JP2002062018A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a refrigerator arranged such that chill flows downward from the forward end part of the ceiling face of a refrigeration compartment in which interior design is enhanced while reducing the cost. SOLUTION: A back face duct 18 extending vertically on the back face of a refrigeration compartment 10 introduces chill upward, a ceiling opening 24 made at the upper end of the back face duct 18 supplies chill forward along the ceiling face, a wind direction altering member 26 provided at the front end part of the ceiling face receives chill supplied from the ceiling opening 24 into the refrigeration compartment 10 and the received chill is blown downward from a downward air outlet 30 to form an air curtain.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent refrigerators, there is a case where cool air flows downward from a front end of a ceiling surface of a refrigerator in order to mainly function as an air curtain. Such an air curtain shuts off the inside of the refrigerator from the outside air so that the temperature inside the refrigerator does not rise under the influence of the outside air when the door is opened, and therefore, near the door, that is, at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment. It creates a flow of cold air from above to below.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional refrigerator of this type, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the duct structure. In this refrigerator, a rear duct 101 extending vertically is provided on the back of the refrigerator compartment 100, and the rear duct 101 is configured such that cool air and a fan (not shown) provided below the rear duct 101 allow cool air to be blown upward. It has become. The upper end of the rear duct 101 is connected to a ceiling duct 102 extending in the front-rear direction on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 100. The ceiling duct 102 is a duct that guides cool air from the rear duct 101 to the front end of the ceiling surface. A cool air outlet 103 is provided at the front end, and cool air is blown downward from the outlet 103. ing.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional refrigerator, a ceiling duct 102 for forming an air curtain is provided.
However, since it extends over substantially the entire depth dimension of the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 100, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of parts is high, and the cost of transporting and mounting parts is also high. In addition, when such a large ceiling duct 102 is attached, there is also a problem that the refrigerator compartment feels narrow, and the design inside the refrigerator is inferior.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. The purpose is to improve the design.

[0006]

The refrigerator according to the present invention includes a cooling chamber whose front face is opened and closed by a door, and a rear duct that extends vertically and guides cool air upward at the rear face of the cooling chamber. At the upper end of the rear duct, provided a ceiling opening that blows out cool air forward along the ceiling surface of the cooling room, at the front end of the ceiling surface, receiving the cool air blown into the cooling room from the ceiling opening, A wind direction changing unit for flowing the received cool air downward is provided.

[0007] In the refrigerator of the present invention, cool air is blown into the cooling chamber from the ceiling opening provided at the upper end of the rear duct, and the blown cool air flows forward along the ceiling surface and the wind direction provided at the front end of the ceiling surface. The direction is changed by the change part, and the front part of the cooling chamber is blown downward. Thereby, it can be used as an air curtain for shutting off the cooling chamber from the outside air when the door is opened, or for effectively cooling the front part of the cooling chamber.

According to the present invention, the flow of the cool air is created by the rear duct provided at the back of the cooling chamber and the wind direction changing portion provided at the front end of the ceiling. Since a ceiling duct extending over substantially the entire depth dimension of the above is not provided, the cost can be reduced.
In addition, since the ceiling duct is eliminated, a spacious impression of the interior is obtained, and the interior design is excellent.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the ceiling opening may be set narrower than the entire width of the rear duct, and the cool air flow path may be narrowed and blown out at the ceiling opening.

[0010] By squeezing the flow path at the ceiling opening and blowing it out, the flow of the cool air can be made more jet-like, so that the flow velocity of the cool air flowing out of the ceiling opening can be reduced. It can be guided to the wind direction changing unit without any change.

[0011] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the wind direction changing portion may include a receiving portion that opens rearward to receive the cool air blown out from the ceiling opening, and a lower outlet that blows the received cool air downward. May prepare.

[0012] By receiving the cool air blown out from the ceiling opening portion in the receiving direction opening portion at the rear and once blowing it out from the lower air outlet portion, the cold air blown out from the lower air outlet can be removed from the convex shape which merely changes the wind direction. In comparison with the wind direction changing portion, the air flow can be narrowed at the lower outlet to blow out the cool air, and a stronger air curtain can be formed.

[0013] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the rear duct has a rear opening for blowing cool air to a storage shelf provided in the cooling chamber, and the rear opening and the lower outlet are arranged in the width direction of the cooling chamber. It may be provided at a position where it does not overlap.

Thus, the flow of the cool air blown down from the wind direction changing portion can be suppressed from being disturbed by the flow of the cool air blown out from the rear opening. In this case, it is preferable that the lower outlet does not particularly overlap with the upper-side rear opening for blowing cool air to the upper-side storage shelf.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the back duct has a plurality of back openings for blowing cool air to each of the plurality of storage shelves arranged in the cooling chamber, and the cool air from the top back opening is provided. May be configured to be blown forward and upward.

In this case, since the cool air flowing from the ceiling opening along the ceiling surface is pushed obliquely upward by the cool air blown out from the uppermost rear opening, the cool air flowing from the ceiling opening to the wind direction changing portion is prevented. It is possible to prevent the air from spreading downward and to stably guide the cool air to the wind direction changing portion. Further, since the wind direction changing portion also receives the cool air blown out from the uppermost rear opening, the flow rate of the cool air blown out from the lower outlet can be increased, and a stronger air curtain can be formed.

In this case, it is preferable that the receiving portion of the wind direction changing portion is provided so as to be inclined downward so as to expand toward the rear, so that the cool air blown out from the uppermost rear opening can be further reduced. Many can be taken into the wind direction changing section, and the flow velocity of the cool air blown out from the wind direction changing section can be increased.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a refrigerator 10 in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the refrigerator 10. The refrigerator of the present embodiment is a refrigerator-freezer including a refrigerating compartment 10 at an upper stage, and a vegetable compartment and a freezer compartment (not shown) at a middle stage and a lower stage. Hereinafter, the structure of the upper refrigerator compartment 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerating room 10 is a cooling room in which horizontal storage shelves 12 are arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages, and the front opening thereof has upper and lower door hinges (not shown). The door 14 is opened and closed by a pivotable door 14 attached to the door. Below the lowermost shelf 12d is a chilled room 16, which is a low-temperature section.

Behind the refrigerator compartment 10 is provided a rear duct 18 extending vertically. The rear duct 18
It is a duct for sending cool air blown up by a fan from a cooler (not shown) disposed below the cooler into the refrigerator compartment 10. The duct is provided from the lower end to the upper end of the refrigerator compartment 10 and terminates on the ceiling surface. . The rear duct 18
As shown in FIG. 2, a flat duct-forming member 20 attached to a rear portion of the inner box of the refrigerator compartment 10 is provided at the center in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment 10.

The refrigerator compartment 10 is provided at the front of the rear duct 18.
Each of the storage shelves 12 is provided with a plurality of back openings 22 for blowing out cool air. The back opening 22 is
In this embodiment, all of them are provided on the left and right sides in the width direction of the duct 18, and are not provided at the center.

At the upper end of the rear duct 18 that terminates on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 10, a ceiling opening 24 that opens forward and blows out cool air forward along the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 10 is provided. The ceiling opening 24 is, as shown in FIG.
By setting the width to be smaller than the entire width of the rear duct 18, the flow path is narrowed and cool air is blown into the refrigerator compartment 10. In detail, in this embodiment, the center in the width direction of the upper end of the rear duct 18 is closed, and ceiling openings 24 are provided on both left and right sides in the width direction.

At the front end of the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 10, a wind direction changing member 26 for receiving the cool air blown from the ceiling opening 24 of the rear duct 18 and directing the flow downward is attached. The wind direction changing member 26 includes a receiving portion 28 for receiving cool air flowing forward along the ceiling surface, and a lower outlet 30 for blowing the received cool air downward.

The receiving portion 28 has substantially the same width as the width of the rear duct 18, and is opened rearward over the entire width so as to receive cold air flowing out of the ceiling opening 24 into the inside. As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving portion 28 is formed in a shape that is inclined rearward and downward so that the opening is widened toward the rear.

The lower outlet 30 opens downward toward the gap between the storage shelf 12 and the door 14 so that the cool air received by the receiving portion 28 flows downward. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower blowing section 30 is configured to be narrower than the entire width of the receiving section 28 so as to narrow the flow path and blow out the cool air. Part 2
8 is provided at the center in the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the uppermost storage shelf 12a
A rib 32 for taking in cool air flowing through the back duct 18 is provided in the uppermost rear opening 22a for blowing cold air to the air.
Is provided. Since the cool air taken in by the ribs 32 has been blown upward in the rear duct 18, it is blown forward and upward from the rear opening 22 a. That is, the uppermost rear opening 22
Part of the cool air from a is blown obliquely upward toward the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of beads 34 extending in the front-rear direction are formed at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment 10 on the ceiling surface between the ceiling opening 24 and the wind direction changing member 26. Have been. This prevents the flow of cool air from the ceiling opening 24 from being blocked by the stored items placed on the uppermost shelf 12a.

In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the cool air blown upward through the rear duct 18 is
It is blown out into the refrigerator compartment 10 from the ceiling opening 24 at the upper end. The blown cool air flows forward along the ceiling surface and enters the wind direction changing member 26 provided at the front end of the ceiling surface. that time,
Because the ceiling opening 24 is narrower than the duct width,
The cool air is blown out in a jet flow, and can be guided to the wind direction changing member 26 without reducing the flow velocity.

As shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the cool air blown from the uppermost rear opening 22a is blown to the ceiling surface, so that the cool air flows from the ceiling opening 24 along the ceiling surface. Cold air is pushed obliquely upward by the cool air from the uppermost rear opening 22a. Therefore, diffusion of the cool air flowing from the ceiling opening 24 to the wind direction changing member 26 is suppressed, and the cool air is stably guided to the wind direction changing member 26. Further, since the wind direction changing member 26 also receives the cool air blown from the uppermost rear opening 22a, the flow rate of the cool air blown from the lower outlet 30 can be increased. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the ceiling opening 24 and the uppermost rear opening 22a overlap each other in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment 10, they are arranged close to each other in the width direction of the duct 18. Such an effect can be exhibited more effectively.

Next, in the wind direction changing member 26, cool air enters into the inside from the receiving portion 28 which opens rearward, and cool air is blown downward from the lower outlet 30 located in front of the cool air. When the cold air is taken in the receiving portion 28, as described above, the receiving portion 28
Since it is inclined downward so that it spreads backward,
More cool air can be taken in from the uppermost rear opening 22a. When blowing out, the lower outlet 3
Since it is blown out by narrowing the flow path at 0, the flow of cold air downward is strong. Moreover, the lower outlet 30 is connected to the duct 18
Opening 22 provided on the left and right in the width direction of the refrigerator and the refrigerator compartment 1
Since it is arranged at the center in the width direction so as not to overlap in the width direction of 0, that is, so as not to overlap on the projection, the flow of cool air from the lower outlet 30 is blown out from the rear opening 22. Disturbance due to the flow of cold air can be suppressed.

In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, since the cold air flows downward from the ceiling to the front of the refrigerator compartment 10, when the door 14 is opened, air flows forward of the shelf 12. A curtain is formed so as to be shielded from the outside air, and when the door is closed, the storage pocket 36 inside the door 14 and the front end of the storage shelf 12 can be effectively cooled.

The flow of the cold air is generated by the rear duct 18 at the rear of the refrigerator compartment 10 and the wind direction changing member 26 at the front end of the ceiling surface, and the large-sized ceiling duct unlike the conventional case is not provided. Therefore, cost can be reduced. In addition, because the large ceiling duct was abolished, the refrigerator compartment 10
The height of the ceiling surface is high and a spacious impression is obtained, and the interior design is excellent.

In the above embodiment, the rear duct 18
Of the wind direction changing member 2
6, the lower outlet 30 is provided at one location in the center.
The present invention is not limited to this. For example, even if the ceiling opening 24 and the lower air outlet 30 are both provided at one position opposite to each other at the center, both the ceiling opening 24 and the lower air outlet 30 may be provided at the left and right sides. The ceiling opening 24 may be provided at one location in the center, and the lower outlet 30 may be provided at two locations on the left and right.

Further, as shown in FIG.
May be opened over the entire width of the wind direction changing member 26. In this case, since the cool air can flow downward over a wider range, it is possible to approach a more complete air curtain. As described above, the lower outlet 30 receives the receiving portion 2.
In the case of forming over the entire width of 8, by narrowing the opening dimension in the front-rear direction and making the opening slender in the left and right direction, it is possible to narrow the flow path and blow out cool air, thereby forming a strong air curtain.

[0036]

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the rear end duct provided at the rear side of the cooling room and the wind direction changing part provided at the front end of the ceiling surface serve as an air curtain, for example. The flow of the cool air is generated downward from above, and a ceiling duct extending over substantially the entire depth dimension of the ceiling surface is not provided as in the above-described case, so that the cost can be reduced. In addition, since the ceiling duct is eliminated, a spacious impression of the interior is obtained, and the interior design is excellent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the refrigerator compartment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a duct structure of a refrigerator in another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator room in a conventional refrigerator.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a duct structure of a refrigerator compartment in a conventional refrigerator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Refrigerator room 12 Storage shelf 14 Door 18 Rear duct 22 Rear opening 22a Uppermost rear opening 24 Ceiling opening 26 Wind direction changing member 28 Receiver Part 30: Lower outlet

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A cooling chamber whose front face is opened and closed by a door, a rear duct extending vertically and guiding cool air upward is provided on the rear face of the cooling chamber, and an upper end of the cooling chamber is provided at an upper end of the rear duct. A ceiling opening that blows cool air forward along the ceiling surface is provided. At the front end of the ceiling surface, the cool air blown into the cooling chamber from the ceiling opening and the received cool air flows downward. A refrigerator provided with a change unit. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ceiling opening is set smaller than the entire width of the rear duct, and the flow path of the cool air is narrowed and blown out at the ceiling opening. 3. A receiving portion that opens rearward to receive the cool air blown out from the ceiling opening,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a lower outlet for blowing down the received cool air downward. 4. The rear duct has a rear opening for blowing cool air to a storage shelf provided in the cooling chamber, and the rear opening and the lower outlet are located at positions where they do not overlap in the width direction of the cooling chamber. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator is provided. 5. The back duct has a plurality of back openings for blowing cool air to each of the plurality of storage shelves arranged in the cooling chamber, and cool air from the top back opening is directed forward and upward. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator is blown out. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the receiving portion of the wind direction changing portion is provided to be inclined downward so as to widen toward the rear.