KR20180112265A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator which comprises: a cabinet in which a storage space is formed; an evaporator provided in the cabinet, and supplying cold air to the storage space; a grill fan provided at an internal side of the storage space, and dividing a space in which the evaporator is arranged; and a tube tank provided in the front of the grill fan, and formed in the shape of a coil in which a tube is continuously wound to cool water flowing therein. The tube tank comprises: an outer part forming an external side surface of the tube tank; and an inner part of which a wound direction is changed in the outer part to form a hollow internal side surface of the tube tank at an internal side of the outer part.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art [0002] A refrigerator is an appliance for storing food in a low temperature state, and has either or both of a refrigerating chamber capable of storing food in a refrigerated state and a freezing chamber capable of storing food in a frozen state.

In recent years, a dispenser is mounted on the front surface of the refrigerator, so that the drinking water can be taken out through the dispenser without opening the refrigerator door.

An ice maker for storing and storing ice may be provided in the door of the refrigerator or in the storage space, and the ice can be taken out through the dispenser.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2016-0137340 discloses a refrigerator having a cylindrical water tank for storing water supplied from the outside, and water cooled by the water tank can be supplied to the dispenser, So that cold water can be supplied to the refrigerator.

However, in such a refrigerator, the structure of the water tank formed in a cylindrical shape is such that the water is stored in the cylindrical shape, and water is inevitably locally stagnant due to the flow characteristics of the fluid in the process of storing and discharging the water It has a structure that is inevitable.

That is, the water obtained for cooling may be discharged without being sufficiently cooled, and in some sections, the water stagnates for a long period of time, resulting in a problem of poor hygiene.

When the size of the water tank is increased in order to solve such a problem, there arises a problem that the volume of the internal storage space is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which water introduced into a tube tank for cooling can be discharged in an order in which the water is not stagnated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can improve the cooling performance of water stored in a tube tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which is configured to have a compact size and can minimize the loss of the volume of the internal storage space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can satisfy a temperature for taking out cold water continuously.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can provide cold water cooled through rapid cooling.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet in which a storage space is formed; An evaporator provided in the cabinet for supplying cool air to the storage space; A grill fan disposed inside the storage space and partitioning a space where the evaporator is disposed; And a tube tank disposed in front of the grill pan and formed in a coil shape in which tubes are continuously wound to cool water flowing in the tube tank, wherein the tube tank includes an outer part forming an outer surface of the tube tank, And an inner part for changing the winding direction of the outer part to form a hollow inner surface of the tube tank inside the outer part.

The grill fan is provided with a cold air discharge port for discharging the cold air of the evaporator and a cold air intake port for recovering the heat-exchanged air to the evaporator side in the storage space, and the tube tank is disposed between the cold air discharge port and the cold air intake port .

And the tube tank is disposed in front of the cold air inlet.

The storage space is provided with a mounting case for receiving piping and a valve connected to the tube tank, and the mounting case is formed with a tank mounting part on which the tube tank is mounted.

Wherein the tank mounting part includes an extension part extending from the mounting case and a round part formed at the end of the extension part with a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the tube tank and supporting a lower portion of the outer side of the tube tank. do.

The inner part and the outer part are disposed on the same side, and one side of the mounting case is formed with an opening for connecting and disconnecting pipes connected to the inner part and the outer part.

The tube tank may include a binding member extending in a direction intersecting the winding direction of the tube tank and binding the inner part and the outer part.

The cabinet is provided with a cover for receiving the tube tank, and the cover includes a cover hole located on the same extension line as the tube tank and the cool air intake port.

The bottom of the storage space is provided with a drawer and a drawer table for shielding the drawer from above. The tube tank is connected to the inner side of the storage space and the inside of the closed space formed by the drawer, drawer table, And is accommodated in the housing.

The tube tank is formed in the front-rear direction, and the hollow of the tube tank is arranged on the same extension line as the cold air intake port.

A part of the refrigerant pipe constituting the evaporator extends to the tube tank side, and the refrigerant pipe is arranged to cross the hollow of the tube tank.

And a cover which forms a heat insulating space for accommodating the tube tank and the refrigerant pipe is provided inside the storage space.

A cool air supply fan for forcibly supplying the cool air of the evaporator to the inner space of the cover; And a cooler damper that is opened and closed to selectively recover the air exchanged with the tube tank to the evaporator.

And the tube tank is disposed between the cool air supply fan and the cool air damper.

The following effects can be expected from the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to form a tube tank in which tubes can be wound to store water. Therefore, they can be taken out sequentially according to the order of the incoming water, and can be cooled uniformly during the movement process. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem that the temperature of the water which is contaminated or taken out for a long period of time in the tank is not satisfied.

Particularly, since the tube tank is wound in two rows and is composed of an inner part and an outer part, it is possible to simultaneously cool the outer side of the tube tank and the cold air passing through the hollow inside the tube tank, thereby maximizing the heat exchange area, There is an advantage.

In addition, since the inner part and the outer part are formed to be in contact with each other, it is possible to conduct cooling of the outer part by cooling water of the inner part as well as primary and secondary cooling by cold air, So that the cooling efficiency can be further increased.

In addition, since the arrangement position of the tube tank is located between the cold air discharge port and the cold air intake port and is disposed adjacent to the cold air intake port, the entire cold air collected in the evaporator side of the refrigerating chamber passes through the tube tank, .

In addition, the portion to be obtained is made into an outer part and the part to be taken out is made as an inner part, whereby the water having a large cooling load is first cooled at a larger capacity to increase the cooling efficiency.

Further, there is an advantage that the inner part and the outer part are located on the same side, and the assembling and serviceability of the tube tank can be further improved.

In addition, the tube tank may have a structure in which the tube is wound in two rows so that it can have a compact structure with respect to the capacity of the water to be cooled, and the tube tank is disposed at the rear of the drawer assembly in the inside, There is an advantage to be able to do.

In addition, a part of the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerating compartment evaporator extends to the tube tank side to directly cool the tube tank, and the user can quickly cool the water inside the tube tank to rapidly supply the cold water .

In addition, a cooler supply fan and a cooler damper are provided on the grill pan for shielding the refrigerating compartment evaporator, so that cool air can be directly supplied to the tube tank, and the user can rapidly cool water in the tube tank when desired, There is an advantage that it can supply quickly.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of the door of the refrigerator.
3 is a view schematically showing a water flow path of the refrigerator.
4 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator.
5 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting structure of a tube tank assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a front view of the tube tank assembly.
Figure 7 is a side view of the tube tank assembly.
8 is a plan view of a tube tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a left side view of the tube tank.
10 is a right side view of the tube tank.
11 is a view showing a state of water flow and cooling air flow inside the tube tank.
12 is a view showing a temperature change according to the water withdrawal number of the refrigerator.
13 is a front view of a tube tank assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a view showing an arrangement of a water tank assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cooling structure of a water tank assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cooling structure of a water tank assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings, and that other embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention may be easily devised by adding, .

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of the door of the refrigerator.

As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be shaped by a cabinet 10 forming a storage space and a door opening and closing a storage space of the cabinet 10.

The cabinet 10 may include an outer case made of a metal material forming an outer surface and an inner case made of a resin material combined with the outer case and forming a storage space in the refrigerator 1. [ A space between the outer case and the inner case is filled with a heat insulating material so that the space inside the cabinet can be insulated.

The storage space is divided into upper and lower portions with respect to the barrier 11, and may be composed of an upper refrigerating chamber 12 and a lower freezing chamber 13. In addition, the freezing chamber 13 may be further divided into left and right sides. Such a refrigerator is generally referred to as a bottom freeze type refrigerator, and the present invention can be applied to all types of refrigerators having a refrigerator without being limited to the form of a refrigerator.

The door may include a refrigerator compartment door 21 and a freezer compartment door 22 that independently open and close the refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 13, respectively. The refrigerator compartment door 21 and the freezer compartment door 22 are both rotatable to open and close the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. For this purpose, Can be pivotally connected to the cabinet (10) by a hinge device (23). The refrigerator compartment door 21 may be formed of a French type door which can be configured so that a pair of refrigerators can be independently rotated on both left and right sides.

A dispenser (24) and an ice maker (25) may be provided on a door of any one of the pair of refrigerating chamber doors (21).

The dispenser 24 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 21 and can be configured to take out water or ice from the outside by a user's operation. An ice making chamber 251 is provided above the dispenser 24. The ice making chamber 251 is a heat insulating space in which ice is made and stored, and the ice maker 25 is accommodated therein and can be configured to be opened and closed by a separate door. Although not shown, the ice making chamber 251 communicates with a cold air duct embedded in a high-end wall of the refrigerator compartment door 21 in a closed state so that cool air necessary for making ice from the freezing compartment 13 is supplied to the freezer compartment evaporator (Not shown).

Meanwhile, a plurality of shelves and drawers for storing food may be provided in the refrigerating chamber 12. A drawer 141 which is provided on the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 12 so as to be drawn in and out; a drawer 141 which shields the upper surface of the drawer 141 and which divides the inner space of the refrigerating chamber 12 vertically, A drawer assembly 14 including a table 142 is provided.

At the rear of the drawer assembly 14, a water purification apparatus 40 and a tube tank assembly 50, which will be described in detail below, may be provided. The water purification apparatus 40 and the tube tank assembly 50 may be covered by the drawer assembly 14.

A plurality of shelves 15 having a cantilever structure may be detachably provided above the drawer assembly 14 in a height adjustable manner.

In addition, a refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 for cooling the refrigerating compartment 12 may be provided at the rear of the drawer assembly 14. A main duct 16 is provided above the refrigerating chamber 12 and a plurality of cold air discharging holes 161 may be formed in the main duct 16.

Accordingly, the cold air generated in the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 flows along the main duct 16, and is discharged into the high-pressure compartment by the cold air discharge port 161 to cool the refrigerating compartment 12. The air in the refrigerating compartment 12 is again introduced into the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 and is cooled. Through the circulation of the air, the refrigerating compartment 12 can be cooled to a predetermined temperature.

3 is a view schematically showing a water flow path of the refrigerator.

As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator 1 takes out the water supplied from the external water source to the dispenser 24 after purifying or cooling the water, or supplies the purified water to the dispenser 24 or the ice maker 25 The water supply flow path 30 can be formed.

The water supply channel 30 may include a water supply pipe 31, a purified water pipe 32, a main water pipe 33, a sub water pipe 34 and an outflow pipe 35.

The water supply pipe 31 is directly connected to a water supply source 2 such as a high water supply pipe and connected to an inlet of the high water purification device 40. The water supply pipe 31 is for supplying the water of the water supply source 2 to the inside and can be taken in and out of the interior space through the tube guide 17 mounted in the cabinet 10.

The water supply pipe 31 may be provided with a water supply valve 311 and a flow rate sensor 312. The water supply valve 311 may be provided in a machine room provided with a back surface of the cabinet 10 or a compressor. The water supply valve 311 opens and closes the water supply pipe 31 so that the water of the water supply source can be selectively supplied to the inside.

The purified water pipe 32 is connected to the outlet of the water purification apparatus 40 and the tube tank 51, the first branch valve 54, the second branch valve 328, the ice maker 25 and the dispenser 24 So that purified water in the water purification apparatus 40 can be finally supplied to the ice maker 25 or the dispenser 24.

The ice maker 25 is configured to be able to supply purified water out of the purified water and the cooled water, so that it is possible to produce ice with a quality higher than that when the ice is ice-cooled.

The purified water pipe 32 may include a water inlet 321, a connecting portion 322, a water outlet 323, and a freezing portion 324.

The water intake unit 321 connects the water purification unit 40 and the first branch valve 54 so that purified water can be supplied from the water purification unit 40. The connection portion 322 connects the outlet of the first branch valve 54 and the inlet of the second branch valve 328 inside the refrigerating chamber door 21 so that purified water or cold water flows through the first branch valve 54 So that the refrigerant can be selectively supplied to the refrigerator compartment door 21 through a single pipe.

The main cold water pipe 33 is branched from the purified water pipe 32 and is connected to the tube tank 51 and the first branch valve 54. Accordingly, the purified water flowing through the purified water pipe 32 can be branched by the first branch pipe 325 to be supplied to the tube tank 51, and the cold water stored and cooled in the tube tank 51 Passes through the first branch valve (54).

The first branch valve 54 is connected to the main cold water pipe 33 connected to the outlet of the tube tank 51 and the purified water pipe 32 extending from the outlet side of the water purification device 40, , And one purified water pipe (32), that is, the connection portion (322), is connected to the output side of the first branch valve (54). Accordingly, the purified water can be supplied from the water purification unit 40 through the connection portion 322 according to the switching of the first branch valve 54, or cold water can be supplied from the tube tank 51. Although the connecting portion 322 is defined as a part of the purified water pipe 32 for convenience of description, since the purified water and the cold water can be supplied through the connecting portion 322, It may be called a separate common pipe.

The sub cold water pipe 34 is branched from the purified water pipe 32 by the second branch pipe 327 inside the refrigerating chamber door 21 and is connected to the inlet of the door water tank 27. The door water tank 27 is provided inside the refrigerating chamber door 21, and the water cooled by the tube tank 51 can be temporarily stored. The door water tank 27 may be formed in a disk shape in which the tubes are continuously wound in one row and may be further cooled by the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12 by being in contact with the back surface of the refrigerating chamber door 21 . The sub-cold water pipe 34 is further connected to the third branch pipe 329 from the outlet of the door water tank 27.

On the other hand, the outflow pipe 35 is exposed to the outside of the dispenser 24 from one side of the third branch pipe 329, so that purified water or cold water can be taken out when the dispenser 24 is operated. The outflow pipe 35 may be provided with a blow-out valve 351 to allow the cold water supply through the dispenser 24 to be started by the blow-out valve 351.

4 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting structure of the tube tank assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12 may be provided with a drawer assembly 14 in the refrigerating chamber 12. The right drawer 141 of the pair of drawers 141 constituting the drawer assembly 14 may have a smaller length in the forward and backward direction than the drawer 141 on the left.

The left drawer 141 may extend to the grill pan 18 forming the rear wall of the refrigerating compartment 12. The right drawer 141 forms a space separated from the grill pan 18 to form a space in which the tube tank assembly 50 can be disposed. The water purifier 40 may be provided on the right side of the right drawer 141. The drawer table 142 can shield the upper portion of the drawer 141 and the upper portion of the water purification apparatus 40 in which the filter 41 for the tubing tank assembly 50 and the purified water is installed .

With such a structure, a closed space in which the tube tank assembly 50 can be disposed can be formed. In a state in which the drawer assembly 14 is mounted, the tube tank assembly 50 is not exposed to the outside do.

Meanwhile, the grill pan 18 forms a rear wall of the refrigerating compartment 12 and shields the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19. That is, a heat exchange space is formed behind the refrigerating compartment 12 by the grill pan 18, and the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 is accommodated in the heat exchanging space.

A cool air inlet 181 may be formed at the lower end of the grill pan 18. The cooling air suction port 181 is a passage for sucking the air inside the refrigerating chamber 12 and the air sucked through the cooling air suction port 181 is heat-exchanged with the refrigerating chamber evaporator 19 in the heat exchange space .

The cool air inlet 181 is formed at the lower end of the grill pan 18 and may be disposed substantially at the bottom of the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12. The cool air discharge port 161 may be formed in the main duct 16 above the grill pan 18. Therefore, the air discharged forward through the cold air discharge port 161 is cooled down in the refrigerating chamber 12 and then discharged through the space below the drawer 141 or between the drawers 141, And can be recovered to the heat exchange space through the cool air intake port 181. [ In this way, the air inside the refrigerating chamber 12 can circulate and the inside of the refrigerating chamber 12 can be cooled by the circulation of the cooling air.

The tube tank assembly 50 may be disposed between the cool air discharge port 161 and the cool air intake port 181 and may be positioned adjacent to the cool air intake port 181. Accordingly, the recovered cool air substantially passes through the tube tank assembly 50 and effectively cools the water inside the tube tank assembly 50.

The tube tank assembly 50 generally includes a tube tank 51 in which water is stored and a mounting case 52 in which the tube tank 51 is mounted and in which a first branch valve 54 and piping are accommodated . The tube tank assembly 50 may further include a cover 53 for shielding the mounting case 52 in which the tube tank 51 is mounted.

In detail, the cover 53 may be formed with a rear opening so that the mounting case 52 in which the tube tank 51 is mounted may be completely received, and the refrigerating chamber 12 ) Or the grill pan (18). The filter 41 and the pipes of the water purification apparatus 40 may be connected to the water purification apparatus 40 in a mounted state.

A cover hole 531 may be formed in the cover 53. The cover hole 531 may be formed at a position corresponding to the tube tank 51 as an opening through which the cold air recovered toward the cold air intake port 181 passes. At this time, the cover hole 531 may be formed on the same extension line as the tube tank 51 and the cold air inlet 181.

Therefore, the cold air passing through the cover hole 531 and flowing into the cold air intake port 181 passes through the tube tank 51. In this process, water stored in the tube tank 51 can be effectively cooled .

6 is a front view of the tube tank assembly. 7 is a side view of the tube tank assembly.

Referring to the drawings, the tube tank assembly 50 may include the mounting case 52 and the tube tank 51.

The mounting case 52 may include a valve receiving portion 521, a case extending portion 522, and a tank receiving portion 523 as a whole.

The valve receiving portion 521 and the case extending portion 522 may have a space formed therein as a whole when the valve receiving portion 521 and the case extending portion 522 are mounted on the wall surface of the refrigerating chamber 12, Therefore, the first branch valve 54 can be received in the valve receiving portion 521 while the mounting case 52 is mounted. Inside the case extension portion 522, The pipe connected to the valve 54, that is, the input pipe 55 and the output pipe 56 may be extended. The output pipe 56 corresponds to a pipe connecting the tube tank 51 and the first branch valve 54 as a part of the main coolant pipe 35.

A fixing part 521a may be formed at one side of the valve receiving part 521 and the mounting case 52 may be fixed to the outer surface of the water purifying device 40 And may be fixed to the inner wall surface of the refrigerating chamber (12). The fixed mounting portion 521b may be formed on one side of the grill pan 18 in contact with the grill pan 18, and may have a coupling structure with the grill pan 18. Therefore, the mounting case 52 can be fixedly mounted more stably.

The case extension part 522 may extend laterally from one side of the valve receiving part 521 and may include therein the first branch valve 54 and the input pipe 55 connected to the water purification device 40, An output pipe 56 may be disposed. An end portion of the case extension portion 522 may be formed to be open and an extension portion opening 522a through which the input pipe 55 and the output pipe 56 can be inserted or removed may be formed. Connectors 551 and 561 are formed at the ends of the input pipe 55 and the output pipe 56 to be easily connected to the tube tank 51.

That is, the connectors 551 and 561 are connected to the outside of the mounting case 52 at the ends of the input pipe 55 and the output pipe 56 that pass through the case extension part 522 and pass through the extension part opening 522a And the tube tank assembly 50 is easily assembled and attached by the engagement of the inlet portion 511a and the outlet portion 512a of the tube tank 51 from the outside and the service can be facilitated.

Meanwhile, the tank seating part 523 may extend downward from the case extension part 522. At this time, the tank seating part 523 extends downward from the rear end of the case extension part 522, that is, from the front surface of the grill pan 18, and extends to the lower side of the tube tank 51.

The tank seating part 523 includes an extension part 523a extending downward from the case extension part 522 and a round part 523b roundly formed at the end of the case extension part 522 can do.

The round portion 523b may have a curvature corresponding to the outer surface of the tube tank 51 so as to cover the outer surface of the lower portion of the tube tank 51. Therefore, the tube tank 51 can be held in the tank seating part 523 and can maintain the wound shape. The tube tank 51 may further include a binding member 57 disposed to cross one side of the tube tank 51 to keep the tube tank 51 wound. The binding member 57 may have various constructions such as a cable tie, a rubber band, a tape and the like so as to maintain the binding of the tube tank 51.

The tube tank 51 may be formed by winding a tube having a predetermined diameter a plurality of times. The tube tank 51 may include an outer part 511 forming an outer surface and an inner part 512 forming an inner surface. That is, the tube tank 51 may be formed into a cylindrical shape wound around the outer and inner two rows, and the tube tank 51 may be formed to be hollow to allow air to flow.

The curvature of the tube tank 51 may correspond to the curvature of the tank seating part 523. In addition, the curvature of the tube tank 51 may be set in consideration of the flow resistance of the water flowing inside.

An inlet 511a may be formed at the end of the outer part 511 and the inlet 511a may be connected to the input pipe 55 to allow purified water to be received into the tube tank 51 . An outlet 512a may be formed at an end of the inner part 512. The outlet 512a may be connected to the output pipe 56 to allow the cooled water to be output.

8 is a plan view of a tube tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a left side view of the tube tank. 10 is a right side view of the tube tank.

Referring to the drawings, the tube tank 51 may be formed in a shape in which one tube is wound in a coil shape as a whole and wound in two rows in the outer side and the inner side. The tube tank 51 may be made of a material such as silicone or polyethylene (PE) in consideration of such conditions, since it is required to allow the water for drinking to be flowed, .

The tube tank 51 may include the outer part 511 and the inner part 512. The outer part 511 forms an outer surface and water flowing from the water purification device 40 flows and forms an outer surface of the tube tank 51 and passes through the outer surface of the tube tank 51 It can be cooled by cold air.

The outer part 511 is provided on the outer side of the inner part 512 to have a greater diameter to be wound, so that the outer part 511 can receive a relatively larger amount of water. The water input from the water purifier 40 has a large cooling load, and water having a large cooling load can be primarily cooled while passing through the outer part 511.

The inner part 512 may be continuously wound around the inner part of the outer part 511 at the end of the continuously wound outer part 511. The inner part 512 is wound along the inner surface of the outer part 511 so that the wound diameter of the inner part 512 is smaller than that of the outer part 511. [ Therefore, a relatively smaller amount of water can be accommodated in the inner part 512.

The water flowing into the inner part 512 has a relatively small cooling load in a state of being primarily cooled while passing through the outer part 511. Accordingly, sufficient cooling is performed while passing through the inner part 512 And the water passing through the inner part 512 can be secondarily cooled. At this time, the water inside the inner part 512 can be cooled by the cold air passing through the hollow inside the tube tank 51.

Since the outer part 511 and the inner part 512 are wound in contact with each other, the water flowing through the outer part 511 is separated from the water flowing through the inner part 512 by conduction And can be subsequently cooled.

The outlet of the outer part 511 or the outlet part 512a of the inner part 512 is positioned on the same side of the tube tank 51 as shown in FIG. . Therefore, the connection operation can be performed at the same position between the tube tank 51, the input pipe 55 and the output pipe 56, the connection workability is facilitated, and the connection structure can be simplified.

Hereinafter, the flow of water in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The water supplied from the water source 2 such as water flows through the water supply pipe 31 to the inside and passes through the water supply valve 311 and the flow rate sensor 312 on the water supply pipe 31. The water flowing along the water supply pipe 31 can be guided to a high inside and the water supplied through the water supply pipe 31 flows into the water purification apparatus 40.

The supplied water is purified by passing through the filter 41 of the water purification apparatus 40 and the purified water is branched and directly connected to the first branch valve 54 or to the tube tank 51 Can be connected.

Accordingly, purified water or water cooled in the tube tank 51 can be supplied to the refrigerator compartment door 21 according to the operation of the first branch valve 54.

11 is a view showing a state of water flow and cooling air flow inside the tube tank.

Referring to the drawings, the cooling water flowing through the tube tank 51 will be described. First, water purified in the water purification apparatus 40 flows into the outer part 511, passes through the outer part 511 And is primarily heat-exchanged with the cool air outside the tube tank 51. The water primarily passing through the outer part 511 passes through the inner part 512 and is secondarily heat-exchanged with the cold air inside the tube tank 51. At this time, the inner part 512 is in contact with the outer part 511, so that the cold water inside the inner part 512 tertiarily cools water in the outer part 511, And is discharged through part 512.

The cold air generated in the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 is discharged to the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 through the cold air discharging port 161 and recovered into the heat exchanging space through the cold air suction port 181 on the grill pan 18 And can be circulated.

The tube tank 51 is located between the cool air discharge port 161 and the cool air intake port 181 and may be disposed adjacent to the cool air intake port 181. Therefore, all of the cold air flowing toward the cold air intake port 181 passes through the tube tank 51 to cool the water inside the tube tank 51.

At this time, a part of the cool air passing through the tube tank 51 passes through the outer surface of the tube tank 51 to cool the water inside the outer part 511, and the cold air passing through the tube tank 51 A part of the water can pass through the hollow of the tube tank 51 and pass through the inner surface of the tube tank 51 to cool water inside the inner part 512. That is, the cool air passing through the tube tank 51 can cool the outer and inner surfaces, and the heat exchange area of the tube tank 51 can be widened, thereby enabling effective cooling.

The water cooled by the tube tank 51 can be taken out when the user operates the dispenser 24 and the cooled water can be taken out sequentially in the order of the inflow of the structural features of the tube tank 51. At this time, the water to be taken out can be sufficiently cooled by the sequential extraction, and water can be taken out satisfying the temperature condition of the cold water irrespective of the extraction time and the amount to be taken out.

12 is a view showing a temperature change according to the water withdrawal number of the refrigerator.

As shown in the figure, the temperature of the water taken out from the refrigerator according to the prior art is about 8 캜 at the time of the first take-off, and satisfies the temperature condition. However, when water is continuously taken out, Lt; 0 > C or more.

Such a phenomenon is caused by the characteristics of the cylindrical water tank structure of the prior art, when the continuous take-out operation is performed, the sufficiently cooled water stagnates in a part of the interior of the water tank, and the water supplied from the water supply source is not sufficiently cooled, And the temperature rises.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the water taken out through the dispenser 24 is such that the water of about 8 캜 is extracted at the time of the first taking out to satisfy the temperature condition, After that, the temperature is lowered to about 6 ° C., and about 8 ° C. of water is taken out until 7-8 cups are taken out, so that the temperature condition can be continuously satisfied.

This is because the water that has flowed in first through the tube tank 51 is cooled sequentially and the water in a sufficiently cooled state can be sequentially taken out together with the operation of the dispenser 24. When the capacity of the tube tank 51 is adjusted due to the capacity of the tube tank 51, a larger amount of water can be taken out while satisfying the cooling temperature because the temperature of the water taken out after the 8th cup is increased .

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other embodiments may be possible. Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components as those of the above-described embodiments among the configurations of the other embodiments of the present invention are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed description and illustration are omitted.

13 is a front view of a tube tank assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the tube tank assembly 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a tube tank 51a, which is cooled while passing purified water, and a mounting case 52 ).

The tube tank 51a has the same structure as that of the first embodiment and differs in the direction in which the tube tank 51a is mounted to the mounting case 52. [ Specifically, the ends of the outer part 511 and the inner part 512, that is, the inlet part 511a and the outlet part 512a are positioned at a position in contact with the tank seating part 524, and the tube tank 51a, Can be arranged in the longitudinal direction as a whole.

The hollow of the tube tank 51a of the first embodiment described above is formed so as to open in the left and right direction while the hollow of the tube tank 51a is formed to open in the forward and backward directions in the second embodiment of FIG.

The mounting case 52 to which the tube tank 51a is mounted may include a valve receiving portion 521, a case extending portion 522, and a tank receiving portion 524. The tank seating part 524 may include an extension part 524a extending downward and a round part 524b supporting the lower surface of the tube tank 51a below the extension part 524a . At this time, the round portion 524b is formed to correspond to the curvature of the extending direction and the outer side surface of the tube tank 51a, and is formed to support the tube tank 51a from below.

The tank extension part 524a may be formed with a through hole 524c communicating with the hollow 517 of the tube tank 51a. The through hole 524c is an opening through which the air introduced through the hollow 517 of the tube tank 51a passes. Therefore, when the cold air inside the refrigerating chamber 12 flows along the inner and outer sides of the tube tank 51a to cool the water in the tube tank 51a, Can be introduced into the cold air suction unit 181 through the through hole 524c through the tube tank 51a. Therefore, the hollow of the tube tank 51a, the through hole 524c, and the cold air suction unit 181 may be arranged on the same extension line.

14 is a view showing an arrangement of a water tank assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, in the refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a tube tank 51b may be disposed inside the refrigerating chamber 12. The tube tank 51b has a structure in which a tube is doubly wound so as to be composed of an inner part 512 and an outer part 511 as in the first embodiment described above.

However, in a third embodiment of the present invention, it may be arranged throughout the rear space of the drawer assembly 14 to maximize the amount of cool water to be stored. That is, the pair of drawers 141 constituting the drawer assembly 14 may be formed as short as the tube tank 51b.

15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cooling structure of a water tank assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes the grill pan 18 in the refrigerating compartment 12, An evaporator 19, and the like.

A part of the refrigerant pipe constituting the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 may pass through the grill pan 18 and extend to the inner space of the cover 53 to form an extended pipe 191. [ The extension pipe 191 may extend through the hollow of the tube tank 51. At this time, the structure of the tube tank 51a may be any of the above-described embodiments.

Therefore, direct cooling of the tube tank 51 is enabled by the extension pipe 191. The extension pipe 191 is provided with a valve 192 so that it is possible to selectively flow the refrigerant according to the user's selection.

When the user requests rapid cooling of the water to be taken out, the valve 192 is opened to cool the water in the tube tank 51 by supplying the refrigerant to the extension pipe 191. Of course, if necessary, the valve 192 may be periodically opened and closed so that the water inside the tube tank 51 is cooled and maintained at a constant temperature.

Meanwhile, the cover 53 may have a heat insulating material or a heat insulating structure to prevent a temperature drop in the refrigerating chamber 12 due to the inflow of the extension pipe 191.

16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cooling structure of a water tank assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawings, the refrigerator 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes the grill pan 18 in the refrigerating chamber 12, 18 of the refrigerator compartment evaporator 19 in the rear space.

Meanwhile, the grill pan 18 may be provided with a cool air supply fan 182 and a cool air damper 183. The tube tank 51 may be provided between the cool air supply fan 182 and the damper 183. At this time, the structure of the tube tank 51 may be any of the above-described embodiments.

Accordingly, the cool air generated in the refrigerating compartment evaporator 19 may flow into the cover 53 through a separate flow path. Then, the cool air supply fan 182 is operated according to the user's operation, and the cool air of the evaporator is directly supplied to the inside of the cover to enable cooling of the tube tank 51. The cool air damper 183 is opened with the operation of the cool air supply fan 182 to recover the air that has cooled the tube tank 51 to the evaporator 19 side.

The cool air supply fan 182 is operated and the cool air damper 183 is opened to supply cool air toward the tube tank 51. In this case, At this time, the air introduced into the cover 53 by the cold air supply fan 182 passes through the hollow of the tube tank 51, and the outer part 511 and the inner part 512 are simultaneously It becomes possible to cool. In particular, it is possible to rapidly cool the water in the tube tank 51 by increasing the supply amount of cool air according to the rotational speed of the cool air supply fan 182, and to adjust the target cooling temperature, the cooling temperature arrival time, and the like. Of course, if necessary, the cool air supply fan 182 and the damper 183 may be periodically operated to cool and maintain the water in the tube tank 51 at a constant temperature.

Claims (14)

A cabinet in which a storage space is formed;
An evaporator provided in the cabinet for supplying cool air to the storage space;
A grill fan disposed inside the storage space and partitioning a space where the evaporator is disposed;
And a tube tank which is provided in front of the grill pan and is formed in a coil shape in which tubes are continuously wound to cool water flowing in the grill pan,
Wherein the tube tank comprises:
An outer part forming an outer surface of the tube tank,
And an inner part for changing the winding direction of the outer part to form a hollow inner surface of the tube tank inside the outer part.
The method according to claim 1,
The grill fan is provided with a cold air discharge port for discharging the cold air of the evaporator and a cold air inlet for recovering the heat exchanged air to the evaporator side in the storage space,
And the tube tank is disposed between the cold air discharge port and the cold air intake port.
3. The method of claim 2,
And the tube tank is disposed in front of the cold air inlet.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the storage space is equipped with a mounting case in which a pipe connected to the tube tank and a valve are accommodated,
Wherein the mounting case is formed with a tank mounting portion on which the tube tank is mounted.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the tank seating portion includes:
An extension extending from the mounting case,
And a round portion formed at an end portion of the extension portion and having a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the tube tank and supporting a lower portion of an outer side surface of the tube tank.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the inner part and the outer part are disposed on the same side,
Wherein a connection opening is formed at one side of the mounting case, through which a pipe connected to the inner part and the outer part is inserted and removed.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the tube tank includes a coupling member extending in a direction intersecting the winding direction of the tube tank and coupling the inner part and the outer part.
3. The method of claim 2,
The cabinet is provided with a cover for receiving the tube tank,
And the cover includes a cover hole located on the same extension line as the tube tank and the cold air inlet.
The method according to claim 1,
A drawer and a drawer table for shielding the drawer from above are provided on a bottom surface of the storage space,
Wherein the tube tank is housed inside the closed space formed by the inner side of the storage space and the drawer, the drawer table, and the grill pan.
3. The method of claim 2,
The tube tank is formed in a front-back direction,
Wherein a hollow of the tube tank is disposed on the same extension line as the cold air intake port.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a part of the refrigerant pipe constituting the evaporator extends to the tube tank side,
Wherein the refrigerant pipe is disposed across the hollow of the tube tank.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein a cover is formed inside the storage space to form a heat insulating space for accommodating the tube tank and the refrigerant pipe.
The method according to claim 1,
A cover for forming a space for accommodating the tube tank is provided in the storage space,
In the grill pan,
A cold air supply fan for forcibly supplying the cold air of the evaporator to the inner space of the cover;
And a cooler damper that is opened and closed to selectively recover the air exchanged with the tube tank to the evaporator side.
14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the tube tank is disposed between the cool air supply fan and the cool air damper.

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