Evaporator and Refrigerator Having the Same

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body including a storage chamber therein; a door on the main body configured to open or close the storage chamber; and an evaporator on one side of the storage chamber, configured to cool air and/or exchange heat between the air and a refrigerant flowing in the evaporator. The evaporator includes a plurality of cooling fins at predetermined intervals, comprising a plurality of rows; a refrigerant tube providing a path through which the refrigerant flows and being configured to exchange heat with the cooling fins; and a supporting part on at least one side of the plurality of rows of the cooling fins, perpendicular to the ground or other horizontal plane. At least two of the rows of cooling fins include a first cooling fin parallel to the supporting part; a second cooling fin inclined in one direction with respect to the first cooling fin; and a third cooling fin inclined in another direction with respect to the first cooling fin. The second cooling fin is on one side of the first cooling fin in one of the at least two rows, and the second cooling fin is on another side of the first cooling fin in another of the at least two rows.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to an evaporator and a refrigerator having the same.

BACKGROUND

A refrigerator may be a device intended for storing food at a low temperature. The refrigerator may be configured to freeze or refrigerate the food, depending on the type of the food to be stored and the length of time of the storage. The inside of the refrigerator is cooled by continuously or intermittently supplied cool air, and the cool air is generated by a heat exchange function in the refrigeration cycle (i.e., the process of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation using a refrigerant). The cool air supplied inside the refrigerator is evenly transferred inside the refrigerator by convection so that the food of the inside of the refrigerator may be stored at the desired temperature.

The refrigerator includes an evaporator. The evaporator includes a plurality of cooling fins and a refrigerant tube, and cools the air around the cooling fins by exchanging heat from the air with the refrigerant in the refrigerant tube. In this case, the cooling fins are in one direction, and the air in the evaporator is cooled while flowing between the cooling fins.

Most cooling fins are planar or have a plate shape, and extend along the air flow direction. Thus, the cooling fins may be limited in length by the adjacent the refrigerant tubes and other cooling fins. Therefore, the cooling fin may limit the area where heat exchange takes place, and it may take a long time to supply the cool air.

Further, in order to increase the area of heat transfer in the evaporator, since the number of cooling fins has to be increased, there are problems in that the cost of materials increases, and the size of the evaporator increases.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the disclosure solve the above problems, and an evaporator and a refrigerator having the same according to the present disclosure have an advantage in that the evaporator may be operated effectively.

Further, embodiments of the disclosure provide a refrigerator and an evaporator in which the cooling rate may be improved.

Further, embodiments of the disclosure provide a refrigerator and an evaporator in which the material cost may be reduced.

Further, embodiments of the disclosure provide a refrigerator and an evaporator that may be smaller.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a main body including a storage chamber therein; a door on the main body configured to open or close the storage chamber; and an evaporator on one side of (e.g., outside and/or behind) the storage chamber, configured to cool air and/or exchange heat between the air and a refrigerant flowing in the evaporator, wherein the evaporator includes a plurality of cooling fins at predetermined intervals, comprising a plurality of rows; a refrigerant tube providing a path through which the refrigerant flows and being configured to exchange heat with the cooling fin; and a supporting part (e.g., a mechanical support) on at least one side of the rows of the cooling fins and perpendicular to the ground, an uppermost surface of the refrigerator, or a horizontal plane. At least two of the plurality of rows of the plurality of cooling fins include a first cooling fin parallel to the supporting part; a second cooling fin inclined in one direction with respect to the first cooling fin; and a third cooling fin inclined in another direction (e.g., a complementary or opposite direction) with respect to the first cooling fin. The second cooling fin is on one side of the first cooling fin in a first one of the two rows, and on another (e.g., an opposite) side of the first cooling fin in a second one of the rows.

The second cooling fin and the third cooling fin may be symmetric with respect to the first cooling fin.

The evaporator may include a plurality of the second cooling fins adjacent to each other and a plurality of the third cooling fins adjacent to each other. The second cooling fins may be vertically symmetrical to the third cooling fins.

The cooling fins may be planar or have a plate shape, and may have a predetermined area. The refrigerant tube may pass through each row of the cooling fins at least once (e.g., 1.5 times or twice).

The second cooling fin(s) and the third cooling fin(s) in an upper side or uppermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows may be inclined so that, for each of the second and third cooling fins, an uppermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin than a lowermost edge, and the second cooling fin(s) and the third cooling fin(s) of a lower side or lowermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows may be inclined so that, that, for each of the second and third cooling fins, a lowermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin than an uppermost edge.

The cool air may be collected toward the center of the evaporator, spread to (opposite) sides of the evaporator (e.g., towards the mechanical supports) when passing through the lower side or lowermost row, and discharged from the center of the evaporator after passing through the upper side or uppermost row.

The plurality of rows of cooling fins may further include a third row between the upper or uppermost row and the lower or lowermost row, and the third row may comprise a plurality of the first cooling fins.

The air may move vertically when passing through the third row.

The second cooling fin(s) and the third cooling fin(s) may be vertically symmetrical when viewing the evaporator from a front face or a rear face thereof

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an evaporator (e.g., for use in a refrigerator) configured to generate cool air, comprising a repeatedly bent refrigerant tube, configured to transport a refrigerant therein; a plurality of cooling fins along one or more unbent sections or segments of the refrigerant tube at predetermined intervals; and a supporting part (e.g., a mechanical support) configured to fix the refrigerant tube to another object (e.g., the refrigerator), wherein each of the cooling fins is planar or has a plate form, and may have a predetermined area. The cooling fin includes a first cooling fin, a second cooling fin and a third cooling fin. The second cooling fin is inclined in one direction with respect to the refrigerant tube to induce an air flow in a first direction, and the third cooling fin is inclined in another (e.g., an opposite or complementary) direction with respect to the refrigerant tube (e.g., one of the unbent sections of the refrigerant tube passing through both the second and third cooling fins) to induce the air flow in a second (e.g., opposite or complementary) direction. The cooling fins are in each of a plurality of rows, and the air entering the evaporator may be collected and/or discharged in a center of the evaporator by the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin in a downstream row, and spread to sides (e.g., opposite sides) of the evaporator by the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin in an upstream row.

The first cooling fin may be parallel to the supporting part and/or between the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin in each of the rows.

The cooling fins may be in two rows, a first or upstream one of the two rows may include the first cooling fin in a center thereof and a plurality of second cooling fins and a plurality of third cooling fins may be adjacent to and/or on opposite sides of the first cooling fin, and/or inclined toward a lower side or lowermost edge of the first cooling fin, and a second or downstream one of the two rows may include the first cooling fin in a center thereof and a plurality of second cooling fins and third cooling fins may be adjacent to and/or on opposite sides of the first cooling fin, and/or inclined toward an upper side or uppermost edge of the first cooling fin.

Alternatively, the cooling fins may have a third row, comprising a plurality of first cooling fins.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, an evaporator and a refrigerator having the same have an advantage in that the evaporator may be operated effectively.

Further, according to embodiments of the disclosure, there is an advantage that the cooling rate may be improved.

Further, according to embodiments of the disclosure, there is an advantage that the cost of materials may be reduced.

Further, according to embodiments of the disclosure, there is an advantage that the evaporator and/or refrigerator may be made smaller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an evaporator for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the evaporator of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an evaporator for in a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosed embodiments may be modified in various ways, and the scope of the disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described below. The embodiments are provided to more fully illustrate the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Thus, the shapes and/or sizes of the elements in the drawings may be exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a refrigerator. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a side-by-side refrigerator (SBS) having a freezing chamber laterally adjacent to a refrigerating chamber. Only the freezing chamber F is shown in FIG. 1.

The refrigerator may include a main body 10 having a refrigerating chamber (not shown) and a freezing chamber F, a refrigerating chamber door (not shown) on a front face of the main body 10 to selectively shield the refrigerating chamber, and a freezing chamber door 11 on the front face of the main body 10 to selectively shield the freezing chamber F.

In this case, the freezing chamber F may include a plurality of shelves 12 and a plurality of storage drawers or boxes 13, and the rear face of the freezing chamber door 11 may include a plurality of bins or baskets 14 capable of housing or storing food.

By using such shelves 12, drawers or boxes 13 and bins or baskets 14, the user may efficiently store the food in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, a vertical blocking wall 20 may be at the rear of the freezing chamber F, to define a cool air generating chamber 30. An evaporator 31 may be in the cool air generating chamber 30 and may be configured to generate cool air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant in the evaporator 31 and the air surrounding the evaporator 31. Further, a fan 40 may be above the evaporator 31 and may force convection of the cool air from the evaporator 31 in the freezing chamber F. Further, a cool air discharge port 21 through which the cool air generated in the evaporator 31 is passed may be formed in the blocking wall 20. A plurality of cool air discharge ports 21 may discharge the cool air (e.g., into the freezing chamber F). In addition, a cool air inlet port 22 may be at or in a lower side or part of the blocking wall 20 so that the cool air circulated through the freezing chamber F may be introduced into the evaporator 31 again. A suction fan 41 may be adjacent to the cool air inlet 22 so that the cool air may be smoothly pulled into the cool air generating chamber 30.

A machine room 60 may be on or in a lower side or part of the refrigerator, and a compressor 50, a condenser (not shown), a decompression device (not shown), etc., constituting a cooling cycle of the refrigerator or a portion thereof may be in the machine room 60.

With the above configuration, the cool air generated by the evaporator 31 may be discharged to the freezing chamber F through the cool air discharge ports 21 and may move back to the evaporator 31 through the cool air inlet port 22 after cooling the food stored in the freezing chamber F.

A cooling device of the refrigerator should be considered herein as a broad concept that may include all configurations that function to cool a storage space in the refrigerator. For example, the cooling device may include the cooling cycle, the fan 40, the suction fan 41, a cool air generating chamber 30, the cool air discharge port 21, the cool air inlet port 22, the machine room 60, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an evaporator for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the evaporator of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the evaporator 200 according to the present embodiment is configured to cool the air by heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tube(s) 220 and the air surrounding the refrigerant tubes 220. In this case, the evaporator 200 may be on one side of the storage chamber of the refrigerator. As an example, the evaporator 200 may be behind the freezing chamber. Further, the evaporator 200 may be below the fan 40 (FIG. 1). Thus, according to the operation of the fan, the air passing through the evaporator 200 may move from the lower side of the cool air generating chamber 30 (e.g., the evaporator 31 in FIG. 1) to the upper side of the cool air generating chamber 30 (e.g., the fan 40).

The cooling fins 210 may each be planar or have a plate shape, with a predetermined area. A plurality of cooling fins 210 may be at predetermined intervals (e.g., along the refrigerant tube[s] 220). Further, the cooling fins 210 may include one or more holes (not shown) corresponding to the size of the refrigerant tube(s) 220 and the location through which refrigerant tube(s) 220 pass through the cooling fin 210. In this case, the cooling fins 210 may be oriented vertically and/or horizontally (e.g., along the refrigerant tube[s] 220) to form a plurality of rows.

The cooling fins 210 may be in contact (e.g., in thermal contact) with the refrigerant tube(s) 220. The refrigerant tube(s) 220 provide a path through which the refrigerant flows, and may be capable of exchanging heat (e.g., transferring thermal energy) with the cooling fins 210. Specifically, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may pass through the holes in the plurality of cooling fins 210. Further, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may be bent (e.g., at one or more sides or ends). As an example, each refrigerant tube 220 may have a bent section at an end of a row of cooling fins 210 after passing through the row of cooling fins 210. Further, each refrigerant tube 220 may be bent in more than one location so as to pass through all of the rows of cooling fins 210. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 passes through a single row of cooling fins 210 once and through half of the same row of cooling fins 210 once. Alternatively, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may pass once through one half of a given row of cooling fins 210, and twice through the other half of the same row of cooling fins 210. However, the connection structure of the refrigerant tube(s) 220 and the cooling fins 210 is not limited thereto. As an example, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may pass through a single row of cooling fins 210 once or twice.

Specifically, the refrigerant in the evaporator 200 may exchange heat with the air outside the refrigerant tube(s) 220 when the refrigerant passes through the refrigerant tube 220. In this case, the refrigerant in the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may expand the contact area with the air using the cooling fins 210.

Meanwhile, the evaporator 200 may include a supporting part (e.g., a mechanical support) 230 in a peripheral region thereof. The supporting part 230 is planar or has a plate shape, with a predetermined area, and may be outside the rows of cooling fins 210. Further, the supporting part 230 may include one or more holes (not shown) corresponding to the refrigerant tube(s) 220 so that the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may pass through. In this case, the supporting part 230 may be on one side or both (lateral) sides of each row of cooling fins 210. Further, a portion or section of each refrigerant tube 220 may be bent outside the supporting part 230.

The cooling fins 210 may include a first cooling fin 211, a second cooling fin 212 and a third cooling fin 213, depending on the angle relative to the plane of the supporting part 230 (or a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane). Specifically, the supporting part 230 may be perpendicular to the ground, the floor, the uppermost surface of the main body 10 (FIG. 1), or a horizontal plane, and the first cooling fin 211 may be parallel with the supporting part 230. In this case, the first cooling fin 211 may induce a direction of the air flow in a direction perpendicular to the ground or parallel with the first cooling fin 211 or the supporting part 230. Further, the second cooling fins 212 may be inclined in one direction with respect to the refrigerant tube 220 or the first cooling fin 211 to induce the air flow in one direction (e.g., along the angle of the second cooling fins 212), and the third cooling fins 213 may be inclined at a complementary or opposite angle to the second cooling fins 212 or the refrigerant tube 220 to induce the air flow in another (e.g., a complementary or opposite) direction. For example, when the second cooling fins 212 are at an angle of +x° relative to the first cooling fin 211, the third cooling fins 212 may be at an angle of −x° relative to the first cooling fin 211.

At least two rows of cooling fins 210 may include the first cooling fin 211, the second cooling fin 212, and the third cooling fin 213. Specifically, the at least two rows of cooling fins 210 may include the first cooling fin 211 at the center thereof. Further, the at least two rows of cooling fins 210 may include the second cooling fin 212 inclined in one direction with respect to the first cooling fin 211 and the third cooling fin 213 inclined in another (e.g., opposite or complementary) direction with respect to the first cooling fin 211. In this case, a first one row of the at least two rows may place or position the second cooling fins 212 on one side of the first cooling fin 211 and the third cooling fins 213 on another (e.g., opposite) side of the first cooling fin 211. Further, a second row of the at least two rows may place or position the second cooling fins 212 on the other side of the first cooling fin 211 (i.e., opposite from the first row of cooling fins) and the third cooling fins 213 on the one side of the first cooling fin 211.

Further, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 may be symmetrical with respect to the first cooling fin 211 (which may be at the center of the row).

Further, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction may be symmetrical in the vertical direction (e.g., with respect to a horizontal plane between the second and third cooling fins 212-213) when the evaporator 200 is viewed from the front or rear face. The second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 of an upper or uppermost row may be inclined so as to have an uppermost edge that is closer to the uppermost edge or the first cooling fin 211. Further, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 of a lower or lowermost row may be inclined so as to have a lowermost edge that is closer to the lowermost edge of the first cooling fin 211. In this case, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 in each row may be spaced from each other by a constant interval and may have a constant angle, respectively.

The air moving from the lower side or lowermost surface to the upper side or uppermost surface of the evaporator 200 according to the operation of the fan(s) 40 and (optionally) 41 may sequentially pass through the lower side or lowermost row of cooling fins 210, then the upper side or uppermost row of cooling fins 210. In this case, the air may contact a predetermined area of the cooling fins 210 and may be cooled by convection. That is, the air passing through the evaporator 200 may be collected toward the center of the evaporator 200, pass through the lower side or lowermost row of cooling fins 210, be spread to opposite sides or edges of the evaporator 200, pass through the upper side or uppermost row of cooling fin 210, and be discharged toward the center of the evaporator 200.

Thus, the evaporator 200 may have an increased contact area (e.g., per unit volume of the evaporator 200) and/or a design that ensures contact and/or that increases the amount of heat transfer between the air passing through the evaporator 200 and the second and third cooling fins 212-213 due to the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 being inclined in different directions with respect to the first cooling fin 211. Specifically, in the prior art, all of the cooling fins in the evaporator 200 had a shape and angle in the air flow direction like the first cooling fin 211, and the length of the cooling fins in the air flow direction may have been limited by the distance between adjacent refrigerant tubes or the distance between adjacent cooling fins. However, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the length of the cooling fins may be increased (e.g., for an evaporator having the same height or the same unit volume) when the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 are at a predetermined angle with respect to the first cooling fin 211. Accordingly, the area of each of the cooling fins 212 and 213 may be increased compared to the prior art. In this case, since the area of heat transfer due to convection increases, the amount of heat transferred increases, so that the cooling performance of the evaporator 200 may improve.

Further, since the air passing through the evaporator 200 may flow toward the inside or center of the evaporator 200 after first being spread to the outside of the evaporator 200, the time during which the air contacts the cooling fins 210 may increase. Accordingly, the heat transfer time of the evaporator 200 may increase.

Further, the cool air may easily move to the upper side of the cool air generating chamber 30 along a flow path defined in part by the air from the evaporator 200 being directed or concentrated toward the center of the evaporator 200.

The evaporator 200 may include a heater 240 adjacent to the cooling fins 210. The heater 240 may be below the cooling fins 210 to remove frost that may form in the evaporator 200. As an example, the heater 240 may include a linear heater having a predetermined length, and the length may correspond to a multiple (which may be a positive integer multiple) of (i) the length of a row of the cooling fins 210 or (ii) a length of an unbent segment of the refrigerant tube 220 plus a length of a bent segment of the refrigerant tube 220. Further, the heater 240 may be below the rows of cooling fins 210. In this case, the heater 240 may be supported by the supporting part 230 and may include a wire (not shown) on one side so as to be connected to external power.

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the evaporator 200 according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, a fan may be provided above the evaporator 200. Depending on the operation of the fan, the air around the evaporator 200 may move or flow from the lower side to the upper side of the evaporator 200.

The evaporator 200 may include one or more refrigerant tubes 220 having a refrigerant therein. The refrigerant tube(s) 220 may be repeatedly bent, and a plurality of cooling fins 210 may be along the unbent segments of the refrigerant tube(s) 220 at predetermined intervals. In this case, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may be bent outside each row of the cooling fins 210. Although not shown, the refrigerant tube(s) 220 may conduct the refrigerant from one end (e.g., the end[s] in the upper left corner to the end[s] in the lower right corner of FIGS. 2-3) be

The cooling fins 210 may be in two rows, one row above the other in the vertical direction. In this case, the center of each row may include the first cooling fin 211, oriented perpendicular to the ground, the floor, the uppermost surface of the main body 10, or a horizontal plane. Further, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 may be on opposite sides of the first cooling fin 211, and may be symmetrical with respect to the first cooling fin 211. Specifically, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 of the upper side or uppermost row may be inclined so that, for each of the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213, the uppermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin 211 than the lowermost edge. Further, the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 of the lower side or lowermost row may be inclined so that, for each of the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213, the lowermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin 211 than the uppermost edge. Accordingly, the air collected in the center of the evaporator 200 may be spread to opposite lateral sides of the evaporator 200 (e.g., towards the mechanical supports 230) by the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 in the downstream or lowermost row, and directed, concentrated and/or discharged through the center of the evaporator 200 by the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 in the upstream or uppermost row. Thus, since the contact area between the air and the refrigerant may increase relative to an otherwise identical design in the prior art, the amount of heat transferred from the air to the refrigerant in the evaporator 200 may increase.

Further, since the air may flow toward the inside of the evaporator 200 after being spread to the outside of the evaporator 200, the time during which the air contacts the cooling fins 210 may increase. Accordingly, the duration of heat transfer in the evaporator 200 may increase.

Further, since the second cooling fins 212 and the third cooling fins 213 having different (e.g., opposite) inclinations with respect to the first cooling fin 211 may be on opposite sides of the first cooling fin 211, the cooling fins 210 may efficiently cool the air passing through the evaporator 200, even if the number of cooling fins 210 is than that of an otherwise identical prior art evaporator (e.g., having identical dimensions). As a result, the material cost may also be reduced.

Further, the overall size of the evaporator may be reduced.

Hereinafter, an evaporator according to another embodiment of the disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 4. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, there are differences in the arrangement(s) of the cooling fins as compared with the embodiment of FIG. 2, so that the differences will be mainly described, and the same structures, features and functions will use the descriptions and the reference numerals of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an evaporator for a refrigerator according to one or more other embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the cooling fins 210′ of the evaporator 200′ may be in three rows along the height or vertical direction of the refrigerator. In this case, the center of the uppermost row and the lowermost row may include a first cooling fin 211′, which may be perpendicular to the ground, floor or other horizontal plane. Further, second cooling fins 212′ and third cooling fins 213′ may be on opposite sides of the first cooling fin 211′ and may be symmetrical with respect to the first cooling fin 211′. In this case, when the second cooling fins 212′ are on one side of the first cooling fin 211′, the third cooling fins 213′ may be on the opposite side of the first cooling fin 211′, and when the third cooling fins 212′ are on the one side of the first cooling fin 211′, the second cooling fins 213′ may be provided on the opposite side of the first cooling fin 211′. Further, when the second cooling fins 212′ are on the one side of the first cooling fin 211′ in the uppermost row, the third cooling fins 213′ may be on the opposite side of the first cooling fin 211′, and when the third cooling fins 213′ are on the one side of the first cooling fin 211″ in the lowermost row, the second cooling fins 212′ may be on the opposite side of the first cooling fin 211′.

Further, the second cooling fins 212′ and the third cooling fins 213′ in the uppermost row may be inclined so that the uppermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin 211′ than the lowermost edge, and the second cooling fins 212′ and the third cooling fins 213′ in the lowermost row may be inclined so that the lowermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin 211′ than the uppermost edge. In this case, the second cooling fins 212′ and the third cooling fins 213′ in each row may include a constant interval and may have a constant angle.

Further, intermediate rows (e.g., between the lowermost and uppermost rows of cooling fins 210) may include only the first cooling fins 211′. However, embodiments containing an even number of rows of cooling fins 210 may include alternating stacks of cooling fin row pairs, such as is shown in FIG. 3, to further increase the contact area and contact time for heat transfer between the air flowing through the evaporator and the cooling fins.

Accordingly, the air that moves from the bottom to the top of the evaporator 200′ according to the operation of the fan(s) 40 and (optionally) 41 may spread to opposite sides of the evaporator 200′ after passing through the lowermost row, move in the direction perpendicular to the ground and/or parallel to the first cooling fins 211 while passing through the intermediate row(s), and may be directed to, concentrated in, collected in and/or discharged from the center or inside of the evaporator 200′ during and/or after passing through the uppermost row. Thus, the area in which the air passing through the evaporator 200′may contact the cooling fins 210′ may increase, so that the amount of heat transfer may increase.

The foregoing detailed description illustrates the disclosure as examples. Further, the foregoing is intended to illustrate and explain embodiments of the disclosure, and the disclosure may be utilized in various other combinations, modifications and environments. That is, the embodiments may be changed or modified within the scope and/or concept(s) of the disclosure in this specification, the scope of disclosure and the equivalent scope and/or the skill or knowledge of the disclosure. The embodiments described are intended to illustrate the best mode for carrying out the technical idea(s) of the disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the specific applications and uses disclosed herein. Therefore, the detailed description of the disclosure is not intended to limit the disclosure to the disclosed embodiments. Further, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body including a storage chamber therein;a door on the main body configured to open or close the storage chamber; andan evaporator on one side of the storage chamber configured to cool air and/or exchange heat between the air and a refrigerant flowing in the evaporator,wherein the evaporator includes: a plurality of cooling fins at predetermined intervals, comprising a plurality of rows;a refrigerant tube providing a path through which the refrigerant flows and being configured to exchange heat with the plurality of cooling fins; anda supporting part on at least one side of the plurality of rows of cooling fins and perpendicular to a horizontal plane, at least two of the plurality of rows of cooling fins include: a first cooling fin parallel to the supporting part;a second cooling fin inclined in one direction with respect to the first cooling fin; anda third cooling fin inclined in another direction with respect to the first cooling fin, andthe second cooling fin is on one side of the first cooling fin in a first one row of the at least two rows, and on another side of the first cooling fin in a second one of the at least two rows.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin are symmetric with respect to the first cooling fin.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of second cooling fins adjacent to each other and a plurality of third cooling fins adjacent to each other.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the second cooling fins and the third cooling fins are vertically symmetrical.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the first, second and third cooling fins are planar or plate-shaped and have a predetermined area.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the refrigerant tube passes through each of the plurality rows of cooling fins at least once.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin of an upper side or uppermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows are inclined so that, for each of the second and third cooling fins, an uppermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin than a lowermost edge, and the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin of a lower side or lowermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows are inclined so that, for each of the second and third cooling fins, a lowermost edge is closer to the first cooling fin than an uppermost edge.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the air is collected toward a center of the evaporator, spread to opposite sides of the evaporator when passing through the lower side or lowermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows, and discharged from the center of the evaporator after passing through the upper side or uppermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of rows further comprises a third row between the upper side or uppermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows and the lower side or lowermost one of the at least two of the plurality of rows.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the third row comprises a plurality of first cooling fins.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the air moves vertically when passing through the third row.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin are vertically symmetrical when viewing the evaporator from a front face or a rear face thereof

13. An evaporator configured to generate cool air, comprising: a repeatedly bent refrigerant tube configured to transport a refrigerant therein;a plurality of cooling fins along one or more unbent sections or segments of the refrigerant tube at predetermined intervals; anda supporting part configured to fix the refrigerant tube to another object,wherein: each of the plurality of cooling fins is planar or has a plate form, and has a predetermined area,the plurality of cooling fins includes a first cooling fin, a second cooling fin and a third cooling fin, and the second cooling fin is inclined in one direction with respect to the refrigerant tube to induce an air flow in one direction,the third cooling fin is inclined in another direction with respect to the refrigerant tube to induce the air flow in the other direction,each of the first, second and third cooling fins is in each of a plurality of rows.

14. The evaporator according to claim 13, wherein air entering the evaporator is collected and/or discharged in a center of the evaporator by the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin in a downstream one of the plurality of rows, after being spread to opposite sides of the evaporator by the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin in an upstream one of the plurality of rows.

15. The evaporator according to claim 13, wherein the first cooling fin is parallel to the supporting part and between the second cooling fin and the third cooling fin in each of the plurality of rows.

16. The evaporator according to claim 15, wherein each of the first, second and third cooling fins is in each of at least two of the plurality of rows, a first or upstream one of the at least two of the plurality of rows includes the first cooling fin at a center thereof, and a first plurality of the second cooling fins and a first plurality of third cooling fins are adjacent to and/or on opposite sides of the first cooling fin, and/or are inclined toward a lower side or lowermost edge of the first cooling fin, anda second or downstream one of the at least two of the plurality of rows includes the first cooling fin, and a second plurality of the second cooling fins and a second plurality of third cooling fins are adjacent to and/or on opposite sides of the first cooling fin and/or inclined toward an upper side or uppermost edge of the first cooling fin.

17. The evaporator according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of rows includes a third row, and the third row comprises a plurality of first cooling fins.

18. The evaporator according to claim 14, wherein the downstream one of the plurality of rows includes the first cooling fin, a plurality of the second cooling fins adjacent to and on a first side of the first cooling fin, and a plurality of third cooling fins adjacent to and on a second side of the first cooling fin.

19. The evaporator according to claim 18, wherein each of plurality of the second cooling fins and plurality of the third cooling fins is inclined to an uppermost edge of the first cooling fin.