KR20100062353A

KR20100062353A - A drain pipe for a refrigerator

Info

Publication number: KR20100062353A
Application number: KR1020080120957A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이지훈
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2008-12-02
Filing date: 2008-12-02
Publication date: 2010-06-10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drain pipe for a refrigerator. The present invention is the pipe body 152 is formed with a passage 154 along the longitudinal direction; An opening and closing port 170 provided inside the pipe body 152 to selectively open and close the passage 154 and having a specific gravity smaller than a defrost water; The stopper 160 is formed on the pipe main body 152 and supports the opening and closing hole 170.

According to the present invention having such a configuration, since both the configuration for discharging the defrost water and the inflow of external air are provided inside the dray pipe, the total volume is relatively reduced, thereby improving space utilization.

Description

A drain pipe for a refrigerator

The present invention relates to a drain pipe forming a passage through which defrost water moves.

In general, a refrigerator refers to a device for freezing or refrigerating foods stored in a refrigerator at low temperature using cold air generated through a phase change of a refrigerant (working fluid).

Such a refrigerator includes a main body having a storage space such as a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment to store food in a low temperature state, and a freezer door and a refrigerating compartment hinged to the main body to open and close the front openings of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment by rotation. It is configured to include a door. The refrigerator is configured to cool the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment inside the refrigerator by circulation of a plurality of electrical components and a refrigerant constituting the refrigeration cycle.

In more detail, the refrigerator includes a compressor for raising / heating a low / low pressure gas refrigerant to a high / high pressure gas refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant introduced from the compressor by outside air, and a diameter of another portion. Compared with a narrow diameter, the expansion valve for decompressing and expanding the refrigerant introduced from the condenser, and the evaporator for absorbing heat in the high temperature as the refrigerant passing through the expansion valve is evaporated under low pressure as a basic component Construct a refrigeration cycle.

The refrigerator has a so-called top mount type in which a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment are formed up and down, and the freezer door and the refrigerating compartment door can be opened and closed in the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment, respectively, and as the refrigerator is enlarged, the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment are arranged side by side. It is formed so that the freezer compartment door and the refrigerating compartment door is divided into so-called side by side type (Side by side type) which is configured to be opened and closed with both sides of the rotation center.

The door of the refrigerator is provided with various convenience devices such as a home bar or a dispenser which can easily take out food stored on the rear of the door from the outside of the door without opening the door for the user's convenience.

The inside of the machine room equipped with the compressor and the condenser includes a drain pipe for discharging defrosted water, which is implanted in an evaporator, and water generated in a storage space (hereinafter referred to as 'defrost water'), and a discharge pipe discharged from the drain pipe. The tray receiving the constant is installed.

The drain pipe serves as a passage through which defrost water moves, prevents hot air inside the machine room from flowing back into the storage compartment, and prevents negative pressure caused by opening and closing of the door.

Recently, as the function of the refrigerator is diversified, the structure of the machine room becomes more and more complicated, and thus the installation space of each component is narrowed. However, since the drain pipe is generally composed of a double-structured pipe (drainage pipe and branch pipe), the configuration is complicated and occupies a lot of space in the machine room, so the space utilization is low, and the installation or repair of the drain pipe is not easy. There was this.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a drain pipe in which opening and closing for discharging defrost water and inflow of outside air are made in one configuration.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drain pipe that takes up less installation space.

Technical problems to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Could be.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the present invention provides a pipe body formed with a passage along the longitudinal direction; It is provided in the pipe body is characterized in that it comprises a spherical opening and closing hole for selectively opening and closing the passage.

It is formed on the pipe body characterized in that it further comprises a stopper to prevent the separation of the opening and closing and partition the operation space of the opening and closing.

The stopper may be formed to protrude toward the passage around the inner circumferential surface of the pipe body.

The opening and closing port is characterized in that it is formed to have a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the passage and larger than the inner diameter of the stopper.

The stopper may include a first stopper formed on an upper portion of the pipe body to prevent the opening and closing of the opening from the upper portion of the operation space; It is formed on the lower portion of the pipe body, characterized in that it comprises a second stopper for supporting the opening and closing.

On one surface of the second stopper that is supported by the opening and closing is characterized in that the groove in which the defrost water is soaked in a circular shape along the shape of the second stopper.

The opening and closing port is characterized in that it is formed of a material having a specific gravity less than the defrost water.

The opening and closing hole and the first stopper and the second stopper are formed of a rubber material capable of elastic deformation.

The opening and closing port is characterized in that when the defrost water flows into the pipe body, the passage is opened by buoyancy, and when the defrost water is discharged, the passage is closed by its own weight.

The opening and closing port is characterized in that for opening and closing the passage selectively when a pressure gradient occurs in the upper and lower portions of the opening and closing port.

According to another feature of the present invention for achieving the object as described above, the present invention is a pipe main body formed with a passage through which the defrost water passes; An opening and closing hole provided in the pipe main body and having a specific gravity smaller than a defrost water to open the passage by buoyancy and to close the passage by its own weight; Formed on the pipe body is characterized in that it comprises a stopper which is selectively supported by the opening and closing.

According to another feature of the present invention for achieving the object as described above, the present invention includes a pipe main body formed with a passage through which the defrost water passes; An opening and closing hole provided inside the pipe body to selectively open and close the passage and having a specific gravity smaller than a defrost water; Formed on the pipe body is characterized in that it comprises a stopper for supporting the opening and closing.

The stopper may be formed to protrude toward the passage around the inner circumferential surface of the pipe main body, and a groove into which a defrost water may penetrate is formed on one surface of the stopper on which the opening and closing hole is supported.

In the present invention, since the discharge of the defrost water and the inflow of outside air due to the pressure drop in the refrigerator are all controlled by the opening and closing port, the configuration of the drain pipe is simple, and thus the maintenance is easy.

In addition, the present invention is provided with both the configuration for the discharge of the defrost water and the inflow of outside air in the dray pipe, so that the overall volume is relatively reduced, there is an effect of improving the space utilization.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a drain pipe for a refrigerator according to the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator employing a drain pipe according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a partial front view showing the configuration of the machine room provided in the refrigerator of Figure 1, Figure 3 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a preferred embodiment of the drain pipe, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the main configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in these drawings, a refrigerator compartment (not shown) and a freezer compartment (not shown) are provided inside the main body 10 forming the skeleton of the refrigerator. The refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are spaces for food to be stored at a low temperature by cold air generated around an evaporator (not shown), and the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are partitioned by barriers (not shown). The main body 10 is configured to cool the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment inside the refrigerator by circulation of a plurality of electrical components and refrigerant constituting the refrigeration cycle.

Doors 20 are respectively provided on the front sides of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. The door 20 is formed to correspond to the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment to form the front appearance of the refrigerator. The door 20 is hinged to the main body 10 to open and close the front openings of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment by rotation. The door 20 selectively opens and closes the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment to store or take out food therein.

The door 20 is provided with a home bar door 22 and a dispenser 24 for the user's convenience. The home bar door 22 is provided approximately in the middle of the door 20. The home bar door 22 is provided to selectively open and close the opening (not shown) of the door 20 in communication with the storage space of the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment. One end of the home bar door 22 is hinged to the door 20 to open and close the opening by rotation. The home bar door 22 is exposed to the outside of the door 20 so that food and the like can be taken out without opening the door 20. The dispenser 24 is exposed to the outside of the door 20 to allow the user to directly withdraw ice or purified water from the stored tank to the outside. The door 20 is provided with a handle portion 26 that the user grips to open or close the door 20.

On the other hand, the machine room 110 is provided in the lower rear region of the main body 10. Inside the machine room 110, a compressor 120 for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser 130 for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 120, and a heat generation path of the compressor 120 and the condenser 130 Due to the high temperature, the cooling fan 140 for cooling the inside of the machine room 110 is installed.

In addition, inside the machine room 110, a defrost water dissolved in frost formed on the evaporator and a drain pipe 150 for discharging water generated in the storage room are installed. The drain pipe 150 is connected to a collecting part (not shown) provided at a lower end of a cold air generating chamber (not shown) in which the evaporator is installed to generate cold air. The water collecting unit collects defrost water and serves to guide the drain pipe 150.

The drain pipe 150 serves as a passage through which defrost water moves, prevents hot air inside the machine room 110 from flowing back to the storage compartment, and prevents negative pressure from being generated by opening and closing the door 20. Play a role.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe body 152 has an appearance and a skeleton of the drain pipe 150. The pipe body 152 is formed in a hollow tubular shape formed long up and down. The pipe body 152 has a passage 154 formed therein along its longitudinal direction. The passage 154 is formed to open up and down to communicate with the water collecting part. The passage 154 forms a path through which the defrost water moves.

The pipe body 152 is provided with a stopper 160. The stopper 160 is formed to protrude toward the passage 154 around the inner circumferential surface of the pipe body 152. The stopper 160 partitions the operation space 168 to be described below. The stopper 160 serves to prevent the departure and exit of the opening and closing door 170 to be described below. The stopper 160 may be formed to enable elastic deformation in accordance with the characteristics of the material and shape according to the design conditions. The stopper 160 is preferably formed integrally with the pipe body 152. That is, the pipe body 152 and the stopper 160 may be formed of a rubber material according to design conditions.

The stopper 160 includes a first stopper 162 and a second stopper 164. The first stopper 162 is formed on the pipe body 152 to prevent the opening and closing port 170 is separated from the upper portion of the operating space 168. The second stopper 164 is formed under the pipe body 152 to support the opening and closing port. That is, the second stopper 164 prevents the opening and closing port 170 is separated from the lower portion of the operating space 168.

As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 166 is formed in the stopper 160. The groove 166 is formed on one surface of the stopper 160 on which the opening and closing hole 170 is supported. The groove 166 is formed to be recessed in a circular shape along the shape of the stopper 160. The defrost water is soaked into the groove 166. The defrost water accumulated in the groove 166 fills a gap between the opening and closing hole 170 and the groove 166 to prevent inflow of outside air. In FIG. 3, the groove 166 is formed on both the first stopper 162 and the second stopper 164, but the groove (only) is formed only in the second stopper 164 on which the opening and closing hole 170 is supported. 166) is sufficient.

The pipe body 152 is provided with an operating space 168. The operation space 168 is a space provided for the operation of the opening and closing port 170. The area of the operating space 168 is divided by the first stopper 162 and the second stopper 164 as part of the passage 154. The opening and closing port 170 is moved up and down in the operating space 168.

The pipe body 152 is provided with an opening and closing port 170. In more detail, the opening and closing port 170 is provided to be movable in the operation space 168. The opening and closing port 170 is formed in a spherical shape having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the passage 154 and larger than the inner diameter of the stopper 160.

The opening and closing port 170 is formed of a material having a specific gravity smaller than the defrosting water. Since the opening and closing port 170 has a specific gravity smaller than that of the defrosting water, when the defrosting water flows into the pipe main body 152, the opening and closing port 170 rises above the defrosting water to open the passage 154. When all the defrost water is discharged, the opening and closing port 170 is seated on the second stopper 164 by its own weight, and the passage 154 is closed.

The opening and closing port 170 may be formed to enable elastic deformation in the characteristics of the material and shape according to the design conditions. The opening and closing port 170 may be formed of a rubber material. The opening and closing port 170 serves to selectively open and close the passage 154.

In addition, the tray 180 is installed in the machine room 110. The tray 180 receives the defrost water discharged from the dray pipe 150.

Hereinafter, the operation of the drain pipe for a refrigerator according to the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail.

5 and 6 are explanatory views showing a process of opening and closing the drain pipe by the opening and closing port in the embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, normally, the opening and closing port 170 is seated on the second stopper 164 by its own weight to maintain the passage 154 in a closed state. That is, since the drain pipe 150 is sealed, the hot air inside the machine room 110 cannot move along the passage 154 of the pipe main body 152. That is, the drain pipe 150 prevents hot air inside the machine room 110 from flowing back to the storage room.

When defrost water is generated while the refrigerator is in operation, the defrost water flows into the drain pipe 150 through the water collecting unit. When defrost water flows into the passage 154 of the drain pipe 150, defrost water is accumulated around the second stopper 164 and the opening and closing port 170.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the defrost water is accumulated in the drain pipe 150, the opening and closing port 170 having a specific gravity smaller than the defrost water floats above the defrost water, thereby opening the passage 154.

In this case, since the amount of the defrost water is large, the opening / closing opening 170 does not move away from the drain pipe 150 by the first stopper 162 even when the opening 170 moves to the upper portion of the drain pipe 150. When the passage 154 is opened, defrost water flows downward and is discharged to the tray 180.

When all the defrost water is discharged from the drain pipe 150, the opening and closing port 170 is lowered by its own weight and seated on the second stopper 164. The opening and closing port 170 is in close contact with the second stopper 164 at this time to close the passage 154 of the drain plate tape 150, whereby hot air of the machine room 110 does not flow back to the storage room.

At this time, the groove 166 of the second stopper 164 is part of the defrost water soaked up. In this way, the defrost water accumulated in the groove 166 may fill the gap between the second stopper 164 and the groove 166 to reliably block the flow of air.

On the other hand, at the moment of opening the door 20, it is very difficult to open the door 20 due to the negative pressure due to the increase in the volume of the storage space in the refrigerator and the negative pressure generated by cooling the outside air into the refrigerator. However, in the present invention, when the door 20 is opened, an instantaneous pressure drop occurs or a negative pressure is generated during the cooling process due to the introduction of high temperature outside air in the refrigerator. Ascending to the top of the) to open the passage 154 of the drain pipe 150. That is, even when the pressure inside the refrigerator drops, air may flow from the drain pipe 150 to compensate for the pressure, thereby easily opening and closing the door 20.

That is, in the present invention, the opening and closing port 170 opens the passage 154 by buoyancy when defrost water flows into the pipe main body 152, and closes the passage 154 by its own weight when defrost water is discharged. Let's do it.

In addition, when a pressure gradient occurs in the upper and lower portions of the opening and closing 170, the opening and closing 170 is moved to the upper portion of the pipe body 152 to selectively open and close the passage 154.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but is defined by the claims, and various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims. It is self-evident.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator employing a drain pipe according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a partial front view showing the configuration of the machine room provided in the refrigerator of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a preferred embodiment of the drain pipe according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the main portion of the embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6 are explanatory views each showing a process of opening and closing the drain pipe by the opening and closing in the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

10: main body 20: door

22: home bar door 24: dispenser

26: handle 110: machine room

120: compressor 130: condenser

140: cooling fan 150: drain pipe

152: pipe body 154: passage

160: stopper 162: first stopper

164: second stopper 166: groove

168: operation space 170: opening and closing

180: tray

Claims

A pipe body in which a passage is formed along the longitudinal direction;

And a spherical opening / closing opening provided in the pipe body to selectively open and close the passage.

The method of claim 1,

And a stopper formed on the pipe main body to prevent separation of the opening and closing opening and to partition the operation space of the opening and closing opening.

The method of claim 2,

And the stopper is formed to protrude toward the passage around the inner circumferential surface of the pipe body.

The method of claim 3, wherein

And the opening and closing port is formed to have a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the passage and larger than the inner diameter of the stopper.

The method of claim 4, wherein

The stopper is,

A first stopper formed on an upper portion of the pipe body to prevent the opening and closing of the opening from the upper portion of the operation space;

And a second stopper formed at a lower portion of the pipe body to support the opening and closing hole.

The method of claim 5,

The drain pipe for the refrigerator, characterized in that the groove in which the defrost water is soaked in a circular shape along the shape of the second stopper is formed on one surface of the second stopper on which the opening and closing hole is supported.

The method of claim 6,

The opening and closing port is a drain pipe for a refrigerator, characterized in that formed of a material having a specific gravity smaller than the defrost water.

The method of claim 7, wherein

The opening and closing hole and the first stopper and the second stopper is a drain pipe for a refrigerator, characterized in that formed of a rubber material capable of elastic deformation.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

The opening and closing the refrigerator drain pipe, characterized in that when the defrosting water flows into the pipe main body to open the passage by buoyancy, when the defrosting water is discharged to close the passage by its own weight.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

The opening and closing the refrigerator drain pipe, characterized in that to open and close the passage selectively when a pressure gradient occurs in the upper and lower portions of the opening and closing.

A pipe body in which a passage through which the defrost water passes is formed long and vertically;

An opening and closing hole provided in the pipe main body and having a specific gravity smaller than a defrost water to open the passage by buoyancy and to close the passage by its own weight;

And a stopper formed in the pipe main body and configured to selectively support the opening and closing hole.

The method of claim 11,

An opening and closing hole provided inside the pipe body to selectively open and close the passage and having a specific gravity smaller than the number of defrosts;

And a stopper formed on the pipe body and configured to support the opening and closing hole.

The method of claim 13,

The stopper is formed around the inner circumferential surface of the pipe body is formed to protrude toward the passage, the drain pipe for refrigerators, characterized in that a groove in which defrost water is formed is formed on one surface of the stopper is supported by the opening and closing.