refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of efficiently draining defrosting water generated in a fan casing of a blower fan.SOLUTION: A refrigerator is provided with at least a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, and a cooling chamber where an evaporator is installed on the back face side of the first storage chamber, and includes: a partition wall partitioning the refrigerator to the first storage chamber and the cooling chamber; a blower fan disposed on the back face side of the first storage chamber; an almost spirally formed fan casing disposed around the outer periphery of the blower fan and guiding the air blown out from the bower fan; and a heater for defrosting the cooling chamber. The partition wall includes: a first partition board disposed on the front face of the cooling chamber; and a second partition board disposed on the back face of the first storage chamber. The blower fan and the fan casing are fixed to the first partition board. A drainage hole is formed at the lower edge of the fan casing in the first partition board, and a drainage path is provided below the drainage hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to refrigerators. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator having a refrigerator body having an outer box and an inner box, a refrigerator compartment provided at the top of the refrigerator body, a vegetable compartment provided at the bottom of the refrigerator body, a freezer compartment provided between the vegetable compartment and the refrigerator compartment, a storage compartment rear member provided at the back of the freezer compartment, a cooler cover provided behind the storage compartment rear member, a cooler compartment provided between the cooler cover and the inner box, a cooler provided in the cooler compartment, a defrost heater provided below the cooler, and a freezer compartment return port provided at the bottom of the storage compartment rear member and communicating between the freezer compartment and the cooler compartment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-060188 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a refrigerator capable of efficiently draining defrost water generated within a fan casing of a blower fan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The refrigerator of the present disclosure comprises at least a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, and a cooling chamber in which an evaporator is installed is formed on the rear side of the first storage chamber, and comprises a partition wall separating the first storage chamber and the cooling chamber, a blower fan arranged on the rear side of the first storage chamber, a fan casing arranged on the outer periphery of the blower fan and formed in a generally spiral shape to guide air blown out from the blower fan, and a heater to defrost the cooling chamber, and the partition wall comprises a first partition plate arranged on the front side of the cooling chamber and a second partition plate arranged on the rear side of the first storage chamber, and the blower fan and the fan casing are fixed to the first partition plate, a drain hole is formed in the lower edge of the fan casing in the first partition plate, and a drain path is provided below the drain hole. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In the refrigerator according to the present disclosure, defrost water generated in the fan casing of the blower fan can be drained to the outside of the fan casing through the drain hole. Therefore, the defrost water generated in the fan casing of the blower fan can be drained more efficiently than in a refrigerator without the drain hole. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a main part showing a cooling chamber and a duct in the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a blower fan portion according to the first embodiment, together with the surrounding configuration, as viewed from the cooling chamber side. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a blower fan portion in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a blower fan portion according to the first embodiment, seen from the cooling chamber side. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front view of a blower fan portion according to the first embodiment, seen from the freezer compartment side. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a rear view showing the first partition plate in the first embodiment, as viewed from the cooling chamber side; [Figure 8]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first partition plate and a blower fan according to a first embodiment, as viewed from a cooling chamber side; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first partition plate and a second partition plate portion according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the cooling chamber side; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first partition plate and a second partition plate portion according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the freezer compartment side; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first partition plate according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the rear side; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the movement of warm air and the movement of defrost water in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a front view of a fan casing according to another embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] (The knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors came up with the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there was technology available that had a refrigerator compartment, a vegetable compartment, and a freezer compartment, each compartment connected to a cooler compartment by a duct, and cold air generated from the cooler compartment was sent to the refrigerator compartment, the vegetable compartment, and the freezer compartment.

[0009] In the prior art, the blower fan in a refrigerator is generally an axial flow fan, and the fan casing is entirely open on both sides in the axial direction. However, when a blower fan is used, the fan casing tends to have a structure that surrounds the periphery of the blower fan. Therefore, the inventors discovered a problem that defrost water tends to accumulate in the fan casing when the blower fan is defrosted, and have come to form the subject of the present disclosure in order to solve this problem. In view of the above, the present disclosure provides a refrigerator capable of efficiently draining defrost water generated inside a fan casing of a blower fan.

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, in some cases, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or duplicate explanations of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. [1-1. Configuration] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator in a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a cooling chamber and a duct. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing a blower fan portion together with a peripheral configuration from the cooling chamber side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the blower fan portion. FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the blower fan portion from the cooling chamber side. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the blower fan portion from the freezer chamber side. FIG. 7 is a rear view showing the first partition plate from the cooling chamber side. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the first partition plate and the blower fan from the cooling chamber side. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the first partition plate and the second partition plate portion from the cooling chamber side. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the first partition plate and the second partition plate portion from the freezer chamber side. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the first partition plate from the rear side. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the movement of warm air and the movement of defrost water.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, refrigerator 10 has a box-shaped housing 11 with an open front. A refrigerating chamber 12 with a temperature of about 2°C to 4°C is formed in the upper part of housing 11 as a second storage chamber, and a freezer chamber 13 with a temperature of about -18°C is formed in the lower part of housing 11 as a first storage chamber. A low-temperature chamber 60 with a temperature of about -5°C to 1°C is formed between refrigerating chamber 12 and freezer chamber 13 as a third storage chamber. In the refrigerator 10, a side-opening door 14 is provided at the opening on the front side of the refrigeration compartment 12 so as to be able to open and close freely. A side-opening door 61 is provided at the opening on the front side of the freezer compartment 13 so as to be able to open and close freely, and a drawer case 15 for storing food is provided inside. In addition, a drawer door 62 is provided at the opening on the front side of the low-temperature compartment 60 so as to be able to open and close freely, and a drawer case 63 which is linked to the opening and closing of the drawer door 62 is provided.

[0013] 2 to 10, a cooling compartment 20 is provided on the rear side of the freezer compartment 13 of the refrigerator 10. A duct 21, which is located on the rear side of the refrigeration compartment 12 and communicates in the vertical direction, is connected above the cooling compartment 20. The duct 21 is provided with a refrigeration air outlet (not shown) communicating with the refrigeration compartment 12 . A heat insulating wall 64 is provided between the freezing chamber 13 and the low temperature chamber 60. A cold air passage 64a that connects the cooling chamber 20 and the duct 21 is formed in the heat insulating wall 64. This allows the cold air generated in the cooling chamber 20 to be introduced into the duct 21 via the cold air passage 64a.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cold air passage 64a is provided with a twin damper 65 for adjusting the amount of cold air flowing into the refrigeration compartment 12 and the low-temperature compartment 60. As shown in FIG. 2, the twin damper 65 includes a low temperature room damper 65a as a third storage room damper and a refrigerator room damper 65b as a first storage room damper, which are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right width direction of the refrigerator 10. The low temperature room damper 65a and the refrigerator room damper 65b are controlled according to the respective indoor temperatures of the low temperature room 60 and the refrigerator room 12, and independently perform opening and closing operations of the dampers to adjust the amount of cold air to the low temperature room 60 and the refrigerator room 12.

[0015] A first partition plate 30 is provided on the front side of the cooling compartment 20. A second partition plate is provided on the rear side of the freezing compartment 13. A cold air passage 41 is formed between the first partition plate 30 and the second partition plate 40. An inclined surface 31 is formed on the upper part of the first partition plate 30, inclined so as to move upward and away from the second partition plate 40. A blower fan 32 is attached to the rear side of the inclined surface 31.

[0016] The blower fan 32 is classified as a type of blower fan. Blower fans also include axial fans. In general, axial fans have rotating blades attached to the center of a frame, sucking in air from the front of the rotating blades and blowing it out the rear. Conventional refrigerators often use axial fans to circulate cool air.

[0017] In contrast, blower fan 32 includes fan unit 34 with rotating blades 33 and fan casing 35 that covers rotating blades 33, and is configured to draw air in from the front of rotating blades 33 and blow it out the side (corresponding to the upper side in FIG. 5) of rotating blades 33. Fan casing 35 is formed into a casing shaped along an involute curve based on center of rotation C1 of rotating blades 33, in other words, formed into a substantially spiral casing.

[0018] As the rotating blades 33 rotate, the wind flows radially from the center of rotation C1 and along the inner surface of the fan casing 35, causing the wind to blow out from an opening provided on the side of the fan casing 35 (corresponding to the second opening 36 provided at the top in this embodiment). In general, the blower fan 32 can easily obtain a higher static pressure than an axial fan of a similar size. Also, the number of rotating blades 33 of the blower fan 32 is generally greater than the number of rotating blades of an axial fan, which also makes it easier to obtain a high static pressure.

[0019] 3 and 5, the fan casing 35 is formed in a generally spiral shape in which the distance from the center of rotation C1 gradually increases in the clockwise direction. A second opening 36 communicating with the lower end of the cold air passage 64a is formed in the uppermost part of the fan casing 35. A cold air intake 37 for taking in cold air from the cooling chamber 20 into the fan unit 34 is formed in the central part of the fan casing 35 facing the rotation shaft of the blower fan 32.

[0020] The fan casing 35 has a connection portion 70 which spreads out from the upper portion toward both sides of the fan casing 35 and is connected to the cool air passage 64a via the second opening portion 36. The airflow generated by the fan unit 34 is blown outward mainly from the outer downstream side of the fan casing 35 to the connection portion 70 due to centrifugal force.

[0021] The refrigerator compartment damper 65b is disposed at a position corresponding to the second opening 36 in the tangential direction of the downstream side of the fan casing 35 and the connection part 70. The low temperature compartment damper 65a is disposed at a position corresponding to the second opening 36 in the direction along the connection part 70 located on the downstream side of the airflow. That is, part of the airflow blown out from the fan casing 35 flows toward the low-temperature room damper 65a due to centrifugal force, and the amount of airflow to the low-temperature room damper 65a can be secured. Also, since the refrigerator room damper 65b is disposed in the tangential direction at the point from the outer downstream side to the connection part 70, part of the airflow that flows from the downstream side of the fan casing 35 toward the outside of the fan casing 35 due to centrifugal force can be guided in the tangential direction, and the amount of airflow in the direction of the refrigerator room damper 65b can be secured.

[0022] This prevents the airflow from flowing biased toward the low-temperature chamber damper 65a above the second opening 36 along the fan casing 35 when the airflow through the fan casing 35 is blown out from the second opening 36, and ensures the flow rate of cold air to the refrigerator chamber damper 65b. Also, by arranging the low-temperature chamber damper 65a, which adjusts the amount of cold air to the low-temperature chamber, which is at a lower temperature than the refrigerator chamber, in a position corresponding to the second opening 36 in the tangential direction of the fan casing 35, the amount of airflow can be ensured, and cooling to an appropriate temperature can be efficiently achieved.

[0023] By driving the fan unit 34 to rotate the rotary vanes 33, the cold air in the cooling chamber 20 is sucked into the fan unit 34 through the cold air intake 37 of the fan casing 35, and is blown out from the outer periphery of the fan unit 34 into the inside of the fan casing 35. The cold air blown out into the inside of the fan casing 35 is guided along the fan casing 35, and sent to the duct 21 from the second opening 36 via the cold air passage 64a.

[0024] An evaporator 22 is installed below the blower fan 32 of the cooling compartment 20. A compressor 23 is disposed in the upper rear portion of the refrigerator compartment 12. The compressor 23, a condenser (not shown), an expansion mechanism, and the evaporator 22 are connected by refrigerant piping to form a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant is discharged from the compressor 23, cooled to a predetermined temperature, and heat exchanged between the evaporator 22 and the air inside the cooling chamber 20, generating cold air inside the cooling chamber 20.

[0025] A substantially arc-shaped first opening 38 is formed in the first partition plate 30 at a position corresponding to the fan casing 35, along with the fan casing 35. In the present embodiment, three first openings 38 are formed. The three first openings are, from the upstream side of the airflow by the blower fan 32, an upstream first opening 38a, a midstream first opening 38b, and a downstream first opening 38c, respectively. The opening areas of the first upstream opening 38a, the first midstream opening 38b, and the first downstream opening 38c are formed so that the opening width gradually increases from the upstream side to the downstream side of the airflow. Also, the opening areas of the first upstream opening 38a, the first midstream opening 38b, and the first downstream opening 38c are formed so that the opening width gradually increases from the upstream side. This ensures efficient cooling by ensuring the amount of airflow to freezer compartment 13. Note that as long as the amount of airflow can be ensured, at least only upstream first opening 38a may be gradually enlarged.

[0026] A fan mounting portion 39 for mounting the fan unit 34 to the first partition plate 30 is defined between the upstream first opening 38a, the midstream first opening 38b, and the downstream first opening 38c. Each of the fan mounting portions 39 of the first partition plate 30 is formed with a recess 39a. Three fan support portions 34a are formed at approximately equal intervals on the outer periphery of the fan unit 34 to support the fan unit 34. The fan support portions 34a are approximately circular support portions that support the fan unit 34 at three points, and are configured with vibration-isolating rubber. The fan support portion 34a of the fan unit 34 is inserted into the recess 39a and fixed with a screw 66. The fan support portion 34a may be press-fitted into the recess 39a and fixed without using a screw.

[0027] In this case, by attaching the blower fan 32 to the inclined surface 31 of the first partition plate 30, the rotation axis of the blower fan 32 is arranged at an incline. This causes the blower fan 32 to blow cool air upward from the first opening 38, making it easier for the cool air to convect.

[0028] Further, a molded heat insulating material 50 made of, for example, polystyrene foam or the like is provided on the second partition plate 40 in close contact therewith. Similar to the first partition plate 30, three discharge ports 42, 51 are formed in the second partition plate 40 and the molded insulation material 50 at positions corresponding to the first opening 38 of the first partition plate 30. The discharge ports 42, 51 are arranged so that at least a portion of each of them overlaps with the upstream first opening 38a, the midstream first opening 38b, and the downstream first opening 38c in a front view. Further, below the discharge ports 42, 51 of the second partition plate 40 and the molded thermal insulating material 50, a plurality of (three in this embodiment) second discharge ports 43, 52 are formed. The second outlets 43, 52 communicate the freezing chamber 13 with the cold air passage 41.

[0029] A disk-shaped rotary disk 44 that closes each of the discharge ports 42 is attached rotatably to the second partition plate 40 at the discharge port 42 portion. The rotating disc 44 is formed with a disc opening 45 that corresponds to the discharge outlet 42 and has substantially the same shape as the discharge outlet 42. An operation knob 46 is provided in the center of the rotating disc 44, and the rotating disc 44 can be rotated by operating the operation knob 46.

[0030] That is, if the rotating disk 44 is positioned so that the discharge port 42 and the disk opening 45 are aligned, the cold air from the cooling chamber 20 flows directly into the freezing chamber 13 via the first opening 38. Also, by rotating the rotating disk 44 and shifting the positions of the discharge port 42 and the disk opening 45 to reduce the opening area, it is possible to reduce the amount of cold air flowing in from the first opening 38.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 9, the fan casing 35 has a surrounding wall 35A. The surrounding wall 35A is a wall surface whose distance from the rotation center C1 gradually increases in the clockwise direction. The surrounding wall 35A covers the blower fan 32 from the outer periphery side. As shown in FIG. 4, the surrounding wall 35A of the present embodiment is cylindrical and extends in a direction inclined with respect to the rotation center C1 as the rotation axis of the blower fan 32. A guide surface 35B is formed on the inner periphery surface of the lower part of the surrounding wall 35A. The guide surface 35B guides the defrost water generated in the fan casing 35 to the first opening 38. The guide surface 35B does not extend parallel to the rotation center C1 of the blower fan 32, but is inclined with respect to the rotation center C1. The guide surface 35B extends approximately horizontally. Because the guide surface 35B is substantially horizontal, when the defrost water reaches the guide surface 35B, the defrost water easily moves along the guide surface 35B, and is guided by the guide surface 35B to the first opening 38. The guide surface 35B may be a slope that slopes downward as it approaches the first opening 38 from the back side, instead of a configuration that extends in the horizontal direction.

[0032] Among the three first openings 38, the first opening 38 that opens at the lowest position, that is, the midstream first opening 38b in this embodiment, is also a drain hole 38b that drains defrost water from the fan casing 35. In other words, a part of the first opening 38 is the drain hole 38b. The midstream first opening 38b that opens at the lowest position has a downwardly recessed arc shape and is formed at the lower edge of the fan casing 35. In this embodiment, at the connection portion between the fan casing 35 and the first partition plate 30, the upper edge of the midstream first opening 38b is formed along the lower edge of the fan casing 35 above the guide surface 35B. In addition, the lower edge of the midstream first opening 38b is formed along the lower edge of the fan casing 35 so that at least the lowest end 38b1 (see FIG. 4) is equal to or lower than the height of the guide surface 35B. Hereinafter, the midstream first opening 38b is also referred to as the drain hole 38b.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 9, the main body surface 30A is formed below the drainage hole 38b, that is, below the inclined surface 31. A protruding surface 30C that protrudes toward the front side from the main body surface 30A is formed at the bottom of the main body surface 30A. The protruding surface 30C and the main body surface 30A are connected by a protruding inclined surface 30B that inclines toward the front side from the main body surface 30A toward the protruding surface 30C. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper end 30D of the protruding surface 30C is located above the second discharge port 52. The upper end 30D of the protruding surface 30C is a connection portion between the protruding inclined surface 30B and the protruding surface 30C. The protruding surface 30C is in close contact with the molded heat insulating material 50 via an aluminum tape 84.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 11, a contact portion 53 to which the first partition plate 30 is in close contact is formed at the bottom of the molded heat insulating material 50. The contact portion 53 is a rectangular column extending to the left and right of the molded heat insulating material 50. The contact portion 53 is provided below the second discharge port 52. The contact portion 53 is in close contact with the first partition plate 30, thereby sealing the cold air passage 41. A through hole 53A extending from above to below is formed in the contact portion 53. A drain pipe 54 is inserted into the through hole 53A. The upper end of the drain pipe 54 is buried deep in the through hole 53A. The lower end of the drain pipe 54 protrudes downward from the through hole 53A. The drain pipe 54 drains defrost water downward.

[0035] A defrost water guide surface 53B is formed on the upper surface of the contact portion 53. The defrost water guide surface 53B extends in the left-right direction below the three second discharge ports 52. The defrost water guide surface 53B inclines toward the through hole 53A as it advances downward. In this embodiment, the through hole 53A is formed below the second discharge port 52 at the center in the left-right direction, so the defrost water guide surface 53B inclines downward as it advances toward the center in the left-right direction. As a result, no matter which part of the defrost water guide surface 53B in the left-right direction the defrost water reaches, the defrost water is guided to the through hole 53A by the defrost water guide surface 53B. The cool air passage 41 below the drain hole 38b, the through hole 53A, and the internal space of the drain pipe 54 form a drain path 55 (see FIG. 4) through which the defrost water is drained. A partition wall 75 (see FIG. 4) of the present embodiment is configured by the first partition plate 30, the second partition plate 40, and the molded insulating material 50. The partition wall 75 divides the interior of the refrigerator 10 into a freezing compartment 13 and a cooling compartment 20.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4, a defrosting heater 25 is disposed below the evaporator 22. The heater 25 extends in the left-right direction. The heater 25 is disposed below the evaporator 22. The heater 25 is disposed in the center of the evaporator 22 in the front-rear direction in the cooling chamber 20. The heater 25 is disposed at a height corresponding to the lower end 30E of the first partition plate 30.

[0037] 4, 5 or 9, the first partition plate 30 is provided with a high thermal conductivity member 80. The high thermal conductivity member 80 is a sheet-like member formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the material of the first partition plate 30. The high thermal conductivity member 80 includes a first high thermal conductivity member 81 provided on the front side of the first partition plate 30 and a second high thermal conductivity member 82 provided on the back side of the first partition plate 30.

[0038] In the present embodiment, aluminum foil 84A, as an example of metal foil, is attached to the front and back surfaces of first partition plate 30 to form first high thermal conductivity member 81 and second high thermal conductivity member 82 of high thermal conductivity member 80. That is, in the present embodiment, first high thermal conductivity member 81 and second high thermal conductivity member 82 of high thermal conductivity member 80 are integrated. Hereinafter, the portion corresponding to first high thermal conductivity member 81 will be referred to as first high thermal conductivity portion 81, and the portion corresponding to second high thermal conductivity member 82 will be referred to as second high thermal conductivity portion 82.

[0039] For the high thermal conductivity member 80, specifically, an aluminum tape 84 having an adhesive applied to the back surface of an aluminum foil 84A is used. The aluminum tape 84 is attached to the front and back surfaces of the protruding surface 30C. The aluminum tape 84 is attached from the back side to the front side of the first partition plate 30 so as to cover the lower end portion 30E. The aluminum tape 84 is attached in a U-shape in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 4. The upper end of the aluminum tape 84 on the front side, i.e., the upper end 81A of the first high thermal conductivity portion 81, is located above the second discharge port 52. In addition, the upper end of the aluminum tape 84 on the back side, i.e., the upper end 82A of the second high thermal conductivity portion 82, is located above the lower end of the evaporator 22 and is located in the vertical center of the evaporator 22.

[0040] The lower end 30E of the first partition plate 30 overlaps with the heater 25 in the vertical direction, and the second highly thermally conductive portion 82 faces the heater 25. The first highly thermally conductive portion 81 faces the contact portion 53 in the portion of the through hole 53A.

[0041] 2 to 5 and 9, aluminum tape 90, which is an example of a third high thermal conductive member, is attached to at least the lower part of the outer surface of fan casing 35. Aluminum tape 90 is configured to have higher thermal conductivity than the material of fan casing 35. Aluminum tape 90 may be configured similarly to aluminum tape 84, except for its shape, etc. By attaching the aluminum tape 90 to the fan casing 35, heat from the defrost heater 25 can be easily conducted to the fan casing 35, making it easier to prevent freezing of the fan casing 35. The aluminum tape 90 may be attached to the entire outer surface of the fan casing 35, but it is not necessary to attach it to the entire outer surface; it may be attached to a lower portion that is close to the evaporator 22.

[0042] [1-2. Operation, etc.] Next, the operation of refrigerator 10 in the first embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the compressor 23 is driven to circulate the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit, and the evaporator 22 exchanges heat with the air inside the cooling chamber 20, thereby generating cool air. Then, by driving the blower fan 32, the cool air inside the cooling chamber 20 is taken in through the cool air intake port 37 and blown out to the fan casing 35. A portion of the cold air blown out to the fan casing 35 is sent from the second opening 36 towards the duct 21, and the air volume is controlled by the refrigerator compartment damper 65b of the twin damper 65 to cool the refrigerator compartment 12, and the air volume is controlled by the low temperature compartment damper 65a to cool the low temperature compartment 60.

[0043] In this case, a portion of the airflow blown out from the fan casing 35 flows toward the low-temperature room damper 65a due to centrifugal force, and the amount of air flowing to the low-temperature room damper 65a is greater than that to the refrigerator room damper 65b, thereby improving the cooling efficiency in the low-temperature room 60. Furthermore, since the refrigerator compartment damper 65b is positioned in the tangential direction at the point from the outer downstream side to the connection part 70, it is possible to guide in the tangential direction a portion of the airflow that flows from the downstream side of the fan casing 35 toward the outside of the fan casing 35 due to centrifugal force, and it is possible to ensure the amount of airflow in the direction of the refrigerator compartment damper 65b.

[0044] Further, a part of the cool air blown out to the fan casing is sent to the cool air passage 41 through the first opening . The cold air sent to the cold air passage 41 is sent directly into the freezing chamber 13 from the discharge ports 42, 51 of the second partition plate 40 and the molded insulation material 50. In addition, a part of the cold air sent to the cold air passage 41 is sent to the freezing chamber 13 from the second discharge ports 43, 52, and the cold air sent from the discharge ports 42, 51 and the second discharge ports 43, 52 cools the freezing chamber 13.

[0045] In this case, since the first opening 38 and the discharge ports 42, 51 are arranged so as to at least partially overlap in a front view, the cool air blown out from the first opening 38 can be sent from the discharge ports 42, 51 to the freezer compartment 13 without loss. In addition, since the rotation axis of the blower fan 32 is arranged at an angle, the blower fan 32 can facilitate convection of the cool air blown out from the first opening 38. Therefore, cool air can be sent from the outlets 42, 51 to the inside of the freezer compartment 13 extremely efficiently, and as a result, the temperature in the vicinity of the outlets 42, 51 inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes the lowest.

[0046] Here, humid air easily enters the refrigerator 10 when the doors 14, 61, and 62 are opened and closed. This humid air flows into the cooling chamber 20 through the return duct, causing frost to form on the evaporator 22 and the blower fan 32. For this reason, the heater 25 provided below the evaporator 22 is energized at preset time intervals.

[0047] When the heater 25 is energized, the air in the cooling chamber 20 around the heater 25 is heated. The heated air, i.e., warm air, rises in the cooling chamber 20 as shown by the arrows A1-A2 in FIG. 12. The warm air defrosts the evaporator 22. The warm air rises while defrosting the cooling chamber 20. Then, as shown by the arrow A3 in FIG. 12, the warm air flows into the fan casing 35.

[0048] When warm air enters the fan casing 35, the blower fan 32 is defrosted, and defrosted water is generated inside the fan casing 35. In particular, in this embodiment, aluminum tape 90 is attached to the fan casing 35. Therefore, the heat of the heater 25 is easily conducted to the fan casing 35, and the fan casing 35 is easily defrosted.

[0049] In this embodiment, the defrost water generated in the fan casing 35 is guided to the lowermost guide surface 35B by the surrounding wall 35A. The defrost water is guided to the drainage hole 38b by the guide surface 35B as shown by the arrow B1, and flows out of the fan casing 35 from the drainage hole 38b. The defrost water that flows out moves downward through the drainage path 55 by its own weight. At this time, in this embodiment, the defrost water tends to move downward from the inclined surface 31, along the main body surface 30A, the protruding inclined surface 30B, and the protruding surface 30C in this order as shown by the arrows B2-B4, and tends to reach the defrost water guide surface 53B gradually. For this reason, the defrost water is easily guided to the defrost water guide surface 53B, and the entry of the defrost water into the freezer chamber 13 from the second discharge ports 43, 52 is suppressed. When the defrost water is guided to the through hole 53A by the defrost water guide surface 53B, it is drained to the outside through the drain pipe .

[0050] In this embodiment, the first partition plate 30 is provided with a second highly heat conductive portion 82 facing the heater 25. Therefore, when the heater 25 generates heat, the second highly heat conductive portion 82 is heated accordingly, and the lower portion of the evaporator 22 is easily heated. At this time, the second highly heat conductive portion 82 is heated, and the surrounding area is also easily heated, and the first highly heat conductive portion 81 is also heated. In particular, since the second highly heat conductive portion 82 is connected to the first highly heat conductive portion 81, the first highly heat conductive portion 81 is easily heated. Therefore, the defrost water guide surface 53B, the periphery of the through hole 53A, and the drain pipe 54 are also easily heated by the heat generated by the heater 25, and the drain path 55 is prevented from being blocked by frost or the like. In the present embodiment, even if defrost water is generated inside the fan casing 35, the defrost water generated inside the fan casing 35 can be efficiently drained.

[0051] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator 10 includes at least the freezer compartment 13 (first storage compartment) and the refrigerating compartment 12 (second storage compartment), and the cooling compartment 20 in which the evaporator 22 is installed is formed on the rear side of the freezer compartment 13. The refrigerator 10 includes a partition wall 75 that partitions the freezer compartment 13 and the cooling compartment 20, a blower fan 32 arranged on the rear side of the freezer compartment 13, a fan casing 35 arranged on the outer periphery of the blower fan 32 and formed in a substantially spiral shape to guide the air blown out from the blower fan 32, and a heater 25 that defrosts the cooling compartment 20. The partition wall 75 includes a first partition plate 30 arranged on the front side of the cooling compartment 20 and a second partition plate 40 arranged on the rear side of the freezer compartment 13. The blower fan 32 and the fan casing 35 are fixed to the first partition plate 30. A drain hole 38b is formed on the lower edge of the fan casing 35 in the first partition plate 30. A drain path 55 is provided below the drain hole 38b. As a result, even if defrost water is generated inside the fan casing 35, the defrost water can be made to flow out of the fan casing 35 through the drainage holes 38b and drained through the drainage path 55. Therefore, the defrost water generated inside the fan casing 35 of the blower fan 32 can be efficiently drained.

[0052] As in this embodiment, the first partition plate 30 has a first opening 38 that connects the inside of the fan casing 35 to the freezer chamber 13, the first opening 38 is formed in an arc shape along the fan casing 35, and the drain hole 38b may be formed by a part of the first opening 38. This makes it easier to send cold air to freezer compartment 13 while suppressing pressure loss, and also allows drain hole 38b to serve as a part of opening 38 through which cold air is blown out.

[0053] As in the present embodiment, the fan casing 35 may be formed with a guide surface 35B that guides the defrost water to the drain hole 38b. This makes it easier to drain water from the fan casing 35.

[0054] As in this embodiment, the heater 25 is arranged below the evaporator 22, and the first partition plate 30 is provided with a highly thermally conductive member 80, which has a first highly thermally conductive section 81 provided on the front side of the first partition plate 30 and a second highly thermally conductive section 82 provided on the back side of the first partition plate 30, and the first highly thermally conductive section 81 and the second highly thermally conductive section 82 are arranged on either side of the lower end portion (end portion) 30E of the first partition plate 30, and the second highly thermally conductive section 82 may face the heater 25. This can increase the thermal conductivity of the front side and the back side of the first partition plate 30. Therefore, the front side and the back side of the first partition plate 30 can be easily heated by the heat of the heater 25.

[0055] As in this embodiment, the first highly thermally conductive section 81 and the second highly thermally conductive section 82 may be connected at the lower end 30E of the first partition plate 30. As a result, the first highly thermally conductive section 81 and the second highly thermally conductive section 82 are connected at the lower end 30E of the first partition plate 30, so that heat from the second highly thermally conductive section 82 can be easily transferred to the first highly thermally conductive section 81. Therefore, heat from the heater 25 can be easily transferred to the front and back surfaces of the first partition plate 30, and defrosting efficiency can be improved.

[0056] As in this embodiment, the highly heat-conductive member 80 may be an aluminum foil 84A, which is an example of a metal foil. This makes it possible to form the highly thermally conductive member 80 with a simple structure.

[0057] (Other embodiments) Note that the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. FIG. 13 is a front view of a fan casing showing another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 13, in this embodiment, an example in which a single damper 71 is used is shown. When using the single damper 71 in this manner, the tangent on the downstream side of the airflow of the fan casing 35 is formed in a vertical direction. Then, the second opening 36 is disposed in the tangent direction, and the single damper 71 is disposed in the second opening 36. This allows the airflow sent from the blower fan 32 to be blown out efficiently in the direction of the second opening 36 and the single damper 71.

[0058] In the first embodiment, a description has been given of a case in which the first storage compartment is the freezer compartment 13 and the second storage compartment is the refrigerator compartment 12. The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the first storage compartment may be the refrigerator compartment 12 and the second storage compartment may be the freezer compartment 13. In this case, the blower fan 32 directly cools the refrigerator compartment 12 via the first opening 38, the discharge ports 42, 51, and the second discharge ports 43, 52, and cools the freezer compartment 13 via the duct 21.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the center of rotation C1 of the blower fan 32 is inclined, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be arranged so that the center of rotation C1 is substantially horizontal. In this case, the guide surface 35B may be parallel to the center of rotation C1.

[0060] In addition, in the first embodiment, an aluminum foil is described as the metal foil, but the metal of the metal foil is not limited to aluminum, and may be iron, copper, or the like.

[0061] In the first embodiment, the high thermal conductivity member 80 is described as being configured with one aluminum tape, but multiple aluminum tapes may be used. For example, the aluminum tape may be divided in the left-right direction. That is, multiple strip-shaped aluminum tapes may be used and attached to the first partition plate 30. Also, for example, two aluminum tapes may be used, one aluminum tape forming the first high thermal conductivity member 81 and the other aluminum tape forming the second high thermal conductivity member 82. In this case, when the two aluminum tapes are arranged to sandwich the lower end portion 30E of the first partition plate 30, the lower ends of the two aluminum tapes may be overlapped to connect the two aluminum tapes, or the lower ends of the two aluminum tapes may be brought into contact with each other to connect the two aluminum tapes. Also, for example, when two aluminum tapes are used, one aluminum tape forming the first high thermal conductivity member 81 and the other aluminum tape forming the second high thermal conductivity member 82, the lower ends may be spaced apart from each other when the two aluminum tapes are arranged to sandwich the lower end portion 30E of the first partition plate 30. It is desirable that the aluminum tapes are connected to each other, and this makes it possible to improve the thermal conductivity between the front side and the back side of the first partition plate 30.

[0062] In addition, in embodiment 1, the first high thermal conductivity member 81 and the second high thermal conductivity member 82 are described as being arranged to sandwich the lower end portion 30E of the first partition plate 30, but they may also be configured to be arranged to sandwich any end portion of the first partition plate 30, such as the left end portion, right end portion, or upper end portion. [Industrial Applicability]

[0063] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the refrigerator according to the present disclosure can be suitably used as a refrigerator that blows cool air using a blower fan. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10. Refrigerator 11. Cabinet 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 13 Direct freezing room 14 Doors 15 drawers 20 Cooling room 21 Duct 22 Evaporator 23 Compressor 25 Heater 30 First partition plate 31 Slope 32 Blower fan 33 Rotor blade 34 Fan unit 35 Fan casing 35B Guide surface 36 Second Opening 37 Cold air intake 38 First Opening 39 Fan mounting part 40 Second partition plate 41 Cold Aisle 42 each outlet 42 Discharge port 43 2nd discharge port 44 Rotating Disc 45 Disc Opening 46 Operation knob 50 Molded insulation material 51 Discharge port 52 2nd outlet 55 Drainage route 75 Partition 80 High thermal conductivity materials 81 First high thermal conductive portion (first high thermal conductive member) 82 second high thermal conductive portion (second high thermal conductive member) 84 Aluminum tape (metal foil)

Claims

1. The storage device includes at least a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, A cooling chamber in which an evaporator is installed is formed on the rear side of the first storage chamber, a partition wall separating the first storage chamber and the cooling chamber; A blower fan disposed on a rear side of the first storage chamber; a fan casing arranged around the outer periphery of the blower fan and formed in a generally spiral shape to guide the air blown out from the blower fan; A heater for defrosting the cooling chamber, The partition wall includes a first partition plate disposed on a front surface of the cooling chamber and a second partition plate disposed on a rear surface of the first storage chamber, The blower fan and the fan casing are fixed to the first partition plate, The first partition plate has a drain hole formed at a lower edge of the fan casing, A drainage path is provided below the drainage hole. refrigerator.

2. The first partition plate has an opening that communicates between the inside of the fan casing and the first storage chamber, The opening is formed in an arc shape along the fan casing, The drain hole is formed by a part of the opening.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The fan casing is formed with a guide surface for guiding defrost water to the drain hole.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The heater is disposed below the evaporator, The first partition plate is provided with a high thermal conductivity member, the high thermal conductivity member includes a first high thermal conductivity member provided on a front side of the first partition plate and a second high thermal conductivity member provided on a rear side of the first partition plate, the first high thermal conductive member and the second high thermal conductive member are disposed on either side of an end of the first partition plate, the second high thermal conductive member faces the heater; 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

5. the first high thermal conductive member and the second high thermal conductive member are connected at an end of the first partition plate; 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4.

6. The highly thermally conductive member is a metal foil.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4 or 5.

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