US20110214448A1 - Non-freezing storage unit - Google Patents
Non-freezing storage unit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110214448A1 US20110214448A1 US13/128,346 US201013128346A US2011214448A1 US 20110214448 A1 US20110214448 A1 US 20110214448A1 US 201013128346 A US201013128346 A US 201013128346A US 2011214448 A1 US2011214448 A1 US 2011214448A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- drawer
- storage unit
- outer casing
- freezing storage
- temperature
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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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
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
- F25D23/12—Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
- F25D23/126—Water cooler
-
- 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
- F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
- F25D11/02—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators with cooling compartments at different temperatures
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
- A23L3/363—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
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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
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
- F25D23/12—Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
-
- 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
- F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
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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
- F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
-
- 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
- F25D2700/00—Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor
- F25D2700/12—Sensors measuring the inside temperature
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a non-freezing storage unit, and, more particularly to, a non-freezing storage unit which can store food requiring high-level freshness, such as meat and vegetables, at a temperature below 0° C. without freezing the food.
- Supercooling means the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state.
- a material has a stable state at every temperature. If the temperature is slowly changed, the constituent elements of the material can follow the temperature changes, maintaining the stable state at each temperature. However, if the temperature is suddenly changed, since the constituent elements cannot be changed to the stable state at each temperature, the constituent elements maintain a stable state of the initial temperature, or some of the constituent elements fail to be changed to a state of the final temperature.
- an electrostatic atmosphere is made in a refrigerator and meat and fish are thawed in the refrigerator at a minus temperature.
- meat and fish are thawed in the refrigerator at a minus temperature.
- fruit is kept fresh in the refrigerator.
- the supercooling phenomenon indicates the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state.
- This technology includes Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-0011081 titled “Electrostatic field processing method, electrostatic field processing apparatus, and electrodes therefor”.
- FIG. 1 is a view of an example of a conventional thawing and freshness-keeping apparatus.
- a keeping-cool room 1 is composed of a thermal insulation material 2 and an outer wall 5 .
- a mechanism (not shown) controlling a temperature inside the room 1 is installed therein.
- a metal shelf 7 installed in the room 1 has a two-layer structure. Target objects to be thawed or freshness-kept and ripened such as vegetables, meat and marine products are loaded on the respective layers.
- the metal shelf 7 is insulated from the bottom of the room 1 by an insulator 9 .
- a high voltage generator 3 can generate 0 to 5000 V of DC and AC voltages, an insulation plate 2 a such as vinyl chloride, etc. is covered on the inside of the thermal insulation material 2 .
- a high-voltage cable 4 outputting the voltage of the high voltage generator 3 is connected to the metal shelf 7 after passing through the outer wall 5 and the thermal insulation material 2 .
- a safety switch 13 is turned off to intercept the output of the high voltage generator 3 .
- FIG. 2 is a circuit view of the circuit configuration of the high voltage generator 3 .
- 100 V of AC is supplied to a primary side of a voltage regulation transformer 15 .
- Reference numeral 11 represents a power lamp and 19 a working state lamp.
- a relay 14 is operated. This state is displayed by a relay operation lamp 12 .
- Relay contact points 14 a , 14 b and 14 c are closed by the operation of the relay 14 , and 100 V of AC is applied to the primary side of the voltage regulation transformer 15 .
- the applied voltage is regulated by a regulation knob 15 a on a secondary side of the voltage regulation transformer 15 , and the regulated voltage value is displayed on a voltmeter.
- the regulation knob 15 a is connected to a primary side of a boosting transformer 17 on the secondary side of the voltage regulation transformer 15 .
- the boosting transformer 17 boosts the voltage at a ratio of 1:50. For example, when 60 V of voltage is applied, it is boosted to 3000 V.
- One end 0 1 of the output of the secondary side of the boosting transformer 17 is connected to the metal shelf 7 insulated from the keeping-cool room 1 through the high-voltage cable 4 , and the other end 0 2 of the output is grounded. Moreover, since the outer wall 5 is grounded, if the user touches the outer wall 5 of the keeping-cool room 1 , he/she does not get an electric shock. Further, in FIG. 1 , when the metal shelf 7 is exposed in the room 1 , it should be maintained in an insulated state in the room 1 . Thus, the metal shelf 7 needs to be separated from the wall of the room 1 (the air performs an insulation function).
- the insulation plate 2 a is attached to the inner wall to prevent drop of the applied voltage. Still furthermore, when the metal shelf 7 is covered with vinyl chloride without being exposed in the room 1 , an electric field atmosphere is produced in the entire room 1 .
- an electric field or a magnetic field is applied to the received object to be cooled, such that the received object enters a supercooled state. Accordingly, a complicated apparatus for producing the electric field or the magnetic field should be provided to keep the received object in the supercooled state, and the power consumption is increased during the production of the electric field or the magnetic field.
- the apparatus for producing the electric field or the magnetic field should further include a safety device (e.g., an electric or magnetic field shielding structure, an interception device, etc.) for protecting the user from high power, when producing or intercepting the electric field or the magnetic field.
- a safety device e.g., an electric or magnetic field shielding structure, an interception device, etc.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a non-freezing storage unit in which a drawer can be completely pulled out of an outer casing.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a non-freezing storage unit which can maintain a received object in a supercooled state only by the power supply in a space where only the cooling is performed.
- a further object of the present invention is to provide a non-freezing storage unit which includes a handle to compensate for relatively weak thermal insulation in its front surface portion.
- a non-freezing storage unit including: an outer casing with an open front surface; a drawer which can be pulled out through the open front surface of the outer casing; a sensor installed on the outer casing and/or the drawer; a heater installed in the outer casing; and an air layer formed at the front of the drawer to intercept the cool air, wherein the non-freezing storage unit is located in a cooling space to store food in a non-frozen state at a temperature below 0° C.
- the air layer is separated from a food storage space in the drawer by a protruding portion protruding from the front surface of the drawer.
- the protruding portion is formed in the shape of ‘ ⁇ ’ to be bent from the top to bottom.
- the air layer is separated from the food storage space in the drawer by a protruding portion protruding from the bottom surface of the drawer.
- the drawer is provided with a sign to prevent the food from being put in a space for defining the air layer.
- a thermal insulation material is filled in the inside of the outer casing.
- the bottom surface, the side surfaces and the rear surface of the drawer have a given interval from the outer casing.
- the drawer includes a bulkhead separating the air layer from the food storage space in the drawer.
- the bulkhead includes an opening portion for circulating the air in the air layer and the storage room.
- the air layer is separated from the food storage space in the drawer by a plurality of pins protruding from the bottom surface of the drawer.
- an opening portion is provided at the front of the bottom surface of the drawer, where the air layer has been formed, such that the air can be introduced from the lower portion of the drawer to the air layer.
- a rib is formed around the opening portion in the bottom surface of the drawer.
- the drawer can be completely pulled out of the outer casing, which improves convenience in use.
- the air layer is formed at the front portion to insulate the front portion from the other parts of a refrigerator. This can compensate for a relatively weak thermal insulation effect in the front portion.
- FIG. 1 is a view of an example of a conventional thawing and freshness-keeping apparatus.
- FIG. 2 is a circuit view of the circuit configuration of a high voltage generator.
- FIG. 3 is a view showing a process in which ice crystal nucleuses are formed in a liquid during the cooling.
- FIG. 4 is a view showing a process of preventing the ice crystal nucleus formation, which is applied to an apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of the apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a graph showing a supercooled state of water in the apparatus for supercooling of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a non-freezing storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a view of a metal plate installed in a drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 is a view showing a state where the metal plate is installed in the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 12 is a view showing a process in which the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is inserted into an outer casing.
- FIG. 13 is a view showing a state where a contact point portion and a sensor installation portion of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention are in contact with each other.
- FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the drawer included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 15 is a view of a first example of an air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 16 is a view of a second example of the air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a side casing provided in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 18 is a view of an example in which the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a conventional refrigerator.
- FIG. 19 is a side-sectional view of the example in which the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is applied to the conventional refrigerator.
- FIG. 3 is a view showing a process in which ice crystal nucleuses are formed in a liquid during the cooling. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , a container C containing a liquid L (or a received object) is cooled in a storing unit S with a cooling space therein.
- a cooling temperature of the cooling space is lowered from a normal temperature to a temperature below 0° C. (the phase transition temperature of water) or a temperature below the phase transition temperature of the liquid L. While the cooling is carried out, it is intended to maintain a supercooled state of the water or the liquid L (or the received object) at a temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation zone ( ⁇ 1° C. to ⁇ 7° C.) of the water in which the formation of ice crystals is maximized, or at a cooling temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L.
- the liquid L is evaporated during the cooling such that vapor W 1 is introduced into a gas Lg (or a space) in the container C.
- the gas Lg may be supersaturated due to the evaporated vapor W 1 .
- the vapor W 1 forms ice crystal nucleuses F 1 in the gas Lg or ice crystal nucleuses F 2 on an inner wall of the container C.
- the condensation occurs in a contact portion of the surface Ls of the liquid L and the inner wall of the container C (almost the same as the cooling temperature of the cooling space) such that the condensed liquid L may form ice crystal nucleuses F 3 which are ice crystals.
- the liquid L is released from the supercooled state and caused to be frozen. That is, the supercooling of the liquid L is released.
- the liquid L is released from the supercooled state and caused to be frozen.
- the liquid L is released from the supercooled state due to the freezing of the vapor evaporated from the liquid L and existing on the surface Ls of the liquid L and the freezing of the vapor on the inner wall of the container C adjacent to the surface Ls of the liquid L.
- FIG. 4 is a view showing a process of preventing the ice crystal nucleus formation, which is applied to an apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention.
- the energy is applied to at least the gas Lg or the surface Ls of the liquid L so that the temperature of the gas Lg or the surface Ls of the liquid L can be higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, more preferably, the phase transition temperature of the liquid L.
- the temperature of the surface Ls of the liquid L is maintained higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, more preferably, the phase transition temperature of the liquid L.
- the cooling temperature in the storing unit S is a considerably low temperature, e.g., ⁇ 20° C.
- the energy is applied to an upper portion of the container C
- the liquid L which is the received object may not be able to maintain the supercooled state.
- the energy should be applied to a lower portion of the container C to some extent.
- the temperature of the upper portion of the container C can be maintained higher than the phase transition temperature or a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone.
- the temperature of the liquid L in the supercooled state can be adjusted by the energy applied to the lower portion of the container C and the energy applied to the upper portion of the container C.
- the liquid L has been described as an example with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .
- the received object when the liquid in the received object is continuously supercooled, the received object can be kept fresh for an extended period of time.
- the received object can be maintained in a supercooled state at a temperature below the phase transition temperature via the above process.
- the received object may include meat, vegetable, fruit and other food as well as the liquid.
- the energy adopted in the present invention may be thermal energy, electric or magnetic energy, ultrasonic energy, light energy, and so on.
- FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of the apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention.
- the temperature sensors C 1 and C 2 sense the temperature and the heat generation coils H 1 and H 2 are turned on to supply heat from the upper and lower portions of the receiving space to the receiving space.
- the heat supply quantity is adjusted to control the temperature of the upper portion of the receiving space (or the air on the received object P) to be higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone, more preferably, the phase transition temperature.
- the positions of the heat generation coils H 1 and H 2 in FIG. 5 are appropriately determined to supply the heat (or energy) to the received object P and the receiving space.
- the heat generation coils H 1 and H 2 may be inserted into the side surfaces of the case Sr.
- FIG. 6 is a graph showing the supercooled state of water in the apparatus for supercooling of FIG. 5 .
- the graph of FIG. 6 is a temperature graph when the liquid L is water and the principle of FIGS. 4 and 5 is applied thereto.
- a line I represents a curve of the cooling temperature of the cooling space
- a line II represents a curve of the temperature of the gas Lg (air) on the surface of the water in the container C or the case Sr (or the temperature of the upper portion of the container C or the case Sr)
- a line III represents a curve of the temperature of the lower portion of the container C or the case Sr.
- a temperature of an outer surface of the container C or the case Sr is substantially identical to the temperature of the water in the container C or the case Sr.
- the non-freezing storage unit roughly includes an outer casing 100 , a drawer 200 and a side casing 300 .
- the drawer 200 can be inserted into and pulled out of the outer casing 100 .
- the drawer 200 can be completely separated and detached from the outer casing 100 .
- the outer casing 100 includes a thermal insulation material 110 to insulate the non-freezing storage unit from the other region of a refrigerator in which the non-freezing storage unit is located.
- the drawer 200 and the side casing 300 also include thermal insulation materials 210 and 310 , respectively. It is thus possible to insulate the portions which are not sufficiently insulated by the thermal insulation material 110 of the outer casing 100 .
- Heaters 140 are installed on the inside of the outer casing 100 .
- a control unit (not shown) adjusts heating values of the heaters 140 to control a temperature in the non-freezing storage unit.
- the heaters 140 include an upper heater 142 and a lower heater 144 , and the control unit (not shown) control the heating values of the upper heater 142 and the lower heater 144 , respectively.
- a sensor 132 for sensing a temperature in the unit which measures the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit is installed on the upper side of the outer casing 100 .
- the heaters 140 may not be located adjacent to the sensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit, and a separate thermal insulation member (not shown) may be further installed between the heaters 140 and the sensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit.
- sensors 134 and 136 sensing a temperature of food are provided on the lower side of the outer casing 100 .
- the sensors 134 and 136 measure the temperature of the food located in the drawer 200 .
- a plurality of sensors 134 and 136 are installed at given intervals to reflect the temperature of the food to the operation of the non-freezing storage unit, when the food is widely distributed in the drawer 200 .
- the drawer 200 can be completely pulled out of the outer casing 100 . If the drawer 200 is not completely pulled out of the outer casing 100 , it is inconvenient to put the food into the drawer 200 or take the food out of the drawer 200 and very difficult to clean the drawer 200 .
- the sensors 134 and 136 are attached to bottom surfaces of sensor installation portions 134 a and 136 a of a thin metal plate attached to the bottom surface of the outer casing 100 , and thus are not exposed to the outside of the outer casing 100 .
- FIG. 10 is a view of a metal plate installed in the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 11 is a view showing a state where the metal plate is installed in the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 12 is a view showing a process in which the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is inserted into the outer casing
- FIG. 13 is a view showing a state where the contact point portion and the sensor installation portion of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention are in contact with each other.
- the drawer 200 included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the contact point portions 234 and 236 downwardly protruded from the bottom surface of the basket 230 . When the contact point portions 234 and 236 are in contact with the sensor installation portions 134 a and 136 a without a gap, the sensors 134 and 136 can sense the temperature of the food better.
- the contact point portions 234 and 236 should maintain a given interval from the bottom surface of the outer casing 100 when the drawer 200 is moved in the outer casing 100 , and should be brought into contact with the sensor installation portions 134 a and 136 a when the drawer 200 is completely inserted into the outer casing 100 .
- guide portions 120 and 220 (see FIG. 12 ) guiding the movement position of the drawer 200 in the outer casing 100 are provided in the corresponding positions of the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 , respectively.
- the guide portions 120 and 220 include rails 122 and 222 and rollers 124 and 224 , respectively.
- the rollers 124 and 224 of the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 are brought into contact with each other.
- the rollers 224 of the drawer 200 roll over the rails 122 of the outer casing 100 and the rails 222 of the drawer 200 roll over the rollers 124 of the outer casing 100 at the same time such that the drawer 200 is inserted into the outer casing 100 .
- the rails 122 of the outer casing 100 are inclined to the lower portion so that the drawer 200 can be downwardly moved at the back of the outer casing 100 .
- the contact point portions 234 and 236 can be moved without any interference and friction, maintaining a given interval from the bottom surface of the outer casing 100 . Moreover, after the drawer 200 is completely inserted into the outer casing 100 , the drawer 200 is downwardly moved by the guide portions 120 and 220 and the contact point portions 234 and 236 are completely in contact with the sensor installation portions 134 a and 136 a.
- FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the drawer included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- the front portion of the drawer 200 includes a front frame 240 defining the frame of the front portion of the drawer 200 and connected to the basket 230 , a cover 250 covering the front of the front frame 240 , a gasket 260 attached to the back of the front frame 240 and sealing up between the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 when the drawer 200 is closed, a hook portion 272 fixing the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 to be closely attached to each other when the drawer 200 is closed, an elastic member 274 applying an elastic force to the hook portion 272 , and a grip portion 276 which can release a locked state of the hook portion 272 .
- the thermal insulation material 210 of the drawer 200 mentioned above is filled in the front frame 240 .
- a user When taking the drawer 200 out of the outer casing 100 or inserting the drawer 200 into the outer casing 100 , a user can insert or take out the drawer 200 by holding the cover 250 portion.
- a handle 252 is formed at the cover 250 portion. Any shape of handle 252 may be used as far as it helps the user to easily take the drawer 200 out of the casing 100 .
- the handle 252 is formed in the shape of a groove on the lower side of the front surface of the cover 250 so that the user can release the locked state of the hook portion 272 and pull the drawer 200 out at the same time by gripping the grip portion 276 . If the position of the grip portion 276 is changed, the position of the handle 252 may also be changed so that the user can grip the grip portion 276 and pull the drawer 200 out at the same time.
- the non-freezing storage unit should be certainly insulated from the other region of the refrigerator to stably maintain the non-frozen state of the food.
- a portion in which heat exchange with the other region of the refrigerator or heat leakage probably occurs is a gap between the drawer 200 and the outer casing 100 located at the front.
- the gasket 260 is attached to a rear portion of the front frame 240 brought into contact with a front portion of the outer casing 100 .
- the gasket 260 is made of an elastic material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber and transformed between the drawer 200 and the outer casing 100 by a force applied from the drawer 200 and the outer casing 100 , thereby sealing up the gap between the drawer 200 and the outer casing 100 .
- the non-freezing storage unit includes a hooked portion 172 and the hook portion 272 locking the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 to enhance the sealing.
- the grip portion 276 is located inside the handle 252 of the cover 250 and rotatably coupled to the front frame 240 .
- the grip portion 276 is rotated around coupling portions 276 a located at both sides of the grip portion 276 and coupled to the cover 250 such that an upper part of the grip portion 276 pushes a lower part of the hook portion 272 .
- the hook portion 272 is also rotated around coupling portions 272 a coupled to the cover 250 such that an upper part of the hook portion 272 is lifted from the hooked portion 172 of the outer casing 100 and the coupling of the hook portion 272 and the hooked portion 172 is released.
- the elastic member 274 with both ends fixed by the hook portion 272 and the cover 250 is provided so that the upper part of the hook portion 272 can be firmly fixed to the hooked portion 172 of the outer casing 100 in a normal situation, pressing the same.
- the upper part of the hook portion 272 is lifted and the elastic member 274 is transformed, and when the user releases the grip portion 276 , the upper part of the hook portion 272 is downwardly moved due to a restoring force of the elastic member 274 .
- the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 are fixed by the hook portion 272 and the hooked portion 172 . This ensures the sealing between the outer casing 100 and the drawer 200 .
- FIG. 15 is a view of a first example of an air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- the thermal insulation material 210 is filled in the front frame 240 at the front surface portion of the drawer 200 , the thickness of the thermal insulation material 210 is smaller than that of the thermal insulation material 110 inserted into the outer casing 100 , which degrades the thermal insulation effect.
- a protruding portion 280 is formed in a ‘ ⁇ ’ shape to prevent food from being put in proximity to the front surface of the drawer 200 .
- the protruding portion 280 prevents food from being put in proximity to the front surface of the drawer 200 , an air layer formed in the space where the food cannot be located due to the protruding portion 280 can operate as a thermal insulation material. Therefore, the protruding portion 280 has a relatively higher temperature than the front surface of the drawer 200 . Even if food is brought into contact with the protruding portion 280 , the food is prevented from being released from the supercooled state and frozen.
- FIG. 16 is a view of a second example of the air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- a plurality of pins 280 ′ protrude from the bottom surface of the basket 230 of the drawer 200 to prevent food from being put in proximity to the front portion of the drawer 200 .
- a plurality of opening portions 290 are formed in the front portion of the basket 230 so as to effectively transfer heat of the lower heater 144 installed in the outer casing 100 to the front portion of the basket 230 .
- the flow between the drawer 200 and the outer casing 100 heated by the lower heater 144 can be circulated by convection through the opening portions 290 , and thus the temperature distribution in the non-freezing storage unit can be more uniform.
- a rib 292 enclosing the opening portion 290 is formed around the plurality of opening portions 290 to prevent moisture of watery food or the like from being dropped into the outer casing 100 through the opening portions 290 .
- a bulkhead provided with a through hole to be able to produce a convection current, a plurality of pins protruding from the front surface of the drawer 200 at a given height, or the like can replace the plurality of pins 280 ′ protruding from the bottom surface of the basket 230 , if they can define an air layer to prevent food from being put in the front portion of the basket 230 and the air layer can produce a convection current in the non-freezing storage unit.
- a sign preventing the user from putting food in the drawer 200 may be simply provided on the inner surface of the basket 230 .
- FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the side casing provided in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.
- the thermal insulation material 310 , a control panel (not shown), a control panel mounting portion 320 , an operation panel (not shown) and an operation panel mounting portion 330 are installed in the side casing 300 .
- the operation panel (not shown) which includes a button portion 315 a , 315 b , 315 c and 315 d enabling the input of functions of the non-freezing storage unit and a display portion 316 displaying the selected function, displays the function input through the button portion 315 a , 315 b , 315 c and 315 d on the display portion 316 and transmits information on the inputted function to the control panel (not shown).
- a window is provided in a corresponding position of the side casing 300 to expose the button portion 315 a , 315 b , 315 c and 315 d and the display portion 316 of the PCB operation substrate to the outside.
- the button portion 315 a , 315 b , 315 c and 315 d and the display portion 316 are not located on the drawing 200 but on the side casing 300 such that the drawing 200 is completely detachable from the outer casing 100 .
- the button portion 315 a , 315 b , 315 c and 315 d includes a button 315 a selecting a thin ice function, a button 315 b selecting a freezing function, a button 315 c selecting a supercooling function, and a button 315 d turning on and off power of the non-freezing storage unit.
- the display portion 316 displays the power-on/off state of the non-freezing storage unit and the function currently performed in the non-freezing storage unit.
- the control panel receives an input signal from the button 315 a and displays that the refrigerating function has been selected through the display portion 316 .
- the control panel adjusts the heating values of the heaters 140 installed in the outer casing 100 (see FIG. 8 ) such that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit ranges from about ⁇ 5° C. to ⁇ 8° C.
- the control panel (not shown) adjusts the heating values of the heaters 140 through the sensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit and the sensors 134 and 136 such that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit exists in a desirable temperature range. For example, when the meat is stored in the non-freezing storage unit using the thin ice mode, it can be easily cut due to thin ices. Moreover, when the user selects the freezing function through the button 315 b , the control panel (not shown) turns off all the heaters 140 and stores the food at the same temperature as that of the other region of the refrigerator without separate temperature control.
- the control panel continuously senses the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit and the temperature of the food through the sensors 132 , 134 and 136 and adjusts the heating values of the heaters 140 so that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit can be maintained at about ⁇ 2° C. to ⁇ 4° C.
- the meat or the like is stored at a temperature below 0° C. without being frozen by the non-freezing function, it is possible to prevent the taste from being reduced by the ice crystal formation in the meat and the destruction of fibers of the meat.
- the non-freezing storage unit While the meat is stored in the non-freezing storage unit by the non-freezing function, its non-frozen state may be broken due to a shock or partial temperature unbalance. Even if ice crystals are formed in some part, the freezing may be easily spread to the entire meat. Once the freezing is started, the temperature is suddenly raised to near 0° C. which is the phase transition temperature. Therefore, when a sudden temperature change is sensed by the sensors 134 and 136 , it is determined that the stored food such as the meat, etc. has been frozen. The food in the non-freezing storage unit is thawed, and then stored again in the non-frozen state.
- the temperature is raised to near normal temperature, at least 2° C. and maintained for a given time such that the food is sufficiently thawed and stored again in the non-frozen state.
- the control panel may adjust the heating values of the heaters 140 via a given algorithm using the sensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit and the sensors 134 and 136 so that the temperature in the unit can be maintained at ⁇ 2° C. to ⁇ 4° C.
- control panel may adjust the heating value of the upper heater 142 merely using the temperature sensed by the sensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit such that the temperature of the upper portion of the non-freezing storage unit is maintained at about ⁇ 2° C., and may adjust the heating value of the lower heater 144 merely using the temperature sensed by the sensors 134 and 136 such that the temperature of the lower portion of the non-freezing storage unit is maintained at about ⁇ 3° C. to ⁇ 4° C.
- FIG. 18 is a view showing an example in which the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to the conventional refrigerator.
- the refrigerator 1000 is divided into a freezing chamber 1100 and a refrigerating chamber 1200 .
- the non-freezing storage unit 2000 is installed in the freezing chamber 1100 .
- the cool air cooling the freezing chamber 1100 cools the periphery of the non-freezing storage unit 2000 , and thus the meat in the non-freezing storage unit 2000 is stored at a low temperature.
- the temperature in the freezing chamber 1100 ranges from ⁇ 8° C. to ⁇ 18° C., which is lower than a temperature for storing the meat in a non-frozen state.
- control panel (not shown) adjusts the heating values of the heaters 140 (see FIG. 9 ) via a given algorithm using the sensor 132 for sensing the temperature and the sensors 134 and 136 so that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit 2000 can be maintained at ⁇ 2° C. to ⁇ 4° C., thereby keeping the meat in the non-frozen state.
- the user may store the meat in a frozen state at the same temperature as that of the freezing chamber 1100 without turning on the heaters 140 (see FIG. 9 ).
- FIG. 19 is a side-sectional view of the example in which the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is applied to the conventional refrigerator.
- the freezing chamber 1100 and the refrigerating chamber 1200 are arranged on the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction in the refrigerator 1000 , and the non-freezing storage unit 2000 may be installed between shelves of the freezing chamber 1100 , or the topmost shelf or the bottommost shelf of the freezing chamber 1100 .
- An evaporator 1300 is located on the rear surface of the freezing chamber 1100 to exchange heat with the ambient air to produce the cool air.
- the cool air is introduced into the freezing chamber 1100 to maintain the refrigerator 1000 at a low temperature.
- the cool air heat-exchanged by the evaporator 1300 is introduced into the freezing chamber 1100 through a cool air vent 2420 via a duct 1600 .
- the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit 2000 located in the freezing chamber 1100 is maintained to be the same as that of the freezing chamber 1100 .
- the heaters 140 are operated by the control of the control panel (not shown)
- the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit 2000 is maintained at ⁇ 2° C. to ⁇ 4° C. to store the meat in the non-frozen state.
- the non-freezing storage unit 2000 may be fixed to the freezing chamber 1100 such that only the drawer can be opened and closed in the forward direction, or the non-freezing storage unit 2000 itself may be separated from the freezing chamber 1100 .
- the non-freezing storage unit 2000 is manufactured to be separable from the freezing chamber 1100 , preferably, terminals transmitting and receiving electricity are formed in the freezing chamber 1100 and the non-freezing storage unit 2000 , respectively.
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a non-freezing storage unit including an outer casing with an open front surface, a drawer which can be pulled out through the open front surface of the outer casing, a sensor installed on the outer casing and/or the drawer, a heater installed in the outer casing, and an air layer formed at the front of the drawer to intercept the cool air. The non-freezing storage unit is located in a cooling space to store food in a non-frozen state at a temperature below 0° C.
Description
- The present invention relates to a non-freezing storage unit, and, more particularly to, a non-freezing storage unit which can store food requiring high-level freshness, such as meat and vegetables, at a temperature below 0° C. without freezing the food.
- Supercooling means the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state. A material has a stable state at every temperature. If the temperature is slowly changed, the constituent elements of the material can follow the temperature changes, maintaining the stable state at each temperature. However, if the temperature is suddenly changed, since the constituent elements cannot be changed to the stable state at each temperature, the constituent elements maintain a stable state of the initial temperature, or some of the constituent elements fail to be changed to a state of the final temperature.
- For example, when water is slowly cooled, it is not temporarily frozen at a temperature below 0° C. However, when water enters a supercooled state, it has a kind of quasi-stable state. As this unstable equilibrium state is easily broken even by slight stimulation, water tends to move to a more stable state. That is, if a small piece of material is put into the supercooled liquid, or if the liquid is suddenly shaken, the liquid starts to be frozen at once such that its temperature reaches the freezing point, and maintains a stable equilibrium state at this temperature.
- In general, an electrostatic atmosphere is made in a refrigerator and meat and fish are thawed in the refrigerator at a minus temperature. In addition to the meat and fish, fruit is kept fresh in the refrigerator.
- This technology uses a supercooling phenomenon. The supercooling phenomenon indicates the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state.
- This technology includes Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-0011081 titled “Electrostatic field processing method, electrostatic field processing apparatus, and electrodes therefor”.
-
FIG. 1 is a view of an example of a conventional thawing and freshness-keeping apparatus. A keeping-cool room 1 is composed of athermal insulation material 2 and an outer wall 5. A mechanism (not shown) controlling a temperature inside theroom 1 is installed therein. Ametal shelf 7 installed in theroom 1 has a two-layer structure. Target objects to be thawed or freshness-kept and ripened such as vegetables, meat and marine products are loaded on the respective layers. Themetal shelf 7 is insulated from the bottom of theroom 1 by an insulator 9. In addition, since a high voltage generator 3 can generate 0 to 5000 V of DC and AC voltages, aninsulation plate 2 a such as vinyl chloride, etc. is covered on the inside of thethermal insulation material 2. A high-voltage cable 4 outputting the voltage of the high voltage generator 3 is connected to themetal shelf 7 after passing through the outer wall 5 and thethermal insulation material 2. When a user opens a door installed at the front of the keeping-cool room 1, a safety switch 13 (seeFIG. 2 ) is turned off to intercept the output of the high voltage generator 3. -
FIG. 2 is a circuit view of the circuit configuration of the high voltage generator 3. 100 V of AC is supplied to a primary side of avoltage regulation transformer 15.Reference numeral 11 represents a power lamp and 19 a working state lamp. When thedoor 6 is closed and thesafety switch 13 is on, a relay 14 is operated. This state is displayed by arelay operation lamp 12.Relay contact points relay 14, and 100 V of AC is applied to the primary side of thevoltage regulation transformer 15. - The applied voltage is regulated by a
regulation knob 15 a on a secondary side of thevoltage regulation transformer 15, and the regulated voltage value is displayed on a voltmeter. Theregulation knob 15 a is connected to a primary side of aboosting transformer 17 on the secondary side of thevoltage regulation transformer 15. Theboosting transformer 17 boosts the voltage at a ratio of 1:50. For example, when 60 V of voltage is applied, it is boosted to 3000 V. - One
end 0 1 of the output of the secondary side of theboosting transformer 17 is connected to themetal shelf 7 insulated from the keeping-cool room 1 through the high-voltage cable 4, and theother end 0 2 of the output is grounded. Moreover, since the outer wall 5 is grounded, if the user touches the outer wall 5 of the keeping-cool room 1, he/she does not get an electric shock. Further, inFIG. 1 , when themetal shelf 7 is exposed in theroom 1, it should be maintained in an insulated state in theroom 1. Thus, themetal shelf 7 needs to be separated from the wall of the room 1 (the air performs an insulation function). Furthermore, if atarget object 8 is protruded from themetal shelf 7 and brought into contact with the wall of theroom 1, the current flows to the ground through the wall of theroom 1. Therefore, theinsulation plate 2 a is attached to the inner wall to prevent drop of the applied voltage. Still furthermore, when themetal shelf 7 is covered with vinyl chloride without being exposed in theroom 1, an electric field atmosphere is produced in theentire room 1. - In the prior art, an electric field or a magnetic field is applied to the received object to be cooled, such that the received object enters a supercooled state. Accordingly, a complicated apparatus for producing the electric field or the magnetic field should be provided to keep the received object in the supercooled state, and the power consumption is increased during the production of the electric field or the magnetic field.
- Additionally, the apparatus for producing the electric field or the magnetic field should further include a safety device (e.g., an electric or magnetic field shielding structure, an interception device, etc.) for protecting the user from high power, when producing or intercepting the electric field or the magnetic field.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a non-freezing storage unit in which a drawer can be completely pulled out of an outer casing.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a non-freezing storage unit which can maintain a received object in a supercooled state only by the power supply in a space where only the cooling is performed.
- A further object of the present invention is to provide a non-freezing storage unit which includes a handle to compensate for relatively weak thermal insulation in its front surface portion.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-freezing storage unit, including: an outer casing with an open front surface; a drawer which can be pulled out through the open front surface of the outer casing; a sensor installed on the outer casing and/or the drawer; a heater installed in the outer casing; and an air layer formed at the front of the drawer to intercept the cool air, wherein the non-freezing storage unit is located in a cooling space to store food in a non-frozen state at a temperature below 0° C.
- In addition, the air layer is separated from a food storage space in the drawer by a protruding portion protruding from the front surface of the drawer.
- Moreover, the protruding portion is formed in the shape of ‘┐’ to be bent from the top to bottom.
- Further, the air layer is separated from the food storage space in the drawer by a protruding portion protruding from the bottom surface of the drawer.
- Furthermore, the drawer is provided with a sign to prevent the food from being put in a space for defining the air layer.
- Still furthermore, a thermal insulation material is filled in the inside of the outer casing.
- Still furthermore, when the drawer is completely inserted into the outer casing, the bottom surface, the side surfaces and the rear surface of the drawer have a given interval from the outer casing.
- Still furthermore, the drawer includes a bulkhead separating the air layer from the food storage space in the drawer.
- Still furthermore, the bulkhead includes an opening portion for circulating the air in the air layer and the storage room.
- Still furthermore, the air layer is separated from the food storage space in the drawer by a plurality of pins protruding from the bottom surface of the drawer.
- Still furthermore, an opening portion is provided at the front of the bottom surface of the drawer, where the air layer has been formed, such that the air can be introduced from the lower portion of the drawer to the air layer.
- Still furthermore, a rib is formed around the opening portion in the bottom surface of the drawer.
- According to the non-freezing storage unit provided by the present invention, the drawer can be completely pulled out of the outer casing, which improves convenience in use.
- In addition, according to the non-freezing storage unit provided by the present invention, the air layer is formed at the front portion to insulate the front portion from the other parts of a refrigerator. This can compensate for a relatively weak thermal insulation effect in the front portion.
-
FIG. 1 is a view of an example of a conventional thawing and freshness-keeping apparatus. -
FIG. 2 is a circuit view of the circuit configuration of a high voltage generator. -
FIG. 3 is a view showing a process in which ice crystal nucleuses are formed in a liquid during the cooling. -
FIG. 4 is a view showing a process of preventing the ice crystal nucleus formation, which is applied to an apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention. -
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of the apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention. -
FIG. 6 is a graph showing a supercooled state of water in the apparatus for supercooling ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a non-freezing storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 10 is a view of a metal plate installed in a drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 11 is a view showing a state where the metal plate is installed in the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 12 is a view showing a process in which the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is inserted into an outer casing. -
FIG. 13 is a view showing a state where a contact point portion and a sensor installation portion of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention are in contact with each other. -
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the drawer included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 15 is a view of a first example of an air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 16 is a view of a second example of the air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a side casing provided in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 18 is a view of an example in which the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a conventional refrigerator. -
FIG. 19 is a side-sectional view of the example in which the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is applied to the conventional refrigerator. - Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 3 is a view showing a process in which ice crystal nucleuses are formed in a liquid during the cooling. As illustrated inFIG. 3 , a container C containing a liquid L (or a received object) is cooled in a storing unit S with a cooling space therein. - For example, it is assumed that a cooling temperature of the cooling space is lowered from a normal temperature to a temperature below 0° C. (the phase transition temperature of water) or a temperature below the phase transition temperature of the liquid L. While the cooling is carried out, it is intended to maintain a supercooled state of the water or the liquid L (or the received object) at a temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation zone (−1° C. to −7° C.) of the water in which the formation of ice crystals is maximized, or at a cooling temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L.
- The liquid L is evaporated during the cooling such that vapor W1 is introduced into a gas Lg (or a space) in the container C. In a case where the container C is closed, the gas Lg may be supersaturated due to the evaporated vapor W1.
- When the cooling temperature reaches or exceeds a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, the vapor W1 forms ice crystal nucleuses F1 in the gas Lg or ice crystal nucleuses F2 on an inner wall of the container C. Alternatively, the condensation occurs in a contact portion of the surface Ls of the liquid L and the inner wall of the container C (almost the same as the cooling temperature of the cooling space) such that the condensed liquid L may form ice crystal nucleuses F3 which are ice crystals.
- For example, when the ice crystal nucleuses F1 in the gas Lg are lowered and infiltrated into the liquid L through the surface Ls of the liquid L, the liquid L is released from the supercooled state and caused to be frozen. That is, the supercooling of the liquid L is released.
- Alternatively, as the ice crystal nucleuses F3 are brought into contact with the surface Ls of the liquid L, the liquid L is released from the supercooled state and caused to be frozen.
- As described above, according to the process of forming the ice crystal nucleuses F1 to F3, when the liquid L is stored at a temperature below its maximum ice crystal formation zone, the liquid L is released from the supercooled state due to the freezing of the vapor evaporated from the liquid L and existing on the surface Ls of the liquid L and the freezing of the vapor on the inner wall of the container C adjacent to the surface Ls of the liquid L.
-
FIG. 4 is a view showing a process of preventing the ice crystal nucleus formation, which is applied to an apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention. - In
FIG. 4 , to prevent the freezing of the vapor W1 in the gas Lg, i.e., to continuously maintain the vapor W1 state, the energy is applied to at least the gas Lg or the surface Ls of the liquid L so that the temperature of the gas Lg or the surface Ls of the liquid L can be higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, more preferably, the phase transition temperature of the liquid L. In addition, to prevent the freezing although the surface Ls of the liquid L is brought into contact with the inner wall of the container C, the temperature of the surface Ls of the liquid L is maintained higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the liquid L, more preferably, the phase transition temperature of the liquid L. - Accordingly, the liquid L in the container C maintains the supercooled state at a temperature below its phase transition temperature or a temperature below its maximum ice crystal formation zone.
- Moreover, when the cooling temperature in the storing unit S is a considerably low temperature, e.g., −20° C., although the energy is applied to an upper portion of the container C, the liquid L which is the received object may not be able to maintain the supercooled state. There is a need that the energy should be applied to a lower portion of the container C to some extent. When the energy applied to the upper portion of the container C is relatively larger than the energy applied to the lower portion of the container C, the temperature of the upper portion of the container C can be maintained higher than the phase transition temperature or a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone. Further, the temperature of the liquid L in the supercooled state can be adjusted by the energy applied to the lower portion of the container C and the energy applied to the upper portion of the container C.
- The liquid L has been described as an example with reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4 . In the case of a received object containing a liquid, when the liquid in the received object is continuously supercooled, the received object can be kept fresh for an extended period of time. The received object can be maintained in a supercooled state at a temperature below the phase transition temperature via the above process. Here, the received object may include meat, vegetable, fruit and other food as well as the liquid. - Furthermore, the energy adopted in the present invention may be thermal energy, electric or magnetic energy, ultrasonic energy, light energy, and so on.
-
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of the apparatus for supercooling according to the present invention. - The apparatus for supercooling of
FIG. 5 includes a case Sr mounted in the storing unit S in which the cooling is performed and having a receiving space therein, a heat generation coil H1 mounted on the inside of the top surface of the case Sr and generating heat, a temperature sensor C1 sensing a temperature of an upper portion of the receiving space, a heat generation coil H2 mounted on the inside of the bottom surface of the case Sr and generating heat, and a temperature sensor C2 sensing a temperature of the lower portion of the receiving space or a temperature of a received object P. The apparatus for supercooling is installed in the storing unit S such that the cooling is performed therein. The temperature sensors C1 and C2 sense the temperature and the heat generation coils H1 and H2 are turned on to supply heat from the upper and lower portions of the receiving space to the receiving space. The heat supply quantity is adjusted to control the temperature of the upper portion of the receiving space (or the air on the received object P) to be higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone, more preferably, the phase transition temperature. - The positions of the heat generation coils H1 and H2 in
FIG. 5 are appropriately determined to supply the heat (or energy) to the received object P and the receiving space. The heat generation coils H1 and H2 may be inserted into the side surfaces of the case Sr. -
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the supercooled state of water in the apparatus for supercooling ofFIG. 5 . The graph ofFIG. 6 is a temperature graph when the liquid L is water and the principle ofFIGS. 4 and 5 is applied thereto. - As illustrated in
FIG. 6 , a line I represents a curve of the cooling temperature of the cooling space, a line II represents a curve of the temperature of the gas Lg (air) on the surface of the water in the container C or the case Sr (or the temperature of the upper portion of the container C or the case Sr), and a line III represents a curve of the temperature of the lower portion of the container C or the case Sr. A temperature of an outer surface of the container C or the case Sr is substantially identical to the temperature of the water in the container C or the case Sr. - As shown, in a case where the cooling temperature is maintained at about −19° C. to −20° C. (see the line I), when the temperature of the gas Lg on the surface of the water in the container C is maintained at about 4° C. to 6° C. which is higher than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the water, the temperature of the water in the container C is maintained at about −11° C. which is lower than a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of the water, but the water is stably maintained in a supercooled state which is a liquid state for an extended period of time. Here, the heat generation coils H1 and H2 supply heat.
- Additionally, in
FIG. 6 , the energy is applied to the surface of the water or the gas Lg on the surface of the water before the temperature of the water reaches a temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone, more preferably, the phase transition temperature due to the cooling. Thus, the water stably enters and maintains the supercooled state. -
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a non-freezing storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 9 is a sectional view of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. - The non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention roughly includes an
outer casing 100, adrawer 200 and aside casing 300. Thedrawer 200 can be inserted into and pulled out of theouter casing 100. As any separate electronic device is not attached to thedrawer 200, thedrawer 200 can be completely separated and detached from theouter casing 100. Theouter casing 100 includes athermal insulation material 110 to insulate the non-freezing storage unit from the other region of a refrigerator in which the non-freezing storage unit is located. Thedrawer 200 and theside casing 300 also includethermal insulation materials thermal insulation material 110 of theouter casing 100.Heaters 140 are installed on the inside of theouter casing 100. A control unit (not shown) adjusts heating values of theheaters 140 to control a temperature in the non-freezing storage unit. Theheaters 140 include anupper heater 142 and alower heater 144, and the control unit (not shown) control the heating values of theupper heater 142 and thelower heater 144, respectively. In addition, asensor 132 for sensing a temperature in the unit which measures the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit is installed on the upper side of theouter casing 100. In order to minimize the influence on thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit exerted by the heat of theheaters 140, theheaters 140 may not be located adjacent to thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit, and a separate thermal insulation member (not shown) may be further installed between theheaters 140 and thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit. Moreover,sensors 134 and 136 sensing a temperature of food are provided on the lower side of theouter casing 100. Thesensors 134 and 136 measure the temperature of the food located in thedrawer 200. Preferably, a plurality ofsensors 134 and 136 are installed at given intervals to reflect the temperature of the food to the operation of the non-freezing storage unit, when the food is widely distributed in thedrawer 200. In this embodiment, although twosensors 134 and 136 are installed, three or more sensors may be installed. As thesensors 134 and 136 are not installed in thedrawer 200 brought into contact with the food but in theouter casing 100, a cable for use in transferring power to thesensors 134 and 136 and receiving temperature sensing information therefrom can be removed from thedrawer 200. There is an advantage in that thedrawer 200 can be completely pulled out of theouter casing 100. If thedrawer 200 is not completely pulled out of theouter casing 100, it is inconvenient to put the food into thedrawer 200 or take the food out of thedrawer 200 and very difficult to clean thedrawer 200. Thesensors 134 and 136 are attached to bottom surfaces ofsensor installation portions outer casing 100, and thus are not exposed to the outside of theouter casing 100. -
FIG. 10 is a view of a metal plate installed in the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 11 is a view showing a state where the metal plate is installed in the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. As described above, in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, since thedrawer 200 can be completely pulled out of theouter casing 100 and separated therefrom, thesensors 134 and 136 are not located in thedrawer 200 but in theouter casing 200. There is a disadvantage in that the sensitivity of thesensors 134 and 136 sensing the temperature of the food stored in thedrawer 200 may be reduced. To compensate for this, ametal plate 232 receiving a temperature change of the food distributed in thedrawer 200, andcontact point portions metal plate 232 to thesensors 134 and 136 are provided in abasket 230 of thedrawer 200. Thecontact point portions basket 230. When thedrawer 200 is completely inserted into theouter casing 100, thesensor installation portions contact point portions sensors 134 and 136. -
FIG. 12 is a view showing a process in which the drawer of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is inserted into the outer casing, andFIG. 13 is a view showing a state where the contact point portion and the sensor installation portion of the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention are in contact with each other. Thedrawer 200 included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention includes thecontact point portions basket 230. When thecontact point portions sensor installation portions sensors 134 and 136 can sense the temperature of the food better. However, while thedrawer 200 is moved in theouter casing 100, if thecontact point portions outer casing 100, problems occur such as the abrasion of thecontact point portions outer casing 100, the noise caused by the friction, and an excessive force to push and pull thedrawer 200. Accordingly, it is preferable that thecontact point portions outer casing 100 when thedrawer 200 is moved in theouter casing 100, and should be brought into contact with thesensor installation portions drawer 200 is completely inserted into theouter casing 100. For this purpose, guideportions 120 and 220 (seeFIG. 12 ) guiding the movement position of thedrawer 200 in theouter casing 100 are provided in the corresponding positions of theouter casing 100 and thedrawer 200, respectively. - The
guide portions rails rollers drawer 200 is inserted into theouter casing 100, therollers outer casing 100 and thedrawer 200 are brought into contact with each other. Next, therollers 224 of thedrawer 200 roll over therails 122 of theouter casing 100 and therails 222 of thedrawer 200 roll over therollers 124 of theouter casing 100 at the same time such that thedrawer 200 is inserted into theouter casing 100. Therails 122 of theouter casing 100 are inclined to the lower portion so that thedrawer 200 can be downwardly moved at the back of theouter casing 100. In order to prevent therollers 224 of thedrawer 200 from being separated from therails 122 of theouter casing 100 due to the inclined portions, preferably, the rear portions of therails 122 are blocked in a width to accommodate therollers 224. Additionally, to prevent the interference between thedrawer 200 and therollers 124 of theouter casing 100 when thedrawer 200 is downwardly moved at the back of theouter casing 100, stepped portions are formed at the front of therails 222 of thedrawer 200 to accommodate therollers 124 of theouter casing 100. Therefore, referring to the drawings, while thedrawer 200 is inserted into theouter casing 100 and moved therein, thecontact point portions outer casing 100. Moreover, after thedrawer 200 is completely inserted into theouter casing 100, thedrawer 200 is downwardly moved by theguide portions contact point portions sensor installation portions -
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the drawer included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 7 and 14 , the front portion of thedrawer 200 includes afront frame 240 defining the frame of the front portion of thedrawer 200 and connected to thebasket 230, acover 250 covering the front of thefront frame 240, agasket 260 attached to the back of thefront frame 240 and sealing up between theouter casing 100 and thedrawer 200 when thedrawer 200 is closed, ahook portion 272 fixing theouter casing 100 and thedrawer 200 to be closely attached to each other when thedrawer 200 is closed, anelastic member 274 applying an elastic force to thehook portion 272, and agrip portion 276 which can release a locked state of thehook portion 272. In addition, thethermal insulation material 210 of thedrawer 200 mentioned above is filled in thefront frame 240. - When taking the
drawer 200 out of theouter casing 100 or inserting thedrawer 200 into theouter casing 100, a user can insert or take out thedrawer 200 by holding thecover 250 portion. For the user's convenience, ahandle 252 is formed at thecover 250 portion. Any shape ofhandle 252 may be used as far as it helps the user to easily take thedrawer 200 out of thecasing 100. However, for the convenience of the use, thehandle 252 is formed in the shape of a groove on the lower side of the front surface of thecover 250 so that the user can release the locked state of thehook portion 272 and pull thedrawer 200 out at the same time by gripping thegrip portion 276. If the position of thegrip portion 276 is changed, the position of thehandle 252 may also be changed so that the user can grip thegrip portion 276 and pull thedrawer 200 out at the same time. - As set forth herein, the non-freezing storage unit should be certainly insulated from the other region of the refrigerator to stably maintain the non-frozen state of the food. Here, a portion in which heat exchange with the other region of the refrigerator or heat leakage probably occurs is a gap between the
drawer 200 and theouter casing 100 located at the front. Accordingly, in order to ensure the thermal insulation of thedrawer 200 and theouter casing 100, thegasket 260 is attached to a rear portion of thefront frame 240 brought into contact with a front portion of theouter casing 100. Thegasket 260 is made of an elastic material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber and transformed between thedrawer 200 and theouter casing 100 by a force applied from thedrawer 200 and theouter casing 100, thereby sealing up the gap between thedrawer 200 and theouter casing 100. - As described above, when the
drawer 200 is completely inserted into theouter casing 100, thedrawer 200 is downwardly guided by theguide portions 120 and 220 (seeFIG. 12 ). Since theguide portions 120 and 220 (seeFIG. 12 ) are inclined at the back, thedrawer 200 receives a force in the rearward and downward directions due to the self weight. Therefore, when thedrawer 200 is completely inserted, thegasket 260 is transformed between thedrawer 200 and theouter casing 100 due to the weight of thedrawer 200 to seal up the gap. Moreover, the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a hookedportion 172 and thehook portion 272 locking theouter casing 100 and thedrawer 200 to enhance the sealing. To manipulate thehook portion 272, thegrip portion 276 is located inside thehandle 252 of thecover 250 and rotatably coupled to thefront frame 240. When the user grips thegrip portion 276 and holds thehandle 252 with thegrip portion 276, thegrip portion 276 is rotated aroundcoupling portions 276 a located at both sides of thegrip portion 276 and coupled to thecover 250 such that an upper part of thegrip portion 276 pushes a lower part of thehook portion 272. Thehook portion 272 is also rotated aroundcoupling portions 272 a coupled to thecover 250 such that an upper part of thehook portion 272 is lifted from the hookedportion 172 of theouter casing 100 and the coupling of thehook portion 272 and the hookedportion 172 is released. Thus, the user can pull thedrawer 200 out of theouter casing 100. Here, theelastic member 274 with both ends fixed by thehook portion 272 and thecover 250 is provided so that the upper part of thehook portion 272 can be firmly fixed to the hookedportion 172 of theouter casing 100 in a normal situation, pressing the same. When the user grips thegrip portion 276, the upper part of thehook portion 272 is lifted and theelastic member 274 is transformed, and when the user releases thegrip portion 276, the upper part of thehook portion 272 is downwardly moved due to a restoring force of theelastic member 274. Theouter casing 100 and thedrawer 200 are fixed by thehook portion 272 and the hookedportion 172. This ensures the sealing between theouter casing 100 and thedrawer 200. -
FIG. 15 is a view of a first example of an air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. As examined above, since thethermal insulation material 210 is filled in thefront frame 240 at the front surface portion of thedrawer 200, the thickness of thethermal insulation material 210 is smaller than that of thethermal insulation material 110 inserted into theouter casing 100, which degrades the thermal insulation effect. Accordingly, a protrudingportion 280 is formed in a ‘┐’ shape to prevent food from being put in proximity to the front surface of thedrawer 200. While the protrudingportion 280 prevents food from being put in proximity to the front surface of thedrawer 200, an air layer formed in the space where the food cannot be located due to the protrudingportion 280 can operate as a thermal insulation material. Therefore, the protrudingportion 280 has a relatively higher temperature than the front surface of thedrawer 200. Even if food is brought into contact with the protrudingportion 280, the food is prevented from being released from the supercooled state and frozen. -
FIG. 16 is a view of a second example of the air layer structure included in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. A plurality ofpins 280′ protrude from the bottom surface of thebasket 230 of thedrawer 200 to prevent food from being put in proximity to the front portion of thedrawer 200. In addition, a plurality of openingportions 290 are formed in the front portion of thebasket 230 so as to effectively transfer heat of thelower heater 144 installed in theouter casing 100 to the front portion of thebasket 230. The flow between thedrawer 200 and theouter casing 100 heated by thelower heater 144 can be circulated by convection through the openingportions 290, and thus the temperature distribution in the non-freezing storage unit can be more uniform. Preferably, arib 292 enclosing theopening portion 290 is formed around the plurality of openingportions 290 to prevent moisture of watery food or the like from being dropped into theouter casing 100 through the openingportions 290. Meanwhile, a bulkhead provided with a through hole to be able to produce a convection current, a plurality of pins protruding from the front surface of thedrawer 200 at a given height, or the like can replace the plurality ofpins 280′ protruding from the bottom surface of thebasket 230, if they can define an air layer to prevent food from being put in the front portion of thebasket 230 and the air layer can produce a convection current in the non-freezing storage unit. A sign preventing the user from putting food in thedrawer 200 may be simply provided on the inner surface of thebasket 230. -
FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the side casing provided in the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. - The
thermal insulation material 310, a control panel (not shown), a controlpanel mounting portion 320, an operation panel (not shown) and an operationpanel mounting portion 330 are installed in theside casing 300. The operation panel (not shown), which includes abutton portion display portion 316 displaying the selected function, displays the function input through thebutton portion display portion 316 and transmits information on the inputted function to the control panel (not shown). Preferably, a window (hole) is provided in a corresponding position of theside casing 300 to expose thebutton portion display portion 316 of the PCB operation substrate to the outside. Thebutton portion display portion 316 are not located on the drawing 200 but on theside casing 300 such that the drawing 200 is completely detachable from theouter casing 100. Thebutton portion button 315 a selecting a thin ice function, abutton 315 b selecting a freezing function, abutton 315 c selecting a supercooling function, and abutton 315 d turning on and off power of the non-freezing storage unit. Thedisplay portion 316 displays the power-on/off state of the non-freezing storage unit and the function currently performed in the non-freezing storage unit. When the user turns on power of the non-freezing storage unit through thebutton 315 d and selects the thin ice function through thebutton 315 a, the control panel (not shown) receives an input signal from thebutton 315 a and displays that the refrigerating function has been selected through thedisplay portion 316. In addition, the control panel (not shown) adjusts the heating values of theheaters 140 installed in the outer casing 100 (seeFIG. 8 ) such that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit ranges from about −5° C. to −8° C. The control panel (not shown) adjusts the heating values of theheaters 140 through thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit and thesensors 134 and 136 such that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit exists in a desirable temperature range. For example, when the meat is stored in the non-freezing storage unit using the thin ice mode, it can be easily cut due to thin ices. Moreover, when the user selects the freezing function through thebutton 315 b, the control panel (not shown) turns off all theheaters 140 and stores the food at the same temperature as that of the other region of the refrigerator without separate temperature control. Meanwhile, when the user selects the non-freezing function through thebutton 315 c, the control panel (not shown) continuously senses the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit and the temperature of the food through thesensors heaters 140 so that the temperature in the non-freezing storage unit can be maintained at about −2° C. to −4° C. When the meat or the like is stored at a temperature below 0° C. without being frozen by the non-freezing function, it is possible to prevent the taste from being reduced by the ice crystal formation in the meat and the destruction of fibers of the meat. - In addition, while the meat is stored in the non-freezing storage unit by the non-freezing function, its non-frozen state may be broken due to a shock or partial temperature unbalance. Even if ice crystals are formed in some part, the freezing may be easily spread to the entire meat. Once the freezing is started, the temperature is suddenly raised to near 0° C. which is the phase transition temperature. Therefore, when a sudden temperature change is sensed by the
sensors 134 and 136, it is determined that the stored food such as the meat, etc. has been frozen. The food in the non-freezing storage unit is thawed, and then stored again in the non-frozen state. To thaw the food in the non-freezing storage unit, preferably, the temperature is raised to near normal temperature, at least 2° C. and maintained for a given time such that the food is sufficiently thawed and stored again in the non-frozen state. Moreover, when the user selects the non-freezing function, the control panel (not shown) may adjust the heating values of theheaters 140 via a given algorithm using thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit and thesensors 134 and 136 so that the temperature in the unit can be maintained at −2° C. to −4° C. However, the control panel (not shown) may adjust the heating value of theupper heater 142 merely using the temperature sensed by thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature in the unit such that the temperature of the upper portion of the non-freezing storage unit is maintained at about −2° C., and may adjust the heating value of thelower heater 144 merely using the temperature sensed by thesensors 134 and 136 such that the temperature of the lower portion of the non-freezing storage unit is maintained at about −3° C. to −4° C. -
FIG. 18 is a view showing an example in which the non-freezing storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to the conventional refrigerator. Therefrigerator 1000 is divided into a freezingchamber 1100 and arefrigerating chamber 1200. Thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 is installed in the freezingchamber 1100. When thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 is installed in the freezingchamber 1100, the cool air cooling the freezingchamber 1100 cools the periphery of thenon-freezing storage unit 2000, and thus the meat in thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 is stored at a low temperature. Generally, the temperature in the freezingchamber 1100 ranges from −8° C. to −18° C., which is lower than a temperature for storing the meat in a non-frozen state. However, the control panel (not shown) adjusts the heating values of the heaters 140 (seeFIG. 9 ) via a given algorithm using thesensor 132 for sensing the temperature and thesensors 134 and 136 so that the temperature in thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 can be maintained at −2° C. to −4° C., thereby keeping the meat in the non-frozen state. The user may store the meat in a frozen state at the same temperature as that of the freezingchamber 1100 without turning on the heaters 140 (seeFIG. 9 ). -
FIG. 19 is a side-sectional view of the example in which the non-freezing storage unit of the present invention is applied to the conventional refrigerator. The freezingchamber 1100 and therefrigerating chamber 1200 are arranged on the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction in therefrigerator 1000, and thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 may be installed between shelves of the freezingchamber 1100, or the topmost shelf or the bottommost shelf of the freezingchamber 1100. Anevaporator 1300 is located on the rear surface of the freezingchamber 1100 to exchange heat with the ambient air to produce the cool air. The cool air is introduced into the freezingchamber 1100 to maintain therefrigerator 1000 at a low temperature. - The cool air heat-exchanged by the
evaporator 1300 is introduced into the freezingchamber 1100 through acool air vent 2420 via aduct 1600. When the freezingchamber 1100 is cooled by the cool air, as far as the heaters 140 (seeFIG. 9 ) are not operated, the temperature in thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 located in the freezingchamber 1100 is maintained to be the same as that of the freezingchamber 1100. When theheaters 140 are operated by the control of the control panel (not shown), the temperature in thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 is maintained at −2° C. to −4° C. to store the meat in the non-frozen state. Thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 may be fixed to the freezingchamber 1100 such that only the drawer can be opened and closed in the forward direction, or thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 itself may be separated from the freezingchamber 1100. When thenon-freezing storage unit 2000 is manufactured to be separable from the freezingchamber 1100, preferably, terminals transmitting and receiving electricity are formed in the freezingchamber 1100 and thenon-freezing storage unit 2000, respectively. - The present invention has been described in detail in connection with the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto but is defined by the appended claims.
Claims (12)
1. A non-freezing storage unit, comprising:
an outer casing with an open front surface;
a drawer which can be pulled out through the open front surface of the outer casing;
a sensor installed on the outer casing and/or the drawer;
a heater installed in the outer casing; and
an air layer formed at the front of the drawer to intercept the cool air,
wherein the non-freezing storage unit is located in a cooling space to store food in a non-frozen state at a temperature below 0° C.
2. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the air layer is separated from a food storage space in the drawer by a protruding portion protruding from the front surface of the drawer.
3. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 2 , wherein the protruding portion is formed in the shape of ‘┐’ to be bent from the top to bottom.
4. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the air layer is separated from a food storage space in the drawer by a protruding portion protruding from the bottom surface of the drawer.
5. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the drawer is provided with a sign to prevent the food from being put in a space for defining the air layer.
6. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein a thermal insulation material is filled in the inside of the outer casing.
7. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein, when the drawer is completely inserted into the outer casing, the bottom surface, the side surfaces and the rear surface of the drawer have a given interval from the outer casing.
8. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the drawer comprises a bulkhead separating the air layer from a food storage space in the drawer.
9. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 8 , wherein the bulkhead comprises an opening portion for circulating the air in the air layer and the storage room.
10. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the air layer is separated from a food storage space in the drawer by a plurality of pins protruding from the bottom surface of the drawer.
11. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 1 , wherein an opening portion is provided at the front of the bottom surface of the drawer, where the air layer has been formed, such that the air can be introduced from the lower portion of the drawer to the air layer.
12. The non-freezing storage unit of claim 11 , wherein a rib is formed around the opening portion in the bottom surface of the drawer.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020090001663A KR20100082258A (en) | 2009-01-08 | 2009-01-08 | Refrigerating room for supercooling |
KR10-2009-0001663 | 2009-01-08 | ||
PCT/KR2010/000058 WO2010079943A2 (en) | 2009-01-08 | 2010-01-06 | Non-freezing storage unit |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20110214448A1 true US20110214448A1 (en) | 2011-09-08 |
Family
ID=42316968
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/128,346 Abandoned US20110214448A1 (en) | 2009-01-08 | 2010-01-06 | Non-freezing storage unit |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110214448A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20100082258A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010079943A2 (en) |
Cited By (4)
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US20140150461A1 (en) * | 2010-05-19 | 2014-06-05 | Loren Veltrop | Refrigerated Point-of-Use Holding Cabinet with Downloadable Software |
DE102015006585A1 (en) * | 2015-01-29 | 2016-08-04 | Liebherr-Hausgeräte Lienz Gmbh | Heat-insulated and tempered container |
US20180347871A1 (en) * | 2017-06-01 | 2018-12-06 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
CN114279164A (en) * | 2021-12-30 | 2022-04-05 | 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 | Control method of refrigerator and refrigerator with food fresh-keeping and freezing functions |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN110906650A (en) * | 2019-10-10 | 2020-03-24 | 合肥晶弘电器有限公司 | Control method for supercooling non-freezing storage and refrigerator |
CN110906653A (en) * | 2019-10-10 | 2020-03-24 | 合肥晶弘电器有限公司 | Control method for supercooling non-freezing storage and refrigerator |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR20100082258A (en) | 2010-07-16 |
WO2010079943A3 (en) | 2010-12-23 |
WO2010079943A2 (en) | 2010-07-15 |
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