Cooling chamber

Abstract

To provide a cooling chamber in which a filter for dust collection is mounted on the upstream side in a ventilation direction of a condenser comprising a microchannel heat exchanger, and which can surely restrict the movement of the filter arranged in a support structure in six directions of frontward / backward, upward / downward and leftward / rightward directions while achieving simplification of the support structure of the filter.SOLUTION: A support structure 54 of a filter 48 is constituted of, by utilizing components of a unit base 17 and a condenser 15, an upper surface of the unit base 17 positioned in front of the condenser 15 and supporting a lower end of the filter 48, an upper support body 55 provided on an upper end front side of the condenser 15 and supporting an upper end edge of the filter 48, a lower support body 56 fixed to the unit base 17 positioned in front of the condenser 15 and supporting a lower end front surface of the filter 48, a tube group 27 of the condenser 15 for supporting a rear surface of the filter 48, and front end edges of left and right headers 21, 22 of the condenser 15 for supporting left and right edges of the filter 48.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling cabinet such as a refrigerated showcase or a commercial refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] It is a well-known technique in the field of refrigerators to provide a filter on the upstream side of the condenser constituting the refrigeration cycle in the ventilation direction to prevent adhesion of dust and the like to the heat exchanger. Generally, this type of filter is fixed adjacent to the condenser with the six directions, front-back, up-down, and left-right, held in position. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the front-back and top-down edges of the filter are held by filter support pieces and filter locking devices provided on the top and bottom of the front surface of the condenser, and the left and right edges of the filter are held by a pair of left and right guard plates. The condenser in Patent Document 1 is composed of a fin-tube type heat exchanger composed of a group of fins made of thin plates, a refrigerant tube that is repeatedly inverted and bent to pass through the group of fins in the thickness direction, and a pair of left and right side plates that support the refrigerant tube. The guard plates that hold the left and right edges of the filter are integrally provided on the side plates that constitute the condenser. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-25866 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to miniaturize the refrigerator, the inventors of the present invention have considered adopting a microchannel heat exchanger as a condenser, which is more compact than a fin-tube heat exchanger but has the same heat exchange efficiency. However, such a microchannel heat exchanger is composed of a pair of left and right headers and a number of tubes connecting these headers, and does not have a side plate for installing a guard plate for holding the left and right edges of the filter. For this reason, it is impossible to apply the support structure of the filter described in Patent Document 1 to a microchannel heat exchanger. In order to solve this problem, if a dedicated member for installing a guard plate instead of a side plate is separately provided, the support structure around the condenser will inevitably become complicated. There is also a disadvantage that the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator will increase by the amount of the dedicated member. On the other hand, if the regulating members located on the left and right are eliminated, the filter will be able to move left and right, and there is a risk that the filter will move inadvertently within the support structure or that the filter will come off from the support structure, and the reliability of the support structure will inevitably decrease.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a cooling cabinet in which a microchannel heat exchanger is used as a condenser and a dust collection filter is attached upstream of the condenser in the air flow direction, which enables the filter support structure to be simplified while reliably restricting movement of the filter arranged within the support structure in six directions, i.e., front to back, up to down, and left to right. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooling cabinet of the present invention comprises a condenser 15 made of a microchannel heat exchanger, a unit base 17 disposed below the condenser 15 to which the condenser 15 is fixed, a cooling fan 16 provided behind the condenser 15 and generating a cooling air flow passing through the condenser 15 in the front-rear direction, a rectangular filter 48 disposed in front of the condenser 15 on the upstream side in the ventilation direction and collecting dust and the like contained in the cooling air, and a support structure 54 formed in front of the condenser 15 to house and support the filter 48. The condenser 15 comprises a pair of left and right headers 21 and 22 formed of hollow cylinders extending in the vertical direction, and a tube group 27 consisting of a number of tubes 23 arranged side by side in the vertical direction connecting the headers 21 and 22, with the front end edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 protruding forward of the tube group 27. The support structure 54 is characterized in that it is composed of an upper surface of the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the lower end of the filter 48, an upper support 55 located on the front side of the upper end of the condenser 15 and supporting the upper edge of the filter 48, a lower support 56 fixed to the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the front surface of the lower end of the filter 48, a group of tubes 27 of the condenser 15 supporting the rear surface of the filter 48, and front edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 of the condenser 15 supporting the left and right edges of the filter 48.

[0007] An air guide frame 37 is formed behind the condenser 15, forming a duct 36 extending in the front-rear direction. The air guide frame 37 includes a pair of left and right side walls 38 and 39 extending upward from the unit base 17, a top wall 40 connecting the upper ends of the side walls 38 and 39, and a rear wall 41 closing a rear opening of the duct 36 defined by the pair of side walls 38 and 39, the top wall 40, and the unit base 17. The rear wall 41 includes an exhaust port 43 penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the cooling fan 16, which is an axial fan, is provided facing the exhaust port 43. Ventilation gaps 45 are formed between the left header 21 and the left side wall 38, and between the right header 22 and the right side wall 39.

[0008] In a plan view, the condenser 15 and the air guide frame 37 are disposed front to back with the left and right central axis of the condenser 15 coinciding with the left and right central axis of the air guide frame 37. When the center-to-center dimension of the left and right headers 21 and 22 is defined as W1, the inside dimension of the left and right headers 21 and 22 is defined as W2, and the facing dimension of the left and right side walls 38 and 39 is defined as W3, it is preferable that the facing dimension W3 is the same as or larger than the inside dimension W2, and the facing dimension W3 is the same as or smaller than the center-to-center dimension W1.

[0009] The upper support 55 includes a horizontal first support wall 57 that restricts upward movement of the filter 48, and a second support wall 58 that is connected downward from the front end of the first support wall 57 and restricts forward movement of the filter 48. The top wall 40 of the air guide frame 37 extends above the condenser 15, and the first support wall 57 and the second support wall 58 are integrally formed at the front end of the top wall 40. Effect of the Invention

[0010] In the present invention, the support structure 54 for housing and supporting the filter 48 is constituted by the upper surface of the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the lower end of the filter 48, the upper support 55 provided at the front of the upper end of the condenser 15 and supporting the upper edge of the filter 48, the lower support 56 fixed to the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the front surface of the lower end of the filter 48, the tube group 27 of the condenser 15 supporting the rear surface of the filter 48, and the front edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 of the condenser 15 supporting the left and right edges of the filter 48. According to this, the support structure 54 is constituted by the unit base 17, and the tube group 27 and the left and right headers 21 and 22 which are components of the condenser 15, and therefore a dedicated member for supporting the filter 48 is not required, and the support structure 54 can be simplified. This can also contribute to reducing the cost of the refrigerator. Furthermore, the tubes 23 that make up the tube group 27, or the left and right headers 21 and 22, have a flow path for pressurized refrigerant formed therein, and therefore have sufficient resistance to bending and distortion to be able to serve as elements of the support structure 54.

[0011] When the filter 48 is housed in the support structure 54, the forward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the upper support 55 and the lower support 56, and the rearward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the tube group 27. The downward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the unit base 17, and the upward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the upper support 55. Furthermore, the left-right movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the front end edges of the headers 21 and 22. As described above, according to the present invention, the movement of the filter 48 in six directions, namely, front-back, up-down, and left-right, can be reliably restricted while simplifying the support structure 54, so that the filter 48 will not inadvertently become displaced within the support structure 54. Therefore, according to the present invention, a support structure 54 with excellent reliability can be obtained.

[0012] Behind the condenser 15, an air guide frame 37 is formed which forms a duct 36 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The air guide frame 37 has a pair of left and right side walls 38 / 39 extending upward from the unit base 17, a top wall 40 connecting the upper ends of the side walls 38 / 39, and a rear wall 41 which closes the rear opening of the duct 36 defined by the pair of side walls 38 / 39, the top wall 40, and the unit base 17. The rear wall 41 has an exhaust port 43. When a cooling fan 16 consisting of an axial fan is provided facing the exhaust port 43, the negative pressure generated by the operation of the cooling fan 16 is applied to the condenser 15 via the duct 36, so that a cooling air flow passing through the condenser 15 in the front-to-rear direction can be appropriately formed, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 15.

[0013] If ventilation gaps 45 are formed between the left header 21 and the left side wall 38 and between the right header 22 and the right side wall 39, even if the filter 48 becomes clogged with collected dust and the like, increasing ventilation resistance and preventing sufficient cooling air from passing through the filter 48, the air around the condenser 15 can be taken into the duct 36 through the left and right ventilation gaps 45. When the air around the condenser 15 passes through the ventilation gaps 45, heat exchange occurs between the air passing through the ventilation gaps 45 and each of the headers 21 and 22. Therefore, even if the flow rate of the cooling air passing through the tube group 27 decreases due to clogging of the filter 48, heat exchange can be performed in each of the headers 21 and 22 to condense the refrigerant. By taking in the air around the condenser 15 into the duct 36 through the ventilation gap 45, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the flow speed of the air blown out rearward from the cooling fan 16, thereby preventing a short cycle in which the straightness of the air flow downstream of the cooling fan 16 is impaired and the air immediately after being blown out from the cooling fan 16 flows around to the condenser 15 side.

[0014] When the condenser 15 and the air guide frame 37 are arranged front to back in a state in which the left-right central axis of the condenser 15 and the left-right central axis of the air guide frame 37 coincide with each other in a plan view, if the opposing dimension W3 of the left and right side walls 38, 39 is formed to be the same as or larger than the inside dimension W2 of the left and right headers 21, 22, the front opening of the duct 36 can be made to face the entire left-right side of the tube group 27, so that the negative pressure generated by driving the cooling fan 16 can be applied to the entire left-right side of the tube group 27. This forms a cooling airflow across the entire left-right side of the tube group 27, improving the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 15.

[0015] On the other hand, if the opposing dimension W3 of the left and right side walls 38, 39 is formed to be the same as or smaller than the center-to-center dimension W1 of the left and right headers 21, 22, the front opening of the duct 36 can be located inside the left and right width of the condenser 15, thereby preventing air from flowing directly into the duct 36 from the left and right outsides of the condenser 15, and increasing the flow rate of cooling air passing through the tube group 27, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 15. In addition, when the air around the condenser 15 reaches the duct 36 through the ventilation gap 45, the air around the condenser 15 can flow into the duct 36 after going around the outer half and part of the inner half in the rear half of each header 21, 22, thereby expanding the area in which the air passing through the ventilation gap 45 can exchange heat with each header 21, 22, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency in each header 21, 22.

[0016] The upper support 55 has a horizontal first support wall 57 that restricts the upward movement of the filter 48, and a second support wall 58 that is connected downwardly from the front end of the first support wall 57 and restricts the forward movement of the filter 48. If the top wall 40 of the air guide frame 37 is extended above the condenser 15 and the first support wall 57 and the second support wall 58 are integrally formed at the front end of the top wall 40, the number of parts installed around the condenser 15 can be reduced, and the support structure 54 for the filter 48 can be further simplified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of a support structure for a filter of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing the entire cooling box. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a support structure for the filter. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the arrangement of a condenser and an air guide frame. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] (Embodiment) Fig. 1 to Fig. 7 show an embodiment in which the cooling box of the present invention is applied to a refrigerated open showcase. In this embodiment, front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. In Fig. 2, the refrigerated open showcase (hereinafter, simply referred to as "showcase") comprises a case body 1 made of a heat-insulating box body with an opening on the front side, and a base 2 supporting the bottom surface of the case body 1. The interior surrounded by the case body 1 is divided into a display room 4 and a circulation passage 5 by an inner case 3 that is U-shaped when viewed from the side. In the display room 4 that opens to the front, display shelves 6 for placing products such as food and beverages to be displayed are installed in multiple levels up and down.

[0019] The circulation passage 5 is formed in a U-shape in a side view so as to surround the display room 4 from three sides. The circulation passage 5 is provided with a circulation fan 7 for forming an air flow in the passage 5 and an evaporator 8 for cooling the air flowing through the passage 5. A downward air outlet 9 is provided at the upper front end of the circulation passage 5, and an upward air inlet 10 is provided at the lower front end of the passage 5. When the circulation fan 7 is driven, the cold air cooled by the evaporator 8 is blown downward from the air outlet 9 to the air inlet 10, forming an air curtain of cold air in front of the display room 4. This air curtain blocks the intrusion of outside air into the display room 4. The air in the display room 4 is also cooled.

[0020] In the machine room 13 formed in the base 2, a compressor 14 and a condenser 15 that constitute a refrigeration cycle together with the evaporator 8, and a cooling fan 16 that generates an air flow for cooling both of them (the compressor 14 and the condenser 15) are installed. These devices are housed in the machine room 13 in the order of the condenser 15, the cooling fan 16, and the compressor 14, fixed to the upper surface of a square plate-shaped unit base 17 from the front side to the rear side. A machine room panel 18 is attached to the front side of the machine room 13 in a detachable manner to the base 2, and the front side of the machine room 13 can be opened by separating the machine room panel 18 from the base 2, and the front side of the machine room 13 can be closed by attaching the machine room panel 18 to the base 2. An intake hole for taking in air into the machine room 13 is formed in the machine room panel 18, and an exhaust hole for discharging air from the machine room 13 is formed in the partition wall on the rear side of the machine room 13.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the condenser 15 is a microchannel heat exchanger including a pair of left and right headers (left header 21 and right header 22) extending in the vertical direction, a number of tubes 23 extending horizontally connecting the headers 21 and 22, and heat dissipation fins 24 arranged between the tubes 23 adjacent to each other. As shown in Fig. 3, each tube 23 is formed in a flat shape with a small vertical wall thickness. An upper frame 25 is installed between the upper ends of the left and right headers 21 and 22, and a lower frame 26 is installed between the lower ends of the left and right headers 21 and 22, and the condenser 15 is reinforced by these upper and lower frames 25 and 26. In Fig. 3, reference numeral 27 denotes a tube group 27 consisting of a number of tubes 23 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction between the upper and lower frames 25 and 26. The front ends of the tube group 27 and the front ends of the upper and lower frames 25 and 26 are arranged on the same vertical plane. Similarly, the rear end of tube group 27 and the rear ends of upper and lower frames 25 and 26 are arranged on the same vertical plane. Inside each tube 23, a large number of channels 28 (refrigerant flow paths) with a diameter of several millimeters or less, where the effects of surface tension become apparent, are formed in parallel in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 4, each fin 24 is curved in a wave shape and abuts against the upper and lower tubes 23 and 23.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, the left and right headers 21 and 22 are formed in a hollow cylindrical shape. As shown in Fig. 4, the right header 22 is divided into an upper upstream section and a lower downstream section by a partition 29 disposed below the center. An inlet pipe 30 that receives high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14 is connected to the upstream section of the right header 22, and an outlet pipe 31 that discharges liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser 15 is connected to the downstream section of the right header 22. The refrigerant that flows from the inlet pipe 30 into the upstream section of the right header 22 flows through the channels 28 of the tubes 23 that connect the upstream section of the right header 22 and the left header 21 to the left header 21, and the refrigerant that flows into the left header 21 flows through the channels 28 of the tubes 23 that connect the downstream section of the left header 21 and the right header 22 to the downstream section of the right header 22. The refrigerant is condensed while passing from the upstream portion of the right header 22 to the downstream portion of the right header 22, and the condensed refrigerant is discharged from the outlet pipe 31.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5, the outer dimensions of the left and right headers 21 and 22, which are hollow cylindrical, are formed to be the same. On the other hand, the width dimension of the tube 23 in the front-rear direction is formed to be smaller than the outer dimensions of the left and right headers 21 and 22. In addition to this dimensional relationship, the centers of the left and right headers 21 and 22 are arranged on the central axis of the tube 23 in the front-rear direction in a plan view, so that the front end edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 protrude forward from the tube group 27, and the rear end edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 protrude rearward from the tube group 27. In addition, the width dimension of the fins 24 in the front-rear direction is formed to be smaller than the width dimension of the tube 23 in the front-rear direction. The condenser 15 thus configured is fixed onto the unit base 17 by fastening a pair of left and right fixing pieces 32 fixed to the lower surface of the lower frame 26 to the unit base 17 with screws 33 (see FIG. 3).

[0024] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, an air guide frame 37 is formed behind the condenser 15 to form a duct 36 extending in the front-rear direction. The air guide frame 37 includes a pair of side walls (a left side wall 38 and a right side wall 39) extending upward from the unit base 17, a top wall 40 connecting the upper ends of the side walls 38, 39, a rear wall 41 closing a rear opening of the duct 36 defined by the walls 38, 39, 40 and the unit base 17, and a fixed wall 42 formed by projecting from the lower ends of the walls 38, 39, 40 along the upper surface of the unit base 17. An exhaust port 43 of the duct 36 consisting of a round hole is formed in the rear wall 41 so as to penetrate from the front to the rear, and the cooling fan 16 is fixed to the rear wall 41 facing the exhaust port 43. The left and right side walls 38, 39 are arranged in parallel, and the top wall 40 extends forward beyond the both side walls 38, 39 to above the condenser 15. The air guide frame 37 is formed integrally with an upper support 55, which will be described later, by cutting out a metal plate material into a shape developed on a plane and bending it.

[0025] The air guide frame 37 is fixed on the unit base 17 by fastening each fixed wall 42 to the unit base 17 with a screw 44, and further fastening the front end of the top wall 40 to the upper frame 25 of the condenser 15 with a screw 44. The air guide frame 37 fixed to the unit base 17 and the condenser 15 has a front opening of the duct 36 directly facing the rear surface of the condenser 15. As shown in FIG. 5, the condenser 15 and the air guide frame 37 are disposed in the front and rear with ventilation gaps 45 formed between the front edge of the left header 21 and the left side wall 38, and between the front edge of the right header 22 and the right side wall 39. The front and rear widths of each ventilation gap 45 are uniform in the vertical direction.

[0026] The cooling fan 16 is an axial flow fan, and when the cooling fan 16 is driven, a backward cooling airflow is generated. This airflow passes through the tube group 27 in the front-rear direction to cool the condenser 15, and then flows into the inside of the duct 36 through the front opening. The airflow is then blown out rearward from the cooling fan 16 through the exhaust port 43, and reaches the compressor 14 to cool it. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a rectangular filter 48 for collecting dust and other particles contained in the cooling air is attached to the front of the condenser 15, and the filter 48 prevents dust and other particles from sticking between the upper and lower tubes 23 and 23. The filter 48 is composed of a lattice-shaped filter frame 49 and a breathable collection net 50 whose shape is maintained by the filter frame 49. A tab 51 for holding the filter 48 with fingers when attaching or removing the filter 48 is provided on the lower front of the filter frame 49 and protrudes forward.

[0027] The filter 48 is housed and supported by a support structure 54 formed in front of the condenser 15. Specifically, the support structure 54 is composed of an upper surface of the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the lower end of the filter 48, an upper support 55 provided on the front side of the upper end of the condenser 15 and supporting the upper edge of the filter 48, a lower support 56 fixed to the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the front surface of the lower end of the filter 48, the tube group 27 of the condenser 15 supporting the rear surface of the filter 48, and front edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 of the condenser 15 supporting the left and right edges of the filter 48.

[0028] When the filter 48 is housed in the support structure 54, the upper and lower front surfaces of the filter 48 are received by the upper support body 55 and the lower support body 56, and the rear surface of the filter 48 is received by the tube group 27. The upper surface of the filter 48 is received by the upper support body 55, and the lower surface of the filter 48 is received by the unit base 17. Furthermore, the left and right surfaces of the filter 48 are received by the front end edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22. Note that the tubes 23 constituting the tube group 27 or the left and right headers 21 and 22 have flow paths formed therein for the pressurized refrigerant, and therefore have sufficient resistance to bending and distortion to be elements of the support structure 54.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 6, the upper support body 55 includes a horizontal first support wall 57 that is continuous with the top wall 40 of the air guide frame 37, and a second support wall 58 that is connected downward from the front end of the first support wall 57. The upper surface of the filter frame 49 of the filter 48 is received by the inner surface of the first support wall 57, and the upper front surface of the filter frame 49 is received by the inner surface of the second support wall 58, so that upward and forward movement of the filter 48 with respect to the condenser 15 is restricted. The first and second support walls 57, 58 are formed integrally with the top wall 40 (air guide frame 37), and the portion that is continuous with the top wall 40 and extends forward from the upper frame 25 is the first support wall 57. The second support wall 58 is formed as an inclined wall that slopes downward toward the front.

[0030] The upper frame 25 of the condenser 15, the first support wall 57, and the second support wall 58 form an insertion groove 59 that opens downward, and when the filter 48 is attached to the front surface of the condenser 15, the upper frame part of the filter frame 49 is inserted into the insertion groove 59. The groove width in the front-rear direction of the groove bottom part of the insertion groove 59 is approximately equal to the thickness dimension of the filter frame 49, and the groove width in the front-rear direction gradually increases toward the lower opening part. The vertical height dimension between the lower surface of the first support wall 57 and the upper surface of the unit base 17 is set to be slightly larger than the vertical height dimension of the filter frame 49. Note that slight gaps are formed between the filter 48 and the first support wall 57, and between the filter 48 and the second support wall 58 due to the shape of the insertion groove 59.

[0031] 7, the lower support 56 is formed to protrude from the upper surface of the unit base 17, and in this embodiment, the lower support 56 is composed of the operating head of a screw screwed into the unit base 17. The front surface of the lower part of the filter frame 49 of the filter 48 is received by the rear end of the lower support 56, so that the filter 48 is restricted from moving forward relative to the condenser 15. The distance between the rear end of the lower support 56 and the front end portion of the tube group 27 is approximately the same as the thickness dimension of the filter frame 49.

[0032] When the cooling fan 16 is driven, the front opening of the duct 36 faces the rear surface of the condenser 15, so that the negative pressure generated by the cooling fan 16 acts on the condenser 15, i.e., the tube group 27, through the duct 36. At this time, when the amount of dust collected by the collection net 50 is small and the airflow resistance of the filter 48 is relatively small, the cooling airflow generated by the cooling fan 16 passes through the filter 48 and the tube group 27 and flows into the duct 36, and the amount of the air around the condenser 15 that flows into the duct 36 from the ventilation gap 45 is relatively small. However, as more dust is collected by the collection net 50 and the airflow resistance of the filter 48 increases, the proportion of the air around the condenser 15 that flows into the duct 36 from the ventilation gap 45 increases. At this time, the air around the condenser 15 passing through the ventilation gap 45 flows into the duct 36 along each of the headers 21 and 22, so that heat exchange takes place between the air passing through the ventilation gap 45 and each of the headers 21 and 22.

[0033] The condenser 15 and the air guide frame 37 are disposed in front and behind each other with the left-right central axis of the condenser 15 coinciding with the left-right central axis of the air guide frame 37 in a plan view. In Fig. 5, when the center-to-center dimension of the left and right headers 21 and 22 is defined as W1, the inside dimension of the left and right headers 21 and 22 is defined as W2, and the facing dimension of the left and right side walls 38 and 39 is defined as W3, it is preferable that the facing dimension W3 is the same as or larger than the inside dimension W2. It is also preferable that the facing dimension W3 is the same as or smaller than the center-to-center dimension W1.

[0034] In this embodiment, the opposing dimension W3 of the left and right side walls 38 and 39 is made larger than the inside dimension W2 of the left and right headers 21 and 22, so that the front opening of the duct 36 faces the entire tube group 27 in the left-right direction. This allows the negative pressure generated by the driving of the cooling fan 16 to act on the entire tube group 27 in the left-right direction. In addition, the opposing dimension W3 of the left and right side walls 38 and 39 is made smaller than the center-to-center dimension W1 of the left and right headers 21 and 22, so that the left side wall 38 is disposed on the right side of the center of the left header 21 in a plan view, and the right side wall 39 is disposed on the left side of the center of the right header 22 (see FIG. 5). This allows the air around the condenser 15 that reaches the inside of the duct 36 through the ventilation gap 45 to flow around parts of the outer half and inner half of the rear half of each header 21 and 22 before flowing into the duct 36.

[0035] When the filter 48 is accommodated in the support structure 54, first, the knob 51 is pinched with the fingers, and the upper frame portion of the filter frame 49 (the upper edge of the filter 48) is inserted into the insertion groove 59 from the front side of the condenser 15 all the way to the back of the groove. Next, the lower end of the filter 48 is swung backward using the upper frame portion of the filter frame 49 inserted into the insertion groove 59 as a fulcrum, and the filter frame 49 is brought into close contact with the tube group 27. Finally, the entire filter 48 is moved downward, and the lower frame portion of the filter frame 49 (the lower edge of the filter 48) is engaged between the tube group 27 and the lower support 56 (see imaginary lines in Figs. 6 and 7). This allows the filter 48 to be accommodated and supported by the support structure 54.

[0036] When removing filter 48 housed and supported by support structure 54, first, grip tab 51 with fingers and lift entire filter 48 upward to release it from engagement by lower support body 56. Next, swing the lower end of filter 48 forward, using the upper frame portion of filter frame 49 inserted into insertion groove 59 as a fulcrum. Finally, filter 48 can be removed from support structure 54 by pulling the upper frame portion of filter frame 49 out of insertion groove 59.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, the support structure 54 for housing and supporting the filter 48 is composed of the upper surface of the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the lower end of the filter 48, the upper support 55 provided on the front side of the upper end of the condenser 15 and supporting the upper edge of the filter 48, the lower support 56 fixed to the unit base 17 located forward of the condenser 15 and supporting the front surface of the lower end of the filter 48, the tube group 27 of the condenser 15 supporting the rear surface of the filter 48, and the front edges of the left and right headers 21 and 22 of the condenser 15 supporting the left and right edges of the filter 48. According to this, the support structure 54 is composed of the unit base 17 and the tube group 27 and the left and right headers 21 and 22 which are components of the condenser 15, and therefore it is possible to eliminate a dedicated member for supporting the filter 48 and simplify the support structure 54. This also contributes to reducing the cost of the showcase.

[0038] According to the above-mentioned structure, when the filter 48 is housed in the support structure 54, the forward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the upper support 55 and the lower support 56, and the rearward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the tube group 27. The downward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the unit base 17, and the upward movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the upper support 55. Furthermore, the left-right movement of the filter 48 is restricted by the front end edges of the headers 21 and 22. As described above, according to this embodiment, the movement of the filter 48 in six directions, namely, front-back, up-down, and left-right, can be reliably restricted while simplifying the support structure 54, so that the filter 48 will not be inadvertently displaced within the support structure 54. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a support structure 54 for the filter 48 with excellent reliability can be obtained.

[0039] The rear wall 41 is provided with an exhaust port 43 of a duct 36 extending in the front-to-rear direction formed by an air guide frame 37, and a cooling fan 16 consisting of an axial fan is provided facing the exhaust port 43. Therefore, the negative pressure generated by driving the cooling fan 16 is applied to the condenser 15 via the duct 36, appropriately forming a cooling air flow passing through the condenser 15 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 15.

[0040] Since ventilation gaps 45 are formed between the left header 21 and the left side wall 38, and between the right header 22 and the right side wall 39, even if the filter 48 becomes clogged with collected dust or the like, increasing ventilation resistance and preventing sufficient cooling air from passing through the filter 48, the air around the condenser 15 can be taken into the duct 36 through the left and right ventilation gaps 45. When the air around the condenser 15 passes through the ventilation gaps 45, heat exchange occurs between the air passing through the ventilation gaps 45 and the headers 21 and 22. Therefore, even if the flow rate of cooling air passing through the tube group 27 decreases due to clogging of the filter 48, heat exchange can be performed in the headers 21 and 22 to condense the refrigerant. By taking in the air around the condenser 15 into the duct 36 through the ventilation gap 45, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the flow speed of the air blown out rearward from the cooling fan 16, thereby preventing a short cycle in which the straightness of the air flow downstream of the cooling fan 16 is impaired and the air immediately after being blown out from the cooling fan 16 flows around to the condenser 15 side.

[0041] The condenser 15 and the air guide frame 37 are disposed in front and behind each other in a state in which the left-right central axis of the condenser 15 and the left-right central axis of the air guide frame 37 coincide with each other in a plan view, and the opposing dimension W3 of the left and right side walls 38, 39 is formed to be larger than the inside dimension W2 of the left and right headers 21, 22, so that the front opening of the duct 36 faces the entire left-right side of the tube group 27, and negative pressure generated by driving the cooling fan 16 can be applied to the entire left-right side of the tube group 27. As a result, a cooling airflow is formed across the entire left-right side of the tube group 27, and the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 15 can be improved.

[0042] Meanwhile, since the opposing dimension W3 of the left and right side walls 38 and 39 is smaller than the center-to-center dimension W1 of the left and right headers 21 and 22, the front opening of the duct 36 can be located inside the left and right width of the condenser 15. This prevents air from flowing directly into the duct 36 from the left and right outsides of the condenser 15, and increases the flow rate of cooling air passing through the tube group 27, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 15. In addition, when the air around the condenser 15 reaches the duct 36 through the ventilation gap 45, the air can flow into the duct 36 after going around the outer half and part of the inner half in the rear half of each header 21 and 22. This expands the area in which the air passing through the ventilation gap 45 can exchange heat with each header 21 and 22, improving the heat exchange efficiency in each header 21 and 22.

[0043] The upper support 55 comprises a horizontal first support wall 57 that restricts the upward movement of the filter 48, and a second support wall 58 that is connected downwardly to the front end of the first support wall 57 and restricts the forward movement of the filter 48. The top wall 40 of the air guide frame 37 is extended above the condenser 15, and the first support wall 57 and the second support wall 58 are integrally formed at the front end of the top wall 40. This reduces the number of parts installed around the condenser 15 and makes it possible to further simplify the support structure 54 for the filter 48.

[0044] The condenser 15, the first support wall 57, and the second support wall 58 form an insertion groove 59 that opens downward, and the second support wall 58 is formed as an inclined wall that slopes downward toward the front. Therefore, the groove width in the front-to-rear direction of the opening portion of the insertion groove 59, which is the starting point for inserting the filter 48, is made larger than the groove bottom portion, facilitating the insertion and removal of the filter 48 into the insertion groove 59.

[0045] The configuration of the condenser 15 is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the headers 21 and 22 are configured as cylindrical bodies with circular cross sections, but the cross section of each of the headers 21 and 22 may be elliptical or polygonal. The present invention can also be applied to reach-in type showcases, vertical or horizontal commercial refrigerators, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 15 Condenser 16 Cooling fan 17 Unit Base 21 Left Header 22 Right Header 23 Tube 27 Tube Group 36 Duct 37 Wind guide frame 38 Left side wall 39 Right side wall 40 Ceiling Wall 41 Back wall 43 Exhaust port 45 Ventilation gap 48 Filters 54 Support structure 55 Upper support 56 Lower support 57 1st support wall 58 Second support wall W1 Center-to-center dimension of left and right headers W2 Inside dimensions of left and right headers W3: Dimensions of the opposing left and right side walls

Claims

1. A condenser (15) consisting of a microchannel heat exchanger; a unit base (17) disposed below the condenser (15) and to which the condenser (15) is fixed; a cooling fan (16) provided behind the condenser (15) and generating a cooling air flow passing through the condenser (15) in the front-rear direction; a rectangular filter (48) disposed in front of the condenser (15) on the upstream side in the air flow direction and configured to collect dust and the like contained in the cooling air; a support structure (54) formed in front of the condenser (15) for housing and supporting the filter (48); Equipped with The condenser (15) includes a pair of left and right headers (21, 22) formed of hollow cylinders extending in the vertical direction, and a tube group (27) that connects the headers (21, 22) and is composed of a number of tubes (23) arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the front end edges of the left and right headers (21, 22) protrude forward of the tube group (27), A cooling cabinet characterized in that the support structure (54) is composed of an upper surface of a unit base (17) located forward of the condenser (15) and supporting a lower end of a filter (48), an upper support (55) provided on the front side of the upper end of the condenser (15) and supporting an upper edge of the filter (48), a lower support (56) fixed to the unit base (17) located forward of the condenser (15) and supporting a front surface of the lower end of the filter (48), a group of tubes (27) of the condenser (15) supporting a rear surface of the filter (48), and front edges of left and right headers (21, 22) of the condenser (15) supporting the left and right edges of the filter (48).

2. A wind guide frame (37) is formed behind the condenser (15) to form a duct (36) extending in the front-rear direction. The air guide frame (37) includes a pair of left and right side walls (38, 39) extending upward from the unit base (17), a top wall (40) connecting upper ends of the side walls (38, 39) to each other, and a rear wall (41) closing a rear opening of a duct (36) defined by the pair of side walls (38, 39), the top wall (40), and the unit base (17), The rear wall (41) has an exhaust port (43) penetrating from the front to the rear, and a cooling fan (16) consisting of an axial flow fan is provided facing the exhaust port (43).

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein ventilation gaps (45) are formed between the left header (21) and the left side wall (38), and between the right header (22) and the right side wall (39).

3. The condenser (15) and the air guide frame (37) are disposed in front and behind each other in a state in which the left-right central axis of the condenser (15) coincides with the left-right central axis of the air guide frame (37) in a plan view. When the center-to-center dimension of the left and right headers (21, 22) is defined as (W1), the inside dimension of the left and right headers (21, 22) is defined as (W2), and the facing dimension of the left and right side walls (38, 39) is defined as (W3), 3. A refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the facing dimension (W3) is the same as or larger than the inside dimension (W2), and the facing dimension (W3) is the same as or smaller than the center-to-center dimension (W1).

4. The upper support (55) includes a horizontal first support wall (57) that restricts upward movement of the filter (48) and a second support wall (58) that is connected downward from the front end of the first support wall (57) and restricts forward movement of the filter (48), 3. The cooling box according to claim 2, wherein the top wall (40) of the air guide frame (37) is extended to above the condenser (15), and a first support wall (57) and a second support wall (58) are integrally formed at the front end of the top wall (40).

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