Heat exchanger assembly, refrigerator, and method of controlling a refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644887-B2
Application number	US-201414337691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 24, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly, a refrigerator, and a method of controlling a refrigerator are provided. The heat exchanger assembly may include a heat exchanger provided on or at a side of a refrigerator body, the heat exchanger including a refrigerant tube, in which a refrigerant may flow, and at least one heat exchange fin, in which the refrigerant tube may be inserted, a temperature sensor disposed on or at an inlet-side or an outlet-side of the heat exchanger to detect a temperature of the refrigerant, and a sensor holder to fix a guide tube disposed on or at an inlet-side or outlet-side of the refrigerant tube and the temperature sensor in a state in which the guide tube is in contact with the temperature sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
a heat exchanger including a refrigerant tube, in which a refrigerant flows, and at least one heat exchange fin, into which the refrigerant tube is inserted;
a temperature sensor provided on an inlet-side or an outlet-side of the heat exchanger to detect a temperature of the refrigerant; and
a sensor holder to fix a guide tube provided on an inlet-side or an outlet-side of the refrigerant tube and the temperature sensor in a state in which the guide tube is in contact with the temperature sensor, wherein the sensor holder includes:
a first frame including first and second straight portions and a first rounded portion disposed between the first and second straight portions;
at least one tube rib provided at the first straight portion to support the guide tube, the at least one tube rib being rounded and having a first radius of curvature to surround at least a first portion of the guide tube;
a second frame spaced apart from the first frame and including third and fourth straight portions and a second rounded portion disposed between the third and fourth straight portions;
at least one sensor rib provided at the third straight portion and connected with the at least one tube rib to support the temperature sensor, the at least one sensor rib being rounded and having a second radius of curvature to surround at least a portion of the temperature sensor;
at least one guide rib that extends towards the fourth straight portion of the second frame from the second straight portion of the first framed, the at least one guide rib being spaced apart from the at least one rube rib and the at least one sensor rib, the at least one guide rib being configured to support a second portion of the guide tube which is not in contact with the temperature sensor; and
at least one reinforcing rib that extends towards the second rounded portion of the second frame from the first rounded portion of the first frame.

2. The heat exchanger assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube rib includes a plurality of tube ribs, provided spaced apart from each other, and wherein the at least one sensor rib includes a plurality of sensor ribs provided spaced apart from each other.

3. The heat exchanger assembly according to claim 1 , further including a plurality of support protrusions that extends from the first or second frame to support the guide tube and the temperature sensor, respectively.

4. The heat exchanger assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the guide tube includes a curved guide tube.

5. A refrigerator comprising the heat exchanger assembly according to claim 1 .

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , further including:
an outlet temperature sensor to detect a refrigerant temperature of the outlet-side of the heat exchanger; and
a refrigerator temperature sensor to detect a temperature of a refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment of the refrigerator.

7. The heat exchanger assembly according to claim 6 , further including a controller to turn a blower fan on when a difference in value between the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor is above, a predetermined value and turn the blower fan off when the difference in value is below the predetermined value.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Chung Myungjin
• Park Hyokeun
• Lee Jangseok
• Lee Sangbong
• Lim Hyoungkeun

Classifications

• F25B2700/21174

  of the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator · CPC title

• F25D2700/10

  Sensors measuring the temperature of the evaporator · CPC title

• F25D11/022

  with two or more evaporators · CPC title

• F25B2700/21175

  of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator · CPC title

• F25D17/067

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title