KR20110006998A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body having a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber divided up and down by a partition, an evaporator disposed inside the partition, and a cold air disposed on one side of the evaporator. A first cooling fan that blows the first cooling chamber, a second cooling fan that is arranged on the other side of the evaporator, and blows cold air to the second cooling chamber, and a first suction port formed on an upper surface of the partition wall; And a second intake formed on a bottom surface of the partition wall, wherein the first intake and the second intake are configured to contact the different areas of the evaporator. As a result, the air of different cooling chambers can be heat-exchanged in different regions of a single evaporator, and the air of different cooling chambers can be prevented from contacting or mixing with each other, thereby effectively cooling different cooling chambers. .

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator which can increase a space in a refrigerator and enable independent cooling and simultaneous cooling operation of a cooling chamber by one evaporator.

As is well known, a refrigerator is a device that allows food to be stored freshly by refrigeration or freezing. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body in which a plurality of cooling chambers are formed, doors for opening and closing each cooling chamber, and a refrigeration cycle apparatus for providing cold air to the cooling chamber.

The refrigeration cycle apparatus is usually a vapor compression refrigeration system comprising a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser in which the refrigerant is radiated and condensed, an expansion device in which the refrigerant is decompressed and expanded, and an evaporator in which the refrigerant absorbs latent heat of the surroundings and evaporates. It consists of a cycle device.

In general, a cold air circulation passage may be formed on the rear wall of the cooling chamber so that cold air of the cooling chamber may circulate. The cold air circulation passage may be provided with an evaporator to be cooled while passing air. In addition, a cold air supply passage may be formed in the cooling chamber so that cold air passing through the evaporator may be supplied to each cooling chamber.

In such a conventional refrigerator, since the evaporator having a very low temperature compared to the cold air of the cooling chamber is disposed on the rear wall of the cooling chamber, loss of cold air through the rear wall can be increased. In consideration of this, the thickness of the rear wall may be increased.

In addition, in a refrigerator in which a single cooling fan is disposed on one side of a single evaporator, the same evaporator and the cooling fan are operated even when the cooling chamber far away from the place where the evaporator and the cooling fan are installed operates the same evaporator and the cooling fan. Cold air loss may occur in the process of moving. In addition, the configuration of the cold air flow path for supplying the cold air in the cooling chamber located away from the evaporator may be complicated and lengthened. Due to this, the flow resistance of the cold air increases, making it difficult to solve the temperature deviation quickly and the operation time can be extended.

In addition, in such a conventional refrigerator, since a plurality of cooling chambers are cooled by a single evaporator, even if one of the cooling chambers already meets the temperature condition of the bath, the operation is performed to satisfy the temperature conditions of the other cooling chamber. Subcooling can occur in cooling chambers that have already met temperature conditions.

On the other hand, some of the refrigerators may be disposed in each of the cooling chambers in order to independently cool different cooling chambers. Even in this case, since each evaporator is disposed close to the rear wall of the corresponding cooling chamber, the thickness of the rear wall of the corresponding cooling chamber is increased to suppress the leakage of cold air through the rear wall of each evaporator, thereby reducing the actual storage space of each cooling chamber. Can be.

In addition, when the evaporator is disposed in each cooling chamber, the flow path of the refrigerant is increased accordingly, and not only the flow resistance of the refrigerant is increased but also the pressure and heat loss of the refrigerant due to the long pipe are generated and operated. Efficiency may be lowered.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which air in different cooling chambers can be heat exchanged in different regions of a single evaporator.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing contact of cold air of different cooling chambers with each other during simultaneous cooling of different cooling chambers.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can suppress an increase in the outlet temperature of the refrigerant of the evaporator to improve the compression efficiency of the refrigerant.

The present invention provides a refrigerator main body including a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber partitioned up and down by a partition wall for achieving the above object; An evaporator disposed in the partition wall; A first cooling fan disposed at one side of the evaporator to blow cold air into the first cooling chamber; A second cooling fan disposed at the other side of the evaporator to blow cold air into the second cooling chamber; A first suction opening formed on the front upper surface of the partition wall; And a second suction hole formed on a lower surface of the partition wall, wherein the first suction hole and the second suction hole are provided such that the sucked air is in contact with different regions of the evaporator.

Here, the evaporator may be configured to be inclined downward downward.

The first suction port may be configured to be spaced apart from both sides of the partition wall.

In addition, the second suction port may be configured to include a central area of the partition wall.

The evaporator may include a plurality of heat transfer tubes disposed along the left and right directions of the partition wall, and a plurality of heat transfer plates formed on the heat transfer tubes.

The evaporator may be configured to include a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger disposed to have a height difference.

The evaporator may be configured such that refrigerant flows alternately through the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part.

The evaporator may be configured to allow the refrigerant to pass through the second heat exchange part after passing through the first heat exchange part.

The heat transfer plate may have a smaller pitch on the downstream side than on the upstream side.

It may further comprise a separation guide portion for guiding the air sucked into each of the first inlet and the second inlet to flow separately from each other.

The evaporator may include a heat transfer tube through which a refrigerant flows and a heat transfer plate coupled to the heat transfer tube, and the separation guide part may be coupled to the heat transfer tube.

The separation guide part may be formed by bending a part of the heat transfer plate.

The evaporator may be configured such that a refrigerant inlet side is disposed in a front region of the partition wall and an outlet side of the refrigerant is disposed in a rear region of the partition wall.

A trap part bent to have a difference in height may be formed at the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator.

The trap part may be configured to be bent upward and then bent downward again.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by placing an evaporator inside the partition partitioning the inner space into a plurality of cooling chambers, and by placing the first cooling fan and the second cooling fan on one side of the evaporator, respectively Therefore, the actual use space in the refrigerator can be increased without increasing the size of the appearance of the refrigerator main body, and each cooling chamber can be independently cooled by a single evaporator.

In addition, by forming the first intake port and the second intake port so that the air of the different cooling chambers sucked into the partition wall is heat-exchanged in different regions of the evaporator, the cold of the different cooling chambers at the same time cooling the different cooling chambers It can suppress that cold air mixing arises in contact with each other. Thereby, each cooling chamber can be cooled effectively.

In addition, during simultaneous cooling of different cooling chambers, the air of the different cooling chambers may be heat exchanged with different contact times in different regions of the evaporator, thereby supplying cool air suitable for cooling of each cooling chamber to each cooling chamber.

In addition, by arranging the refrigerant inlet side of the evaporator on the air inlet side of the partition wall, it is possible to suppress the rise of the outlet temperature of the refrigerant of the evaporator to improve the compression efficiency of the refrigerant.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of main parts of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway perspective view of the partition wall along VI-VI of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the evaporator region of FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body including a first cooling chamber 150 and a second cooling chamber 160 divided up and down by partition walls 120 arranged horizontally. 110); An evaporator 250 disposed inside the partition wall 120; A first cooling fan (210) disposed at one side of the evaporator (250) to blow cold air into the first cooling chamber (150); And a second cooling fan 220 disposed on the other side of the evaporator 250 to blow cold air into the second cooling chamber 160. Here, any one of the first cooling chamber 150 and the second cooling chamber 160 may be configured as a refrigerator compartment, and the other may be configured as a freezer compartment. In addition, both the first cooling chamber 150 and the second cooling chamber 160 may be configured as a freezing chamber or both as a refrigerating chamber. Hereinafter, a case in which the first cooling chamber 150 is configured as a refrigerating chamber and the second cooling chamber 160 is configured as a freezing chamber will be described.

An inside space of the refrigerator main body 110 may be provided with a partition wall 120 that is horizontally disposed such that a cooling chamber is divided up and down. The refrigerating chamber 150 may be formed above the partition wall 120, and the freezing chamber 160 may be formed below the partition wall 120.

The refrigerator body 110 may include an outer case 111a forming an outer appearance, an inner case 111b spaced apart from the inner side of the outer case 111a, and the outer case 111. It may be configured to include a heat insulating material (111c) is filled between the 111a) and the inner case (111b).

The machine room 170 may be formed in the lower rear region of the refrigerator main body 110. The refrigerator main body 110 may be provided with a refrigeration cycle to supply cold air into the freezing chamber 160 and the refrigerating chamber 150. The refrigeration cycle may be composed of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant is circulated to compress, condense, expand and evaporate. The vapor compression refrigeration cycle will be described later with reference to the drawings.

The refrigerating chamber 150 may be provided with a pair of refrigerating chamber doors 155 to selectively open and close the refrigerating chamber 150. The freezing compartment 160 may be provided with a freezing compartment door 165 to open and close the freezing compartment 160. The refrigerating chamber door 155 may be configured to rotate both sides of the refrigerating chamber 150 with a rotation axis, respectively. The freezer compartment door 165 may be configured as a drawer-type door sliding in the front-rear direction.

An ice making chamber 180 may be provided in any one of the refrigerating chamber doors 155. The ice making chamber 180 may be provided with an ice maker (not shown) for making ice by receiving water from the outside. An ice bank (not shown) may be provided below the ice maker to store the ice.

One sidewall of the refrigerating chamber 150 may be provided with a sidewall cold air duct 190 to supply cold air to the ice making chamber 180. The side wall cold air duct 190 may be configured in a pair. One of the sidewall cold air ducts 190 may form a cold air supply passage, and the other may form a cold air return passage through which cold air returns through the ice making chamber 180.

Meanwhile, an evaporator 250 may be provided inside the partition wall 120. Accordingly, since the evaporator 250 having a lower temperature than the cold air of the freezer compartment 160 is not installed on the rear wall, the freezer compartment 160 and / or the refrigerating compartment without increasing the size of the external appearance of the refrigerator main body 110. It is possible to increase the size of the 150 actually used space in the refrigerator. In addition, it is possible to suppress leakage of cold air from the evaporator 250 to the outside through the rear wall. In addition, the thickness of the rear wall, which is relatively thick, may be reduced to prevent cold air leakage of the evaporator 250. As a result, the size of the space used inside the freezer compartment 160 and / or the refrigerating compartment 150 may be increased.

An evaporator accommodating part 122 may be formed in the partition 120 to accommodate the evaporator 250. The evaporator accommodating part 122 may be formed to be upwardly open. An evaporator cover 125 may be provided at an upper side of the evaporator accommodating part 122 to block an upper opening of the evaporator accommodating part 122. Discharge ports may be formed in the central region behind the upper surface of the partition wall 120. One side (eg, lower side) of the evaporator 250 may be provided with a defrost heater (not shown) for defrosting the evaporator 250.

The bottom surface of the evaporator accommodating portion 122 may be formed to be inclined downward toward the rear. Accordingly, the evaporator 250 may be accommodated inclined downward downward. The bottom surface of the evaporator accommodating part 122 and the evaporator 250 may be disposed to be inclined approximately 4 degrees to 6 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, the defrost water during the defrost of the evaporator 250 may be smoothly moved to the rear.

The first suction opening 131 and the second suction opening 132 may be formed in the front region of the partition wall 120 to suck the cold air from the refrigerating chamber 150 and the freezing chamber 160. The first suction inlet 131 may be formed on an upper surface of the partition wall 120. More specifically, the first suction opening 131 may be formed through the evaporator cover 125. The first suction opening 131 may be formed in plural. The first suction openings 131 may be formed to be spaced apart from each other along the left and right directions of the partition wall 120. As a result, the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 may be sucked into both side regions of the evaporator 250 to exchange heat. Here, the first suction openings 131 may be formed in a rectangular shape, respectively. The first suction opening 131 may have a larger width than the length of the first suction opening 131. Thereby, the contact area (heat exchange area) of the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 and the evaporator 250 can be reduced, and the suction amount of the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 can be increased. According to this, the cold air having a relatively high temperature can be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 150 in a large amount to quickly eliminate the temperature deviation of the refrigerating chamber 150 while preventing local subcooling.

The second suction opening 132 may be formed on the bottom surface of the partition wall 120. The second suction opening 132 may be formed to include a central area of the partition wall 120. As a result, the air of the freezing chamber 160 may be sucked into the central region of the evaporator 250 and may be heat-exchanged in a relatively large region.

 The second suction opening 132 may be formed in a band shape having a longer length than the width. Thereby, the contact area (heat exchange area) of the air of the freezer compartment 160 and the evaporator 250 can be increased, and the suction amount of the air of the freezer compartment 160 can be appropriately maintained. Accordingly, since the air in the freezer compartment 160 exchanges heat with the evaporator 250 in a relatively large area, the air in the freezer compartment 160 may be cooled to a lower temperature, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 160 more quickly.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a refrigerating and cooling air duct 152 may be provided at the rear of the refrigerating chamber 150 to supply cold air to the refrigerating chamber 150. Here, the refrigeration cold air duct 152 may be formed to have a thin thickness and a long length. The refrigeration cold air duct 152 may have a length corresponding to the height of the refrigerating chamber 150 and may have a width at least half of the width of the refrigerating chamber 150. As a result, the thickness of the refrigerating and cooling air duct 152 can be reduced, thereby increasing the actual use space of the refrigerating chamber 150. A plurality of cold air discharge ports 153 may be formed in upper, middle, and lower regions of the cold storage air duct 152 to discharge cold air.

A first cooling fan 210 may be accommodated in the lower region of the refrigeration cold air duct 152. A first cooling fan accommodating part 157 may be formed in the lower region of the refrigeration cooling air duct 152 to accommodate the first cooling fan 210. Here, the first cooling fan 210 may be configured as a centrifugal fan that sucks cold air in the axial direction and discharges it in the radial direction. The first cooling fan 210 may be disposed such that a suction port faces forward and a discharge port faces upward. A lower side of the first cooling fan accommodating part 157 may have a duct suction opening 158 open downward to communicate with the discharge hole 127 of the partition wall 120. The first cooling fan accommodating part 157 may be formed to have a thicker thickness so as to protrude further forward than the periphery (upper part) so as to secure a space at a suction port side for suction of cold air of the first cooling fan 210.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the partition 120 may include an ice making fan 230 that blows cold air into the ice making chamber 180. The ice making fan 230 may be configured as a centrifugal fan that sucks air in the axial direction and discharges it in the radial direction. According to this, the axial length can be reduced, so that the ice making fan 230 can be easily accommodated inside the partition wall 120 without increasing the thickness of the partition wall 120. Accordingly, since the ice making fan 230 does not protrude into the freezing compartment 160 or the refrigerating compartment 150, the ice making fan 230 does not occupy the space of the freezing compartment 160 or the refrigerating compartment 150. It can increase the actual use space.

The ice making fan 230 may be disposed such that a suction hole faces downward and a discharge hole faces a horizontal direction. An ice making fan accommodating part 141 may be provided in the partition wall 120 to accommodate the ice making fan 230. The partition wall 120 may have a cold air flow passage 142 in communication with the ice making fan accommodating part 141 to allow the cold air discharged from the ice making fan 230 to flow. A discharge port 143 may be formed at one side of the cold air flow passage 142 to allow the cold air returned through the ice making chamber 180 to be discharged to the freezing chamber 160. Each lower end of the side wall cold air duct 190 may be connected to one side (left side of the drawing) of the partition wall 120. According to this configuration, the cold air passing through the evaporator 250 is sucked by the ice making fan 230 and discharged to the cold air passage 142, along the side wall cold air duct 190 connected to the cold air passage 142 It is supplied to the ice chamber 180. The cold air supplied to the ice making chamber 180 performs an ice making operation, and again flows downward along the sidewall cold air duct 190, passes through the partition wall 120, and is discharged to the freezing chamber 160.

A second cooling fan 220 may be provided in the rear region of the freezing compartment 160 to blow cool air that has passed through the evaporator 250 to the freezing compartment 160. The second cooling fan 220 may be composed of a so-called centrifugal fan that sucks air in the axial direction and discharges it in the radial direction. The second cooling fan 220 may be configured to suck air to one side and to discharge in the same direction as the suction direction of the air from the other side. Here, the second cooling fan 220 may be disposed in front of the first cooling fan 210, as shown in FIG. As a result, leakage of cold air having a relatively low temperature to the outside through the rear wall can be suppressed.

A grill fan 270 may be provided around the second cooling fan 220 to guide the flow of cold air passing through the evaporator 250. The grill pan 270 is disposed in the rear upper region of the freezing compartment 160 to partition an internal space. That is, the grill pan 270 divides the internal space into an evaporator 250 side space where cold air is formed and a food storage space (substantially a freezer compartment) in which actual food is stored.

The grill pan 270 may include a top plate portion 271 connected to the bottom of the partition wall 120, and a fan accommodating portion 281 extending downward from the top plate portion 271. The upper plate portion 271 may be formed to have a length corresponding to the left and right widths of the partition wall 120.

The fan accommodating part 281 may be formed to extend downward in a central area of the upper plate part 271 with a horizontal width smaller in length than the length of the upper plate part 271. The second cooling fan 220 is accommodated in the fan accommodating part 281. A cold air outlet 283 may be formed in the front area of the fan accommodating part 281 so that the cold air discharged from the second cooling fan 220 may be discharged to the freezing chamber 160.

The upper plate portion 271 of the grill pan 270 collects defrost water generated at the evaporator 250 side and flows downward along one sidewall of the fan accommodating portion 281 in the rear and left and right directions. Each may be inclined. A drain portion 287 may be formed in the fan accommodating portion 281 to discharge the defrost water dropped from the upper plate portion 271. A drain pipe 289 may be connected to the drain portion 287. The drain pipe 289 may be drawn out to the machine room 170. As a result, the defrost water may be discharged to the outside of the cooling chambers 150 and 160 to be evaporated.

8 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the refrigerator may include a freezing cycle 240 for supplying cold air to the freezing compartment 160 and the refrigerating compartment 150. The refrigeration cycle 240 includes a compressor 241 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 243 for dissipating and condensing the refrigerant, an expansion device 247 for depressurizing and expanding the refrigerant, and the refrigerant absorbing latent heat of the surroundings. It may be composed of a so-called steam compression refrigeration cycle 240 including an evaporator 250 to be evaporated.

The compressor 241, the condenser 243, and the expansion device 247 may be disposed in the machine room 170, and the evaporator 250 may be disposed in the partition wall 120 as described above.

One side of the condenser 243 may be provided with a blowing fan 245 for blowing to facilitate heat dissipation of the condenser 243. One side of the evaporator 250, the first cooling fan 210 and the second cooling fan 220 to blow the cold air passing through the evaporator 250 to the refrigerating chamber 150 and the freezing chamber 160, respectively Each may be provided. In addition, an ice making fan 230 may be provided at the other side of the evaporator 250 to blow cold air into the ice making chamber 180.

Meanwhile, a first branch passage 261 and a second branch passage 262 may be formed at the refrigerant inlet side of the evaporator 250. Opening valves 265 may be provided at end portions of the inlet side of the first branch passage 261 and the second branch passage 262 to selectively open and close them. Here, the on-off valve 265 moves the refrigerant moved from the condenser 243 to the evaporator 250 through the first branch passage 261, or through the second branch passage 262, or It may be configured as a flow path switching valve 265 that can be moved at the same time through the first branch passage 261 and the second branch passage (262).

A first capillary tube 248 may be provided in the first branch channel 261, and a second capillary tube 249 may be provided in the second branch channel 262. Here, the first capillary tube 248 and the second capillary tube 249 may be formed to have different diameters (inner diameters) and / or lengths. For example, the first capillary tube 248 may have a larger inner diameter than the second capillary tube 249. In addition, the first capillary tube 248 may be configured to have a longer length than the second capillary tube 249. Here, each capillary tube 248 and 249 has a larger inner diameter, and a passage flow rate increases, and a longer length of the capillary tubes 248 and 249 may lower the refrigerant temperature. The inner diameter and the length of the first capillary tube 248 and the second capillary tube 249 may be appropriately adjusted. Hereinafter, a case in which the first capillary tube 248 is formed to have a higher flow rate of the refrigerant flow rate and a lower refrigerant temperature than the second capillary tube 249 will be described.

9 is a plan view of the evaporator of FIG. 2, FIG. 10 is a side view of the evaporator of FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI of the evaporator of FIG. 9. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the evaporator 250 may include a heat transfer tube 251 through which a refrigerant flows and a plurality of heat transfer plates 255 coupled to the heat transfer tube 251. Can be.

The heat transfer pipe 251 may include a plurality of straight pipe portions 253 disposed to be parallel to each other, and a plurality of connecting pipe portions 254 for connecting the straight pipe portions 253 to communicate with each other.

In the present embodiment, the straight pipe portion 253 is disposed along the left and right directions of the partition wall 120. Each heat transfer plate 255 may be formed in a rectangular plate shape. Insert holes 256 may be formed through the heat transfer plates 255 to allow the straight pipe portion 253 to be inserted therethrough. The heat transfer plates 255 may be spaced apart at a predetermined pitch along the length direction of the straight pipe portion 253. Here, the heat transfer plate 255 is formed such that the pitch P1 of the heat transfer plate 255 disposed on the upstream side is larger than the pitch P2 of the heat transfer plate 255 disposed on the downstream side. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the air passage from being narrowed by the frost formed on the upstream side having a relatively large amount of frost on the frost and increasing the air flow resistance. The straight pipe portion 253 may be arranged in a row (insulation) on the same plane.

The evaporator 250 may be configured such that a refrigerant inlet 252a side is disposed at the first suction opening 131 and the second suction opening 132. In addition, the evaporator 250 may be configured such that the outlet 252b side of the refrigerant is disposed in the rear region of the partition wall 120. As a result, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant outlet 252b of the evaporator 250 from rising to lower the refrigerant compression efficiency. That is, when the refrigerant outlet 252b side of the evaporator 250 is disposed on the side of the first inlet 131 and the second inlet 132, the air inside the high air and the outlet refrigerant of the evaporator 250 are relatively high. The temperature of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the evaporator 250 which is heat-exchanged and sucked into the compressor 241 is increased, and thus, the refrigerant compression efficiency of the compressor 241 may decrease.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the evaporator 250 may be disposed to be inclined backward with a predetermined inclination angle θ with respect to a horizontal plane. Here, the inclination angle θ may be formed to 4 degrees to 6 degrees.

A trap part 257 may be provided at the refrigerant outlet 252b side of the evaporator 250 to suppress the outflow of the liquid refrigerant. The trap part 257 may be formed to have a height difference in the vertical direction with an end portion of the refrigerant outlet 252b side of the evaporator 250. The trap part 257 may be formed to have an inverted "U" shape which is bent upwardly and then downwardly bent again. As a result, the vaporized refrigerant in the gaseous state is sucked into the compressor 241, and the refrigerant in the liquid state (liquid phase) can be prevented from being sucked into the compressor 241. Damage can be suppressed.

On the other hand, the partition 120 may be provided with a separation guide portion 259 for guiding the air sucked through the first inlet 131 and the second inlet 132 is separated from each other and not in contact with each other. The separation guide part 259 may be configured to be provided in the evaporator 250. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the separation guide part 259 may be formed by bending the heat transfer plate 255. As a result, the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 suctioned through the first suction opening 131 flows into the upper side of the heat transfer plate 255, and the air of the freezing chamber 160 suctioned through the second suction opening 132. Since the air flows into the lower side of the heat transfer plate 255, the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 and the air of the freezing chamber 160 may be prevented from contacting or mixing with each other. Here, the separation guide portion 259 may be configured by inserting a separate plate-like member between the heat transfer plate 255 so that the evaporator accommodating portion 122 is divided up and down.

12 is a cross-sectional view of a partition wall and an evaporator region of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a modification of the evaporator of the refrigerator of FIG. 12. The same reference numerals and the same components as the above-described and illustrated components will be denoted by the same reference numerals for convenience of description, and detailed descriptions of overlapping components will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 12, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body 110 having a first cooling chamber 150 and a second cooling chamber 160 divided up and down by partition walls 120 arranged horizontally; An evaporator 250 disposed inside the partition wall 120; A first cooling fan (210) disposed at one side of the evaporator (250) to blow cold air into the first cooling chamber (150); And a second cooling fan 220 disposed on the other side of the evaporator 250 to blow cold air into the second cooling chamber 160. As described above, a case in which the first cooling chamber 150 is configured as the refrigerating chamber 150 and the second cooling chamber 160 is configured as the freezing chamber 160 will be described.

An evaporator accommodating part 122 may be formed in the partition wall 120 to accommodate the evaporator 250. An evaporator cover 125 may be provided above the evaporator accommodating part 122. The first suction port 131 may be provided on an upper surface of the partition wall 120 to suck cold air from the refrigerating chamber 150. A second suction opening 132 may be provided on a lower surface of the partition wall 120 to suck cold air from the freezing chamber 160. The first suction opening 131 may be configured in plural. The first suction openings 131 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other on both sides along the left and right directions of the partition wall 120. The second suction opening 132 may be formed in a groove shape having a long length including a central region of the partition wall 120.

The evaporator 250 may be disposed to be inclined downward backward. The thickness of the partition wall 120 on the upper side of the evaporator 250 may be configured to increase gradually toward the rear. As a result, the cold air of the evaporator 250 may be prevented from being directly transmitted to the refrigerating chamber 150 through the partition wall 120, thereby preventing overcooling of the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 150. Since the cool air of the evaporator 250 is transferred to the freezer compartment 160 through the lower wall of the evaporator 250 having a relatively thin thickness, it is possible to suppress the rise of the internal temperature of the freezer compartment 160. Thereby, the freezer compartment 160 The cold air supply period of the can be extended to suppress the power consumption by frequent driving of the second cooling fan 220.

The evaporator 250 may include a first heat exchanger 250a and a second heat exchanger 250b having a vertical height difference. As a result, the heat exchange amount between the air sucked in the refrigerating chamber 150 and the air sucked in the freezing chamber 160 can be more effectively adjusted. In the present embodiment, the first heat exchanger 250a in which a plurality of (for example, seven) straight pipe parts 253 are disposed in the lower region of the evaporator accommodating part 122 where the freezing chamber 160 is sucked and moved is provided. And a second heat exchange part 250b having a plurality of straight pipe portions 253 disposed in an upper region of the evaporator accommodating portion 122 through which the air in the refrigerating chamber 150 is sucked and moved. The case of constructing is illustrated. Here, the number and height difference of each straight pipe portion 253 of the first heat exchange part 250a and the second heat exchange part 250b may be appropriately adjusted.

Here, the first heat exchanger 250a and the second heat exchanger 250b may be configured to alternately flow refrigerant inside. In the present embodiment, the first straight pipe portion 253 of the first heat exchange part 250a is connected in communication with the first straight pipe portion 253 of the second heat exchange part 250b, and the fifth of the first heat exchange part 250a is connected. The case where the straight pipe part 253 is connected in communication with the second straight pipe part 253 of the 2nd heat exchange part 250b is illustrated. Accordingly, the refrigerant flows into the first heat exchange part 250a and passes through the second heat exchange part 250b, the first heat exchange part 250a, and the second heat exchange part 250b and then again in the first heat exchange part 250a. Spills. Here, the position of the straight pipe portion of the second heat exchange part 250b may be appropriately adjusted.

Separation guide unit for guiding the air sucked in the refrigerating chamber 150 and the air sucked in the freezing chamber 160 is separated from each other in contact with each other in the area of the first inlet 131 and the second inlet 132 ( 259). The separation guide portion 259 may be formed by bending the heat transfer plate 255 of the evaporator 250 to be arranged horizontally, or by arranging separate plate members to be partitioned up and down between the heat transfer plates 255. have. As a result, the refrigeration chamber 150 air having a temperature difference and the air in the freezing chamber 160 can be prevented from contacting each other to be exchanged or mixed with each other. In the present embodiment, the separation guide portion 259 is formed on the heat transfer plate 255 coupled to each of the first straight pipe portions 253 of the first heat exchange portion 250a and the second heat exchange portion 250b. .

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 13, the evaporator 250 is connected to the first heat exchanger 250a arranged in a row and the ends of the first heat exchanger 250a and connected to each other, and the first heat exchanger 250a. It may be configured to include a second heat exchanger (250c) disposed to have a height difference on the upper side. Accordingly, the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchange part 250a is sucked into the compressor 241 via the second heat exchange part 250c.

14 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. As shown in Figure 14, the refrigerator may include a control unit 290 implemented as a microprocessor equipped with a control program, etc. The control unit 290 may include a refrigerator compartment 150 and a freezer compartment 160. The freezing compartment temperature sensor 291 and the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 292 for detecting a temperature may be connected to output the detection result, and the control unit 290 may detect the refrigerating compartment 150 and the freezing compartment 160. According to the temperature condition, the first cooling fan 210 and the second cooling fan 220 may be controllably connected so that cold air may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 150 and / or the freezing chamber 160, respectively. An ice making fan 230 may be connected to the control unit 290. In addition, the control unit 290 may include a refrigerant condition flowing into the evaporator 250 according to the operation of the refrigerating chamber 150 and the freezing chamber 160. Flow path switching valve 265 to control the refrigerant flow rate (and / or refrigerant temperature) Can be connected.

By such a configuration, the controller 290 may control the first cooling fan 210 to be rotated when supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber 150. The first cooling fan 210 may be rotated. When rotated, the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 is sucked into the partition wall 120 through the first suction opening 131, and the sucked air is heat exchanged and cooled while passing through the evaporator 250. Air is introduced into the refrigeration cold air duct 152 via the first cooling fan 210 (suction and discharge), and the cold air introduced into the refrigeration cold air duct 152 is stored in the refrigerating chamber 150 through each cold air discharge outlet 153. In this case, the controller 290 may control the flow path switching valve 265 to allow the refrigerant to flow along the second branch flow path 262. That is, the condenser 243 Passing through the refrigerant flows into the second branch passage 262 through the flow path switching valve 265, and passes through the second capillary tube (249) The refrigerant expanded under reduced pressure through the second capillary tube 249 flows into the evaporator 250, and at this time, the air sucked into the partition 120 through the first suction port 131 flows. The evaporated refrigerant is again sucked into the compressor 241 and compressed and discharged to perform a cooling operation.

The control unit 290 may control the second cooling fan 220 to be rotated when supplying cold air to the freezing compartment 160. When the second cooling fan 220 is rotated, the second cooling fan 220 may be rotated. The air of the freezing chamber 160 is sucked into the partition wall 120 through the inlet 132. The air sucked into the partition wall 120 is cooled while passing through the evaporator 250, and the second cooling is performed. It is sucked by the fan 220 and discharged into the freezer compartment 160. At this time, the control unit 290 controls the flow path switching valve 265 to cool the refrigerant along the first branch flow path 261. The refrigerant condensed while passing through the condenser 243 flows to the first branch passage 261 through the flow path switching valve 265, and decompresses and expands while passing through the first capillary tube 248. In this case, the first capillary tube 248 has a larger inner diameter and a longer length than the second capillary tube 249, thereby providing an evaporator 250. The refrigerant having a higher flow rate and a lower temperature may be introduced into the evaporator 250. The refrigerant introduced into the evaporator 250 is evaporated by absorbing heat from the air sucked through the second inlet 132, and the evaporated refrigerant is compressed. The cooling operation is performed while repeating the suction, compression and discharge processes at 241.

The controller 290 may control the first cooling fan 210 and the second cooling fan 220 to be rotated at the same time when the cold air is to be supplied to the refrigerating chamber 150 and the freezing chamber 160 at the same time. When the first cooling fan 210 and the second cooling fan 220 are rotated, respectively, the air of the refrigerating chamber 150 is sucked into the partition wall 120 through the first suction opening 131, and the freezing chamber 160. Air is sucked into the partition wall 120 through the second suction port 132.

In this case, the air sucked into the partition wall 120 may be suppressed from contacting each other by the separation guide part 259. As a result, the air sucked in the refrigerating compartment 150 and the cold air sucked in the freezing compartment 160 may be prevented from contacting or being mixed with each other. Air in the refrigerating chamber 150 sucked through the first suction port 131 is mainly contacted with both end regions of the evaporator 250 while moving along both ends of the evaporator 250, thereby cooling the second suction port 132. Air in the freezer compartment 160 sucked into the partition wall 120 through the contact area is cooled by being in contact with the evaporator 250 in a relatively large area including the central area of the evaporator 250. In addition, the refrigerating chamber 150 air sucked through the first suction port 131 is moved along a mainly upper region of the evaporator accommodating part 122, and the air of the freezing chamber 160 sucked through the second suction port 132 is It moves along the lower region of the evaporator accommodating part 122. As a result, the cold air supplied to the refrigerating compartment 150 is relatively high in temperature, and the cold air supplied to the freezing compartment 160 is relatively low in temperature, thereby cooling the refrigerating compartment 150 and the freezing compartment 160 more effectively. have.

Some of the heat-exchanged air passing through the evaporator 250 is discharged to the refrigeration cold air duct 152 through the first cooling fan 210, and then discharged to the refrigerating chamber 150 through each cold air discharge port 153. In addition, another portion of the air cooled while passing through the evaporator 250 is sucked through the second cooling fan 220 and discharged to the freezing chamber 160.

When the freezing chamber 160 and the refrigerating chamber 150 are simultaneously supplied with the cold air, the controller 290 simultaneously flows the refrigerant via the condenser 243 into the first branch passage 261 and the second branch passage 262. The flow path switching valve 265 may be controlled so that the refrigerant passing through the condenser 243 passes through the first capillary tube 248 and the second capillary tube 249 and decompresses and expands, respectively. As a result, more refrigerant is introduced into the evaporator 250 to evaporate, thereby forming more cold air, thereby reducing the temperature variation of the refrigerating chamber 150 and the freezing chamber 160. At the same time, it can be solved quickly.

On the other hand, when a predetermined time elapses, the defrosting operation of removing the frost formed on the surface of the evaporator 250 may be performed. In the defrosting operation, the first cooling fan 210 and the second cooling fan 220 are stopped, and power is applied to a defrost heater (not shown) to heat frost formed on the surface of the evaporator 250. At this time, the defrost water dissolved in the frost is moved to the rear region along the bottom surface of the evaporator accommodating portion (122). The defrost water moved to the rear is collected by the upper plate portion 271 of the grill pan 270 and moved to the fan accommodation portion 281, the defrost water moved to the bottom of the fan accommodation portion 281 is the drain portion 287 And through the drain pipe 289 to the machine room 170.

In the above, specific embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described. However, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, so the embodiments described above should not be limited by the details of the detailed description.

Further, even when the embodiments not listed in the detailed description have been described, it should be interpreted broadly within the scope of the technical idea defined in the appended claims. It is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

3 is an enlarged view illustrating main parts of FIG. 2;

4 is a front view of FIG. 3;

5 is a perspective view of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a partition wall taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

7 is a plan view of the evaporator region of FIG. 2;

8 is a configuration of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator of Figure 1,

9 is a plan view of the evaporator of FIG.

10 is a side view of the evaporator of FIG. 9,

11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI of the evaporator of FIG. 9;

12 is a cross-sectional view of a partition wall and an evaporator region of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

13 is a modification of the evaporator of the refrigerator of FIG. 12,

14 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

110: refrigerator body 120: bulkhead

122: evaporator accommodating part 125: evaporator cover

131: first inlet 132: second inlet

150: first cooling chamber, refrigerating chamber 152: refrigeration cold air duct

155: refrigerator door 160: second cooling chamber, freezing chamber

165: freezer door 170: machine room

180: ice making chamber 190: side wall cold air duct

210: first cooling fan 220: second cooling fan

230: ice making fan 240: refrigeration cycle

241 compressor 243 condenser

247: expansion device 248: first capillary tube

249: second capillary 250: evaporator

250a: first heat exchanger 250b, 250c: second heat exchanger

251: heat pipe 255: heat transfer plate

257 Trap part 259 Separation guide part

261: first quarter euro 262: second quarter euro

265: on-off valve, flow path switching valve

270: grill pan 271: top plate

281: fan accommodating part 287: drain part

290: control unit 291: freezer temperature sensor

292: fridge temperature sensor

Claims (15)

A refrigerator body having a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber partitioned vertically by a partition wall; An evaporator disposed in the partition wall; A first cooling fan disposed at one side of the evaporator to blow cold air into the first cooling chamber; A second cooling fan disposed at the other side of the evaporator to blow cold air into the second cooling chamber; A first suction hole formed on an upper surface of the partition wall; And Including a second suction port formed on the lower surface of the partition, And the first suction port and the second suction hole are formed such that the sucked air is in contact with different areas of the evaporator. The method of claim 1, The evaporator is characterized in that the refrigerator is arranged inclined downward downward. The method of claim 1, The first suction port is a refrigerator, characterized in that spaced apart from both sides of the partition wall. The method of claim 1, The second suction opening is formed including a central area of the partition wall. The method of claim 1, And the evaporator includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes disposed along the left and right directions of the partition wall, and a plurality of heat transfer plates formed on the heat transfer tubes. The method of claim 5, The evaporator, the refrigerator comprising a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger disposed having a height difference. The method of claim 6, The evaporator is a refrigerator, characterized in that the refrigerant is formed to alternately flow through the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit. The method of claim 6, And the evaporator is formed to pass through the second heat exchange part after the refrigerant passes through the first heat exchange part. The method of claim 5, The heat transfer plate is a refrigerator, characterized in that the pitch is smaller downstream than the upstream side. The method of claim 1, And a separation guide part for guiding the air sucked into each of the first and second suction ports to flow separately from each other. The method of claim 10, The evaporator includes a heat transfer pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and a heat transfer plate coupled to the heat transfer tube, and the separation guide part is coupled to the heat transfer tube. The method of claim 11, The separation guide unit is a refrigerator, characterized in that formed by bending a portion of the heat transfer plate. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The evaporator is a refrigerator, characterized in that the refrigerant inlet side is disposed in the front region of the partition wall and the outlet side of the refrigerant is disposed in the rear region of the partition wall. The method of claim 13, Refrigerator, characterized in that the trap portion is bent to have a height difference on the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator. The method of claim 14, And the trap part is bent upwardly and then downwardly bent again.

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