KR20170032878A - Defrosting device and refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a defrosting device comprising: a heating unit including a heater case and a heater wherein an entrance and an exit of the heater case are formed at a position spaced from each other in a length direction, and at least a part of the heater is accommodated inside the heater case to heat hydraulic fluid inside of the heater case; and a heat pipe connected to the entrance and the exit of the heater case respectively, wherein at least a part of the heat pipe is disposed adjacent to a cooling pipe so as to radiate heat to the cooling pipe of a vaporizer by using transferred high temperature hydraulic fluid heated by the heater. The exit is formed at a position spaced from a front end of the heater case to a rear direction by a predetermined distance in order to have part of the hydraulic fluid be remained in a front end portion of the heater case and have a contact with the heater.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a defrosting device and a refrigerator having the defrosting device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a defrosting device for removing frost on a evaporator provided in a refrigeration cycle, and a refrigerator having the defrosting device.

The evaporator provided in the refrigeration cycle lowers the ambient temperature by using cool air generated by the circulation of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe. In this process, when a temperature difference with ambient air occurs, moisture in the air is condensed and frozen on the surface of the cooling pipe.

As a defrosting operation for removing the impurities cast on the evaporator, a defrosting method using an electric heater is conventionally used.

In recent years, a defrosting device using a heat pipe has been developed as a heat generating means, and a related art is Korean Patent No. 10-0469322 entitled "Evaporator ".

In the heat pipe type defrost apparatus of the above-mentioned "evaporator", the heater is arranged vertically along the vertical direction of the evaporator, and the working liquid is filled only at the bottom of the heater. The defrosting device of the above structure may increase the evaporation speed by rapid heating, but it involves the risk of overheating the heater.

Further, as the heater is completely housed in the heat pipe, the heat of high temperature is concentrated inside the heat pipe, so that the lifetime of the heater can be shortened, and there is a sealing problem of the wire extending from the lower end due to the structure in which the lower end of the heater is sealed .

In addition, since the heater is housed inside the heat pipe extending in one direction, if the supply of the working fluid is not smooth, the working fluid evaporates at one time, and the temperature of the heater may rise sharply. This can be further exacerbated by the film burn or the like when the heater is disposed horizontally.

An object of the present invention is to provide a defrost apparatus of a new structure capable of smoothly circulating a working liquid and preventing overheating of the heater to improve reliability.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a defrost apparatus comprising: a heater case having an inlet and an outlet at mutually spaced positions along a longitudinal direction; A heating unit having a heater configured to heat a working fluid in the case; And a heat pipe which is connected to the inlet and the outlet of the heater case and which is disposed at least partially adjacent to the cooling pipe so as to radiate heat to the cooling pipe of the evaporator by the high temperature working fluid heated and conveyed by the heater, And the outlet is formed at a position spaced apart from the front end of the heater case by a predetermined distance so that a part of the working liquid stays at the front end of the heater case and contacts the heater.

The outlet is formed such that its center is located at a position spaced apart from the inner front end of the heater case by 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less. Preferably, the outlet is formed such that its center is located at a position spaced 15 mm from the inner front end of the heater case.

The length of the center of the outlet from the inner front end of the heater case is preferably 1/10 to 1/5 of the total length of the heater case.

In addition, the front end of the heater is spaced rearward from the inner front end of the heater case.

Here, the heater includes: an active heat generating unit that actively generates heat to heat a working liquid; A first passive heating part extending rearward from a rear end of the active heat generating part and being heated to a temperature lower than that of the active heat generating part; And a second passive heating part extending forward from a front end of the active heat generating part and being heated to a temperature lower than that of the active heat generating part, wherein a front end of the second passive heating part forms a front end of the heater.

In one example related to the structure, the outlet may be formed at a position facing the active heat generating portion of the outer circumference of the heater case.

Alternatively, in another example related to the structure, the front end of the active heat generating portion may be positioned between the outlet and the inlet.

Meanwhile, the inlet may be formed at a position deviating from the active heat generating unit so that the returning fluid after the heat pipe is moved does not flow directly into the active heat generating unit.

The inlet may be formed at a position facing the first braking heat generating portion of the outer circumference of the heater case so that the returning working fluid flows into the space between the heater case and the first manual heat generating portion. have.

The cooling pipe includes a first cooling pipe and a second cooling pipe arranged in two rows on the front and rear sides of the evaporator, respectively, and the heat pipe is connected to the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe And the first and second heat pipes are arranged so as to correspond to the outside of the heater case, respectively, and the outlet includes a first outlet and a second outlet respectively formed on both sides of the outer circumference of the heater case, A heat pipe is connected to the first and second outlet pipes respectively extending from the first and second outlets with the front end of the heater case interposed therebetween.

In one embodiment, the heater case may be disposed at the same height as the lowermost column of the cooling pipe or at a position lower than the lowermost column of the cooling pipe so as to extend along the left-right direction of the evaporator.

Alternatively, in another example related to the structure, the heater case may be arranged vertically along the vertical direction on the outside of the evaporator so that the front end thereof faces upward.

At least a portion of the heater case may be disposed between the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe.

Meanwhile, the rear end of the first passive heating part may be exposed to the outside of the heater case.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a defrost apparatus comprising: a heating unit configured to heat an internal working fluid; And at least a part of the waste heat exchanger is connected to the inlet and the outlet of the heating unit to form a waste oil path through which the working fluid flows together with the heating unit, And a heat pipe disposed adjacent to the cooling pipe, wherein the heating unit includes: a heater case formed at a position where the inlet and the outlet are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction; And a heater which is accommodated in the heater case and which actively generates heat to heat the working fluid, and a first passive heating part extending from one side of the active heat generating part and heated to a lower temperature than the active heat generating part, And a part of the first passive heating part is exposed to the outside of the heater case so that a part of the heater is discharged to the outside.

The heater may further include a heater frame having a hollow space therein and disposed along the longitudinal direction inside the heater case and a part of the heater frame exposed to the outside of the heater case, And the first passive heating part includes an insulating material filled in an inner hollow space on a rear side of the heater frame into which the bobbin is inserted.

The heating unit further includes a heat-shrinkable tube formed to surround the rear end of the heater case and the heater frame exposed to the outside.

The inlet is formed at a position deviating from the active heat generating unit so that the returning fluid after the heat pipe is moved does not flow directly into the active heat generating unit.

In this case, the inlet may be formed in the heater case so as to face the other part of the first passive heating part located inside the heater case so that the returning working liquid flows into the space between the heater case and the first passive heating part. As shown in Fig.

At this time, the inlet may be formed at a position spaced inward from the rear end of the heater case.

In another related example, the inside of the heater case corresponding to the inlet is left as an empty space, and the active heat generating part is arranged to extend toward the outlet at a position spaced apart from the inlet of the heater case, The passive heat generating part may extend from one side of the active heat generating part, and a part of the passive heat generating part may be exposed to the outside from the front end of the heater case.

Meanwhile, the length ratio between the active heat generating portion and the first passive heating portion located inside the heater case may be 5: 3.

Also, the length of the active heat generating part may be 1/2 of the length of the heater case.

The heater may further include a second passive heating part extending from the other side of the active heat generating part and being heated to a lower temperature than the active heat generating part. The second passive heating part may include an insulating material filled in a front side hollow space of the heater frame into which the bobbin is inserted. Further, the heater may further include a cover member coupled to cover the front opening of the heater frame.

Meanwhile, the outlet may be formed at a position spaced apart from the front end of the heater case by a predetermined distance so that a part of the operating fluid stays at the front end of the heater case and contacts the heater.

Here, the length of the center of the outlet from the inner front end of the heater case is preferably 1/10 to 1/5 of the entire length of the heater case.

In addition, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator body; An evaporator installed in the refrigerator body and configured to cool the fluid by depriving surrounding evaporation heat; And a defrosting device configured to remove a property generated in the evaporator.

Wherein the evaporator comprises: a cooling tube which is repeatedly bent in a zigzag fashion to form multiple rows; A plurality of cooling fins fixed to the cooling tube, the cooling fins being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along an extending direction of the cooling tube; And a plurality of supports formed to support both ends of each row of the cooling tubes.

According to the present invention, since the heater is configured to be submerged below the water surface of the working liquid when the working liquid is in a liquid state, the defrosting operation can be safely performed in a state in which the heater is not overheated.

Here, the outlet of the heating unit is formed at a position spaced apart from the front end of the heater case by a predetermined distance rearward. According to this, since a part of the working liquid stays at the front end of the heater case and comes into contact with the heater, overheating of the heater can be prevented.

Further, in the above structure, the inlet of the heating unit is configured to communicate with the space between the first passive heating unit and the heater case, or to communicate with the empty space inside the heating unit. In this case, since the returned working fluid does not directly flow into the active heat generating portion but is reheated by the active heat generating portion after passing through the first passive heating portion or the empty space of a relatively low temperature and is discharged to the outlet, Can be prevented.

As the return pipe connected to the inlet of the heating unit, a return pipe having an inner diameter larger than 5 mm and smaller than 7 mm is used. In this case, the returned working fluid can flow smoothly into the heater case, and the backflow of the reheated working fluid can be prevented.

Further, the outlet pipe may extend upward from the heater case or may extend downward from the heater case, in accordance with the characteristics of the working fluid having a lifting force when reheated after being recovered.

Meanwhile, a part of the first manual heat generating portion is configured to be exposed to the outside from the rear end portion of the heater case to the outside, thereby releasing the heat of the heater to the outside, thereby lowering the surface load density of the heater. If the surface load density of the heater is lowered, overheating of the heater is prevented, reliability can be ensured, and the life of the heater can be prolonged.

Further, in the structure, the lead wire extends from the rear end of the heater exposed to the outside, and is sealed by the heat shrinkable member, so that the contact with the operating liquid is prevented and the reliability of the defrost apparatus can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are a front view and a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a defrost apparatus applied to the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
Figs. 4 and 5 are a cross-sectional view and a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the heating unit shown in Fig. 3. Fig.
6 is an exploded perspective view of the heater shown in Fig.
7A to 7C are graphs showing the temperature change of the heater according to the inner diameter of the return pipe shown in FIG. 5 under the freezing condition.
8 is a conceptual view of the flow of fluid in the recovery pipe under the condition of FIG. 7C;
Figs. 9 to 12 are longitudinal sectional views showing a modification of the heating unit applied to the defrost apparatus of Fig. 3; Fig.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the defrost apparatus applied to the refrigerator of FIG. 1; FIG.
14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heating unit shown in Fig.
15 is a conceptual view showing a third embodiment of a defrost apparatus applied to the refrigerator of FIG.
16 is a perspective view of the defroster shown in Fig. 15. Fig.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and a duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The refrigerator (100) is a device for keeping food stored in the refrigerator at a low temperature by using cold air generated by a refrigeration cycle in which a process of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation is continuously performed.

As shown in the figure, the refrigerator body 110 has a storage space for storing food therein. The storage space may be separated by the partition wall 111 and may be divided into a refrigerating chamber 112 and a freezing chamber 113 according to a set temperature.

In this embodiment, a top mount type refrigerator in which the freezing chamber 113 is disposed on the refrigerating chamber 112 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention is also applicable to a bottom freezer type refrigerator having a side-by-side type refrigerator in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are disposed in the left and right direction, a refrigerating chamber in an upper portion thereof and a freezing chamber in a lower portion thereof .

A door is connected to the refrigerator body 110 to open and close the front opening of the refrigerator body 110. In this figure, the refrigerating chamber door 114 and the freezing chamber door 115 are configured to open and close the refrigerating chamber 112 and the freezing chamber 113, respectively. The door may be variously constructed of a rotatable door rotatably connected to the refrigerator body 110, a drawer-type door slidably connected to the refrigerator body 110, and the like.

The refrigerator body 110 is provided with at least one storage unit 180 (for example, a shelf 181, a tray 182, a basket 183, etc.) for efficiently utilizing the internal storage space. For example, the shelf 181 and the tray 182 may be installed inside the refrigerator body 110, and the basket 183 may be installed inside the door 114 connected to the refrigerator body 110.

On the other hand, a cooling chamber 116 provided with an evaporator 130 and a blowing fan 140 is provided on the rear side of the freezing chamber 113. The partition wall 111 is formed with a refrigerating chamber returning duct 111a and a freezing chamber returning duct 111b through which the air of the refrigerating chamber 112 and the freezing chamber 113 can be sucked and returned to the cooling chamber 116 side. A cool air duct 150 having a plurality of cool air discharge openings 150a communicating with the freezing chamber 113 and having a plurality of cool air discharge openings 150a is provided on the rear side of the refrigerating chamber 112. [

A machine room 117 is provided on the lower side of the backside of the refrigerator body 110 and a compressor 160 and a condenser (not shown) are provided in the machine room 117.

The air in the refrigerating compartment 112 and the freezing compartment 113 is supplied to the cooling chamber 116 through the refrigerating chamber return duct 111a and the freezing compartment return duct 111b of the partition 111 by the blowing fan 140 of the cooling chamber 116 The refrigerant is sucked into the evaporator 130 and exchanges heat with the evaporator 130 and is repeatedly discharged through the cold air outlet 150a of the refrigerant duct 150 to the refrigerating chamber 112 and the freezing chamber 113. [ At this time, the surface of the evaporator 130 is concealed by the temperature difference between the refrigerant return duct 111a and the circulating air flowing back through the freezer return duct 111b.

The evaporator 130 is provided with a defrosting device 170 and the water removed by the defrosting device 170 is discharged to the lower portion of the refrigerator body 110 through the defrost water discharge pipe 118. [ (Not shown).

Hereinafter, a new type of defrost apparatus 170 capable of reducing power consumption during defrosting and increasing heat exchange efficiency will be described.

2 and 3 are a front view and a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the defrost apparatus 170 applied to the refrigerator 100 of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show the heating unit 171 shown in FIG. Sectional view and a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the second embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the evaporator 130 includes a cooling pipe 131, a plurality of cooling fins 132, and a plurality of supports 133.

The cooling pipe 131 is repeatedly bent in a zigzag fashion to form multiple rows, and the inside thereof is filled with refrigerant. The cooling pipe 131 may be composed of a combination of a horizontal pipe portion and a bending pipe portion. The horizontal piping portion is vertically disposed horizontally with respect to each other and is configured to penetrate the cooling fin 132. The bending piping portion is configured to connect the ends of the upper horizontal piping portion and the lower horizontal piping portion to each other to communicate with each other. The cooling pipe 131 may be made of aluminum.

The first cooling pipe 131 'and the second cooling pipe 131' formed on the front and rear sides of the evaporator 130 so as to form two rows of the cooling pipes 131 in this embodiment. 2, the first cooling pipe 131 'at the front and the second cooling pipe 131' 'at the rear are formed in the same shape so that the second cooling pipe 131' ').

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The first cooling pipe 131 'on the front side and the second cooling pipe 131' 'on the rear side may be formed in different shapes. On the other hand, the cooling pipe 131 may be formed to form a single row .

A plurality of cooling fins 132 are disposed in the cooling pipe 131 at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the cooling pipe 131. The cooling fin 132 may be formed of a flat plate made of an aluminum material and the cooling pipe 131 may be expanded in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole of the cooling fin 132 and firmly fitted into the insertion hole.

A plurality of supports 133 are provided on both sides of the evaporator 130, each of which is vertically extended to vertically support the bending end of the cooling tube 131. The plurality of support rods 133 is formed with an insertion groove into which a heat pipe 172 to be described later can be fitted and fixed.

The defrosting device 170 is configured to remove the property occurring in the evaporator 130, and is installed in the evaporator 130 as shown in the figure. The defrosting device 170 includes a heating unit 171 and a heat pipe 172 (heat transfer pipe).

The heating unit 171 is provided at a lower portion of the evaporator 130, and is formed to generate heat when it is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) and receives a driving signal from the control unit. For example, when the control unit applies a driving signal to the heating unit 171 every predetermined time interval, or when the temperature of the detected cooling chamber 116 becomes lower than a preset temperature, the control unit outputs a driving signal to the heating unit 171 . ≪ / RTI >

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the heating unit 171 includes a heater case 171a and a heater 171b.

In this embodiment, the heater case 171a extends along one direction and is disposed at a lower portion of the evaporator 130 along the left and right direction. The heater case 171a may be formed in a cylindrical or square pillar shape, and may be formed of a copper material or an aluminum material.

The heater case 171a is disposed adjacent to the lowest row of the cooling pipe 131. [ For example, the heater case 171a may be disposed at the same height as the lowest row of the cooling tube 131, or may be disposed at a position lower than the lowest row of the cooling tube 131. [

The heater case 171a may be disposed at one side of the evaporator 130 where the accumulator 134 is located, the other side opposite to the evaporator 130, or an arbitrary point between the one side and the other side.

The heater case 171a is disposed at a position lower than the lowest column of the cooling pipe 131 at one side of the evaporator 130 where the accumulator 134 is located and in parallel with the cooling pipe 131, As shown in Fig.

The heater case 171a has a hollow shape and is connected to both ends of the heat pipe 172 to form a closed loop type flow path in which the working fluid F can circulate together with the heat pipe 172 . Outlets 171c 'and 171c' 'and inlets 171d' and 171d ', respectively, which are connected to both ends of the heat pipe 172, are formed on both sides of the heater case 171a in the lateral direction.

Concretely, outlets 171c 'and 171c ", which communicate with one end of the heat pipe 172, are formed at one side of the heater case 171a (for example, the outer peripheral side adjacent to the front end of the heater case 171a) . The outlets 171c 'and 171c "refer to the openings through which the heating working fluid F is discharged to the heat pipe 172 by the heater 171b.

An inlet 171d ', 171d "communicating with the other end of the heat pipe 172 is formed on the other side of the heater case 171a (for example, the outer peripheral surface adjacent to the rear end of the heater case 171a) 171d 'and 171d' 'refer to openings through which the condensed working fluid F passes through the heat pipe 172 to the heater case 171a.

At least a part of the heater 171b is accommodated in the heater case 171a and has a shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the heater case 171a. In this conceptual diagram, it is shown that the heaters 171b are arranged in parallel along the left and right direction of the evaporator 130.

The heater 171b may be inserted through the other side of the heater case 171a and fixed and sealed to the heater case 171a. At this time, a part of the heater 171b is received in the heater case 171a, and the other part of the heater 171b is exposed to the outside of the heater case 171a.

The heater 171b received in the heater case 171a is spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the heater case 171a at a predetermined interval. According to the arrangement, an annular space having an annular gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the heater case 171a and the outer peripheral surface of the heater 171b.

A heater coil 171b housed inside the heater case 171a is partially formed with a heat generating coil 171b1b (see FIG. 6) to generate heat when power is supplied. The portion of the heater 171b where the heat generating coil 171b1b is wound several times is heated to a high temperature to constitute the active heat generating portion 171b1 which evaporates the working liquid. The active heat generating portion 171b1 will be described later.

The heat pipe 172 is connected to the outlets 171c 'and 171c' provided on the left side of the heater case 171a and the inlets 171d 'and 171d' provided on the right side of the heater case 171a, (F, working fluid) is filled. Conventional refrigerants (for example, R-134a, R-600a, etc.) may be used as the working fluid (F).

The heat pipes 172 can be directly connected to the outlets 171c 'and 171c' 'of the heater case 171a and the inlets 171d' and 171d ', but when they are formed of different materials (for example, 172 is made of aluminum material and the heater case 171a is made of copper material), the connecting operation may be difficult.

In this case, for connection between the heater case 171a and the heat pipe 172, outlet pipes 171g 'and 171g' 'are extended to the outlets 171c' and 171c ', and the inlets 171d' and 171d ' The return pipes 171h 'and 171h "may be extended. The outlet pipe 171g and the return pipe 171h are formed of the same material as the heater case 171a and can be integrally joined. As described above, it can be understood that the outlet pipe 171g and the return pipe 171h are added between them for easy connection with the heat pipe 172. [

2 and 3, at least a part of the heat pipe 172 is disposed adjacent to the cooling pipe 131 of the evaporator 130 and is heated and conveyed by the heating unit 171 And is configured to transfer heat to the cooling pipe 131 of the evaporator 130 by the working liquid F to remove the property.

As the working fluid F filled inside by the heating unit 171 is heated to a high temperature, the working fluid F flows due to the pressure difference and moves through the heat pipe 172. Specifically, the high-temperature working fluid F heated by the heater 171b and discharged to the outlets 171c 'and 171c "flows through the heat pipe 172 to the cooling pipe 131 of the evaporator 130 The working fluid F is gradually cooled and flows into the inlets 171d 'and 171d' through such a heat exchange process. The cooled working fluid F is reheated by the heater 171b and then discharged again to the outlets 171c 'and 171c' 'to repeat the above process. By this circulation system, .

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, the heat pipe 172 may have a repetitive bend shape (zigzag shape), such as the cooling pipe 131. FIG. To this end, the heat pipe 172 includes a vertical extension 172a and a heat dissipation part 172b, and may further include a horizontal extension if necessary.

The vertical extension 172a extends upward of the evaporator 130 so that the working fluid F heated by the heating unit 171 rises. The vertical extension 172a extends to the upper portion of the evaporator 130 while being spaced apart from the support 133 at a predetermined interval and in parallel with the support 133.

The heat dissipating unit 172b is connected to the vertical extension 172a and extends in a zigzag shape along the cooling pipe 131 of the evaporator 130. [ The heat radiating portion 172b is composed of a combination of a plurality of horizontal piping 172b 'forming heat and a connection pipe 172b "formed in a U-shaped pipe bending to connect them in a zigzag form.

The vertical extension 172a or the heat dissipation portion 172b may extend to a position adjacent to the accumulator 134 in order to remove the sexually imposed on the accumulator 134. [

As shown, when the vertical extension 172a is disposed at one side of the evaporator 130 where the accumulator 134 is located, the vertical extension 172a extends upwardly to a position adjacent to the accumulator 134 And then bent and extended downward toward the cooling pipe 131 to be connected to the heat dissipating unit 172b.

On the other hand, when the vertical extending portion 172a is disposed on the other side opposite to the one side, the heat radiating portion 172b is connected to the vertical extending portion 172a to extend horizontally, And can be bent and extended downward to correspond to the cooling pipe 131 again.

Meanwhile, the heat pipe 172 may further include a horizontal extension part depending on the installation position of the heating unit 171. For example, when the heating unit 171 is provided at a position spaced apart from the vertical extension 172a, a horizontal extension for connecting the heating unit 171 and the vertical extension 172a may be additionally provided.

When the horizontally extending portion is connected to the heating unit 171, the hot working fluid F flows through the lower portion of the evaporator 130, so that defrosting of the lower cooling pipe 131 of the evaporator 130 There is an advantage that it can be done smoothly.

The heating unit 171 is connected to the horizontal extension portion or the vertical extension portion 172a to supply the heated working fluid F to the heat pipe 172. [ The outlet pipe 171g described above can be connected to the horizontal extension or vertical extension 172a of the heat pipe 172. [

The heating unit 171 is connected to the heat dissipating unit 172b and is configured to recover the cooled working fluid F by heat exchange with the cooling pipe 131 while moving the heat pipe 172. [ The above-described return pipe 171h may be connected to the heat dissipating portion 172b of the heat pipe 172. [

The heating unit 171 is disposed on the other side of the evaporator 130 on the side opposite to the side of the evaporator 130 where the accumulator 134 is located and the horizontal extending portion for connection with the vertical extending portion 172a is formed long The end portion of the heat dissipating portion 172b connected to the return pipe 171h may be formed in a bent shape.

With this structure, the returned working fluid F is switched at least once before being introduced into the recovery pipe 171h. Here, since the flow resistance is largely formed in the bent portion, the return flow of the returned working fluid F can be prevented.

The working fluid F heated by the heater 171b is discharged to the outlet pipe 171g and then transferred to the upper portion of the evaporator 130 through the vertical extending portion 172a and then discharged to the radiator 172b The heat is transferred to the cooling pipe 130 to perform defrosting and then is returned through the return pipe 171h and then reheated by the heater 171b to flow through the heat pipe 172 .

The heat pipe 172 described above may be constituted by a first heat pipe 172 'and a second heat pipe 172' arranged in two rows on the front and rear sides of the evaporator 130. In this example , The first heat pipe 172 'is disposed in front of the first cooling pipe 131' and the second heat pipe 172 '' is disposed in the rear of the second cooling pipe 131 ' As shown in FIG.

When the heat pipe 172 is composed of two rows, the working fluid F is not uniformly introduced into the first and second heat pipes 172 'and 172', and the first heat pipe 172 'and the second heat pipe 172' A temperature difference may occur between the second heat pipes 172 ". In order to minimize the temperature difference, it is preferable that the first and second heat pipes 172 'and 172' 'have the same length. In this figure, the first and second heat pipes 172 and 172' As well as structures arranged in the same form.

On the other hand, in the above structure, both the first and second heat pipes 172 'and 172' 'are connected to the inlet and the outlet of the heating unit 171, respectively.

To this end, the outlet of the heating unit 171 is constituted by a first outlet 171c 'and a second outlet 171c ", and the first and second outlet pipes 171g', 171g" And are respectively connected to one end of the first and second heat pipes 172 'and 172' 'from the outlets 171c' and 171c '', respectively. The gaseous working fluid F heated by the heating unit 171 is discharged to the first and second heat pipes 172 'and 172' 'through the first and second outlets 171c' and 171c '', respectively do. The first and second outlets 171c 'and 171c "are formed on both sides of the outer circumference of the heater case 171a and between the first and second outlets 171c' and 171c" Can be located.

The inlet of the heating unit 171 is constituted by a first inlet 171d 'and a second inlet 171d ", and the first and second return pipes 171h' and 171h" Respectively, and are respectively connected to the other ends of the first and second heat pipes 172 'and 172 ". The cooled liquid-state working fluid F flows into the inside of the heater case 171a through the first and second inlets 171d 'and 171d' 'while moving the respective heat pipes 172' and 172 '' . The first and second inlets 171d 'and 171d "are formed on both sides of the outer circumference of the heater case 171a with a first manual heat generating portion 171b2 described later interposed therebetween.

Meanwhile, the heat pipe 172 may be configured to be received between the plurality of cooling fins 132 fixed to each row of the cooling pipe 131. According to the above structure, the heat pipes 172 are disposed between the respective rows of the cooling pipes 131. At this time, the heat pipe 172 may be configured to contact the cooling fin 132.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In one example, the heat pipe 172 may be installed to penetrate the plurality of cooling fins 132. That is, the heat pipe 172 is expanded in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole of the cooling fin 132 and can be firmly fitted into the insertion hole. According to the above structure, the heat pipe 172 is disposed correspondingly to the cooling pipe 131.

On the other hand, the defrosting device 170 is configured as follows to prevent overheating of the heater 171b.

First, as described above, at least a part of the heater 171b is accommodated in the heater case 171a and has a shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the heater case 171a. A predetermined working fluid (F) is filled in the heating unit (171) and the heat pipe (172).

When the upper end of the heater 171b is exposed above the water surface of the working fluid F when all of the working fluid F is in the liquid state (when the heater 171b is not operated), the heater 171b is operated The temperature of the upper end of the heater 171b suddenly rises unlike the rest of the portion immersed in the working liquid F. [

If this state continues, the upper end of the heater 171b may overheat and cause fatal damage (e.g., fire) to the defrosting device 170, and the heat pipe 172, through which the returned working fluid F flows, The working fluid F heated to the other end of the working fluid F may flow backward.

In order to prevent such a phenomenon, the working fluid F filled in the heater case 171a is filled to form a water surface at a position higher than the upper end of the heater 171b in a liquid state. That is, the heater 171b is configured to be submerged below the water surface of the working fluid F.

According to the above configuration, since the heater 171b is heated while being immersed in the liquid surface of the working liquid F, the working liquid F evaporated by the heating is sequentially supplied to the one end of the heat pipe 172 So that a smooth circulating flow can be made, and overheating of the heating unit 171 can also be prevented.

2, when the working liquid F is in a liquid state, the working fluid F flows from the lowest horizontal horizontal pipe of the heat pipe 172 upward to the first horizontal pipe (that is, Of the total amount of the water. The working fluid F is filled in such a manner that the heater 171b is locked so that the heat pipe 172 and the heat pipe 171a (excluding the volume of the heater 171b accommodated in the inside) ) In consideration of the heat radiation temperature of each row, the filling amount should be appropriately selected.

4 and 5, the outlets 171c 'and 171c' 'of the heater case 171a may be formed at positions spaced apart from the front end of the heater case 171a by a predetermined distance. , And the front end portion of the heater case 171a may be understood to be formed protruding forward through the outlets 171c 'and 171c' '.

The passive heating unit 171b1 is divided into an active heat generating unit 171b1 and a passive heat generating unit according to whether the heat generating unit 171b is actively generating heat. The passive heat generating unit includes a first passive heat generating unit 171b2 disposed behind the active heat generating unit 171b1, And a second passive heating portion 171b3 in front of the passive heating portion 171b1.

Specifically, the active heat generating portion 171b1 is configured to actively generate heat. The liquid working fluid F may be heated by the active heat generating portion 171b1 and phase-changed to a high-temperature gaseous state.

The outlets 171c 'and 171c "of the heater case 171a are located corresponding to the active heat generating portion 171b1 or located forward of the active heat generating portion 171b1. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the active heat generating portion 171b1 extend forward through the outlets 171c ', 171c "formed on the outer periphery of the heater case 171a. At this time, it is preferable that the front end of the heater 171b is positioned to be spaced rearward from the inner front end of the heater case 171a.

A part of the working fluid F stays in the front end portion of the heater case 171a (a space between the inner front end of the heater case 171a and the outlets 171c 'and 171c "), Thereby preventing overheating.

Specifically, the working fluid F heated by the active heat generating portion 171b1 is moved toward the circulating direction of the working fluid F, that is, toward the front end portion of the heater case 171a. In this process, 171c ", and the remaining part of the heaters 171c and 171c "passes through the outlet 171c 'and 171c "

Not all of the heated working fluid F is directly discharged to the outlets 171c 'and 171c' 'but a part of the heated working fluid F can not be discharged directly to the outlets 171c' and 171c ' So that overheating of the active heat generating portion 171b1 can be prevented.

As a result of the experiment, when the outlets 171c 'and 171c' 'are formed on the front end of the heater case 171a (specifically, the distance between the center of the inner front end of the heater case 171a and the outlets 171c' and 171c ' The center of the outlets 171c 'and 171c "is located at the center of the heater case 171c (or 171c' ') A substantial amount of the working fluid F forms a vortex at the front end portion of the heater case 171a and is not smoothly discharged to the outlet ports 171c 'and 171c " .

Therefore, the center of the outlets 171c 'and 171c "is spaced apart from the inner front end of the heater case 171a by 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less if both of the prevention of overheating of the heater 171b and the smooth discharge of the working liquid F are taken into consideration. The length of the center of the outlets 171c 'and 171c "is spaced apart from the inner front end of the heater case 171a is < RTI ID = 0.0 > It is preferable that the heater case 171a is 1/10 or more and 1/5 or less of the entire length of the heater case 171a.

Further, in the present embodiment, it has been confirmed that the best effects can be obtained when the centers of the outlets 171c 'and 171c "are formed so as to be positioned at a distance of 15 mm from the inner front end of the heater case 171a. The length of the center of the outlets 171c 'and 171c' from the inner front end of the heater case 171a is 15/100 of the total length of the heater case 171a.

On the other hand, a first passive heating portion 171b2 extends rearward from the rear of the active heat generating portion 171b1. The first manual heat generating portion 171b2 does not generate heat by itself like the active heat generating portion 171b1 but receives heat by the active heat generating portion 171b1 and is heated to a predetermined temperature level. Here, the first manual heat generating portion 171b2 can cause a predetermined temperature rise in the liquid-state working fluid F and does not have a high temperature enough to phase-change the working fluid F into a gaseous state .

From the viewpoint of the temperature of the heater 171b, the active heat generating portion 171b1 forms a relatively high temperature portion, and the first passive heat generating portion 171b2 forms a relatively low temperature portion.

Structurally, the heat generating coil 171b1b (see FIG. 6) inside the heater 171b is wound several times so as to generate heat at a high temperature when power is supplied. As described above, the portion where the heat generating coil 171b1b is wound several times constitutes the active heat generating portion 171b1. An insulating material 171b2a (see FIG. 6) is filled in the portion through which the lead wire 171b1c behind the active heat generating portion 171b1 passes to constitute the first passive heating portion 171b2. As the insulating material 171b2a, magnesium oxide may be used.

In the structure in which the working fluid F is returned directly to the high-temperature active heat generating portion 171b1 provided in the heating unit 171, the recovered working fluid F is heated again and smoothly returned to the heating unit 171 It may happen that it can not flow backward. This may interfere with the circulating flow of the working fluid F in the heat pipe 172, which may cause the heating unit 171 to overheat.

In order to solve this problem, the openings 171d 'and 171d' of the heating unit 171 are formed at a position deviated from the active heat generating portion 171b1, and after the heat pipe 172 is moved, Is not directly introduced into the active heat generating portion 171b1.

In this regard, in this embodiment, the entrance 171d ', 171d' 'of the heating unit 171 is positioned corresponding to the first manual heat generating portion 171b2, and the returning operation after moving the heat pipe 172 The inlet 171d ', 171d "of the heating unit 171 is configured to flow into the space between the heater case 171a and the first manual heat generating portion 171b2, 171a may be formed around the periphery of the first passive heating portion 171b2.

Here, a part of the first manual heat generating portion 171b2 is configured to be exposed to the outside from the rear end of the heater case 171a toward the rear. The first passive heating portion 171b2 exposed to the outside of the heater case 171a is configured to discharge the heat of the heater 171b to the outside to lower the surface load of the heater 171b. If the surface load density of the heater 171b is lowered, overheating of the heater 171b is prevented, reliability can be ensured, and the life of the heater 171b can be prolonged.

The total length of the heater case 171a is 100 mm and the length of the active heat generating portion 171b1 is 50 mm and the length of the active heat generating portion 171b1 is 1/2 of the total length of the heater case 171a Respectively. The length of the first passive heating portion 171b2 located inside the heater case 171a at this time is 30 mm and the length of the first passive heating portion 171b2 located in the interior of the heater case 171a and the active heat generating portion 171b1, (171b2) is 5: 3.

Hereinafter, the external heat releasing structure of the first passive heating portion 171b2 and the sealing structure of the first passive heating portion 171b2 exposed to the outside will be described in detail based on the detailed structure of the heater 171b.

6 is an exploded perspective view of the heater 171b shown in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 6 together with FIGS. 4 and 5, the heater 171b includes a heater frame 171ba having an outer space and an empty space therein. The heater frame 171ba is arranged inside the heater case 171a along the longitudinal direction, and a part of the heater frame 171ba is exposed to the outside of the heater case 171a. The heater frame 171ba may be formed of stainless steel.

The passive heating portion 171b1 is divided into an active heat generating portion 171b1 and a passive heat generating portion depending on whether the heat generating portion 171b actively generates heat. The passive heat generating portion has a first passive heat generating portion 171b2 located behind the active heat generating portion 171b1, And a second manual heat generating portion 171b3 in front of the portion 171b1.

The active heat generating portion 171b1 includes a columnar bobbin 171b1a inserted into the heater frame 171ba along the longitudinal direction and a bobbin 171b1b wound around the bobbin 171b1a along the longitudinal direction of the bobbin 171b1a And includes a heat generating coil 171b1b. The bobbin 171b1a may be formed of an insulating material, for example, magnesium oxide. The heating coil 171b1b is configured to be heated to a high temperature when power is supplied through a lead wire 171b1c to be described later. As the heat generating coil 171b1b, a nichrome wire can be used.

The first and second manual heat generating portions 171b2 and 171b3 include insulating materials 171b2a and 172b3a which are filled in the rear side and the front side internal empty space of the heater frame 171ba in which the bobbin 171b1a is inserted. For example, magnesium oxide powder, which is an insulating material 171b2a, is sealed in a rear inner cavity of the heater frame 171ba into which the bobbin 171b1a is inserted, and then the interior air is discharged to form a solidified first passive heating portion 171b2 ) Can be formed.

The insulating materials 171b2a and 172b3a can be filled in the empty space between the outer periphery of the bobbin 171b1a and the inner periphery of the heater frame 171ba. That is, the insulating materials 171b2a and 172b3a are illustrated as being provided on the front side and the rear side of the bobbin 171b1a, respectively, but they are conceptually divided for convenience of description and do not mean that they are completely separated .

The insulating materials 171b2a and 172b3a are illustrated as being filled in the rear side of the heater frame 171ba in which the bobbin 171b1a is inserted and in the front side internal empty space,

The lead wire 171b1c is configured to pass through the insulating material 171b2a forming the first passive heating portion 171b2 and to connect the power source and the heat generating coil 171b1b. The lead wire 171b1c may be made to pass through the bobbin 171b1a.

The cover member 171bb may be coupled to the front opening of the heater frame 171ba so as to cover the insulating material 171b3a forming the second passive heating portion 171b3. The cover member 171bb may be joined to the heater frame 171ba by welding and may have a recessed shape inward to withstand the pressure generated inside the heater 171b. According to the above structure, the front end of the second manual heat generating portion 171b3 constitutes the front end of the heater 171b.

On the other hand, the heater frame 171ba can be fixed to the heater case 171a via the fastening member 171e. The fastening member 171e is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the heater frame 171ba and is fastened to the heater case 171a. The heater frame 171ba and the fastening member 171e and between the fastening member 171e and the heater case 171a can be sealed to prevent inflow of air or moisture. For this purpose, the fastening member 171e may be configured to include an elastic material and be tightly coupled to the heater frame 171ba and the heater case 171a, or may be sealed by heat-resistant silicone, welding, or the like.

The rear end of the heater case 171a and the heater frame 171ba exposed to the outside can be enclosed and sealed by the heat-shrinkable tube 171f. The heat-shrinkable tube 171f is contracted upon heating to be in close contact with the structures housed therein, so that the gap between the heater case 171a and the heater frame 171ba is tightly sealed. The heat-shrinkable tube 171f may be configured to wrap and seal up to a part of the lead wire 171b1c extending outward from the heater frame 171ba.

The inlets 171d 'and 171d "of the heater case 171a are located inside the heater case 171a from the rear end to the inside of the heater case 171a so that the fixing and sealing structure of the heater 171b described above can be formed at the rear end of the heater case 171a As shown in FIG.

The inner diameter of the inlet 171d 'and 171d "and the inner diameter of the return pipe 171h extending from the inlets 171d' and 171d" are connected to the heating unit 171 And the temperature of the heat pipe 172. Hereinafter, an appropriate inner diameter of the return pipe 171h for normal operation of the defrost apparatus 170 will be described.

7A to 7C are graphs showing the temperature change of the heater 171b by the inner diameter of the recovery pipe 171h shown in Fig. 5 under the freezing condition, Fig. 8 is a graph showing the temperature change of the working liquid (F1, F2).

FIG. 7A shows the case where the inner diameter of the return pipe 171h is 4.75 mm, FIG. 7B shows the case where the inner diameter of the return pipe 171h is 6.35 mm, and FIG. 7C shows the case where the inner diameter of the return pipe 171h is 7.92 mm . In this experiment, the amount of the working solution F was set to 55 g, 60 g, and 65 g, respectively, and the temperature change of the heater 171b was measured by the inner diameter of the recovery pipe 171h.

7A, when the inner diameter of the recovery pipe 171h is 4.75 mm, the heater 171b is overheated when the amount of the working fluid F is 55 g. This is because the amount of the working fluid F returned to the heating unit 171 due to the small diameter of the return pipe 171h is reduced as compared with the proper amount and the heater 171b is heated 171b, which are not in contact with each other. If the diameter of the recovery pipe 171h is 5 mm or less, the surface temperature of the heater 171b rises, and a part of the recovery pipe 171h may overheat (surface temperature diverges).

7C, when the inner diameter of the recovery pipe 171h is 7.92 mm, the heater 171b is overheated when the amount of the working liquid F is 55 g and 65 g, respectively. When the diameter of the return pipe 171h is 7 mm or more, as shown in Fig. 8, the recovered working fluid F1 is collected into the heater case 171a while being filled in the return pipe 171h So that a space is formed in the upper part of the return pipe 171h to flow into the heater case 171a. At this time, the working fluid F2 flowing into the heater case 171a is reheated by the heater 171b to flow strongly in the heating unit 171. When the heated partial working fluid F2 flows into the return pipe 171h , And as a result, some of the working fluid F2 flows backward in the return pipe 171h.

In order to prevent the overheat of the heater 171b and the back flow of the working fluid F, the openings 171d 'and 171d' are made active It is necessary to use a return pipe 171h having an appropriate inner diameter in addition to forming it at a position deviating from the heat generating portion 171b1.

As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that when the return pipe 171h is 6.35 mm, the heating unit 171 does not overheat, as shown in FIG. 7B. This means that the working fluid F can be smoothly returned and reheated and circulated. The amount of the working fluid F used in the experiment is 55 g and 60 g, which is the sum of the total volume of the heat pipe 172 and the heater case 171a (excluding the volume of the heater 171b housed therein) 35%.

As described above, the inner diameter of the return pipe 171h may be larger than 5 mm and smaller than 7 mm. Preferably, a commercial tube having an inner diameter of 6.35 mm within the above range can be used as the return pipe 171h.

For reference, a heater case 171a having an inner diameter of 11.1 mm was used in the above experiment. The spec of the heater case 171a may be somewhat different from the specifications used in the experiment, but the return pipe 171h may be the same as the return pipe 171h having the above inner diameter condition.

On the other hand, when the heater 171b installed in the heater case 171a is heated, bubbles are formed on the surface of the heater 171b according to the state of the internal working fluid F, It is commonly referred to as film fission.

When the heater case 171a is arranged horizontally in the lower part of the evaporator 100, the pressure on both sides of the portion where the film rations and the like are formed may be similar. In some cases, the air layer on the surface of the heater 171b may be further developed and separated to the inside of the heater case 171a on both sides thereof. In this case, the air layer due to the film burning or the like is an obstacle to the flow of the working fluid F in the heater case 171a, so that the heated working fluid F circulates continuously in the heat pipe 172 .

Hereinafter, various structures in which a smooth flow of the working fluid F can be achieved even if a film ratio or the like occurs in the heater case 171a will be described.

9 to 12 are longitudinal sectional views showing a modification of the heating unit applied to the defrost apparatus 170 of FIG.

9 to 11, it is assumed that the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a, and 571a are disposed in parallel to the lower portion of the evaporator 130. FIG. 371h and 371h that can produce smooth flow of the working fluid F even if the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a, and 571a are disposed parallel to the lower portion of the evaporator 130. In other words, , 471h ", 571h") and outlet pipes 271g ", 371g", 471g ", 571g".

This modification is not limited to the case in which the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a are horizontally arranged. As shown in Fig. 12, one side of the heater case 271a, 371a, 471a, and 571a where the outlets 271c ", 371c ", 471c ", and 571c & ") May be positioned higher than the other side where the "

The outlets 271c ", 371c", 471c "and 571c" of the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a are connected to the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a At a position spaced apart from the front end thereof by a predetermined distance.

In this modified example, the active heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1, and 571b1 extend to the positions passing through the outlets 271c ", 371c", 471c ", and 571c", and the outlets 271c ", 371c" Quot ;, "571c") are arranged to face the active heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1, and 571b1. That is, the outlets 271c ", 371c ", 471c ", and 571c "are formed on the outer periphery of the portions of the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a, and 571a surrounding the active heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1, and 571b1.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The active heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1 and 571b1 are extended below the outlets 271c ", 371c", 471c "and 571c" so that the outlets 271c ", 371c", 471c " And may be formed to face the empty space in front of the heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1, and 571b1. That is, the front ends of the active heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1 and 571b1 are positioned between the outlets 271c ", 371c", 471c "and 571c" and the inlets 271d ", 371d", 471d "and 571d" .

The openings 271d ", 371d", 471d "and 571d" of the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a are formed at positions deviating from the active heat generating portions 271b1, 371b1, 471b1 and 571b1, The returned working fluid F is not allowed to flow directly into the active heat generating units 271b1, 371b1, 471b1, and 571b1. 9 to 12, inlets 271d ", 371d", 471d ", and 571d" are positioned corresponding to the first manual heat generating portions 271b2, 371b2, 471b2, and 571b2, and heat pipes (not shown) The working fluid F that is returned after being returned to the space between the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a and the first passive heating units 271b2, 371b2, 471b2 and 571b2. In other words, the inlets 271d ", 371d ", 471d ", and 571d "are formed on the outer periphery of the portions of the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a, and 571a that surround the first passive heating units 271b2, 371b2, 471b2, and 571b2 do.

As described above, the working fluid F is recovered through the inlets 271d ", 371d", 471d ", and 571d", and then reheated by the heaters 271b, 371b, 471b, and 571b to exit the outlets 271c " &Quot;, 471c ", 571c " 371h ", 471h ", and 571h ") of the heater case 271a, 371a, 471a, and 571a 371g ", 471g", 571g ") which are arranged in parallel with the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a or extend downward (or bend down and extend horizontally) Are arranged in parallel with the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a or extend upward from the heater cases 271a, 371a, 471a and 571a. At this time, it is preferable that only one of the return pipes 271h ", 371h", 471h ", 571h" and the outlet pipes 271g ", 371g", 471g ", and 571g" is horizontally disposed.

9, the return pipe 271h "of the heating unit 271 extends along the longitudinal direction of the heater case 271a, and the outlet pipe 271g" of the heating unit 271 extends in the longitudinal direction of the heater case 271a 271a.

Although the inlet 271d " and the outlet 271c "are all formed on the left and right outer circumferential surfaces of the heater case 271a in the present embodiment, in consideration of the rising characteristic of the heated working fluid F, May be formed on the left and right outer peripheral surfaces of the heater case 271a and the outlet 271c "may be formed on the upper outer peripheral surface of the heater case 271a.

10, the return pipe 371h "of the heating unit 371 extends to the lower side of the heater case 371a, and the outlet pipe 371g" of the heating unit 371 extends to the lower side of the heater case 371a. As shown in FIG.

Although the inlet 371d " and the outlet 371c "are both formed on the left and right outer circumferential surfaces of the heater case 371a in this example, the inlet 371d" The outlet 371c may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper side of the heater case 371a.

The above two examples can be applied to a structure in which the outlet pipes 271g ", 371g "are directly connected to the vertical extension of the heat pipe (not shown). That is, since the working fluid F heated by the heaters 271b and 371b rises and is discharged to the outlet pipes 271g ", 371g " extending upward, the heater case 271a and 371a, It is possible to smoothly discharge the air layer by the film thickness or the like even in a state where the air layer is horizontally arranged.

11, the return pipe 471h "of the heating unit 471 extends to the lower side of the heater case 471a, and the outlet pipe 471g" of the heating unit 471 is connected to the heater case 471b 471a extending in the longitudinal direction.

Although the inlet 471d " and the outlet 471c "are all formed on the left and right outer circumferential surfaces of the heater case 471a in this example as well, the inlet 471d" May be formed on the lower outer peripheral surface of the heater case 471a.

12, the heater case 571a may be arranged so that one side where the outlet 571c "is formed is higher than the other side where the inlet 571d" is formed. According to the above structure, not only the outlet 571c '' is formed above the inlet 571d '' but also the heater case 571a itself is arranged to be inclined upward.

This is a structure suitable for the characteristic that the working fluid F heated by the heater 571b rises and the working fluid F heated by the heater 571b rises and reaches the outlet 571c " ), So that the air layer due to the film thickness or the like can be smoothly discharged.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the defrost apparatus 170 applied to the refrigerator of Fig. 1, and Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heating unit 771 shown in Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the cooling pipe 731 and the heat pipe 772 may be configured to form two rows as described in the previous embodiment.

The heating unit 771 is provided at the bottom of the evaporator 730. In this figure, the heating unit 771 is located at a bottom of one side of the evaporator 730 where the accumulator 734 is located. Here, at least a part of the heater case 771a may be disposed inside the one side support 733.

The heating unit 771 includes a heater case 771a and a heater 771b. The heater 771b includes an active heat generating portion 771b1 and a passive heat generating portion and the passive heat generating portion includes first and second passive heat generating portions 771b2 and 771b3 extending from both sides of the active heat generating portion 771b1 do. The description of the above constructions will be omitted from the description of the preceding examples.

However, the present embodiment has an internal structure of the heating unit 771 and a connection structure with the heat pipe 772 different from the above-described examples.

Specifically, the active heat generating portion 771b1 and the first passive heat generating portion 771b2 are formed to extend along the longitudinal direction of the heater 771b, and the flow of the fluid flowing to the return- The working fluid F is configured to flow toward the first manual heat generating portion 771b2 via the active heat generating portion 771b1. Structurally, the active heat generating portion 771b1 is arranged to extend from the position separated from the inlet 771d "of the heater case 771a toward the outlet 771c ", and the first passive heating portion 771b2 is arranged to extend from the active heat generating portion & And extends from one side of the heater case 771b1 and a part thereof is exposed to the outside from the front end of the heater case 771a.

The heater 771b can be inserted into the front side of the heater case 771a and fixed to the heater case 771a. The first manual heat generating portion 771b2 may be sealed and fixed to the front end portion of the heater case 771a and the active heat generating portion 771b1 may extend toward the rear of the heater case 771a.

In view of the flow of the working fluid F, the inside of the heater case 771a corresponding to the inlet 771d " is left as an empty space, and the returned working fluid F is introduced into the empty space. The active heat generating portion 771b1 is provided in front of the space so that the working fluid F flowing into the empty space is reheated.

An outlet 771c "is formed on the outer circumference of the heater case 771a corresponding to the active heat generating portion 771b1 to discharge the reheated working fluid F. The position of the outlet 771c" It is not. The outlet 771c "may be formed on the outer circumference of the heater case 771a surrounding the first manual heat generating portion 771b2 provided in front of the active heat generating portion 771b1.

In the case where the cooling pipe 731 and the heat pipe 772 are constituted in two rows, the outlet is formed on both sides of the outer circumference of the heater case 771a with the active heat generating portion 771b1 interposed therebetween, And first and second outlets (not shown, 771c ") connected to the pipes 772 ', 772" respectively. The inlet has first and second openings (not shown) formed on both sides of the outer circumference of the heater case 771a forming the empty space so that the returned working fluid F flows into the empty space behind the active heat generating portion 771b1 Quot; 771d ").

Here, the first passive heat generating portion 771b2 extends from the front of the active heat generating portion 771b1, and at least a part of the first passive heat generating portion 771b2 is exposed to the outside from the front end of the heater case 771a. The first passive heat generating portion 771b2 exposed to the outside of the heater case 771a is configured to discharge the heat of the heater 771b to the outside to lower the surface load of the heater 771b. If the surface load density of the heater 771b is lowered, overheating of the heater 771b is prevented, reliability can be secured, and the life of the heater 771b can be prolonged.

As described above, at least a part of the heater case 771a may be disposed on the inner side with respect to the one support stand 733 in consideration of the exposure of the first manual heat generating portion 771b2. That is, according to the structure, the first passive heating portion 771b2 and the lead wire 771c connected to the first passive heating portion 771b2 can be prevented from being excessively protruded from one side of the evaporator 730. [

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the heat pipe 772 includes the vertical extension portion 772a and the heat radiation portion 772b. The vertical extending portion 772a extends upward of the evaporator 730 such that the working fluid F heated by the heating unit 771 rises and the heat radiating portion 772b extends from the vertical extending portion 772a to the evaporator 730 ) Along the cooling pipe 731 of the cooling pipe 731.

Here, the vertical extension portion 772a is disposed on the outer side of the one support stand 733, and at least a part of the heater case 771a is disposed inside the one support stand 733. [

The outlet 771g of the heater case 771a is connected to the outlet pipe 771g and the outlet pipe 771g is connected to the heat pipe 772 to discharge the discharged high temperature working fluid F to the heat pipe 772. [ .

The outlet pipe 771g is configured to connect the outlet 771c of the heating unit 771 and the vertical extension 772a and is provided with a first extension 771g & And an extension portion 771g "2. The first extending portion 771g "1 is formed to be upwardly inclined from the outlet 771c to the outside of the evaporator 130, and the second extending portion 771g" 2 is formed to be bent at the first extending portion 771g " And is connected to the vertical extension portion 772a.

FIG. 15 is a conceptual view showing a third embodiment of the defrost apparatus 170 applied to the refrigerator of FIG. 1, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the defrost apparatus 870 shown in FIG.

15 and 16, the evaporator 830 includes a cooling tube 831, a plurality of cooling fins 832, and a plurality of supports 833.

The cooling tube 831 is repeatedly bent in a zigzag fashion to form multiple rows. The cooling pipe 831 may be composed of a combination of a horizontal pipe portion and a bending pipe portion. The horizontal piping portion is arranged so as to be horizontally aligned with each other and to pass through the cooling fins 832. The bending piping portion is configured to connect the ends of the upper horizontal piping portion and the lower horizontal piping portion to each other to communicate with each other.

The cooling tube 831 may be configured to form two rows as described in the preceding examples.

A plurality of cooling fins 832 are arranged on the cooling pipe 831 so as to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval along the extending direction of the cooling pipe 831. The cooling fin 832 may be formed of a flat plate made of an aluminum material and the cooling pipe 831 may be expanded in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole of the cooling fin 832 and fit tightly into the insertion hole.

A plurality of supports 833 are provided on both sides of the evaporator 830, each extending vertically to support the bend end of the cooling tube 831.

The defrosting device 870 is configured to remove the property occurring in the evaporator 830 and may be installed in the evaporator 830 as shown. The defrost apparatus 870 includes a heating unit 871 and a heat pipe 872.

The heating unit 871 is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) and is configured to generate heat when receiving an operation signal from the control unit. For example, when the control unit applies an operation signal to the heating unit 871 every predetermined time interval, or when the temperature of the sensed cooling chamber 116 becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit sends an activation signal to the heating unit 871 . ≪ / RTI >

The heating unit 871 may be disposed at one side of the defrost apparatus 870. In detail, with respect to the heating unit 871, the heating unit 871 includes a heater case 871a and a heater 871b.

The heater case 871a is configured to receive the heater 871b therein. The heater case 871a may be formed in a cylindrical shape or a square pillar shape.

The heater case 871a may be located at one side of the evaporator 830 (outside the support base 833) and may extend vertically upward from the lower side of the evaporator 830. At this time, at least a part of the heater case 871a may be disposed in an empty space between the first cooling pipe 831 'and the second cooling pipe 831 ".

The heater case 871a is connected to the heat pipe 872 to form a flow path through which the working fluid F can circulate.

Specifically, an outlet 871c "connected to the heat pipe is formed on the outer circumferential surface of one side of the heater case 871a. That is, the outlet 871c" is formed in such a manner that the evaporated working fluid F is discharged to the heat pipe 872 Means an opening. The outlet 871c "of the heater case 871a may be formed at a position spaced apart from the upper end of the heater case 871a by a predetermined distance downward.

An inlet 871d "connected to the heat pipe 872 is formed on the other outer circumferential surface of the heater case 871a so that the condensed working fluid F passes through the heat pipe 872, Means an opening which is recovered by the heating unit 871. [ The inlet 871d "of the heater case 871a may be formed at a position spaced apart from the lower end of the heater case 871a upward.

In this example, the heater case 871a is arranged in the vertical direction from the lower side to the upper side of the evaporator 830, and the outlet 871c "and the inlet 871d" are formed on the upper and lower sides of the heater case 871a, respectively . The outlet 871c "is connected to one end of the vertical extension 872a of the heat pipe 872. The inlet 871d" may be connected to the lowest row of the heat dissipation part 872b of the heat pipe 872. [

The heaters 871b include an active heat generating portion 871b1 and a passive heat generating portion and the passive heat generating portion includes first and second passive heat generating portions 871b2 and 871b3 extending from both sides of the active heat generating portion 871b1 do. The description of the above constructions will be omitted from the description of the preceding examples.

At least a part of the heater 871b is accommodated in the heater case 871a and extends along the extending direction of the heater case 871a. In this embodiment, the heaters 871b are arranged vertically along the vertical direction of the evaporator 830. [

The heater 871b may be inserted through the lower side of the heater case 871a adjacent to the inlet 871d " to be fixed and sealed to the heater case 871a. Here, a part of the heater 871b is connected to the heater case 871a, And is arranged so as to extend upward toward the outlet 871c ". Particularly, a part of the second passive heat generating portion 871b3, the active heat generating portion 871b1 and the first passive heat generating portion 871b2 may be accommodated in the heater case 871a and sequentially arranged in the vertical direction.

The other part of the heater 871b, that is, another part of the first passive heating part 871b2 is configured to be exposed to the outside of the heater case 871a. Another portion of the first passive heating portion 871b2 exposed to the outside of the heater case 871a is made to discharge the heat of the heater 871b to the outside to lower the surface load of the heater 871b. If the surface load density of the heater 871b is lowered, overheating of the heater 871b is prevented, reliability can be ensured, and the life of the heater 871b can be prolonged.

The lower end of the heater case 871a and the heater 871b exposed to the outside can be enclosed and sealed by the heat-shrinkable tube 871f. The heat-shrinkable tube 871f is contracted upon heating to come in close contact with the structures housed therein, so that the gap between them is seamlessly sealed. The heat-shrinkable tube 871f may be configured to wrap and seal up to a portion of the lead wire 171b1c extending outward from the heater 871b.

On the other hand, the working fluid F can be filled higher than the uppermost end of the heater 871b extending in the vertical direction inside the heater case 871a. With this configuration, the defrosting operation can be safely performed in a state in which the heating unit 871 is not overheated, and continuous supply of the working fluid F in the gaseous state to the heat pipe 872 can be stably performed, An anomaly in which the flow of the working fluid F is interrupted (pulsated) in the pipe 872 can be prevented.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (17)

A heating unit having an inlet and an outlet formed at mutually spaced positions along a longitudinal direction and a heater accommodated in at least a portion of the heater case and configured to heat a working fluid in the heater case; And
And a heat pipe which is connected to the inlet and the outlet of the heater case and at least a part of which is disposed adjacent to the cooling pipe so as to be radiated to the cooling pipe of the evaporator by the high temperature working liquid heated and conveyed by the heater,
Wherein a part of the working fluid stays at the front end of the heater case so as to be in contact with the heater, and the outlet is formed at a position spaced apart from the front end of the heater case at a predetermined interval. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the outlet is formed such that its center is located at a position spaced apart by 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less from the inner front end of the heater case. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the outlet is formed such that its center is located at a position spaced 15 mm from the inner front end of the heater case. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the length of the center of the outlet from the inner front end of the heater case is not less than 1/10 and not more than 1/5 of the total length of the heater case. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a front end of the heater is positioned to be spaced rearward from an inner front end of the heater case. 6. The method of claim 5,
The heater
An active heat generating part for actively generating heat to heat the working fluid;
A first passive heating part extending rearward from a rear end of the active heat generating part and being heated to a temperature lower than that of the active heat generating part; And
And a second passive heating part extending forward from a front end of the active heat generating part and being heated to a lower temperature than the active heat generating part,
And the front end of the second passive heating part constitutes the front end of the heater. The method according to claim 6,
And the outlet is formed at a position facing the active heat generating portion of the outer circumference of the heater case. The method according to claim 6,
And the front end of the active heat generating portion is positioned between the outlet and the inlet. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the inlet is formed at a position deviated from the active heat generating unit so that the returning fluid after the heat pipe is moved does not flow directly into the active heat generating unit. 10. The method of claim 9,
Characterized in that the inlet is formed at a position facing the first braking heat generating portion of the outer circumference of the heater case so that the returned working fluid flows into the space between the heater case and the first manual heat generating portion . The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the cooling pipe includes a first cooling pipe and a second cooling pipe which are respectively arranged in two rows on the front and back sides of the evaporator,
The heat pipe includes a first heat pipe and a second heat pipe arranged to correspond to the outside of the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe, respectively,
Wherein the outlet includes a first outlet and a second outlet respectively formed on both sides of the outer circumference of the heater case,
Wherein the first and second heat pipes are respectively connected to first and second outlet pipes extending from the first and second outlets with the front end of the heater case interposed therebetween. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the heater case is disposed in a shape extending along the left-right direction of the evaporator at the same height as the lowest row of the cooling tube or lower than the lowest row of the cooling tube. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the heater case is vertically arranged on an outer side of the evaporator so that its front end faces upward. 14. The method of claim 13,
And at least a part of the heater case is disposed between the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe. The method according to claim 6,
And the rear end of the first passive heating part is exposed to the outside of the heater case. Refrigerator body;
An evaporator installed in the refrigerator body and configured to cool the fluid by depriving surrounding evaporation heat; And
The refrigerator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the defrosting device is configured to remove the property generated in the evaporator. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the evaporator comprises:
A cooling tube bending repeatedly in a zigzag fashion to form multiple rows;
A plurality of cooling fins fixed to the cooling tube, the cooling fins being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along an extending direction of the cooling tube; And
And a plurality of supports formed to support both ends of each row of the cooling tubes.

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