refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of appropriately attaching an evaporator with efficient work.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises: a heat exchange pipe 26 extending vertically while folding back to the right and left; an evaporator 20 having a support member 22 that supports the heat exchange pipe 26 in a folded region on both the right and left sides; and a dew receiving surface 30 that is arranged on the lower side of the evaporator 20, and receives liquid dropped from the evaporator 20. The support member 22 extends on the lower side with respect to the heat exchange pipe 26, and the lower end of the support member 22 (lower region 22A) is in contact with the dew receiving surface 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with an evaporator. [Background technology]

[0002] Refrigerators equipped with evaporators are widely used. In refrigerators equipped with evaporators, gas inside the refrigerator is circulated by a fan, and the circulated gas is cooled as it passes through the evaporator. Among such refrigerators, a refrigerator equipped with an evaporator having a heat exchange pipe attached to a flat body has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a dedicated fixing member is inserted into and fixed to the evaporator and the inner box of the refrigerator. This makes it easy to install the evaporator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-43828 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, when attaching the evaporator to the inner box, an operator must position the evaporator in a lifted state and then insert the fixing member into the evaporator and the inner box. Because the evaporator is quite heavy, the work of attaching the evaporator is difficult. Furthermore, there is a risk that the weight of the evaporator may cause the evaporator to shift position, resulting in the fixing member not being inserted correctly.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a refrigerator in which an evaporator can be properly attached with efficient work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: an evaporator having a heat exchange pipe extending vertically while turning back laterally, and a support member supporting the heat exchange pipe at the turning back regions on both the left and right sides; a dew receiving surface disposed below the evaporator and receiving liquid dropping from the evaporator; Equipped with The support member extends downwardly beyond the heat exchange pipe, and a lower end of the support member contacts the dew receiving surface.

[0007] In this invention, the support member for the evaporator extends below the heat exchange pipe, and the lower end of the support member contacts the dew-receiving surface, allowing the evaporator to be placed on the dew-receiving surface. This allows the worker to position and fasten the evaporator to the inner surface of the refrigerator's inner box without lifting it. This allows the fastening screws to be inserted straight into the screw holes for fastening. This allows the evaporator to be properly installed in the refrigerator with efficient work.

[0008] In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, A drain hole is opened in the dew receiving surface to discharge the liquid dropped from the evaporator to the outside, The lower hole of the support member is provided with a liquid passage hole.

[0009] Because the lower end of the support member is in contact with the dew receiving surface, there is a risk that the support member will stop the flow of liquid that has fallen onto the dew receiving surface. However, in the present invention, the support member has a liquid passage hole at the bottom, so the liquid that has fallen onto the dew receiving surface can flow through the liquid passage hole. This ensures that the liquid that has fallen onto the dew receiving surface can be reliably discharged to the outside through the drain hole.

[0010] In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a defrost heater extending laterally above the dew receiving surface below the heat exchange pipe, and a harness extending from at least one end of the defrost heater to the outside; The elongated part passing through the liquid passage hole is a loop-shaped member, and the harness passing through the loop further includes a restraining member that contacts the elongated part, The harness extending from the defrost heater to the outside is restrained by the restraining member and extends downward.

[0011] In this invention, the harness extending from the defrost heater to the outside is restrained by a restraining member and extends downward. Even if the harness is pulled upward, friction exists between the harness and the elongated part, so the force of the upward pull can be absorbed by the support member of the evaporator via the restraining member that passes through the liquid passage hole. This prevents excessive force from being applied to the interface between the harness and the defrost heater. This prevents disconnection of the harness and the heating element of the defrost heater.

[0012] Furthermore, even if liquid from defrosting gets onto the harness, the liquid can be prevented from flowing into the end of the defrost heater where the harness protrudes to the outside, thereby preventing short-circuiting of the harness and the heating element of the defrost heater. This makes it possible to provide a refrigerator equipped with a highly reliable defrost heater that adequately protects the harness and the defrost heater.

[0013] In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, The harness extends downward from the defrost heater, curves in the area where it contacts the restraining member, and extends upward, and further extends upward near the left and right ends of the evaporator.

[0014] In the present invention, even if the harness is pulled upward, the force is reliably received at the curved region of the harness that contacts the restraining member, preventing the force from being applied to the boundary portion of the harness with the defrost heater. Furthermore, even if liquid from defrosting splashes onto the harness of the defrost heater, the liquid can be channeled from the curved region of the harness to the restraining member. The liquid that flows below the restraining member flows along the dew-receiving surface and is discharged to the outside via the drain hole. This reliably protects the harness and the defrost heater, and reliably discharges liquid that splashes onto the harness to the outside.

[0015] In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, The evaporator and the harness extending upward near the end are covered by a flow path housing that forms a cooling flow path.

[0016] As described above, the harness can be pulled upward so that no force is applied to the connection area of ​​the harness with the defrost heater, and the harness does not bulge outward from the evaporator. This prevents the harness from being pinched by the flow path housing when the flow path housing is attached to the inner box of a refrigerator, etc. This allows for efficient attachment of the flow path housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the present invention can provide a refrigerator in which the evaporator can be properly attached through efficient work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a flow path housing provided with a fan being attached to the inner surface of an inner box so as to cover an evaporator. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view of an evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lower end of the support member of the evaporator is in contact with the dew receiving surface. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a harness coming out of a defrost heater is restrained by a restraining member and extends downward. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are intended to embody the technical concept of the present invention, and unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to the following. In the drawings, components having the same function may be assigned the same reference numerals. The size and positional relationship of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. In the following description, up and down are indicated when the refrigerator is placed on a horizontal surface, the door side of the refrigerator is referred to as the front side, the opposite side as the rear side, and the width direction of the refrigerator is referred to as the horizontal direction.

[0020] (Refrigerator according to one embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view that schematically shows a refrigerator 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view that schematically shows a flow path housing 8 equipped with a fan 16 attached to an inner surface 6A of an inner box 6 so as to cover an evaporator 20. FIG. 3 is a side view that shows the evaporator 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. First, an overview of the refrigerator 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0021] In FIG. 1, dotted arrows indicate the flow of gas within the storage area 4 of the refrigerator 2. The refrigerator 2 has a storage area 4 inside an inner box 6 for refrigerating or freezing food. A thermal insulator is placed between the inner box 6 and the outer box 2B. In other words, the storage area 4 is surrounded by the thermal insulator. A door 2A that can be opened and closed is attached to the front side of the refrigerator 2, and food can be taken in and out of the storage area 4 by opening and closing the door 2A. A machine room 12 in which a compressor, a condenser, etc. are placed is located at the bottom of the rear side of the refrigerator 2.

[0022] The evaporator 20 that cools the gas in the storage area 4 is arranged behind the storage area 4, across the flow path housing 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the flow path housing 8 has a front panel and side panels on both sides thereof. The flow path housing 8 is attached to the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6 of the refrigerator 2 so as to cover the evaporator 20. The area where the evaporator 20 is arranged and covered by the flow path housing 8 becomes the cooling flow path 10. A fan 16 that moves the gas in the cooling flow path 10 is arranged above the evaporator 20 in the cooling flow path 10. The fan 16 is attached to the flow path housing 8. The front panel of the flow path housing 8 has an opening 8A that allows the gas moved by the fan 16 to flow from the cooling flow path 10 into the storage area 4.

[0023] As shown by the dotted arrows in FIG. 1 , gas flows from the opening on the lower side of the flow path housing 8 into the cooling flow path 10 defined by the flow path housing 8. The gas then flows upward and passes through the evaporator 20, during which time it is cooled. The gas cooled by the evaporator 20 is blown out by the fan 16 from an opening 8A provided in the flow path housing 8 into the food storage area 4. The blown gas circulates within the storage area 4, cooling the stored food. The gas then flows again from the opening on the lower side of the flow path housing 8 into the cooling flow path 10 defined by the flow path housing 8. By repeating this cycle, the storage area 4 functions as a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 3, the evaporator 20 includes a heat exchange pipe 26 that extends vertically while bending back and forth, and a plurality of cooling fins 28 extending in the vertical direction are attached to the heat exchange pipe 26. The heat exchange pipe 26 extends downward from an inlet located on the upper side of the evaporator 20, snaking back and forth from the left to right, and then returns upward from its lowest point, snaking back and forth again, to reach an outlet located on the upper side of the evaporator 20. Support members 22 are attached to the bending regions on both the left and right sides of the heat exchange pipe 26. The heat exchange pipe 26 and the cooling fins 28 are supported by the support members 22 on both the left and right sides.

[0025] As the gas flows from bottom to top through the spaces between the cooling fins 28, it is cooled by heat exchange with the heat exchange pipes 26 through which the refrigerant flows. Therefore, frost, which is condensed moisture contained in the gas to be cooled, forms on the surfaces of the heat exchange pipes 26 of the evaporator 20. If a large amount of frost forms on the heat exchange pipes 26, the cooling performance will decrease, so the evaporator 20 needs to be defrosted periodically. For this reason, a defrost heater 40 extending to the left and right is disposed below the evaporator 20. The heat exchange pipes 26 can be warmed and defrosted by radiant heat transfer from the defrost heater 40 disposed below the evaporator 20 and convective heat transfer in which the surrounding gas is heated and rises.

[0026] Liquid that falls from the evaporator 20 due to defrosting falls onto the dew receiving surface 30 located below the evaporator 20. The liquid that falls onto the dew receiving surface 30 flows along the dew receiving surface 30 and into the drain holes 30A that open in the dew receiving surface 30. The liquid that flows into the drain holes 30A flows via a discharge pipe 34 into the evaporating dish 14 located in the machine compartment 12. The dew receiving surface 30 has a slight slope so that the falling liquid can smoothly flow into the drain holes 30A. In FIG. 3, the drain holes 30A are located below a region that is approximately central in the width direction of the evaporator 20, but this is not limited to this. For example, the drain holes 30A may also be located below an end region in the width direction of the evaporator 20.

[0027] For simplicity, in Fig. 1, the refrigerator 2 is shown as having a single storage area 4 that functions as a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment, but this is not limited to this. For example, the storage area 4 may be divided into multiple compartments, each of which may function as a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment. In this case, one evaporator 20 may be shared, or an evaporator 20 may be provided for each individual refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment.

[0028] (Evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention) Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lower end of the support member 22 of the evaporator 20 is in contact with the dew receiving surface 30. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the harness 42 coming out of the defrost heater 40 is restrained by a restraining member 50 and extends downward. Next, the evaporator 20 and its peripheral devices according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5.

[0029] In a conventional evaporator, for example, when attaching the evaporator to the inner box of a refrigerator with screws, the worker must lift the evaporator and screw it to the inner box. Because the evaporator is quite heavy, the installation work of the evaporator is difficult. Furthermore, there is a risk that the weight of the evaporator may cause the evaporator to shift position while being lifted, resulting in the fastening screws being attached in a misaligned state relative to the screw holes formed in the inner box.

[0030] On the other hand, the support member 22 of the evaporator 20 according to this embodiment has a lower region 22A that extends below the heat exchange pipe 26, and the lower end of the lower region 22A of the support member 22 is in contact with the dew receiving surface 30. In other words, the support member 22 places the evaporator 20 on the dew receiving surface 30.

[0031] As indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3 , mounting regions 22B having holes for receiving fastening screws (fastening members) are formed on the upper sides of the left and right support members 22. When the evaporator 20 is placed on the dew receiving surface 30, the positions of the holes in the mounting regions 22B and the positions of the screw holes provided on the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6 of the refrigerator 2 are roughly aligned in the height direction. Therefore, by adjusting the horizontal position of the evaporator 20 while the evaporator 20 is placed on the dew receiving surface 30, the positions of the holes in the mounting regions 22B and the positions of the screw holes on the inner surface 6A can be easily aligned. This allows an operator to insert fastening screws (fastening members) through the holes in the mounting regions 22B and into the screw holes in the inner surface 6A without lifting the evaporator 20.

[0032] As described above, the refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment comprises an evaporator 20 having a heat exchange pipe 26 that extends vertically while folding back left and right, and a support member 22 that supports the heat exchange pipe 26 at the folding back regions on both the left and right sides, and a dew receiving surface 30 that is arranged below the evaporator 20 and receives liquid that drops from the evaporator 20, with the support member 22 extending below the heat exchange pipe 26 so that the lower end of the support member 22 (lower region 22A) comes into contact with the dew receiving surface 30.

[0033] Therefore, the evaporator 20 can be placed on the dew receiving surface 30. As a result, when attaching the evaporator 20 to the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6 of the refrigerator 2, the worker can position and fasten the screws without lifting the evaporator 20. This allows the fastening screws to be inserted straight into the screw holes for fastening. Therefore, the evaporator 20 can be properly attached to the refrigerator 2 with efficient work.

[0034] As described above, the liquid that drops from the evaporator 20 onto the dew receiving surface 30 flows along the dew receiving surface 30 and into the drain hole 30A. However, if the lower end of the support member 22 (lower region 22A) comes into contact with the dew receiving surface 30, there is a risk that the flow of the liquid will be stopped by the support member 22 (lower region 22A). Therefore, the evaporator 20 according to this embodiment is provided with a liquid passage hole 24 in the lower part of the support member 22 (lower region 22A).

[0035] Liquid that falls onto the dew receiving surface 30 and flows over the dew receiving surface 30 can flow through the liquid passage holes 24 provided in the lower part of the support member 22 (lower region 22A). This allows the liquid that falls onto the dew receiving surface 30 to be reliably discharged to the outside via the drain holes 32.

[0036] In this embodiment, the support member 22 has a shape in which a small portion of the support member 22 remains below the liquid passage hole 24, but this is not limited to this. The liquid passage hole 24 may also be formed so that the bottom side is open.

[0037] (Evaporator harness routing) As described above, in this embodiment, the defrost heater 40 is provided below the heat exchange pipe 26 of the evaporator 20 and extends laterally above the dew receiving surface 30. The defrost heater 40 includes a long, thin, cylindrical quartz glass tube and a heating element housed inside the quartz glass tube. Furthermore, harnesses 42 electrically connected to the heating element of the defrost heater 40 extend to the outside from both left and right end portions 40A of the defrost heater 40. In this embodiment, the evaporator 20 includes a quartz glass tube extending linearly, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the evaporator 20 may also include a quartz glass tube extending in a U-shape bent 180 degrees. In this case, two harnesses extend to the outside from one region of the defrost heater 40.

[0038] The harness 42 coming out from the defrost heater 40 is located inside the curve where the heat exchange pipe 26, which is the left and right end regions of the evaporator 20, is folded back, passes through the space outside the outermost cooling fins 28, and extends upward, and is connected to a terminal 44 arranged above the evaporator 20. For this reason, if the harness 22 is in a loose state, there is a risk that the harness 42 will protrude outside the heat exchange pipe 26. In that case, as shown in FIG. 2 , when the flow path casing 8 is attached to the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6 of the refrigerator 2, there is a risk that the protruding harness 42 will be pinched between the flow path casing 8 and the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6.

[0039] To address this, it is necessary to pull the harness 42 upward with a force F (see the force F, dotted arrow in FIG. 2 ) to prevent the harness 42 from slackening and becoming pinched in the flow path housing 8. If the tensile force F, which overcomes the rigidity of the harness 42 and removes the slack, is applied as is to the boundary region of the harness 42 with the defrost heater 40, problems such as wire breakage may occur. For this reason, in this embodiment, a ring-shaped restraining member 50 passed through the liquid passage hole 24 is used to prevent excessive force from being applied to the boundary region of the harness 42 with the defrost heater 40.

[0040] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a cable tie with a fastener for bundling cables is passed through the liquid passage hole 24, and then the cable tie is formed into a loop so that the harness 42 passes through it and fastened to the loop with the fastener. This forms a restraining member 50, which is a long, thin part such as a cable tie, in the shape of a loop. As the loop of the restraining member 50 is narrowed, the portion of the harness 42 that comes into contact with the restraining member 50 is pulled toward the liquid passage hole 24. As a result, the harness 42, which has protruded from the defrost heater 40 at the end 40A, is restrained by the restraining member 50 and extends downward. As shown in FIG. 5, by making the loop of the restraining member 50 an appropriate size and fixing the position of the fastener, the harness 42 extends downward appropriately.

[0041] The cable tie is one example of an elongated part that forms the loop of the restraint member 50, but is not limited to this. Any other part can be used as long as it is a deformable string-like member that can form a loop.

[0042] As described above, the refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment is provided with a defrost heater 40 below the heat exchange pipe 26 and extending to the left and right above the dew receiving surface 30, a harness 42 extending to the outside from at least one end of the defrost heater 40, a slender part (for example, a cable tie) passing through the liquid passage hole 24 being a ring-shaped member, and the harness 42 passing through the ring is further provided with a restraining member 50 that comes into contact with the slender part, and the harness 42 extending outside from the defrost heater 40 is restrained by the restraining member 50 and extends downward.

[0043] As described above, the harness 42 extending upward inside the curved portion of the heat exchange pipe 26 needs to be pulled upward with a certain amount of force F to prevent it from loosening and jumping out of the curved portion of the heat exchange pipe 26. In this embodiment, friction exists between the elongated members constituting the harness 42 and the restraining member 50, so the upward pulling force F can be received by the contact portion between the harness 42 and the elongated members of the restraining member 50 (see arrow B and force F in FIG. 5). Therefore, the force F pulling the harness 42 upward can be received by the support member 22 of the evaporator 20 via the restraining member 50 passing through the liquid passage hole 24. This prevents excessive force from being applied to the boundary portion of the harness 42 with the defrost heater 40 (see arrow C in FIG. 5). This prevents the harness 42 from breaking, and also prevents the connection between the harness 42 and the heating element of the defrost heater 40 from breaking.

[0044] Furthermore, even if liquid from defrosting splashes onto the harness 42, the liquid flows into the area of ​​the harness 42 that is lowest and is restrained by the restraining member 50 (see arrow B in FIG. 5), and the liquid that has fallen onto the harness 42 is prevented from flowing into the end 40A of the defrost heater where the harness 42 protrudes to the outside (see arrow C in FIG. 5). This makes it possible to prevent short-circuiting of the harness 42 and the heating element of the defrost heater 40. This makes it possible to provide a refrigerator 2 that is appropriately protected from the harness 42 and the defrost heater 40 and is equipped with a highly reliable defrost heater 40.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the harness 42 extends downward from the defrost heater 40, curves in the area where it contacts the restraining member 50, extends upward, and extends further upward near the left and right ends of the evaporator 20. The harness 42 then extends upward inside the curved portion of the heat exchange pipe 26 of the evaporator 20 and is connected to a terminal 44 arranged above the evaporator 20. Fig. 5 shows an example in which the harness 42 is curved at a position approximately at the lower end of the glass tube of the defrost heater 40. However, this is just one example, and the harness 42 can also be curved at a lower position, for example.

[0046] With the above-described configuration, even if the harness 42 is pulled upward, the force is reliably received at the curved region of the harness 42 that contacts the restraining member 50, preventing the force from being applied to the boundary portion of the harness 42 with the defrost heater. Furthermore, even if liquid from defrosting splashes onto the harness 42, the liquid can be channeled from the curved region of the harness 42 to the restraining member 50. The liquid that flows down the restraining member 50 flows along the dew receiving surface 30 and is discharged to the outside via the drain hole 32. This reliably protects the harness 42 and the defrost heater 40, and reliably discharges liquid that splashes onto the harness 42 to the outside.

[0047] Furthermore, as described above, the evaporator 20 and the harness 42 extending upward near the end of the evaporator 20 (for example, inside the curved portion of the heat exchange pipe 26) are covered by the flow path casing 8 that forms the cooling flow path 10. However, in this embodiment, the harness 42 can be pulled upward without applying force to the boundary portion of the harness 42 with the defrost heater. This reliably prevents the harness 42 from bulging outward from the evaporator 20. Therefore, when attaching the flow path casing 8 to the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6 of the multiplier 2, it is possible to prevent the harness 42 from being pinched between the flow path casing 8 and the inner surface 6A of the inner box 6. This allows for efficient attachment of the flow path casing 8.

[0048] Although the embodiments and modes of implementation of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may vary in the details of the configuration, and changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and modes of implementation may be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 2. Refrigerator 2A Door 2B outer box 4 Storage area 6 Inner box 6A Inner surface 8 Flow path housing 8A aperture 10 Cooling Channel 12 Machine room 20 Evaporator 22 Support member 22A lower area 22B Mounting area 24 Liquid hole 26 Heat exchange pipe 28 Heat dissipation fin 30 Dew receiving surface 32 Drain hole 34 Discharge pipe 36 Evaporating dish 40 Defrost heater 40A end 42 Harness 50 Restraining member

Claims

1. an evaporator having a heat exchange pipe extending vertically while turning back laterally, and a support member supporting the heat exchange pipe at the turning back regions on both the left and right sides; a dew receiving surface disposed below the evaporator and receiving liquid dropping from the evaporator; Equipped with the support member extends downwardly beyond the heat exchange pipe, and a lower end of the support member contacts the dew receiving surface; A drain hole is opened in the dew receiving surface to discharge the liquid dropped from the evaporator to the outside, A liquid passage hole is provided at the bottom of the support member, a defrost heater extending laterally above the dew receiving surface below the heat exchange pipe, and a harness extending from at least one end of the defrost heater to the outside; The elongated part passing through the liquid passage hole is a loop-shaped member, and the harness passing through the loop further includes a restraining member that contacts the elongated part, The refrigerator is characterized in that the harness extending from the defrost heater to the outside is restrained by the restraining member and extends downward.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the harness extending downward from the defrost heater curves in an area where it contacts the restraining member and extends upward, and further extends upward near the left and right ends of the evaporator.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the evaporator and the harness extending upward near the end are covered by a flow path housing that forms a cooling flow path.

Images