Defrosting heater for refregerator and refregerator having the same

Abstract

Disclosed are a defrosting heater for a refrigerator and a refrigerator having the same, the refrigerator including an evaporator disposed in a refrigerator main body and configured to generate cold air, a fan configured to blow cold air flowed through the evaporator to circulate within the refrigerator main body, and a defrosting heater configured to defrost the evaporator and the fan by applying heat to the evaporator and the fan, wherein the defrosting heater comprises an evaporator defrosting unit configured to defrost the evaporator and a fan defrosting unit configured to defrost the fan, the evaporator defrosting unit and the fan defrosting unit being integrally formed, whereby the evaporator and the fan can simultaneously be defrosted.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an evaporator disposed in a refrigerator main body and configured to generate cold air;   a fan configured to blow cold air flowed through the evaporator to circulate within the refrigerator main body; and   a defrosting heater configured to defrost the evaporator and the fan by applying heat to the evaporator and the fan,   wherein the defrosting heater comprises an evaporator defrosting unit configured to defrost the evaporator and a fan defrosting unit configured to defrost the fan, the evaporator defrosting unit and the fan defrosting unit being integrally formed.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator main body comprises a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber with a barrier longitudinally partitioning therebetween,
 wherein the evaporator is disposed inside the barrier.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the evaporator comprises:
 a heat pipe in which a refrigerant flows; and   a plurality of heat plates coupled to the heat pipe,   wherein the heat plates comprise defrosting heater accommodation portions for accommodation of the evaporator defrosting unit.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the defrosting heater accommodation portion is formed by engraving a lower end surface of each of the heat plates. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the evaporator defrosting unit is accommodated in the heat plates in correspondence with the shape of the heat pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerator main body comprises a first cooling fan configured to blow cold air into the first cooling chamber, and a second cooling fan configured to blow cold air into the second cooling chamber,
 wherein the fan defrosting unit is coupled to one of the first cooling fan and the second cooling fan.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , further comprising an ice-making fan disposed at one side of the evaporator and configured to blow cold air into an ice-making chamber, wherein the fan defrosting unit is coupled to the ice-making fan. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the cooling fan coupled with the fan defrosting unit is provided with a scroll at an intake thereof, wherein the fan defrosting unit is coupled in engagement with the shape of the scroll. 
     
     
         9 . A defrosting heater for a refrigerator comprising:
 an evaporator defrosting unit disposed at one side of an evaporator, the evaporator being present in a refrigerator main body, and configured to heat the evaporator; and   a fan defrosting unit disposed in the refrigerator main body and configured to heat a fan,   wherein the evaporator defrosting unit and the fan defrosting unit are integrally formed.   
     
     
         10 . The defrosting heater of  claim 9 , wherein the evaporator defrosting unit is coupled to heat plates configuring the evaporator. 
     
     
         11 . The defrosting heater of  claim 10 , wherein the evaporator comprises:
 a heat pipe in which a refrigerant flows; and   a plurality of heat plates coupled to the heat pipe,   wherein the evaporator defrosting unit is coupled to defrosting heater accommodation portions formed at the heat plates.   
     
     
         12 . The defrosting heater of  claim 11 , wherein the defrosting heater accommodation portion is formed by engraving a lower end surface of each of the heat plates. 
     
     
         13 . The defrosting heater of  claim 9 , wherein the evaporator defrosting unit is accommodated in the heat plates in correspondence with the shape of the heat pipe. 
     
     
         14 . The defrosting heater of  claim 9 , wherein the fan defrosting unit is installed at an intake side of the fan. 
     
     
         15 . The defrosting heater of  claim 14 , wherein the fan defrosting unit is formed in an arcuate shape such that at least part thereof is wound on a scroll formed at a circumference of an intake of the fan.