WO2010092625A1

WO2010092625A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2010092625A1
Application number: PCT/JP2009/001041
Authority: WO
Inventors: 岩井治彦; 桑理義博
Original assignee: パナソニック株式会社
Priority date: 2009-02-12
Filing date: 2009-03-09
Publication date: 2010-08-19
Also published as: EP2397797A1; EP2397797A4; CN102317713A; CN102317713B

Abstract

A side-by-side type refrigerator in which uneven temperature distribution in the vertical direction is suppressed and which saves energy. A refrigerator (100) provided with a vertically long first box (151) forming a cold storage compartment, a vertically long second box (152) for forming a freezing compartment, and an outer box (156) for covering the first box (151) and the second box (152) which are adjacently arranged in the left-right direction. The refrigerator (100) is provided also with a compressor (101) for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser (102) for releasing heat of the refrigerant, a first evaporator (131) provided to the rear of the first box (151), a second evaporator (132) connected in series to the first evaporator (131) and provided to the rear of the second box (152), a bypass tube (105) for directly interconnecting the condenser (102) and the second evaporator (132), and a switching valve (106) for selecting whether the refrigerant is supplied from the condenser (102) to the first evaporator (131) or whether the refrigerant is directly supplied from the condenser (102) to the second evaporator (132).

Description

refrigerator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a cooling cycle unit and a cooling system provided in the refrigerator.

Conventionally, the capacity of refrigerators has been increasing, and the cooling capacity of the cooling system has been improved accordingly. On the other hand, in order to cope with global warming and the like, the refrigerator is also considered environmentally and further energy saving is desired.

∙ Improvement of cooling capacity and energy saving are contradictory in principle, and how to save energy without sacrificing cooling capacity is an issue in cooling system design.

For example, the cooling system described in Patent Document 1 includes two evaporators for a refrigerator compartment and two evaporators for a freezer compartment, and completely stops the operation of the evaporator for the refrigerator compartment as necessary. It is trying to save energy while maintaining cooling capacity.
JP 2000-88428 A

However, a so-called side-by-side refrigerator, in which a refrigerator compartment that extends long in the entire vertical direction of the refrigerator and a freezer compartment that extends in the same manner as the refrigerator compartment in the left-right direction, is a trend in the form of modern refrigerators. It has become one of the.

In the case of such a refrigerator, since the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are long in the vertical direction, the temperature difference tends to increase between the upper side and the lower side of the room, and the suppression of temperature unevenness occurring in the room is a side-by-side type. It has become a challenge for refrigerators. On the other hand, even in a side-by-side refrigerator, it is necessary to save energy and consider the environment.

This invention is made in view of the said subject, and it aims at provision of the side-by-side type refrigerator which can aim at energy saving while improving indoor temperature distribution.

In order to solve the above problems, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a first box that is long in the vertical direction having an opening on the front surface and forming a refrigerator compartment, and an upper and lower portion that has an opening on the front surface and forms a freezer compartment. Compressor that compresses refrigerant, comprising a second box that is long in the direction, and a metal outer box that covers the first box and the second box that are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction A condenser that is connected in series with the compressor and that releases the heat of the refrigerant, and an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant, which is connected in series with the condenser and provided at the back of the first box. A first evaporator, an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, connected in series with the first evaporator, provided on the back of the second box, the condenser, and the first A pipe directly connecting the two evaporators, and supplying the refrigerant from the condenser to the first evaporator, or Characterized in that it comprises a switching valve for selecting whether to supply the refrigerant to the second evaporator directly from condenser.

According to this, since the evaporator for the refrigerator compartment can be arranged at the back of the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator for the freezer compartment can be arranged at the back of the refrigerator compartment, each evaporator has a capacity corresponding to each chamber. It can be operated with. Therefore, each chamber can be cooled with the capability of eliminating the temperature unevenness in the vertical direction.

Moreover, even when the evaporator is operated to cool the refrigerator compartment having a relatively low temperature, the evaporator for the refrigerator compartment can be stopped, and wasteful energy consumption can be avoided.

Also, since the evaporators are arranged in the left-right direction, the piping functioning as a bypass that bypasses the evaporator for the refrigerator compartment is shortened. Therefore, it is possible to reduce energy loss when the bypass pipe is used, and to contribute to energy saving.

In addition, the condenser is disposed between the first condenser that directly exchanges heat with air and the first box and the outer box, and the second condenser that exchanges heat with air through the outer box. It is preferable to provide a vessel.

According to this, even when dust or the like adheres to the first condenser and the capacity as the condenser decreases, the capacity can be supplemented by the second condenser. Therefore, a cooling cycle with high energy efficiency can be maintained over a long period of time, which can contribute to energy saving.

Also, since the side-by-side refrigerator has a large outer box on the refrigerator compartment side, the second condenser can be widely arranged to dissipate heat over a wide area. Therefore, the influence of the refrigerator compartment by the heat from the second condenser can be reduced as much as possible. Accordingly, the capacity of the first condenser can be sufficiently supplemented, and a high cooling cycle can be maintained over a long period of time.

It is preferable that the condenser further includes a third condenser disposed at the opening of the second box.

It is possible to increase the temperature at the periphery of the opening of the freezer compartment with the heat from the condenser, reduce the temperature difference from the outside air, and prevent the occurrence of condensation. Thereby, it becomes possible to maintain the adhesiveness between the periphery of the opening and the door, prevent the leakage of cold air, and contribute to energy saving. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a separate heater or the like, it is possible to save energy in the refrigerator.

The refrigerator according to the present invention can facilitate the design of a cooling cycle suitable for a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant, and even a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant can exhibit an ability suitable for a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment. Accordingly, it is possible to easily cope with environmental problems such as global warming.

Furthermore, the first circulation device that cools the air introduced from the inside of the first box by the first evaporator and leads the air to the inside of the first box, and the air is introduced from the inside of the second box It is preferable to include a second circulation device that cools the air to be cooled by the second evaporator and guides the air to the inside of the second box.

According to this, even in a refrigerator room or freezer room that is long in the vertical direction, it can be evenly cooled by the flow of air. Moreover, since air is separately cooled by the evaporator suitable for the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator suitable for the freezer compartment, it is possible to avoid excessive cooling of the air. Therefore, it is possible to improve energy efficiency and contribute to energy saving.

Furthermore, the second circulating device that cools the air introduced from the inside of the second box body by the second evaporator and leads it to the inside of the second box body, and the front surface is the inside of the first box body It is preferable that the rear surface includes a cooling plate to which the first evaporator is attached in contact.

Therefore, by directly cooling the refrigerator compartment where the temperature unevenness in the vertical direction is small, a blower for carrying the air cooled by the evaporator to the refrigerator compartment becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the energy consumption and contribute to energy saving.

Also, since the evaporator can be made thinner than the indirect cooling method, the capacity of the refrigerator compartment can be improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that can contribute to energy saving while maintaining and improving the capacity of the refrigerator.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the refrigerator in which the first door and the second door are opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator in which the first door and the second door are omitted. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the cooling cycle unit. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the components of the cooling cycle unit attached to the refrigerator. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a refrigerator in which the indirect cooling method is adopted. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the blower unit. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the blower unit. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing another cooling cycle unit provided in the refrigerator. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a refrigerator in which the direct cooling method is adopted. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the cooling plate viewed from the back. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating another cooling cycle unit provided in the refrigerator.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Refrigerator 101 Compressor 102 Condenser 103 Evaporator 104 Refrigerant return piping 105 Bypass pipe 106 Switching valve 107 Connection pipe 108 First capillary 109 Second capillary 110 Cooling cycle unit 111 First door 112 Third door 113 Through-hole 121 Second Door 122 Fourth door 123 Receiving port 124 First condenser 125 Second condenser 126 Third condenser

131 First evaporator 132 Second evaporator 142 Case 144 Blower 146 Duct 148 Air outlet 150 Box body 151 First box 152 Second box 153 Partition wall 154 Suction port 156 Outer box 157 Inner box 158 Back panel 159 Cooling plate 161 First circulation device 162 Second circulation device 163 Shelf 164 Drawer chamber

Hereinafter, embodiments of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator.

Refrigerator 100 is a device that refrigerates or stores stored items stored inward, and includes box body 150, first door 111, second door 121, third door 112, and through-hole. 113 and a fourth door 122. The refrigerator 100 is a rectangular box having the longest height among the height, width, and depth.

The first door 111 is a door that opens and closes the opening on the right side toward the box body 150. In the case of the present embodiment, the first door 111 is hinged to the box body 150 by a hinge (not shown) so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction in front of the right wall of the box body 150. It is attached. The first door 111 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, and is arranged from the upper part to the lower part of the refrigerator 100, and the rotation shaft passes through the right end edge of the first door 111.

The second door 121 is a door that opens and closes the opening on the left side toward the box body 150. In the case of the present embodiment, the second door 121 is attached to the box body 150 by a hinge (not shown) so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction in front of the left wall of the box body 150. It is attached. The second door 121 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, and is arranged from the upper part to the lower part of the refrigerator 100, and the rotation shaft passes through the left end edge of the second door 121.

The through hole 113 is a hole that penetrates the first door 111 in the thickness direction. The through-hole 113 is used to take out stored items stored behind the first door 111 without opening the first door 111, and to insert the stored items for storage behind the first door 111. It is a hole.

The third door 112 is a door that closes the through hole 113 so as to be freely opened and closed. In the case of the present embodiment, the third door 112 is attached to the first door 111 by a hinge (not shown) so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction at the lower end edge of the through hole 113. ing. Further, the third door 112 is substantially square when viewed from the front (the corners are rounded), and the rotation shaft passes through the lower edge of the third door 112.

The fourth door 122 is a door that opens and closes the receiving port 123 that receives ice supplied from the inside of the refrigerator 100.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator in which the first door and the second door are opened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator in which the first door and the second door are omitted. Note that FIG. 2 also shows a stored item A stored in the refrigerator 100.

As shown in these drawings, the refrigerator 100 includes a first box 151, a second box 152, and an outer box 156.

The first box body 151 is a box body having an opening on the front surface and having a long heat insulating performance in the vertical direction forming a refrigerator compartment. In the case of the present embodiment, the first box 151 is disposed on the right side of the refrigerator 100 over the entire vertical direction of the refrigerator 100. In addition, the refrigerator compartment is a room that maintains the inside temperature in a temperature range of 0 ° C. or higher, and especially when storing high humidity such as vegetables, a drawer case is formed in the refrigerator compartment and the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment is directly It is a room where a room that is partitioned so as not to hit vegetables is provided inside.

The second box 152 is a box that has an opening on the front surface and has a long heat insulating performance in the vertical direction that forms a freezer compartment. In the case of the present embodiment, the second box 152 is disposed on the left side of the refrigerator over the entire vertical direction of the refrigerator 100. The freezer room is a room that maintains a low room temperature of around minus 18 ° C. and stores stored items such as frozen foods.

The outer box 156 is a metal plate that covers the first box 151 and the second box 152 that are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

Here, the box body 150 in the present embodiment is manufactured as follows. In other words, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment separated by the partition wall 153 are manufactured independently by the inner box 157 by integral molding with resin. An outer box is arranged outside the inner box 157 so as to cover the inner box 157 at a predetermined interval from the inner box 157. A gap that communicates with the gap between the outer box 156 and the inner box 157 is also provided inside the partition wall 153. A space provided between the outer box 156 and the inner box 157 and a gap between the partition walls 153 are filled and foamed with, for example, hard urethane foam to obtain a heat insulating material. The box body 150 is manufactured as described above.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the walls adjacent to the first box 151 and the second box 152 are inseparably integrated, and the first box 151 and the second box 152 define the partition wall 153. It is intended to be shared as a wall.

Next, the cooling cycle unit provided in the refrigerator 100 will be described.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the cooling cycle unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing components of the cooling cycle unit attached to the refrigerator.

The cooling cycle unit 110 has a function of forcibly transferring heat from one space to the other space by releasing heat by the condenser 102 and absorbing heat by the evaporator 103. 103 is arranged at a position for cooling the inside of the refrigerator 100 and the condenser 102 is arranged in a machine room outside the refrigerator 100, so that the inside of the refrigerator 100 can be cooled. As shown in these drawings, the cooling cycle unit employed by the refrigerator 100 is a device including a compressor 101 (Compressor), a condenser 102 (Condenser), and an evaporator 103 (Evaporator), and a refrigerant path. A cooling cycle is realized by connecting the devices in a ring shape with the refrigerant return pipe 104 and circulating the refrigerant. In the case of the present embodiment, refrigerator 100 further includes a bypass pipe 105 and a switching valve 106 as pipes.

The machine room in which the compressor 101 and the condenser 102 are arranged, and the evaporator 103 arranged in the cabinet are vertically arranged by a heat insulating material, and a drain pipe for introducing the defrost water of the evaporator 103 into the machine room. The chamber and the machine room are structurally connected.

The compressor 101 is a device that compresses the gaseous refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant return pipe 104 and increases the pressure of the refrigerant.

The condenser 102 is a device that radiates the heat of the gaseous refrigerant whose pressure has been increased to the atmosphere to cool the refrigerant, thereby converting the refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant having a high pressure. In the case of this embodiment, the condenser 102 includes a first condenser 124, a second condenser 125, and a third condenser 126.

The first condenser 124 is a main condenser that directly exchanges heat with air, and is disposed at the lower back of the refrigerator 100 while being exposed to air. In the embodiment, the main condenser is a spiral fin coil specification in which thin heat-radiating fins formed of a heat-conductive material such as aluminum are spirally wound around the pipe, and the pipe is meandered several times and bent. Is configured.

The second condenser 125 is arranged in a meandering manner in close contact with the back surface of the outer box 156 between the outer side wall of the first box 151 and the outer box 156, and the second condenser 125 is arranged through the metal outer box 156. It is an auxiliary condenser that exchanges heat with air. In addition, since there is a heat insulating material between the second condenser 125 and the inner side of the first box 151, the heat generated from the second condenser 125 hardly affects the inner side of the first box 151. It has become a thing. Further, since the inside of the first box 151 is a refrigerating room having a relatively high temperature, the thermal gradient between the second condenser 125 and the inside of the first box 151 is low, and heat is not easily transmitted. Yes.

The third condenser 126 is an auxiliary condenser arranged at the periphery of the opening of the second box 152, cools the refrigerant by heat dissipation, and raises the temperature of the periphery of the opening of the second box 152 to cause condensation. It also has a function to prevent.

When the condenser 102 is configured as described above, even when the ability of the first condenser 124 exposed to the atmosphere is reduced due to accumulation of dust or the like, the ability of the second condenser 125 as the condenser 102 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the cooling cycle unit 110 over a long period of time without requiring maintenance in order to secure the capacity of the cooling cycle unit 110.

Moreover, since the dew condensation of the opening part of a freezer compartment can be prevented, the fall of the sealing performance of the 2nd door 121 by frost formation can be prevented, and the energy efficiency of the refrigerator 100 can be improved or maintained. It becomes possible.

The evaporator 103 is a device that evaporates the refrigerant in the interior and absorbs the heat of the surrounding air. In the case of the present embodiment, the evaporator 103 includes a first evaporator 131 and a second evaporator 132 that are connected in series by a connecting pipe 107. The connecting pipe 107 passes through the back surface of the first box 151 and the back surface of the second box 152 and passes through the heat insulating material, and the evaporator is connected to both ends of the connecting pipe 107.

The first evaporator 131 is an evaporator connected in series with the third condenser 126 and provided on the back of the first box 151, and plays a role of cooling the inside of the first box 151. In a side-by-side refrigerator where the refrigerator compartment height and the freezer compartment height are the same, the second evaporator 132 is arranged in the freezer compartment height direction in order to cool the freezer compartment to about minus 18 ° C. Thus, the first evaporator 131 that cools the refrigerating room to a temperature higher than that of the freezing room at about 0 to 6 ° C. is not arranged higher in the height direction of the refrigerating room than the second evaporator 132. In order to ensure a large internal volume in the depth direction of the refrigerator compartment, the second evaporator 132 is smaller.

The second evaporator 132 is an evaporator connected in series with the first evaporator 131 and provided on the back of the second box 152, and plays a role of cooling the inside of the second box 152. In addition, since the 2nd evaporator 132 cools a freezer compartment, it is larger than the 1st evaporator 131. FIG.

Further, the evaporator uses a fin-and-tube heat exchanger, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any heat exchange such as a heat exchanger employing corrugated fins and flat tubes is used. A vessel can be applied.

Both the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 are configured such that the pipe meanders and bends a plurality of times, and an inlet and an outlet for refrigerant inflow are arranged at the upper part of the evaporator.

As described above, the first evaporator 131 for cooling the first box 151 (refrigeration room) and the second evaporator 132 for cooling the second box 152 (freezer room) are separated. By providing, it becomes possible to perform cooling suitable for each set temperature zone.

In particular, when a vertically long freezer compartment as in the present embodiment is provided, it is necessary to provide an evaporator having sufficient cooling capacity in order to reduce the temperature difference in the vertical direction of the freezer compartment. However, if such an evaporator is in the back of the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment may be excessively cooled, and it is necessary to sufficiently insulate the refrigerator compartment from the evaporator. In this case, the capacity of the refrigerator compartment is pressed by the heat insulating material. Therefore, as in the present invention, the first evaporator 131 suitable for cooling the refrigerator compartment is provided at the back of the first box 151 (refrigerator compartment), and the freezer compartment is provided at the back of the second box 152 (freezer compartment). By providing the second evaporator 132 suitable for uniform cooling, the capacity of the refrigerator compartment can be increased.

The first box 151 (refrigeration room) includes a refrigerating room in which a plurality of shelves 163 are arranged at the top, a plurality of drawer chambers 164 in the top and bottom below the shelves 163, and at least of the plurality of drawer rooms. If one room is a temperature-controlled room that can change the temperature in the range of about 0 to 6 ° C., if the first evaporator 131 is placed behind the temperature-controlled room, the cool air passage that is discharged from the first evaporator 131 to the temperature-controlled room Therefore, the depth space of the first box 151 can be secured, and the effective internal volume of the drawer chamber can be secured large. Moreover, the cooling loss in the cold air passage can be reduced, and the cooling efficiency of the variable temperature chamber can be improved.

The switching valve 106 is a three-way valve that selects whether to supply the refrigerant from the third condenser 126 to the first evaporator 131 or to supply the refrigerant directly from the third condenser 126 to the second evaporator 132. It is arranged in the same space as the machine 101 and the condenser 102.

The first capillary 108 connected to the first evaporator 131 and the second capillary 109 connected to the second evaporator 132 are connected to the downstream side of the switching valve 106 so as to be switchable.

The bypass pipe 105 is connected between the switching valve 106 and the second capillary 109, and directly connects the third condenser 126 and the second evaporator 132 via the switching valve 106. Here, the direct connection means that the refrigerant is not introduced into the second evaporator 132 via the first evaporator 131, but instead bypasses the first evaporator 131 from the switching valve 106 and directly enters the second evaporator 132. Indicates that

Although the bypass pipe 105 connecting the pipe is provided between the switching valve 106 and the second capillary 109, the second capillary 109 may be directly connected to the switching valve 106.

Although the refrigerant | coolant employ | adopted for the cooling cycle unit 110 of the refrigerator 100 is not specifically limited, For example, a hydrocarbon type refrigerant | coolant can be illustrated.

Here, the hydrocarbon-based refrigerant is, for example, propane or isobutane. These are preferable because they have very little influence on global warming compared to hydrochlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons.

As described above, the second evaporator 132 that cools the freezer compartment is connected in series downstream of the first evaporator 131 that cools the refrigerator compartment, and the refrigerant flow path is further switched by the switching valve 106 so that the second downstream side is switched. By constructing a cooling cycle in which the refrigerant can flow only to the evaporator 132, when the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are not cooled to the set temperature, the switching valve 106 is switched so that the refrigerant flows through both evaporators. When the cycle is controlled and the refrigerator compartment reaches a set temperature, the second evaporator 132 that cools only the freezer compartment by switching the switching valve 106 so that the refrigerant does not flow to the first evaporator 131 that cools the refrigerator compartment. It becomes possible to control the cooling cycle through which the refrigerant flows only.

When the freezer reaches the set temperature, the compressor 101 is stopped. This makes it possible to select introduction of the refrigerant into the first evaporator 131 while maintaining introduction of the refrigerant into the second evaporator 132. Thereby, even when the second evaporator 132 is continuously operated for a long time so that temperature unevenness does not occur in the second box body 152 (freezer compartment) that is long in the vertical direction, the first box body 151 (refrigerator room). It is possible to perform control suitable for the first evaporator 131.

In addition, since the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 can be arranged in the left-right direction, the length of the connecting pipe 107 that connects the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 is shortened. Therefore, when the refrigerant is introduced into both the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 by the switching valve 106, the cooling loss in the connection pipe 107 can be reduced, and the second evaporator 132 can be reduced. The cooling efficiency of the flammable refrigerant can be increased, the amount of the combustible refrigerant can be reduced, and the explosion-proof property can be improved.

Further, by disposing the first evaporator 131 below the refrigerator compartment, the distance between the first evaporator 131 and the machine room in which the compressor is disposed is reduced. Even if it leaks from the vicinity of the flammable refrigerant, the flammable refrigerant has a specific gravity greater than that of air, so that it accumulates downward, and further easily passes to the machine room where the compressor 101 is disposed through the drain pipe for draining the defrost water of the first evaporator 131. Since it can be introduced and opened from the machine room to the outside of the cabinet, it is possible to reduce the leakage of the flammable refrigerant remaining in the cabinet and increase the concentration, thereby improving the explosion-proof property.

When the flammable refrigerant leaks from the second evaporator 132, the leaked refrigerant can be discharged into the machine room through the drain pipe in the same manner as described above, and the leaked refrigerant can be prevented from staying in the cabinet. Explosion proof can be improved.

As described above, the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 are disposed below the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively, so that the lower ends of both the evaporators 103 are arranged so that the heights thereof are roughly aligned. Although the discharge | emission property from the inside of a store | warehouse | chamber to the exterior was improved through the chamber, the position of the 1st evaporator 131 shorter than the 2nd evaporator 132 is raised upwards, and the height of the upper end part of both evaporators 103 is roughly You may arrange | position so that it may align.

Accordingly, the connection pipe 107 that connects the refrigerant outlet portion of the first evaporator 131 and the refrigerant inlet portion of the second evaporator 132 is connected between the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 substantially horizontally. Therefore, when the switching valve 106 is switched and the refrigerant flows through the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132, the cooling loss in the connection pipe 107 is further reduced. And the amount of the combustible refrigerant can be further reduced.

By adopting the refrigerator 100 having the above configuration, the overall energy efficiency can be increased, and it is possible to contribute to energy saving.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a refrigerator in which the indirect cooling method is adopted.

As shown in the figure, the refrigerator 100 that employs the indirect cooling method for the second box 152 (freezer compartment) has a second circulation composed of a blower 144, a duct 146, a blower port 148, and a suction port 154. A device 162 is provided. The second circulation device 162 is a device that cools the air introduced from the inside of the second box 152 by the second evaporator 132 and guides it to the second box 152. Is provided. In addition, the second circulation device 162 prevents the air cooled by the second evaporator 132 from directly cooling the inside of the second box 152 so that the duct 146, the second evaporator 132, and the second box 152 The inward front is thermally blocked by a heat insulating material provided on the back of the back panel 158.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the blower unit.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the blower unit.

As shown in these drawings, the blower 144 is a device capable of creating an air flow, and an axial fan is employed in the present embodiment. In addition, the blower 144 is obliquely attached to the upper portion of the housing 142 that houses the second evaporator 132 therein. The blower 144 and the casing 142 constitute a blower unit, and can be easily placed in the duct 146 in the state of the blower unit.

The duct 146 is a path that guides air along a predetermined path, and is formed by a tubular member made of a heat insulating material.

The ventilation port 148 and the suction port 154 are openings provided in the back panel 158 and communicated with the duct 146, and the second box body is formed from the plurality of ventilation ports 148 in which the cooled air flowing through the duct 146 is arbitrarily opened. The air inside the second box 152 is sucked into the duct 146 through the suction port 154.

As described above, when the second circulation device 162 is provided on the back portion of the second box body 152 and the inside of the second box body 152 is cooled by the indirect cooling method, the air flow is directed to the inside of the second box body 152. This can be forcibly generated, and it becomes possible to reduce temperature unevenness of the air inside the second box 152. This is particularly effective for the second box 152 that is long in the vertical direction and has a relatively low inner temperature.

In addition, since the temperature of the back panel 158 is not easily lowered by the second evaporator 132 or the air immediately after being cooled by the second evaporator 132, it is possible that dew condensation occurs on the front surface of the back panel 158. Can be prevented.

Further, the temperature gradient between the temperature of the air cooled by the first evaporator 131 and the temperature inside the first box 151, and the temperature of the air cooled by the second evaporator 132 and the inside of the second box 152 Since the temperature gradient between the first evaporator 131 and the first box body 151 is relatively moderate, the second evaporator 132 and the second box body 152 are inward. It is possible to reduce the thickness of each of the heat insulating materials between them, and contribute to the capacity increase of the refrigerator 100.

In the case of the present embodiment, a first circulation device 161 is provided on the back of the first box 151. Since the structure and operational effects of the first circulation device 161 are the same indirect cooling method as that of the second circulation device 162, detailed description of the first circulation device 161 is omitted.

Hereinafter, other embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing another cooling cycle unit provided in the refrigerator.

The cooling cycle unit 110 according to the present embodiment includes a first evaporator 131 and a second evaporator 132 that are connected to the condenser 102 in parallel. Specifically, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101 flows to the first condenser 124 that is the main condenser and is condensed, and then flows to the second condenser 125 that is the auxiliary condenser to promote condensation of the refrigerant. Furthermore, it flows into the 3rd condenser 126 which is an auxiliary | assistant condenser, and the dew condensation of the opening part of a freezer compartment with a large temperature difference with outside temperature is prevented by heat dissipation. The first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 are connected in parallel via the switching valve 106.

Further, as a pressure reducer, a first capillary 108 is connected between the switching valve 106 and the first evaporator 131, and a second capillary 109 is connected between the switching valve 106 and the second evaporator 132. Then, the refrigerant is returned to the refrigerant return pipe 104 through the outlet pipes of the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 and circulated to the compressor 101.

By switching the switching valve 106, it is possible to switch between the case where the refrigerant is introduced only into the first evaporator 131 and the case where the refrigerant is introduced only into the second evaporator 132.

Since the refrigerant flow path is switched by the switching valve 106 according to the load state of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, the refrigerant is not circulated through both the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 at the same time. Since the refrigerant is circulated only in the evaporator, the amount of refrigerant can be reduced.

Therefore, when a flammable refrigerant is used, the amount of refrigerant can be reduced as compared with the case of the first embodiment, the explosion-proof property can be reduced, and the load on the compressor 101 can be reduced by reducing the refrigerant, thereby promoting energy saving. Can do.

Others are the same as those of the cooling cycle unit 110 in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a refrigerator in which the direct cooling method is adopted.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 100 employs an indirect cooling method for the second box 152 (freezer compartment), and employs a direct cooling method for the first box 151 (refrigerator compartment). ing. Since the indirect cooling method is the same as that of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

As shown in the figure, the refrigerator 100 that employs a direct cooling system includes a cooling plate 159 on the inner back of the first box 151. The front surface of the cooling plate 159 faces the inside of the first box 151, and the first evaporator 131 is attached to the back surface of the cooling plate 159 in a contact state.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the cooling plate viewed from the back.

As shown in the figure, the cooling plate 159 has a tubular first evaporator 131 attached in a meandering state, and is attached in contact with the cooling plate 159 so that heat can be exchanged via the cooling plate 159.

As described above, if the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132 are connected in parallel and the operation state can be selected to one of them, heat is generated by the refrigerant evaporated only in the second evaporator 132. Since it can absorb, the cooling capacity of the second evaporator 132 can be increased. Therefore, sufficient cooling capacity can be ensured even for the inner side of the second box that is long in the vertical direction, and temperature irregularities in the vertical direction of the second box 152 can be eliminated.

Further, if the direct cooling method is adopted for the inner side of the first box 151, the air flow path necessary for the indirect cooling method can be eliminated, and the devices disposed on the inner back of the first box 151 can be removed. It can be made thin, and a wide storage space can be secured inside the first box 151.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating another cooling cycle unit provided in the refrigerator.

In the case of the present embodiment, the refrigerator 100 includes two cooling cycle units 110. One cooling cycle unit 110 is an apparatus including a compressor 101, a condenser 102 (second condenser 125, third condenser 126), and a first evaporator 131, and the other cooling cycle unit 110 includes , An apparatus including a compressor 101, a condenser 102 (first condenser 124), and a second evaporator 132. That is, the refrigerator 100 includes two compressors and can supply the compressed refrigerant independently to the first evaporator 131 and the second evaporator 132.

As described above, if a plurality of compressors 101 are provided and the compressor 101 can be operated independently with respect to the plurality of evaporators 103, a plurality of boxes (for example, the first box 151 and the second box) are provided. 152), the cooling cycle unit 110 can be operated under optimum conditions. In particular, when a different cooling method is adopted, such as when the direct cooling method is adopted for the first box 151 and the indirect cooling method is adopted for the second box 152, the cooling cycle unit 110 is independently set. If it is operated, it can be operated under the optimum conditions for the cooling system. In addition, the degree of freedom in designing the cooling cycle unit 110 itself is improved, and it becomes possible to design the cooling cycle unit 110 with high energy efficiency. That is, it becomes possible to contribute to energy saving.

As described above, the second condenser 125 and the third condenser 126 are connected to the cooling cycle unit side of the first evaporator 131 that cools the refrigerating room, but an appropriate cooling cycle for the set temperature of the refrigerating room and the freezing room. When the design is taken into consideration, the cooling efficiency is improved by connecting the second condenser 125 and the third condenser 126 to the cooling cycle unit side of the second evaporator 132 that cools the freezer compartment having a temperature lower than that of the refrigerator compartment. Can do.

Alternatively, since the cooling cycle unit 110 is independent in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, the second condenser 125 is connected to the cooling cycle unit side of the first evaporator 131 that cools the refrigerator compartment, and the refrigerator compartment is cooled. By connecting the third condenser 126 to the cooling cycle unit side of the two evaporators 132, it is possible to perform piping processing to the left and right without connecting piping to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment arranged on the left and right. The length can be shortened, the raw material cost can be reduced, and the assembly workability can be improved.

In the first to third embodiments, the first evaporator 131, the second evaporator 132, the first condenser 124, the second condenser 125, the third condenser 126, the indirect cooling method, the direct cooling method, and the bypass. Cooling cycle unit 110 including pipe 105, cooling cycle unit 110 capable of selectively operating first evaporator 131 and second evaporator 132, cooling cycle unit 110 including a plurality of compressors 101, predetermined refrigerant, etc. However, these combinations are not limited to the above embodiment, and can be freely selected.

The present invention can be used for a refrigerator for home use or business use, and in particular, can be used for a refrigerator in which a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

Claims

A first box that is long in the vertical direction that has an opening on the front surface and forms a refrigerator compartment, a second box that is long in the vertical direction that has an opening on the front surface and forms a freezer compartment, and is adjacent to the left and right direction A refrigerator comprising a metal outer box that covers the first box and the second box to be arranged,
A compressor for compressing the refrigerant;
A condenser connected in series with the compressor and releasing the heat of the refrigerant;
An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, connected in series with the condenser, and provided on the back of the first box;
An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, connected in series with the first evaporator, and provided on the back of the second box;
A pipe directly connecting the condenser and the second evaporator;
A refrigerator comprising: a switching valve for selecting whether to supply the refrigerant from the condenser to the first evaporator or to supply the refrigerant directly from the condenser to the second evaporator.
The condenser is
A first condenser that directly exchanges heat with air;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a second condenser that is disposed between the first box and the outer box and exchanges heat with air through the outer box.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the second condenser is arranged in a meandering manner on the side of the first box.
The condenser further includes
The refrigerator of Claim 2 provided with the 3rd condenser arrange | positioned at the opening part of said 2nd box.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant is hydrocarbon-based.
further,
A first circulation device that cools air introduced from the inside of the first box by the first evaporator and leads the air to the inside of the first box;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a second circulation device that cools air introduced from the inside of the second box body by the second evaporator and guides the air to the inside of the second box body.
further,
A second circulation device that cools air introduced from the inside of the second box by the second evaporator and leads the air to the inside of the second box;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a front surface faces the inside of the first box and a back surface includes a cooling plate to which the first evaporator is attached in contact.