Description

REFRIGERATOR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, the present invention relates to a refrigerator of which a heat insulating material filled between an outer case and an inner case thereof is prevented from being reduced. Background Art

[2] Refrigerators are home appliances having freezer compartments and refrigerator compartments to cool or freeze foodstuff. The refrigerator compartment keeps temperatures of approximately 3-4 ⁰ C to cool foodstuff and vegetables for a relatively long time. The freezer compartment keeps temperatures below freezing to keep meat and foodstuff frozen.

[3] Such refrigerators include a heat insulating material to insulate against heat-exchange with an outside and the thickness of the heat insulating material has to be reduced as much as possible to present a larger inner volume of a refrigerator. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[4] However, if the heat insulating material is thinner, a portion of the heat insulating material where a wire or a connector passes may be relatively thinner. As a result, if environments are wet, drops forms on the exterior case, and reliability of the overall system may diminish, for example, corrosion or propagation of bacteria.

[5] In addition, the cooling efficiency of a refrigerator may deteriorate because of the heat-exchanging that is generated at the thin portion. Technical Solution

[6] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a refrigerator.

[7] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator of which a cooling efficiency is enhanced by preventing the thickness of a heat insulating material from being reducing to maintain reliability of a system thereof.

[8] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[9] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a refrigerator includes an

outer case and an inner case to define a body of a refrigerator; and an electric wire piping assembly to perform power supply and/or transmission of electric signals, the electric wire piping assembly provided along a predetermined path to prevent a thickness of a heat insulating material, that is filled between the inner case and the outer case, from being reduced.

[10] It is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly is provided along a corner of the inner case. The electric wire piping assembly may be provided along a recess portion of the inner case.

[11] Each wire configured of the electric wire piping assembly may be provided side- by-side to reduce the thickness of the electric wire piping assembly.

[12] Here, the refrigerator may further include a connection to connect the electric wire piping assembly with each of electric parts that receive power and electric signals from the electric wire piping assembly.

[13] The connection may be provided in a corner of the inner case. The connection may be provided in a recess portion of the inner case.

[14] The present invention has industrial applicability. The electric wire piping assembly provided in the case of the refrigerator according to the present invention is disposed along the predetermined path so as not to reduce the thickness of the heat insulating material. As a result, the deterioration of heat insulation efficiency and the formation of drops on the refrigerator may be prevented.

[15] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Advantageous Effects

[16] Therefore, the present invention has several advantageous effects.

[17] First, deterioration of heat insulating efficiency may be prevented, because the heat insulating thickness of an electric wire piping assembly is not reduced.

[18] Furthermore, heat insulating efficiency may be enhanced by reducing the thickness of the electric wire piping assembly to be as small as possible, and a heat insulating material may be filled uniformly by not interfering with its flow when the heat insulating material is filled.

[19] Water drops are prevented from forming on a surface of the case by preventing the reduction of the heat insulating thickness and thus corrosion of a case, and electric leakage may be prevented in order to maintain reliability of an overall system. Brief Description of the Drawings

[20] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, il-

lustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure.

[21] In the drawings:

[22] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating that doors of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment are opened according to a refrigerator of the present invention;

[23] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electric wire pipe assembly and a connection provided on an inner case of the refrigerator;

[24] FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating that the electric wire piping assembly is disposed at a corner of the inner case;

[25] FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating that the electric wire piping assembly is disposed at a recess portion of the inner case; and

[26] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the electric wire piping assembly and the connection that are connected with an evaporator. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] Reference will now be made in detail to the specific embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[28] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating that doors of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment are opened according to a refrigerator of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electric wire pipe assembly and a connection provided on an inner case of the refrigerator. FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating that the electric wire piping assembly is disposed at a corner of the inner case. FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating that the electric wire piping assembly is disposed at a recess portion of the inner case. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the electric wire piping assembly and the connection that are connected with an evaporator.

[29] In reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the refrigerator 100 according to the present invention includes an outer case 113, an inner case 111 and an electric wire piping assembly 130. The outer case 113 and the inner case 111 form a body of the refrigerator 100. The electric wire piping assembly 130 performs power supply and/or signal transmission and it is disposed along a predetermined path to prevent the thickness of a heat insulating material 150, that is filled between the outer case 113 and the inner case 111, from being reduced.

[30] In addition, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator body 109 having a freezer compartment 107a and a refrigerator compartment 108a to freeze and cool foodstuff, and refrigerator doors 107 and 108 coupled to the refrigerator body 109 to open and

close the freezer compartment 107a and the refrigerator compartment 108a.

[31] For example, the freezer compartment 107a may be provided in a left space of the refrigerator body 109 and the refrigerator compartment 108a may be provided in a right space. A partition 110 may be provided at a center of the refrigerator 100 to partition an inside of the refrigerator body 109 into the freezer compartment 107a and the refrigerator compartment 108a.

[32] A freezer compartment door 107 and a refrigerator compartment door 108 are coupled to a front of the refrigerator body 109 to selectively open and close the freezer compartment 107a and the refrigerator compartment 108a, respectively.

[33] The refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment door may be positioned differently in accordance with the positions of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. For example, the refrigerator may be a top-mount refrigerator, a side-by-side refrigerator and a bottom freezer refrigerator in which a freezer compartment sliding opened is located above a refrigerator compartment.

[34] In addition, a dispenser 105 is provided at the front of the freezer compartment door

107 for a user to dispense water or ice without opening the door 107. An icemaker (not shown) to make ice and a water tank (not shown) are provided in the refrigerator 100.

[35] The refrigerator body 109 is configured of the outer case 113 and the inner case 111.

The inner case forms space to store water and a mechanical room 120 is provided under the inner case 111.

[36] In the mechanical room 120 are provided a compressor 121, a condenser 123 a fan

125 and a controller 127 to control power and electric signals transmitted to the electrical parts provided in the refrigerator 100.

[37] The outer case 113 is assembled to cover the inner case 111. The heat insulating material 150 is provided between the outer case 113 and the inner case 111 to insulate heat between an inside and an outside of the refrigerator 100.

[38] The heat insulating material 150 may be a blowing agent, for example, made of organic compounds such as polyurethane and it is filled between the outer case 113 and the inner case 111, and hardened. Polyurethane resin is good in heat- insulating and it is frequently used as heat insulating material of freezer apparatuses .

[39] On the other hand, the refrigerator 100 of the present invention further includes the electric wire piping assembly 130 provided between the inner case 111 and the outer case 113. The electric wire piping assembly 130 may be configured of a bundle of wires that are supplying power and electric signals to various electric parts provided in the refrigerator 100.

[40] An end of the electric wire piping assembly 130 is connected with the controller 127 and the other end is connected with each of the electric parts. The controller 127 is employed to distribute the power supplied to the refrigerator 100 to each of the electric

parts and to create electric signals to control a function of each electric part.

[41] Here, it is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly 130 of the refrigerator 100 according to the present invention is positioned along a predetermined path to prevent the thickness of the heat insulating material 150 from being reduced.

[42] The thickness of the heat insulating material is reduced as much as the thickness of the electric wire piping assembly 130, because the electric wire piping assembly 130 is provided between the outer case 113 and the inner case 111 together with the heat insulating material 150. As mentioned above, if the humidity around the refrigerator 100 is high, the reduction of the heat insulating material 150 may result in drop formation on outer surfaces of the refrigerator 100.

[43] Moreover, as the heat insulating thickness is reduced, heat insulating efficiency may deteriorate. Thus, it is important to position the electric wire piping assembly 130 in a portion that does not affect the heat insulating thickness.

[44] Specifically, it is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly 130 is positioned along a corner of the inner case 111. This is because the corner of the refrigerator 100 has a relatively thicker heat insulating thickness than the other portions in space between the inner case 111 and the outer case 113. That is, the electric wire piping assembly 130 may be positioned at a portion where a surface of the inner case 111 meets another surface. Here, the corner of the inner case 130 is not necessarily a 90 degree corner, but may be a turned corner. In one embodiment, the turned corner includes a first and second 45 degree turn separated by a distance.

[45] Considering connection with the electric parts and assembly convenience, it is preferable that the electric wire piping assembly 130 is provided at the inner case 111 rather than the outer case 113.

[46] As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire piping assembly 130 is positioned along a corner of the inner case 111. Some portion of the electric wire piping assembly 130 connected with the controller 127 is connected with the compressor 121, the condenser 123 and the fan provided in the mechanical room 120, and another portion is connected with the necessary electric parts along the corner of the inner case 111.

[47] As shown in FIG. 3, if the electric wire piping assembly 130 is positioned at the corner of the inner case 111, it is identified that the heat insulating thickness is not reduced. That is, a heat insulating thickness of the heat insulating material 150 filled between the inner case 111, shown as a surface, and the outer case 113 is referred to as D and the heat insulating thickness D' of the corner having the electric wire piping assembly 130 positioned thereat has a marginal thickness larger than D.

[48] Because of the above positioning of the electric wire piping assembly 130, the heat insulating thickness may not be reduced.

[49] As the heat insulating thickness is not reduced, heat insulating efficiency may not de-

teriorate and drops may not form on the refrigerator.

[50] In another aspect, the electric wire piping assembly 130 of the refrigerator 100 according to the present invention may be positioned along a recess portion of the inner case 111.

[51] In accordance with a shape of the inner space of the refrigerator 100, the inner case

111 may have a recess portion recessed inward. For example, the recess portion is formed at a portion where the refrigerator compartment 108a (see FIG. 1) and the freezer compartment 107a (see FIG. 2) are separated, or a portion where the inner space of the refrigerator is partitioned based on kinds of the other storage compartments.

[52] Especially, there may be a plurality of shelves provided in the refrigerator compartment 108a (see FIG. 1) and the freezer compartment 107a (see FIG. 2). The shelves are usually detachable to optimize space utility.

[53] The shelves may be plate shaped or wire pocket made of wires to hold foodstuff therein. The shelves may be installed by using projections or guide grooves formed at an inner surface of the inner case, and thus they are insertedly pushed into the projections or guide grooves to be supported.

[54] To form the projections or the guide grooves, there are projected portions at the inner surface of the inner case. The projected portions should have the projections for the shelves to be put simply thereon, or the guide grooves are formed between two neighboring projections. If plural projections are formed for the shelves , corresponding plural recesses may be formed at an opposite outer surface of the inner case.

[55] As a result, the recess portion for the electric wire piping assembly 130 to be positioned does not have to be formed additionally.

[56] As shown in FIG. 4, even if the electric wire piping assembly 130 is disposed along the recess portion of the inner case 111, D' of the portion where the electric wire piping assembly is disposed may have a larger thickness than D of a conventional heat insulating thickness. As a result, the heat insulating thickness may not be reduced even with the electric wire piping assembly 130.

[57] Here, to reduce the thickness of the electric wire piping assembly 130, it is preferable that the wires configured of the electric wire piping assembly 130 are provided side- by-side.

[58] The electric wire piping assembly 130 can have the least thickness because the electric wires are provided side- by-side to form a level surface. As a result, the heat insulating thickness may not be reduced even with the electric wire piping assembly 130 provided in the inner case 111.

[59] When the heat insulating material 150 is filled, the level wires do not interfere with the flow of the heat insulating material 150 , so that the heat insulating material 150 is

distributed uniformly.

[60] In the meantime, the refrigerator 100 of the present invention may further include a connection 140 to connect the electric wire piping assembly 130 with each of the parts that receives the power and the electric signals. The connection 140 connects the electric wire piping assembly 130 with each of the electric parts to supply the power and the electric signals transmitted by the electric wire piping assembly 130 to the electric parts.

[61] The connection 140 is also provided between the inner case 111 and the outer case

113 and the heat insulating thickness may be reduced at a portion where the connection 140 is provided. Thus, it is preferable that the connection 140 is provided at a corner or a recess portion of the inner case 111.

[62] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a portion where the evaporator 129 of the inner case 111 is provided is recessed inward to form a recess portion. As a result, in the recess portion may be provided the electric wire piping assembly 130 for transmitting the power and electric signals to the evaporator 129 and the connection 140 for connecting the electric wire piping assembly 130 with the evaporator 129.

[63] If the electric wire piping assembly 130 and the connection 140 are provided as mentioned above, the heat insulating thickness D' of the portion where the electric wire piping assembly 130 and the connection 140 are provided is not reduced in comparison with the heat insulating thickness D of the heat insulating material 150.

[64] As a result, the deterioration of heat insulating efficiency caused by the reduction of heat insulating thickness and the drop formation may be prevented.

[65] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.