Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator according to the present invention has a pillar structure that can prevent thermal energy from being transferred to the interior of the refrigerator due to a heat bridge phenomenon and can remove condensation occurring between the doors of a side-by-side refrigerator with minimum energy.

Description

refrigerator

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a door equipped with a pillar.

[0002] A refrigerator is a home appliance that supplies cold air generated by the circulation of a refrigerant to a storage compartment, keeping various types of items fresh for a long period of time.

[0003] The refrigerator may include one or more storage compartments, and each storage compartment may be opened and closed by one or more doors.

[0004] For example, a double-door refrigerator may be equipped with a pair of doors on the left and right sides of the storage compartment that rotate in different directions.

[0005] In this case, a pillar may be installed on the edge of one door to block the gap between a pair of doors and prevent leakage of cold air.

[0006] When a pair of doors are closed, the pillar can come into contact with both of the pair of doors to block the gap between them, thereby improving the sealing ability of the storage room.

[0007] For example, the pillar can be installed on the left door of a pair of doors.

[0008] In order to open the left door with the pillar installed while the right door is closed, the pillar needs to be folded so as not to interfere with the right door during the process of opening the left door.

[0009] To this end, the refrigerator may be equipped with a pillar rotation structure, such as a pillar rotation part for rotating and folding the pillar.

[0010] The above pillar may include a case containing an insulating member to prevent cold air from leaking out of the storage compartment when the refrigerator door is opened or closed, a metal plate made of metal material installed facing the refrigerator storage compartment, and a heating element installed inside the metal plate to prevent condensation from forming on the metal plate due to the temperature difference between the storage compartment and the outside of the refrigerator.

[0011] In the existing technology, the metal plate has both ends bent to be fixed to the pillar, and has a structure that is coupled to one side of the cover coupled to the case or coupled to the side end of the insulating member.

[0012] However, since the bent side end of the metal plate is fixed in the direction of the storage room, a heat bridge phenomenon may occur in which heat from the heating element penetrates into the storage room.

[0013] This heat bridge phenomenon causes more energy to be required to maintain the coldness inside the storage room, and on the other hand, since the thermal energy supplied to the metal plate is lost, a problem may arise where more electrical energy must be supplied.

[0014] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop technology to maintain sufficient thermal energy to preserve the cold air inside the refrigerator storage compartment while preventing condensation from forming on the metal plate.

[0015]

[0016] The objective of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a pillar structure that prevents heat from penetrating into the refrigerator storage compartment.

[0017] In addition, the objective of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a pillar structure that minimizes electrical energy consumption for maintaining a double-door refrigerator.

[0018] In addition, the objective of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can maximize user convenience by providing a filler structure tailored to the temperature difference inside the storage compartment.

[0019] In addition, the objective of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a filler that is always highly energy-efficient even when changing refrigerator models, while enhancing design effects.

[0020] The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned objects and advantages of the present invention may be understood from the following description and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims.

[0021] To solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention may include: a main body comprising one or more storage chambers; a plurality of cold air discharge ports installed in the storage chambers to discharge cold air; a first door and a second door rotatably connected to one side and the other side of the main body, respectively, to open and close the storage chambers; and a pillar rotatably connected to one side of the first door adjacent to the second door; wherein the pillar may include: a case forming a receiving space inside; a cover having a slit formed in the center by being coupled to both ends of the case and hooks formed on both side ends facing the case; a metal plate composed of a coupling part having a protrusion formed in the center to be inserted into the slit and coupling holes formed on both sides of the protrusion to be fastened to the hooks; an insulating member receiving in the receiving space, having an insulating protrusion formed in the center that is in contact with the protrusion, and forming a space between both sides of the insulating protrusion and the coupling part; and a heating member inserted into the space.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the metal plate may be proportional to the distance from the cold air discharge port.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the metal plate may be formed to gradually increase from the top to the bottom of the pillar.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hook and the coupling hole connected to the hook may be characterized by being formed as a pair on the upper and lower ends of the cover and the metal plate, respectively.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat concentration section in which the heating elements are arranged in plurality may be characterized by being located at the shortest horizontal distance between the cold air discharge ports.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the arrangement density of the heat concentration portion, in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged, may be characterized by gradually decreasing from the top to the bottom of the pillar.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heating element may be characterized by being disposed between the hook and the insulating protrusion.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper part of the storage chamber may be characterized by having a guide part installed to guide the rotation of the pillar.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pillar may be characterized by including an insertion projection having an inclined surface, wherein the inclined surface is formed at the top and the insertion projection induces the pillar to descend when colliding with the guide portion.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, an elastic member is mounted on the lower part of the insertion projection, and the elastic member may be supported by a support member formed on one side of the upper part of the case.

[0031] To solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention may include: a main body comprising one or more storage chambers; a plurality of cold air discharge ports installed in the storage chambers to discharge cold air; a first door and a second door each rotatably connected to one side and the other side of the main body to open and close the storage chambers; and a pillar rotatably connected to one side of the first door adjacent to the second door; wherein the pillar may include: a case forming a receiving space inside; a cover having a slit formed in the center by being coupled to both ends of the case and hooks formed on both side ends facing the case; a metal plate composed of a coupling part having a protrusion formed in the center to be inserted into the slit and coupling holes formed on both sides of the protrusion to be fastened to the hooks; an insulating member that is received in the receiving space, has a vacuum insulating material inserted inside, and has an insulating protrusion formed in contact with the protrusion to form a space between both sides of the insulating protrusion and the coupling part; and a heating member inserted into the space.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum insulation material may be inserted inside the insulation protrusion.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material may be characterized by being disposed only on one side of the upper portion of the insulation member and having the surrounding area sealed by a foam insulation material.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the metal plate and the heating element may be characterized as not being constant.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, the metal plate and the heating element may be characterized by being arranged in a contact section that contacts each other and a non-contact section spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the contact section may be characterized in that the metal plate is located at the shortest horizontal distance from the cold air discharge port.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, the separation distance may be characterized as being proportional to the distance between the metal plate and the cold air discharge section.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the metal plate and the heating element may be adjusted by bending the metal plate.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heating element is installed in surface contact with the metal plate, and the surface contact area may be characterized as not being uniform over the entire pillar.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, the surface contact area may be characterized as being inversely proportional to the distance between the cold air discharge ports.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the surface contact area may be characterized by gradually decreasing from the top to the bottom of the pillar.

[0042] The refrigerator according to the present invention is installed by connecting the pillar to the door so that its height can be adjusted in the vertical direction, thereby allowing the height of the pillar alone to be adjusted without adjusting the height of the door.

[0043] Accordingly, the operability of the pillar can be ensured without causing defects in the step difference between the doors.

[0044] In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention can adjust the height of the pillar by using a height adjustment member inserted in a screw rotation manner within a pillar hinge that is fastened to a door bracket, so the user can easily adjust the height of the pillar using a simple height adjustment member such as a screw member, and thus has the advantage of enabling the user to take self-measures.

[0045] In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention has the advantage of being able to install the height adjustment member within the narrow space of the pillar hinge, as the maximum outer diameter of the height adjustment member is formed so that it does not exceed the maximum inner diameter of the spiral hole of the pillar hinge into which the height adjustment member is inserted, thus not requiring a large amount of space for installing the screw member.

[0046] In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention is formed such that the maximum outer diameter of the height adjustment member does not exceed the maximum inner diameter of the spiral hole of the pillar hinge into which the height adjustment member is inserted, so that the screw member can be completely inserted into the spiral hole of the pillar hinge and not protrude outward, thereby preventing the user from being injured by the protruding end of the height adjustment member and also obtaining an excellent design finish effect.

[0047] In addition to the effects described above, the specific effects of the present invention are described together with the specific details for implementing the invention below.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator with the door open.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates a conceptual diagram of an embodiment in which a pillar is installed in a refrigerator having double doors.

[0050] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating the combined area of ​​the pillar and the pillar rotation part.

[0051] FIG. 4a illustrates an embodiment in which both end surfaces of a metal plate are bent at the pillar of a conventional refrigerator and combined with one side of a cover to be fixed.

[0052] FIG. 4b illustrates another embodiment in which both end surfaces of a metal plate are bent at the pillar of a conventional refrigerator and combined with one side of a cover to be fixed.

[0053] FIG. 4c illustrates a phenomenon in which a heat bridge occurs in the pillar of a conventional refrigerator, causing thermal energy generated from a heat-generating element to be transferred to the storage chamber.

[0054] FIG. 5a illustrates a pillar structure proposed in the present invention, wherein a metal plate is secured by being fastened to a hook formed on one side of the inside of the cover, and an insulating member is loaded to minimize the internal space.

[0055] FIG. 5b illustrates the phenomenon in which a heat bridge does not occur in a refrigerator to which the pillar structure proposed in the present invention is applied.

[0056] FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the pillar proposed in the present invention.

[0057] FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of an improved heating element proposed in the present invention.

[0058] FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the arrangement of the metal plate and the heating element proposed in the present invention.

[0059] FIG. 9a illustrates an example of a metal plate structure proposed in the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 9b illustrates a different embodiment of the metal plate structure proposed in the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment in which a vacuum insulation material is inserted inside an insulation member proposed in the present invention.

[0062] The aforementioned objectives, features, and advantages are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to easily implement the technical concept of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

[0063] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various components, it goes without saying that these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another, and unless specifically stated otherwise, the first component may also be the second component.

[0064] Throughout the specification, unless specifically stated otherwise, each component may be singular or plural.

[0065] In the following, the statement that any configuration is placed on the "upper (or lower)" of a component or on the "upper (or lower)" of a component may mean not only that any configuration is placed in contact with the upper (or lower) surface of said component, but also that another configuration may be interposed between said component and any configuration placed on (or below) said component.

[0066] In addition, where it is stated that one component is "connected," "combined," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while the components may be directly connected or connected to each other, another component may be "interposed" between each component, or each component may be "connected," "combined," or "connected" through another component.

[0067] Singular expressions used in this specification include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "composed of" or "comprising" should not be interpreted as necessarily including all of the various components or steps described in the specification, and should be interpreted as meaning that some of the components or steps may be omitted or additional components or steps may be included.

[0068] Throughout the specification, "A and / or B" means A, B, or A and B unless specifically stated otherwise, and "C to D" means C or more and D or less, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0069] Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to some embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0070]

[0071] [Basic Structure]

[0072] First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the connection relationships of a refrigerator, a hinge assembly, and each major component constituting the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0073] The exterior can be formed by a cabinet containing one or more storage compartments that are storage spaces for products inside the refrigerator, and one or more doors (21), 22) that can open and close the open front of the cabinet.

[0074] The cabinet may include an outer case forming the outer surface of the refrigerator and an inner case forming the inner surface.

[0075] The outer case and the inner case are formed to have a spaced-apart from each other, and the spaced-apart space can be filled with insulating material to form a foamed area.

[0076] The inner side of the internal case can be divided into one or more storage spaces.

[0077] The inner case may include one or more storage rooms, for example, a first storage room and a second storage room arranged in an up-and-down direction separated by a partition wall.

[0078] For example, the first storage room located at the top may be a refrigerator, and the second storage room located at the bottom may be a freezer.

[0079] However, the locations of the first storage room and the second storage room are not limited to this, and in other embodiments, the locations of the first storage room and the second storage room may be swapped.

[0080] The second storage room can be opened and closed by one or more third doors, which are drawer-type doors that are pulled out in the front-rear direction.

[0081] The first storage room can be opened and closed by a pair of doors, the first door (21) and the second door (22).

[0082] The storage room described below will be explained using the first storage room as an example.

[0083] For example, the first door (21) can be connected to one side of the cabinet, and the second door (22) can be connected to the other side of the cabinet.

[0084] The first door (21) and the second door (22) can be connected to the cabinet (2) so as to be rotatable by means of an upper door hinge and a lower door hinge positioned at the top and bottom, respectively.

[0085] A pillar (100) can be rotatably connected to one side of the first door (21).

[0086] In this case, one side of the first door (21) refers to one side of the first door (21) adjacent to the second door (22), and the pillar (100) can be positioned between the first door (21) and the second door (22) when the first door (21) and the second door (22) are closed.

[0087] For example, the pillar (100) can be joined to the door liner (112).

[0088] The pillar (100) connected to the door liner (112) can rotate according to the opening and closing operation of the first door (21).

[0089] When the first door (21) is closed, the pillar (100) can come into contact with the cabinet, and when the first door (21) is open, the pillar (100) can be folded to come into contact with the side of the door liner (112).

[0090] A guide member (30) can be placed on the inner side of the cabinet, that is, on the inner ceiling of the inner case.

[0091] The above guide member (30) may be composed of a body (31) and a guide groove (32) in which a curved receiving groove is formed.

[0092] The guide member (30) can function to guide the rotation of the pillar (100).

[0093] An inclined surface (162) is formed on the upper side of the insertion projection (161) to guide it into the guide groove (32) of the guide part (30) without significant resistance.

[0094] Additionally, an elastic member (162) is mounted on the lower part of the insertion projection (161), and the elastic member (162) can be supported by a support member (111) formed on one side of the upper part of the case (110).

[0095] At this time, the elastic member (162) can be fitted and fixed to a protrusion formed on the bottom of the support member (111).

[0096] For example, an insertion projection (161) protruding upward may be formed on the top of the filler (100), and the insertion projection (161) may be inserted into and moved into a guide groove (32) formed in the guide member (30).

[0097] During the process of closing the first door (21), the insertion projection (161) is inserted into the guide groove (32) of the guide member (30) and moves along the curved surface.

[0098] Accordingly, the above pillar (100) can also rotate.

[0099] During the process of closing the first door (21), the pillar (100) rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the first door (21).

[0100] Conversely, during the process of opening the first door (21), the insertion projection (161) can be withdrawn from the guide groove (32).

[0101] During the process of opening the first door (21), the pillar (100) rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first door (21).

[0102] In addition, a plurality of cold air outlets (15, 16, 17) may be installed inside the storage room to supply cold air and maintain the interior at a low temperature.

[0103] FIGS. 4a to 4c illustrate the internal cross-section of the existing filler (100).

[0104] As described above, the existing filler (100) may be composed of a case (110) having a receiving portion formed therein, an insulating member (120) received in the receiving portion, a cover (130) coupled to both ends of the case (110), a metal plate (150) positioned between the cover (130) and the insulating member (120) with both ends bent and coupled to the cover (130) or the insulating member (120), and a heating member (140) interposed between the metal plate (150) and the insulating member (120) or between the metal plate (150) and the cover (130).

[0105] However, if the bent ends of the metal plate (150) are installed facing toward the refrigerator storage section, the heat bridge effect occurs, causing unnecessary cold air consumption in the storage room and consuming excessive electrical energy to perform the function of preventing dew formation on the outer side of the metal plate (150).

[0106]

[0107] [First Example]

[0108] FIGS. 5A, FIGS. 5B, and FIGS. 6 illustrate the configuration of the filler (100) proposed in the present invention.

[0109] The above pillar (100) is composed of a case (110) that forms a receiving space as in the conventional case, a cover (130) that is coupled to both ends of the case (110) and has a slit (132) formed in the center, a protrusion (152) that is inserted into the slit (132) in the center, and a connecting part (153) that extends to both sides. A connecting hole (151) is formed in the connecting part (153) and a metal plate (150) that is connected to a hook (131) formed inside the cover (130) is received in the receiving space, and an insulating protrusion (121) that is in surface contact with the protrusion (152) is formed in the center, and a space in which the heating element (140) is received can be formed between the left and right sides of the insulating protrusion and the connecting part (153).

[0110] In the pillar (100) of the present embodiment, the metal plate (150) coupling portion (153) is not separately bent and coupled to the case (110), cover (130), or insulation member (120), etc., but is fastened to the hook (131) protruding into the inner side of the cover (130) and the coupling hole (151), so the coupling portion (153) can be installed in a horizontal shape.

[0111] Therefore, the heat energy produced by the heating element (140) receiving electricity is unnecessarily transferred to the storage room, thereby saving energy required to use more cold air to maintain the refrigerator interior at a low temperature.

[0112] In addition, since the heat from the heating element (140) is fully transferred to the metal plate (150), the condensation phenomenon caused by the temperature difference between the storage room and the outside can be controlled more efficiently.

[0113] In the configuration of the present embodiment, by minimizing the space between the metal plate (150) and the insulating member (120) by the insulating protrusion (121), an additional effect can be expected in preventing the thermal energy produced by the heating member (140) from being transferred to a place other than the metal plate (150) and wasted.

[0114] In addition, the above-mentioned insulation protrusion (121) performs the function of supporting the protrusion (152) of the metal plate (150), thereby preventing the connection hole (151) and the hook (131) from being connected to the cover (130) and the metal plate (150) from separating over a long period of time.

[0115] At this time, the heating element (140) may be installed on both sides of the insulating protrusion (121), and the heating element (140) may be located between the insulating protrusion (121) and the hook (131).

[0116] In addition, at this time, it may be preferable for the heating element (140) to be installed as close as possible to the insulating protrusion (121).

[0117] This is because the role of the heating element (140) is to prevent condensation on the surface of the metal plate (150) caused by the temperature difference between the storage room and the outside, and since the only part of the metal plate (150) exposed to the outside in this embodiment is the protrusion (152), it is intended to allow thermal energy to be directly transferred to the protrusion (152) as much as possible.

[0118] Figures 4c and 5b show the results of simulating Heat Flux under the same environment (ambient temperature 25°C, storage room temperature 4°C) and refrigerator physical properties.

[0119] When comparing the two results above, the temperature of the metal plate (150) in the refrigerator using the conventional pillar structure is 20.4°C, whereas in the refrigerator employing the pillar structure presented in the embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the metal plate (150) is 22.0°C, showing an improvement effect of about 1.6°C.

[0120] In other words, when the pillar (100) of the embodiment of the present invention is applied under the same operating conditions, the temperature of the metal plate (150) is maintained closer to the ambient temperature, so it is evident from the comparison of results that not only is the dew formation phenomenon reduced, but the amount of electrical energy required to obtain the same effect can also be much smaller.

[0121]

[0122] [2nd Example]

[0123] FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the pillar (100) system of the present invention.

[0124] As described above, a plurality of cold air outlets (15, 16, 17) may be arranged within the storage room.

[0125] The above cold air outlets (15, 16, 17) can perform the function of supplying cold air obtained from an evaporator to the storage room in order to maintain the inside of the storage room at a temperature lower than the outside.

[0126] Since the supplied cold air has a lower temperature than the storage room, when supplied to the storage room according to the principle of convection, it flows to a lower place than the cold air discharge port (15, 16, 17) and has a mechanism to absorb surrounding thermal energy and increase the temperature.

[0127] The aforementioned condensation or frost formation phenomenon occurs due to the temperature difference between the storage room and the outside air where the refrigerator is installed.

[0128] It is obvious that the internal temperature of the refrigerator will be lowest at the location of the cold air outlet (15, 16, 17), and that the temperature will increase as it moves further away from the cold air outlet (15, 16, 17).

[0129] In addition, as cold air moves from the top to the bottom of the storage room throughout the storage room and gradually absorbs thermal energy, the temperature at the bottom of the storage room may tend to be lower than that at the top.

[0130] In conventional refrigerators, the above-mentioned pillar (100) was formed with the same configuration at both the top and bottom, without considering the temperature difference inside the refrigerator storage compartment described above.

[0131] In other words, the problem of the above-mentioned dew formation being more concentrated on the metal plate (150) placed in the area with a greater temperature difference from the outside air could not be solved.

[0132] When using the pillar (100) structure presented in the first embodiment above, it is possible to expect an effect where the temperature difference between the surface of the metal plate (150) and the outside air is reduced compared to the existing one, but it is not possible to prevent the degree of dew formation on a part of the protrusion (152) from varying depending on the temperature difference of the metal plate (150) itself as described above, for example, the temperature difference that occurs locally depending on the distance from the cold air outlets (15, 16, 17).

[0133] Therefore, the refrigerator manufacturer must have always manufactured the above pillar (100) system based on the area with the most severe condensation, so that unnecessary energy consumption could occur during refrigerator operation.

[0134] In this embodiment, a configuration and method for preventing the dew formation phenomenon concentrated on one side of the protrusion (152) of the metal plate (150) using the heating element (140) is described.

[0135] The heating element (140) performs the function of evaporating moisture formed on the surface of the metal plate (150) using thermal energy generated by passing an electric current through the metal coil.

[0136] In the case of a conventional refrigerator, the heating element (140) is a single identical metal coil placed over the entire pillar (100).

[0137] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the heating element (140) can be connected multiple times to the upper part of the storage room, which is located close to where cold air is supplied and is expected to have a low temperature, or to the metal plate (150) located at the shortest distance from the cold air outlet (15, 16, 17), so that more thermal energy can be supplied to the corresponding area.

[0138] The density of the heating element (140) can be adjusted by the number of times the metal coil is bent and arranged.

[0139] FIG. 6 illustrates, as an example, that the heating element (140) is repeatedly bent and arranged to form a heat concentration section (141, 142) which is arranged at the upper and lower ends of the pillar (100).

[0140] The above heat concentration parts (141, 142) are arranged under the assumption that there will be severe cold air leakage in the corresponding atmosphere, but the location of the above heat concentration parts (141, 142) is not restricted to this.

[0141] That is, the user can prevent condensation by selecting and placing the heat concentration part (141, 142) at a point where it is determined that cold air from the storage room is likely to leak out due to the refrigerator structure or usage environment.

[0142] In addition, it is obvious that a structure identical or similar to the heat concentration part (141, 142) can also be applied to both sides of the insulation protrusion (121).

[0143] It is preferable to set a greater degree of density in the area where the temperature difference of the outside air is expected to be large depending on the location of the storage room, the distance from the cold air discharge port (15, 16, 17), or the operating method, so that the degree of density of the heating element is repeatedly bent and arranged.

[0144] In this embodiment, a configuration can be constructed that efficiently controls the dew formation phenomenon simply by bending and arranging the existing heating element (140), thereby obtaining the additional effect of simplifying the production process as much as possible.

[0145] In addition, it has the advantage of being easily applicable to cold spots located in different positions depending on the various types of refrigerator models produced by the manufacturer, and can be flexibly applied to modification work resulting from subsequent design changes.

[0146] In addition, since it is possible to supply heating elements (140) for various models with only a simple process of bending the existing heating element (140), it is possible to actively respond to the recent trend of multi-variety, small-batch production of refrigerators, and it is also possible to expect the effect of minimizing related inventory.

[0147]

[0148] [3rd Example]

[0149] The purpose and effects to be obtained in this embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment described above.

[0150] The method for adjusting the density of the heating element (140) presented in the second embodiment above may have the disadvantage of having spatial limitations.

[0151] That is, the heating element (140) basically utilizes thermal energy generated by passing current through a metal coil due to its resistance, but since the space formed on both sides of the insulating protrusion (121) is limited, the increase in integration density may be limited.

[0152] Additionally, the thermal energy produced in the heat concentration section (141, 142) clearly increases in proportion to the density of the thermal insulation member (140), but due to the shape limitations of the cross-section of the heat member (140), the contact area between the heat member (140) and the coupling section (153) may not increase in proportion to the density of the heat member (140).

[0153] FIG. 7 illustrates a heating element (140) presented in this embodiment.

[0154] The heating element (140) may be composed of a planar heating element having a heating concentration portion (141, 142) formed on one side with an increased contact surface with the coupling portion (153).

[0155] Figure 7 above is an example, and it is obvious that the shape of the planar heating element and the location and size of the heat concentration parts (141, 142) may be changed depending on the refrigerator or pillar (100) to which it is applied.

[0156] In this embodiment, the heating element (140) can be manufactured in the form of a surface heating element so as to make maximum surface contact with the metal plate (150).

[0157] When the heating element (140) of the present embodiment is applied to the pillar (100), the space existing between the insulating element (140) and the metal plate (150) or cover (130) is reduced, and the insulating element (140) is further filled into the space, thereby increasing the insulating effect.

[0158] In addition, by changing the shape or size of the heat concentration part (141, 142) to flexibly change and transfer the heat energy produced by the heat member (140) according to the temperature difference between the storage room and the outside air, the condensation phenomenon of the refrigerator can be effectively controlled.

[0159] In addition, by fully transferring the thermal energy produced by the thermal insulation member (140) to the metal plate (150), the waste of thermal energy that is lost meaninglessly in the existing space can be prevented, thereby minimizing operating costs.

[0160]

[0161] [Fourth Example]

[0162] In this embodiment, a method of differentially supplying thermal energy produced from the heating element (140) to the metal plate (150) is presented.

[0163] As described above, the temperature difference between the refrigerator storage room and the outside air based on the metal plate (150) may differ depending on each part.

[0164] Since the cause of the above temperature difference has already been described above, a detailed explanation will be omitted in this embodiment.

[0165] The above pillar (100) system is configured to minimize the outflow of cold air from the refrigerator storage room and the condensation on the metal plate (150) or protrusion (152), and the above objective can be realized in two ways, which will be described later.

[0166] First, more thermal energy is supplied to the area where a large temperature difference acts on the metal plate (150), and less thermal energy is selectively supplied to the area where a relatively small temperature difference acts.

[0167] Second, the structure is improved to make the temperature difference of the outer surface of the metal plate (150), that is, the part facing the outside air, uniform throughout the entire metal plate (150).

[0168] First, the details of the first method are illustrated in Fig. 8.

[0169] The heating element (140) can be placed inside the metal plate (150) connected to the cover (130).

[0170] In this embodiment, the metal plate (150) and the heating element (140) can be installed by dividing them into a contact area and a non-contact area.

[0171] The above contact area allows the thermal energy produced by the heating element (140) to be transferred to the metal plate (150) by conduction.

[0172] Since conduction is the most efficient method for transferring thermal energy, the thermal energy is transferred to the protrusion (152) through the coupling part (153), thereby efficiently controlling the condensation that occurs where the metal plate (150) comes into contact with the outside air.

[0173] On the other hand, as the distance from the cold air outlet (15, 16, 17), which is the cold source of the refrigerator, increases, the temperature difference between the front and rear surfaces of the metal plate (150) will decrease, so the same dew formation prevention effect can be obtained even if heat energy is supplied differentially.

[0174] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the metal plate (150) is bent to adjust the distance from the heating element (140) differently (d1, d2), thereby allowing the amount of heat energy to be selectively and differentially transferred.

[0175] In the above non-contact portion, the metal plate (150) is structured to receive thermal energy only by radiation or convection from the heating element (140), and the amount of thermal energy transferred by radiation and convection can be adjusted according to the distance from the heat source.

[0176] Therefore, if the amount of thermal energy per unit length produced by the heating element (140) is known, the thermal energy required to control the condensation phenomenon on the metal plate (150) in the non-contact section can be supplied differentially by bending the metal plate (150) to adjust the distance from the heating element (140) (d1, d2).

[0177] Since bending a metal plate is a simple process, introducing the method of this embodiment allows for addressing condensation in various parts at a low cost.

[0178] As another variation, it is obvious that instead of processing the metal plate (150), a method of bending the heating element (140) to obtain the same effect can also be considered.

[0179] FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate a second variation of the present embodiment.

[0180] The above method is a method of controlling the surface temperature of the metal plate (150) that finally comes into contact with the outside air by setting the thickness of the metal plate (150) in proportion to the distance from the cold source inside the refrigerator.

[0181] At this time, it is obvious that the metal plate (150) and the heating element (140) must be installed in contact.

[0182] The above method can have the additional advantage of providing an aesthetic effect to the user by uniformly applying the surface of the metal plate (150).

[0183] As described above, the temperature of the storage room generally has a lower temperature in the upper part than in the lower part, or the temperature near the cold air outlet (15, 16, 17) is lower than in other parts, so if the thickness of the metal plate (150) is adjusted differently (t1, t2) in proportion to the horizontal distance between the cold source and the metal plate (150), the amount of thermal energy transferred to the surface of the metal plate (150) can be adjusted.

[0184]

[0185] [5th ​​Example]

[0186] Decay basically occurs when there is a significant difference in temperature or humidity between the inside of the refrigerator and the outside air.

[0187] Accordingly, the present embodiment provides a method to minimize the condensation phenomenon by preventing cold air inside the refrigerator from leaking out or external heat from penetrating into the refrigerator.

[0188] FIG. 10 illustrates that in this embodiment, a vacuum insulation material (125) is inserted inside the insulation member (120) to improve the efficiency of the pillar (100).

[0189] The above vacuum insulation material (125) is an insulation material that has a vacuum-treated space inside.

[0190] The above-mentioned insulating member (120) is basically manufactured by heating a foam and is configured to utilize the insulating effect achieved by a plurality of air holes formed inside after manufacturing.

[0191] The above-mentioned insulating member (120) is configured to be installed for the primary purpose of preventing cold air inside the storage room from leaking out as described above.

[0192] In addition, the above-mentioned insulating member (120) is configured to block heat exchange caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the refrigerator, thereby preventing condensation from forming on the surface of the metal plate (150) for a secondary purpose.

[0193]

[0194] However, in the case of the insulation member (120) made of the above foam, if moisture penetrates into the interior, the insulation function rapidly deteriorates, and the two purposes mentioned above cannot be achieved.

[0195] This phenomenon occurs because the heat transfer rate of moisture is high.

[0196] Therefore, if the refrigerator is used in a humid environment or operated in an environment where there is a large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the refrigerator, external moisture may seep into the insulating member (120) or moisture formed on the metal plate (150) may penetrate into the insulating member (120), thereby reducing the insulating effect.

[0197] The reduction in the insulation effect of the above-mentioned insulation member (120) causes more severe condensation, and consequently, the refrigerator will have to operate the cooling device frequently to maintain an appropriate internal temperature, thereby reducing convenience of use and increasing the amount of energy required for operation.

[0198] The above vacuum insulation material (125) generally has a thermal conductivity of about 0.0025 and has a very excellent insulation effect, and is known to have about 8 times the insulation effect compared to the insulation material (120) made of the foam.

[0199] However, the above vacuum insulation material (125) may have the problem that as time passes, air molecules penetrate into the interior and the vacuum level decreases, and also has the disadvantage that the manufacturing cost is higher than that of the insulation material (120) made of the above foam.

[0200] In this embodiment, recognizing the above problem, a configuration is used in which the vacuum insulation material (125) is inserted into the insulation member (120) made of the foam.

[0201] When the above vacuum insulation material (125) is inserted into the insulation member (120), the insulation member (120) acts as a sealing body that maintains the vacuum level of the vacuum insulation material (125), thereby minimizing the deterioration of the performance of the vacuum insulation material (125).

[0202] Additionally, depending on the structure of the pillar (100), one end of the vacuum insulation material (125) may be exposed and installed in contact with the case (110).

[0203] In addition, the above-mentioned insulating member (120) can be expected to have higher insulation performance than the existing one due to the thermal conductivity of the internal vacuum insulating material (125).

[0204] As described above, as the thermal insulation performance of the thermal insulation member (120) increases, the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the protrusion (152) of the metal plate (150) can be reduced.

[0205] As a result, the condensation phenomenon occurring on the metal plate (150) can be naturally minimized, and consequently, the amount of heat energy supplied from the heating element (140) to eliminate the condensation phenomenon can be minimized, thereby reducing the overall maintenance cost required for refrigerator operation.

[0206] In particular, if the vacuum insulation material (125) is inserted into the center of the insulation protrusion (121), which is one of the technical features of the present invention, the cold air or external heat transmitted to the protrusion (152) can be blocked more effectively.

[0207]

[0208] As described above, since the vacuum insulation material (125) is expensive, it may be used by inserting the vacuum insulation material (125) only in a limited manner within the insulation member (120) installed near the cold source as described above, as needed.

[0209] For example, if the above cold air outlets (15, 16, 17) are installed on the upper ceiling or upper side wall of the storage room, the vacuum insulation material (125) can be installed only inside the insulation member (120) located near it to enhance the insulation effect.

[0210]

[0211] The refrigerator pillar (100) system described so far through the embodiments can minimize the heat bridge effect by replacing the existing structure of a metal plate (150) with both sides bent and fastened toward the refrigerator storage compartment with a configuration in which the cover (130) and the metal plate (150) are fastened together by a hook (131) and a coupling hole (151).

[0212] In addition, the protrusion (152) formed in the center of the metal plate (150) is installed so that it is inserted into the slit (132) provided in the center of the cover (130), thereby reducing the area of ​​the metal plate (150) exposed to the outside air and minimizing the occurrence of condensation.

[0213] In addition, the protrusion (152) can be inserted into the slit (132) to induce a more robust connection between the two components.

[0214] In addition, by forming an insulating protrusion (121) that contacts the protrusion (152) in the center of the insulating member (120) accommodated inside the case (110), the overall fastening ability of the pillar (100) system can be improved.

[0215] In addition, the above-mentioned insulating protrusion (120) minimizes the transfer of cold air to the metal plate (150), thereby reducing the difference with the outside temperature and thus minimizing the dew formation phenomenon.

[0216] In addition, the insulation protrusion (120) can minimize the space between the insulation member (120) and the metal plate (150) or cover (130) and further supplement the insulation member (120) in the space, thereby minimizing the loss of some of the thermal energy produced by the heating member (140) within the space without being used.

[0217] In addition, a method is presented to control the amount of thermal energy transferred to the metal plate (150) by adjusting the degree of foldability of the heating element (140), thereby presenting a method to minimize the thermal energy used to prevent condensation.

[0218] In addition, a method is presented to provide the thermal energy required to limit the condensation phenomenon according to the temperature difference inside the storage room by bending the surface of the metal plate (150) to adjust the distance between the metal plate (150) and the heating element (140).

[0219] In addition, a method is presented to easily limit the condensation phenomenon across the entire metal plate (150) by differentially distributing the thickness of the metal plate (150) according to the temperature at the storage room location.

[0220] In addition, a method is presented to maximize insulation performance and mutually compensate for the disadvantages of the foam insulation and vacuum insulation by inserting a vacuum insulation material (125) inside the insulation member (120) to maximize the prevention of cold air from the refrigerator storage room from leaking to the outside.

[0221] In addition, a method and standard for changing the position of the vacuum insulation material (125) according to the situation was presented to improve manufacturing efficiency.

[0222]

[0223] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the illustrated drawings, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed in this specification, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, even if the effects of the configuration according to the present invention were not explicitly described while explaining the embodiments of the present invention above, it is natural to acknowledge that the effects predictable by said configuration should also be recognized.

Claims

1. A main body including one or more storage chambers; A plurality of cold air discharge ports installed in the above storage room to discharge cold air; A first door and a second door connected to one side and the other side of the main body, respectively so as to be rotatable, for opening and closing the storage room; A pillar is installed that is rotatably connected to one side of the first door adjacent to the second door, and The above pillar is a case that forms an internal receiving space; A cover coupled to both ends of the above case, having an inner and outer penetrating slit in the center and hooks formed on both side ends facing the case; A metal plate comprising a coupling portion having a protrusion formed in the center to be inserted into the slit and coupling holes formed on both sides of the protrusion to be fastened with the hook; An insulating member that is accommodated in the above-mentioned receiving space, has an insulating protrusion formed in the center that is in contact with the above-mentioned protrusion, and forms a space between both sides of the insulating protrusion and the connecting part; and A refrigerator comprising a heating element inserted into the above space.

2. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized in that the thickness of the metal plate is proportional to the distance from the cold air outlet.

3. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized in that the thickness of the metal plate is formed to gradually increase from the top to the bottom of the pillar.

4. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized in that the above hook and the coupling hole connected to the above hook are each formed as a pair on the upper and lower ends of the cover and the metal plate.

5. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized in that the heat concentration section, in which the above-mentioned heating elements are arranged in plurality, is located at the shortest horizontal distance between the above-mentioned cold air discharge ports.

6. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized in that the arrangement density of the heat concentration section, in which the above-mentioned heating elements are arranged in multiple quantities, gradually decreases from the top to the bottom of the pillar.

7. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized in that the heating element is positioned between the hook and the insulating protrusion.

8. In Claim 1, A refrigerator characterized by having a guide section installed at the top of the storage compartment to guide the rotation of the pillar.

9. In Claim 8, A refrigerator characterized by the above pillar including an insertion projection having an inclined surface, wherein the inclined surface is formed at the top and the insertion projection induces the pillar to descend when colliding with the guide portion.

10. In Claim 9, A refrigerator characterized in that an elastic member is mounted on the lower part of the insertion projection, and the elastic member is supported by a support member formed on one side of the upper part of the case.

11. A main body comprising one or more storage chambers; A plurality of cold air discharge ports installed in the above storage room to discharge cold air; A first door and a second door connected to one side and the other side of the main body, respectively so as to be rotatable, for opening and closing the storage room; A pillar is installed that is rotatably connected to one side of the first door adjacent to the second door, and The above pillar is a case that forms an internal receiving space; A cover coupled to both ends of the above case, having an inner and outer penetrating slit in the center and hooks formed on both side ends facing the case; A metal plate comprising a coupling portion having a protrusion formed in the center to be inserted into the slit and coupling holes formed on both sides of the protrusion to be fastened with the hook; An insulating member that is accommodated in the above-mentioned receiving space, has a vacuum insulating material inserted therein, and has an insulating protrusion formed that is in contact with the above-mentioned protrusion, thereby forming a space between both sides of the insulating protrusion and the connecting part; and A refrigerator comprising a heating element inserted into the above space.

12. In Claim 11, A refrigerator characterized by having a vacuum insulation material inserted inside the insulation protrusion.

13. In Claim 11, A refrigerator characterized in that the above vacuum insulation material is placed only on one side of the upper part of the insulation member and is configured such that the surrounding area is sealed by a foam insulation material.

14. At least one of Claim 1 or Claim 11, A refrigerator characterized in that the distance between the metal plate and the heating element is not constant.

15. In at least one of Claim 1 or Claim 11, A refrigerator characterized in that the metal plate and the heating element are arranged in a mutually contacting contact section and a non-contact section spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

16. In Claim 15, A refrigerator characterized in that the contact section is located at the shortest horizontal distance between the metal plate and the cold air discharge port.

17. In Claim 15, A refrigerator characterized in that the above-mentioned separation distance is proportional to the distance between the metal plate and the above-mentioned cold air discharge port.

18. In Claim 15, A refrigerator characterized in that the distance between the metal plate and the heating element is adjusted by bending the metal plate.

19. At least one of Claim 1 or Claim 11, A refrigerator characterized in that the heating element is installed in surface contact with the metal plate, and the surface contact area is not uniform across the entire pillar.

20. In Claim 19, A refrigerator characterized in that the above contact area is inversely proportional to the distance between the above cold air discharge ports.

21. In Claim 19, A refrigerator characterized by the above surface contact area gradually decreasing from the top to the bottom of the pillar.

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