JP7521982B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

The refrigerator is equipped with a refrigeration cycle that cools the interior and is made up of a compressor, a cooler, etc. For example, a known configuration has a compressor, refrigerant piping, and a machine compartment at the bottom of the back of the refrigerator that contains an evaporation dish that receives moisture that has frosted on the cooler and evaporates it using heat generated in the machine compartment.

However, the layout of pipes inside the machine room has not been adequately considered, and there is room for improvement.

JP 2011-231948 A

Therefore, we provide a refrigerator with an improved layout inside the machine compartment.

A refrigerator of an embodiment includes a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber therein, a machine chamber provided outside and behind the refrigerator main body, a cooler provided in the refrigerator main body and generating cold air for cooling the storage chamber, an evaporator tray provided in the machine chamber and receiving and evaporating defrosted water generated by defrosting the cooler, a compressor provided in the machine chamber and compressing refrigerant evaporated in the cooler, and a suction pipe connecting the cooler and the compressor and allowing the refrigerant coming out of the cooler to flow to the compressor. The suction pipe has an upstream portion that is drawn into the machine room at a position opposite the compressor in the left-right direction of the machine room and toward the rear of the machine room and extends toward the front of the machine room, a midstream portion that connects from the upstream portion and extends toward the compressor in the left-right direction of the machine room at a position closer to the front of the machine room than the center of the compressor in the front-to-rear direction, and a downstream portion that connects from the midstream portion, extends to the rear of the machine room and is connected to the compressor.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a rear view showing the vicinity of a machine compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a machine compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a base portion of a machine compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a ceiling part of a machine compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment with a ceiling portion of a machine compartment removed; FIG. 1 is a right side view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment with a side wall portion of a machine compartment removed; FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along X9-X9 in FIG. 6 of the machine compartment of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along X10-X10 in FIG. 6 of the machine compartment of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line X11-X11 in FIG. 6, showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of an overflow portion of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a rear view showing a schematic configuration of a machine compartment of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a machine room of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment with a ceiling portion removed.

Refrigerators according to multiple embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that components that are essentially the same in each embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions will be omitted.

First Embodiment
First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 11. As shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerator 10 is configured to have a plurality of storage compartments in a vertically long rectangular refrigerator body 11 with an open front. In the following description, the open side of the refrigerator 10 is the front side of the refrigerator 10, and the opposite side to the opening is the rear side of the refrigerator 10. The up-down direction of the refrigerator 10 corresponds to the direction of gravity when the refrigerator 10 is placed on a floor surface in the position shown in Fig. 1. The left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 in Fig. 1 corresponds to the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 when viewed from the front. The inside of each storage compartment of the refrigerator 10 is referred to as the interior of the refrigerator 10, and the outside of each storage compartment is referred to as the exterior of the refrigerator 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, refrigerator 10 is mainly composed of refrigerator body 11. Refrigerator body 11 is a box with an open front and has thermal insulation properties. Refrigerator body 11 has multiple storage compartments for storing food and other items, such as refrigerator compartment 12, vegetable compartment 13, and freezer compartment 14. Refrigerator compartment 12 is located at the top of refrigerator body 11. Vegetable compartment 13 is located below refrigerator compartment 12. Freezer compartment 14 is located below vegetable compartment 13, i.e., at the bottom of refrigerator body 11.

The configuration of refrigerator 10 shown in FIG. 1 is one example, and the number, type, and arrangement of storage compartments are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1. For example, an ice-making compartment or a small freezer compartment may be provided between vegetable compartment 13 and freezer compartment 14, or between refrigerator compartment 12 and vegetable compartment 13. In addition, freezer compartment 14 may be provided below refrigerator compartment 12, and vegetable compartment 13 may be provided below freezer compartment 14, i.e., at the bottom of refrigerator body 11.

The refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 are both storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range, and the interiors of these compartments are maintained in a positive temperature range of, for example, 1 to 4°C. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 are separated from each other by a non-insulated partition wall (not shown) that does not require insulation. The freezer compartment 14 is a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range, and the interiors of these compartments are maintained in a negative temperature range of, for example, -10°C to -20°C. The vegetable compartment 13 and the freezer compartment 14 are separated from each other by a thermally insulated partition wall (not shown in detail). The refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 may also be separated from each other by a thermally insulated partition wall.

The refrigerator 10 is equipped with a refrigerator compartment door 121, a vegetable compartment door 131, and a freezer compartment door 141. The refrigerator compartment door 121 is, for example, a hinged door that opens and closes the opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The vegetable compartment door 131 and the freezer compartment door 141 are both drawer-type doors that open and close the openings of the vegetable compartment 13 and the freezer compartment 14, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 further includes a cooler chamber 15 and a machine chamber 16. The cooler chamber 15 is provided at the bottom of the rear side inside the refrigerator body 11. In this case, the cooler chamber 15 is provided at the back from the top of the freezer chamber 14 to the bottom of the vegetable chamber 13. The machine chamber 16 is provided behind and outside the refrigerator body 11. In this case, the machine chamber 16 is provided, for example, behind and below the refrigerator body 11. The machine chamber 16 may also be provided behind and above the refrigerator body 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 10 is equipped with a refrigeration cycle that has the function of cooling each storage compartment. The refrigeration cycle generates cold air for cooling each storage compartment 12, 13, and 14 by circulating the refrigerant and compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating it. The refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting a compressor 17, a capillary tube 18, and a cooler 19, which is an evaporator, in a ring shape in the order of the refrigerant flow. The compressor 17 is provided outside the refrigerator body 11, in this case inside the machine room 16, and compresses the refrigerant flowing inside to a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state. The capillary tube 18 is a type of refrigerant throttle expansion mechanism, and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that has become liquid at room temperature and high pressure due to heat radiation to a low pressure so that it can evaporate easily before being sent to the cooler 19. The cooler 19 generates cold air for cooling the storage compartments 12, 13, and 14 by evaporating the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing inside by taking heat from the surrounding air.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 further includes a blower fan 21 and a duct 22. The blower fan 21 is provided downstream of the cooler 19 and blows the cold air generated by the cooler 19 to each of the storage compartments 12, 13, and 14. In this case, the blower fan 21 is provided above the cooler compartment 15. The duct 22 connects the cooler compartment 15 to the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 14, and supplies the cold air generated by the cooler 19 to the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 14. A ventilation hole (not shown) is provided between the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13, and the cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 12 returns to the cooler compartment 15 through the vegetable compartment 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator body 11 is configured with an insulating member 32 between an outer box 30 made of steel plate and an inner box 31 made of synthetic resin. The outer box 30 forms the outer surface of the refrigerator body 11. The inner box 31 forms the inner surface of the refrigerator body 11 and has storage chambers 12, 13, and 14 inside. The insulating member 32 may be, for example, a foam insulating material or a vacuum insulating panel.

The refrigerator body 11 can be divided into multiple insulating walls, in this case, the left and right side insulating walls 33 shown in FIG. 3, the back insulating wall 34, the ceiling insulating wall 35, and the bottom insulating wall 36 shown in FIG. 1, and is configured into a box shape by combining the insulating walls 33, 34, 35, and 36. The side insulating walls 33 are insulating walls that make up the left and right side surfaces of the refrigerator body 11. The back insulating wall 34 is an insulating wall that makes up the rear surface of the refrigerator body 11. The ceiling insulating wall 35 is an insulating wall that makes up the upper surface of the refrigerator body 11. The bottom insulating wall 36 is an insulating wall that makes up the lower surface of the refrigerator body 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom insulating wall 36 has a step in the front-to-rear direction. The step is lower at the front and higher at the rear. The lower surface of the bottom insulating wall 36 forms the bottom of the storage chamber located at the bottommost part of the refrigerator body 11. In this case, the lower surface of the bottom insulating wall 36 forms the bottom of the freezer chamber 14. The higher surface of the bottom insulating wall 36 is located above the machine chamber 16. In addition, the upwardly extending portion connecting the lower surface and the higher surface of the bottom insulating wall 36 is located in front of the machine chamber 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, the machine room 16 has a ceiling 40, a front wall 41, and left and right side walls 42. The ceiling 40 constitutes the upper wall of the machine room 16. The ceiling 40 separates the machine room 16 from the cooler room 15. In other words, the ceiling 40 forms the surface of the outer box 30 that corresponds to the higher side of the bottom insulation wall 36. The front wall 41 constitutes the front wall of the machine room 16. The front wall 41 separates the machine room 16 from the interior of the refrigerator body 11, in this case the freezer room 14. In other words, the front wall 41 forms the surface of the outer box 30 that corresponds to the part that connects the lower surface and the higher surface of the bottom insulation wall 36. The left and right side walls 42 constitute the left and right walls of the machine room 16. The machine room 16 forms a space with an open back side.

The machine room 16 further has a base portion 50, as shown in FIG. 4 etc. The base portion 50 is provided at the bottom of the machine room 16, and the compressor 17 is placed thereon. As shown in FIG. 5, the base portion 50 is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape in a plan view. The base portion 50 has a bottom surface 51, a rising portion 52, a recessed portion 53, and an evaporation tray mounting portion 54. The bottom surface 51 extends in a generally rectangular plate shape in a plan view and forms the main part of the base portion 50. The rising portion 52 is formed by raising the edge of the rear side of the bottom surface 51 of the base portion 50 upward. The rising portion 52 has the function of reinforcing the strength of the base portion 50.

The recess 53 and the evaporating dish mounting portion 54 are formed by depressing the bottom surface 51 downward. In other words, the height of the recess 53 and the evaporating dish mounting portion 54 from the floor surface is lower than that of the bottom surface 51. The recess 53 and the evaporating dish mounting portion 54 are aligned in the width direction of the machine room 16, which is the left-right direction in this case. The recess 53 and the evaporating dish mounting portion 54 are connected at a part of the back side. In another embodiment, the recess 53 and the evaporating dish mounting portion 54 do not have to be connected at a part of the back side. The compressor 17 is placed on the recess 53. In this case, the compressor 17 is supported by the recess 53 via support portions 55 provided at the four corners of the front-rear and left-right directions on the lower part of the compressor 17 on the recess 53. The center of the recess 53, i.e., the part directly below the compressor 17, is deeper than the part other than the center of the recess 53. That is, the height of the center of the recess 53 from the floor surface is lower than the height of the rest of the recess 53 from the floor surface. In addition to supporting the compressor 17, the recess 53 also has the function of receiving and storing defrost water, etc., as described below.

As shown in FIG. 3, the machine room 16 further includes an evaporator dish 43 and a gutter 44. The evaporator dish 43 is formed in the shape of a container with an open top. The evaporator dish 43 is placed on the evaporator dish mounting portion 54. The evaporator dish 43 has the function of receiving defrost water generated by melting frost adhering to the cooler 19 inside and evaporating it with heat generated in the machine room 16. The gutter 44 is formed in a tubular shape and is provided above the evaporator dish 43, hanging down from the ceiling portion 40. The gutter 44 has the function of guiding defrost water from the cooler room 15 to the evaporator.

The edge of the evaporator dish 43 is inclined so as to widen from the bottom to the top toward the outside of the evaporator dish 43. In other words, the area of the top surface of the evaporator dish 43 is larger than the area of the bottom surface of the evaporator dish 43. Therefore, at the side edge of the evaporator dish 43 on the compressor 17 side, the top of the evaporator dish 43 overlaps with the recess 53 in a plan view.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 11, the evaporator dish 43 has an overflow portion 431. The overflow portion 431 is provided on the side edge of the evaporator dish 43 on the compressor 17 side. That is, the overflow portion 431 is provided above the recess 53 and at a position overlapping the recess 53 in a plan view. The overflow portion 431 is formed through the side edge of the evaporator dish 43 and has the function of overflowing the water stored in the evaporator dish 43 into the recess 53. In this case, the overflow portion 431 is formed by cutting out a part of the upper part of the side edge of the evaporator dish 43 on the compressor 17 side, for example, in a rectangular shape. In other embodiments, the overflow portion 431 may be formed in a slit shape with one or more cuts in a part of the upper part of the side edge of the evaporator dish 43 on the compressor 17 side. In other embodiments, the overflow portion 431 may be formed in a hole portion that penetrates a part of the upper part of the side edge of the evaporator dish 43 on the compressor 17 side.

As shown in FIG. 6 etc., the ceiling portion 40 of the machine room 16 has a first ceiling portion 401 and a second ceiling portion 402. The first ceiling portion 401 is provided at a position where at least a portion of it overlaps with the compressor 17 in a plan view. The second ceiling portion 402 is provided on both sides of the first ceiling portion 401 in the width direction, i.e., the left-right direction, of the machine room 16. In other words, the second ceiling portion 402, the first ceiling portion 401, and the second ceiling portion 402 are provided side by side in this order from one end to the other end in the width direction of the machine room 16.

As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the front end of the first ceiling portion 401 is located higher than the front end of the second ceiling portion 402. In other words, the height of the front end of the first ceiling portion 401 from the floor surface is set higher than the height of the front end of the second ceiling portion 402 from the floor surface. The rear end of the first ceiling portion 401 is located at the same height as the front end of the second ceiling portion 402. In other words, the height of the rear end of the first ceiling portion 401 from the floor surface is set to be equal to the height of the rear end of the second ceiling portion 402 from the floor surface. In this embodiment, a transition portion 403 is provided that smoothly connects the first ceiling portion 401 and the second ceiling portion 402. In another embodiment, the first ceiling portion 401 and the second ceiling portion 402 may be directly connected without providing the transition portion 403.

In this embodiment, the compressor 17 is located closer to one end than the center of the width of the first ceiling portion 401. In addition, the upper end of the gutter 44 is located approximately in the center of the width of the first ceiling portion 401, and the lower end extends near the edge of the evaporator dish 43 on the compressor 17 side.

As shown in Figures 6, 8 to 10, the ceiling 40 further has a slope 45. The slope 45 is provided on the rear side of the ceiling 40, i.e., toward the open side of the machine room 16, i.e., away from the joint between the ceiling 40 and the front wall 41. The slope 45 slopes the ceiling 40 in an upward direction from the front side to the rear side, i.e., the open side. In other words, at least a portion of the ceiling 40 is sloped in an upward direction from the front side to the rear side, i.e., the open side. Therefore, the height dimension from the bottom surface 51 on the rear side to the ceiling 40 in the machine room 16 is set to be greater than the height dimension from the bottom surface 51 on the front side to the ceiling 40.

The slope portion 45 has a first slope portion 451 and a second slope portion 452. The first slope portion 451 is provided on the first ceiling portion 401 and slopes the first ceiling portion 401 in an upward direction from the front side to the rear side, i.e., the open surface side. The second slope portion 452 is provided on the second ceiling portion 402 and slopes the second ceiling portion 402 in an upward direction from the front side to the rear side, i.e., the open surface side.

In this case, the front end of the first slope portion 451 is located closer to the rear side than the front end of the second slope portion 452. In other words, the lower end of the first slope portion 451 is located closer to the rear side than the lower end of the second slope portion 452. In this embodiment, the front end of the first slope portion 451 is located in a position that generally corresponds to the center of the compressor 17 in the front-to-rear direction in a side view. The front end of the second slope portion 452 is located forward of the center of the compressor 17 in the front-to-rear direction in a side view. In this case, the position of the front end of the second slope portion 452 generally corresponds to the position of the support portion 55 provided on the front side of the compressor 17 in a side view.

Here, since there is a rising portion 52 at the rear edge of the base portion 50, the vertical height dimension of the open surface of the machine room 16 is shorter than the distance between the bottom surface 51 and the rear end of the ceiling portion 40. However, according to the inclination of the slope portion 45, the height dimension, which is the vertical distance from the bottom surface 51 to the lower surface of the ceiling portion 40, increases from the front to the rear of the machine room 16. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the height dimension L1 from the upper part of the rising portion 52 to the lower surface of the ceiling portion 40, that is, the vertical height dimension of the open surface of the machine room 16, is secured to be approximately the same as the height dimension L2 from the lower surface of the compressor 17 to the lower surface of the ceiling portion 40 (in this case, the first ceiling portion 401) where the compressor 17 is provided. For example, the height dimension L1 from the upper part of the rising portion 52 to the lower surface of the ceiling portion 40 is set to 85% or more of the height dimension L2 from the lower surface of the compressor 17 to the lower surface of the ceiling portion 40 (in this case, the first ceiling portion 401) where the compressor 17 is provided. In this embodiment, the height dimension L1 from the top of the rising portion 52 to the underside of the ceiling portion 40 is set to 90% or more of the height dimension L2 from the underside of the compressor 17 to the underside of the ceiling portion 40 where the compressor 17 is located (in this case, the first ceiling portion 401).

In this case, the height dimension L2 from the underside of the compressor 17 to the underside of the ceiling 40 where the compressor 17 is provided refers to, for example, the height dimension from the underside of the compressor 17 to the underside of the ceiling 40 at the part that overlaps with the center of the compressor 17 in the front-rear and left-right directions in a plan view. In addition, in this case, the height dimension L1 from the upper part of the rising part 52 to the underside of the ceiling 40 does not have to be constant across the entire width of the machine room 16, and may refer to, for example, that the height dimension from the upper part of the rising part 52 to the underside of the ceiling 40 at least in the part that overlaps with the compressor 17 in a rear view is set to be approximately the same as the height dimension L2 from the underside of the compressor 17 to the underside of the ceiling 40 where the compressor 17 is provided. In other words, when the compressor 17 is inserted into or removed from the refrigerator 10, the height dimension from the top of the rising portion 52 through which the compressor 17 passes to the underside of the ceiling portion 40 is set to be approximately the same as the height dimension L2 from the underside of the compressor 17 to the underside of the first ceiling portion 401 in which the compressor 17 is installed.

The rear end of the first slope 451 and the rear end of the second slope 452 both coincide with the rear end of the ceiling 40. That is, the upper end of the first slope 451 and the upper end of the second slope 452 coincide with the rear end of the ceiling 40, i.e., the open surface end. In other embodiments, either or both of the rear end of the first slope 451 and the rear end of the second slope 452 may be set forward of the rear end of the ceiling 40. That is, the rear end of the ceiling 40 may extend horizontally.

As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the second sloped surface 452 has a larger angle of inclination than the first sloped surface 451. In other words, the second sloped surface 452 is longer in both the front-to-rear depth dimension and the up-to-down height dimension than the first sloped surface 451. For this reason, the first ceiling portion 401 tends to protrude upward more than the second ceiling portion 402 overall.

1 and 8 to 10, among the parts forming the bottom insulation wall 36 of the inner box 31, a part of the part facing the parts forming the ceiling part 40 and the front wall part 41 of the outer box 30 is inclined in a direction ascending from the front side to the rear side. The inner box 31 has rail mounting parts 311 on the left and right side surfaces. Rails (not shown) are provided on the rail mounting parts 311. The rails are for sliding the case, which is provided so as to be able to be pulled out from the storage room (in this case, the freezer room 14) provided at the lowest level of the refrigerator 10, in the front-rear direction. The rail mounting parts 311 protrude rearward from the rear end of the storage room (in this case, the freezer room 14) provided at the lowest level of the refrigerator 10. The rear end of each rail mounting part 311 is provided at a position facing the second ceiling parts 402 on the left and right sides as shown in FIG. 3. The part facing the first ceiling part 401 of the inner box 31 is provided so as to protrude upward from the part facing the second ceiling part 402 of the inner box 31. As a result, the thickness of the insulating material 32 provided between the inner box 31 and the ceiling 40 is maintained approximately constant across the width of the machine room 16.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the refrigerator 10 further includes a suction pipe 60. The suction pipe 60 extends from the cooler chamber 15 to the machine chamber 16, and connects the cooler 19 and the compressor 17 to form a refrigerant flow path through which the refrigerant flowing out of the cooler 19 returns to the compressor 17.

As shown in FIG. 3 etc., the compressor 17 has an intake port 171 and an exhaust port 172. The intake port 171 is an inlet through which the refrigerant flows into the compressor 17. The exhaust port 172 is an outlet through which the refrigerant flows out of the compressor 17. The intake port 171 and the exhaust port 172 are located on the same side of the compressor 17. In this case, the intake port 171 and the exhaust port 172 are located on the evaporator dish 43 side of the compressor 17, that is, on the central side of the machine room 16. The intake port 171 and the exhaust port 172 are also located on the rear side of the compressor 17 in the front-to-rear direction, that is, on the open side of the machine room 16.

As shown in FIG. 7 etc., the suction pipe 60 has an upstream section 61, a midstream section 62, and a downstream section 63 inside the machine room 16. The upstream section 61 is located upstream of the midstream section 62 based on the direction of refrigerant flow. The downstream section 63 is located downstream of the midstream section 62 based on the direction of refrigerant flow, and is connected to the suction port 171 of the compressor 17. The midstream section 62 is provided between the upstream section 61 and the downstream section 63, and connects the upstream section 61 and the downstream section 63.

The upstream section 61 is drawn from the cooler room 15 into the machine room 16, bypassing the ceiling section 40. In this case, the upstream section 61 is drawn from a position on the opposite side of the compressor 17 in the width direction, i.e., left-right direction, of the machine room 16. The upstream section 61 is also drawn from a position on the rear side, i.e., the open side, in the depth direction, i.e., the front-to-rear direction, of the machine room 16. The upstream section 61 drawn into the machine room 16 extends toward the front side of the machine room 16.

In this specification, the direction in which the suction pipe 60 and the evaporation pipe 70 extend corresponds to the direction of the refrigerant flowing through each pipe 60, 70. That is, for example, extending toward the front of the machine room 16 means that the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the pipes 60, 70 is from the rear to the front of the machine room 16. Also, in this specification, extending toward the front or rear of the machine room 16 does not strictly mean the front-to-rear direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the left-to-right and up-to-down directions, unless otherwise specified, but also means that the component of the directional vector that is toward the front-to-rear direction is greater than the component that is toward the left-to-right direction. The same applies to other directions below.

The midstream section 62 is connected to the downstream end, i.e., the front end, of the upstream section 61. The midstream section 62 extends from a position closer to the front side of the machine room 16 in the front-rear direction to the compressor side in the left-right direction of the machine room 16. The position of the midstream section 62 from the front wall section 41 is, for example, 1/2 or less, 1/3 or less, or 1/5 or less of the depth dimension in the front-rear direction of the machine room 16. In this embodiment, the position of the midstream section 62 from the front wall section 41 is 1/5 or less of the depth dimension in the front-rear direction of the machine room 16. In addition, the midstream section 62 is provided above the front edge of the evaporator dish 43 and generally along the front edge of the evaporator dish 43. In this embodiment, the midstream section 62 is provided through the center side of the evaporator dish 43 rather than the most forward part of the front edge of the evaporator dish 43 in a side view. In plan view, the midstream section 62 extends from the edge of the evaporator dish 43 opposite the compressor 17 to the edge of the compressor 17.

The downstream section 63 is connected to the downstream end of the midstream section 62, i.e., the end on the compressor 17 side. The downstream section 63 extends toward the rear of the machine room 16 and connects to the suction port 171. In this case, the downstream section 63 is provided so as to extend along the compressor 17 side edge of the evaporator dish 43. The downstream section 63 is provided passing near the compressor 17 side edge of the evaporator dish 43 in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 7, more than half of the length dimension of the downstream section 63 is located inside the evaporator dish 43 in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 7, the suction pipe 60 is arranged in a U-shape inside the machine room 16, opening to the rear. In other words, the suction pipe 60 is routed around the left and right sides and near the outer edge of the front of the evaporator dish 43 so as to avoid the center of the evaporator dish 43. Therefore, a space S1 is provided above the evaporator dish 43 that is easily accessible to an operator from outside the refrigerator 10, in this case the rear side.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the upstream portion 61 has an inclined portion 611. The inclined portion 611 is inclined downward from the rear side to the front side of the machine room 16. In other words, the inclined portion 611 is inclined downward along the flow of the refrigerant. In a plan view, the inclined portion 611 is located at a position overlapping the evaporator dish 43. The front end of the inclined portion 611, i.e., the downstream end, is provided at the lowest position of the inclined portion 611. Furthermore, the front end of the inclined portion 611, i.e., the downstream end, is provided at the lowest position of the suction pipe 60. The inclined portion 611 is located above the upper part of the outer edge of the evaporator dish 43. In other words, the suction pipe 60 is located above the evaporator dish 43 inside the machine room 16.

The upstream section 61 is inclined upward toward the front at the downstream portion of the inclined section 611. In this embodiment, the upstream section 61 extends horizontally toward the front at the downstream portion of the inclined section 611, and then is inclined upward toward the front. In other embodiments, there may be no portion extending horizontally toward the front.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the refrigerator 10 further includes an evaporation pipe 70. The evaporation pipe 70 is connected to the compressor 17 and passes the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17 through the inside of the evaporation pipe 70. The evaporation pipe 70 promotes the evaporation of the defrost water accumulated in the evaporation dish 43 by the heat of the refrigerant. The upstream side of the evaporation pipe 70 is connected to the discharge port 172 of the compressor 17. The evaporation pipe 70 passes through the inside of the evaporation dish 43 downstream of the connection part with the discharge port 172. Then, it is drawn around the inside of the evaporation dish 43 in a serpentine manner. In this case, at least a part of the evaporation pipe 70 is located below the upper part of the outer edge of the evaporation dish 43. The evaporation pipe 70 that passes through the inside of the evaporation dish 43 is then connected to the heat dissipation pipe 71. Although not shown in detail, the heat dissipation pipe 71 has the function of exchanging heat with the outside air and dissipating the heat of the refrigerant passing through the heat dissipation pipe 71. The heat dissipation pipe 71 is led to the outside of the machine room 16, routed between the outer box 30 and the inner box 31 of the refrigerator body 11, and then connected to the capillary tube 18.

Here, in the field of home appliances such as refrigerators, once a mold is made, the same mold may be used for several years with minor changes to the design. In other words, components may be added or replaced while using the same mold. Also, for example, the suction pipe should be short from the viewpoint of material costs. In other words, from the viewpoint of cost, it is desirable to connect the suction pipe drawn into the machine room to the compressor via the shortest distance, i.e., through a position toward the rear of the machine room. In this case, for example, even if one tries to add a new component inside the machine room, the suction pipe gets in the way, making it difficult to add the new component.

In contrast, according to the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 10 includes the refrigerator body 11, the machine room 16, the cooler 19, the evaporator dish 43, the compressor 17, and the suction pipe 60. The refrigerator body 11 has the storage rooms 12, 13, and 14 inside. The machine room 16 is provided on the rear side and outside of the refrigerator body 11. The cooler 19 is provided in the refrigerator body 11 and generates cold air to cool the storage rooms 12, 13, and 14. The evaporator dish 43 is provided in the machine room 16 and has the function of receiving and evaporating defrosted water generated by defrosting the cooler 19. The suction pipe 60 connects the cooler 19 and the compressor 17, and flows the refrigerant from the cooler 19 to the compressor 17.

The suction pipe 60 has an upstream section 61, a midstream section 62, and a California section 3. The upstream section 61 is drawn into the machine room 16 at a position in the left-right direction, i.e., width direction, opposite the compressor 17 and toward the rear of the machine room 16, and extends toward the front of the machine room 16. The midstream section 62 is connected to the upstream section 61 and extends toward the compressor 17 side in the left-right direction of the machine room 16 at a position toward the front of the machine room 16 in the front-to-rear direction. The downstream section 63 is connected to the midstream section 62, extends toward the rear of the machine room 16, and is connected to the compressor 17.

In other words, the suction pipe 60 is arranged in a U-shape that opens to the rear inside the machine room 16. This ensures that there is space S1 inside the suction pipe 60 that is easily accessible from the rear, i.e., from outside the refrigerator 10. This makes it possible to add components that were not envisaged when the refrigerator 10 was designed, such as a cooling fan for the compressor 17 or a condenser, to this space S1 later. This allows the manufacturer to use the same mold while adding new components as necessary to improve the performance of the refrigerator. In other words, it is economical because the same mold can be easily used for multiple years, which also contributes to energy saving.

The temperature inside the machine room 16 tends to rise due to the operation of the compressor 17. At the very least, the temperature inside the machine room 16 is above 0 degrees. On the other hand, the temperature of the upstream portion 61 is lower than the temperature inside the machine room 16 because the low-temperature refrigerant flowing out from the cooler 19 flows inside the upstream portion 61. As a result, condensation water is likely to adhere to the upstream portion 61.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the upstream portion 61 has an inclined portion 611 that is located inside the evaporation dish 43 in a plan view and that slopes downward from the rear side to the front side within the machine chamber 16.

As a result, the condensation water adhering to the upstream portion 61 is more likely to fall down the inclined portion 611 into the evaporation dish 43. Therefore, the condensation water is heated by the evaporation pipe 70 together with the defrost water in the evaporation dish 43, making it easier to evaporate.

Depending on the operating conditions of the refrigerator 10 and the installation environment, a large amount of defrosted water or condensed water may be generated, causing the evaporation tray 43 to fill up with water. In that case, if the water overflows from the evaporation tray 43 and spills out of the refrigerator 10, i.e., into the room, the floor will get wet, and if left unnoticed, there is a risk that the floor will corrode.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 further includes a base portion 50 that constitutes the bottom of the machine room 16 and on which the compressor 17 and the evaporator dish 43 are placed side by side in the width direction of the machine room 16. The base portion 50 has a recessed portion 53. The recessed portion 53 is located below the compressor 17 and has an area that overlaps with the compressor 17 in a plan view, and is recessed downward from the surrounding area so as to be capable of storing water. The evaporator dish 43 has an overflow portion 431. The overflow portion 431 is provided above the recessed portion 53 and at a position that overlaps with the recessed portion 53 in a plan view, is formed through the side edge of the evaporator dish 43, and has the function of overflowing the water stored in the evaporator dish 43.

As a result, even if the evaporation tray 43 becomes full, the overflowing water flows through the overflow section 431 into the recess 53 and is stored there. This reduces the possibility that water will overflow outside the refrigerator 10 and wet the floor.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 further includes a condenser 80 and a cooling fan 81. As shown in Fig. 12, the condenser 80 constitutes a part of the refrigeration cycle and is provided between the compressor 17 and the capillary tube 18. The condenser 80 dissipates heat from the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out from the compressor 17 to convert the refrigerant into a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the condenser 80 is provided above the evaporating dish 43 in the machine room 16. The condenser 80 has an inlet-side connecting pipe 801 and an outlet-side connecting pipe 802. The inlet-side connecting pipe 801 is a refrigerant inlet of the condenser 80 and is connected to the evaporation pipe 70. The outlet-side connecting pipe 802 is a refrigerant outlet of the condenser 80. The outlet-side connecting pipe 802 is connected to the heat dissipation pipe 71.

The cooling fan 81 is provided above the evaporation dish 43 in the machine room 16. In this case, the cooling fan 81 is provided between the compressor 17 and the condenser 80. The cooling fan 81 has the function of cooling the compressor 17.

In this case, the suction pipe 60 passes through the front side of the condenser 80 and the cooling fan 81 to reach the compressor 17. In other words, the midstream section 62 extends in the width direction of the machine room 16 by passing through the front side of the condenser 80 and the cooling fan 81. In another embodiment, only one of the condenser 80 or the cooling fan 81 may be provided. Even in this case, the suction pipe 60 may be configured to pass through the front side of either the condenser 80 or the cooling fan 81 to reach the compressor 17. Also, a configuration may be used in which multiple condensers 80, for example two condensers 80, are provided side by side. Even in this case, the suction pipe 60 may be configured to pass through the front sides of multiple condensers 80 and the cooling fans 81 to reach the compressor 17.

The evaporation pipe 70 extends from the discharge port 172 of the compressor 17 and passes inside the evaporation dish 43, i.e., at a position lower than the upper part of the outer edge of the evaporation dish 43, and then extends above the evaporation dish 43 from the end of the evaporation dish 43 opposite the compressor 17. The evaporation pipe 70 then passes through a portion from the front of the machine room 16 and is connected to the condenser 80. A space S2 is provided above the evaporation dish 43 on the opposite side of the condenser 80 from the compressor 17, which is easily accessible to an operator from outside the machine room 16.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the inlet side connection pipe 801 and the outlet side connection pipe 802 are both provided on the rear side of the condenser 80. Therefore, the joint between the evaporation pipe 70 and the inlet side connection pipe 801 is located on the rear side of the machine room 16 of the condenser 80. In other words, the evaporation pipe 70 passes near the front side of the machine room 16, and then extends along the side of the condenser 80 toward the rear side. The joint between the outlet side connection pipe 802 and the evaporation pipe 70 is located near the rear side of the machine room 16. The evaporation pipe 70 then extends upward to exit the machine room 16.

In another embodiment, both the inlet side connecting pipe 801 and the outlet side connecting pipe 802 may be provided in front of the condenser 80. In that case, the joint between the evaporation pipe 70 and the inlet side connecting pipe 801 may be located in front of the machine room 16 of the condenser 80. Also, the joint between the outlet side connecting pipe 802 and the evaporation pipe 70 may be located near the front of the machine room 16. In that case, the evaporation pipe 70 may be configured to extend toward the rear side next to the condenser 80 and then extend upward to exit the machine room 16.

According to this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 further includes a cooling fan 81 that is provided in the machine room 16 and cools the compressor 17. The midstream section 62 passes in front of the cooling fan 81 within the machine room 16.

As a result, the midstream section 62 of the suction pipe 60 does not get in the way of workers when installing or maintaining the cooling fan 81.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 includes a condenser 80 that is provided in the machine room 16 and condenses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17. The midstream section 62 passes in front of the condenser 80 within the machine room 16.

As a result, the midstream section 62 of the suction pipe 60 does not get in the way of workers when installing or maintaining the condenser 80.

The refrigerator 10 further includes an evaporation pipe 70. The evaporation pipe 70 connects the compressor 17 and the condenser 80, and has a function of promoting the evaporation of the defrost water accumulated in the evaporation dish by the heat of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17. The evaporation pipe 70 extends from the compressor 17 and passes inside the evaporation dish 43, then extends above the evaporation dish 43 from the end of the evaporation dish 43 opposite the compressor 17, and connects to the condenser 80 through a position near the front of the machine room 16.

As a result, the evaporation pipe 70 passes through the front part of the machine room 16 after leaving the inside of the evaporation dish 43, so a space S2 is provided above the evaporation dish 43 on the opposite side of the compressor 17 of the condenser 80. New components can be placed in the space S2, and workers can easily access it from outside the machine room 16.

Other Embodiments
In the above embodiment, a refrigeration cycle having one cooler 19 has been described, but the configuration of this embodiment can also be applied to a refrigeration cycle having multiple coolers, for example, a cooler for refrigeration and a cooler for freezing. That is, the suction pipes connected between the two coolers and the compressor, or the connecting pipes connecting them, may be arranged in a U-shape inside the machine room like the suction pipe in the above embodiment.

Please note that the drawings are drawn to facilitate understanding when viewed in conjunction with the above description, and therefore are not necessarily drawn to scale or at precise angles.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

10...refrigerator, 11...refrigerator body, 12...refrigerating compartment (storage compartment), 13...vegetable compartment (storage compartment), 14...freezer compartment (storage compartment), 15...cooler compartment, 16...machine compartment, 17...compressor, 172...inlet, 173...outlet, 18...capillary tube, 19...cooler, 30...outer box, 31...inner box, 32...insulating member, 33...side insulating wall, 34...back insulating wall, 35...ceiling insulating wall, 36...bottom insulating wall, 40...ceiling, 401...first ceiling, 402...second ceiling, 41...front wall, 42...side wall, 43...evaporation tray, 431...overflow portion, 45...slope, 451...first slope, 452...second slope, 50...base, 51...bottom, 53...rising portion, 54...recess, 54...evaporation tray mounting portion, 60...suction pipe, 61...upstream portion, 611...slope, 62...midstream portion, 63...downstream portion, 70...evaporation pipe, 71...heat dissipation pipe, 80...condenser, 801...inlet side connecting pipe, 802...outlet side connecting pipe, 81...cooling fan

Claims (6)

A refrigerator body having a storage compartment therein;
A machine room provided at the rear and outside of the refrigerator body;
A cooler that is provided in the refrigerator body and generates cold air to cool the storage compartment;
an evaporation tray provided in the machine room for receiving and evaporating defrosted water generated by defrosting the cooler;
a compressor provided in the machine room and configured to compress the refrigerant evaporated in the cooler;
a suction pipe connecting the cooler and the compressor to allow the refrigerant discharged from the cooler to flow into the compressor;
The suction pipe is provided in the machine room.
an upstream portion that is drawn into the machine room at a position opposite to the compressor in the left-right direction of the machine room and toward the rear side of the machine room and extends toward the front side of the machine room;
a midstream portion connected to the upstream portion and extending toward the compressor in the left-right direction of the machine room at a position closer to the front side of the machine room than the center of the compressor in the front-rear direction;
A downstream portion connected to the midstream portion, extending to the rear side of the machine room and connected to the compressor.
refrigerator. The compressor further includes a cooling fan provided in the machine room to cool the compressor.
The midstream portion passes in front of the cooling fan in the machine room.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1. The compressor further includes a condenser that is provided in the machine room and condenses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor.
The midstream portion passes in front of the condenser in the machine room.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2. an evaporation pipe connecting the compressor and the condenser, through which a refrigerant discharged from the compressor passes and which promotes evaporation of the defrosted water accumulated in the evaporation tray by heat of the refrigerant;
The evaporation pipe extends from the compressor, passes through the inside of the evaporation dish, and then extends from an end of the evaporation dish opposite the compressor to above the evaporation dish, passes through a position near the front of the machine chamber, and is connected to the condenser.
The refrigerator according to claim 3. The upstream portion is located inside the evaporating dish in a plan view and has an inclined portion that slopes downward from the rear side to the front side of the machine chamber.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The compressor further includes a base portion that constitutes a bottom portion of the machine chamber and on which the compressor and the evaporator dish are placed in a width direction of the machine chamber,
the base portion is located below the compressor, has an area overlapping with the compressor in a plan view, and has a recessed portion formed downward from the surrounding area and capable of storing water;
The evaporating dish has an overflow portion that is provided above the recess and overlaps with the recess in a plan view, and is formed through a side edge portion of the evaporating dish to overflow the water stored in the evaporating dish.
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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