JP2001050633A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce power consumption by mounting a sensor for sensing the temperature of air near an air return port in a cooling room other than a room having a zone of lowest temperature to adjust the output of a heater based on the output from the sensor. SOLUTION: A temperature compensation heater 11 is mounted to or embedded in the interior or a wall surface of a room which vertically or laterally adjacent to a room having a zone of lowest temperature. As a result, a storage room 5 having a higher temperature zone than a vegetable room or a refrigerated room can be prevented from being excessively cooled. By setting a heater input control sensor 9 on an inner wall surface of the room 5 to control input values or ON/OFF of the heater, whereby air temperatures or wall surface temperature in the room 5, or temperatures of return cooling air entering a cooling air suction port 14 can be detected. Thereafter, the heater 11 takes into a CPU, in a refrigerator, signals of a heater input control sensor 9, outside air temperature sensor 12, and input signals of a cooling fan 2 to execute arithmetic operations, whereby the heater 11 is controlled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage room such as a freezer room and a refrigerator room, and a refrigerator having a heater in the interior of these storage rooms or on a wall surface thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional refrigerator, in a refrigerator having a temperature zone of two or more temperatures, in a cooling room other than a room having the lowest temperature zone, a temperature lower than a target temperature zone of the room is located near the room. When a room (for example, a freezing room) exists or a cold air duct or the like exists on the wall surface of the room, the room is cooled to a target temperature or lower by heat conduction or inflow of cool air from a joint of the heat insulating material. In order to prevent this, a temperature compensation heater is attached to a wall or the like, and the temperature compensation heater is always energized or is controlled by turning on and off the compressor. Further, there is an apparatus having a means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the heater in accordance with the outside air temperature.

The above prior art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-22 / 1990.
No. 9530.

[0004]

However, as shown in the above-mentioned prior art, the control of the temperature compensating heater is always energized, the ON / OFF of the compressor is controlled, and the heater energizing amount is controlled by the outside air temperature. In the method, when a room lower than the target temperature zone of the room exists near the room, or when a cold air duct or the like exists on the wall surface of the room, a room having a low temperature zone (for example, a freezing room) Even when the temperature adjustment is adjusted to the temperature at which the temperature is most cooled, or when rapid freezing operation control or the like is performed, the room in which the temperature compensating heater exists must be set to the target temperature.
Therefore, when the temperature of a room with a low temperature zone (for example, a freezing room) is adjusted to the temperature at which it is most cooled, or when quick freezing operation control or the like is performed, the target temperature of the room where the temperature compensating heater is present is reduced. It had to be based on such a heater input.

With this control, even when the temperature of a room in a low temperature zone (for example, a freezing room) is adjusted to a high temperature, the heater input of the above-described reference is input as the heater input, and the temperature of the heater for temperature compensation is increased. The temperature of the existing room is too high or the temperature of the refrigerator
Unnecessary consumption of electric power to shorten the life of stored foods and to eliminate heat by heater input and heater,
There is a problem that power consumption increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with small power consumption.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator according to the present invention comprises a refrigerator for cooling the inside of a refrigerator, and at least two or more rooms having different temperature zones such as a freezer room and a refrigerator room. In a refrigerator provided with a heater on the inside or in a wall of a room having the lowest temperature zone and vertically or horizontally adjacent to the room, in the vicinity of an air return port in a cooling room other than the room having the lowest temperature zone. It is equipped with a sensor for detecting the temperature of the air, and means for adjusting the output of the heater based on the output from the sensor.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an embodiment showing a longitudinal section of a refrigerator provided with a heater and a sensor for controlling the input of the heater for the purpose of temperature compensation such as freeze prevention of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 excluding a door portion.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a compressor, 2 is a cooling fan in the refrigerator, 3 is a cooler, 4 is a freezing room, 5 is a vegetable room adjacent to the freezing room or a storage room having a higher temperature zone than the freezing room, 6 Is a refrigerator compartment, 7 is a refrigerator compartment sensor, 8 is a refrigerator main body, 9 is a heater input control sensor for controlling an input of a heater, 10 is a cold air return passage, and 11 is a temperature compensation for preventing freezing or the like. A compensation heater, 12 indicates an outside air temperature sensor, 13 indicates a freezer compartment sensor, and 14 indicates a cool air return port.

In the refrigerator having the above-described structure, the heater for the purpose of temperature compensation is attached or embedded inside or in a wall adjacent to the room having the lowest temperature zone and vertically or horizontally. The temperature of the storage room, which has a higher temperature range than the vegetable room and freezer room, is prevented from being too cold. In order to control the input value of the heater and the ON / OFF of the heater, 9 heater input control sensors are installed on the wall surface of the storage room, so that the air temperature or the wall surface temperature in the storage room, the return cold air entering the cool air suction chamber, and the like. It senses temperature.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the heater input control sensor in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is installed in a cool air return passage of a room having a temperature compensation heater. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a room having a temperature compensation heater in FIG. 3 and excluding a door. In each of the figures, 1 is a compressor, 2 is a cooling fan in the refrigerator,
3 is a cooler, 4 is a freezer room, 5 is a vegetable room adjacent to the freezer room or a storage room having a higher temperature zone than the freezer room, 6 is a refrigerator room, 7 is a refrigerator room sensor, 8 is a refrigerator body, and 9 is a heater. Heater input control sensor for controlling the input, 10 is a cool air return passage, 11-1 is a temperature compensation heater for the purpose of temperature compensation such as prevention of freezing, and 11-2 is a low temperature especially in the storage room. A sub-temperature compensation heater used in the case, 12 is an outside air temperature sensor, 13 is a freezing room sensor, 15 is a storage room opening which is higher in temperature than the vegetable room or freezing room adjacent to the freezing room, and 16 shows a cool air discharge port. ing.

In the refrigerator having the above structure, the heater for the purpose of temperature compensation is attached or embedded inside or in a wall adjacent to the room having the lowest temperature zone and vertically or horizontally. The temperature of the storage room, which has a higher temperature range than the vegetable room and freezer room, is prevented from being too cold. In order to control the input value of the heater and ON / OFF of the heater, nine heater input control sensors are provided in the cool air return passage to sense the temperature of the return cool air exiting from the storage chamber.

With such a structure, the temperature of the air passing through the storage room is sensed, so that a typical temperature in the storage room can be sensed. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing one embodiment schematically showing a circuit according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature compensation heater receives signals from the heater input sensor and the outside air temperature sensor, and inputs signals from the defrost heater and the cooling fan to the CP inside the refrigerator.
U (Central Processing Unit) controls the temperature compensating heater by performing calculations by the CPU. 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13 show flowcharts of embodiments of the above-described control contents, and the control contents of the present invention will be described below with reference to the respective drawings.

In FIG. 6, Tsen is the temperature detected by the heater input sensor, Ton is the set temperature when the heater is energized, Toff is the set temperature at which the heater is not energized, and the Ton temperature is set lower than the Toff temperature. I have. Here, during the cooling operation, when the Tsen temperature becomes equal to or lower than Ton, the heater for temperature compensation is energized, and when the temperature of Tsen is sensed higher than the Toff temperature, the energization of the heater for temperature compensation is stopped. It is possible to prevent freezing in a room adjacent to a room with a low number band or in the vicinity of the room above or below, or in the vicinity of a cool air passage, and prevent the temperature from falling below a target set temperature.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the condition of 7 is added when the fan for cooling the inside is operating in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 above. It is characterized in that the temperature compensating heater is energized only when the cooling fan is operating.
Normally, when the room is frozen or low temperature in the room adjacent to the room with the lowest temperature zone above or below or to the left or right, or near the cool air passage, the cooling fan inside the room is operated to cool the inside of the room. It is happening inside. Therefore, by adopting such a control, when the cooling fan is not operating, the temperature compensating heater is not energized, so that it is possible to prevent freezing and reduce the temperature to a target temperature without consuming unnecessary power. It can be set well and a storage room with less temperature unevenness can be obtained.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which a condition of whether or not the defrosting operation is being performed is added to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, and the Tsen temperature becomes lower than the Ton temperature and the defrosting operation is not performed. Only in such a case, the temperature compensating heater is energized. During the normal defrosting operation, the temperature in the refrigerator tends to rise due to the energization of the defrosting heater, so that even if the above-mentioned temperature compensation heater is not energized, it may be moved up and down or left and right in the room with the lowest temperature zone. Temperatures also tend to rise in rooms that have been touched or in the vicinity of cold air passages. Therefore, by adopting such control, the heater for temperature compensation is not energized during the defrosting operation, and as in the embodiment of FIG. The temperature can be set efficiently, and a storage room with less temperature unevenness can be obtained.

Further, FIG. 11 is obtained by adding a function of energizing the heater by changing the heater input value in accordance with the outside air temperature in the embodiment shown in FIG. The heater input value is detected by an outside air temperature sensor, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the input value is set high when the outside air temperature is high, and is set low when the outside air temperature is low.

FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the outside air temperature and the heater input in a linearly proportional relationship, and this arithmetic expression is provided in the CPU to change the heater input value depending on the outside air temperature. With such a control, when the outside air temperature is high, heat intrusion from the outside air into the storage chamber is large. The target temperature can be set, and a storage room with less temperature unevenness can be obtained without consuming more wasteful power. Further, when the outside air temperature is low, heat intrusion from the outside air is small, and therefore, by increasing the input value of the heater, it is possible to prevent freezing and achieve a target temperature.

FIG. 10 shows that the relationship between the outside air temperature and the heater input value is not linear as in FIG. 9 but is stepwise. By setting such a relationship between the heater input value and the outside air temperature, the control can be prevented from becoming complicated, and the circuit configuration can be simplified.

FIG. 12 is an embodiment shown in FIG. 7 in which a function of energizing the heater by changing the heater input value according to the outside air temperature is added.

FIG. 13 is also similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 except that a function of energizing the heater by changing the heater input value according to the outside air temperature is added.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, a refrigerator with low power consumption can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view showing a part of a room having a temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart of the temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a control flowchart of the temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a control flowchart of the temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a relationship between a temperature compensation heater input value and an outside air temperature of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the input value of the temperature compensation heater and the outside air temperature of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a control flowchart of the temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a control flowchart of the temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a control flowchart of the temperature compensation heater of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Compressor motor, 2 ... Cooling fan, 3 ... Cooler, 4 ... Freezer room, 5 ... Vegetable room, 6 ... Refrigerator room, 7 ... Refrigerator room sensor, 8 ... Refrigerator body, 9 ... Heater input sensor , 10
... Cool air return passage, 11 ... Temperature compensation heater, 12 ... Outside air temperature sensor, 13 ... Freezer compartment sensor, 14 ... Cool air return port, 1
5 ... Vegetable room front opening, 16 ... Cold air outlet.

Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Ashida 800, Tomita, Odaicho, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi Pref.Hitachi, Ltd. Within the business division (72) Inventor Masayuki Shibayama 800, Tomita, Ohira-cho, Ohira-cho, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture F-term (ref.)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator for cooling the inside of a refrigerator, and at least two or more rooms having different temperature zones such as a freezing room and a refrigerator room, and a room adjacent to the room with the lowest temperature zone vertically or horizontally. In a refrigerator provided with a heater inside or on the wall thereof, a sensor attached near the air return port in a cooling room other than the room with the lowest temperature zone to detect the temperature of air, and based on the output from this sensor, Means for adjusting the output of the heater.