Refrigerator and heat exchanger used therein

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a body; a storage compartment formed in the body; and a cold air generating unit installed in the storage compartment and including a heat exchanger for generating cold air, wherein the heat exchanger includes: a tube, which forms a heat-exchanging space and extends in one direction and in which a refrigerant flows; heat-exchanging fins disposed to be in contact with the tube in the heat-exchanging space; headers connected to one side and the other side of the tube, respectively; and a refrigerant pipe connected to the headers so that the refrigerant is introduced into/discharged from the tube, and a plurality of flow paths on which the refrigerant flows, are formed in the tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage compartment; and   a cold air generating unit installed in the storage compartment and comprising a heat exchanger to generate cold air, the heat exchanger comprising
 a tube forming a heat-exchanging space and having therein a plurality of flow paths in which a refrigerant flows, 
 heat-exchanging fins in contact with the tube in the heat-exchanging space, 
 headers connected to one side and another side of the tube, respectively, and 
 a refrigerant pipe connected to the headers to introduce the refrigerant into the tube or discharge the refrigerant from the tube. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises
 a plurality of contact portions, which extend in contact with the heat-exchanging fins and are disposed to be parallel to one another, and   a connection portion provided in a bent shape so as to connect the plurality of contact portions.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the tube surrounds the heat-exchanging fins in contact with the tube. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the headers comprise a first header connected to an introduction refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant is introduced into the tube, and a second header connected to a discharging refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant is discharged from the tube,   a lower side of the tube is coupled to the first header, and   an upper side of the tube is connected to the second header.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat-exchanging fins comprise first inclined surfaces inclined upward in a first direction and second inclined surfaces that extend from the first inclined surfaces and are inclined downward in the first direction, and   a plurality of first inclined surfaces and a plurality of second inclined surfaces are coupled to each other.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the heat-exchanging fins. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the heat-exchanging fins have a shape in which they are bent a plurality of times at sections of the heat-exchanging fins in contact with inner surfaces of the contact portions facing the heat-exchanging space. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the heat-exchanging fins comprise:
 first heat-exchanging fins disposed at an upper portion of the heat-exchanging space; and   second heat-exchanging fins disposed at a lower portion of the first heat-exchanging fins, and   the second heat-exchanging fins are disposed to cross the first heat-exchanging fins when viewed from above.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the heat-exchanging fins comprise:
 first heat-exchanging fins disposed at an upper portion of the heat-exchanging space; and   second heat-exchanging fins disposed at a lower portion of the first heat-exchanging fins,   wherein a distance between portions in which the second heat-exchanging fins are bent, is greater than a distance between portions in which the first heat-exchanging fins are bent.   
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a tube in which a refrigerant is moved and which is bent a plurality of times;   heat-exchanging fins surrounded by the tube and in contact with the tube;   headers connected to one side and another side of the tube, respectively; and   a refrigerant pipe connected to the headers to introduce the refrigerant into the tube or discharge the refrigerant from the tube,   the tube comprising a plurality of contact portions, which extend in contact with the heat-exchanging fins and are disposed to be parallel to one another, and a connection portion provided in a bent shape so as to connect the plurality of contact portions.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the tube is provided as a multi-channel tube having a plurality of flow paths on which the refrigerant is moved. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the headers comprise a first header connected to an introduction refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant is introduced into the tube, and a second header connected to a discharging refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant is discharged from the tube,
 a lower side of the tube is coupled to the first header, and   an upper side of the tube is connected to the second header.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein
 the heat-exchanging fins comprise first inclined surfaces inclined upward in a first direction and second inclined surfaces that extend from the first inclined surfaces and are inclined downward in the first direction, and   a plurality of first inclined surfaces and a plurality of second inclined surfaces are coupled to each other.   
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the first inclined surfaces and the second inclined surfaces of the heat-exchanging fins. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the heat-exchanging fins have a shape in which they are bent a plurality of times so as to be in contact with inner surfaces of the contact portions facing a heat-exchanging space. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the heat-exchanging fins comprise:
 first heat-exchanging fins disposed at an upper portion of the heat-exchanging space; and   second heat-exchanging fins disposed at a lower portion of the first heat-exchanging fins,   wherein the second heat-exchanging fins are disposed to cross the first heat-exchanging fins when viewed from above.   
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , wherein a distance between portions in which the second heat-exchanging fins are bent, is greater than a distance between portions in which the first heat-exchanging fins are bent. 
     
     
         18 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a first refrigerant pipe;   a second refrigerant pipe;   a tube member to receive refrigerant from the first refrigerant pipe and to discharge the refrigerant to the second refrigerant pipe, the tube member comprising
 first tube sections longitudinally extending in parallel from a first side of the heat exchanger to a second side of the heat exchanger, and 
 second tube sections longitudinally extending in parallel from the first side of the heat exchanger to the second side of the heat exchanger, and facing the first tube sections so as to define a heat-exchanging space between the first tube sections and the second tube sections; and 
   heat-exchanging fins disposed in the heat exchanging space and in contact with the first tube sections and second tube sections.   
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the tube member is a single tube wound around the heat-exchanging space, and the first tube sections and the second tube sections are respective portions, connected to each other in series, of the single tube.   
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the first tube sections and the second tube sections is connected, to the refrigerant pipe, in a parallel flow relation with each other.