Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714787-B2
Application number	US-201414245599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	Apr 8, 2013
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a body having storage chambers formed therein, and a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator that form a refrigerating cycle to cool the storage chambers. The condenser may include a refrigerant condensation channel through which refrigerant from the compressor passes and a working fluid evaporation channel through which working fluid is evaporated due to heat exchange with the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant condensation channel. The condenser may be connected with a hot line, through which the working fluid evaporated through the working fluid evaporation channel flows and discharges heat to reduce condensation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having at least one storage chamber and a front plate that contacts at least one door of the refrigerator;
a compressor that compresses a refrigerant;
a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, wherein the condenser includes:
a refrigerant condensation channel that guides a flow of the refrigerant received from the compressor; and
a working fluid evaporation channel that guides a flow of a working fluid therethrough, wherein the working fluid undergoes heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant condensation channel and is evaporated;
an expansion device that expands the refrigerant condensed by the condenser;
a hot line that guides a flow of the working fluid evaporated in the working fluid evaporation channel therethrough to discharge heat from the working fluid to the front plate of the body and condense the working fluid;
a hot line inlet channel that guides the working fluid evaporated in the working fluid evaporation channel to the hot line;
a hot line outlet channel that guides the working fluid condensed in the hot line to the working fluid evaporation channel; and
a condenser fan that blows air toward the condenser, wherein the condenser further includes a working fluid heat discharge tube, which is connected between the hot line outlet channel and the working fluid evaporation channel and discharges heat from the working fluid flowing therethrough to an outside therefrom by air blowing from the condenser fan, wherein the condenser includes:
an inner pipe in which the working fluid evaporation channel is formed;
an outer pipe which surrounds the inner pipe, wherein the refrigerant condensation channel is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe; and
a plurality of heat discharge fins which is in contact with the outer pipe and the working fluid heat discharge tube such that the working fluid passing through the working fluid heat discharge tube is cooled by being heat-exchanged with the heat discharge fins, and the refrigerant passing through the outer pipe is cooled by being heat-exchanged with the heat discharge fins and the working fluid passing through the inner pipe.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further including a heat transfer device provided between the refrigerant condensation channel and working fluid evaporation channel.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid heat discharge tube is positioned higher than the outer pipe.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat discharge fins each include an outer pipe hole in which the outer pipe is received and a working fluid heat discharge tube hole in which the working fluid heat discharge tube is received such that the outer pipe and the working fluid heat discharge tube maintain contact with each of the plurality of heat discharge fins at the outer pipe hole and the working fluid heat discharge tube hole, respectively.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the outer pipe hole is larger than the working fluid heat discharge tube hole.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the condenser fan blows air toward the outer pipe and the working fluid heat discharge tube.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the hot line guides the working fluid directly from the condenser to the front plate of the body without passing through the compressor.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc
• Lg Electroincs Inc

Inventors

• Lee Taehee
• Kim Dongseok

Classifications

• F28D7/106

  consisting of two coaxial conduits or modules of two coaxial conduits · CPC title

• F25D21/04 Primary

  Preventing the formation of frost or condensate · CPC title

• F28D2021/007

  Condensers · CPC title

• F28F1/32

  the means having portions engaging further tubular elements · CPC title

• F25B7/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit (F25B9/00 takes precedence) · CPC title