Evaporator and refrigerator having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149995-B2
Application number	US-201615555757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Nov 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is an evaporator including a case formed in an empty box type and having a storage chamber therein; a cooling tube formed on the case in a preset pattern and filled with refrigerant for cooling therein; a heating tube formed on the case in a preset pattern so as not to be overlapped with the cooling tube and filled with working fluid for defrosting therein; and a heating unit fixed to an external surface of the case corresponding to the heating tube and configured to heat the working fluid within the heating tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An evaporator comprising:
a case having a box shape comprising a first case sheet and a second case sheet that are coupled to each other to define a metal frame, the metal frame being bent to define a storage chamber in the case; a cooling tube that is disposed at the case, that has a first preset pattern, and that is configured to carry refrigerant for cooling; a heating tube that is disposed at the case, that has a second preset pattern disposed outside of the first preset pattern, and that is configured to carry working fluid for defrosting the case; and a heating unit comprising a heater configured to generate heat and fixed to an external surface of the case at a position corresponding to the heating tube, the heater being configured to heat working fluid within the heating tube, wherein the heating unit is fixed to a lower surface of the case, and is configured to generate an ascending force of the working fluid within the heating tube, wherein each of the cooling tube and the heating tube includes a space that is defined between the first case sheet and the second case sheet and that extends along the first case sheet and the second case sheet, wherein the chamber that is configured to receive working fluid is disposed at a bottom surface of the case or at a lower portion of one side surface of the case, wherein a cross-sectional area of an outlet of the chamber is greater than or equal to a cross-sectional area of an inlet of the chamber, wherein the chamber comprises an active heating part that faces the heater and that is directly heated by the heater, and a passive heating part that is disposed outside of the active heating part and that is indirectly heated by the heater to a predetermined temperature range, and wherein the inlet is located at the passive heating part to prevent the working fluid, which returns through the inlet after moving in the flow tube, from being reheated and flowing backward.

2. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein a flow tube is coupled to the outlet of the chamber, and is configured to extend towards an upper side of the case.

3. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit includes:
a mounting frame that covers at least a portion of the chamber, the heater being fixed to the mounting frame;
a lead wire configured to electrically connect the heater to a controller; and
a sealing member that covers the heater and that is configured to block moisture from entering the heater.

4. The evaporator of claim 3 , wherein the mounting frame includes:
a base frame that has a shape corresponding to the chamber; and
a protrusion part that protrudes toward a lower side of the base frame from a rear surface of the base frame, and that covers at least a side part of the heater fixed to the rear surface of the base frame, and
wherein the sealing member is accommodated in a recessed space defined by the protrusion part so as to cover the heater.

5. The evaporator of claim 4 , wherein the heater includes:
a base plate made of a ceramic material and fixed to a rear surface of the mounting frame;
a heating element comprising a resistor patterned on the base plate and configured to generate heat based on a drive signal received from the controller; and
a terminal formed on the base plate and configured to electrically connect the heating element to the lead wire.

6. The evaporator of claim 3 , wherein the heating unit further comprises an insulation member that is interposed between a rear surface of the heater and the sealing member and that is configured to limit heat transfer from the heater.

7. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the heating tube covers at least a part of the cooling tube.

8. The evaporator of claim 7 , wherein the chamber extends inwardly toward the cooling tube.

9. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the cooling tube covers at least a part of the heating tube.

10. The evaporator of claim 9 , wherein the outlet includes:
a first outlet and a second outlet provided at both sides of the chamber, respectively,
wherein the inlet includes a first inlet and a second inlet provided at both sides of the chamber, respectively, and
wherein the flow tube is coupled to the first and second outlets, respectively, extendedly formed so as to be far from the chamber at both sides of the chamber, extendedly formed to get near to the chamber, and coupled to the first and second inlets, respectively.

11. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the metal frame defines a first opening and a second opening that are connected to the heating tube and that are disposed at one end of the metal frame, and
wherein the evaporator further comprises a coupling pipe that connects the first opening to the second opening, the heating tube defining a circulation path that is a closed loop type path through which the working fluid is circulated, and that includes the coupling piping.

12. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the chamber has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and
wherein the outlet and the inlet are disposed at one side of the chamber and spaced apart from each other.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Kwangsoo
• Kang Woocheol
• Lee Geunhyung
• Hwang Gwinan

Classifications

• F25B47/02 Primary

  Defrosting cycles · CPC title

• F25D21/12

  by hot-fluid circulating system separate from the refrigerant system · CPC title

• F25D21/06

  Removing frost (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F28F17/00

  Removing ice or water from heat-exchange apparatus · CPC title

• F25B39/024

  with elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel · CPC title