Refrigerator

• US 20040187510A1
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Sang Gyu
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/298
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/022 with two or more evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/006 for mounting refrigerating machinery components
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion

Abstract

A refrigerator designed to prevent inner surfaces of storage compartments thereof from being damaged during a manufacturing process. The refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an external appearance of the refrigerator having refrigerator and freezer compartments therein, a machine room provided on the top of the cabinet to house components required to constitute a refrigerating cycle, first and second evaporators to cool the refrigerator and freezer compartments, a first connecting pipe extended from the first evaporator and led to the machine room through a top wall of the refrigerator compartment, and a second connecting pipe extended from the second evaporator and led to the machine room through a top wall of the freezer compartment, whereby the first and second connecting pipes are connected to each other by a welding operation in the machine room.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining an external appearance of the refrigerator including a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment therein;

a machine room provided on the top of the cabinet to house components installed therein to operate a refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator;

first and second evaporators to cool the refrigerator and freezer compartments, respectively;

a first connecting pipe extended from the first evaporator and led to the machine room through a top wall of the refrigerator compartment; and

a second connecting pipe extended from the second evaporator and led to the machine room through a top wall the freezer compartment.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising:

a first communicating duct located in the top wall of the refrigerator compartment, which allows the refrigerator compartment to communicate with the machine room and allows the first connecting pipe to pass therethrough; and

a second communicating duct located in the top wall of the freezer compartment, which allows the freezer compartment to communicate with the machine room and allows the second connecting pipe to pass therethrough.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, further comprising:

an auxiliary capillary tube connected between the first and second connecting pipes to cause the first and second evaporators to have different temperatures; and

a reception container disposed in the machine room to house the auxiliary capillary tube and the parts of the first and second connecting pipes connected to the auxiliary capillary tube installed therein.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the reception container comprising:

a case having an opening on its upper surface to define a reception space and communicating with the first and second communicating ducts;

a cover to close the upper open surface of the case; and

an insulating member fitted in the reception space between the case and the cover to insulate the auxiliary capillary tube from heat in the machine room of the refrigerator

5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first and second connecting pipes are welded to each other.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising:

a first air cooling compartment communicating with the refrigerator compartment and having the first evaporator located therein; and

a second air cooling compartment communicating with the freezer compartment and having the second evaporator located therein.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cabinet is provided at a front side of a top of the refrigerator with the machine room, wherein the machine room comprising:

a compressor to compress a refrigerant;

a condenser to cool the compressed refrigerant in high pressure and high temperature; and

a blowing fan to cool the compressor and the condenser.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are cooled independently.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first connecting pipe is connected to the second evaporator to transmit refrigerant thereto, and the second connecting pipe is connected to the first connecting pipe to receive the refrigerant from the first evaporator.

10. The refrigerator of claim 4, further comprising a suction pipe extended from the second evaporator through the second communicating duct and the cover and connected to a compressor to transmit refrigerant to the compressor from the second evaporator.

11. A method of connecting evaporators in a refrigerator, the method comprising:

installing a first evaporator and a second evaporator in a first and a second air cooling compartment through a first compartment and a second compartment, respectively;

installing a first connecting pipe through a first communicating duct to the first evaporator and installing a second connecting pipe through a second communication duct to the second evaporator; and

connecting an auxiliary capillary tube between the first and the second connecting pipes by a welding operation allowing refrigerant to be transmitted to the second evaporator from the first evaporator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

positioning the auxiliary capillary tube into a reception space of a reception container;

fitting an insulating member into the reception space; and

covering the reception container with a cover to prevent heat in a machine room from being transmitted to the auxiliary capillary tube.