TWI658245B - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator 100 according to the embodiment uses a plurality of multi-flow evaporators (the first R cooler 110 and the second R cooler 111, and the first F cooler 112 and the second F cooler 113), and is used to cool a storage room having the same temperature zone. The plurality of multi-flow evaporators include a refrigerator compartment 3, a vegetable compartment 4, and a small freezer compartment 6 and a freezer compartment 7 that are storage compartments in the same temperature zone. Oblate tube.

Description

refrigerator

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Previously, in a refrigerator, an operation of cooling a storage compartment by a refrigerating cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like was performed. At this time, the evaporator may be installed in, for example, a duct on the back side of the storage compartment (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-033449

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When the evaporator is arranged on the rear side of the refrigerator as described in Patent Document 1, the length of the installation space in the front-rear direction is shortened by arranging the body portion of the evaporator vertically. However, in order to gain heat absorption, the vertical direction of the evaporator also needs a certain length, so the space occupied by the evaporator is increased. As a result, in order to ensure the depth of the storage room, a fan has to be arranged above or below the evaporator, so that there is a large dead space on the back side, which means that it cannot be used as a storage room space. Therefore, there is provided a refrigerator that can obtain an effective in-box volume that can be used as a storage compartment. [Technical means to solve the problem]

The refrigerator according to the embodiment uses a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators for cooling the storage compartments at the same temperature zone. The multi-flow type evaporators have a flat shape in which a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant flow are formed inside. Round tube.

(First Embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to simplify the description, first, as a first embodiment to a third embodiment, the structure and features of a multi-flow type evaporator and a refrigerator using the multi-flow type evaporator will be described. The embodiment is arranged, and a specific example using a plurality of multi-flow evaporators will be described.

<First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 (A) to 4 (B). As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 has a plurality of storage rooms arranged side by side in the up-down direction in a vertically rectangular box-shaped heat-insulating box 2 having an open front surface. Specifically, in the heat insulation box 2, a refrigerating compartment 3 and a vegetable compartment 4 are provided in order from the upper level as a storage compartment. Below it, an ice-making compartment 5 and a small freezing compartment 6 are arranged side by side. A freezing chamber 7 is provided below these. A well-known automatic ice-making device 8 is provided in the ice-making chamber 5 (refer FIG. 1). The heat-insulating box 2 basically includes an outer box 2a made of a steel plate, an inner box 2b made of a synthetic resin, and a heat-insulating material 2c provided between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b.

The refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are both storage rooms in a refrigerated temperature zone (for example, 1 ° C. to 4 ° C.). The refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are spaced up and down by a plastic partition wall 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the front surface portion of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided with a hinged open-close type heat insulation door 3 a. A pull-out type heat insulation door 4a is provided on the front surface portion of the vegetable compartment 4. A lower case 11 constituting a storage container is connected to a rear portion of the heat insulation door 4a. At the rear of the upper portion of the lower case 11, an upper case 12 smaller than the lower case 11 is provided.

In the refrigerator compartment 3, a plurality of shelves 13 are divided up and down into a plurality of layers. A chilled room 14 is provided on the right side of the lowermost part of the refrigerating compartment 3 (the upper part of the partition wall 10), and egg boxes and small item boxes are provided on the left and upper sides of the refrigerator compartment. Water tank. The water storage tank is used to store water supplied to the ice making tray 8 a of the automatic ice making device 8. A fresh-keeping box 18 is provided in the fresh-keeping chamber 14 so as to be pulled out.

The ice-making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 are all storage compartments in a freezing temperature zone (for example, -10 ° C to -20 ° C). In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the vegetable compartment 4, the ice-making compartment 5, and the small freezing compartment 6 are spaced up and down by a heat insulation partition wall 19. On the front surface portion of the ice-making compartment 5, a draw-out type heat insulation door 5a is provided. The ice storage container 20 is connected to the rear of the heat insulation door 5a. Although not shown in the figure, the front surface of the small freezer compartment 6 is provided with a draw-out type heat insulation door connected to the storage container. On the front surface portion of the freezer compartment 7, a draw-out type heat insulation door 7a connected to the storage container 22 is also provided.

Although not shown in detail in the refrigerator 1, a refrigeration cycle including two coolers for refrigerating cooler 24 and refrigerating cooler 25 is incorporated. The refrigerating cooler 24 is a member that generates cold air for cooling the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, and is provided on the rear surface of the refrigerator 1. The details of the refrigerating cooler 24 will be described later, and it is a header 24a (refer to FIG. 2) including an oblong tube 24c (refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) that serves as an inlet of the refrigerant to the oblong tube 24c. 2) and the header 24b (refer to FIG. 2) serving as the refrigerant outlet, the body portion 24g (refer to FIG. 2) is formed into a thin rectangular parallelepiped-type multi-flow evaporator (evaporator), and the oblate tube 24c It is formed in an oblong shape, and a plurality of channels through which the refrigerant flows are formed in the inside.

The freezing cooler 25 is a member that generates cold air for cooling the ice-making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7, and is provided below the refrigerating cooler 24, which is a rear portion of the refrigerator 1. A machine room 26 is provided on a lower back portion of the refrigerator 1. Although the details are not shown, a compressor 27, a condenser (not shown) constituting the refrigeration cycle, and a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the compressor 27 and the condenser are provided in the machine room 26. (Shown), defrost water evaporation tray 28, etc. The refrigerating cooler 25 is also a multi-flow type evaporator.

A control device 29 such as a microcomputer that controls the entirety is provided in a lower portion of the back surface of the refrigerator 1. In addition, although not shown, the ground wire of the electrical equipment provided in the refrigerator 1 is grounded via the outer box 2a or the like.

A freezer cooler chamber 30 is provided on a rear portion of the freezer compartment 7 in the refrigerator 1. The freezing cooler chamber 30 is provided with a freezing cooler 25, a defrosting heater (not shown), a freezing blower 31 as an air blowing member, and the like. The refrigerating blower 31 is a member that generates air by the blowing effect caused by the rotation of the fan, and circulates the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 25, and is provided above the refrigerating cooler 25. A cold air blow-out port 30a is provided in the middle portion of the front surface of the freezing cooler chamber 30, and a return port 30b is provided in the lower portion.

In the above-mentioned configuration, when the refrigerating blower 31 and the refrigerating cycle are driven, the air is generated by the blast action, and the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 25 is circulated as follows. The outlet 30a is supplied into the ice-making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7, and returns to the freezing cooler compartment 30 from the return opening 30b. Thereby, the ice-making compartments 5, the small freezing compartments 6, and the freezing compartments 7 are cooled. A drain guide 32 is provided below the freezing cooler 25 to receive defrosting water during the defrosting of the freezing cooler 25. The defrosting water received by the drainage guide tube 32 is guided to a defrosting water evaporation pan 28 provided in the machine room 26, and is evaporated at the defrosting water evaporation pan 28.

Then, behind the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 in the refrigerator 1, a refrigerating cooler 24, a cold air duct 34, a refrigerating blower 35 as an air blowing member, and the like are provided. That is, a refrigerator cooler chamber 36 constituting a part of the air-conditioning duct 34 is provided behind the lowermost floor of the refrigerator compartment 3 (behind the fresh-keeping chamber 14) in the refrigerator 1, and is provided in the refrigerator cooler chamber 36. There is a cooler 24 for refrigeration. The cold air duct 34 is a member that forms a passage for supplying cold air to the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, and the cold air is generated by the refrigerating cooler 24. The refrigerating blower 35 is a member that generates air by the blowing effect caused by the rotation of the fan, and circulates the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 24 under the refrigerating cooler 24.

A cold air supply duct 37 extending upward is provided above the refrigerating cooler chamber 36, and an upper end portion of the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 communicates with a lower end portion of the cold air supply duct 37. In this case, the cold air duct 34 is constituted by the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 and the cold air supply duct 37. The front wall 36 a of the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 projects further forward than the cold air supply duct 37. In addition, a heat-insulating material 38 having a heat-insulating property is provided on the back side of the front wall 36 a (the side of the cooling cooler 24) to cover the front surface of the cooling cooler 24. A plurality of cold air supply ports 39 are provided at the front of the cold air supply duct 37 and open toward the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3.

A drain guide 40 is provided below the refrigerating cooler 24 in the lower part of the refrigerating cooler chamber 36. The drain guide 40 is a member which receives the defrosting water from the refrigerator cooler 24. The defrosting water received by the drainage guide tube 40 is also guided to the defrosting water evaporation tray 28 provided in the machine room 26 in the same way as the defrosting water received by the drainage guide tube 32, and the defrosting The water evaporation pan 28 is evaporated. The left and right length dimension and the front and back depth dimension of the drainage guide tube 40 are larger than the left and right length dimension and the front and back depth dimension of the refrigerating cooler 24, and are configured to receive all the defrosting water dripping from the refrigerating cooler 24.

A blower duct 42 is provided behind the vegetable compartment 4. A refrigerating blower 35 as a blower member is provided in the blower duct 42. The air duct 42 has a suction port 43 at a lower end portion, and the upper end portion is connected to the cooler chamber 36 (air-conditioning duct 34) so as to bypass the drainage guide tube 40. The suction port 43 forms an opening in the vegetable compartment 4. In addition, a plurality of communication ports communicating with the vegetable compartment 4 are formed at left and right corner portions of the rear portion of the partition wall 10 constituting the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 3.

In the above-mentioned configuration, when the refrigerating blower 35 is driven, wind is generated mainly by the blower action as indicated by the hollow arrow in FIG. 1. That is, the air in the vegetable compartment 4 is sucked into the refrigerating blower 35 side from the suction port 43 and blown out to the blower duct 42 side. The air blown to the blower duct 42 passes through the cold air duct 34, specifically through the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 and the cold air supply duct 37, and is blown out from the plurality of cold air supply ports 39 into the refrigerator compartment 3.

The air blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 is also supplied into the vegetable compartment 4 through the communication port, and is finally sucked into the refrigerator blower 35. As described above, the air is circulated by the blowing effect of the refrigerating blower 35. When the refrigeration cycle is driven during the wind cycle, the air in the cooler cooler chamber 36 is cooled by the cooler cooler 24 to become cool air, and the cool air is supplied to the cooler compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment. 4, and the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are cooled to a temperature in the refrigerating temperature zone.

A water storage container 56 constituting a water storage unit is provided at a front portion of the lower portion in the refrigerating cooler chamber 36. The water storage container 56 is provided between the refrigerating cooler 24 and the drain guide 40, and is provided below the water supply unit. In addition, the water storage container 56 is attached to the front wall 36 a of the refrigerator cooler chamber 36 and is provided in a cantilever state protruding rearward. The water storage container 56 is a member that receives and stores defrost water dripped from the refrigerator cooler 24.

Next, the function of the above-mentioned configuration will be described.

First, the detailed structure of the refrigerator cooler 24 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 2, a header 24 a serving as an inlet of the refrigerant, a header 24 b serving as an outlet of the refrigerant, an oblong tube 24 c connecting the headers 24 a and 24 b between the headers 24 a, and provided in each oblate A heat-absorbing fin 24d formed between the tubes 24c by a metal material in a corrugated shape, an inlet-side connection portion 24e provided on the inlet-side header 24a to connect a refrigerant pipe (not shown), and provided An outlet-side connection portion 24f of an external pipe (not shown) is connected to the outlet-side header 24b. At this time, the shape of the body portion 24g, which is the portion where the oblong tube 24c is provided, is substantially a thin rectangular parallelepiped.

The headers 24a and 24b are formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and their respective hollow portions (not shown) are in communication with each other by the oblate tubes 24c. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the oblong tube 24c is formed in an oblong shape, and a plurality of flow paths 24h through which a refrigerant flows are formed in the oblong tube 24c. The hollow portions of the headers 24a and 24b communicate with each other through the respective flow paths 24h.

By providing the plurality of flow paths 24h as described above, the contact area between the refrigerant and the oblong tube 24c is increased compared to the oblong tube of the type in which a large system flow path is provided as before. Thereby, heat is efficiently transferred from the refrigerant to the oblong tube 24c. In addition, since the oblate tube 24c is in contact with the fin 24d, heat is also efficiently transferred from the oblate tube 24c to the fin 24d. Further, since the fin 24d is formed in a wave shape, the contact area with the air, that is, the heat exchange area can be further increased.

As described above, the multi-flow refrigerating cooler 24 can efficiently exchange heat with the air. For example, if the refrigerator cooler 24 has the same volume, the heat absorption effect can be expected to be 2 to 3 times that of the conventional fin tube type cooler. On the other hand, if the same heat absorption effect is obtained as before, That is, it can be made thin, etc., and the volume can be greatly reduced. Therefore, when the refrigerator cooler 24 is arranged on the back side of the refrigerator 1 as in the present embodiment, the dead space on the back side can be reduced, that is, the space that cannot be used as a storage room.

In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 (A) to 4 (B), the cooler 24 for refrigerating is such that the inlet-side header 24a is located below and the outlet-side header 24b is located above. Configuration. In other words, the cooler 24 for refrigerating is a body part 24g which is a part where the oblong tube 24c is arrange | positioned so that it may be orthogonal to the installation surface of the refrigerator 1, and the oblong pipe 24c may also be arrange | positioned perpendicular to the installation surface. It should be noted that the term “vertical” here is not limited to a state at 90 degrees to the installation surface, and includes a state that can be considered to be substantially vertical, such as a slightly inclined state.

As shown by an arrow F, the refrigerant that has flowed into the refrigerating cooler 24 flows into the refrigerating cooler 24 in a liquid state from the inlet-side connection portion 24e, and evaporates in the refrigerating cooler 24 to a gaseous state. The outlet-side connection portion 24f from the upper side mainly flows into a gaseous state. At this time, the refrigerant in the liquid state flows downwards by gravity, so as shown schematically in FIG. 4 (B), the refrigerant can be set by setting the inlet of the refrigerant below and the outlet of the refrigerant above. Smooth movement allows efficient heat exchange. In addition, FIG. 4 (B) schematically shows a state in which the refrigerator cooler 24 shown in FIG. 4 (A) is viewed from the left side of the drawing.

In addition, after the refrigerating cooler 24 operates the refrigeration cycle, the temperature drops and frost is generated. The frost degrades heat exchange performance, and therefore, for example, a defrosting process to remove frost is performed every fixed period. In the defrosting process, the adhered frost is melted to form defrosting water to be discharged downward. Therefore, by arranging the main body portion 24g of the cooling cooler 24 vertically as in the present embodiment, the defrosting water can be promoted to flow down. In addition, the oblate tube 24c is also arranged vertically, so that the defrosting water can easily flow downstream through the oblong tube 24c, thereby further promoting the downflow.

According to the refrigerator 1 described above, the following effects can be obtained. The refrigerator 1 uses a multi-flow type refrigerating cooler 24 (evaporator) to perform heat exchange in a refrigeration cycle. The multi-flow type refrigerating cooler 24 (evaporator) has a plurality of flows in which a refrigerant flow is formed. Road 24h oblate tube 24c.

As described above, the multi-flow refrigerating cooler 24 has high heat exchange performance. If the same performance is achieved, the volume can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional fin-tube refrigerating cooler. In addition, since the thickness can be reduced, the degree of freedom in arranging a place is also increased. Therefore, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the refrigerating cooler 24 can be increased, and an effective volume in the box can be obtained, that is, a space in the box that can be effectively used for the storage room.

In addition, by arranging the main body portion 24g of the cooling cooler 24 vertically, the defrosting water can be promoted to flow down. In this case, the oblate tube 24c is also arranged vertically, so that the defrosting water can easily flow downstream through the oblong tube 24c, so that the defrost water can be further promoted to flow down.

In addition, when the two evaporators of the refrigerating cooler 24 and the refrigerating cooler 25 are provided as in the present embodiment, the refrigerating cooler 24 can be defrosted one cycle at a time for each of the operation cycles. In the refrigerating cooler 24, the refrigerant is cooled if the refrigerant flows. On the other hand, since the temperature in the compartment of the refrigerating compartment 3 is 0 ° C or higher, the refrigerating blower 35 can continue to operate if the refrigerant does not flow. The evaporator is heated to perform defrosting.

At this time, since the heat capacity of the multi-flow type refrigerating cooler 24 becomes small, the defrosting time is shorter than that of the conventional fin-tube refrigerating cooler, so that the operation can be performed more efficiently and power can be saved.

In addition, since the inlet-side connection portion 24e and the outlet-side connection portion 24f are provided substantially parallel to the body portion 24g, the length (thickness) of the cooling cooler 24 in the front-rear direction can be reduced, and the storage compartment can be enlarged. .

In addition, the same effect as that of the refrigerating cooler 24 can be obtained with respect to the refrigerating cooler 25.

<Second Embodiment>

Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 10 (A) and 10 (B). In the second embodiment, another example of the arrangement embodiment and the structure of the cooling cooler 24 will be described.

As described above, the defrosting water flows down below the refrigerating cooler 24. Therefore, if the refrigerating blower 35 is disposed within the range (downstream area Rx. See FIG. 7), there is a possibility that a defrosting process is performed. The defrosting water is attached to the refrigerating blower 35.

Therefore, when, for example, it is arranged in the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 as shown in FIG. 5, it may be considered to dispose the fan 60 for blowing the refrigerating cooler 24 at a position substantially parallel to the refrigerating cooler 24. . The fan 60 may be a refrigerating fan 35.

This prevents the defrost water flowing down by gravity from adhering to the fan 60. Moreover, if it is the multi-flow type refrigerating cooler 24, since it can be made thin as mentioned above, it can also be installed in the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 at the same time as the fan 60.

In this case, since the water storage container 56 (refer to FIG. 1) is provided below the refrigerating cooler 24, the space below the refrigerating cooler 24 is partially blocked by the water storage container 56. status. When the fan 60 is rotated in this state, as shown by arrow B, the air flow is first sucked in by the fan 60 from the lower side, and then continuously runs upward by the refrigerating cooler 24.

That is, the fan 60 is disposed on the upstream side of the flow of the wind, that is, the windward side, with respect to the cooler 24 for refrigeration. This prevents moisture from adhering to the fan 60 even when the frost generated in the refrigerating cooler 24 is scattered or evaporated.

Alternatively, when placed in the cold air duct 34 as shown in FIG. 6, a fan 60 may be placed above the cooler 24 for refrigeration. This prevents the defrosting water from adhering to the fan 60. In this case, although the air sucked in from the lower side passes through the cooler 24 for refrigerating as shown by the arrow B, it is thought that the scattered water droplets move downward due to gravity, and therefore adhere to The probability on the fan 60 is reduced.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, even at a position lower than the cooler 24 for refrigerating, it is considered that as long as it is beyond the flow down area (Rx) of the defrosting water, that is, a range directly below the cooler 24 for refrigerating, It is also possible to prevent the defrosting water from adhering to the fan 60. In this case, the fan 60 may be disposed on the side opposite to the wind direction when passing through the cooling cooler 24 with respect to the cooling cooler 24.

In the case of FIG. 7, the wind direction when passing through the cooling cooler 24 is the left direction as shown in the figure, and therefore, the fan 60 can be positioned more on the right side than the cooling cooler 24 as shown in the figure. Thereby, even if the frost adhering to the surface of the refrigerating cooler 24 is blown away by wind, the possibility of adhering to the fan 60 can be reduced.

As described above, the refrigerating cooler 24 can be arranged at any position as long as it is outside the area where the defrost water flows. Therefore, for example, in FIG. 6, if there is a space in the left-right direction in the drawing, the fan 60 may be disposed diagonally above the refrigerator cooler 24 or the like.

As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerating cooler 24 can be arranged horizontally with respect to the installation surface of the refrigerator 1. It should be noted that the term "horizontal" herein refers to a state that can be regarded as substantially horizontal, such as a slightly inclined state. By being arranged substantially horizontally as described above, the necessary space in the height direction can be reduced. In addition, it can be arranged along the top plate or in the heat insulation space, so that the inner volume of the box can be increased.

In this case, by disposing the fan 60 above the refrigerating cooler 24, it is possible to prevent the defrosting water from adhering to the fan 60. Moreover, by setting it to a substantially horizontal level, it is possible to increase the surface area of the body portion 24g, or to reduce the thickness of the body portion 24g, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of installation or reducing the necessary space.

In addition, in FIG. 8, the wind direction is set to the upper direction, that is, from the refrigerating cooler 24 to the fan 60, but the frost peeled from the refrigerating cooler 24 moves downward due to gravity, so the wind direction does not change. Will be a problem. Furthermore, by setting the wind direction to the down direction, that is, from the fan 60 to the refrigerating cooler 24, it is possible to further suppress the frost peeled from the refrigerating cooler 24 from adhering to the fan 60.

It should be noted that the so-called parallel-type refrigerator cooler has been described as the refrigerator cooler 24 so far. As shown in FIG. 9, the refrigerator cooler 24 may be a meander-type refrigerator cooler. The zigzag-type refrigerating cooler 24 has a configuration in which one oblate tube 24c is folded back and connected from the inlet to the outlet of the refrigerant. In the oblate tube 24c, a header 24a is provided on the inlet side of the refrigerant, and a header 24b is provided on the outlet side of the refrigerant. A fin 24d is provided between the folded oblong tubes 24c.

Even the zigzag type refrigerator cooler 24 described above can have the same high heat exchange performance as the parallel type refrigerator cooler shown in the first embodiment, and if it has the same performance, it is the same as the conventional fin tube type. Compared with the cooler for refrigeration, the volume can be greatly reduced and the thickness can be reduced. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the placement location is also increased, and an effective box volume that can be used as a storage room can be obtained.

However, as described above, the refrigerating cooler 24 is a refrigerant that flows into a liquid state and flows out in a gas state. At this time, there may be a so-called liquid back in which the refrigerant that has not been evaporated flows out in a liquid state.

Therefore, in the parallel refrigerating cooler 24 shown schematically in FIG. 10 (A) or the meandering refrigerating cooler 24 shown schematically in FIG. 10 (B), the outlet side header 24b The volume is formed larger than the volume of the header 24a on the inlet side. Note that FIGS. 10 (A) and 10 (B) schematically show the difference in volume based on the difference in the diameters of the headers 24a and 24b.

Accordingly, the header 24b on the outlet side functions as an accumulator, and the possibility that the refrigerant on the rear side of the refrigerating cooler 24 is circulated while maintaining a liquid state can be reduced. The accumulator can also be removed as long as a sufficient volume can be secured.

In addition, the same effect as that of the refrigerating cooler 24 can be obtained with respect to the refrigerating cooler 25.

<Third Embodiment> Hereinafter, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. In the third embodiment, another example of the installation location of the refrigerating cooler 24 will be described. Although the example in which the refrigerating cooler 24 was arrange | positioned behind the fresh-keeping room 14 in the refrigerating compartment 3 was demonstrated in the 1st embodiment, the refrigerating cooler 24 may be arrange | positioned at another location.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerator cooler 24 may be disposed inside the refrigerator 1, that is, on the top plate side and on the back side (hereinafter, referred to as the upper back side for convenience). Although the upper back side of the refrigerator 1 also depends on the size of the refrigerator 1, it is a place that is hard to reach by hand when the food is placed in the refrigerator 3. Further, since the multi-flow type refrigerator cooler 24 is miniaturized as described above, the required space is also reduced.

Therefore, by securing a space for the refrigerating cooler chamber 36 on the upper back surface side and disposing the refrigerating cooler 24 here, it is possible to effectively use a place that is hard to reach by hand. In addition, since the space for the cooler cooler chamber 36 is not required on the rear side of the fresh-keeping chamber 14, the fresh-keeping chamber 14 can be enlarged.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, by providing the refrigerating cooler 24 and the refrigerating blower 35 (see FIG. 5) at the same time and arranging the refrigerating cooler 24 and the refrigerating blower 35 (see FIG. 5) on the upper back side, in this embodiment, it can be formed behind the vegetable compartment 4 Free space, so the vegetable room 4 can also be enlarged. As shown in FIG. 13, when the cooling cooler 24 and the cooling blower 35 (see FIG. 5) are provided at the same time and are arranged behind the fresh-keeping room 14, the vegetable room 4 can be enlarged.

As described above, by using the multi-flow type refrigerating cooler as the refrigerating cooler 24, not only the refrigerating cooler 24, but also the degree of freedom in the arrangement location or the arrangement of the refrigerating blower 35 is improved. This makes it possible to effectively use the upper back side and the like, which are difficult to pick up and put in ingredients, and to obtain an effective box volume that can be used as a storage room. In addition, the same effect as that of the refrigerating cooler 24 can be obtained with respect to the refrigerating cooler 25.

<Multiple Configuration Embodiments> First, the background of the multiple configuration embodiments will be described. Previously, when the storage compartments in different temperature zones were cooled, different coolers were used to cool the refrigerating compartment 3 or the freezing compartment 7. However, in recent years, there are refrigerators 3 or vegetable compartments 4 or fresh-keeping compartments 14 that have substantially the same temperature range, ice-making compartments 5 or small freezer compartments 6 or freezer compartments 7 that have substantially the same temperature range. Refrigerators with multiple storage boxes have also increased.

When there are multiple storage rooms of the same temperature zone as described above, if a single cooler is used for cooling, the cold air duct needs to be wound, so that the inner volume of the box that can be used as the storage room will be reduced accordingly. In addition, if a structure using a plurality of coolers for the storage rooms in the same temperature zone is used, in the conventional fin-tube cooler, the cooler has a certain size, so the inner volume of the tank will still decrease.

Therefore, in a plurality of configuration embodiments, a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators are used for cooling the storage compartments of the same temperature zone, the multi-flow type evaporators having a plurality of flow paths in which refrigerant flows are formed inside Oblong tube 24c (see FIG. 2 and the like). Hereinafter, a specific configuration example in which a plurality of multi-flow evaporators are provided will be described.

FIG. 14 schematically illustrates the refrigerator 100 according to the present embodiment. In the refrigerator 100, a refrigerating compartment 3 is provided on the uppermost side, and an ice-making compartment 5 and a small freezing compartment 6 are provided side by side below the left and right sides, a vegetable compartment 4 is provided below these, and a lower part is provided below There is a freezer compartment 7. Here, the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are storage compartments in the refrigerating temperature zone, that is, storage compartments having substantially the same temperature range, and the ice-making compartment 5, the small freezer compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 are substantially the same storage compartments in the freezing temperature range. Storage room with temperature zone.

That is, in the case of the refrigerator 100, between the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 in the same temperature zone, an ice-making chamber 5 and a small freezing chamber 6 having different temperature zones are arranged. Furthermore, the refrigerator 100 includes a first R cooler 110 for cooling the refrigerating compartment 3, a second R cooler 111 for cooling the vegetable compartment 4, a first F cooler 112 for cooling the ice making compartment 5 and the small freezing compartment 6, And a 2F cooler 113 for cooling the freezing compartment 7. The storage rooms are separated by a heat insulating spacer 101.

As described above, if the multi-flow evaporator has the same volume as the conventional fin-tube evaporator, it can expect 2 to 3 times the heat absorption effect. On the other hand, if the same heat absorption effect as the previous one can be obtained, Yes, it can be reduced in size and thickness, which can significantly reduce the necessary installation space. Therefore, by using a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators for storage rooms in the same temperature zone, it is possible to suppress a significant decrease in the inner volume of the tank. That is, the multi-flow type cooler (evaporator) can be reduced in thickness and size compared with the conventional fin-tube cooler.

In addition, for example, it is possible to connect the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 without using an air-conditioning duct, so that the air-conditioning duct does not need to be wound, and the inner volume of the box can be prevented from decreasing.

Moreover, the 1R cooler 110, the 2R cooler 111, the 1F cooler 112, and the 2F cooler 113 are provided with the blower 120-blower 123, respectively. Thereby, heat exchange in each cooler can be promoted, and a heat absorption effect can be improved.

Here, a connection embodiment of the first R cooler 110, the second R cooler 111, the first F cooler 112, and the second F cooler 113 will be described.

First, FIG. 15 schematically shows a connection embodiment when the coolers are connected in series. In this case, the first R cooler 110 and the second R cooler 111 are in a path through which a refrigerant for a refrigerating temperature zone is switched by a switching valve 104 constituted by, for example, a three-way valve. The upstream side is connected, and the 2R cooler 111 is connected to the downstream side.

Similarly, the 1F cooler 112 and the 2F cooler 113 are connected to the upstream side and the 2F cooler 113 in the flow path of the refrigerant for the freezing temperature zone switched by the switching valve 104. Connected to the downstream side. These coolers together with the compressor 27 and the condenser 103 constitute a refrigeration cycle 105.

As described above, since the coolers are connected in series, it is not necessary to individually switch the flow of the refrigerant to each cooler, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed.

In addition, when a plurality of storage rooms in the same temperature zone are provided at non-adjacent positions as in this embodiment, that is, when storage rooms in different temperature zones are provided between the storage rooms in the same temperature zone, By using a plurality of coolers to separately cool different storage chambers without drastically drawing around the cooling duct, it is possible to greatly suppress the decrease in the inner volume of the box.

On the other hand, FIG. 16 schematically shows a connection embodiment when the coolers are connected in parallel. In this case, by using a switching valve 104 composed of, for example, a five-way valve or a plurality of three-way valves, the path of the refrigerant flow can be directed to the first R cooler 110, the second R cooler 111, the first F cooler 112, and the first The 2F coolers 113 are individually switched.

As described above, by connecting the coolers in parallel, the flow of the refrigerant to each cooler can be individually switched, and each cooler can be operated at an appropriate evaporation temperature, which can promote energy saving.

Each cooler cools a different storage room. In the case where a single cooler is used to cool storage compartments in the same temperature zone as before, for example, when the refrigerating compartment 3 is cooled, the vegetable compartment 4 is necessarily cooled. Therefore, even if the vegetable compartment 4 is not opened and closed, the vegetable compartment 4 may be cooled. However, if different storage compartments are separately cooled by individual coolers, even if the door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened and closed, When the temperature rises, only the refrigerator compartment 3 may be cooled. That is, each of the storage compartments can be individually maintained at an appropriate temperature. In addition, since a compact cooler is used, it is possible to suppress the influence on the inner volume of the box to be small.

The configuration of the storage compartment of the refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 14 is an example. For example, the order of the vegetable compartment 4 and the freezer compartment 7 in FIG. 14 may be reversed. The refrigerating compartment 3 is arranged on the uppermost floor, and the vegetable compartment is arranged on the lowermost floor. Composition of 4. At this time, it is also possible to use separate coolers for the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 arranged separately, and use one for the ice-making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 arranged adjacently. Cooler structure to cool.

That is, even if the storage room in the same temperature zone is any one or a combination of the refrigerating room 3, the vegetable room 4, or the fresh-keeping room 14, the storage room in the refrigerating temperature zone can be efficiently performed. Of cooling. Similarly, even if the storage room in the same temperature zone is any one or a combination of the ice-making room 5, the small freezing room 6, or the freezing room 7 in the freezing temperature zone, the freezing temperature zone can be efficiently performed. Of the storage room. In addition, even when the ice-making compartment 5 or the small freezing compartment 6 is not provided, the configuration exemplified in this embodiment can be applied.

As shown in FIG. 17, when the fresh-keeping room 14 is provided in the refrigerating room 3, a third R cooler 114 may be provided in the fresh-keeping room 14 so that the refrigerating room 3, the vegetable room 4, and the fresh-keeping room 14 are each individually Ground cooling composition. At this time, for example, the user can set the temperature of the fresh-keeping chamber 14 to store foods and the like in a more appropriate temperature range, thereby improving convenience. That is, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which three or more storage rooms having the same temperature zone are provided.

(Other Embodiments) In the embodiment, a multi-flow evaporator having a header 24a and a header 24b has been exemplified. However, the configuration may be such that the external pipe is directly connected to the oblate tube 24c without going through the header 24a or the like. .

The directions in which the inlet-side connection portion 24e and the outlet-side connection portion 24f extend are not limited to the directions exemplified in the embodiment. For example, in the case of the arrangement of the refrigerating cooler 24 as shown in the first embodiment or FIG. 8, the inlet-side connection portion 24 e and the outlet-side connection portion 24 f may be extended in the vertical direction, that is, in the thickness direction of the fan 60 Direction. Accordingly, it is possible to save space by arranging the fan 60 within the length of the inlet-side connection portion 24e and the outlet-side connection portion 24f.

Each embodiment is provided as an example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the scope of patent application and its equivalent scope.

1, 100‧‧‧ refrigerator

2‧‧‧ Insulated Box

2a‧‧‧ Outer Box

2b‧‧‧inner box

2c‧‧‧Insulation

3‧‧‧Refrigerator (storage room)

3a, 4a, 5a, 7a

4‧‧‧ Vegetable Room (Storage Room)

5‧‧‧ Ice making room (storage room)

6‧‧‧Small freezer (storage room)

7‧‧‧freezing room (storage room)

8‧‧‧ Automatic ice making device

8a‧‧‧ Ice tray

10‧‧‧ partition

11‧‧‧ lower box

12‧‧‧up box

13‧‧‧ shelves

14‧‧‧Preservation room (storage room)

18‧‧‧Fresh Box

19‧‧‧ thermal insulation partition wall

20‧‧‧ Ice storage container

22‧‧‧Storage Container

24‧‧‧Refrigerator cooler (evaporator)

24a, 24b ‧‧‧ Collector

24c‧‧‧ oblate tube

24d‧‧‧fin

24e‧‧‧ Entrance side connection

24f‧‧‧Exit side connection

24g‧‧‧Body

24h‧‧‧flow

25‧‧‧Freezing cooler (evaporator)

26‧‧‧machine room

27‧‧‧compressor

28‧‧‧ Defrosting water evaporation tray

29‧‧‧control device

30‧‧‧Freezer cooler room

30a‧‧‧Air-conditioning blowing outlet

30b‧‧‧ return port

31‧‧‧Freezing blower (blower)

32, 40‧‧‧ Drain guide

34‧‧‧ air-conditioning duct

35‧‧‧Refrigerator blower (blower)

36‧‧‧Refrigerator cooler room

36a‧‧‧front wall

37‧‧‧ cold air supply duct

38‧‧‧Insulation material

39‧‧‧Air-conditioning supply port

42‧‧‧Blast duct

43‧‧‧Suction port

56‧‧‧ water storage container

60‧‧‧Fan (blower)

101‧‧‧ Insulation spacer

103‧‧‧Condenser

104‧‧‧switching valve

105‧‧‧freezing cycle

110‧‧‧The first 1R cooler (evaporator)

111‧‧‧ 2R cooler (evaporator)

112‧‧‧The first 1F cooler (evaporator)

113‧‧‧ 2F cooler (evaporator)

114‧‧‧3R cooler (evaporator)

120 ～ 123‧‧‧blower

B, F‧‧‧ arrows

Rx‧‧‧ Flowing area

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing the appearance of a cooler (evaporator) for refrigeration. FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a structure of a rectangular tube. 4 (A) to 4 (B) are diagrams schematically showing an arrangement embodiment of a cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 5 is a first view schematically showing an embodiment of the arrangement of the cooler for refrigeration in the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a second view schematically showing an arrangement embodiment of a cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 7 is a third view schematically showing an arrangement embodiment of a cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the fourth embodiment of the arrangement of the cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 9 is a view schematically showing another structure of a cooler for refrigeration. 10 (A) to 10 (B) are second views schematically showing another structure of a cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 11 is a first view schematically showing an installation place of a refrigerating cooler in a third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a second view schematically showing an installation place of a cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 13 is a third view schematically showing the installation location of the cooler for refrigeration. FIG. 14 is a first diagram for schematically illustrating refrigeration in a plurality of arrangement embodiments. FIG. 15 is a first diagram schematically showing the configuration of a refrigeration cycle. FIG. 16 is a second view schematically showing the configuration of a refrigeration cycle. Fig. 17 is a second view schematically showing refrigeration.

Claims (8)

A refrigerator is characterized in that a plurality of multi-flow type evaporators are used to cool storage rooms in the same temperature zone, and the evaporators have oblate tubes with a plurality of flow paths through which refrigerant flows. The refrigerator according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein a blower is provided on the evaporator. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the evaporators are connected in parallel on the flow path of the refrigerant. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the evaporators are connected in series on the flow path of the refrigerant. The refrigerator according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein a plurality of the evaporators respectively cool different storage rooms. The refrigerator according to item 5 of the scope of patent application, wherein a plurality of the storage compartments of the same temperature zone are provided, and the storage compartments are arranged at non-adjacent positions in the refrigerator. The refrigerator according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the storage compartment is any one or a combination of a refrigerating compartment, a vegetable compartment, or a fresh-keeping compartment in a refrigerated temperature zone. The refrigerator according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the storage compartment is any one or a combination of a freezing compartment or an ice-making compartment in a freezing temperature zone.