KR200272998Y1 - Duct Connection Structure of Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a duct connecting structure for connecting the duct for guiding the cold air to the freezer compartment and the inner case of the refrigerator.

In the connection structure according to the present invention, an inner case 40 in which a coupling hole is formed, and a duct 20 in which a coupling groove 22 into which an inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole of the inner case is inserted are formed along the outer circumferential surface of the connection end, and the In order to contact the inner case coupled to the fastening groove 22 toward one side of the fastening groove, the fastener 30 is inserted into the fastening groove. The fastener 30 is the fastener is formed in a U-shape is inserted into the interior of the fastening groove can be in close contact with the inner case 40 on one side of the fastening groove 22, perfect sealing properties Secure.

Description

Duct Connection Structure of Refrigerator

The present invention relates to a connection structure of a duct for guiding cold air to a refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a connection structure configured to be fastened by itself without requiring a separate sealing material.

Cold air in the refrigerator is generated near the evaporator installed in the heat exchange chamber behind the freezer compartment. A part of the cold air thus produced is supplied directly to the freezing compartment by a blowing fan, and the other part is supplied to the refrigerating compartment via a duct.

As a conventional configuration example of the connection configuration of the duct for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber may be disclosed in the Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 97-22114. 1 and 2 show the connection structure of the duct described in the publication.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 12 denotes a rear wall of the freezer compartment of the inner case of the refrigerator, and 14 denotes a rear wall of the refrigerator compartment of the inner case. As shown in the drawing, the duct 10 for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber is connected to the freezing chamber rear wall 12 and the refrigerating chamber rear wall 14 so as to communicate with each other. Therefore, the cold air generated in the inner portion of the freezer compartment rear wall 12 is guided along the duct 10 to the refrigerating compartment.

In addition, the coupling relationship between the duct 10 and the freezing chamber rear wall will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

A flange 10a is formed at the end of the duct 10, and a plurality of locking jaws 10b are formed on the front side of the flange 10a. And the end of the duct 10 is fitted with a fixing member 16, the duct 10 is configured to be fastened and fixed to the freezing chamber rear wall 12 of the inner case.

However, according to the conventional duct connection structure is configured as follows the following disadvantages.

First, according to the conventional structure, since a separate sealing material must be attached between the duct 10 and the inner case, there is a disadvantage in that the material cost is increased and the assembly process becomes complicated. In addition, since a plurality of locking jaws must be formed on the flange to be fitted by the fixing member, workability in a narrow space is reduced. In addition, since the fixing member is fitted by a plurality of catching jaws, it is difficult to completely adhere in a portion without the fixing jaw, and thus, a problem arises in that the foaming liquid enters the duct during foaming and the cold air passage is blocked.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure of the duct is assembled in a state in which the duct is completely in close contact with the inner case.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure of the duct excellent in assembly because it does not require a separate sealing material.

1 is a perspective view showing an installation example of a general duct.

Figure 2 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of a conventional duct connecting portion.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the duct connecting portion according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the duct connecting portion according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

20 ..... Duct 22 ..... Fastening groove

24 ..... Fasteners 30 ..... Fasteners

40 ..... Inner Case

Connection structure of the duct according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the inner case is formed with a coupling hole; A duct in which the coupling groove into which the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole of the inner case is inserted is formed along the outer circumferential surface of the connection end portion; And in order to close the inner case coupled to the fastening groove toward one side of the fastening groove, it comprises a fastener inserted into the fastening groove.

According to this configuration, by the fastener, the inner case can be completely in close contact with one side of the fastening groove. Therefore, there is no fear of foaming liquid leakage, and the duct and the inner case can be combined by a simple assembly.

According to one embodiment of the fastener, the fastener is formed in a U-shape to be integrally inserted into the fastening groove, thereby excellent assembly.

The first surface of the fastening groove is formed to have the same width as that of the inner case, and the second surface on the opposite side thereof is formed to have a width wider than the thickness of the inner case, and the third portions on both sides of the connection portion are formed. The surface is formed to have an inclination connecting the respective fastening grooves, and the fastener is inserted into the first and third surfaces, and the side of the fastener inserted into the third surface having the slope is connected to the third surface. It is molded to have a slope that can be inserted in close contact.

And when the first surface is in close contact with the inner case is inserted into the inner case by rotating the duct, the front end of the second surface is provided with an inclined guide inclined surface to be smoothly inserted into the coupling hole of the inner case have.

In addition, the inner surface of the fastener is formed of a thin contact protrusion, the contact protrusion is inserted into the gap between the inner case and the fastening groove in the state that the fastener is completely inserted into the fastening groove, fastening with the inner case The gap between the grooves can be completely eliminated.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

3 exemplarily illustrates an end shape of the duct 20 and a fastener 30 for the fastening structure according to the present invention. The duct 20 according to the present invention is assembled in a state of being completely in close contact with the inner case of the refrigerator, thereby preventing the leakage of the foaming liquid, and furthermore, by assembling the fastener 30, such adhesion is achieved. It can be secured.

As shown in FIG. 3, a fastening groove 22 is formed in the connecting end of the duct 20 according to the present invention. In addition, a fastening jaw 24 protruding a predetermined distance toward the outer circumferential surface of the fastening groove 22 is formed.

The fastening groove 22 is a portion to which the inner case 40 is coupled as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the inner case 40 is formed with a coupling hole into which the connecting end of the duct 20 is inserted, and the connecting end of the duct 20 is inserted into the coupling groove 22 by the inside of the coupling hole. To be combined.

The width of the fastening groove 22 is variably molded in the upper and lower parts. That is, as shown, the upper portion (22a) of the fastening groove 22 has a width wider than the thickness of the inner case 40, the lower portion 22c of the fastening groove 22 and the thickness of the inner case 40 Have the same width. In addition, the side portion 22b of the fastening groove 22 has a shape of connecting the relatively wide upper portion 22a and the narrow lower portion 22c with each other, and has a shape of an inclined groove having a constant inclination and a width narrowing downward. .

The side part 22b of the said fastening groove 22 is shape | molded in the shape becoming narrower downward by changing the thickness of the fastening jaw 24 in the Example shown. That is, by forming the side portion 24a of the fastening jaw 24 toward the lower side, the side portion 22b of the fastening groove 22 becomes narrower toward the lower side.

Therefore, when the inner case 40 is inserted into the lower portion 22c of the fastening groove 22, the inner case 40 is completely in close contact with each other, and the upper portion 22a is formed to have a little play in the state where the inner case 40 is fitted. .

In the state in which the fastening groove 22 is coupled to the inner case 40 as described above, since the upper portion 22a of the fastening groove is somewhat free, the fastener 30 is coupled downward from the top. , The inner case 40 and the fastening groove 22 may be completely coupled to each other.

The fastener 30 is molded into a U-shape open downward. And the side surface 33 of the fastener 30 is formed in a shape that narrows toward the bottom, which is based on the point that the side portion 22b of the fastening groove 22 is formed in a shape that narrows toward the downward Doing.

Therefore, when the fastener 30 is inserted into the fastening groove 22, the side surface 33 of the fastener 30 is inserted into the side surface 22b of the fastening groove 22 and descends. At this time, since the side portion 22b of the fastening groove 22 and the side surface 33 of the fastener 30 are equally narrowed, the connecting end of the duct 20 is completely formed with the inner case 40. It is closely adhered to.

And as shown in FIG. 3, the close_contact | adherence protrusion part 32 is shape | molded in the inner part of the said fastener 30. As shown in FIG. The close contact portion 32 is a portion projecting inward from the inner circumferential surface corresponding to the inner surface of the fastener 30 is formed thin. When the fastener 30 is inserted into the fastening groove 22, the close contact part 32 is completely inserted between the inner case 40 and the end of the fastening groove 22, thereby providing perfect adhesion. It is to provide. And the fastener 30 according to the present invention is formed of a synthetic resin having a certain elasticity, is configured to provide adhesion while being deformed as described later when the close contact protrusion 32 is fitted.

In addition, a guide inclined surface 34 formed by constant chamfering of corner portions is formed at the upper end of the upper portion of the fastening jaw 24. The guide inclined surface 34 is a portion formed so that the upper surface of the fastening jaw 24 can be smoothly guided into the inner case when the fastening jaw 24 is coupled to the inner case.

Next, referring to Figure 4, it will be described for the coupling process of the fastening groove 22 and the fastener 30 according to the present invention.

First, the connecting end of the duct 20 according to the present invention should be coupled to the coupling hole formed in the inner case 40. In this case, the lower portion 22c of the fastening groove 22 of the duct 20 is first coupled to the inner case 40. At this time, since the lower portion 22c of the fastening groove 22 has the same thickness as the inner case 40, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower portion 22c is closely adhered to each other so that the leakage of the foaming liquid can be prevented.

And while the lower portion 22c of the fastening groove 22 is coupled as described above, the upper portion 22a of the fastening groove 22 is coupled to the inner case 40 while rotating the duct 20 upward. At this time, since the guide inclined surface 34 is formed in the flange 24 corresponding to the upper part of the fastening groove 22a, the upper part 22a of the fastening groove is guided while contacting the upper end of the coupling hole of the inner case 40. It is coupled to the inner case 40. In the coupled state, the upper portion 22a of the fastening groove is in a state where there is a little gap with the inner case 40.

In this state, the fastener 30 according to the present invention is coupled to the rear surface of the inner case 40 from above to downward. When the fastener 30 is coupled to the fastening groove 22, the side surface 33 of the fastener 30 descends along the side portion 22b of the fastening groove 22, as shown in FIG. 4. The case 40 is completely brought into close contact with the right side of the fastening groove 22.

When the fastener 30 is pressurized to be completely inserted into the fastening groove 22, the close contact part 32 of the fastener 30 is disposed between the lower end of the inner case 40 and the fastening groove 22. It will be pushed into the gap that can occur in, this state is shown in FIG.

Therefore, no space can be generated between the fastening groove 22 and the inner case 40 to maintain a completely closed state.

As described above, according to the present invention, the inner surface of the coupling groove 22 formed at the connection end of the duct 20 is fastened by the fastener 30 in the state where the inner case 40 is inserted. It can be seen that.

The connection structure as described above may be applied to any portion between the duct 20 and the inner case 40.

According to the present invention as described above it can be expected the following advantages.

In the close contact between the duct and the inner case, it is possible to completely close by using a fastener. Therefore, a complete sealing can be realized without requiring a separate sealing material. Furthermore, the fastener according to the present invention is not partly in close contact, but covers the entire outer circumferential surface of the duct and the inner case, thereby providing a completely close contact overall. Therefore, the effect that can prevent the leakage of the foam liquid through the assembly portion of the duct is expected.

And by not using a separate sealing material, such as the assembly process is easy, it can be expected that the advantage that the assembly is improved, this advantage will bring the effect of substantially improving the productivity.

Claims (5)

An inner case in which a coupling hole is formed; A duct in which the coupling groove into which the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole of the inner case is inserted is formed along the outer circumferential surface of the connection end portion; And In order to closely contact the inner case coupled to the fastening groove toward one side of the fastening groove, a duct connection structure of the refrigerator comprising a fastener inserted into the fastening groove. According to claim 1, The fastener is formed in a U-shaped connection structure of the refrigerator, characterized in that inserted into the fastening groove integrally. The method of claim 2, wherein the first surface of the fastening groove is formed to have a width equal to the thickness of the inner case, the second side of the opposite side is formed to have a width wider than the thickness of the inner case, the connection portion The third surface on both sides of the phosphor is formed to have a slope connecting the respective fastening grooves, and the fastener is inserted into the first surface and the third surface, and the side surface of the fastener inserted into the third surface having the slope is Refrigerator duct connection structure characterized in that it has a slope that can be inserted in close contact with the third surface. According to claim 3, When the first surface is in close contact with the inner case by rotating the duct is coupled to the inner case, the front end of the second surface is inclined to be inserted into the coupling hole of the inner case smoothly Refrigerator duct connection structure comprising a guide slope. According to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the inner surface of the fastener is formed of a thin contact protrusion, the contact protrusion is fastened to the inner case, the fastener is completely inserted into the fastening groove Refrigerator duct connection structure, characterized in that closely inserted into the gap between the grooves.