed up by the protrusion 44 and flows toward the supported holes 42 and 43. It's getting harder to reach.

Next, an example of the positional relationship between the cooler 17, the heater 21, and the cover member 41 in the cooling chamber 16 will be described in detail. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the heater 21 fixed by the fixing member 31 in the cooling chamber 16 is arranged below the cooler 17 with a predetermined distance D1 from the lower surface of the cooler 17. Ru. The cover member 41 is arranged in the space between the lower surface of the cooler 17 and the heater 21. At this time, assuming a reference line KL connecting the lower surface of the cooler 17 and the axis C of the heater 21 in a straight line along the vertical direction, the cover member 41 is attached to the reference line KL based on the reference line KL. The front portion 41F is located on one side of the line KL, in this case, the front side, and constitutes one end side of the cover member 41, in this case, the front end side, and the other side of the reference line KL, in this case, is located on the rear side. The cover member 41 has a rear portion 41R that constitutes the other end side, in this case, the rear end side. The front portion 41F is an example of a first portion, and the rear portion 41R is an example of a second portion.

The tip of the front portion 41F, in this case, the front end opposite to the rear portion 41R is bent downward. At this time, the bending angle of the tip of the front portion 41F is set so that the tip does not point toward the heater 21. Further, the tip of the rear portion 41R, in this case, the rear end, which is the end opposite to the front portion 41F, is bent downward. At this time, the bending angle of the tip of the rear portion 41R is set so that the tip does not point toward the heater 21.

The refrigerator 10 also has a front distance D2, which is the shortest distance between the tip of the front portion 41F and the surface of the heater 21, in this case, the surface of the glass tube 22, and a distance between the tip of the rear portion 41R and the heater 21. The rear distance D3, which is the shortest distance between the surfaces, in this case, the surface of the glass tube 22, is configured to be different from each other. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is configured such that the front distance D2 is longer than the rear distance D3. To explain more specifically, the front distance D2 is longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21, in other words, the diameter D4 of the glass tube 22, and the rear distance D3 is longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21, in other words. Therefore, it is shorter than the diameter D4 of the glass tube 22.

The refrigerator 10 also has a front distance D6, which is the shortest distance between the bent portion BF of the front portion 41F and the surface of the heater 21, in this case, the surface of the glass tube 22, and the distance between the bent portion BR of the rear portion 41R and the heater 21. 21, in this case, the rear distance D7, which is the shortest distance between the glass tube 22 and the surface of the glass tube 22, is configured to be different from each other. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is configured such that the front distance D6 is longer than the rear distance D7. To explain more specifically, the front distance D6 is longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21, in other words, the diameter D4 of the glass tube 22, and the rear distance D7 is longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21, in other words. Therefore, it is shorter than the diameter D4 of the glass tube 22.

In addition, the cover member 41 is in a state where the front distance D2 is longer than the rear distance D3 and the front distance D6 is longer than the rear distance D7, that is, when the cover member 41 is aligned with the reference line KL. The entire structure is tilted so that the front side is higher than the rear side with respect to the perpendicular horizontal direction. Note that the front distances D2 and D6 are examples of first distances, and the rear distances D3 and D7 are examples of second distances.

Further, the length D5 of the cover member 41 in the lateral direction in the inclined state is sufficiently longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21. As a result, when the heater 21 is viewed from above, that is, from the cooler 17 side, the entire heater 21 is sufficiently covered by the cover member 41. Note that even if the cover member 41 is placed above the heater 21 in a state parallel to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the reference line KL, that is, in a state not inclined, it cannot sufficiently cover the entire heater 21. It has the size that can be used. That is, the cover member 41 is configured such that the length between the bent portion BF and the bent portion BR is also sufficiently longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21.

Further, the fixing member 31 supports the front portion 41F of the cover member 41 with the front support portion 35, and supports the rear portion 41R of the cover member 41 with the rear support portion 36. As described above, the fixing member 31 is configured such that the height of the front support part 35 and the height of the rear support part 36 are different from each other. Thereby, the cover member 41 is stably supported in a tilted state with respect to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the reference line KL.

Further, in the cover member 41, the bending angle θ1 of the rear end portion of the rear portion 41R is almost or completely the same as the inclination angle θ2 at which the cover member 41 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the reference line KL. It is composed of In this way, by making the bending angle θ1 of the rear portion 41R almost or completely the same as the inclination angle θ2 of the cover member 41, the bent end of the rear portion 41R is placed not on the heater 21 side. It can be directed in a direction where the heater 21 does not exist, in this case, in a vertically downward direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, for example, by making the bending angle θ3 of the rear portion 41R equal to or greater than the inclination angle θ2 of the cover member 41, the bent end of the rear portion 41R can be bent so that the heater 21 exists. It can be directed not inward but in a direction where the heater 21 does not exist, in this case, outward rather than vertically downward. At this time, as the bending angle of the rear portion 41R increases, the length of the rear distance D3 also increases. In addition, in the configuration example illustrated in FIG. 7, the bending angle of the front portion 41F is also increased, so that the bent end of the front portion 41F is also directed outward from the direction where the heater 21 is not present, in this case from the vertically downward direction. It can be directed towards. Furthermore, the length of the front distance D2 can also be increased. Further, the length D5 of the cover member 41 in the lateral direction in the inclined state can also be increased. Note that the cover member 41 may have a configuration in which the bending angle of the front portion 41F is not increased. That is, the cover member 41 may have any configuration as long as the end of the front portion 41F and the end of the rear portion 41R are not directed toward the heater 21.

In addition, the refrigerator 10 has a distance from the tip of the front portion 41F to a horizontal plane passing through the highest point of the heater 21, that is, a front vertical distance along the vertical direction, and a distance from the tip of the rear portion 41R to the highest point of the heater 21. The distance to the horizontal plane through which it passes, that is, the rear vertical distance along the vertical direction, is configured to be different. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is configured such that the front vertical distance is longer than the rear vertical distance. In addition, the refrigerator 10 has a distance from the bent portion BF of the front portion 41F to a horizontal plane passing through the highest point of the heater 21, that is, a front vertical distance along the vertical direction, and a distance from the bent portion BR of the rear portion 41R to the highest point of the heater 21. The distance from the point to the horizontal plane, that is, the rear vertical distance along the vertical direction, is configured to be different. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is configured such that the front vertical distance is longer than the rear vertical distance.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 5, in the cooling chamber 16, the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is provided at a lower end of the cover member 41, in this case, at a lower position than the tip of the bent rear portion 41R. It is being Further, the upper end of the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is provided at a lower position than the upper end of the heater 21. Further, the lower end of the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is provided at a lower position than the lower end of the heater 21. That is, the height of the upper end of the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is located at a height between the upper and lower ends of the heater 21. At least a part of 21 is configured to face each other.

Therefore, as illustrated by arrows R1 and R2 in FIG. Each side flows easily into the space. Here, the space above the heater 21, in this case, the space between the top surface of the heater 21 and the bottom surface of the cover member 41, is a part of the cold air that has flowed into the cooling chamber 16 from the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18. The space below the heater 21, in this case, the space between the bottom surface of the heater 21 and the bottom surface of the cooling chamber 16, is cooled from the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18. It functions as an example of a lower cold air flow path through which a portion of the cold air that has flowed into the chamber 16 flows.

In this way, the cold air that has flowed into the cooling chamber 16 from the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is branched and flows above and below the heater 21, so that the hot air that remains around the heater 21 is removed from the heater 21. This can make it easier to exclude them from the surrounding area.

Further, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 includes a fuse 17a at the lower front of the cooler 17. The fuse 17a functions as a temperature sensor for detecting an excessive temperature rise in the cooling chamber 16, particularly in the lower part of the cooling chamber 16 where the heater 21 is present. Further, the fuse 17a functions as a circuit breaker that cuts off power to the heater 21 when the temperature rises excessively, that is, when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

Here, the front portion of the cooler 17 where the fuse 17a is provided is located on the opposite side of the return duct 18 from the cold air inlet 18a with the heater 21 in between. That is, the refrigerator 10 is configured to include the fuse 17a in a downstream region of the cold air flowing into the cooling chamber 16 from the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18. Further, the fuse 17a is located above the heater 21, and the direction of inclination of the cover member 41, which is provided in an inclined state as described above, is directed toward the fuse 17a. Therefore, the flow of cold air flowing into the cooling chamber 16 from the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 makes it easier for the temperature of the hot air removed from the vicinity of the heater 21 to reach the fuse 17a. Therefore, a rise in temperature around the heater 21 can be detected by the fuse 17a from a relatively early stage. Moreover, the power supply to the heater 21 can be cut off at a relatively early stage, and it is possible to prevent the state in which the temperature has risen excessively from continuing for a long time.

According to the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment, the cover member 41 provided between the cooler 17 and the heater 21 has a front distance D2, which is the shortest distance between the front portion 41F and the heater 21, and a rear portion. 41R and the rear distance D3, which is the shortest distance between the heater 21, are different from each other, and as a result, the front portion 41F is higher than the rear portion 41R in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the reference line KL. It is installed in an inclined position. According to this configuration, the radiant heat generated by the heater 21 easily flows out from the front portion 41F side of the cover member 41, which is more open, and the cover member 41 is provided between the cooler 17 and the heater 21. In this case, the radiant heat generated by the heater 21 can be made difficult to stay in the space between the heater 21 and the cover member 41.

In particular, in this embodiment, a glass tube heater including glass tubes 22 and 23 is used as the defrosting heater 21 of the cooler 17. Such a glass tube heater has excellent heat generation performance. Therefore, if the defrosting water comes into direct contact with the glass tube heater, there is a concern that the evaporation noise will become louder. Furthermore, if the defrosting water comes into direct contact with a glass tube that is heated to a high temperature, the glass tube may be damaged. Therefore, in the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment in which a glass tube heater is adopted as the defrosting heater 21 of the cooler 17, in order to prevent the defrosting water dripping from the cooler 17 from coming into direct contact with the heater 21, The cover member 41 is an essential component.

In the present embodiment, in the configuration of the refrigerator 10 including the indispensable cover member 41, the radiant heat generated by the heater 21 is difficult to stay in the space between the heater 21 and the cover member 41. did. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress an excessive temperature rise due to retention of radiant heat generated by the heater 21, while fully utilizing the heat generation performance of the heater 21 constituted by the glass tube heater.

According to the refrigerator 10, the bending angle θ1 of the end of the lower portion of the cover member 41, in this case, the end of the rear portion 41R, is changed to an inclination angle θ2 at which the cover member 41 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. By doing so, the bent end of the cover member 41 can be directed not toward the heater 21 side but toward a direction where the heater 21 is not present. By configuring the cover member 41 such that the end thereof is not directed toward the heater 21 side, the defrosting water received by the cover member 41 is directed from the end of the cover member 41 toward the heater 21 side. It can prevent it from falling. Furthermore, the air remaining between the cover member 41 and the heater 21 flows easily, and an excessive temperature rise due to radiant heat generated by the heater 21 can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the refrigerator 10, the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 is provided at a position lower than the lower end of the cover member 41. According to this configuration, the cold air flowing into the cooling chamber 16 from the cold air inlet 18a of the return duct 18 easily flows below the cover member 41, that is, to the area where the heater 21 is present, and around the heater 21. It is possible to make it even more difficult for radiant heat to accumulate.

Further, according to the refrigerator 10, the front distance D2 is longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21, and the rear distance D3 is shorter than the diameter D4 of the heater 21. In this way, by defining the front distance D2 and the rear distance D3 based on the diameter D4 of the heater 21, which is a specific component, it is possible to make it difficult for radiant heat to accumulate by tilting the cover member 41. This configuration can be reliably realized.

Further, according to the refrigerator 10, the width of the cover member 41 in the transverse direction is made longer than the diameter D4 of the heater 21. According to this configuration, the entire heater 21 can be reliably covered by the cover member 41 when viewed from the cooler 17 side, and direct contact of defrosting water with the heater 21 can be more reliably prevented. be able to.

Further, according to the refrigerator 10, the cover member 41 is supported by the fixing member 31 that fixes the heater 21. According to this configuration, there is no need to provide a dedicated fixing member for fixing the cover member 41, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts, a complicated structure, and difficulty in assembling.

Further, according to the refrigerator 10, the fixing member 31 has the height of the front support part 35 that supports the front part 41F of the cover member 41, and the height of the rear support part 36 that supports the rear part 41R of the cover member 41. It has a different configuration. According to this configuration, it is possible to stably support the cover member 41 in an inclined state with respect to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the reference line KL, and since the cover member 41 is inclined, radiant heat is difficult to accumulate. This makes it possible to more reliably realize the configuration.

Further, according to the refrigerator 10, the cover member 41 includes the protrusion 44 for damming up the defrosting water even if the received defrosting water flows toward the supported holes 42 and 43. ing. This can prevent the defrosting water received by the cover member 41 from passing through the supported holes 42 and 43 and coming into contact with the heater 21 . Note that the cover member 41 may be configured to include a groove portion as a dam. Moreover, the cover member 41 may have a structure in which the damming portions are not provided continuously but intermittently.

(Other embodiments)
Note that this embodiment is not limited to the plurality of embodiments described above, and can be variously modified or expanded without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the refrigerator 10 may have a configuration in which the longitudinal centerline of the cover member 41 in the inclined or horizontal state almost or completely coincides with the longitudinal centerline of the cooler 17, or The longitudinal centerline of the cover member 41 may be slightly or significantly shifted forward from the longitudinal centerline of the cooler 17, or the longitudinal centerline of the cover member 41 in the inclined or horizontal state may be It may be configured to be slightly or significantly shifted toward the rear of the center line of the cooler 17 in the longitudinal direction.

Further, for example, the shape of the cover member can be changed as appropriate. That is, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include a cover member 141 illustrated in FIG. 8 instead of the cover member 41 described above. The cover member 141 has a front portion 141F and a rear portion 141R with respect to the center line of the cover member 141 in the lateral direction. The front portion 141F is sloped downward toward the front, and the rear portion 141R is sloped downward toward the rear. Further, the front portion 141F is shorter than the rear portion 141R.

Moreover, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include a cover member 241 illustrated in FIG. 9 instead of the cover member 41 described above. The cover member 241 has a front portion 241F and a rear portion 241R with respect to the center line of the cover member 241 in the lateral direction. The cover member 241 has a stepped shape in which the front portion 241F is higher and the rear portion 241R is lower.

Moreover, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include a cover member 341 illustrated in FIG. 10 instead of the cover member 41 described above. The cover member 341 has a configuration in which the above-mentioned cover member 41 is arranged in a state parallel to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the reference line KL, and the front end of the above-mentioned cover member 41 is not bent. .

Note that the refrigerator 10 is not limited to the cover member 41 and the cover members 141, 241, and 341 described above, but also includes a front distance that is the distance between the front portion and the heater 21, and a distance between the rear portion and the heater 21. Cover members having various shapes can be provided as long as the rear distance and the rear distance are different from each other.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include another heater as a defrosting heater instead of the heater 21 configured by the glass tube heater.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

In the drawing, 10 is a refrigerator, 16 is a cooling chamber, 17 is a cooler, 18 is a return duct, 18a is a cold air inlet, 21 is a heater, 31 is a fixing member, 35 is a front support part (first support part), 36 is the rear support part (second support part), 41, 141, 241, 341 cover member, 41F, 141F, 241F are the front part (first part), 41R, 141R, 241R are the rear part (second part) , 42 and 43 are supported holes (supported parts), and 44 is a protrusion (damped part).

Claims (4)

a cooler that generates cold air;
means for defrosting the cooler;
a cover member provided between the cooler and a means for defrosting the cooler,
The means for defrosting the cooler has a shape extending in one direction,
The cover member is
Located on one side of the reference line, with reference to a reference line connecting the lower surface of the cooler and the center of the means for defrosting the cooler in the vertical direction when viewed from the direction in which the means for defrosting the cooler extends. and a first portion forming one end side of the cover member, and a second portion located on the other side of the reference line and forming the other end side of the cover member,
A first distance, which is the distance between the first portion and the means for defrosting the cooler, is less than a second distance, which is the distance between the second portion and the means for defrosting the cooler. It is longer,
an end of the second portion is bent;
The angle between the end of the second portion and the direction in which the end of the second portion is bent at right angles is greater than or equal to the inclination angle at which the cover member is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the reference line. and
The cover member is supported by a fixing member that fixes a means for defrosting the cooler,
The fixing member is
a first support portion that supports the first portion of the cover member;
a second support portion that supports the second portion of the cover member;
By making the height of the first support part and the height of the second support part different, the cover member is supported in an inclined state with respect to a direction perpendicular to the reference line,
The cover member is
a supported part supported by the first support part and the second support part;
a dam that dams water flowing toward the supported portion;
Refrigerator with . a cooling chamber housing the cooler;
further comprising a cold air inlet for flowing cold air into the cooling chamber,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cold air inlet is provided at a position lower than a lower end of the cover member. the first distance is longer than the diameter of the means for defrosting the cooler;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second distance is shorter than the diameter of the means for defrosting the cooler. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the width of the cover member in the lateral direction is longer than the diameter of the means for defrosting the cooler.

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