JP2002062009A - Electric refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control a heat insulation heater arranged in a vegetable chamber based on setting of a control section and an atmospheric temperature. SOLUTION: A temperature threshold value 21 of a deep freezing chamber to be compared with a control value of a temperature of the freezing chamber on a control panel 19 and a threshold value 22 of the atmospheric temperature to be compared with a detected value of an atmospheric temperature detecting sensor 17 are set to a controller 16. In succession to a decision of the presence or absence of setting quenching of the freezing chamber on the panel 19, an input value of a temperature of the freezing chamber and a detected value of the sensor 17 on the panel 19 are sequentially compared with the value 21 and the value 22 to control a current supply to the heat insulation heater 13 arranged at a bottom of the vegetable chamber.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric refrigerator, and more particularly to an electric refrigerator, in which a heat insulating box body is vertically divided by a partition wall, and a refrigerator room is provided at an upper portion, a vegetable room is provided at a central portion, and a freezing room is provided at a lower portion. The present invention relates to a configuration in which a warming heater is provided on the bottom of a vegetable room, and the warming heater is controlled based on whether or not rapid cooling is set for the freezing room, an input value of the freezing room temperature for the freezing room on the operation panel, and a detected value of the outside air temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional electric refrigerator has, for example, a configuration as shown in FIG. The electric refrigerator 30 shown in FIG. 6 divides the inside of the heat insulating box 31 up and down by a partition wall, and has a refrigerator compartment 32 at the top, a vegetable compartment 33 at the center, and a freezer 34 at the bottom. Cold air in the refrigerator compartment 32 is supplied into the vegetable compartment 33 through a cool air passage 39, the internal temperature of which is maintained in a range of about 2 ° C to 8 ° C. Cold air from the evaporator is directly supplied to the inside of the tube 34 so that its internal temperature is cooled to about -15 ° C to -22 ° C. The vegetable compartment 33 and the freezing compartment 34
Is separated by a partition wall 35 enclosing a heat insulating material, but since there is a difference in temperature between the two at 20 to 30 ° C., it is difficult to perform complete heat insulation.
May be adversely affected by the cold air in the freezing room 34, which is excessively cooled by the cold air in the freezing compartment 34 and has a negative effect on the stored vegetables and the like. In order to prevent this, a warming heater 36 is provided on the bottom surface of the vegetable room 33, and when there is a possibility that the inside of the vegetable room 33 will be in a supercooled state, the warming heater 36 is energized. The inside of the vegetable compartment 33 is heated by the heat generation to keep the temperature in an appropriate temperature range.

An outside air temperature sensor 37 for detecting the outside air temperature is provided on the front surface of the ceiling wall of the refrigerator compartment 32.
Is provided with a frozen room temperature detection sensor 38 on the back side, but the vegetable room 33 is usually not provided with a normal temperature sensor because of the supply of cool air from the refrigerator room 32. If the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection sensor 37 is lower than a certain set value, it is determined that there is a possibility that the inside of the vegetable room 33 will be in a supercooled state. Heating was being performed.

However, when cold air is frequently supplied from the evaporator into the freezing chamber 34 or when a large amount of cold air is supplied and rapid cooling is performed, the outside air temperature is not always lower than a certain set value, and the freezing chamber 34 is not always cooled. There is a problem that the bottom surface and the inside of the vegetable compartment 33 are excessively cooled by cold air inside, and improvement thereof has been demanded.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention is directed to a case where cold air is frequently supplied to a freezing room, and there is a possibility that the bottom surface or the inside of the vegetable room may be excessively cooled via a partition wall. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electric refrigerator capable of energizing a warming heater to prevent excessive cooling in a vegetable room by generating heat and storing vegetables and the like within an appropriate temperature range.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the heat insulating box is divided into a refrigerator compartment, a vegetable compartment, and a freezer compartment below the vegetable compartment by a partition wall. In an electric refrigerator provided with a warming heater at the bottom of the chamber and provided with a control unit for controlling the warming heater, input means comprising a quenching button for performing a rapid cooling setting for the freezing chamber and a setting button for setting a freezing room temperature. And a detection unit including an outside air temperature detection sensor for detecting outside air temperature is provided, and the control unit has a storage unit storing a freezing room temperature threshold and an outside air temperature threshold, and an input value of the freezing room temperature by the setting button. And a comparison unit for comparing the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor with the outside air temperature threshold value, and starting or stopping the heat retention heater based on the comparison result of the comparison unit. Output section In the freezing room, when the rapid cooling setting by the rapid cooling button is performed, the heat retaining heater is energized, and when the rapid cooling setting is not performed, the comparison unit inputs the frozen room temperature and the frozen room temperature threshold. In comparison, if the input value of the freezing room temperature is smaller than the freezing room temperature threshold,
The output unit energizes the heat retaining heater, and subsequently, the comparison unit compares the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor with the outside air temperature threshold, and detects the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor by the outside air temperature. If the threshold value is smaller than the threshold value, the output unit supplies electricity to the heat retaining heater.

[0007] Further, the output unit is configured to have a continuous operation mode in which the heater is continuously energized and an intermittent operation mode in which the heater is intermittently energized.

In the intermittent operation mode, the intermittent operation interval can be changed.

Further, when rapid cooling is set in the freezer compartment by the rapid cooling button, the heat retaining heater is configured to operate continuously.

Further, a first temperature difference in which a range of a difference between the input value of the freezing room temperature and the threshold value of the freezing room temperature is stored in the storage unit, and the input value of the freezing room temperature is smaller than the freezing room temperature threshold value. When the difference is small and the difference is within the first temperature difference, the output unit performs an intermittent operation with respect to the heat retaining heater.

Further, a second temperature difference storing a range of a difference between the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor and the outside air temperature threshold is provided in the storage unit, and the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor is set to the outside temperature. When the temperature is smaller than the temperature threshold value and the difference is within the second temperature difference, the output unit performs an intermittent operation on the heat retaining heater.

2. The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a timer provided in said control section, wherein the timer controls a power supply time to said heat retaining heater. It has a configuration.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an electric refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG.
Is a sectional view thereof. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control procedure. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control of the timer. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric refrigerator 1 according to the present invention divides the inside of the heat insulating box 2 into upper and lower sections by partition walls 11 and 12, and includes a refrigerator compartment 3 having an opening / closing door 3 a at the center. A vegetable compartment 4 provided with a pull-out door 4a at the bottom, and a freezer compartment 5 provided with a pull-out door 5a at the bottom. A machine room 6 having a compressor 7 is provided at a lower rear portion of the freezing room 5.
Above it, an evaporator 8 for exchanging heat with the refrigerant sent from the compressor 7 and a fan 10 connected to a motor 9 for sending cool air generated by the evaporator 8 into the refrigerator.
Are provided. The delivered cool air is insulated box 2
Is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 3 and the freezing compartment 5 through a delivery passage 14 provided on the back of the refrigerator compartment, and the cool air in the refrigerating compartment 3 passes through an outlet passage 15 provided in the partition wall 11 to the vegetable compartment. 4 is supplied.

A heat retaining heater 13 for heating the vegetable compartment 4 is provided in the upper concave portion 12a of the partition wall 12. The heat retaining heater 13 is provided by a microcomputer or the like on the upper rear surface of the heat insulating box 2. The operation is controlled by the control unit 16 configured. The refrigerator compartment 3
On the front surface of the ceiling wall, an outside air temperature detection sensor 17 that detects the outside air temperature and sends the detected value to the control unit 16 is provided.
An operation panel 19 (not shown) is provided on the front surface of the door 3a.

The operation panel 19 is provided with a quenching button for setting quenching of the freezer compartment 5. The control unit 16 includes a storage unit 16a, a comparison unit 16b, and an output unit 16c. Is provided. The storage unit 16a has a preset freezing room temperature threshold value 21 and an outside air temperature threshold value 2
2 is stored, a first temperature difference 23 in which a range of a difference between the input value of the freezing room temperature for the freezing room 5 and the freezing room temperature threshold value 21 is set in advance, and a detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor 17 A second temperature difference 24 in which the range of the difference from the outside air temperature threshold 22 is set in advance is stored.

The comparing unit 16b compares the input value of the freezing room temperature to the freezing room 5 with the freezing room temperature threshold value 21 and compares the detected value of the outside air temperature sensor 17 with the outside air temperature threshold value 22. Are sequentially performed, and the result is sent to the output unit 16c. The output section 16c is set with a continuous operation mode in which the heater 13 is continuously energized and an intermittent operation mode in which the heater 13 is energized intermittently.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. As shown in the flowchart of FIG.
6 first determines whether or not the quenching button is pressed on the operation panel 19 and the quenching setting is set for the freezing compartment 5. When the quenching setting is set, the output unit 16 c outputs the quenching setting to the heating heater 13. The continuous operation is started by energization (step 1). If not set, the process proceeds to the next step, in which the comparison unit 16b inputs an input value of the freezing room temperature to the freezing room 5 on the operation panel 19,
The magnitude is compared with the freezing room temperature threshold 21, and when the input value is lower than the freezing room temperature threshold 21, the output unit 16c energizes the warming heater 13 (step 2). . Otherwise, subsequently, the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection sensor 17 is compared with the outside air temperature threshold 22, and if the outside air temperature is lower than the outside air temperature threshold 22, the output unit 16c Is configured to energize the warming heater 13 (step 3). If none of the above cases applies, it is determined that there is no possibility that the vegetable compartment 4 will be excessively cooled by the cold air in the freezing compartment 5, and the power supply to the warming heater 13 will not be performed. ing.

The timer 2 connected to the control unit 16
0 indicates that when the heater 13 is energized and the operation is started as shown in FIG. 5, the energization is stopped after a predetermined time elapses. 13 prevents excessive heating of the vegetable compartment 4.

In the operation in the intermittent operation mode, as shown in FIG. 3, in step 2 described above, the input value on the operation panel is lower than the freezing room temperature first set value 21 and the difference is the first temperature. This is performed when the difference is within the difference T1, and in step 3, the detection value of the outside temperature detection sensor 17 is lower than the outside temperature threshold 22 and the difference is the second temperature difference T2 It is configured to be performed when the temperature is within the range, and to prevent the vegetable room 4 from being excessively heated.

The heat retention heater 13 is operated based on the presence or absence of the rapid cooling setting on the operation panel 19, the input value of the freezing room temperature, and the outside air temperature, whereby only the conventional outside air temperature is used. Is controlled so as to be able to maintain a more precise and appropriate temperature for the operation of the above, whereby the stored objects stored in the vegetable compartment 4 can be stored for a long time in an appropriate temperature range of about 3 to 4 ° C. It can be stored for a period of time, and its freshness can be maintained.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The control unit sets a freezing room temperature threshold value that is compared with an input value of the freezing room temperature for the freezing room on the operation panel, and an outside air temperature threshold value that is compared with the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor. Following the determination of the presence or absence of the quenching setting, the input value is compared with the frozen room temperature threshold, and then the detection value of the outside temperature detection sensor is compared with the outside temperature threshold, the bottom of the vegetable room By controlling the energization of the warming heater disposed in the vegetable compartment to prevent the vegetable compartment from being excessively cooled, an electric refrigerator is provided in which the items to be stored in the vegetable compartment are stored at an appropriate temperature.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an electric refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an electric refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of the electric refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electric refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of a timer provided in the electric refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an electric refrigerator according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric refrigerator 2 Heat insulation box 3 Refrigerator room 3a Opening / closing door 4 Vegetable room 4a Draw-out door 5 Freezer room 5a Draw-out door 6 Machine room 7 Compressor 8 Evaporator 9 Motor 10 Fan 11 Partition wall 12 Partition wall 13 Heat insulation Heater 14 Delivery path 15 Blow-out path 16 Control unit 16a Storage unit 16b Comparison unit 16c Output unit 17 Outside temperature detection sensor 18 Freezing room temperature detection sensor 19 Operation panel 20 Timer 21 Freezing room temperature threshold 22 Outside temperature threshold 23 First temperature difference 24 Second Temperature difference

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A refrigeration room with a partition wall inside an insulated box body,
In an electric refrigerator, which is divided into a vegetable room and a freezing room below the vegetable room, a heating heater is provided on a bottom surface of the vegetable room, and a control unit for controlling the heating heater is provided, a rapid cooling setting for the freezing room is provided. And an input means comprising a setting button for setting a freezing room temperature, and a detecting means comprising an outside air temperature detection sensor for detecting an outside air temperature. A storage unit that stores an air temperature threshold, and a comparison unit that compares the input value of the freezing room temperature by the setting button and the freezing room temperature threshold, and compares the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor with the outside air temperature threshold. An output unit for starting or stopping the warming heater based on the comparison result of the comparing unit is provided, and when the rapid cooling setting by the rapid cooling button is performed for the freezing compartment, the warming heater is energized, Quenching When not determined, the comparison unit compares the input value of the freezing room temperature and the freezing room temperature threshold value, and when the input value of the freezing room temperature is smaller than the freezing room temperature threshold value, The energization is performed, and subsequently, the comparison unit compares the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor with the outside air temperature threshold, and if the detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor is smaller than the outside air temperature threshold, An electric refrigerator, wherein a current is supplied to the heat retaining heater by a unit. 2. The output unit according to claim 1, wherein a continuous operation mode in which the heater is continuously energized and an intermittent operation mode in which the heater is intermittently energized are set. Electric refrigerator. 3. The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an interval of the intermittent operation is changeable in the intermittent operation mode. 4. The refrigeration compartment according to claim 1, wherein when the quenching button is quenched by the quenching button, the heating heater operates continuously.
An electric refrigerator according to claim 1. 5. A first temperature difference in which a range of a difference between the input value of the freezing room temperature and the freezing room temperature threshold value is stored in the storage unit, and the input value of the freezing room temperature is smaller than the freezing room temperature threshold value. The said output part performs intermittent operation with respect to the said heat retention heater, when it is small and the difference is within the said 1st temperature difference, The Claim 1 or Claim 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Electric refrigerator. 6. A second temperature difference in which a range of a difference between the outside air temperature detection sensor and the outside air temperature threshold value is stored in the storage unit, and a detection value of the outside air temperature detection sensor is set to the outside temperature. The said output part performs an intermittent driving | operation with respect to the said heat retention heater, when it is smaller than an air temperature threshold value, and the difference is within the said 2nd temperature difference, The said Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. An electric refrigerator according to claim 1. 7. The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a timer is provided in the control unit, and the timer controls an energization time to the heat retaining heater.