WO2018159151A1

WO2018159151A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2018159151A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/001785
Authority: WO
Inventors: 野口　明裕; 林　秀竹; 耕世西村
Original assignee: 東芝ライフスタイル株式会社
Priority date: 2017-03-03
Filing date: 2018-01-22
Publication date: 2018-09-07
Also published as: JP6955348B2; CN110226074A; JP2018146158A; TW201833497A; TWI658245B

Abstract

For cooling a refrigerator compartment 3 and a vegetable compartment 4 that are storage compartments in the same temperature zone and a small freezer compartment 6 and a freezer compartment 7 that are storage compartments in the same temperature zone, this refrigerator 100 uses a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators (first R cooler 110, second R cooler 111, first F cooler 112, and second F cooler 113) that have flat tubes in which a plurality of flow paths in which refrigerant flows are formed.

Description

refrigerator

Embodiment of this invention is related with a refrigerator.

Conventionally, in a refrigerator, a storage room is cooled by a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like. At this time, the evaporator may be provided, for example, in a duct on the back side of the storage chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2016-033449 A

Now, when the evaporator is arranged on the back side of the refrigerator as in Patent Document 1, the length of the installation space in the front-rear direction is shortened by vertically arranging the main body of the evaporator. In order to earn, a certain length is required in the vertical direction of the evaporator, so that the space occupied by the evaporator has been increased. As a result, in order to secure the depth of the storage room, a fan has to be arranged above or below the evaporator, and there is a large dead space on the back side, that is, a space that cannot be used as a storage room.

Therefore, a refrigerator capable of earning an effective internal volume that can be used as a storage room is provided.

The refrigerator of the embodiment uses a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators having a flat tube in which a plurality of channels through which a refrigerant flows are formed for cooling a storage room in the same temperature range.

The figure which shows typically the structure of the refrigerator of a 1st aspect. Schematic view of the appearance of the refrigerator for refrigeration (evaporator) Diagram showing the structure of a flat tube The figure which shows typically the arrangement | positioning aspect of the refrigerator for refrigeration The figure which shows typically the arrangement | positioning aspect of the refrigerator for refrigeration in a 2nd aspect 1 The figure which shows the arrangement | positioning aspect of the cooler for refrigeration typically 2 Figure 3 schematically showing the arrangement of the refrigeration cooler The figure which shows typically the arrangement | positioning aspect of the refrigerator for refrigeration 4 Figure 1 schematically showing another structure of a refrigerator for refrigeration Figure 2 schematically showing another structure of the refrigerator for refrigeration The figure which shows typically the installation place of the refrigerator for refrigeration in a 3rd aspect 1 Figure 2 schematically showing the location of the refrigerator for refrigeration Figure 3 schematically showing the location of the refrigerator for refrigeration The figure which shows typically the object for refrigeration in the multiple arrangement | positioning aspect 1 Figure 1 schematically showing the configuration of the refrigeration cycle Figure 2 schematically showing the configuration of the refrigeration cycle Figure 2 schematically showing refrigeration

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of simplification of explanation, first, the structure and characteristics of a multi-flow type evaporator as a first to third aspect and a refrigerator using the same will be described, and then a plurality of multi-flow type as a plurality of arrangement aspects. A specific example using an evaporator will be described.

<First aspect>
Hereinafter, the first aspect will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 has a plurality of storage chambers arranged side by side in a vertical direction in a heat insulating box 2 having a vertically long rectangular box shape with an open front. Specifically, in the heat insulation box 2, a refrigeration room 3 and a vegetable room 4 are provided as storage rooms in order from the top, and an ice making room 5 and a small freezer room 6 are provided side by side on the lower side. A freezer compartment 7 is provided below these. A known automatic ice making device 8 (see FIG. 1) is provided in the ice making chamber 5. The heat insulating box 2 is basically composed of a steel plate outer box 2a, a synthetic resin inner box 2b, and a heat insulating material 2c provided between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b. Yes.

The refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are both storage compartments in a refrigerated temperature zone (for example, 1 to 4 ° C.), and the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are partitioned vertically by a plastic partition wall 10. ing. As shown in FIG. 1, a hinged heat insulating door 3 a is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3. A drawer-type heat insulating door 4 a is provided on the front surface of the vegetable compartment 4. The lower case 11 which comprises a storage container is connected with the back surface part of the heat insulation door 4a. An upper case 12 that is smaller than the lower case 11 is provided at the rear of the upper portion of the lower case 11.

The inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is divided into a plurality of stages vertically by a plurality of shelf boards 13. A chilled chamber 14 is provided on the right side at the lowermost part (the upper part of the partition wall 10) in the refrigerator compartment 3, and egg cases and accessory cases are provided vertically on the left side thereof. A tank is provided. The water storage tank is for storing water to be supplied to the ice tray 8 a of the automatic ice making device 8. A chilled case 18 is provided in the chilled chamber 14 so that it can be taken in and out.

The ice making room 5, the small freezing room 6 and the freezing room 7 are all storage rooms in a freezing temperature zone (for example, −10 to −20 ° C.). Further, the vegetable compartment 4 and the ice making compartment 5 and the small freezer compartment 6 are vertically partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 19 as shown in FIG. A drawer-type heat insulating door 5 a is provided on the front surface of the ice making chamber 5. An ice storage container 20 is connected to the rear of the heat insulating door 5a. Although not shown, a drawer-type heat insulating door connected to a storage container is also provided on the front surface of the small freezer compartment 6. A drawer-type heat insulating door 7 a to which a storage container 22 is connected is also provided on the front surface of the freezer compartment 7.

The refrigerator 1 incorporates a refrigeration cycle that includes two coolers, a refrigeration cooler 24 and a refrigeration cooler 25, although not shown in detail. The refrigerating cooler 24 generates cold air for cooling the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4, and is provided on the back surface of the refrigerator 1. As will be described in detail later, the refrigeration cooler 24 is formed in a flat shape, and a flat tube 24c (see FIGS. 2 and 3) in which a plurality of channels through which a refrigerant flows is formed, and a flat tube 24c. The main body 24g (see FIG. 2) is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a header 24a (see FIG. 2) serving as a refrigerant inlet and a header 24b (see FIG. 2) serving as a refrigerant outlet. It is a multi-flow type evaporator (evaporator).

The freezer cooler 25 generates cold air for cooling the ice making room 5, the small freezer room 6, and the freezer room 7, and is provided at the back of the refrigerator 1 and below the refrigerating cooler 24. ing. A machine room 26 is provided on the lower back surface of the refrigerator 1. Although not shown in detail, this machine room 26 has a compressor 27, a condenser (not shown), and a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the compressor 27 and the condenser constituting the above-described refrigeration cycle. ), A defrosted water evaporating dish 28 and the like are provided. The refrigeration cooler 25 also employs a multiflow evaporator.

A control device 29 in which a microcomputer or the like for controlling the whole is mounted is provided near the lower rear portion of the refrigerator 1. Although not shown, the ground wire of the electric device provided in the refrigerator 1 is grounded via the outer box 2a or the like.

A freezer cooler room 30 is provided on the back of the freezer room 7 in the refrigerator 1. In the refrigeration cooler chamber 30, a refrigeration cooler 25, a defrost heater (not shown), a refrigeration blower fan 31 serving as a blowing means, and the like are provided. The refrigeration blower fan 31 circulates the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 25 by generating air by the blowing action caused by the rotation of the fan, and is provided above the refrigeration cooler 25. A cold air outlet 30a is provided in the middle part of the front surface of the freezer cooler chamber 30, and a return port 30b is provided in the lower part.

In this configuration, when the refrigeration blower fan 31 and the refrigeration cycle are driven, wind is generated by the air blowing action, and the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 25 is supplied from the cold air outlet 30a to the ice making chamber 5 and the small freezer compartment 6. Then, it is circulated in the freezer compartment 7 and returned to the freezer cooler compartment 30 from the return port 30b. Thereby, the ice making room 5, the small freezer room 6, and the freezer room 7 are cooled. A drainage basin 32 that receives defrost water when the refrigeration cooler 25 is defrosted is provided below the refrigeration cooler 25. The defrost water received by the drainage basin 32 is guided to the defrost water evaporating dish 28 provided in the machine room 26 and evaporated at the defrost water evaporating dish 28.

In the refrigerator 1, a refrigeration cooler 24, a cold air duct 34, a refrigeration blower fan 35 serving as a blowing means, and the like are provided behind the refrigeration room 3 and the vegetable room 4. That is, a refrigeration cooler chamber 36 that constitutes a part of the cold air duct 34 is provided behind the lowermost stage of the refrigeration chamber 3 in the refrigerator 1 (behind the chilled chamber 14). A refrigeration cooler 24 is provided therein. The cold air duct 34 forms a passage for supplying the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 24 to the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4. The refrigeration blower fan 35 circulates the cool air generated by the refrigeration cooler 24 by generating air by the blowing action caused by the rotation of the fan, and is provided below the refrigeration cooler 24.

A cold air supply duct 37 extending upward is provided above the refrigerating cooler chamber 36, and the upper end portion of the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 communicates with the lower end portion of the cold air supply duct 37. In this case, the cold air duct 34 is constituted by the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 and the cold air supply duct 37. The front wall 36 a of the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 bulges forward from the cold air supply duct 37. In addition, a heat insulating material 38 having heat insulation covering the front surface of the refrigeration cooler 24 is provided on the back side (the refrigeration cooler 24 side) of the front wall 36a. In front of the cold air supply duct 37, a plurality of cold air supply ports 39 that open into the refrigerator compartment 3 are provided.

A drainage basin 40 is provided in the lower part of the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 and below the refrigeration cooler 24. The drainage basin 40 receives defrosted water from the refrigeration cooler 24. The defrost water received by the drainage basin 40 is guided to the defrosting water evaporating dish 28 provided in the machine room 26 in the same manner as the defrosting water received by the drainage basin 32, and the defrosting water evaporating dish is provided. It is evaporated at 28. The left and right length dimensions and the front and rear depth dimensions of the drainage basin 40 are larger than the left and right length dimensions and the front and rear depth dimensions of the refrigeration cooler 24, and receive all the defrost water dripping from the refrigeration cooler 24. It is configured in the size that can be.

A ventilation duct 42 is provided behind the vegetable room 4. A refrigeration blower fan 35 serving as a blower is provided in the blower duct 42. The air duct 42 has a suction port 43 at its lower end, and communicates with the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 (cold air duct 34) so that the upper end of the air duct 42 bypasses the drain 40. The suction port 43 is open in the vegetable compartment 4. A plurality of communication ports communicating with the vegetable compartment 4 are formed at the left and right corners of the rear part of the partition wall 10 that constitutes the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 3.

In this configuration, when the refrigeration blower fan 35 is driven, wind is generated by the blowing action mainly as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. That is, the air in the vegetable compartment 4 is sucked into the refrigeration blower fan 35 side from the suction port 43 and blown out to the blower duct 42 side. The air blown to the air duct 42 side passes through the cold air duct 34, specifically, the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 and the cold air supply duct 37, and is blown out from the plurality of cold air supply ports 39 into the refrigerator compartment 3.

The air blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 is also supplied into the vegetable compartment 4 through the communication port 44 and is finally sucked into the refrigerator fan 35 for refrigerator. In this way, the wind is circulated by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower fan 35. When the refrigeration cycle is driven during the wind circulation process, the air passing through the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 is cooled by the refrigeration cooler 24 to become cold air, and the cold air is stored in the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4. , The refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are cooled to temperatures in the refrigerator temperature zone.

Further, a water storage container 56 constituting a water storage section is provided at the front part of the lower part in the refrigeration cooler chamber 36. The water storage container 56 is provided between the refrigeration cooler 24 and the drain 40 and below the water supply unit 53. And the front part of the water storage container 56 is attached to the front part wall 36a of the refrigerator room 36 for refrigeration, and is provided in the cantilever state which protrudes back. The water storage container 56 receives and stores defrost water dripped from the refrigeration cooler 24.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
First, the detailed structure of the refrigeration cooler 24 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, a header 24a serving as a refrigerant inlet, a header 24b serving as a refrigerant outlet, a flat tube 24c connecting the header 24a and the header 24b, and the flat tubes 24c are provided. An endothermic fin 24d formed in a wave shape with a metal material, provided on the inlet-side header 24a, provided on the inlet-side connecting portion 24e to which a refrigerant pipe (not shown) is connected, and provided on the outlet-side header 24b, The outlet side connection part 24f to which external piping (illustration omitted) is connected is provided. At this time, the main body 24g, which is a portion where the flat tube 24c is provided, has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

The header 24a and the header 24b are formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and the respective hollow portions (not shown) are in communication with each flat tube 24c. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the flat tube 24c has a flat outer shape and a plurality of flow paths 24h through which the refrigerant flows. And each hollow part of the header 24a and the header 24b is connected by each flow path 24h.

By providing a plurality of the flow paths 24h in this way, the contact area between the refrigerant and the flat tube 24c is increased as compared with the conventional type in which one large flow path is provided. Thereby, heat is efficiently transferred from the refrigerant to the flat tube 24c. Further, since the flat tubes 24c and the fins 24d are in contact, heat is efficiently transferred from the flat tubes 24c to the fins 24d. Since the fins 24d are formed in a wave shape, the contact area with air, that is, the heat exchange area can be further increased.

Thus, the multi-flow type refrigeration cooler 24 can efficiently exchange heat with air. For example, if the refrigeration cooler 24 has the same volume, it can be expected to have an endothermic effect that is two to three times that of a conventional fin tube type, while it is only required to obtain the same endothermic effect. The volume can be greatly reduced, such as being thin. Thereby, when arrange | positioning the refrigerator 24 for refrigeration on the back side of the refrigerator 1 like this aspect, the dead space on the back side, ie, the space which cannot be used as a storage room, can be reduced.

In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator 24 for refrigeration is arranged such that the inlet-side header 24a is on the lower side and the outlet-side header 24b is on the upper side. In other words, the refrigeration cooler 24 is disposed such that the main body 24g, which is a portion where the flat tube 24c is disposed, is perpendicular to the installation surface of the refrigerator 1, and the flat tube 24c is also disposed on the installation surface. It is arrange | positioned so that it may become perpendicular | vertical to. The term “perpendicular” here is not limited to a state of 90 degrees with respect to the installation surface, but includes a state that can be regarded as being substantially vertical, for example, a state that is slightly inclined.

The refrigerant flowing into the refrigeration cooler 24 flows into the refrigeration cooler 24 in a liquid state from the inlet side connection portion 24e as indicated by an arrow F, and evaporates in the refrigeration cooler 24 to become a gas state. After that, the gas mainly flows out from the upper outlet side connection portion 24f. At this time, since the refrigerant in the liquid state flows down due to gravity, the refrigerant moves by installing the refrigerant at the lower side and installing the outlet at the upper side as schematically shown in FIG. Can be made smooth and efficient heat exchange can be performed. 4B schematically shows a state where the refrigeration cooler 24 shown in FIG. 4A is viewed from the left side in the figure.

Now, when the refrigerating cycle 24 is operated, the refrigeration cooler 24 decreases in temperature and generates frost. Since this frost reduces the heat exchange performance, a defrosting process for removing the frost is performed, for example, at regular intervals. In this defrosting process, the attached frost is melted and discharged downward as defrosted water. Therefore, the flow of the defrost water can be promoted by arranging the main body 24g of the refrigeration cooler 24 vertically as in this embodiment. Furthermore, by arranging the flat tube 24c so as to be vertical, the defrost water is easily transmitted through the flat tube 24c, and can further promote the flow down.

According to the refrigerator 1 demonstrated above, the following effects can be acquired.
The refrigerator 1 performs heat exchange of the refrigeration cycle using a multi-flow type refrigeration cooler 24 (evaporator) having a flat tube 24c in which a plurality of flow paths 24h through which refrigerant flows are formed.

The multi-flow type refrigeration cooler 24 has a high heat exchange performance as described above, and the volume can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional fin tube type if the performance is the same. Further, since the thickness can be reduced, the degree of freedom of the arrangement location is also improved. Therefore, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the cooler 24 for refrigeration can be raised, and the effective internal volume, ie, the internal space which can be utilized for a storage room, can be earned.

Moreover, the flow of the defrost water can be promoted by arranging the main body 24g of the refrigeration cooler 24 vertically. In this case, by arranging the flat tubes 24c so as to be vertical, the defrost water is easily transmitted through the flat tubes 24c, and the flow of the defrost water can be further promoted.

Moreover, when it has two evaporators, the refrigeration cooler 24 and the refrigeration cooler 25 as in this embodiment, the refrigeration cooler 24 can be defrosted every cycle for each operation cycle. . The refrigerating cooler 24 is cooled if the refrigerant is flowing, while the internal temperature of the refrigerating chamber 3 is 0 ° C. or higher. Therefore, if the refrigerant is not flowing, the refrigerating fan 35 is kept running. Eva can be warmed and defrosted.

At this time, since the heat capacity of the multi-flow type refrigeration cooler 24 becomes smaller, the defrosting time is shorter than that of the conventional fin tube type, and an efficient operation can be achieved, thereby saving power. it can.

Further, since the inlet side connecting portion 24e and the outlet side connecting portion 24f are provided substantially in parallel with the main body portion 24g, the length (thickness) in the front-rear direction of the refrigeration cooler 24 can be reduced, and the storage chamber Can be increased.

Further, the same effect as that of the refrigeration cooler 24 can be obtained for the refrigeration cooler 25.
<Second aspect>
Hereinafter, the second mode will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second aspect, another example of the arrangement and structure of the refrigeration cooler 24 will be described.

As described above, since the defrost water flows down on the lower side of the refrigeration cooler 24, if the refrigeration blower fan 35 is disposed in the range (flow area (Rx, see FIG. 7)), the defrost treatment is performed. When it is performed, there is a possibility that the defrost water is applied to the refrigeration blower fan 35.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, when arranged in the refrigeration cooler chamber 36, the fan 60 for sending air to the refrigeration cooler 24 is arranged at a position substantially parallel to the refrigeration cooler 24. It is possible to do. The fan 60 may be the refrigeration blower fan 35.

Thereby, it is possible to prevent the defrost water flowing down due to gravity from being applied to the fan 60. Note that the multi-flow type refrigeration cooler 24 can be thinned as described above, and therefore can be provided with the fan 60 in the refrigeration cooler chamber 36.

In this case, since a water storage container 56 (see FIG. 1) is provided on the lower side of the refrigeration cooler 24, the space on the lower side of the refrigeration cooler 24 by the water storage container 56 is partially on the inside of the refrigerator. It is in a blocked state. When the fan 60 is rotated in this state, the air flow is first sucked into the fan 60 from the lower side as indicated by an arrow B, and then passes upward through the refrigeration cooler 24. Go.

That is, the fan 60 is arranged on the upstream side of the wind flow, that is, on the windward side with respect to the refrigeration cooler 24. Thereby, even if the frost generated in the refrigeration cooler 24 is scattered or evaporated, it is possible to prevent moisture from being applied to the fan 60.

Alternatively, when arranged in the cold air duct 34 as shown in FIG. 6, the fan 60 can be arranged above the refrigeration cooler 24. Thereby, it can prevent that defrost water applies to the fan 60. FIG. In this case, although the air sucked from the lower side passes through the refrigeration cooler 24 as indicated by an arrow B, it is considered that the scattered water droplets move downward due to gravity. The risk of 60 is reduced.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, even if it is below the refrigeration cooler 24, the defrost water flow area (Rx), that is, a position that is substantially out of the range immediately below the refrigeration cooler 24. It is considered that defrost water can be prevented from being applied to the fan 60. At this time, the fan 60 may be disposed on the side opposite to the wind direction when passing through the refrigeration cooler 24 with respect to the refrigeration cooler 24.

In the case of FIG. 7, the direction of the wind when passing through the refrigeration cooler 24 is leftward in the figure, and therefore, the fan 60 may be positioned on the right side of the refrigeration cooler 24 in the figure. Thereby, even if the frost adhering to the surface of the refrigeration cooler 24 is blown off by the wind, the risk of being applied to the fan 60 can be reduced.

As described above, the refrigeration cooler 24 can be disposed at an arbitrary position as long as it is outside the flow area of the defrost water. Therefore, for example, in FIG. 6, if there is a space in the horizontal direction in the figure, the fan 60 can be disposed obliquely above the refrigeration cooler 24.

Moreover, the refrigerator 24 for refrigeration can be arrange | positioned horizontally with respect to the installation surface of the refrigerator 1, as shown in FIG. Here, the term “horizontal” includes a state that can be regarded as being almost horizontal, for example, a state that is slightly inclined.

¡By arranging horizontally in this way, the required space in the height direction can be reduced. Moreover, since it can arrange | position along a ceiling or can arrange | position to a heat insulation partition part, the volume in a store | warehouse | chamber can be increased.

In this case, it is possible to prevent the defrost water from being applied to the fan 60 by disposing the fan 60 above the refrigeration cooler 24. Further, by making the main body portion 24g large to increase the surface area, the main body portion 24g can be thinned to improve the degree of freedom of installation and reduce the required space.

Further, in FIG. 8, the wind direction is upward, that is, the direction from the refrigeration cooler 24 toward the fan 60, but the frost peeled off from the refrigeration cooler 24 moves downward due to gravity, so the wind direction is a problem. Never become. In addition, it becomes possible to further suppress the frost peeled from the refrigeration cooler 24 from adhering to the fan 60 by making the wind direction downward, that is, the direction from the fan 60 toward the refrigeration cooler 24.

So far, the so-called parallel type has been described as the refrigeration cooler 24, but the refrigeration cooler 24 can adopt a meandering type as shown in FIG. The meandering refrigeration cooler 24 has a configuration in which the refrigerant is connected from the inlet to the outlet while folding one flat tube 24c. The flat tube 24c is provided with a header 24a on the refrigerant inlet side and a header 24b on the refrigerant outlet side. A fin 24d is provided between the folded flat tubes 24c.

Even in such a meandering refrigeration cooler 24, the heat exchange performance is high and the same performance as in the parallel type shown in the first aspect, compared to the conventional fin tube type. Thus, the volume can be greatly reduced and the thickness can be reduced, so that the degree of freedom of the arrangement location is also improved, so that an effective internal volume usable as a storage room can be earned.

By the way, as described above, the refrigeration cooler 24 flows in the liquid state refrigerant and flows out in the gaseous state. At this time, there may be a so-called liquid back in which the refrigerant that cannot be evaporated flows out in a liquid state.

Therefore, in the parallel refrigeration cooler 24 schematically shown in FIG. 10 (a) and the meandering refrigeration cooler 24 schematically shown in FIG. 10 (b), the volume of the header 24b on the outlet side is It is formed larger than the volume of the header 24a on the inlet side. FIG. 10 schematically shows a difference in volume due to a difference in diameter between the header 24a and the header 24b.

Thereby, the header 24b on the outlet side functions like an accumulator, and the possibility that the refrigerant circulates in the liquid state on the rear stage side of the refrigeration cooler 24 can be reduced. If a sufficient volume can be secured, accumulator-less operation can be achieved.

Further, the same effect as that of the refrigeration cooler 24 can be obtained for the refrigeration cooler 25.
<Third aspect>
Hereinafter, the third aspect will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. In the third aspect, another example of the installation location of the refrigeration cooler 24 will be described.

Although the example which has arrange | positioned the refrigeration cooler 24 behind the chilled chamber 14 in the refrigerator compartment 3 in the 1st aspect was shown, the refrigerator 24 for refrigeration can also be arrange | positioned in another place.
For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the refrigeration cooler 24 can be disposed inside the refrigerator 1 on the ceiling side and the back side (hereinafter referred to as the upper back side for convenience). The upper back side of the refrigerator 1 is a place that is relatively difficult to reach when putting food into and out of the refrigerator compartment 3 depending on the size of the refrigerator 1. Further, since the multi-flow type refrigeration cooler 24 is downsized as described above, the required space is also reduced.

Therefore, by securing a space for the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 on the upper back side and arranging the refrigeration cooler 24 there, it is possible to effectively utilize a place that is relatively difficult to reach. Further, since the space for the refrigeration cooler chamber 36 is not required on the rear side of the chilled chamber 14, the chilled chamber 14 can be enlarged.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the refrigeration cooler 24 and the refrigeration blower fan 35 are provided side by side (see FIG. 5) and arranged on the upper back side, so that an empty space is provided behind the vegetable compartment 4 in this embodiment. Therefore, the vegetable compartment 4 can also be enlarged.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 13, when the refrigeration cooler 24 and the refrigeration blower fan 35 are provided side by side (see FIG. 5) and arranged behind the chilled chamber 14, the vegetable compartment 4 may be enlarged. it can.
Thus, by adopting a multi-flow type as the refrigeration cooler 24, not only the refrigeration cooler 24 but also the refrigeration blower fan 35 can be arranged and the degree of freedom is improved. Thereby, the effective internal volume which can be used as a storage room can be earned, such as being able to effectively utilize the upper back side where it is difficult to put in and out food. Further, the same effect as that of the refrigeration cooler 24 can be obtained for the refrigeration cooler 25.

<Multiple arrangement mode>
First, the background of the multiple arrangement mode will be described. Conventionally, when cooling storage rooms in different temperature zones, the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 7 are cooled by separate coolers. However, in recent years, a plurality of the same temperature range such as the refrigeration room 3, the vegetable room 4 or the chilled room 14, which are in the same temperature range, the ice making room 5, the small freezer room 6 or the freezer room 7 in the same temperature range, etc. An increasing number of stores are equipped.

When there are a plurality of storage chambers in the same temperature range as described above, the cooling with a single cooler requires the cold air duct to be routed, and the internal volume that can be used as the storage chamber decreases accordingly. In addition, when a plurality of coolers are used for a storage room in the same temperature range, the conventional finned-tube type cooler has a certain size, so that the internal volume is also reduced. End up.

Therefore, in the multiple arrangement mode, a plurality of multiflow evaporators having a flat tube 24c (see FIG. 2 and the like) in which a plurality of flow paths through which a refrigerant flows are formed are used for cooling the storage chamber in the same temperature range. Yes. A specific configuration example in which a plurality of multiflow evaporators are provided will be described below.

FIG. 14 schematically shows the refrigerator 100 of this aspect. In the refrigerator 100, the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided on the uppermost side, the ice making chamber 5 and the small freezer compartment 6 are provided side by side on the lower side, the vegetable compartment 4 is provided below these, and the freezer is placed on the lower side. A chamber 7 is provided. Here, the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are storage compartments in a refrigerated temperature zone, that is, roughly the same temperature zone, and the ice making chamber 5, the small freezer compartment 6 and the freezer compartment 7 are storage compartments in a freezing temperature zone. In other words, it is a storage room of almost the same temperature range.

That is, in the case of the refrigerator 100, the ice making room 5 and the small freezer room 6 in different temperature zones are arranged between the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 in the same temperature zone. The refrigerator 100 includes a first R cooler 110 for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3, a second R cooler 111 for cooling the vegetable compartment 4, the first ice cooling for cooling the ice making chamber 5 and the small freezer compartment 6. And a second F cooler 113 for cooling the freezer compartment 7. Further, the storage rooms are partitioned by a heat insulating partition 101.

As described above, the multi-flow type evaporator can be expected to have a heat absorption effect of 2 to 3 times as long as the volume is the same as that of the conventional fin tube type, while it is only required to obtain the same endothermic effect as the conventional one. If it is, it will become possible to reduce in size and thickness, and a required installation space can be reduced significantly. Therefore, by using a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators for the storage chamber in the same temperature range, it is possible to suppress a large decrease in the internal volume. That is, the multiflow type cooler (evaporator) can be reduced in thickness and size as compared with the conventional fin tube type cooler.

Moreover, since it is not necessary to connect between the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 etc. with a cold air duct, for example, it is not necessary to route a cold air duct and it can prevent that a warehouse volume falls.
Further, the first R cooler 110, the second R cooler 111, the first F cooler 112, and the second F cooler 113 are provided with blower fans 120 to 122, respectively. Thereby, the heat exchange in each cooler can be promoted, and the endothermic effect can be improved.

Here, a connection mode of the first R cooler 110, the second R cooler 111, the first F cooler 112, and the second F cooler 113 will be described.
First, FIG. 15 schematically shows a connection mode when the coolers are connected in series. In this case, the first R cooler 110 and the second R cooler 111 are connected to the upstream side in the path through which the refrigerant for the refrigeration temperature zone switched by the switching valve 104 configured by, for example, a three-way valve flows. The second R cooler 111 is connected to the downstream side.

Similarly, the first F cooler 112 and the second F cooler 113 are connected to the upstream side of the first F cooler 112 in the path through which the refrigerant for the refrigeration temperature zone switched by the switching valve 104 flows. A 2F cooler 113 is connected. These coolers constitute a refrigeration cycle 105 together with the compressor 27 and the condenser 103.

Thus, by connecting the coolers in series, a configuration for individually switching the flow of the refrigerant to each cooler becomes unnecessary, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed.
In addition, when the storage chambers of the same temperature range are arranged in a plurality of positions that are not adjacent to each other as in this aspect, that is, storage chambers of different temperature zones are provided between the storage chambers of the same temperature range. In this case, by cooling the separate storage chambers with a plurality of coolers, it is not necessary to draw a large cooling duct, and a reduction in the internal volume can be greatly suppressed.

On the other hand, FIG. 16 schematically shows a connection mode when the coolers are connected in parallel. In this case, for example, the path through which the refrigerant flows by the switching valve 104 including a five-way valve or a plurality of three-way valves is the first R cooler 110, the second R cooler 111, the first F cooler 112, and the second F cooler 113. Can be switched individually.

In this way, by connecting the coolers in parallel, the refrigerant flow to each cooler can be individually switched, and each cooler can be operated at an appropriate evaporation temperature, saving energy. Can be promoted.

Also, each cooler cools a separate storage room. When the storage room of the same temperature zone is cooled with a single cooler as in the prior art, for example, when the refrigerator compartment 3 is cooled, the vegetable compartment 4 is inevitably cooled. Therefore, although the vegetable compartment 4 may be cooled even if the vegetable compartment 4 is not opened and closed, for example, the doors of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be cooled by cooling separate storage compartments with individual coolers. Even when the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is increased by opening and closing, only the refrigerator compartment 3 can be cooled. That is, each storage room can be individually maintained at an appropriate temperature. Moreover, since the compact cooler is used, the influence on the internal volume can be kept small.

Moreover, the structure of the storage room of the refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 14 is an example. For example, in FIG. 14, the order of the vegetable room 4 and the freezing room 7 is changed, and the refrigerator room 3 is arranged at the top and the vegetable room 4 is arranged at the bottom. It can also be set as the structure which arranged. In that case, the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 which are arranged apart from each other are cooled by separate coolers, and the ice making compartment 5, the small freezer compartment 6 and the freezer compartment 7 which are arranged adjacent to each other are one. It can also be set as the structure cooled with a cooler.

That is, even if the storage room in the same temperature range is any of the refrigeration room 3 in the refrigeration temperature range, the vegetable room 4 or the chilled room 14, or a combination thereof, the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range can be efficiently cooled. It can be carried out. Similarly, it is possible to efficiently cool the storage room in the freezing temperature zone even if any of the ice making room 5 in the freezing temperature zone, the small freezing room 6 or the freezing room 7 or a combination thereof as the storage room in the same temperature zone. Can be done automatically. Moreover, even if it is a case where the ice making room 5 and the small freezer compartment 6 are not provided, the structure illustrated by this aspect is applicable.

As shown in FIG. 17, when the chilled chamber 14 is provided in the refrigerated chamber 3, a third R cooler 114 is provided in the chilled chamber 14, and the refrigerated chamber 3, the vegetable chamber 4, and the chilled chamber 14 are provided. Each can be individually cooled. In this case, for example, by enabling the user to set the temperature of the chilled chamber 14, food can be stored in a more appropriate temperature range, and convenience can be improved. That is, it can be set as the structure which provides 3 or more of storage rooms of the same temperature range.

(Other embodiments)
In the embodiment, the multi-flow type evaporator having the

headers

24a and 24b has been exemplified. However, the external pipe can be directly connected to the flat tube 24c without using the header 24a or the like.

The direction in which the inlet side connection part 24e and the outlet side connection part 24f extend is not limited to the direction illustrated in the embodiment. For example, in the case of the arrangement of the refrigeration cooler 24 as shown in the first mode or FIG. 8, the inlet side connecting portion 24e and the outlet side connecting portion 24f are arranged in the vertical direction, that is, in the direction extending in the thickness direction of the fan 60. can do. Thereby, space saving can be achieved by arranging the fan 60 within the range of the length of the inlet side connection part 24e and the outlet side connection part 24f.

Each embodiment is presented as an example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This aspect and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

Refrigerator characterized by using a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators having a flat tube in which a plurality of flow paths through which a refrigerant flows are formed for cooling a storage room in the same temperature range.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a blower fan is provided in the evaporator.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of evaporators are connected in parallel to a refrigerant flow path.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of evaporators are connected in series to a refrigerant flow path.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of evaporators cool different storage chambers.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the storage chambers in the same temperature zone are provided and are arranged at positions not adjacent to each other in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the storage room is any one of a refrigeration room in a refrigeration temperature zone, a vegetable room, a chilled room, or a combination thereof.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the storage room is either a freezing room or an ice making room in a freezing temperature zone, or a combination thereof.