Refrigerator

Abstract

There is disclosed a refrigerator in which a refrigerant circuit on a high-pressure side is operated in a supercritical state, and an object of the refrigerator is to improve a freezing capacity while securely preventing dew condensation at an opening edge by a condenser. In the refrigerator including the refrigerant circuit constituted of a compressor, the condenser, a throttle means and an evaporator; and a dew condensation preventive pipe constituting a part of the condenser and disposed along the opening edge of an insulation box member, the refrigerant circuit on the high-pressure side is operated in the supercritical state, and the dew condensation preventive pipe is positioned on an upstream side of a refrigerant downstream region of the condenser.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a refrigerator in which a dew condensation preventive pipe constituting a part of a condenser (or gas cooler or condensing heat exchanger or gas cooling heat exchanger) of a refrigerant circuit is disposed along an opening edge of an insulation box member in order to prevent dew condensation of a main body. The present invention more particularly relates to a refrigerator in which a refrigerant circuit on a high-pressure side is operated in a supercritical state.[0002]Heretofore, in this type of refrigerator, an insulation box member is constituted of a metallic outer box, an inner box made of a hard synthetic resin and an insulation material foamed and filled between both the boxes. In the inner box, a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are constituted so as to freeze or refrigerate and store food and the like in the inner box. An insulation door is disposed on a front surface of this insulation box member,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The present invention has been developed to solve the problem of such a conventional technology, and an object is to improve a freezing capability while securely preventing dew condensation along an opening edge by a condenser in a refrigerator in which a refrigerant circuit on a high-pressure side is operated in a supercritical state.

[0012]According to the first invention, in the refrigerator comprising: the refrigerant circuit constituted of the compressor, the condenser, the throttle means and the evaporator and operated on the high-pressure side in the supercritical state; and the dew condensation preventive pipe constituting a part of the condenser and disposed along the opening edge of the insulation box member, the condenser includes at least the first condenser and the second condenser, and the dew condensation preventive pipe is positioned between the first condenser and the second condenser. Therefore, while a temperature at an outlet of the dew condensation preventive pipe is set to a value sufficient for preventing dew condensation along the opening edge, a temperature of the refrigerant in a refrigerant downstream region can sufficiently be lowered.

[0013]In consequence, a refrigerant temperature at an outlet of the condenser can be lowered to a value sufficient for securing a freezing capacity. While the dew condensation along the opening edge is prevented, the freezing capacity can be improved.

[0014]Moreover, in the present invention, since the dew condensation preventive pipe is disposed between the first condenser and the second condenser, a temperature of the dew condensation preventive pipe sometimes rises more than necessary during pull-down or the like. However, in a case where the refrigerator further comprises: the bypass pipe connected in parallel with the dew condensation preventive pipe; and the channel control unit which controls whether to pass the refrigerant through the dew condensation preventive pipe or the bypass pipe as in the second invention, when the temperature of the dew condensation preventive pipe rises more than necessary, the refrigerant can be passed through the bypass pipe to prevent an excessive temperature rise of the dew condensation preventive pipe.

[0015]In consequence, a disadvantage can be avoided in advance that owing to the excessive temperature rise of the dew condensation preventive pipe, a feeling of discomfort is given to a user or the user gets burnt when touching the pipe. Moreover, safety can be secured.

Problems solved by technology

In this case, a disadvantage occurs that a moisture in the air is attached, that is, so-called dew condensation is generated.

However, a disadvantage occurs that a cooling performance deteriorates or power consumption increases owing to the heat of the heater.

In addition, in recent years, such a refrigerator cannot use a heretofore used chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigerant owing to a problem of global environment destruction.

Therefore, the temperature of the refrigerant drops owing to the hat rejection.

Therefore, the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser cannot be lowered to a value sufficient for securing a freezing capability, and specific enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator also increases.

In consequence, a problem has occurred that the freezing capability of the evaporator remarkably deteriorates, and the cooling in the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber is obstructed.

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