US20120131943A1 - Drain device and refrigerator having the same - Google Patents
Drain device and refrigerator having the same Download PDFInfo
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- US20120131943A1 US20120131943A1 US13/388,361 US201013388361A US2012131943A1 US 20120131943 A1 US20120131943 A1 US 20120131943A1 US 201013388361 A US201013388361 A US 201013388361A US 2012131943 A1 US2012131943 A1 US 2012131943A1
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- Prior art keywords
- passage
- extension portion
- drain device
- drain
- different
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
- F25D21/14—Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/042—Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/047—Pressure equalising devices
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2321/00—Details or arrangements for defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2321/14—Collecting condense or defrost water; Removing condense or defrost water
- F25D2321/146—Collecting condense or defrost water; Removing condense or defrost water characterised by the pipes or pipe connections
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a drain device for a refrigerator, and particularly, to a drain device, capable of minimizing introduction of external air into a storage chamber when a pressure within the storage chamber and an external pressure are balanced, and simultaneously allowing the external air to be introduced into the storage chamber to facilitate opening and closing of a door when the pressure within the storage chamber changes, and discharging defrosted water to the exterior, and a refrigerator having the same.
- a refrigerator in general, includes a refrigerator main body having a cooling chamber for keeping foods or the like, and a refrigerator door for opening and closing the cooling chamber.
- the refrigerator main body includes a refrigeration cycle provided with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion apparatus and an evaporator, and the compressor and the condenser are installed in a machine chamber provided in the refrigerator main body.
- the evaporator is installed within a wall surface of the refrigerator main body.
- a defrosting heater for defrosting frost stuck on the evaporator is installed at the evaporator or near the evaporator.
- a defrosted water receiving unit for collecting defrosted water generated from the evaporator upon defrosting is installed near the defrosting heater.
- a water collection tray may be disposed in the machine chamber of the refrigerator main body so as to urge the defrosted water collected in the defrosted water receiving unit to be discharged via a discharge pipe.
- a pressure within the cooling chamber is drastically lowered so as to be difficult to open the refrigerator door.
- a pressure discrepancy device is provided for overcoming the difference between the pressure within the cooling chamber and an external pressure by allowing the external air to be introduced into the cooling chamber.
- the pressure discrepancy device is configured by including a sub suction pipe disposed at one side of a drain hose for sucking external air therethrough, and a valve member coupled to an end portion of the sub suction pipe for opening and closing an air inlet responsive to air flow.
- the valve member should be fabricated separate from the drain hose, so its fabrication is not easy and the assembly operation is complicated. Furthermore, the valve member has a complicated structure by including an opening and closing piece, a fixing hole to which the opening and closing piece is fixed, a coupling hole corresponding to the fixing hole, a groove formed at an inner surface of the opening and closing piece, a valve cover, a fixing protrusion, a stopping jaw corresponding to the fixing protrusion, a fixing groove for inserting the fixing hole therein and the like, so the valve member needs many numbers of components, which make it difficult to fabricate the valve member.
- an object of the present invention is to provide a drain device capable of reducing a fabricating cost by simplifying the structure and simultaneously decreasing an installation space, and a fabrication method thereof.
- a drain device including a drain pipe having openings at both sides thereof so as to have a single passage in a longitudinal direction, and a valve member movably inserted in the drain pipe and configured to selectively open and close the passage of the drain pipe, wherein an extension portion is formed by extending in a radial direction in the middle of the passage of the drain pipe, and the extension portion is formed to be greater than a diameter of the valve member such that the passage is open when the valve member moves in the radial direction of the passage.
- a drain device including a drain pipe provided with first and second passages in a longitudinal direction, both ends of each passage being open, and an extension portion present between the first passage and the second passage, the extension portion extending greater than a diameter of the second passage, and a valve member inserted into the extension valve to selectively open and close the second passage, wherein a center in an axial direction of the first passage and that of the second passage have a preset interval therebetween.
- a refrigerator including a refrigerator main body having at least one storage chamber for keeping foods, an evaporator disposed in the refrigerator main body to generate cold air, a discharge unit disposed below the evaporator to urge defrosted water generated from the evaporator discharged out, and a drain device disposed at the discharge unit and configured to discharge the defrosted water generated from the evaporator and guide external air into the storage chamber of the refrigerator main body, wherein the drain device has the aforesaid configuration.
- a drain pipe is formed to have a single passage, an extension portion is disposed in the middle of the passage, and a drain valve opened and closed by defrosted water or am air pressure difference is provided in the extension portion, resulting in simplification of a structure of the drain device, reduction of a fabricating cost, and facilitation of an installation even in a small space.
- the drain device by which defrosted water generated in the evaporator is discharged and external air is introduced into the storage chamber, can be simplified, thereby remarkably reducing a fabricating cost and facilitating installation even in a small installation space.
- FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an inside of a machine chamber of the refrigerator
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator of FIG. 2 ;
- FIGS. 5 and 6 are overviews showing variations of an extension portion provided in the drain device of the refrigerator of FIGS. 3 or 4 ;
- FIGS. 7 to 9 are sectional views sequentially showing an operation of the drain device of the refrigerator of FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an inside of a machine chamber of the refrigerator
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator of FIG. 2
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator of FIG. 2
- FIGS. 5 and 6 are overviews showing variations of an extension portion provided in the drain device of the refrigerator of FIG. 3 or 4 .
- a refrigerator may include a refrigerator main body 1 having a storage chamber 11 for keeping foods or the like, and refrigerator doors 2 coupled to the refrigerator main body 1 for opening and closing an opening of the storage chamber 11 .
- the refrigerator main body 1 may be partitioned by a partition wall 14 into an upper refrigerating chamber 12 and a lower freezing chamber 13 , and each chamber may have a front opening.
- a rear side at a lower side of the refrigerator main body 1 is shown, having a machine chamber 15 in which various components including a compressor 3 and a condenser 4 are accommodated.
- An evaporator 5 for generating cold air may be provided at a rear side of the storage chamber 11 .
- a defrosting heater 6 for removing frost stuck on the evaporator 5 may be installed at a lower side of the evaporator 5 or near the evaporator 5 .
- a discharge unit 100 for collecting defrosted water generated from the evaporator 5 upon operating the defrosting heater 6 and discharging the collected defrosted water into a water collection tray 7 disposed in the machine chamber 15 may be provided at a lower side of the evaporator 9 or a lower side of the defrosting heater 6 .
- the discharge unit 100 may include a defrosted water receiving unit 110 for collecting the defrosted water from the evaporator 5 and having a drain hole 111 for discharging the defrosted water therethrough, a drain pipe 120 disposed below the defrosted water receiving unit 110 and communicated with the drain hole 111 of the defrosted water receiving unit 110 so as to discharge the defrosted water within the defrosted water receiving unit 110 into the water collection tray 7 , and a drain valve 130 inserted into the drain pipe 120 for selectively opening or closing a passage of the drain pipe 120 to discharge the defrosted water, and also for urging external air introduced into the storage chamber 11 or blocking external air introduced into the storage chamber 11 .
- the drain valve 130 may be formed in a shape like a ball, which is made of a material having a lower gravity than water.
- the drain pipe 120 may be configured with one pipe so as to define a single passage 121 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the drain pipe 120 may include an extension portion 122 extending to be greater than an inner diameter of the passage 121 such that the drain valve 130 present in the middle of the passage 121 can move in a radial direction, in more detail, in an inclined direction so as to open the passage 121 .
- an upper side of the extension portion 122 is referred to as a first passage 125 and a lower side thereof is referred to as a second passage 126 .
- Centers in axial directions of the first passage 125 and the second passage 126 may be formed on the same axis. However, if so, the drain valve 130 may be pushed by a pressure of external air sucked via the second passage 126 to be moved longitudinally, thereby causing the chance of blocking the first passage 125 . Hence, if possible, the center in the axial direction of the first passage 125 and the center in the axial direction of the second passage 126 may be deviated from each other by a preset interval ?t.
- An inner diameter D 1 of the first passage 125 and an inner diameter D 2 of the second passage 126 may be formed the same; however, if so, the drain valve 130 should be formed to have a diameter as great as being capable of opening and closing the second passage 126 , namely, to be greater than the inner diameter D 2 of the second passage 126 . Accordingly, when the first passage 125 and the second passage 126 have the same diameter, the drain valve 130 should have a diameter greater than the inner diameter D 1 of the first passage 125 and be made of a material having a self-restoring force in order to be pushed into the extension portion 122 .
- the inner diameter D 1 of the first passage 125 is greater than the inner diameter D 2 of the second passage 126 , more exactly, an outer diameter D 3 of the drain valve 130 , an installation of the drain valve 130 can be facilitated.
- this case may raise a concern about separation of the drain valve 130 during operation.
- the inner diameters D 1 and D 2 of the first and second passages 125 and 126 are the same, the concern about the separation of the drain valve 130 can be overcome.
- appropriate diameters of the first and second passages 125 and 126 may be selected by consideration of the two cases.
- a guide 123 may further be formed, as shown in FIG. 4 , between the first passage 125 and the extension portion 122 .
- the guide 123 may function as restricting to some degree the drain valve 130 from being separated if the first passage 125 has a greater outer diameter than that of the drain valve 130 , and simultaneously function as guiding defrosted water to one side of the drain valve 130 .
- the guide 123 may be formed to have a inclination angle inclined towards a central axis of the first passage 125 at the extension portion 122 .
- the extension portion 122 may be formed in a shape similar to a lozenge.
- the extension portion 122 may be formed to have different extended lengths and inclination angles in a circumferential direction such that the drain valve 130 can open and close the second passage 126 with moving always in a constant direction.
- a right extension portion 122 a may be more extensive than the left extension portion 122 b and a inclination angle 1 of the right extension portion 122 a may be gentler (smaller) than a inclination angle 2 of the left extension portion 122 b, such that the drain valve 130 is pressed in a right direction in the drawing to be pushed towards the right extension portion 122 a.
- the extension portion 122 may also be formed such that a point connected to the second passage 126 can be different in a circumferential direction. Consequently, the drain valve 130 may move in a constant direction, namely, towards the right extension portion 122 a.
- the height at which the extension portion 122 starts is the same, when defrosted water is dropped down in a longitudinal direction of the drain valve 130 , an angle of supporting the drain valve 130 with respect to the dropped direction of the defrosted water becomes the same, which may result in a delay of an open time of the drain valve 130 .
- the height of the extension portion 122 being started is different by a preset height ?h, as shown in FIG. 6 , a direction of supporting the drain valve 130 with respect to the dropped direction of the defrosted water may change, thereby shortening the open time of the drain valve 130 . The same result may be obtained even when external air is introduced via the second passage 126 .
- the refrigerator having the drain device with the configuration may have the following operational effects.
- the defrosted water as shown in FIG. 8 , is first collected in the defrosted water receiving unit 110 and then introduced into the first passage 125 of the drain pipe 120 via the drain hole 111 .
- the defrosted water then flows down into the extension portion 122 via the first passage 125 , thereby pressing the drain valve 130 in a radial direction in the extension portion 122 .
- the drain valve 130 is pushed towards the right extension portion 122 a in the drawing by the defrosted water, so the second passage 126 is open. Consequently, the defrosted water flows down via the second passage 126 to be discharged into the water collection tray 7 .
- the drain valve 130 is pushed as much as the amount of introduced defrosted water to open the second passage 126 , external air may not be introduced into the extension portion 122 .
- the drain valve 130 rolls down along the inclination surface of the extension portion 122 to close the second passage 126 , thereby blocking the introduction of the external air via the second passage 126 .
- the drain device by which defrosted water generated in the evaporator is discharged and external air is introduced into the storage chamber, can be simplified, thereby remarkably reducing a fabricating cost and facilitating installation even in a small installation space.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Removal Of Water From Condensation And Defrosting (AREA)
Abstract
Disclosed are a drain device and a refrigerator having the same, wherein a drain pipe is formed to have a single passage, an extension portion is disposed in the middle of the passage, and a drain valve opened and closed by defrosted water or am air pressure difference is provided in the extension portion, resulting in simplification of a structure of the drain device, reduction of a fabricating cost, and facilitation of an installation even in a small space.
Description
- The present invention relates to a drain device for a refrigerator, and particularly, to a drain device, capable of minimizing introduction of external air into a storage chamber when a pressure within the storage chamber and an external pressure are balanced, and simultaneously allowing the external air to be introduced into the storage chamber to facilitate opening and closing of a door when the pressure within the storage chamber changes, and discharging defrosted water to the exterior, and a refrigerator having the same.
- In general, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body having a cooling chamber for keeping foods or the like, and a refrigerator door for opening and closing the cooling chamber.
- The refrigerator main body includes a refrigeration cycle provided with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion apparatus and an evaporator, and the compressor and the condenser are installed in a machine chamber provided in the refrigerator main body. The evaporator is installed within a wall surface of the refrigerator main body.
- A defrosting heater for defrosting frost stuck on the evaporator is installed at the evaporator or near the evaporator. A defrosted water receiving unit for collecting defrosted water generated from the evaporator upon defrosting is installed near the defrosting heater. A water collection tray may be disposed in the machine chamber of the refrigerator main body so as to urge the defrosted water collected in the defrosted water receiving unit to be discharged via a discharge pipe.
- With the configuration of the related art refrigerator, when the refrigerator door is open and then closed, external air with a temperature higher than internal air of the cooling chamber is introduced into the cooling chamber. The internal air of the cooling chamber and the external air introduced into the cooling chamber cause a temperature difference, which contracts the internal air of the cooling chamber. Accordingly, a cooling fan for lowering the increased temperature of the cooling chamber is driven, so the internal air of the cooling chamber flows towards the evaporator.
- Responsive to that, a pressure within the cooling chamber is drastically lowered so as to be difficult to open the refrigerator door. Hence, a pressure discrepancy device is provided for overcoming the difference between the pressure within the cooling chamber and an external pressure by allowing the external air to be introduced into the cooling chamber.
- An example of the pressure discrepancy device is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0274502 (hereinafter, referred to as prior reference). The pressure discrepancy device is configured by including a sub suction pipe disposed at one side of a drain hose for sucking external air therethrough, and a valve member coupled to an end portion of the sub suction pipe for opening and closing an air inlet responsive to air flow.
- However, in the prior reference, the valve member should be fabricated separate from the drain hose, so its fabrication is not easy and the assembly operation is complicated. Furthermore, the valve member has a complicated structure by including an opening and closing piece, a fixing hole to which the opening and closing piece is fixed, a coupling hole corresponding to the fixing hole, a groove formed at an inner surface of the opening and closing piece, a valve cover, a fixing protrusion, a stopping jaw corresponding to the fixing protrusion, a fixing groove for inserting the fixing hole therein and the like, so the valve member needs many numbers of components, which make it difficult to fabricate the valve member.
- Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a drain device capable of reducing a fabricating cost by simplifying the structure and simultaneously decreasing an installation space, and a fabrication method thereof.
- To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a drain device including a drain pipe having openings at both sides thereof so as to have a single passage in a longitudinal direction, and a valve member movably inserted in the drain pipe and configured to selectively open and close the passage of the drain pipe, wherein an extension portion is formed by extending in a radial direction in the middle of the passage of the drain pipe, and the extension portion is formed to be greater than a diameter of the valve member such that the passage is open when the valve member moves in the radial direction of the passage.
- In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a drain device including a drain pipe provided with first and second passages in a longitudinal direction, both ends of each passage being open, and an extension portion present between the first passage and the second passage, the extension portion extending greater than a diameter of the second passage, and a valve member inserted into the extension valve to selectively open and close the second passage, wherein a center in an axial direction of the first passage and that of the second passage have a preset interval therebetween.
- In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a refrigerator main body having at least one storage chamber for keeping foods, an evaporator disposed in the refrigerator main body to generate cold air, a discharge unit disposed below the evaporator to urge defrosted water generated from the evaporator discharged out, and a drain device disposed at the discharge unit and configured to discharge the defrosted water generated from the evaporator and guide external air into the storage chamber of the refrigerator main body, wherein the drain device has the aforesaid configuration.
- In accordance with the drain device and the refrigerator having the same, a drain pipe is formed to have a single passage, an extension portion is disposed in the middle of the passage, and a drain valve opened and closed by defrosted water or am air pressure difference is provided in the extension portion, resulting in simplification of a structure of the drain device, reduction of a fabricating cost, and facilitation of an installation even in a small space.
- Thus, the drain device, by which defrosted water generated in the evaporator is discharged and external air is introduced into the storage chamber, can be simplified, thereby remarkably reducing a fabricating cost and facilitating installation even in a small installation space.
-
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an inside of a machine chamber of the refrigerator; -
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIGS. 5 and 6 are overviews showing variations of an extension portion provided in the drain device of the refrigerator ofFIGS. 3 or 4; and -
FIGS. 7 to 9 are sectional views sequentially showing an operation of the drain device of the refrigerator ofFIG. 3 . - Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will also 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 invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
- Description will now be given in detail of a drain device and a refrigerator having the same according to an embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure,FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an inside of a machine chamber of the refrigerator,FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator ofFIG. 2 ,FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a drain device of the refrigerator ofFIG. 2 , andFIGS. 5 and 6 are overviews showing variations of an extension portion provided in the drain device of the refrigerator ofFIG. 3 or 4. - Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , a refrigerator according to an embodiment may include a refrigeratormain body 1 having astorage chamber 11 for keeping foods or the like, andrefrigerator doors 2 coupled to the refrigeratormain body 1 for opening and closing an opening of thestorage chamber 11. - The refrigerator
main body 1 may be partitioned by apartition wall 14 into an upper refrigeratingchamber 12 and alower freezing chamber 13, and each chamber may have a front opening. A rear side at a lower side of the refrigeratormain body 1 is shown, having amachine chamber 15 in which various components including acompressor 3 and acondenser 4 are accommodated. - An
evaporator 5 for generating cold air may be provided at a rear side of thestorage chamber 11. Adefrosting heater 6 for removing frost stuck on theevaporator 5 may be installed at a lower side of theevaporator 5 or near theevaporator 5. Adischarge unit 100 for collecting defrosted water generated from theevaporator 5 upon operating the defrostingheater 6 and discharging the collected defrosted water into awater collection tray 7 disposed in themachine chamber 15 may be provided at a lower side of the evaporator 9 or a lower side of the defrostingheater 6. - The
discharge unit 100 may include a defrostedwater receiving unit 110 for collecting the defrosted water from theevaporator 5 and having adrain hole 111 for discharging the defrosted water therethrough, adrain pipe 120 disposed below the defrostedwater receiving unit 110 and communicated with thedrain hole 111 of the defrostedwater receiving unit 110 so as to discharge the defrosted water within the defrostedwater receiving unit 110 into thewater collection tray 7, and adrain valve 130 inserted into thedrain pipe 120 for selectively opening or closing a passage of thedrain pipe 120 to discharge the defrosted water, and also for urging external air introduced into thestorage chamber 11 or blocking external air introduced into thestorage chamber 11. Thedrain valve 130 may be formed in a shape like a ball, which is made of a material having a lower gravity than water. - The
drain pipe 120 may be configured with one pipe so as to define asingle passage 121, as shown inFIG. 3 . Thedrain pipe 120 may include anextension portion 122 extending to be greater than an inner diameter of thepassage 121 such that thedrain valve 130 present in the middle of thepassage 121 can move in a radial direction, in more detail, in an inclined direction so as to open thepassage 121. Here, for the sake of explanation, based upon theextension portion 122, an upper side of theextension portion 122 is referred to as afirst passage 125 and a lower side thereof is referred to as asecond passage 126. - Centers in axial directions of the
first passage 125 and thesecond passage 126 may be formed on the same axis. However, if so, thedrain valve 130 may be pushed by a pressure of external air sucked via thesecond passage 126 to be moved longitudinally, thereby causing the chance of blocking thefirst passage 125. Hence, if possible, the center in the axial direction of thefirst passage 125 and the center in the axial direction of thesecond passage 126 may be deviated from each other by a preset interval ?t. - An inner diameter D1 of the
first passage 125 and an inner diameter D2 of thesecond passage 126 may be formed the same; however, if so, thedrain valve 130 should be formed to have a diameter as great as being capable of opening and closing thesecond passage 126, namely, to be greater than the inner diameter D2 of thesecond passage 126. Accordingly, when thefirst passage 125 and thesecond passage 126 have the same diameter, thedrain valve 130 should have a diameter greater than the inner diameter D1 of thefirst passage 125 and be made of a material having a self-restoring force in order to be pushed into theextension portion 122. Therefore, if the inner diameter D1 of thefirst passage 125 is greater than the inner diameter D2 of thesecond passage 126, more exactly, an outer diameter D3 of thedrain valve 130, an installation of thedrain valve 130 can be facilitated. However, this case may raise a concern about separation of thedrain valve 130 during operation. In addition, similar to the former, if the inner diameters D1 and D2 of the first andsecond passages drain valve 130 can be overcome. Hence, appropriate diameters of the first andsecond passages - A
guide 123 may further be formed, as shown inFIG. 4 , between thefirst passage 125 and theextension portion 122. Theguide 123 may function as restricting to some degree thedrain valve 130 from being separated if thefirst passage 125 has a greater outer diameter than that of thedrain valve 130, and simultaneously function as guiding defrosted water to one side of thedrain valve 130. Hence, theguide 123 may be formed to have a inclination angle inclined towards a central axis of thefirst passage 125 at theextension portion 122. - The
extension portion 122, as shown inFIG. 3 , may be formed in a shape similar to a lozenge. Alternatively, theextension portion 122 may be formed to have different extended lengths and inclination angles in a circumferential direction such that thedrain valve 130 can open and close thesecond passage 126 with moving always in a constant direction. For instance, referring toFIG. 5 , aright extension portion 122 a may be more extensive than theleft extension portion 122 b and ainclination angle 1 of theright extension portion 122 a may be gentler (smaller) than ainclination angle 2 of theleft extension portion 122 b, such that thedrain valve 130 is pressed in a right direction in the drawing to be pushed towards theright extension portion 122 a. - The
extension portion 122 may also be formed such that a point connected to thesecond passage 126 can be different in a circumferential direction. Consequently, thedrain valve 130 may move in a constant direction, namely, towards theright extension portion 122 a. For example, if the height at which theextension portion 122 starts is the same, when defrosted water is dropped down in a longitudinal direction of thedrain valve 130, an angle of supporting thedrain valve 130 with respect to the dropped direction of the defrosted water becomes the same, which may result in a delay of an open time of thedrain valve 130. However, if the height of theextension portion 122 being started is different by a preset height ?h, as shown inFIG. 6 , a direction of supporting thedrain valve 130 with respect to the dropped direction of the defrosted water may change, thereby shortening the open time of thedrain valve 130. The same result may be obtained even when external air is introduced via thesecond passage 126. - The refrigerator having the drain device with the configuration may have the following operational effects.
- That is, referring to
FIG. 7 , if thedrain valve 130 blocks thesecond passage 126 of thedrain pipe 120 by being laid on thesecond passage 126, external air may be blocked due to thedrain valve 130, thereby not being introduced into thestorage chamber 11. - Afterwards, if a defrosting operation of the refrigerator is executed and thereby defrosted water is generated, the defrosted water, as shown in
FIG. 8 , is first collected in the defrostedwater receiving unit 110 and then introduced into thefirst passage 125 of thedrain pipe 120 via thedrain hole 111. The defrosted water then flows down into theextension portion 122 via thefirst passage 125, thereby pressing thedrain valve 130 in a radial direction in theextension portion 122. Accordingly, thedrain valve 130 is pushed towards theright extension portion 122 a in the drawing by the defrosted water, so thesecond passage 126 is open. Consequently, the defrosted water flows down via thesecond passage 126 to be discharged into thewater collection tray 7. Here, since thedrain valve 130 is pushed as much as the amount of introduced defrosted water to open thesecond passage 126, external air may not be introduced into theextension portion 122. - Afterwards, after the defrosted water is completely discharged, referring to
FIG. 7 , thedrain valve 130 rolls down along the inclination surface of theextension portion 122 to close thesecond passage 126, thereby blocking the introduction of the external air via thesecond passage 126. - In the meantime, when a user opens and then closes the
door 2, external air is introduced into thestorage chamber 11. Responsive to this, air within thestorage chamber 11 is contracted, accordingly, a pressure within thestorage chamber 11 is lowered into a low pressure state. Consequently, a pressure near thefirst passage 125 is lowered more than a pressure near thesecond passage 126, thereby urging thedrain valve 130 moved upwardly, as shown inFIG. 9 . As thesecond passage 126 is open, external air is introduced into thestorage chamber 11 sequentially via theextension portion 122 and thefirst passage 125. Accordingly, thestorage chamber 11 overcomes the low pressure state. Hence, the user can easily open thedoor 2 with a less force. Here, after thestorage chamber 11 overcomes the low pressure state due to the air introduction into thestorage chamber 11, thedrain valve 130 moves down along the inclination surface of theextension portion 122 by its own weight, thereby returning to the blocking position shown inFIG. 7 . - Thus, the drain device, by which defrosted water generated in the evaporator is discharged and external air is introduced into the storage chamber, can be simplified, thereby remarkably reducing a fabricating cost and facilitating installation even in a small installation space.
Claims (16)
1. A drain device comprising:
a drain pipe having openings at both sides thereof so as to have a single passage in a longitudinal direction; and
a valve member movably inserted in the drain pipe and configured to selectively open and close the passage of the drain pipe, wherein an extension portion is formed by extending in a radial direction in the middle of the passage of the drain pipe, and the extension portion is formed to be greater than a diameter of the valve member such that the passage is open when the valve member moves in the radial direction of the passage.
2. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein the drain pipe is configured such that centers of both the opening are formed on different axes based upon the extension portion.
3. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein the drain pipe is configured such that inner diameters of both the opening are different based upon the extension portion.
4. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein a guide is protruded from an inner circumferential surface of the passage to be inclined downwardly.
5. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that an extended length thereof is different in a circumferential direction.
6. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that an extended inclination angle is different in a circumferential direction.
7. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that a start height thereof is different in a circumferential direction.
8. The drain device of claim 1 , wherein the valve member is formed in a shape of a ball.
9. A drain device comprising:
a drain pipe provided with first and second passages in a longitudinal direction, both ends of each passage being open, and an extension portion present between the first passage and the second passage, the extension portion extending greater than a diameter of the second passage; and
a valve member inserted into the extension valve to selectively open and close the second passage, wherein a center in an axial direction of the first passage and that of the second passage have a preset interval therebetween.
10. The drain device of claim 9 , wherein an inner diameter of the first passage is different from an inner diameter of the second passage.
11. The drain device of claim 10 , wherein the inner diameter of the first passage is greater than the inner diameter of the second passage.
12. The drain device of claim 9 , wherein a guide for preventing separation of the valve member is formed between the first passage and the extension portion to be inclined downwardly.
13. The drain device of claim 9 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that a length extended from the second passage is different in a circumferential direction.
14. The drain device of claim 9 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that a inclination angle extended from the second passage is different in a circumferential direction.
15. The drain device of claim 9 , wherein the extension portion is configured such that a height at an extension-started point from the second passage is different in a circumferential direction.
16. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator main body having at least one storage chamber for keeping foods;
an evaporator disposed in the refrigerator main body to generate cold air;
a discharge unit disposed below the evaporator to urge defrosted water generated from the evaporator discharged out; and
a drain device disposed at the discharge unit and configured to discharge the defrosted water generated from the evaporator and guide external air into the storage chamber of the refrigerator main body, wherein the drain device is configured according to claim 1 .
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR10-2009-0076866 | 2009-08-19 | ||
KR1020090076866A KR101620398B1 (en) | 2009-08-19 | 2009-08-19 | Refrigerator |
PCT/KR2010/005282 WO2011021806A2 (en) | 2009-08-19 | 2010-08-11 | Drain device and refrigerator having the same |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20120131943A1 true US20120131943A1 (en) | 2012-05-31 |
Family
ID=43607446
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/388,361 Abandoned US20120131943A1 (en) | 2009-08-19 | 2010-08-11 | Drain device and refrigerator having the same |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20120131943A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101620398B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2011021806A2 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN102706074A (en) * | 2012-06-07 | 2012-10-03 | 小天鹅(荆州)电器有限公司 | Drain pipe assembly for freezing cabinet and freezing cabinet with same |
US20160370083A1 (en) * | 2015-06-16 | 2016-12-22 | Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation | Ice making system and method for a refrigerator |
US20180128536A1 (en) * | 2012-12-03 | 2018-05-10 | Whirlpool Corporation | Low energy refrigerator heat source |
US11300349B2 (en) * | 2019-09-27 | 2022-04-12 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc. | Upright appliance drain jumper |
US11397042B2 (en) | 2018-12-18 | 2022-07-26 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Drain hose assembly and refrigerator including the same |
US20230050656A1 (en) * | 2021-08-16 | 2023-02-16 | Whirlpool Corporation | Balancing pressure within freezer compartment of refrigerator |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN102927747A (en) * | 2012-11-21 | 2013-02-13 | 合肥华凌股份有限公司 | Water draining pipe component for refrigerator and refrigerator comprising water draining pipe component |
KR101671999B1 (en) | 2014-10-30 | 2016-11-02 | 삼성중공업 주식회사 | Door |
CN104864664B (en) * | 2015-06-12 | 2018-09-04 | 合肥华凌股份有限公司 | drain assembly and refrigerator |
CN105928307B (en) * | 2016-04-27 | 2019-10-01 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | Refrigerator |
CN115900173A (en) * | 2021-08-19 | 2023-04-04 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Refrigerator with evaporator at bottom |
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- 2009-08-19 KR KR1020090076866A patent/KR101620398B1/en active IP Right Grant
-
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US174874A (en) * | 1876-03-14 | Improvement in fluid-traps | ||
US4501292A (en) * | 1982-04-08 | 1985-02-26 | Ametc Development Company | Ball-type check valve |
US20060097427A1 (en) * | 2004-11-09 | 2006-05-11 | Lasco Fittings, Inc. | Fixtures for trapping condensation |
US20060277934A1 (en) * | 2005-06-11 | 2006-12-14 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
Cited By (9)
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---|---|---|---|---|
CN102706074A (en) * | 2012-06-07 | 2012-10-03 | 小天鹅(荆州)电器有限公司 | Drain pipe assembly for freezing cabinet and freezing cabinet with same |
CN102706074B (en) * | 2012-06-07 | 2014-08-13 | 湖北美的电冰箱有限公司 | Drain pipe assembly for freezing cabinet and freezing cabinet with same |
US20180128536A1 (en) * | 2012-12-03 | 2018-05-10 | Whirlpool Corporation | Low energy refrigerator heat source |
US10591200B2 (en) * | 2012-12-03 | 2020-03-17 | Whirlpool Corporation | Low energy refrigerator heat source |
US20160370083A1 (en) * | 2015-06-16 | 2016-12-22 | Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation | Ice making system and method for a refrigerator |
US11397042B2 (en) | 2018-12-18 | 2022-07-26 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Drain hose assembly and refrigerator including the same |
US11300349B2 (en) * | 2019-09-27 | 2022-04-12 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc. | Upright appliance drain jumper |
US11650001B2 (en) | 2019-09-27 | 2023-05-16 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc. | Upright appliance drain jumper |
US20230050656A1 (en) * | 2021-08-16 | 2023-02-16 | Whirlpool Corporation | Balancing pressure within freezer compartment of refrigerator |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR20110019240A (en) | 2011-02-25 |
WO2011021806A2 (en) | 2011-02-24 |
WO2011021806A3 (en) | 2011-05-05 |
KR101620398B1 (en) | 2016-05-12 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LG ELECTRONICS INC., KOREA, REPUBLIC OF Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SHIN, JEONGHO;LEE, HYUNJU;YOO, JEONGWON;AND OTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20111215 TO 20111222;REEL/FRAME:027633/0367 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |