KR20080033793A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided to prevent water flowing in a water supply pipe from remaining therein and to prevent the remained water from freezing when the water remains in the pipe. A refrigerator comprises a main body cabinet(2), a door(5) coupled to the main body cabinet, and a freezing section(20) installed in the inside of the door. A water supply pipe(50) is adapted to be extended from the main body cabinet and installed in the door to supply water from the exterior to the freezing section. A refrigerant pipe(41) is installed in the door to enable refrigerant for cooling the freezing section to flow. A heater(60) is provided to prevent water flowing in a water supply pipe from freezing by means of the heat of vaporization of the refrigerant pipe. The heater is disposed within the water supply pipe.

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

2 is a schematic configuration diagram in which a heater according to a first embodiment of the present invention is disposed in a water supply pipe;

3 is a schematic configuration diagram in which a heater according to a first embodiment of the present invention surrounds a water supply pipe outside;

4 is a schematic configuration diagram in which water is supplied to a pressure balance pipe and a water supply pipe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a schematic configuration diagram in which water is drained from the pressure balance tube and the water supply tube according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a plan view of the hinge region illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

1: refrigerator 2: body cabinet

5: freezer door 10: hinge part

12: through part 20: ice making part

40: refrigerant pipe 50: water supply pipe

60: heater 70: pressure equalizer

71: pressure balanced tube body 73: cap

74: filter

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator for preventing freezing of a water supply pipe for supplying water to an ice making unit disposed inside a door.

Recently, the refrigerator has a dispenser unit for receiving ice and water from the outside for the convenience of the user. In order to take out ice and water to the dispenser of the refrigerator, a water supply pipe connected to an ice making unit for generating ice from the outside and a dispenser for supplying water is provided. The dispenser is widely applied to a side by side (SBS) method, a top mounted freezer (TMF) method, and a bottom mounted freezer (BMF) method.

On the other hand, among the refrigerators of the BMF type of refrigerators, since a refrigerating chamber is formed in the upper portion, an ice making unit for generating ice is mainly accommodated in the refrigerating chamber door. The refrigerating chamber door is provided with a heat exchange unit for cooling the ice making unit, and the heat exchange unit inside the refrigerating chamber door is connected to the heat exchange unit accommodated in the main body cabinet and the refrigerant pipe.

However, the water supply pipe and the refrigerant pipe of the conventional refrigerator described above extend from the main cabinet through the hinge portion rotatably coupling the door and the main cabinet to be received together inside the door, so that the water inside the water supply pipe is frozen by the heat of cooling of the refrigerant pipe There is a problem. That is, after the water supply through the water supply pipe is stopped, the water in the water supply pipe freezes due to the cooling heat of the refrigerant pipe that is accommodated in the water remaining in the water supply pipe. In addition, since water in the water supply pipe freezes, smooth water is not supplied to the ice making unit.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that prevents residual water flowing into the water supply pipe and prevents freezing of water remaining when the water remains inside the water supply pipe.

The object of the present invention is a refrigerator having a main body cabinet forming a storage compartment, a door rotatably coupled to the main body cabinet, and an ice making unit provided in the door, wherein the door extends from the main body cabinet. A water supply pipe accommodated in and supplying water to the ice making unit from the outside; A refrigerant pipe accommodated in the door and through which a refrigerant for cooling the ice making unit flows; And a heater for preventing freezing of water flowing in the water supply pipe by the cooling heat of the refrigerant pipe.

Here, the heater may be disposed inside the water supply pipe, and the heater is characterized in that it surrounds the outside of the water supply pipe.

The main cabinet and the door may be rotatably coupled to each other, and may further include a hinge portion extending from the main cabinet to accommodate the water supply pipe and the refrigerant pipe.

On the other hand, it may further include a pressure balancer for branching from the water supply pipe to maintain the pressure of the water supply pipe.

On the other hand, the pressure balancing device, the pressure balancing pipe body is in communication with the water supply pipe, the inlet for the outside air is introduced; It may include a cap provided to be opened and closed at the inlet of the pressure balanced tube body.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, as an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator of the BMF method will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes a main cabinet 2 forming a storage compartment 3, doors 5 and 6 rotatably coupled to the main cabinet 2, and An ice maker 20 provided inside the doors 5 and 6, a water supply pipe 50 for supplying water to the ice maker 20, a heat exchanger 30 for supplying cooling heat to the ice maker 20, and , A refrigerant pipe 40 connected to the heat exchanger 30, and a heater 60 to prevent freezing of water flowing in the water supply pipe 50.

The storage chamber 3 is divided up and down in the main body cabinet 2. As an example of the present invention, the storage compartment 3 includes a freezing compartment (not shown) formed in the lower part of the main body cabinet 2 and a refrigerating chamber 3 formed in the upper part of the main body cabinet. In addition, an interior of the main body cabinet 2 according to the present invention is formed from an evaporator (not shown) for cooling the storage compartment 3 and a machine room for receiving a compressor (not shown) and a condenser (not shown). have. In addition, an expansion valve (not shown) is disposed inside the main body cabinet between the evaporator and the condenser. That is, a cooling cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion valve is formed inside the main cabinet. And inside the main body cabinet 2, the foaming agent 2a is formed so that the heat insulation of the storage chamber 3 may be maintained.

On the other hand, a heat exchanger (not shown) for transmitting cooling heat to the heat exchanger 30 of the ice making unit 20, which will be described later, is disposed near the evaporator. As an example of the present invention, a pump (not shown) is provided inside the main body cabinet 2 to allow the refrigerant cooled in the heat exchanger disposed adjacent to the evaporator to the heat exchanger 30 disposed in the door. . Here, the pump is preferably housed in a machine room containing a compressor and a condenser.

The storage chamber 3 is an example of this invention, and is partitioned up and down by a partition. That is, a freezer compartment for storing food at a temperature below freezing point is formed in the lower part of the main cabinet, and a refrigerating compartment 3 for storing food at a temperature relatively higher than the temperature of the freezer compartment is formed in the upper portion.

The doors 5 and 6 open and close the storage compartment 3. The doors 5 and 6 include a refrigerator compartment door 5 for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 3 and a freezer compartment door 6 for opening and closing the freezer compartment. The refrigerating compartment door 5 is an example of the present invention, and is coupled to a pair of hinge portions 10 on the left and right sides of the refrigerating compartment 3 to open and close the refrigerating compartment 3, respectively, with respect to the main cabinet 2. In addition, the freezing chamber door 6 is provided in a drawer method that draws in and out of the freezing chamber. However, the freezer door 6 may be hinged to the main cabinet 2 so as to be rotatable with respect to the freezer compartment.

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hinge portion 10 is an example of the present invention, the main body cabinet (2) to rotatably couple a pair of refrigerating chamber door (5) to the main body cabinet (2) ) Is provided in pairs on the left and right sides. The hinge portion 10 combines the heat insulating portion 11 to maintain the heat insulation of the refrigerant pipe 40, the main body cabinet 2 and the refrigerating chamber door 5, and the water supply pipe 50 and the refrigerant pipe 40 are refrigerating chamber doors. (5) It includes a hinge portion body 13 having a through portion 12 (see Fig. 6) formed to be received through the inside.

Here, a dispenser portion (not shown) is provided on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door 5. The dispenser unit may be applied with various structures known as a device capable of taking out drinking water or ice from the outside without opening the refrigerating chamber door 5. In the refrigerating chamber door 5, an ice making unit 20 receiving water from the water supply pipe 50 to generate ice is accommodated.

The ice making unit 20 is provided in a partitioned space of the refrigerating chamber door 5. The ice making unit 20 is preferably provided above the dispenser unit. In the ice making unit 20, an ice making tray 21, an ice making unit 22 for icing ice generated in the ice making tray 21, and an ice storage container in which the ice generated in the ice making tray 21 is stored ( 23) is arranged. In addition, the ice making unit 20 may be thermally partitioned to maintain thermal insulation.

The ice making tray 21 receives water from an external water supply source (not shown) to generate ice. The ice generated in the ice tray 21 varies depending on the shape of the ice tray 21. For example, it may be iced with ice having a semicircular cross section, or may be ice cubes having an almost rectangular parallelepiped shape.

The ice maker 22 separates the ice generated in the ice tray 21 from the ice tray 21. The moving part 22 may be provided in various ways. When the ice tray 21 is made of a metal material, the ice maker 22 may include an ice heater (not shown) provided in the ice tray 21 and an ejector (not shown) for discharging ice from the ice tray 21. And a motor (not shown) for rotating the ejector (ejector method). In addition, when the ice tray 21 is made of a plastic material, the ice maker 22 includes an ice heater and a motor (not shown) that twists the ice tray 21 (twisting method).

The ice storage container 23 is disposed under the ice tray 21 to store ice iced from the ice tray 21. Here, the ice storage container 23 is preferably provided in the lower region of the ice making tray 21.

The ice making unit 20 may further include an ice making lever (not shown) for measuring an amount of ice stored in the ice storage container 23 at the lower portion of the ice making tray 21.

On the other hand, the heat exchange unit 30 is disposed in the receiving space of the refrigerating chamber door 5 in which the ice making unit 20 is accommodated. As described above, the heat exchanger 30 receives the refrigerant having the heat of cooling from the heat exchanger adjacent to the evaporator housed in the main cabinet 2 to perform the ice making operation of the ice making unit 20.

The coolant pipe 40 is disposed inside the main body cabinet 2 so that the coolant circulates between the heat exchange part disposed inside the main body cabinet 2 and the heat exchange part 30 disposed inside the refrigerating chamber door 5. The heat exchanger 30 and the heat exchanger 30 disposed in the refrigerating chamber door 5 are connected to each other. As described above, since the ice making unit 20 is accommodated in the refrigerating chamber door 5, the refrigerant pipe 41 between the main cabinet 2 and the refrigerating chamber door 5 preferably includes a flexible material. Thus, the refrigerant pipe 40 can be prevented from being damaged by the opening and closing operation of the refrigerating chamber door 5. On the other hand, the refrigerant pipe 40 is accommodated in the refrigerating chamber door 5 through the hinge 10 together with the water supply pipe 50.

The water supply pipe 50 is connected to an external water supply source and is accommodated into the refrigerating chamber door 5 through the main cabinet 2. The water supply pipe 50 supplies water to produce ice in the ice making tray 21. The water supply pipe 50 may be made of a material such as plastic having low thermal conductivity or a metal material having high thermal conductivity. As described above, the water supply pipe 50 is accommodated in the refrigerating chamber door 5 together with the refrigerant pipe 40 through the penetrating portion 12 of the hinge portion 10.

As the first embodiment of the present invention, the heater 60 is disposed inside the water supply pipe 50 or disposed to surround the outside of the water supply pipe 50. As shown in FIG. 2, when the water supply pipe 50 is made of a plastic material having low thermal conductivity, the water supply pipe 50 is not fast due to the freezing speed of water inside the water supply pipe 50 due to the cooling heat of the adjacent refrigerant pipe 40. The heater 60 is placed inside the thaw to freeze the frozen region.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3, when the water supply pipe 50 is used as a metal material with high thermal conductivity, because the freezing speed of the water in the water supply pipe 50 is fast due to the cooling heat of the adjacent refrigerant pipe 40 water supply pipe 50 Wrap the outside of the heater with a heater 60 to thaw the frozen region.

Looking at the operation of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention by such a configuration as follows.

Water is supplied to the ice making unit 20 through the water supply pipe 50. At this time, the pump moves the refrigerant having the heat of cooling from the heat exchanger housed inside the main cabinet 2 to the heat exchange unit 30 housed in the refrigerating chamber door 5 so that the ice making unit 20 generates ice. .

When the water supply from the water supply pipe 50 is stopped, residual water exists in the water supply pipe 50. Since the refrigerant pipe 41 and the water supply pipe 50 between the main cabinet 2 and the refrigerating chamber door 5 are disposed adjacent to each other, the refrigerant having the heat of cooling through the refrigerant pipe 41 is transferred to the ice making unit 20. When it moves, freezing occurs in the residual water inside the water supply pipe 50.

At this time, the heater 60 disposed inside the water supply pipe 50 is operated to thaw the frozen region. In addition, the heater 60 may surround the outside of the water supply pipe 50 by another method of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Thus, freezing of the water flowing into the water supply pipe can be prevented, thereby smoothly supplying water to the ice making unit.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a pressure branched vertically from the water supply pipe 50 between the main cabinet 2 and the refrigerating chamber door 5. Equalizer 70 is included.

The pressure balancer 70 is branched vertically from the water supply pipe 50 and has a pressure balance tube body 71 having an inlet 72 through which external air is introduced, and a cap 73 provided to be opened and closed at the inlet 72. And a filter 74 between the inlet 72 and the cap 73.

The pressure balancing device 70 keeps the pressure balance inside the water supply pipe 50 by introducing air from the outside. That is, when the supply of water to the ice making unit 20 is stopped, the pressure balancing device 70 drains the water remaining by the surface tension inside the water supply pipe 50 by introducing external air.

The cap 73 allows air to flow into the pressure balance tube body 71 from the outside and prevents dust from flowing into the water supply pipe 50. Here, the filter 74 is provided between the cap 73 and the inlet 72 serves to filter the introduced dust.

Looking at the operation of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention by such a configuration as follows.

Water is supplied to the ice making unit 20 through the water supply pipe 50 in order to extract the ice to the dispenser unit. At this time, the ice-making unit 20 moves the refrigerant having the heat of cooling from the heat exchange unit accommodated in the body cabinet 2 to the heat exchange unit 30 accommodated in the refrigerating chamber door 5 to generate ice.

Since the refrigerant pipe 41 and the water supply pipe 50 disposed between the main body cabinet 2 and the refrigerating chamber door 5 are disposed adjacent to each other, the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe 41 when water is left in the water supply pipe 50 is left. As a result, freezing occurs in the water supply pipe 50. Therefore, the pressure balancing device 70 introduces external air and drains the water remaining in the water supply pipe 50 in the hinge portion 10 in the direction of the main cabinet 2.

As a result, the remaining water in the water supply pipe is drained to prevent freezing from occurring, thereby smoothly supplying water.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of freezing by draining the remaining water in the water supply pipe, thereby smoothly supplying water.

In addition, when the water remaining in the water supply pipe freezing can be used to thaw the frozen portion using the heater, thereby providing a refrigerator that can smoothly supply the water.

Claims (6)

A refrigerator having a main body cabinet forming a storage compartment, a door rotatably coupled to the main body cabinet, and an ice making unit provided in the door, A water supply pipe extending from the main cabinet and accommodated in the door and supplying water to the ice making unit from the outside; A refrigerant pipe accommodated in the door and through which a refrigerant for cooling the ice making unit flows; And a heater for preventing freezing of water flowing in the water supply pipe by the cooling heat of the refrigerant pipe. The method of claim 1, The heater is characterized in that the refrigerator is disposed inside the water supply pipe. The method of claim 1, And the heater surrounds the outside of the water supply pipe. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a hinge portion rotatably coupled to the main cabinet and the door and extending from the main cabinet to allow the water supply pipe and the refrigerant pipe to pass through the main cabinet. The method of claim 4, wherein The refrigerator further comprises a pressure equalizer for branching from the water supply pipe to balance the pressure of the water supply pipe. The method of claim 5, The pressure equalizer, A pressure balance tube body communicating with the water supply pipe and having an inlet through which outside air is introduced; And a cap provided to be opened and closed at the inlet of the pressure balanced tube body.

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