Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11448455-B2
Application number	US-202016829549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A refrigerator having an improved structure that enhances the cooling efficiency. The refrigerator includes a main body, a storage compartment formed inside the main body, and a cold air supplier to supply cold air to the storage compartment, the cold air supplier including a compressor compressing a refrigerant, a condenser condensing the compressed refrigerant, a decompressor expanding the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator disposed at a rear of the storage compartment to evaporate the expanded refrigerant, and a refrigerant moving tube connecting the evaporator to the compressor through which the evaporated refrigerant is moved to the compressor so that the refrigerant is recirculated, wherein the evaporator includes a case, a refrigerant tube disposed inside the case such that the refrigerant introduced into the evaporator flows therethrough, and connected to the refrigerant moving tube at an inside of the case, and a heat insulating material filling the inside of the case to cover where the refrigerant tube and the refrigerant moving tube are connected to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body including an inner case forming a storage compartment and an outer case disposed at an outer side of the inner case; and
a cold air supplier to supply cold air to the storage compartment, the cold air supplier including a compressor compressing a refrigerant, a condenser condensing the compressed refrigerant, a decompressor expanding the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator disposed at a rear of the storage compartment to evaporate the expanded refrigerant, and a refrigerant moving tube connecting the evaporator to the compressor through which the evaporated refrigerant is moved to the compressor so that the refrigerant is recirculated,
wherein the evaporator includes:
an evaporator case;
an evaporator refrigerant tube disposed inside the evaporator case, the refrigerant moving tube penetrated through the evaporator case and connected to the evaporator refrigerant tube at an inside of the evaporator case;
a plate forming one side of the evaporator case that faces the storage compartment, the evaporator refrigerant tube and the refrigerant moving tube coupled to each other on the plate; and
a heat insulating material filled inside the evaporator case to cover a first connected portion between the evaporator refrigerant tube and the refrigerant moving tube to prevent the refrigerant from leaking through the first connected portion,

wherein the evaporator case is coupled to a rear wall of the storage compartment by coupling a coupling protrusion formed on the rear wall of the storage compartment to a coupling groove formed in the evaporator case, and
wherein the rear wall of the storage compartment is formed with an opening that allows the plate to be exposed to an inside of the storage compartment.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the plate is made of a metal material.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator case further includes a frame having an opening formed in a middle thereof, the opening includes a first open side that is open toward the main body, and a second open side that is open toward the storage compartment and is coupled with the plate to be covered by the plate.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the coupling protrusion that protrudes from the rear wall in a direction toward an outer side of the storage compartment,
wherein the frame includes:
a first end part defining a circumference of the first open side;
a second end part defining a circumference of the second open side; and
an extension part extending from the second end part in a direction toward an outer side of the evaporator case, and

wherein the coupling groove to which the coupling protrusion is coupled is formed on the extension part.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cold air passage configured for cold air supplied from the cold air supplier to circulate in the storage compartment; and
a partition plate installed inside the storage compartment to form the cold air passage.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the partition plate includes a first partition part facing the rear wall of the storage compartment and a second partition part bent from the first partition part and extended while facing an upper wall of the storage compartment.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein
the cold air passage includes a first section having a part formed between the first partition part and the plate and a remaining part formed between the first partition part and the rear wall of the storage compartment, and the first section includes a cold air inlet.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the cold air passage further includes a second section formed between the second partition part and the upper wall of the storage compartment and including a cold air outlet.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the cold air supplier further comprises a fan installed in the second section of the cold air passage.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a machine room disposed at a lower side of the storage compartment and in which the compressor is disposed,
wherein one end part of the refrigerant moving tube connected to the compressor is exposed to an outside of the evaporator by passing through the evaporator case.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the decompressor includes a capillary tube connecting the evaporator to the condenser.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the capillary tube passed through the evaporator case and is connected to the evaporator refrigerant tube at the inside of the evaporator case, and
the heat insulating material filled inside the evaporator case to cover a second connected portion between the capillary tube and the evaporator refrigerant tube to prevent the refrigerant from leaking through the second connected portion.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein one end part of the capillary tube connected to the condenser is exposed to an outside of the evaporator.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Changhak
• Kwon Jaesung
• Kim Chulhee
• Cho Sung-Jun

Classifications

• F25B41/37

  Capillary tubes · CPC title

• F25D23/061 Primary

  with conduit means · CPC title

• F25D23/006

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title

• F25D19/00

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title

• F25D2201/10

  with respect to heat · CPC title