Refrigerator and manufacturing method of the same

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A refrigerator includes a main body cabinet having a first storage room and a second storage room to be divided with the first storage room and respectively cooled, an evaporator having a first evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet and cooling the first storage room, a second evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet to be apart from the first evaporating part and cooling the second storage room, and a refrigerant moving pipe connecting the first and second evaporating parts, and a duct guiding cooling air generated by the first and second evaporating parts to the first and second storage rooms to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms, the first and second evaporating parts and the refrigerant moving pipe are formed with one evaporating pipe. The refrigerator forms integrally an evaporator for cooling a first storage room and a second storage room respectively.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0110332, filed on Dec. 22, 2004, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0078963, filed on Aug. 26, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, to a refrigerator in which a separation partition dividing between a first storage room and a second storage room can be separated.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional refrigerator disclosed in Korean Utility Model Application No. 1996-0034205 includes a plurality of evaporators to enhance efficiency of cooling. That is, an evaporator is respectively disposed in a cooler and a freezer of the refrigerator, thereby cooling an inside of the refrigerator. In FIG. 6, a conventional refrigerator having a freezer and a cooler includes a cooler evaporating part 112 and a fan motor 114 disposed at the cooler 110, and a freezer evaporating part 122 and a fan motor 124 disposed at the freezer 120. A connecting refrigerant pipe 130 is provided between the cooler 110 and the freezer 120 for connecting the cooler evaporating part 112 and the freezer evaporating part 122.

In the conventional refrigerator refrigerant passes through a compressor (not shown) and a condenser (not shown) and flows into the cooler evaporating part and the freezer evaporating part. The refrigerant is then evaporated to cool the cooler and freezer, and again flows into the compressor.

Meanwhile, recently, a refrigerator having an auxiliary storage room, which is separated from a main storage room such as a freezer and a cooler, for storing food has been developed. Generally, a storage volume of the auxiliary storage room is smaller than that of the freezer and the cooler.

However, the auxiliary storage room needs a respective evaporator which is separated from the freezer and the cooler so as to cool the auxiliary storage room, thereby making the structure more complicated. Further, an installation space for the evaporator for the auxiliary storage room is small, and therefore it is difficult to dispose the evaporator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of forming integrally an evaporator for cooling a first storage room and a second storage room, respectively.

Further, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method of a refrigerator capable of enhancing the efficiency of work to mount the evaporator for the second storage room without difficulty.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a refrigerator including a main body cabinet having a first storage room and a second storage room to be divided from the first storage room and respectively cooled, an evaporator having a first evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet and cooling the first storage room, a second evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet to be apart from the first evaporating part and cooling the second storage room, and a refrigerant moving pipe connecting the first and second evaporating parts, and a duct to guide cooling air generated by the first and second evaporating parts to the first and second storage rooms to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms, wherein the first and second evaporating parts and the refrigerant moving pipe are formed with one evaporating pipe.

The refrigerant moving pipe includes a first refrigerant moving pipe provided between the first and second evaporating parts so that the refrigerant passing through one area of the first evaporating part is transferred to the second evaporating part, and a second refrigerant moving pipe provided between the first and second evaporating parts so that the refrigerant passing through the second evaporating part from the first refrigerant moving pipe is transferred to the other area of the first evaporating part.

The refrigerator further includes a separating partition detachably coupled with the main body cabinet to divide the first and second storage rooms.

The duct includes a first duct disposed at the main body cabinet and forming a cooling air pathway of the first evaporating part, and a second duct disposed at the main body cabinet and forming a cooling air pathway of the second evaporating part, and the separating partition is coupled with at least one of the first duct and the second duct.

The refrigerator further includes a coupling part supporting a rear end part of the separating partition on a central area of the first and second ducts, and wherein the first duct is integrally provided with second duct.

The refrigerator further includes a seating part provided in a front area of the main body cabinet and placed between the first and second storage rooms to support a front end part of the separating partition.

The refrigerator further includes a separating tray provided in a space between the first and second evaporating parts to prevent the cooling air generated from the first and second evaporating parts from being mixed each other.

The refrigerator further includes a defrost heater to defrost the first evaporating part, and wherein the separating partition receives defrost water defrosted by the defrost heater.

The first and second storage rooms are divided in the main body cabinet in a vertical direction by the separating partition.

A manufacturing method of a refrigerator having a first storage room and a second storage room to be divided with the first storage room and respectively cooled, the method includes providing an evaporator having a first evaporating part and a second evaporating part to be apart from each other to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms, and a refrigerant moving pipe connecting the first and second evaporating parts, providing a separating partition detachably coupled with the main body cabinet to divide between the first and second storage rooms, disposing the evaporator at the main body cabinet so that the first and second evaporating parts correspond to the first and second storage rooms in a state that the separating partition is separated from the main body cabinet, and disposing the separating partition at the main body cabinet to divide between the first and second storage rooms.

The first evaporating part and the second evaporating part, and the refrigerant moving pipe are formed with one evaporating pipe without joints.

The manufacturing method further includes disposing a separating tray at a space of the first and second evaporating parts to prevent cooling air generated from the first and second evaporating parts from being mixed each other.

The manufacturing method further includes providing a duct detachably coupled inside the first and the second storage rooms, and disposing the duct at the main body cabinet so that the duct is mounted to a front of the evaporator.

The manufacturing method further includes providing a coupling part supporting a rear end part of the separating partition on the duct.

The manufacturing method further includes providing a seating part in a front area of the main body cabinet placed between the first and second storage rooms to support the front end part of the separating partition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cooler of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a freezer of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an evaporator of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cooling cycle of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional refrigerator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below so as to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

In FIGS. 1-5, a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body cabinet 10 having a first storage room 13 and a second storage room 16 divided with the first storage room 13 to be respectively cooled, evaporators 23, 25 to supply cooling air to the first and second storage rooms 13, 16, and ducts 30, 40 to guide the cooling air generated by the evaporators 23, 25 to the first and second storage rooms 13, 16 corresponded thereto so as to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms 13, 16.

The first storage room 13 may be used in a main storage room, and the second storage room 16 may be used in an auxiliary storage room, for example. Thus, in this embodiment of the present invention, the first storage room 13 is referred to as the main storage room 13, and the second storage room 16 is referred to as the auxiliary storage room 16.

The refrigerator 1 comprises a main door 60 and an auxiliary door 70 provided in the main body cabinet 10 and to open/close the main storage room 13 and the auxiliary storage room 16.

The main body cabinet 10 comprises an inner casing 11 formed with the main storage room 13 and the auxiliary storage room 16, and an outer casing 12 to be apart from the inner casing 11 with a foaming material, thereby forming an external appearance. In a rear lower side of the main body cabinet 10 is provided a machine room 2 installed with a compressor 3 to compress refrigerant and a condenser 4 to condense the compressed refrigerant. In the machine room 2 is provided a defrost water storage part 9 to store defrost water defrosted by a defrost heater 52.

The main storage room 13 is disposed at an upper part of the main body cabinet 10, and includes a freezer 14 and a cooler 15 divided by a main partition 19 in a horizontal direction.

The main partition 19 is formed through a foaming process which forms an insulating layer between the outer casing 12 and the inner casing of the main body cabinet 10.

The evaporators 23, 25 comprise a first evaporating part 23 disposed at the main body cabinet 10 to cool the main storage room 13, a second evaporating part 25 disposed at the main body cabinet 10 to be apart from the first evaporating part 23 to cool the auxiliary storage room 16, and a refrigerant moving pipe 50 connecting the first and the second evaporating parts 23, 25. The first and second evaporating parts 23, 25 and the refrigerant moving pipe 50 are formed with one evaporating pipe without welding joints.

The refrigerant moving pipe 50 comprises a first refrigerant moving pipe 50a provided between the first and second evaporating parts 23, 25 so that the refrigerant passing through one area of the first evaporating part 23 is transferred to the second evaporating part 25, and a second refrigerant moving pipe 50b provided between the first and second evaporating parts 23, 25 so that the refrigerant passing through the second evaporating part 25 from the first refrigerant moving pipe 50a is transferred to the other area of the first evaporating part 23.

The first evaporating part 23 comprises a freezer evaporating part 26 and a cooler evaporating part 27 to cool the freezer 14 and the cooler 15, respectively.

The freezer evaporating part 26 and the cooler evaporating part 27 are respectively disposed at a rear area of an inside of the freezer 14 and the cooler 15, and a freezer duct 31 and a cooler duct 32 are respectively disposed at a front of the freezer evaporating part 26 and the cooler evaporating part 27.

In the freezer evaporating part 26 is disposed the defrost heater 52, so that frost formed at the freezer evaporating part 26 is removed. In the cooler evaporating part 27 is disposed the defrost heater (not shown), so that frost formed at the cooler evaporating part 27 is removed.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the defrost water defrosted by the defrost heater 52 is discharged through a defrost water discharging duct 48 to a defrost water storage part 9.

The ducts 30, 40 comprise a first duct 30 corresponded to the first evaporating part 23 and formed with a cooling air pathway of the first evaporating part 23, and a second duct 40 corresponded to the second evaporating part 25 and formed with a cooling air pathway of the second evaporating part 25.

The first duct 30 comprises the freezer duct 31 and the cooler duct 32 corresponded to the freezer evaporating part 26 and the cooler evaporating part 27 to form the cooling air pathway.

Inside of the freezer duct 31 is disposed a ventilating fan 35 to forcibly ventilate the cooling air generated from the freezer evaporating part 26 to the freezer 14. An upper side of the freezer duct 31 is disposed a freezer branch duct 33 connected with the freezer duct 31 to allow the cooling air generated from the freezer evaporating part 26 to be branched.

A freezer cooling air inlet 31a is formed in a lower surface of the freezer duct 31 so that the cooling air passes through the freezer 14 to be flowed into the freezer evaporating part 26.

A plurality of freezer cooling air outlets 33a are provided in the freezer branch duct 33 so that the cooling air is exhausted toward the freezer 14. Herein, the cooling air outlets 33a are formed in the freezer branch duct 33.

Alternatively, the freezer cooling air outlets 33a may be formed in the freezer duct 31. Further, the freezer branch duct 33 may be integrally formed with the freezer duct 31.

Inside of the cooler duct 32 is disposed a ventilating fan 36 to forcibly ventilate the cooling air generated from the cooler evaporating part 27 to the cooler 15. An upper side of the cooler duct 32 is disposed a cooler branch duct 34 connected with the cooler duct 32 to allow the cooling air generated from the cooler evaporating part 27 to be branched.

A cooler cooling air inlet 32a is formed in a lower surface of the cooler duct 32 so that the cooling air passes through the cooler 15 to be flowed into the cooler evaporating part 27.

A plurality of cooler cooling air outlets 34a are provided in the cooler branch duct 34 so that the cooling air is exhausted toward the cooler 15. Herein, the cooling air outlets 34a are formed in the cooler branch duct 34. Alternatively, the cooling air outlets 34a may be formed in the cooler duct 32. Further, the cooler branch duct 34 may be integrally formed with the cooler duct 32.

The auxiliary storage room 16 comprises a predetermined temperature range set to cool from cooling temperature to freezing temperature. The auxiliary storage room 16 comprises the temperature range of approximately 25° C. to 10° C., for example. Generally, the auxiliary storage room 16 is smaller than the main storage room 13. The auxiliary storage room 16 is disposed at a lower part of the main body cabinet 10 and divided with the main storage room 13 in up and down by the separating partition 20. The auxiliary storage room 16 comprises a left side auxiliary storage room 17 and a right side auxiliary storage room 18 divided from side to side according as the main partition 19 is extended downward.

The second evaporating part 25 comprises a left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 connected with the freezer evaporating part 26 to cool the left side auxiliary storage room 17, and a right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 connected with the cooler evaporating part 27 to cool the right side auxiliary storage room 18.

In FIG. 4, the first refrigerant moving pipe 50a of the refrigerant moving pipe 50 is provided between the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 so that the refrigerant passing through the one area of the freezer evaporating part 26 is transferred to the left auxiliary evaporating part 28. The second refrigerant moving pipe 50b of the refrigerant moving pipe 50 is provided between the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 so that the refrigerant passing through the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 from the first refrigerant moving pipe 50a is transferred to the other area of the freezer evaporating part 26.

The left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 is connected with the freezer evaporating part 26 by the refrigerant moving pipe 50, thereby being integrally provided with the freezer evaporating part 26. Therefore, the refrigerant can move between the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 and the freezer evaporating part 26 by the refrigerant moving pipe 50. A separating tray 47 is disposed between the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 so as to separate the cooling air of the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28.

The separating tray 47 is disposed at a space between the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 to separate the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28, thereby preventing the cooling air generated from the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 from being mixed each other. Therefore, it prevents smell of food of the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17 from being mixed. Further, the separating tray 47 receives the defrost water formed by the defrost heater 52. The defrost water received by the separating tray 47 is discharged through the defrost water discharging duct 48 to the defrost water storage part 9 provided in the machine room 2, and the defrost water stored in the defrost water storage part 9 is removed by evaporation and the like.

The right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 is connected with the cooler evaporating part 27 by the refrigerant moving pipe 50 (see FIG. 6), thereby being integrally provided with the cooler evaporating part 27. Therefore, the refrigerant can move between the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 and the cooler evaporating part 27 by the refrigerant moving pipe 50. A separating tray 45 is disposed between the cooler evaporating part 27 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 so as to separate the cooling air of the cooler evaporating part 27 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29.

The separating tray 45 such like the separating tray 47 separates the cooler evaporating part 27 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29, thereby preventing the smell of food of the cooler 15 and the right side auxiliary storage room 18 from being mixed. Further, the separating tray 45 receives the defrost water formed by the defrost heater of the cooler evaporating part 27 and the received defrost water is connected to the machine room 2, thereby being evaporated.

Herein, the defrost heaters 52 are disposed at the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 respectively, thereby removing the frost formed at the freezer evaporating part 26 and the cooler evaporating part 27. Further, the defrost trays 48, 46 receiving the defrost water may be disposed at the lower area of the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 respectively. Therefore, the defrost water received in the defrost trays 48, 46 is connected to the machine room 2 to be evaporated.

The separating partition 20 comprises a freezer separating partition 21 dividing the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17 in a vertical direction, and a cooler separating partition 22 dividing the cooler 15 and the right side auxiliary storage room 18 in a vertical direction.

In FIG. 3, the freezer separating partition 21 is detachably coupled with the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41. Herein, as an alternative, the freezer duct 31 may be integrally formed with the left side auxiliary duct 41. A rear end part of the freezer separating partition 21 is coupled with a coupling part 77 of the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 which are integrally formed. A front end part of the freezer separating partition 21 is seated on a freezer seating part 78 formed at the inner casing 11 of the main body cabinet 10 and the main partition 19. Therefore, the freezer separating partition 21 is detachable with respect to the main body cabinet 10, thereby disposing the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 which are integrally formed, and the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 which are integrally formed, and next, disposing the freezer separating partition 21 at the main body cabinet 10. Herein, a gasket (not shown) may be coupled with circumferences of the freezer separating partition 21 to divide and seal the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17.

In FIG. 2, the cooler separating partition 22 is detachably coupled with the cooler duct 32 and the right side auxiliary duct 42. Herein, the cooler duct 32 is integrally formed with the right side auxiliary duct 42. A rear end part of the cooler separating partition 22 is coupled to a coupling part 75 of the cooler duct 33 and the right side auxiliary duct 42 which are integrally formed. A front end part of the cooler separating partition 22 is seated on a cooler seating part 76 formed at the inner casing 11 of the main body cabinet 10 and the main partition 19. Therefore, the cooler separating partition 22 is detachable with respect to the main body cabinet 10, thereby disposing the cooler evaporating part 27 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 which are integrally formed, and the cooler duct 32 and the right side auxiliary duct 42 which are integrally formed, and disposing the freezer separating partition 21 at the main body cabinet 10. Herein, a gasket (not shown) may be coupled with circumferences of the cooler separating partition 22 to divide and seal the cooler 15 and the right side auxiliary storage room 18.

The second duct 40 comprises a left side auxiliary duct 41 and a right side auxiliary duct 42 which are corresponded to the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 to form the cooling air pathway.

In FIG. 3, inside of the left side auxiliary duct 41 is disposed a ventilating fan 43 to forcibly ventilate the cooling air generated from the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 to the left side auxiliary storage room 17. In an upper surface of the left side auxiliary duct 41 is formed a left side auxiliary cooling air outlet 41a to exhaust the cooling air generated from the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 to the left side auxiliary storage room 17, and in a lower surface thereof is formed a left side auxiliary cooling air inlet 41b to input the exhausted cooling air passing through the left side auxiliary storage room 17 into the left side auxiliary duct 41.

In FIG. 2, inside of the right side auxiliary duct 42 is disposed a ventilating fan 44 to forcibly ventilate the cooling air generated from the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 to the right side auxiliary storage room 18. In an upper surface of the right side auxiliary duct 42 is formed a right side auxiliary cooling air outlet 42a to exhaust the cooling air generated from the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 to the right side auxiliary storage room 18, and in a lower surface thereof is formed a right side auxiliary cooling air inlet 42b to input the exhausted cooling air passing through the right side auxiliary storage room 18 into the right side auxiliary duct 42.

In FIG. 5, the refrigerator 1 further comprises the compressor 3, the condenser 4 to condense the refrigerant compressed from the compressor 3, a converting valve 7 to supply the refrigerant supplied from the condenser 4 to at least one of the freezer evaporating part 26 and the cooler evaporating part 27, and a connecting refrigerant duct 8 to connect an outlet side of the cooler evaporating part 27 and an inlet side of the freezer evaporating part 26 so as to supply the refrigerant discharged from the cooler evaporating part 27 to the freezer evaporating part 26.

The converting valve 7 may selectively supply the refrigerant supplied from the condenser 4 to the cooler evaporating part 27 or the freezer evaporating part 26, alternatively, may be provided in a three-way valve to supply the refrigerant to both the cooler evaporating part 27 and the freezer evaporating part 26. Further, the converting valve 7 may close up path for both the cooler evaporating part 27 and the freezer evaporating part 26. A first capillary duct 5 and a second capillary duct 6 are respectively provided between the converting valve 7 and the cooler evaporating part 27 and between the converting valve 7 and the freezer evaporating part 26 for decompressing the refrigerant.

The main door 60 comprises a freezer door 61 to rotatably open/close the freezer 14, and a cooler door 62 to rotatably open/close the cooler 15.

The auxiliary door 70 comprises a left side auxiliary door 71 to slidably open/close the left side auxiliary storage room 17, and a right side auxiliary door 72 to slidably open/close the right side auxiliary storage room 18.

With this configuration, a cooling cycle of the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 as following.

When the refrigerant of a gas phase which is compressed by a high temperature and a high pressure at the compressor 3 is flowed into the condenser 4, the condenser 4 condenses the refrigerant of the gas phase in the high temperature and the high pressure into the refrigerant of a liquid phase. The liquefied refrigerant is depressurized through the first capillary duct 5 to be flowed into the cooler evaporating part 27. Then the refrigerant is depressurized through the second capillary duct 6 to be flowed the freezer evaporating part 26. Herein, the converting valve 7 selectively converts the pathway of the refrigerant to the cooler evaporating part 27 or the freezer evaporating part 26. At this time, the refrigerant is flowed into the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28, since the freezer evaporating part 26 is connected with the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 by the refrigerant moving pipe 50, so that the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 generate the cooling air by heat exchange with the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17 respectively. Similarly, the refrigerant is flowed into the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29, since the cooler evaporating part 27 is connected with the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 by the refrigerant moving pipe 50, so that the cooler evaporating part 27 and the right side auxiliary evaporating part 29 generate the cooling air by heat exchange with the cooler 15 and the right side auxiliary storage room 18 respectively. After that, the refrigerant cooling each storage room is again flowed into the compressor 3.

With this configuration, the process that the evaporator and the duct are assembled in the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17 will be described as following.

First of all, a worker separates the freezer separating partition 21 from the main body cabinet 10 so that the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17 are connected. In case the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 are disposed at the main body cabinet 10, the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 are separated from the main body cabinet 10.

Then, the worker installs the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 which are integrally formed, at the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17. At this time, an inlet 26a and an outlet 26b of the freezer evaporating part 26 are connected to an outlet side of the converting valve 7 and the connecting refrigerant duct 8 by a welding and the like. The freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 are fastened to the inner casing 11 receiving the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 by screws and the like. The freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 formed integrally are coupled to the front of the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28, and then the freezer branch duct 33 is assembled in the upper part of the freezer duct 31. At this time, the ventilating fans 35, 43 are respectively disposed at the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 to be adjacent to the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28. Alternatively, the ventilating fans 35, 43 are disposed at the inner casing 11 to be adjacent to the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 respectively.

Finally, the worker couples an one end of freezer separating partition 21 to the coupling part 77 of the freezer duct 31 and the left side auxiliary duct 41 which are integrally formed, and seats the other end thereof on the seating part 78 formed at the inner casing 11 of the main body cabinet 10 and the main partition 19, thereby completing the assembling.

Therefore, the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 are integrally formed with the one refrigerant pipe, thereby being connected with each other. After the freezer evaporating part 26 and the left side auxiliary evaporating part 28 integrally formed are disposed at the freezer 14 and the left side auxiliary storage room 17, only two point of the inlet 26a and the outlet 26b of the freezer evaporating part 26 are weld, thereby enhancing efficiency of work in comparison to four point welding in case of the conventional refrigerator.

Similarly, the process that the evaporator and the ducts are assembled at the refrigerator 15 and the right side auxiliary storage room 18 is the same with the foregoing case.

The inlet 26a and the outlet 26b of the freezer evaporating part 26 are connected to the outlet side of the converting vale 7 and the connecting refrigerant duct 8 by the welding and the like.

In the foregoing embodiment, the freezer duct and the left side auxiliary duct are integrally formed, alternatively, is detachably coupled.

In the foregoing embodiment, the cooler duct and the right side auxiliary duct are integrally formed. Alternatively the cooler duct and the right side auxiliary duct may be detachably coupled together.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body cabinet having a first storage room and a second storage room to be divided with the first storage room and respectively cooled;
an evaporator having a first evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet and cooling the first storage room, a second evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet to be apart from the first evaporating part and cooling the second storage room, and a refrigerant moving pipe connecting the first and second evaporating parts; and
a duct for guiding cooling air generated by the first and second evaporating parts to the first and second storage rooms to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms,
wherein the first and second evaporating parts and the refrigerant moving pipe are formed with one evaporating pipe.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant moving pipe comprises:

a first refrigerant moving pipe provided between the first and second evaporating parts so that the refrigerant passing through one area of the first evaporating part is transferred to the second evaporating part; and
a second refrigerant moving pipe provided between the first and second evaporating parts so that the refrigerant passing through the second evaporating part from the first refrigerant moving pipe is transferred to the other area of the first evaporating part.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a separating partition detachably coupled with the main body cabinet to divide between the first and second storage rooms.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the duct comprises a first duct disposed at the main body cabinet and forming a cooling air pathway of the first evaporating part, and a second duct disposed at the main body cabinet and forming a cooling air pathway of the second evaporating part; and

the separating partition is coupled with at least one of the first duct and the second duct.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, further comprising:

a coupling part supporting a rear end part of the separating partition on a central area of the first and second ducts, and wherein the first duct is integrally provided with the second duct.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a seating part provided in a front area of the main body cabinet and placed between the first and second storage rooms to support a front end part of the separating partition.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a separating tray provided in a space between the first and second evaporating parts to prevent the cooling air generated from the first and second evaporating parts from being mixed each other.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising:

a defrost heater for defrosting the first evaporating part, and wherein the separating partition receives defrost water defrosted by the defrost heater.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the first and second storage rooms are divided in the main body cabinet in a vertical direction by the separating partition.

10. A manufacturing method of a refrigerator having a first storage room and a second storage room to be divided with the first storage room and respectively cooled, the method comprising:

providing an evaporator having a first evaporating part and a second evaporating part to be apart from each other to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms, and a refrigerant moving pipe connecting the first and second evaporating parts;
providing a separating partition detachably coupled with the main body cabinet to divide between the first and second storage rooms;
disposing the evaporator at the main body cabinet so that the first and second evaporating parts correspond to the first and second storage rooms in a state that the separating partition is separated from the main body cabinet; and
disposing the separating partition at the main body cabinet to divide between the first and second storage rooms.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the first evaporating part and the second evaporating part, and the refrigerant moving pipe are formed with one evaporating pipe without joints.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, further comprising disposing a separating tray at a space of the first and second evaporating parts to prevent cooling air generated from the first and second evaporating parts from being mixed each other.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing a duct detachably coupled inside the first and second storage rooms; and
disposing the duct at the main body cabinet so that the duct is mounted to a front of the evaporator.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 13, further comprising providing a coupling part supporting a rear end part of the separating partition on the duct.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising providing a seating part in a front area of the main body cabinet placed between the first and second storage rooms to support the front end part of the separating partition.

16. A refrigerator comprising:

a first storage room and a second storage room to respectively store food therein;
a first evaporator and a second evaporator to supply cooling air for the first storage room and the second storage room, respectively;
a separating tray positioned between the first evaporator and the second evaporator to separate the cooling air supplied to the first storage room and the second storage room, respectively.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, further comprising:

a refrigerant moving pipe to connect the first evaporator and the second evaporator to each other, and to flow refrigerant therebetween.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the first storage room and the second storage room are divided in a vertical direction.

19. The refrigerator of claim 17, further comprising a first duct and a second duct corresponding to the first storage room and the second storage room, respectively, to supply the cooling air supplied from the first evaporator and the second evaporator into the first storage room and the second storage room, respectively.

20. The refrigerator of claim 19, wherein the first duct and the second duct are integrally formed together.

21. The refrigerator of claim 19, further comprising a separating partition to divide the first storage room from the second storage room, wherein the separating partition is detachably coupled with the first and the second duct.

Patent History
Publication number: 20060130518
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 20, 2005
Publication Date: Jun 22, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Sung-cheol Kang (Gwangsan-gu), Jae-sek Oh (Buk-gu), Eul-young Chang (Suwon-si), Kook-Jeong Seo (Seoul), Jin-ho Kim (Buk-gu)
Application Number: 11/311,648
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 62/525.000; 62/526.000; 62/441.000
International Classification: F25D 11/02 (20060101); F25B 39/02 (20060101);