KR19980015187A - Defrosting device of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a defrosting apparatus for a refrigerator, in which a defrost heater is mounted on a predetermined portion of an outer wall of a refrigerant pipe between a capillary and an evaporator, and a defrost heater is connected to the defrost heater via a relay The power is supplied to generate heat from the defrost heater and the heat is transferred to the evaporator through the refrigerant pipe to remove the frost conceived on the evaporator, thereby reducing the volume of the defrosting structure of the refrigerator, and the heat generated from the defrost heater It is possible to prevent the deformation of the grass or the plastic injection molding by the peripheral stitches and to perform the defrosting operation repeatedly immediately after the cooling operation so as to prevent the power waste and to more effectively remove the frost impregnated in the evaporator It is.

Description

Defrosting device of refrigerator

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a dehumidifier of a refrigerator suitable for suppressing an increase in temperature of a refrigerator during a refrigerator.

The cycle in which the refrigerant of a typical refrigerator circulates is as shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerant in a gaseous state at a low temperature and a low pressure is compressed (adiabatically compressed) through a compressor 110 to be converted into a gaseous state at a high temperature and a high pressure. Subsequently, the refrigerant is cooled And the refrigerant is condensed and converted into the liquid state, and the moisture contained in the refrigerant is evaporated through the dryer 140. [

Then, the refrigerant supplied from the dryer 130 is depressurized through the capillary tube 150 to be introduced into the evaporator 170, and is evaporated from a low pressure state to a low temperature, thereby absorbing and cooling the heat in the refrigerator.

On the other hand, when the user opens the door of the refrigerator, when the outside air flows into the refrigerator, the frost is conceived on the surface of the evaporator 170 due to the moisture contained in the outside air, , The cold air from the evaporator 170 is not circulated into the refrigerator, so that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment rises and the food may be damaged. In addition, there is a problem that the frost conceived in the use of the refrigerator melts and water flows out to the inside and the outside of the refrigerator .

6 is a circuit diagram of a conventional defrosting apparatus for a typical refrigerator for removing frost on the evaporator 170. The temperature sensor 40, the timer 50, the bimetal 60, , A fuse (70), and a defrost heater (80).

6, a reference temperature (for example, -18 DEG C) set through the temperature control means (not shown) is set in the temperature sensor 40, and the temperature sensor 40 The external power supply to the power supply end provided to the defrost heater 80 and the compressor 110 and the fan motor 115 is switched.

The switch 52 in the timer 50 is switched by the drive pulse of the timer motor 52 in the timer 50 while the temperature sensor 40 is turned on. When the fixed terminal a and the variable terminal b in the switching unit 54 are switched based on the drive pulse, the external power supplied through the temperature sensor 40 is supplied to the compressor 110 and the fan motor 115 When the fixed terminal a and the variable terminal c in the switching unit 54 are switched, the external power supplied through the temperature sensor 40 is supplied to the defrost heater 80.

Next, the compressor 110 is driven on the basis of the external power supplied through the switching unit 54 so that the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser 130, the dryer 140, the capillary 150 and the evaporator 170 Cooling is generated from the evaporator 170. The fan is driven by the fan motor 115 to blow the cool air generated from the evaporator 170 into the refrigerator to cool the temperature of the refrigerator.

Next, when the temperature of the indoor air of the refrigerator to be cooled by the driving of the compressor 110 and the fan motor 115 is lower than the reference temperature (-18 DEG C) set in the temperature sensor 40, the temperature sensor 40 is turned off So that the external power provided to the compressor 110 and the fan motor 115 is cut off and the indoor temperature of the refrigerator is raised.

The temperature sensor 40 is switched to the on state so that the refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 50 through the switching unit 54 in the timer 50. When the temperature of the refrigerant is raised to the reference temperature (110) and a fan motor (115).

Accordingly, the compressor 110 is driven so that the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser 130, the dryer 140, the capillary 150 and the evaporator 170 to generate cool air from the evaporator 170, The fan is operated so that the cool air generated from the evaporator 170 is blown into the refrigerator and the temperature inside the refrigerator is cooled.

Through the repetition of the above-described operation, the indoor temperature of the refrigerator is maintained at the reference temperature set in the temperature sensor 40.

If the predetermined period of time (for example, 6 to 14 hours) elapses to remove the frost on the evaporator 170 during the above-described operation, the timer motor 52 The fixed terminal a and the variable terminal c in the switching unit 54 are switched on the basis of the drive pulse from the defrost heater 80 and the external power is supplied to the defrost heater 80 through the fuse 70, The frost that is conceived on the evaporator 170 is removed.

Here, the defrost heater 80 may be mounted on a predetermined portion (for example, below the evaporator 170) of the evaporator 170 as shown in Fig. 7 (A) C as a cord heater on both sides of the evaporator 170, as shown in Fig.

However, since the inside temperature of the refrigerator rises to room temperature or higher (for example, 10 占 폚) on the basis of the external power source supplied to the defrost heater 80 at the time of the refrigerator door being opened, food in the refrigerator may be damaged, There is a problem that electric power is wasted in cooling the inside of the refrigerator. Further, when the defrost heater 80 is mounted below the evaporator 170 to remove the frost that is frozen in the evaporator 170, there is a problem that the pull or plastic extrudate around the evaporator 170 is deformed by heat . Further, when the cord heater is mounted on the outer periphery of the evaporator 170, the entire volume of the evaporator 170 is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a defrost heater which is configured to surround a refrigerant pipe flowing into an evaporator, And a defrosting device for a refrigerator which can perform a defrosting operation by driving the defrosting device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a refrigerant compressor which compresses a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant through a compressor, converts the refrigerant into a gas state at a high temperature and a high pressure, A refrigerant pipe connected to the refrigerant pipe and connected to a predetermined portion of the outer wall of the refrigerant pipe between the capillary and the evaporator, And a defrost heater for removing frost on the surface of the evaporator based on an external power source provided in accordance with the present invention.

1 is a view for explaining a cycle in which a refrigerant of a typical refrigerator is circulated;

2 is a schematic block diagram of a defrost apparatus of a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a view for explaining a position where the defrost heater 270 is mounted in the constituent members of the defrost apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the timing pulses for driving the compressor, the fan motor, and the defrost heater in the refrigerator according to the present invention,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the defrost heater shown in Fig. 3 taken along the lines a and a '

6 is a circuit diagram of a conventional defrosting apparatus for a typical refrigerator.

7 is a view for explaining a defrosting structure of a conventional refrigerator of the related art;

[0002] DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

40: Temperature sensor 50: Timer

52: Timer motor 54:

60: Bimetal 70: Fuse

Defrost heater 110: compressor

ll, 250: fan motor 130: condenser

140: dryer 150: capillary tube

170: Evaporator 210: Emission temperature sensor

220: Evaporator temperature sensor 230: Microcomputer

240: Compressor motor 250: Relay

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art through the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a schematic block diagram of a defrost apparatus of a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, an indoor temperature sensor 210, an evaporator temperature sensor 220, a microcomputer 230, A compressor motor 240, a fan motor 250, a relay 260, and a defrost heater 270.

2, the indoor temperature sensor 210 senses the indoor temperature of the refrigerator and provides it to the microcomputer 230. The evaporator temperature sensor 220 is mounted on a predetermined portion of the evaporator 170, And is supplied to the microcomputer 230.

The microcomputer 230 receives a control signal for driving the compressor motor 240 when the indoor temperature of the refrigerator provided from the indoor temperature sensor 210 is higher than a predetermined first reference temperature (for example, -18 ° C) And generates a control signal for driving the fan motor 250 when a predetermined time (for example, one minute) elapses.

The microcomputer 230 generates a control signal for stopping the driving of the fan motor 250 when the indoor temperature of the refrigerator provided from the indoor temperature sensor 210 is lower than a predetermined first reference temperature (-18 ° C) And generates a switching control signal for providing external power to the defrost heater 270 mounted on a predetermined portion of the outer wall of the refrigerant pipe flowing into the evaporator 170. The evaporator 170 Is higher than a predetermined second reference temperature (for example, 10 DEG C), a switching control signal for shutting off the external power provided to the defrost heater 270 is generated.

2, the compressor motor 240 is driven based on a drive control signal from the microcomputer 230 to supply the low temperature low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the compressor 110 to the condenser 130, the dryer 140, the capillary 150 And the evaporator 170. The fan motor 250 is driven based on a drive control signal from the microcomputer 230 to blow cool air cooled by the evaporator 170 into the refrigerator.

The relay 260 is switched on the basis of the switching control signal from the microcomputer 230 to provide external power to the defrost heater 270. The defrost heater 270 is connected to the capillary 150 (Approximately 300 DEG C to 500 DEG C) on the basis of an external power source provided through the relay 260. As shown in Fig.

3 is a view for explaining a position where the defrost heater 270 is mounted in the components of the defrost apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention. The compressor 110, the condenser 130, the dryer 140, the capillary tube 150, a defrost heater 270, an evaporator 170, and an evaporator temperature sensor 220.

The compressor 110, the condenser 130, the dryer 140, the capillary tube 150, and the evaporator 170 are connected to the components of the defrost apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention in the refrigerant circulation cycle of the refrigerator shown in Fig. The condenser 130, the dryer 140, the capillary 150, and the evaporator 170, as described above in order to avoid redundant description, Is omitted.

Therefore, in the defrost apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention, the most characteristic structural member is a defrost heater 270 mounted on a predetermined portion of the outer wall of the refrigerant pipe between the capillary tube 150 and the evaporator 170, Will be described in detail.

3, the defrost heater 270 generates heat based on an external power source (for example, 110 V or 220 V) provided through the relay 260 based on a switching control signal of the microcomputer 230, As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant pipe is mounted on a predetermined portion of the refrigerant pipe between the capillary 150 and the evaporator 170, and a sectional view taken along the line aa 'in FIG. 3 is as shown in FIG. 5, A is a refrigerant pipe, and B is a heating line of a defrost heater.

The operation of the defrost apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG.

First, when the inside temperature of the refrigerator sensed through the indoor temperature sensor 210 exceeds a predetermined first reference temperature (for example, -18 ° C), the microcomputer 230 controls the compressor motor 240 Pressure refrigerant that is driven by the compressor motor 240 and flows into the compressor 110 on the basis of the drive control signal from the microcomputer 230 is supplied to the condenser 130, The coolant is circulated through the dryer 140, the capillary tube 150 and the evaporator 170 to generate cold air from the evaporator 170.

Then, the microcomputer 230 generates a control signal (FIG. 4 (B)) for driving the fan motor 250 and outputs the control signal to the microcomputer 230 after a predetermined predetermined time (for example, one minute) The fan motor 250 is driven based on the drive control signal from the evaporator 170 to blow the cool air generated in the evaporator 170 into the refrigerator.

The indoor temperature of the refrigerator is cooled based on the driving of the compressor motor 240 and the fan motor 250 so that the indoor temperature of the refrigerator is cooled from t1 to t2 as shown in Figure 4 (d) When the indoor temperature of the refrigerator sensed through the temperature sensor 210 becomes lower than a predetermined first reference temperature (-18 DEG C), the microcomputer 230 generates a control signal for stopping the driving of the fan motor 250 At the same time, a switching control signal for providing external power to the defrost heater 270 mounted on a predetermined portion of the outer wall of the refrigerant pipe flowing into the evaporator 170 is generated (FIG.

The relay 260 is turned on in accordance with the switching control signal from the microcomputer 230 so that the external power is supplied to the defrost heater 270 through the relay 260 and the heat from the defrost heater 270 300 ° C to 500 ° C) is generated and is conducted to the evaporator 170 through the refrigerant pipe, and the frost conceived on the evaporator 170 is removed by this heat.

When the temperature of the evaporator 170 sensed through the evaporator temperature sensor 220 mounted on the predetermined portion of the evaporator 170 exceeds a predetermined second reference temperature (for example, 10 ° C), the microcomputer 230 Generates a switching control signal for shutting off the external power provided to the defrost heater 270 and turns on the relay 260 based on the switching control signal from the microcomputer 230 to turn on the defrost heater 270, The external power supplied to the power source is cut off.

At this time, the indoor temperature of the refrigerator is cooled from t2 to t3 as shown in Fig. 4 (d).

Thereafter, the refrigerant flows out of the evaporator 170 and has a predetermined dwell time (for example, 6 to 12 minutes) to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 110 to the equilibrium pressure. The driving of the compressor motor 240 is stopped on the basis of the control signal for stopping the operation of the compressor 230 to increase the indoor temperature of the refrigerator.

On the other hand, when the indoor temperature of the refrigerator continuously rises and becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined first reference temperature (-18 ° C), the compressor motor 240 and the fan motor 250 are driven again based on the drive control signal from the microcomputer 230, Is operated to cool the indoor temperature of the refrigerator, and the above-described operation process is repeated.

The defrost heater 270 is mounted on a predetermined portion of the outer wall of the refrigerant pipe between the capillary tube 150 and the evaporator 170 so that the defrosting heater 270 is operated in accordance with the switching control signal from the microcomputer 230 during the defrosting operation of the refrigerator, An external power source is provided to the defrost heater 270 through the heater 260 to generate heat from the defrost heater 270. This heat is conducted to the evaporator 170 through the refrigerant pipe and the frost Removed.

Accordingly, by using the present invention, the volume of the defrosting structure of the refrigerator can be reduced below the evaporator 170, and heat generated from the defrost heater 270 can prevent deformation of the grass or plastic injection molding by the peripheral stitches By repeating the defrosting operation immediately after the cooling operation, wasteful power can be prevented, and the frost impregnated in the evaporator 170 can be removed more efficiently.

Claims (1)

The gas refrigerant at low temperature and low pressure is compressed through the compressor to convert it into a gas state at a high temperature and a high pressure and then cooled and condensed through a condenser to convert the refrigerant into a liquid state and remove moisture contained in the liquid refrigerant through the dryer, The evaporator is installed in a predetermined portion of the outer wall of the refrigerant pipe between the capillary and the evaporator, and is connected to the evaporator through the evaporator, based on an external power source provided on the basis of a switching control signal from the microcomputer. Further comprising a defrost heater for removing frost which is formed on the surface of the evaporator.