JP2001201234A - Refrigerator-freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means which readily enables obtaining of refrigerating function by building a smaller refrigerator that can be housed into a larger refrigerator. SOLUTION: A door 11 is fastened on the front of a box body 10 comprising a heat insulating material 10a, and a thermoelement 12 is installed at the rear of the box body 10. A heat exchanger 13 is attached to one joint part 12a of the thermoelement 12, to perform a heat exchange between the joint part 12a and the inside 10c of the box body 10, and a heat exchanger 14 is attached to the other joint part 12b to perform a heat exchange between the joint part 12b and the outside of the box body 10. Power is supplied to the thermoelement 12 to absorb heat at the joint part 12a with a power source 15 and to generate heat at the joint part 12b, so that the inside 10c of the box body 10 is cooled. This allows the use of the box body 10 as a smaller refrigerator and also as freezing chamber, by housing it 10 in a larger refrigerator.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a small refrigerator using a thermoelectric element which can be housed in a large refrigerator and easily obtaining a freezing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the increase of frozen foods in recent years, a freezer for storing frozen foods is required. For this reason, refrigerators having a refrigerating function are common. However, a refrigerator that was purchased because it does not require a freezing function or a conventional refrigerator that does not have a freezing function can easily obtain the function of a freezer, and can be used as a small refrigerator or a refrigerator when not used as a freezer It is convenient to have something you can do.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a small refrigerator which can be stored in a large refrigerator to provide a means for easily obtaining a freezing function. And

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems A box made of a heat insulating material having a door openably and closably attached to any surface, and one of the joints held on any wall surface of the box and connected to the inside of the box. A thermoelectric element for thermally bonding the other joint to the outside of the box, and a power supply for supplying power to the thermoelectric element, and storing the box in a refrigerator larger than the box, and By absorbing heat from the inside of the box and dissipating heat into the refrigerator, it functions as a freezer, taking out from the refrigerator, absorbing heat from the inside of the box by thermoelectric elements, and releasing heat to the outside of the box to function as a small refrigerator.

[0005] At least a part of the power cord connected to the power supply unit is a substantially ribbon-shaped flat cable, and when used in a large refrigerator, the flat cable is sandwiched between the packing of the refrigerator door and the refrigerator body. So that it can be derived outside.

The power supply unit is provided with a mechanism for reversing the current supplied to the thermoelectric element, and the current supplied to the thermoelectric element is reversed so that the box functions as a warm storage or a defrost storage.

An input section for inputting and setting the date and time for decompression and a decompression setting section comprising a clock for measuring the time are provided from outside the box, and the box is set at a time set when functioning as a decompression box. Be able to thaw frozen material in the body.

The thawing setting section is provided as a separate housing from the box, and the box is connected with a signal line so that the thawing time can be set from outside the refrigerator in which the box is stored.

At least a part of the signal line connecting the defrost setting unit and the box is a flat ribbon-shaped cable.

At least one of the power cord connected to the power supply unit and the signal line connecting the decompression setting unit and the box is a flat ribbon-like cable, and the flat cable is the same cable.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view thereof. Box 1 made of plate-like heat insulating material 10a covered with sheet metal or the like
0. A door 11 made of the same heat insulating material 10a is engaged with the front surface of the box. On the back surface of the box 10, there is provided a thermoelectric element 12 composed of a joint that absorbs heat when energized and a joint that generates heat. A heat exchanger 13 made of fins or the like for exchanging heat between the joint 12a and the inside 10c of the box 10 is attached to one joint 12a of the thermoelectric element 12, and the joint 12a is Thermally coupled with the interior 10c. Similarly, the other joint 12b of the thermoelectric element 12 has a joint 1
A heat exchanger 14 made of fins or the like for exchanging heat between the box 2b and the outside of the box 10 is provided, and the joint 12b is thermally coupled to the outside of the box 10. The power supply unit 15 is connected to the thermoelectric element 12.
By supplying power so that heat is absorbed at the joint 12a and heat is generated at the joint 12b,
Since c is cooled, the box 10 can be used as a small refrigerator. Conversely, by supplying power to the thermoelectric element 12 so that the power supply 15 absorbs heat at the joint 12b and generates heat at the joint 12a, the inside 10c of the box 10 is heated. 10 can be used as a small storage.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof.
The box 10 made of the above-mentioned heat insulator and the like is
In the refrigerator compartment 20a. Refrigerator 20 of refrigerator 20
a is approximately 5 ° C. by the compressor 21, the evaporator 22, and the like.
It has been cooled to a degree. The thermoelectric element 12 provided on the back surface of the box 10 absorbs heat from the inside 10c of the box 10 and dissipates heat into the refrigerator compartment 20a, so that the inside 10c of the box 10 is removed.
Can be easily cooled to about minus 20 ° C. Thereby, food etc. stored in the inside 10c of the box 10 can be frozen and stored, and a freezer can be easily obtained.

At least a part of a power cord 16 connected from an external commercial power supply to the power supply unit 15 is a substantially ribbon-shaped flat cable 16a. When storing the box 10 in the large refrigerator 20 for use, the flat cable 16
a into the packing 23a of the door 23 of the refrigerator 20 and the refrigerator 2
0 and is led out. This allows
Commercial power can be easily supplied from the outside to the box body 10 without modifying the refrigerator 20.

As described above, the power supply unit 15 is provided with a mechanism for reversing the current supplied to the thermoelectric element 12, and reversing the current supplied to the thermoelectric element 12, thereby providing the box 1
Even when 0 is stored in the refrigerator 20, the box 10 can also function as a warm storage or a thawing storage.

An input unit 18a for inputting and setting the date and time of decompression and a decompression setting unit 18 composed of a clock for measuring the time are provided from the outside of the box 10. When the box 10 is stored in the refrigerator 20 to function as a defrosting box, the date and time of defrosting are set from the input section 18a of the defrosting setting section 18 so that the time is set by referring to the clock in the defrosting setting section 18. To allow the frozen material inside the box to be thawed at the same time.

The thawing setting unit 18 is provided separately from the box 10 and is connected to the box 10 via a signal line 17. Thereby, the thawing time can be set from the outside of the refrigerator 20 containing the box 10. At least a part of the signal line 17 connecting the thawing setting section 18 and the box body 10 has a substantially ribbon-shaped flat cable 17a similarly to the power cord 16.
And Further, the flat cable 16a of the power cord 16 connected to the power supply unit and the flat cable 17a of the signal line 17 connecting the thawing setting unit 18 and the box 10 are the same cable. Thereby, both flat cable portions can be sandwiched between the packing 23a of the door 23 of the refrigerator 20 and a power supply and a signal can be easily connected to the inside 20a of the refrigerator 20.

[0017]

As described above, a box made of a heat insulating material having a door openably and closably attached to any surface, and one of the joints held on any wall surface of the box and having one joint portion A thermoelectric element that is thermally bonded to the inside of the body and the other joint is thermally bonded to the outside of the box;
A power supply unit for supplying power to the thermoelectric element is provided, and the box is housed in a refrigerator larger than the box, and the thermoelectric element absorbs heat from the inside of the box and radiates heat into the refrigerator to function as a freezer. By taking it out of the refrigerator and absorbing heat from the inside of the box by the thermoelectric element and radiating heat to the outside of the box, it can function as a small refrigerator,
Even a refrigerator without a freezing function can easily obtain a freezing function.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator-freezer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view in one embodiment of the refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of the refrigerator-freezer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator-freezer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Box 11 Door 12 Thermoelectric element 13, 14 Heat exchanger 15 Power supply part 16 Power cord 16a Flat cable 17 Signal line 17a Flat cable 18 Defrost setting part 20 Refrigerator 21 Compressor 22 Evaporator 23 Door

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) F25D 23/12 F25D 23/12 L Q

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A box made of a heat insulating material having a door openably and closably attached to one of its surfaces, and one of the joints held on one of the wall surfaces of the box and thermally connected to the inside of the box to form the other. A thermoelectric element for thermally joining the joint of the thermoelectric element to the outside of the box, and a power supply for supplying power to the thermoelectric element are provided. The box is housed in a refrigerator larger than the box, and the inside of the box is enclosed by the thermoelectric element. It functions as a freezer by absorbing heat from and radiating heat into the refrigerator,
A refrigerator-freezer that functions as a small refrigerator by removing heat from the inside of the box by taking it out of the refrigerator and radiating heat to the outside of the box by means of thermoelectric elements. At least a part of the power cord connected to the power supply unit is a substantially ribbon-shaped flat cable, and when used in a large refrigerator, the flat cable is connected between the refrigerator door packing and the refrigerator body. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is sandwiched between the refrigerator and the outside. 3. The power supply unit is provided with a mechanism for reversing the current supplied to the thermoelectric element, and by reversing the current supplied to the thermoelectric element, the box functions as a warm storage or a defrost storage. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A decompression setting section comprising an input section for inputting and setting a date and time for decompression from outside the box, and a decompression setting section including a clock for measuring time, and a time set when functioning as a decompression box. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the frozen material in the box can be thawed. 5. The thawing setting section is provided separately from the box body.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the thawing time can be set from the outside of the refrigerator housing the box by connecting the box to the box by a signal line. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein at least a part of the signal line connecting the thawing setting unit and the box is a flat ribbon-shaped cable. 7. At least one part of both a power cord connected to a power supply part and a signal line connecting a decompression setting part and a box is a substantially ribbon-shaped flat cable, and the flat cable is the same cable. The refrigerator-freezer according to claim 5, characterized in that: