Refrigerator and fasteners

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which a refrigerant pipe is hardly deformed when a temperature detection part is fixed to the refrigerant pipe, and a fixing tool.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 comprises a refrigerant pipe 21a, a temperature detection part 54, and a fixing tool 70 for fixing the temperature detection part 54 to the refrigerant pipe 21a. The fixing tool 70 comprises a holding part 71 for holding the temperature detection part 54, and a pair of attachment parts 72 and 73 provided at a distance from each other. The pair of attachment parts 72 and 73 comprise opening parts 72b and 73b opened in directions opposite to each other. The refrigerant pipe 21a is fitted from the opening parts 72b and 73b, and a peripheral surface of the refrigerant pipe 21a is held.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator and a fixture.

Background Art

[0002] In a refrigerator, a temperature detection unit is provided in a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant flows in order to control the operation of the refrigerator, such as the start and end of a defrost operation. The temperature detection unit is fixed to the refrigerant pipe via a fixture in order to accurately attach the temperature detection unit to the refrigerant pipe with respect to position and distance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in a conventional refrigerator, the fixture has to be fixed to a plurality of locations on the refrigerant pipe, which may make the attachment complicated.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a fixture that facilitate attaching a temperature detection unit to a refrigerant pipe.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a refrigerant pipe, a temperature detection unit, and a fixture that fixes the temperature detection unit to the refrigerant pipe. The fixture includes a holding unit that holds the temperature detection unit, and a pair of attachment units provided at intervals from each other. The pair of attachment units have openings that open in opposite directions, and the refrigerant pipe is fitted through the openings and holds the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant pipe comprises a lower refrigerant pipe and an upper refrigerant pipe positioned above the lower refrigerant pipe at a distance from it, the lower refrigerant pipe being spaced apart front to back, the fixing device comprising an extension extending downward from the mounting portion and having a wide portion at its lower end that widens in the front to back direction, and when the pair of mounting portions are attached to the upper refrigerant pipe, the extension extends to the height of the lower refrigerant pipe and the wide portion is positioned between the lower refrigerant pipes. It is such.

[0007] Furthermore, the fastener of one embodiment is It comprises a lower refrigerant pipe and an upper refrigerant pipe positioned above the lower refrigerant pipe at a distance from it, and the lower refrigerant pipe is provided with a distance from it in the front and back directions. A fixing device for fixing a temperature detection unit to a refrigerant pipe, comprising a holding part for holding the temperature detection unit and a pair of mounting parts provided at intervals from each other. , an extension portion extending downward from the mounting portion and having a wide portion that widens in the front-rear direction at its lower end, The pair of mounting portions have openings that open in opposite directions from each other, into which the refrigerant pipe is fitted and the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe is held. When the pair of mounting parts are attached to the upper refrigerant pipe, the extension extends to the height of the lower refrigerant pipe, and the wide part is positioned between the lower refrigerant pipes. It is. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Cross-section of a refrigerator (model 1) [Figure 2] Front view of the condenser room [Figure 3] Perspective view of the condenser [Figure 4] Side view of the cooler [Figure 5] Perspective view of the fastener [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view AA in Figure 2 [Figure 7] BB cross-section diagram (Figure 4) [Figure 8] Enlarged plan view of the main part of the cooler showing how the fixing device is attached to the refrigerant pipe. [Figure 9] Perspective view of the fastener showing how to attach the fastener to the refrigerant pipe. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are illustrative and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto. The following embodiments can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The following embodiments and their variations are included in the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0010] In the following explanation, left-right, front-back, and up-down directions refer to the directions when viewing the refrigerator from the front, with the left-right direction corresponding to the width of the refrigerator. Also, unless otherwise specified, right, left, up, down, front, back, far, back, and front refer to the position or side of the refrigerator when viewed from the front, and for the refrigerator door, it refers to the position or side when the door is closed and viewed from the front.

[0011] (1) Configuration of Refrigerator 1 The configuration of refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator body 2 that opens to the front. The refrigerator body 2 comprises an outer box 3 made of steel plate and an inner box 4 made of synthetic resin, and an insulating space 5 is formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 for storing insulating material such as foamed insulation material or vacuum insulation panel. Multiple storage compartments are provided inside the inner box 4 of the refrigerator body 2. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, a refrigerator compartment 6 and a vegetable compartment 7 are provided from the top down, and a freezer compartment 10 is provided below them.

[0012] The refrigerator compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 7 are storage compartments that are cooled to a refrigerated temperature range (for example, 1 to 4°C) based on the temperature detected by a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 located on the rear surface. The refrigerator compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 7 are separated vertically by a partition plate 11 made of synthetic resin, but air from the refrigerator compartment 6 flows into the vegetable compartment 7 through a communication hole 17 provided at the rear end of the partition plate 11. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 6 is provided with a hinged, pivotable, insulated door 6a.

[0013] The rear of the refrigerator compartment 6 is partitioned by a rear wall member 40, which is provided at a distance in front of the rear surface 4a of the inner box. The rear wall member 40 forms a refrigerator compartment flow path 24a between itself and the rear surface 4a of the inner box, through which cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 6 flows.

[0014] Multiple shelves 12 are provided in the interior space of the refrigerator compartment 6, spaced apart vertically. The space partitioned vertically by the partition plate 11 and the lowest shelf 12 houses the water tank and water supply device, as well as a pull-out container 14.

[0015] At the front opening of the vegetable compartment 7, a drawer-type heat insulation door 7a is provided. At the back surface of this heat insulation door 7a, a storage container 15 that constitutes a storage vessel is connected, and the storage container 15 is configured to be pulled out of the cabinet along with the door opening operation. The rear surface of the vegetable compartment 7 is partitioned by a rear wall member 41 provided at a distance in front of the rear surface 4a of the inner box. The rear wall member 41 forms a vegetable compartment flow path 24b through which the cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 6 flows between the rear surface 4a of the inner box. The upper end of the vegetable compartment flow path 24b is connected to the lower end of the refrigerator compartment flow path 24a, and the refrigerator compartment flow path 24a and the vegetable compartment flow path 24b constitute the refrigeration side duct 24.

[0016] The freezer compartment 10 is a storage compartment that is cooled to a freezing temperature range (for example, -10 to -20°C) based on the detected temperature of a freezer compartment temperature sensor 37 provided on its rear surface. Between the vegetable compartment 7 and the freezer compartment 10, there is an upper and lower partition by a heat insulation partition wall 16 provided with a heat insulating material inside. At the front opening of the freezer compartment 10, a drawer-type heat insulation door 10a is provided.

[0017] In the freezer compartment 10, three storage containers consisting of a lower container 100, a middle container 101, and an upper container 102 are provided side by side vertically. At the back surface of the heat insulation door 10a, a container support 120 that supports the lower container 100 is connected, and the lower container 100 and the middle container 101 supported on the upper surface of the lower container 100 are configured to be pulled out of the cabinet along with the door opening operation.

[0018] Above the upper container 102, an ice making device 105 including an ice tray and an ice releasing mechanism is provided. The ice made by the ice making device 105 drops into the upper container 102 and is stored in the upper container 102. The ice making device 105 constitutes an automatic ice making device together with a water supply tank and a water supply device provided in the refrigerator compartment 6, and the water in the water supply tank sucked up by the water supply device is supplied to the ice tray.

[0019] At the back of the freezer compartment 10, there is a cooler compartment 23 that houses a cooler 21 that generates cold air to cool the refrigerator compartment 6, the vegetable compartment 7, and the freezer compartment 10, and a cooler fan 22 that blows the generated cold air. The cooler compartment 23 is connected to a refrigerator-side duct 24 equipped with a refrigerator damper 25, a freezer-side duct 26 equipped with a freezer damper (not shown), a return duct 19 (see Figure 2) that returns air that has flowed through the vegetable compartment 7 back to the cooler compartment 23, and a return duct 20 that returns air that has flowed through the freezer compartment 10 back to the cooler compartment 23.

[0020] The cooler 21, located in the cooler room 23, forms a refrigeration cycle together with the compressor 29 and condenser 31 located in the machine room 28. The cooler 21 is cooled by the supply of refrigerant discharged from the compressor 29, and cools the air in the cooler room 23. The air in the cooler room 23, cooled by the cooler 21, is supplied to the refrigerator room 6 and the freezer room 10 by controlling the opening and closing of the refrigeration damper 25 and the freezer damper while driving the cooler fan 22.

[0021] In addition to the cooler 21 and cooler fan 22, the cooler room 23 is also equipped with a defrost heater 52 for defrosting the cooler 21, a water receiving section 53 for receiving defrost water, a temperature detection section 54 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant pipes through which the refrigerant flows, and a housing case 55.

[0022] The cooling fan 22, defrost heater 52, and temperature detection unit 54 are located inside a housing case 55 positioned towards the other side (left side in Figure 2) in the width direction of the refrigerator. They are connected to lead wires extending from the control board 62, and power is supplied from the control board 62 for driving the units, as well as for sending and receiving control signals and detection signals to and from the control board 62.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the upper rear of the refrigerator body 2 is provided with a circuit board storage section 60 that recesses forward, and a control board 62 for controlling the refrigerator 1 is provided inside it.

[0024] The control board 62 cools each storage compartment 6, 7, and 10 so that the temperatures detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor 36 and the freezer temperature sensor 37 meet predetermined temperature conditions, by controlling the opening and closing of the refrigerator damper 25 and the freezer damper, the rotation speed of the cooler fan 22, and the operating frequency of the compressor 29, based on detection signals input from sensors 36, 37, etc., and a control program pre-stored in memory. Furthermore, when predetermined conditions are met, such as performing the cooling operation of the storage compartments 6, 7, and 10 for a predetermined time, the defrost heater 52 is energized to start the defrosting operation of the cooler 21, and the defrosting operation ends when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 54 reaches or exceeds a predetermined temperature.

[0025] (2) Configuration of the cooler 21 In this example, the cooler 21 is a fin tube type cooler comprising a meandering refrigerant pipe 21a with a straight section 21a1 extending in the width direction of the refrigerator and U-shaped bent sections 21a2 at both ends in the width direction, a number of fins 21b attached to the straight section 21a1 of the refrigerant pipe 21a, and end plates 21c connecting the left and right ends of the straight section 21a1 of the refrigerant pipe 21a. In this embodiment, the number of fins 21b and end plates 21c constitute a number of heat dissipation plates arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the meandering refrigerant pipe 21a has straight sections 21a1 arranged at intervals in the vertical and front-back directions, and penetrates the fins 21b and end plates 21c at multiple locations.

[0026] The upstream portion 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a protrudes from the upper end of the end plate 21c of the cooler 21 to one side in the refrigerator width direction (to the right in Figure 3), then folds back upward in a U-shape, extends above the cooler 21 in the refrigerator width direction, and is connected to the capillary tube 34 above the cooler 21.

[0027] In this embodiment, the two uppermost straight sections 21a11 of the straight sections 21a1 connected to the end plate 21c are the lower refrigerant pipes, and the upstream portion 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a is the upper refrigerant pipe located above the lower refrigerant pipes. The two lower refrigerant pipes 21a11 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction and arranged parallel to each other. The upper refrigerant pipe 21a3 is a refrigerant pipe 21a to which a fixing device 70 (described later) is attached, and is located between the two lower refrigerant pipes in the front-rear direction.

[0028] The capillary tube 34 enters the cooling chamber 23 from the insulated space 5 of the refrigerator body 2 through the inlet hole 4b provided in the inner box 4, and is connected to the upstream portion 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0029] A temperature detection unit 54 is attached to the upstream portion 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a via a fixing device 70, in a position that overlaps vertically with the refrigeration damper 25. The temperature detection unit 54 comprises a cylindrical detection body 54a positioned close to the refrigerant pipe 21a, and an electrical wire 54c connected to the connection surface 54b of the detection body 54a. The tip of the electrical wire 54c is connected to a lead wire extending from the control board 62 inside the housing case 55. The temperature detection unit 54 transmits the temperature of the refrigerant pipe 21a detected by the detection body 54a to the control board 62 via the electrical wire 54c and the lead wire.

[0030] A refrigerant pipe 51 is connected downstream of the refrigerant pipe 21a, and a suction pipe 35 is connected further downstream of the refrigerant pipe 51. The refrigerant pipe 51 protrudes in one direction in the refrigerator width direction from the lower end of the end plate 21c of the cooler 21, then bends upward and is provided along the upper side of one side in the refrigerator width direction of the cooler 21. A gas-liquid separator 30 with an expanded outer diameter is provided between the cooler 21 and the return duct 19. The gas-liquid separator 30 separates the refrigerant after it has flowed through the cooler 21 into liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant.

[0031] (3) Fixture 70 Next, the fixing device 70 will be explained based on Figures 3 to 7.

[0032] The fixing device 70 is made of a resin molded product and includes a holding part 71 that holds the detection body part 54a of the temperature detection unit 54, a pair of mounting parts 72 and 73 that hold the refrigerant pipe 21a, an electrical wire holding part 74 that holds the electrical wire 54c of the temperature detection unit 54, and an extension part 75 that is inserted between the fin 21b and the end plate 21c.

[0033] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the holding portion 71 is cylindrical in shape and has an insertion portion 71a that opens downward, and is provided with an engaging claw 76 that protrudes from the insertion portion 71a. The holding portion 71 holds the detection body portion 54a such that the engaging claw 76 engages with the circumferential surface of the cylindrical detection body portion 54a, causing the electric wire 54c to protrude to the right from the connection surface 54b of the detection body portion 54a, and a part of the circumferential surface of the detection body portion 54a faces the insertion portion 71a.

[0034] Furthermore, the holding portion 71 is provided with a restricting portion 77 spaced to the right of the connection surface 54b of the detection main body portion 54a held by the engaging claw 76. The restricting portion 77 is provided with an elongated hole 77a that opens downward, and the electric wire 54c extending to the right from the connection surface 54b of the detection main body portion 54a is inserted into the elongated hole 77a. The restricting portion 77 restricts the position of the electric wire 54c so that it extends to the right between the connection surface 54b and the restricting portion 77.

[0035] The cylindrical holding portion 71 is provided with a pair of mounting portions 72 and 73 spaced apart in its axial direction (the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 71). The distance between the pair of mounting portions 72 and 73 can be, for example, about 30 to 50 mm. In this embodiment, the pair of mounting portions 72 and 73 are provided at both ends of the holding portion 71 in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] The pair of mounting portions 72 and 73 are plate-shaped and protrude downward from the lower surface of the holding portion 71. The pair of mounting portions 72 and 73 are provided with through holes 72a and 73a for holding the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe 21a, and openings 72b and 73b connected to the through holes 72a and 73a.

[0037] The through holes 72a and 73a are provided with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe 21a in order to hold the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe 21a so that the mounting parts 72 and 73 do not easily move along the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe 21a. The width of the openings 72b and 73b is provided to be smaller than the inner diameter of the through holes 72a and 73a in order to prevent the refrigerant pipe 21a fitted into the through holes 72a and 73a from easily falling out.

[0038] One mounting portion (first mounting portion) 72 has an opening 72b that opens forward, and the other mounting portion (second mounting portion) 73 has an opening 73b that opens rearward, so that the opening 72b of the first mounting portion 72 and the opening 73b of the second mounting portion 73 open in opposite directions.

[0039] The pair of mounting parts 72 and 73 hold the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe 21a in the through holes 72a and 73a, as the refrigerant pipe 21a is fitted into the through holes 72a and 73a through the openings 72b and 73b. When the refrigerant pipe 21a is held in the through holes 72a and 73a of the pair of mounting parts 72 and 73, the refrigerant pipe 21a faces the detection body 54a of the temperature detection unit 54 vertically via the insertion part 71a of the holding part 71.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the wire holder 74 includes a notch 74a that opens downward and a locking portion 74b that protrudes from the lower end of the notch 74a to narrow the opening. The wire holder 74 holds the wire 54c that is inserted into the notch 74a from below.

[0041] It is preferable that the wire holding portion 74 be positioned closer to the first mounting portion 72, which has an opening 72b that opens forward, than to the second mounting portion 73, which has an opening 73b that opens backward. In this embodiment, the wire holding portion 74 is provided on the rear side of the first mounting portion 72.

[0042] Furthermore, the holding portion 71 may be provided with a support portion 78 that supports the lower surface of the electric wire 54c from the time it is pulled out from the elongated hole 77a of the restricting portion 77 until it is held by the electric wire holding portion 74.

[0043] The extension 75 is a plate-like body extending downward from one of the pair of mounting parts 72, 73, for example, from the first mounting part 72. As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7, when the pair of mounting parts 72, 73 hold the upstream portion 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a, the extension 75 is inserted between the fin 21b and the end plate 21c, and extends below the two uppermost lower refrigerant pipes 21a11, and is inserted between the two lower refrigerant pipes 21a11. In other words, when the cooler 21 is viewed from the front, at least a part of the extension 75a overlaps with the uppermost lower refrigerant pipe 21a11 in the front-to-back direction between the fin 21b and the end plate 21c.

[0044] The extension 75 is provided with a wide portion 75a that extends in the front-rear direction at its lower end, and the wide portion 75a may be inserted between the two lower refrigerant pipes 21a11. The length of the wide portion 75a in the front-rear direction should be smaller than the distance between the two lower refrigerant pipes 21a11 in the front-rear direction, and should be long enough to be inserted between the pair of straight portions 21a1. For example, it is preferable that a gap (clearance) S of 0.5 mm to 3 mm is formed between the wide portion 75a and the straight portions 21a1, both on the front and rear sides, and more preferably 1 mm to 2 mm (see Figure 4).

[0045] (4) How to attach the fastener 70 Next, we will explain how to attach the fixing device 70 to the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0046] First, before fixing the fixing device 70 to the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3, the temperature detection unit 54 is attached to the fixing device 70 in advance. That is, the detection body 54a of the temperature detection unit 54 is press-fitted into the insertion part 71a of the holding part 71 to hold the detection body 54a in the holding part 71. Also, the electrical wire 54c is pulled out from the elongated hole 77a of the regulating part 77 to the outside of the holding part 71, passed over the support part 78, and then inserted into the notch 74a of the electrical wire holding part 74 to hold it in the electrical wire holding part 74.

[0047] After attaching the temperature detection unit 54 to the fixing device 70, as shown in Figure 8, the extension 75 of the fixing device 70 with the temperature detection unit 54 attached is inserted between the fin 21b and the end plate 21c, and between a pair of lower refrigerant pipes 21a11 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction.

[0048] Then, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 71 is inclined with respect to the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3, so that the opening 72b of the first mounting portion 72 faces the rear side of the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3, and the opening 73b of the second mounting portion 73 faces the front side of the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3.

[0049] Then, the fixing device 70 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow R in Figure 8 so that the longitudinal direction of the holding part 71 is parallel to the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3, and the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3 is fitted into the through holes 72a and 73a from the openings 72b and 73b, and the fixing device 70 is secured.

[0050] In this embodiment, the case in which the extension portion 75 is inserted between the fin 21b and the end plate 21c has been described, but the extension portion 75 may also be inserted between adjacent fins 21b in the left-right direction. Also, in this embodiment, the fixing device 70 is fixed to the upper refrigerant pipe 21a3, but it may also be fixed to another refrigerant pipe 21a, such as the lower refrigerant pipe 21a11.

[0051] (5) Effects In this embodiment, by rotating the fixing device 70, the refrigerant pipe 21a can be fitted into the through holes 72a and 73a through the openings 72b and 73b which open in opposite directions, thereby fixing the fixing device 70 to the refrigerant pipe 21a, and the fixing device 70 can be easily fixed to the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0052] In this embodiment, the fixing device 70 is a relatively small member capable of holding the temperature detection unit 54, and a pair of mounting parts 72 and 73 are provided in close proximity. Therefore, when fitting the refrigerant pipe 21a into the through holes 72a and 73a, a stress in the opposite direction acts on the refrigerant pipe 21a at the nearby position, thereby suppressing deformation of the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0053] In this embodiment, when the upstream portion 21a3 of the refrigerant pipe 21a is attached to the mounting portions 72 and 73 of the fixing device 70, the extension portion 75 is inserted between adjacent fins 21b and end plates 21c in the left-right direction and fits between two lower refrigerant pipes 21a11 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fixing device 70 from moving along the longitudinal direction of the refrigerant pipe 21a or along the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0054] Furthermore, if a wide portion 75a that extends in the front-rear direction is provided at the lower end of the extension portion 75, as in this embodiment, the amount of synthetic resin required to mold the fixing device 70 can be reduced while also reducing the gap S between the extension portion 75 and the straight portion 21a1 of the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0055] In this embodiment, since the fixing device 70 is provided with an electrical wire holding portion 74, even if the electrical wire 54c is pulled, it is possible to prevent a large force from acting on the base portion of the electrical wire 54c (i.e., the portion near the connection surface 54b of the electrical wire 54c), thereby preventing the electrical wire 54c from breaking.

[0056] In particular, by positioning the electrical wire holding portion 74 closer to the first mounting portion 72, which has an opening 72b that opens forward, than to the second mounting portion 73, which has an opening 73b that opens backward, it is possible to prevent the fixing device 70 from coming off the refrigerant pipe 21a even if the electrical wire 54c is pulled when connecting the tip of the electrical wire 54c to the lead wire inside the housing case 55.

[0057] In other words, during the assembly process of the refrigerator 1, the cooler 21 with the fixing device 70 attached is usually fixed to the cooler compartment 23 of the refrigerator body 2, and then the tip of the electrical wire 54c of the temperature detection unit 54 held by the fixing device 70 is connected to the lead wire inside the housing case 55. When the assembly worker connects the electrical wire 54c to the lead wire, they often pull the electrical wire 54c forward for ease of work. By positioning the electrical wire holding part 74 close to the first mounting part 72 which has an opening 72b that opens forward, even if the assembly worker pulls the electrical wire 54c forward, the forward force is concentrated on the first mounting part 72 rather than the second mounting part 73, and the fixing device 70 does not come off the refrigerant pipe 21a.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a restricting portion 77 is provided between the connection surface 54b and the restricting portion 77 to restrict the position of the electric wire 54c so that the electric wire 54c extends to the right. Therefore, even if the electric wire 54c is pulled, it is possible to prevent the base portion of the electric wire 54c (the portion of the electric wire 54c near the connection surface 54b) from being severely bent, thereby preventing the electric wire 54c from breaking. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1...Refrigerator, 6...Refrigerator compartment, 6a...Insulated door, 7...Vegetable compartment, 7a...Insulated door, 10...Freezer compartment, 10a...Insulated door, 20a...Air intake, 21...Cooler, 21a...Refrigerant pipe, 21a1...Straight section, 21a11...Lower refrigerant pipe, 21a2...Bent section, 21a3...Upper refrigerant pipe, 21b...Fin, 21c...End plate, 22...Cooler fan, 23...Cooler room, 28...Machine room, 29...Compressor, 30...Accumulator, 31...Condenser, 32...Heat dissipation pipe, 33 ...Dryer, 34...Capillary tube, 35...Suction pipe, 51...Refrigerant pipe, 54...Temperature detection unit, 54a...Detection main unit, 54b...Connection surface, 54c...Electrical wire, 60...Circuit board housing unit, 62...Control board, 70...Fixing device, 71...Holding unit, 72...First mounting unit, 72a...Through hole, 72b...Opening, 73...Second mounting unit, 73a...Through hole, 73b...Opening, 74...Electrical wire holding unit, 75...Extension unit, 76...Engaging claw, 77...Restricting unit, 78...Support unit

Claims

1. In a refrigerator comprising a refrigerant pipe, a temperature detection unit, and a fixing device for fixing the temperature detection unit to the refrigerant pipe, The fixing device comprises a holding portion for holding the temperature detection unit and a pair of mounting portions provided at intervals from each other. The pair of mounting portions have openings that open in opposite directions from each other, and the refrigerant pipe is fitted into these openings and holds the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant pipe comprises a lower refrigerant pipe and an upper refrigerant pipe positioned above the lower refrigerant pipe at a distance from it, and the lower refrigerant pipe is provided with a distance between it and the front and rear. The fastener comprises an extension that extends downward from the mounting portion and has a wide portion at its lower end that widens in the front-rear direction, A refrigerator in which, when the pair of mounting parts are attached to the upper refrigerant pipe, the extension part extends to the height of the lower refrigerant pipe, and the wide part is positioned between the lower refrigerant pipes.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device comprises an electrical wire holding part for holding an electrical wire connected to the temperature detection part.

3. The pair of mounting portions comprises a first mounting portion whose opening faces forward and a second mounting portion whose opening faces backward. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the electrical wire holding portion is provided in a position closer to the first mounting portion than to the second mounting portion.

4. The temperature detection unit has a connection surface to which an electric wire is connected, and the electric wire is drawn out from the connection surface in a first direction. The fixing device includes a restricting portion provided at a distance in the first direction from the connection surface of the temperature detection portion held by the holding portion, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion restricts the position of the electrical wire so that the electrical wire extends from the connection surface in the first direction.

5. A fixing device comprising a lower refrigerant pipe and an upper refrigerant pipe positioned above the lower refrigerant pipe at a distance from it, wherein the lower refrigerant pipe is a fixing device for fixing a temperature detection unit to a refrigerant pipe provided at a distance from it in the front and rear directions, It comprises a holding portion for holding the temperature detection unit, a pair of mounting portions spaced apart from each other, and an extension portion extending downward from the mounting portions and having a wide portion at its lower end that widens in the front-rear direction, The pair of mounting portions have openings that open in opposite directions from each other, and the refrigerant pipe is fitted into these openings and holds the circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe. A fixing device in which, when the pair of mounting parts are attached to the upper refrigerant pipe, the extension part extends to the height of the lower refrigerant pipe and the wide part is positioned between the lower refrigerant pipes.

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