EP3896369A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents
Refrigerator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3896369A1 EP3896369A1 EP19895386.1A EP19895386A EP3896369A1 EP 3896369 A1 EP3896369 A1 EP 3896369A1 EP 19895386 A EP19895386 A EP 19895386A EP 3896369 A1 EP3896369 A1 EP 3896369A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- action
- fan cover
- electric motor
- opening
- control device
- Prior art date
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 56
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 claims description 211
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 claims description 60
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 claims description 60
- 230000000977 initiatory effect Effects 0.000 claims description 12
- 230000000903 blocking effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 description 33
- 235000013311 vegetables Nutrition 0.000 description 19
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 6
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000010257 thawing Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000006872 improvement Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 229920003002 synthetic resin Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000000057 synthetic resin Substances 0.000 description 3
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000155 melt Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000003507 refrigerant Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005057 refrigeration Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000638 solvent extraction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007664 blowing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920002635 polyurethane Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/062—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators
- F25D17/065—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators with compartments at different temperatures
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/042—Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/045—Air flow control arrangements
-
- 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
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2500/00—Problems to be solved
- F25B2500/12—Sound
-
- 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
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2600/00—Control issues
- F25B2600/11—Fan speed control
- F25B2600/112—Fan speed control of evaporator fans
-
- 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
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/068—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the fans
- F25D2317/0681—Details thereof
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a refrigerator for cooling and storing foods in a storage chamber, and particularly to a refrigerator using a shielding device to properly block an air passageway communicated with the storage chamber.
- In the prior art, there is already a refrigerator using a cooler to properly cool a plurality of storage chambers as disclosed in patent document 1.
- Patent document 1:
Japanese Public Patent No. 2013-2664 -
FIG. 14 schematically shows arefrigerator 100 disclosed in the patent document. In therefrigerator 100 shown in the figure, arefrigerating compartment 101, a freezingcompartment 102, and avegetable compartment 103 are formed from top to bottom. A coolingchamber 104 for receiving a cooler 108 is formed inside the freezingcompartment 102, and apartition wall 105 that partitions thecooling chamber 104 from the freezingcompartment 102 is formed with anopening 106 for supplying cold air to each storage chamber. In addition, theopening 106 is provided with ablower fan 107 that sends out cold air, and afan cover 110 covering theblower fan 107 is located in the freezingcompartment 102. Anair damper 114 is provided at a middle portion of anair passageway 109 through which the cold air supplied to therefrigerating compartment 101 circulates. - The
fan cover 110 will be described in detail with reference toFIG. 15 . Arecess 111 having a substantially quadrangular shape is formed in thefan cover 110, and thefan cover 110 is formed with anopening 113 obtained by partially cutting out an upper portion of therecess 111. Here, in a case where thefan cover 110 covers theblower fan 107, theopening 113 of thefan cover 110 communicates with theair passageway 109 on the side of the refrigerator body. - The
refrigerator 100 configured above operates as follows. Referring toFIG. 14 , first, in a case where refrigeratingcompartment 101 and the freezingcompartment 102 are both cooled, thefan cover 110 is separated from theblower fan 107, theair damper 114 is opened, and theblower fan 107 is rotated in this state. As such, part of the cold air cooled by the cooler 108 in thecooling chamber 104 is sent to the freezingchamber 102 based on a blowing force of theblower fan 107. In addition, the remaining part of the cold air is sent to therefrigerating compartment 101 via theair passageway 109, theair damper 114, and theair passageway 109. Thereby, both the freezingcompartment 102 and therefrigerating compartment 101 are cooled. - On the other hand, when only the
refrigerating compartment 101 is cooled, theblower fan 107 is covered with thefan cover 110, theair damper 114 is opened, and in this state, theblower fan 107 sends out cold air cooled by the cooler 108. When thefan cover 110 is in a closed state, theopening 113 formed at the upper portion of thefan cover 110 communicates with theair passageway 109. As a result, the cold air sent by theblower fan 107 is supplied to therefrigerating compartment 101 via theopening 113, theair damper 114 and theair passageway 109. - As stated above, with the
fan cover 110 formed with theopening 113 being used, a plurality of storage chambers can be properly cooled with onecooler 108. - However, in the
refrigerator 100 having the above structure, there exists a problem that a large action sound is generated along with the opening/closing action of thefan cover 110. - Specifically, referring to
FIG. 14 , when thefan cover 110 performs a closing action for theopening 106, thefan cover 110 is moved rearward by a driving force of an electric motor not shown in the figure here. At this time, when a rear end of thefan cover 110 abuts against thepartition wall 105, a large action sound might be generated. - In addition, when the
fan cover 110 performs an opening action for theopening 106, thefan cover 110 is moved forward by the driving force of the electric motor. When a front end of thefan cover 110 abuts against another member, a large action sound might be generated accompanying the abutment. - Furthermore, when the closing act is applied to the
fan cover 110, an overstep action further rotating the electric motor is sometimes further performed after the rear end of thefan cover 110 abuts against thepartition wall 105. Upon the overstep, parts configured around thefan cover 110 resonates with the electric motor, thereby causing an issue that a large noise will be generated. The issue occurs when thefan cover 110 performs an opening action. - In view of the above, it is necessary to improve the existing refrigerators to solve the above problem.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of reducing an action sound generated accompanying an opening and closing action of the fan cover.
- To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising a cooler of a freezing loop, the cooler being configured to cool air supplied via an air supply passageway to a storage chamber; a cooling chamber equipped with the cooler and formed with an air supply port communicated with the storage chamber; a blower fan configured to feed the air supplied through the air supply port to the storage chamber; a shielding device at least partially blocking the air supply port; and a control device configured to control acts of the freezing loop, the blower fan and the shielding device, the shielding device comprises: a fan cover configured to cover the blower fan from the outside of the cooling chamber; a drive shaft configured to drive the fan cover to open and close; a screw mechanism formed between the drive shaft and the fan cover; and an electric motor configured to rotate the drive shaft, the control device causes the fan cover to approach the blower fan by rotating the drive shaft in one direction, to perform a closing action to close the air passageway, the control device moves the fan cover away from the blower fan by rotating the drive shaft in another direction, to perform an opening action of opening the air passageway, the control device performs a silent action during a termination period of the closing action or the opening action, the silent action reducing the action sound caused by the action of the electric motor.
- Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, when the closing action or the opening action of the fan cover is performed, the noise generated from the shielding device can be reduced by performing the silent action during the termination period thereof.
- As a further improvement of the present invention, the silent action is an action of making a rotation speed of the electric motor become a low speed.
- Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the noise generated from the shielding device can be reduced by making the rotation speed of the electric motor become a low speed during the termination period.
- As a further improvement of the present invention, in the silent action, the rotation speed of the electric motor is made become be half or less of a normal opening and closing action.
- Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the noise generated from the shielding device can be further reduced by making the rotation speed of the electric motor half or less during the termination period.
- As a further improvement of the present invention, the silent action is an action of making the electric motor rotate intermittently.
- Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, when the closing action or opening action of the fan cover is performed, the noise generated from the shielding device can be reduced by making the electric motor act intermittently during the termination period.
- As a further improvement of the present invention, during a cooling operation, the control device makes the rotation speed of the electric motor become a low speed during the termination period of the closing action or the opening action, to achieve the silent action, during performing the initial action, the control device makes the electric motor rotate intermittently during the termination period of the closing action or the opening action to achieve the silent action.
- Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, when the fan cover is opened and closed during the normal cooling operation of the refrigerator, the noise generated from the shielding device can be reduced by making the electric motor run at a low speed during the termination period. In addition, when the initial action for detecting the position of the fan cover is performed, the action sound generated accompanying the initial action is reduced by making the electric motor rotate intermittently during the termination period of the closing action or the opening action.
- An advantageous effect of the present invention is that when the refrigerator of the present invention performs the closing action or opening action of the fan cover, the noise generated from the shielding device can be reduced by performing a silent action during the termination period thereof.
-
-
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an air passageway of the refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a cooling chamber in a state that a fan cover of the refrigerator according to the present invention is opened. -
FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the cooling chamber in a state that the fan cover of the refrigerator according to the present invention is closed. -
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a shielding device of the refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a connection structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an operation method of the refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 9 (A) is a cross-sectional view of an opening action of the shielding device. -
FIG. 9 (B) is a cross-sectional view of a closing action of the shielding device. -
FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between the number of steps and a rotation speed of an electric motor when a lower-speed action is performed as a silent action in the opening/closing action of the shielding device of the refrigerator according to the present invention. -
FIG. 11(A) to FIG. 11(B) are graphs showing characteristics when an intermittent action is performed as a silent action in the opening/closing action of the shielding device of the refrigerator according to the present invention, whereinFIG. 11(A) shows a relationship between the number of steps and the rotation speed of the electric motor, andFIG. 11(B) shows a relationship between an elapsed time and the rotation speed of the electric motor. -
FIG. 12 (A) to FIG. 12 (B) are graphs showing an effect of the shielding device according to the present invention, whereinFIG. 12(A) shows a magnitude of an action sound accompanying an overstep action of a shielding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 12(B) shows a magnitude of an action sound accompanying an overstep action of the shielding device according to the present invention. -
FIG. 13(A) to FIG. 13(B) are graphs showing the effect of the shielding device according to the present invention, whereinFIG. 13(A) is a graph showing the magnitude of the action sound accompanying the opening/closing action of the shielding device according to a comparative example, andFIG. 13(B) is a graph showing the magnitude of the action sound accompanying the opening/closing action of the shielding device according to the present invention. -
FIG. 14 is a side sectional view of a conventional refrigerator described in the Background Art. -
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a fan cover used in a conventional refrigerator described in the Background Art. - Parts designated by reference numerals
- 10 refrigerator
- 12 Heat-insulating cabinet
- 121 outer box
- 122 inner box
- 123 heat-insulating material
- 13 Refrigerating compartment
- 14 Ice-making room
- 141 Freezing compartment
- 15 Upper freezing compartment
- 16 Lower freezing compartment
- 17 Vegetable compartment
- 18 Heat-insulating door
- 181 Heat-insulating door
- 182 Heat-insulating door
- 19 Heat-insulating door
- 20 Heat-insulating door
- 21 Heat-insulating door
- 22 Heat-insulating door
- 23 Cooling chamber
- 24 Refrigerating compartment air supply passageway
- 25 Freezing compartment air supply passageway
- 26 Vegetable compartment air supply passageway
- 27 Air outlet
- 28 Air outlet
- 30 Air outlet
- 31 Air return port
- 33 Air return port
- 34 Air return port
- 35 Partition member
- 36 Air supply port
- 37 Partition member
- 38 Heat-insulating partition wall
- 39 Heat-insulating partition wall
- 41 Compressor
- 42 Cooler
- 43 Defrost heater
- 44 Refrigerating compartment air damper
- 45 Partition member
- 50 blower fan
- 52 Fan
- 60 Shielding device
- 61 Fan cover
- 62 Drive shaft
- 621 trunk
- 63 Support base
- 64 Storage chamber side cover
- 65 recess
- 66 Guide pin
- 67 Guide hole
- 69 Cooling chamber side cover
- 70 control device
- 76 Partition member support
- 77 Blower fan support
- 78 Through hole
- 79 Flange
- 80 main face
- 801 Opening
- 81 Side
- 82 Opening
- 86 Shaft support
- 91 temperature sensor
- 92 Timer
- 93 Electric motor
- 100 refrigerator
- 101 Refrigerating compartment
- 102 Freezing compartment
- 103 Vegetable compartment
- 104 Cooling chamber
- 105 Division wall
- 106 Opening
- 107 Air supply fan
- 108 Cooler
- 109 Air passageway
- 110 Fan cover
- 111 Recess
- 113 Opening
- 114 Air damper.
- In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the figures and specific embodiments.
- Hereinafter, the
refrigerator 10 according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the figures. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in principle, and repeated depictions are omitted. Furthermore, although directions such as up, down, front, back, left and right are used as appropriate in the following description, left and right indicate the left and right when therefrigerator 10 is viewed from the front. -
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a front face of therefrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1 , therefrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment comprises a heat-insulatingcabinet 12 as a main body, and a storage chamber for storing foods is formed in an interior of the heat-insulatingcabinet 12. Regarding the storage chamber, the uppermost layer is arefrigerating compartment 13, a left side of a lower layer is an ice-makingcompartment 14 and a right side of the lower layer is an upper-layer freezing compartment 15, a further lower layer is a lower-layer freezing compartment 16, and the lowermost layer is thevegetable compartment 17. In addition, the ice-makingcompartment 14, the upper-layer freezing compartment 15 and the lower-layer freezing compartment 16 are all storage chambers in a freezing temperature range. In the following depictions, they may be collectively referred to as a freezingcompartment 141 as appropriate. - A front face of the heat-insulating
cabinet 12 is opened. At openings corresponding to the storage chambers are respectively provided heat-insulating doors 18-22 which can be opened and closed freely. A heat-insulatingdoor 181 and a heat-insulatingdoor 182 divide and block a front face of therefrigerating compartment 13, and are supported by the heat-insulatingcabinet 12 in a freely rotatable manner. In addition, the heat-insulatingdoor 19 to the heat-insulatingdoor 22 are respectively integrally combined with storage containers, and are supported by the heat-insulatingcabinet 12 in a way that the combinations can be freely drawn toward the front of therefrigerator 10. Specifically, the heat-insulatingdoor 19 blocks the ice-makingcompartment 14, the heat-insulatingdoor 20 blocks the upper-layer freezing compartment 15, the heat-insulatingdoor 21 blocks the lower-layer freezing compartment 16, and the heat-insulatingdoor 22 blocks thevegetable compartment 17. -
FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of therefrigerator 10. As shown inFIG. 2 through FIG. 5 , solid arrows indicates flow directions of cold air circulating in the compartments. As shown inFIG. 2 , the heat-insulatingcabinet 12 as the main body of therefrigerator 10 comprises anouter box 121 made of a steel plate with an open front, aninner box 122 disposed in theouter box 121 with a gap, having an opening in the front and made of a synthetic resin, and a heat-insulatingmaterial 123 made of foamed polyurethane filled and foamed in the gap between theouter box 121 and theinner box 122. In addition, the above-mentioned heat-insulatingdoors 18 and so on also employ the same heat-insulating configuration as the heat-insulatingcabinet 12. - The refrigerating
compartment 13 and the freezingcompartment 141 located at a lower layer thereof are partitioned by a heat-insulatingpartition wall 38. The ice-makingcompartment 14 and the upper-layer freezing compartment 15 inside the freezingcompartment 141 are partitioned by a partition wall not shown. In addition, the ice-makingcompartment 14 and the upper-layer freezing compartment 15 are communicated with the lower-layer freezing compartment 16 therebelow in a way that the cold air can circulate freely. Furthermore, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17 are partitioned by a heat-insulatingpartition wall 39. - In a rear of the
refrigerating compartment 13 is formed a refrigerating compartmentair supply passageway 24 partitioned by apartition member 37 made of a synthetic resin and supplying cold air to therefrigerating compartment 13. Thepartition member 37 is formed withair outlets 27 through which cold air is blown out to therefrigerating compartment 13. In addition, a refrigeratingcompartment air damper 44 is provided in the refrigerating compartmentair supply passageway 24. The refrigeratingcompartment air damper 44 is a freely openable and closable air damper driven by an electric motor or the like, and is used to control a flow of cold air supplied to therefrigerating compartment 13 and appropriately maintain the temperature in therefrigerating compartment 13. - In the rear of the freezing
compartment 141, a freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25 enabling cold air cooled by a cooler 42 to flow to the freezingcompartment 141 is formed. A coolingchamber 23 is formed in the further rear of the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25, and the cooler 42 as an evaporator for cooling the cold air circulating in the compartment is disposed in the coolingchamber 23. - The cooler 42 is connected to a
compressor 41, a condenser (not shown), and an expansion unit such as a capillary tube (not shown) through a refrigerant pipe, to constitute a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle circuit. -
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the air supply passageway of therefrigerator 10. As shown inFIG. 3 , therefrigerator 10 comprises a vegetable compartmentair supply passageway 26 connecting therefrigerating compartment 13 with thevegetable compartment 17. As a result, the cold air supplied to therefrigerating compartment 13 flows into the vegetable compartmentair supply passageway 26 through anair return port 31 formed in a lower portion of therefrigerating compartment 13 and is blown out through theair outlet 30 and supplied to thevegetable compartment 17. As shown inFIG. 2 , anair return port 34 connected to a lower portion of the coolingchamber 23 is formed in thevegetable compartment 17, and the cold air in thevegetable compartment 17 flows through theair return port 34 to the lower portion of the coolingchamber 23. -
FIG. 4 andFIG. 5 are side cross-sectional views showing the configuration near the coolingchamber 23 of therefrigerator 10.FIG. 4 shows a state in which thefan cover 61 is opened, andFIG. 5 shows a state in which thefan cover 61 is closed. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , the coolingchamber 23 is disposed inside the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25 in the interior of the heat-insulatingcabinet 12. The coolingchamber 23 is separated from the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25 or the freezingcompartment 141 by apartition member 35 made of a synthetic resin. That is, the coolingchamber 23 is a space sandwiched by theinner box 122 and thepartition member 35. - The freezing compartment
air supply passageway 25 formed in front of the coolingchamber 23 is a space formed between thepartition member 35 and apartition member 45 assembled in the front thereof, and becomes the air supply passageway through which the cold air cooled by the cooler 42 flows. An upper portion of the freezing compartment air supply passageway is connected to the refrigerating compartmentair supply passageway 24. - The
partition member 45 is formed with openings, namely,air outlets 28, through which cold air is blown into the freezingchamber 141. Anair return port 33 for returning cold air from the freezingcompartment 141 to a lower portion of the coolingchamber 23 is formed on the back of the lower portion of the lower-layer freezing compartment 16. - In addition, below the cooler 42, a defrosting
heater 43 is provided as a defrosting unit that melts and removes the frost attached to the cooler 42. Thedefrost heater 43 is a resistive heating type heater. - The
partition member 35 in the upper portion of the coolingchamber 23 is formed with an opening, namely, anair supply port 36, connected to the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25. Ablower fan 50 for sending cold air to the freezingcompartment 141 is disposed in front of theair supply port 36. Theblower fan 50 is a centrifugal blower fan including afan 52. - A shielding
device 60 having amovable fan cover 61 is disposed in front of theblower fan 50. Thefan cover 61 is close to theblower fan 50 from the side of the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25 to at least partially cover theblower fan 50 and theair supply port 36. A surface of thefan cover 61 facing theblower fan 50 is formed into a substantially concave shape. Thereby, thefan cover 61 can block theair supply port 36 without contacting thefan 52 of theblower fan 50 disposed in front of theair supply port 36. - Furthermore, the
fan cover 61 is driven by adrive shaft 62 disposed on the side of thepartition member 45 to move in a front-rear direction. Specifically, during the opening action, theelectric motor 93 and thedrive shaft 62 rotate in one direction based on an instruction from thecontrol device 70 described later, so that thefan cover 61 moves in a direction away from theblower fan 50, i.e., moves forward. As a result, theair supply port 36 will not be shielded, and an air passageway for cold air is formed between thefan cover 61 and thepartition member 45. Thereby, the cold air cooled by the cooler 42 is sent out by theblower fan 50 and supplied to therefrigerating compartment 13, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17. - In addition, as shown in
FIG. 5 , in the closing action, theelectric motor 93 and thedrive shaft 62 rotate in the other direction based on an instruction from thecontrol device 70 described later, so that thefan cover 61 moves in a direction closer to theblower fan 50, i.e., moves backward. As a result, theair supply port 36 is blocked, and the air passageway through which cold air flows in the upper-layer freezing compartment 15 is blocked. On the other hand, in this state, through the opening formed in the upper portion of thefan cover 61, the cold air is sent out through the refrigerating compartmentair supply passageway 24 to therefrigerating compartment 13. - As described above, in the
refrigerator 10, the cold air sent by theblower fan 50 is sent to therefrigerating compartment 13, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17. In addition, the cold air after cooling therefrigerating compartment 13, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17 returns to the coolingchamber 23 via an air return passageway. As a result, the moisture contained in the items stored in therefrigerating compartment 13, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17 returns to the coolingchamber 23 and then adheres to the cooler 42 to form frost. If the frost formation is intensified, air supply and heat exchange in the coolingchamber 23 will be hindered, so the defrosting operation is performed. In the defrosting operation, thecontrol device 70 described later stops thecompressor 41 and theblower fan 50, blocks theair supply port 36 and thefan cover 61, closes the refrigeratingcompartment air damper 44, and energizes thedefrost heater 43. Thereby, the interior of the coolingchamber 23 becomes warm, and the frost adhered to the cooler 42 melts. - If the defrosting of the cooler 42 is completed, the
control device 70 described later stops energizing thedefrost heater 43, starts thecompressor 41, and starts the cooling performed by the refrigeration loop. Then, after detecting that the cooler 42 and the coolingchamber 23 are cooled to a predetermined temperature or after a predetermined time elapses in a timer, as shown inFIG. 4 , thecontrol device 70 opens thefan cover 61 and starts the operation of theblower fan 50. In this way, the cooling operation can be restarted. - The structure of the above-mentioned
shielding device 60 will be described with reference toFIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of theshielding device 60 as viewed from the upper rear side. - The shielding
device 60 comprises: afan cover 61 that blocks theblower fan 50 in a freely openable and closable manner from the outside of the coolingchamber 23; adrive shaft 62 that drives thefan cover 61 from a side opposite to the coolingchamber 23; and asupport base 63 that not only supports theblower fan 50, but also supports thefan cover 61 and thedrive shaft 62 freely slidably. The shieldingdevice 60 is disposed between a storage chamber side cover 64 which is a part of thepartition member 45 for partitioning the freezingcompartment 141, and a cooling chamber side cover 69 which is a part of thepartition member 35 for partitioning the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25. In addition, the shieldingdevice 60 is mounted behind the storage chamber side cover 64 which is a part of thepartition member 45. Specifically, arecess 65 recessed toward the front is formed on the rear of of thepartition member 45, and theshielding device 60 is accommodated in therecess 65. - The
fan cover 61 is a cover-shaped member capable of appropriately blocking theblower fan 50 and comprises amain surface portion 80 and aside surface portion 81 erected rearward from a peripheral edge portion of themain surface portion 80. Theside surface portion 81 is erected from side peripheral edges and a lower peripheral edge of themain surface portion 80, and theside surface portion 81 is not erected from an upper peripheral edge of themain surface portion 80. Anopening 82 is formed at an upper end portion of thefan cover 61. Accordingly, even though theblower fan 50 is blocked by thefan cover 61, cold air can be sent to therefrigerating compartment 13 through theopening 82. In addition, aguide hole 67 fitted with aguide pin 66 of thesupport base 63 described later is disposed on the outside of theside surface portion 81. In addition, anopening 801 is formed near a center of themain surface portion 80 of thefan cover 61, and theopening 801 is a through screw hole being in a substantially circular shape and having a screw groove formed inside. - The
support base 63 is formed with a substantiallycylindrical guide pin 66 that slidably supports thefan cover 61 in the front-rear direction. Two guide pins 66 are provided here, and respectively extend rearward from a main surface of thesupport base 63 in substantially parallel to a rotation axis of thefan 52. Thefan cover 61 is formed with guide holes 67 into which the guide pins 66 are freely slidably fitted. - Three blower
fan support portions 77 are vertically erected rearward from the main surface of thesupport base 63. The blowerfan support portion 77 has a cylindrical shape, and its rear end runs through a throughhole 78 formed on the main surface of thefan cover 61 and abuts on a front surface of aflange portion 79 of theblower fan 50. The blowerfan support portion 77 and the flange portion of theblower fan 50 are fastened by fastening means, such as a screw. - In addition, two partition
member support portions 76 are vertically erected rearward from a lower portion of the main surface of thesupport base 63. A rear end of the partitionmember support portion 76 abuts against the cooling chamber side cover 69 of thepartition member 35, and is fastened with the cooling chamber side cover 69 by a screw. - The
support base 63 is mounted with adrive shaft 62 for moving thefan cover 61 in the front-rear direction. Thedrive shaft 62 is rotatably supported by ashaft support portion 86 formed on thesupport base 63. - The
drive shaft 62 has atrunk 621 formed in a cylindrical shape, and a thread not shown here is formed in a spiral shape on the outer surface of thetrunk 621. The thread of thetrunk 621 of thedrive shaft 62 is threadedly engaged with the screw groove of theopening 801 of thefan cover 61. That is, a screw mechanism is formed between thefan cover 61 and thedrive shaft 62. In addition, an electric motor 93 (not shown) is built in theshaft support portion 86 of thesupport base 63, and thedrive shaft 62 rotates by a predetermined angle based on the driving force of theelectric motor 93. If thedrive shaft 62 is rotated in one direction, thefan cover 61 will approach theblower fan 50, and as shown inFIG. 5 , the air passageway will become a closed state. On the other hand, if the electric motor rotates thedrive shaft 62 in the other direction, thefan cover 61 will move away from theblower fan 50, and as shown inFIG. 4 , the air passageway will become an open state. - As described above, the
blower fan 50 is disposed at a position covering theair supply port 36 and is configured closer to the front side, namely, the side of the freezingcompartment 141, than theair supply port 36. Theblower fan 50 can employ a centrifugal blower fan that sends out cold air in the centrifugal direction and specifically can employ a vortex fan. - The connection structure of the
refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to the block diagram ofFIG. 7 . Therefrigerator 10 has acontrol device 70 as a CPU, a temperature sensor 91, a timer 92, acompressor 41, ablower fan 50, anelectric motor 93, a refrigeratingcompartment air damper 44, and adefrost heater 43. The temperature sensor 91 and the timer 92 are connected to an input side terminal of thecontrol device 70. Thecompressor 41, theblower fan 50, theelectric motor 93, the refrigeratingcompartment air damper 44 and thedefrost heater 43 are connected to an output side terminal of thecontrol device 70. - The temperature sensor 91 is arranged in the
refrigerating compartment 13, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17, respectively, and transmits information indicating the temperature in these storage chambers to thecontrol device 70. - The timer 92 measures a cooling duration for cooling the
refrigerating compartment 13, the freezingcompartment 141 and thevegetable compartment 17, an operating duration of thedefrost heater 43, and transmits information indicating the durations to thecontrol device 70. - The
compressor 41 compresses a refrigerant used in the freezing loop in accordance with an instruction from thecontrol device 70 as described above. - The
blower fan 50 sends out the cold air cooled by the cooler 42 of the freezing loop to each storage chamber in accordance with an instruction from thecontrol device 70 as described above. - The
electric motor 93 rotates thedrive shaft 62 of theshielding device 60 by a predetermined angle in accordance with the instruction from thecontrol device 70. Theelectric motor 93, for example, employs a stepping electric motor. - The refrigerating
compartment air damper 44 appropriately blocks the cold air sent to the refrigerating compartmentair supply passageway 24 in accordance with the instruction from thecontrol device 70. - The
defrost heater 43 is energized in accordance with the instruction from thecontrol device 70 to warm the air in the coolingchamber 23. - Based on
FIG. 8 ,FIG. 9 ,FIG. 10 andFIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) , referring to the above-mentioned figures, a control method for reducing an action sound accompanying the opening and closing operation of thefan cover 61 will be described in the present embodiment.FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling the opening and closing of thefan cover 61.FIG. 9(A) is a cross-sectional view showing theshielding device 60 upon completion of the opening act, andFIG. 9(B) is a cross-sectional view showing theshielding device 60 upon completion of the closing action.FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between the number of steps and the rotation speed of theelectric motor 93.FIG. 11(A) is a graph showing the number of steps and the number of revolutions of theelectric motor 93 in a case where the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61 is performed.FIG. 11(B) is a graph showing a relationship between an operation time and the number of revolutions of theelectric motor 93 in an intermittent action. - First, the outline of the control method of the present embodiment will be described. As described with reference to
FIG. 5 , when the closing action of blocking the air passageway with thefan cover 61 is performed, theelectric motor 93 is used to rotate thedrive shaft 62 in one direction, and thefan cover 61 is moved backward. The peripheral edge portion of thefan cover 61 abuts against thepartition member 35 around theair supply port 36, and an air passageway connected to the freezing compartmentair supply passageway 25 from theair supply port 36 is shielded. At this time, when thefan cover 61 abuts against thepartition member 35, a loud abutting sound may occur, and the user may feel uncomfortable with the abutting sound. In addition, when theelectric motor 93 is operating, noise might also occur due to the resonance of members provided around theelectric motor 93. - To this end, in the present embodiment, a silent action is performed during a termination period of the closing operation of the
fan cover 61. - Here, the termination period refers to a period from just before the
fan cover 61 abuts against another member until theelectric motor 93 stops during the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. Therefore, in the case of performing an overstepping action described later, the termination period refers to a period from immediately before thefan cover 61 abuts against another member to the end of the overstepping action. As an example, referring toFIG. 10 , in a case where the opening and closing act is 1940 steps as a whole, the period fromstep 0 to step 1750 is a period in which the normal opening and closing action is performed, and the period from step 1751 to step 1940 is the termination period. - In addition, as the silent action, there are a low-speed action described later with reference to
FIG. 10 and an intermittent action described later with reference toFIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) . By performing the silent action, it is possible to reduce the action sound generated by the rotation of theelectric motor 93, and to reduce the discomfort felt by the user. - In addition, this matter is also the same in the opening action of the
fan cover 61 shown inFIG. 4 . That is, by rotating theelectric motor 93 and thedrive shaft 62 in a direction opposite to the above, thefan cover 61 is moved away from theblower fan 50 so that the air passageway becomes an opened state. The following silent action is performed to reduce the noise generated at this time. - Referring to
FIG. 8 , specifically, first, in step S10, thecontrol device 70 judges whether thefan cover 61 is performing an opening action or a closing action. If thefan cover 61 is performing an opening action or a closing action, that is, if step S10 is "YES", thecontrol device 70 turns to step S11. On the other hand, if thefan cover 61 is not performing an opening action or a closing action, that is, if step S10 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 ends without performing the silent action. - In step S11, the
control device 70 judges whether a normal cooling action is being performed. Here, the normal cooling action refers to an action that, referring toFIG. 2 , based on the instruction of thecontrol device 70, theblower fan 50 sends the cold air inside the coolingchamber 23 cooled by the cooler 42 to each storage chamber, thereby cooling each storage chamber to a given cooling temperature range. - If the normal cooling action is being performed, that is, if step S11 is "YES", the
control device 70 proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the normal cooling action is not performed, that is, if step S11 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 proceeds to step S16. - In step S12 through step S15, the
control device 70 performs a low-speed action as the aforementioned silent action. - Specifically, first, in step S12, the
electric motor 93 is rotated at a normal speed, so that thefan cover 61 is moved at a relatively high speed. - Here, the rotation speed of the electric motor will be described with reference to the graph of
FIG. 10 . In the present embodiment, the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61 comprises a normal opening and closing action and a low-speed action during the termination period. The normal opening and closing action in step S12 is, for example, an action in the period fromstep 0 to step 1,750, and the number of revolutions of theelectric motor 93 is set to 500 PPS. The opening and closing action of thefan cover 61 can be performed quickly by setting the rotation speed of theelectric motor 93 in the normal opening and closing action to 500 PPS. - In step S13, the
control device 70 judges whether thefan cover 61 has reached the termination period. Specifically, referring toFIG. 10 , if the number of steps of theelectric motor 93reaches 1750 steps, thecontrol device 70 judges that thefan cover 61 has reached the termination period. On the other hand, if the number of steps of theelectric motor 93 is 1750 steps or less, thecontrol device 70 judges that thefan cover 61 has not reached the termination period. - If the
fan cover 61 reaches the termination period, that is, if step S13 is "YES", thecontrol device 70 turns to step S14. On the other hand, if thefan cover 61 has not reached the termination period, that is, if step S13 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 returns to step S12 to rotate theelectric motor 93 at a normal speed, and continues to perform the normal opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. - In step S14, during the termination period of the opening and closing action, the
electric motor 93 is made rotate at a lower speed. Referring toFIG. 10 , the low-speed action as the silent operation here is, for example, an action during the period from step 1751 to step 1940. In addition, the rotation speed of theelectric motor 93 in the low-speed action is set to half or less of the rotation speed of theelectric motor 93 in the normal opening and closing action, for example, 250 PPS. By reducing the number of revolutions of theelectric motor 93, it is possible to suppress the resonance of thefan cover 61 and surrounding members thereof due to vibration generated by theelectric motor 93, and to suppress the generation of a large action noise. - In step S15, the
control device 70 judges whether the opening action or the closing action of thefan cover 61 has ended. - Step S15 will be described with reference to
FIG. 9 . Referring toFIG. 9(A) , in the opening action of thefan cover 61, the screw groove of thefan cover 61 moves to the end of the thread of thedrive shaft 62, so that the opening action ends. Alternatively, it may be arranged that the front end of thefan cover 61 abuts against thesupport base 63, so that the opening action ends. In this state, the air passageway from theblower fan 50 to the freezingcompartment 141 is not closed by thefan cover 61, and becomes an open state. - Referring to
FIG. 9(B) , in the closing action of thefan cover 61, a rear end portion of thefan cover 61 is made contact thepartition member 35, so that the closing action ends. In this state, the air passageway from theblower fan 50 to the freezingcompartment 141 is closed by thefan cover 61. - If the
fan cover 61 abuts against another member, that is, if step S15 is "YES", thecontrol device 70 stops theelectric motor 93 and ends the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. On the other hand, if thefan cover 61 does not abut against another member, that is, if step S15 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 returns to step S14 to enable theelectric motor 93 to rotate at a low speed and continue the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. - Here, the situation of performing an overstepping action will be described. Referring to
FIG. 10 , thefan cover 61 abuts against another member, for example, the number of steps of electric motor reaches 1840 steps. Fromstep 1750 to step 1840, thecontrol device 70 causes thefan cover 61 to perform a silent action while performing the opening and closing action. After that, from step 1841 to step 1940, thecontrol device 70 performs an overstep action of further rotating theelectric motor 93 in the same direction so far, in a state that thefan cover 61 abuts against another member. If the number of steps of the electric motor reaches 1940 steps, thecontrol device 70 stops theelectric motor 93. Thefan cover 61 can be opened and closed more reliably by performing the overstep action. - In step S16 to step S20, an intermittent action is performed as the aforementioned silent action.
- Specifically, first, in step S16, the
control device 70 judges whether an initial action has been performed. Here, the initial action refers to an action of recognizing the position of thefan cover 61 by moving thefan cover 61 to a front end or a rear end with reference toFIG. 5 . For example, the initial action is performed when therefrigerator 10 is powered on. - If the initial action has been performed, that is, if step S16 is "YES", the
control device 70 turns to step S17. On the other hand, if the initial action has not been performed, that is, if step S16 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 completes the action. - In step S17, by rotating the
electric motor 93 at a normal speed, theblower cover 61 is moved at a relatively high speed. Here, as in step S12 described above, during the period fromstep 0 to step 1750, the number of revolutions of theelectric motor 93 is set to 500 PPS. - In step S18, the
control device 70 judges whether thefan cover 61 has reached the termination period. Specifically, referring toFIG. 11(A) , when the number of steps of theelectric motor 93reaches 1750 steps, thecontrol device 70 judges that theelectric motor 93 has reached the termination period. - If the
fan cover 61 reaches the termination period, that is, if step S18 is "YES", thecontrol device 70 turns to step S19. On the other hand, if thefan cover 61 has not reached the termination period, that is, if step S18 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 returns to step S17 of rotating theelectric motor 93 at the normal speed, and continuing the normal opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. - In step S19, the
electric motor 93 is made rotate intermittently during the termination period of the opening and closing action. This intermittent action will be described with reference toFIG. 11(A) and FIG. 11(B) . - As shown in
FIG. 11(A) , here, the normal opening and closing action is performed fromstep 0 to step 1750, and the intermittent action is performed from step 1751 to step 1940. - As shown in
FIG. 11(B) , in the intermittent action, theelectric motor 93 rotates intermittently at a given time interval. Specifically, after theelectric motor 93 rotates at 500 PPS for 10 steps, theelectric motor 93 stops for 10 msec. In step S19, the intermittent action is performed repeatedly. By performing this intermittent operation, it is possible to suppress the resonance of thefan cover 61 and surrounding members thereof due to vibration generated by theelectric motor 93, and to suppress the generation of a large action noise. - In step S20, the
control device 70 judges whether the opening action or the closing action of thefan cover 61 has already ended. In step S20, the same action as the above-mentioned step S15 is performed. - If the opening action or closing action of the
fan cover 61 ends, that is, if the step S20 is "YES", thecontrol device 70 stops theelectric motor 93 and ends the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. On the other hand, if the opening action or closing action of thefan cover 61 has not ended, i.e., if step S20 is "NO", thecontrol device 70 returns to step S19 to make theelectric motor 93 rotate intermittently and continue the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61 . - The above is the depictions of the action of the
refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. - Hereinafter, the effect of the
refrigerator 10 according to the above-mentioned present embodiment will be described. - In the present embodiment, during the termination period, the action sound generated upon the overstep action can be reduced. This effect will be described with reference to
FIG. 12(A) and FIG. 12(B) . InFIG. 12(A) and FIG. 12(B) , a horizontal axis represents an elapsed time, and a vertical axis represents a magnitude of the action sound. Furthermore, inFIG. 12(A) and FIG. 12(B) , the magnitude of the action sound measured in the back is shown with a solid line, and the magnitude of the action sound measured in the front is shown with a dotted line. -
FIG. 12(A) shows the action sound generated when the overstep action is performed without the silent action. It is apparent from this figure a maximum action sound of about 35dB is produced accompanying the overstep action. -
FIG. 12(B) shows a case where the overstep action is performed while the intermittent action is performed as the above-mentioned silent action. It is apparent from this figure a maximum action sound of about 25dB is produced accompanying the overstep action. - As known from the above depictions, the action sound caused by the overstep action can be reduced by about 5dB to 15dB by performing intermittent action as the silent action. Thereby, the user's comfort when the
refrigerator 10 is performing a cooling operation can be improved. - An effect of the
refrigerator 10 will be further detailed with reference toFIG. 13. FIG. 13(A) shows the action sound generated by the shieldingdevice 60 in a case where the silent action is not performed, i.e., a case where the rotation speed of theelectric motor 93 is not reduced during the termination period of the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61.FIG. 13(B) shows the action sound generated from the shieldingdevice 60 when the low-speed action or the intermittent action is performed during the termination period of the opening and closing action of thefan cover 61. Here, the shieldingdevice 60 continuously performs the opening and closing action, and the action sound generated by the opening and closing action is measured in the vicinity of theshielding device 60. In the graphs shown inFIG. 13(A) and FIG. 13(B) , the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the action sound generated by the shieldingdevice 60. - Referring to
FIG. 13(A) , in a comparative example in which the silent action is not performed, the action sound becomes a maximum value upon completion of the opening and closing action, and specifically, the action sound of 50 to 60 dB is generated. Here, dotted-line circles surround peaks of the generated sound. Regarding this, it is believed that the reason is that during the termination period of the opening and closing action, a resonance phenomenon occurs between the electric motor and its surrounding components. - Referring to
FIG. 13(B) , a maximum value of the action sound generated by the shieldingdevice 60 of the present invention is 40 dB to 50 dB. As a result, as compared with the comparative example shown inFIG. 13(A) , in the present embodiment, the action sound is reduced. In this regard, it is believed that the reason is that during the termination period of the opening and closing action, the resonance phenomenon between the electric motor and its surrounding components is prevented by performing the silent action. - The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be implemented without departing from the scope of the spirit of the present invention.
- For example, referring to
FIG. 8 , in step S15 and step S20, if thefan cover 61 abuts against another member, the opening and closing action is completed. However, it is also possible that the overstep action of making theelectric motor 93 rotate is performed after thefan cover 61 abuts against another member. The opening and closing action can be performed more reliably by performing the overstep action. Thereby, the air passageway can be opened and closed reliably in the normal cooling action, and the initial position of thefan cover 61 can be accurately detected in the initial action. - In addition, as described above, the low-speed action is performed as the silent action in the case of the normal cooling operation, and the intermittent action is performed as the silent action in the case of the initial action. However, it is also possible to perform the intermittent action as the silent action in the case of normal cooling operation, and perform the low-speed operation as the silent action in the case of the initial action.
- The above embodiments are only intended to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those having ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or equivalently replaced, without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.
Claims (5)
- A refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises:a cooler of a freezing loop, the cooler being configured to cool air supplied via an air supply passageway to a storage chamber;a cooling chamber equipped with the cooler and formed with an air supply port communicated with the storage chamber;a blower fan configured to feed the air supplied through the air supply port to the storage chamber;a shielding device at least partially blocking the air supply port; anda control device configured to control acts of the freezing loop, the blower fan and the shielding device,the shielding device comprises: a fan cover configured to cover the blower fan from the outside of the cooling chamber; a drive shaft configured to drive the fan cover to open and close; a screw mechanism formed between the drive shaft and the fan cover; and an electric motor configured to rotate the drive shaft,the control device causes the fan cover to approach the blower fan by rotating the drive shaft in one direction, to perform a closing action to close the air passageway,the control device moves the fan cover away from the blower fan by rotating the drive shaft in another direction, to perform an opening action of opening the air passageway,the control device performs a silent action during a termination period of the closing action or the opening action, the silent action reducing the action sound caused by the action of the electric motor.
- The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the silent action is an action of making a rotation speed of the electric motor become a low speed.
- The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein in the silent action, the rotation speed of the electric motor is made become be half or less of a normal opening and closing action.
- The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the silent action is an action of making the electric motor rotate intermittently.
- The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein during a cooling operation, the control device makes the rotation speed of the electric motor become a low speed during the termination period of the closing action or the opening action, to achieve the silent action,
upon performing the initial action, the control device makes the electric motor rotate intermittently during the termination period of the closing action or the opening action to achieve the silent action.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JP2018231166A JP7261444B2 (en) | 2018-12-10 | 2018-12-10 | refrigerator |
PCT/CN2019/123013 WO2020119550A1 (en) | 2018-12-10 | 2019-12-04 | Refrigerator |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP3896369A1 true EP3896369A1 (en) | 2021-10-20 |
EP3896369A4 EP3896369A4 (en) | 2022-02-09 |
EP3896369B1 EP3896369B1 (en) | 2023-08-30 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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EP19895386.1A Active EP3896369B1 (en) | 2018-12-10 | 2019-12-04 | Refrigerator |
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EP (1) | EP3896369B1 (en) |
JP (2) | JP7261444B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN112262289B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2020119550A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP2827673B2 (en) * | 1992-03-24 | 1998-11-25 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Refrigerator control device |
JP3313958B2 (en) * | 1995-12-29 | 2002-08-12 | 株式会社三協精機製作所 | Motor type damper device |
JPH1038448A (en) * | 1996-07-25 | 1998-02-13 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Damper device of freezing refrigerator |
JP3572186B2 (en) * | 1997-12-01 | 2004-09-29 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Refrigerator damper control device |
JP2011058684A (en) * | 2009-09-09 | 2011-03-24 | Hitachi Appliances Inc | Damper device and refrigerator equipped with the damper device |
JP2013002664A (en) * | 2011-06-14 | 2013-01-07 | Hitachi Appliances Inc | Refrigerator |
KR101595521B1 (en) * | 2012-08-10 | 2016-02-18 | 히타치 어플라이언스 가부시키가이샤 | Door opening apparatus and refrigerator |
CN108518909B (en) * | 2015-05-21 | 2020-09-29 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | Refrigerator with a door |
CN104879984B (en) * | 2015-05-21 | 2018-03-23 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | Refrigerator |
CN104990333B (en) * | 2015-05-21 | 2018-02-02 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | Refrigerator |
JP6723499B2 (en) * | 2015-12-17 | 2020-07-15 | 青島海爾股▲フン▼有限公司 | refrigerator |
CN106247741A (en) * | 2016-07-12 | 2016-12-21 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | A kind of refrigerator |
JP6889463B2 (en) * | 2016-12-06 | 2021-06-18 | アクア株式会社 | refrigerator |
JP6379256B2 (en) * | 2017-06-02 | 2018-08-22 | アクア株式会社 | Shielding device and refrigerator having the same |
-
2018
- 2018-12-10 JP JP2018231166A patent/JP7261444B2/en active Active
-
2019
- 2019-12-04 CN CN201980028126.0A patent/CN112262289B/en active Active
- 2019-12-04 WO PCT/CN2019/123013 patent/WO2020119550A1/en unknown
- 2019-12-04 EP EP19895386.1A patent/EP3896369B1/en active Active
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- 2023-04-03 JP JP2023060033A patent/JP2023073505A/en active Pending
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CN112262289A (en) | 2021-01-22 |
JP2023073505A (en) | 2023-05-25 |
JP7261444B2 (en) | 2023-04-20 |
JP2020094709A (en) | 2020-06-18 |
EP3896369B1 (en) | 2023-08-30 |
WO2020119550A1 (en) | 2020-06-18 |
EP3896369A4 (en) | 2022-02-09 |
CN112262289B (en) | 2023-01-20 |
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