JP2005207680A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator comprising an inexpensive lighting system of high visibility. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerator is provided with the lighting system 30 having an optical light guide plate 32 for guiding the light of a light source 31 composed of a LED and emitting the light from an outgoing face 32 of a front face, and notifying an operating state of the refrigerator 1, on its main body front face. A hole 32b having a curved surface at its front face side is formed on the optical light guide plate 32, the light entered into the optical light guide plate 32 from the light source 31 is refracted by the hole 32b to be diffused, and the outgoing face 32a emits the light by its face. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a lighting device for notifying an operation state on the front surface of a main body.

  Conventionally, there has been known a refrigerator that is provided with a light emitting body such as an LED on the front surface of the main body to notify the operation state such as the temperature inside the cabinet and the strength of the cooling operation. Since the LED emits light in a point manner and has a small light emitting area and low visibility, it is possible to easily determine the operation state by improving the visibility by surface light emission. Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator including an illumination device that illuminates a storage room by surface emission.

In the refrigerator lighting device, a resin light guide plate is provided in front of a linear light source including a fluorescent lamp. Light from the light source is guided through the light guide plate and emitted from each surface of the light guide plate to be surface-emitted. Therefore, when an illuminating device having a light guide plate similar to that of Patent Document 1 is arranged on the front surface of the main body outside the warehouse, the light emission surface of the front surface can be surface-emitted to improve visibility.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-258051 (pages 5-7, FIG. 1)

  However, the refrigerator illumination device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is expensive because a linear light source such as a fluorescent lamp is used as the light source. If a point light source such as an LED is used, as shown in FIG. 8, the light incident from the light source 31 is guided through the light guide plate 32 and is emitted from the emission surface 32a without being diffused. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a large number of point light sources such as LEDs, and there is a problem that the cost becomes high as described above. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, if a diffusion plate 33 is provided on the front side of the light guide plate 32, incident light can be diffused to emit light from the emission surface 32 a. There has been a problem that cannot be sufficiently improved.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator including an inexpensive and highly visible lighting device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a light guide plate that guides light from a light source and emits light from a front exit surface, and includes an illuminating device that informs an operation state on the front surface of the main body, and the light guide plate is refracted. It is characterized by having a hole for diffusing light on the optical path of the light incident from the light source. According to this configuration, the light emitted from the light source enters the light guide plate and is guided, and is refracted and diffused by the holes. The light diffused in the holes is emitted from the light exit surface on the front side of the light guide plate, and the light exit surface emits light. The holes can diffuse light by refraction when the front side is curved toward the front side. You may make the back side of a void | hole into a convex curved surface toward a back surface. The curved surface may be formed of a cylindrical surface.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the lighting device is disposed adjacent to a storage chamber for storing stored items in a cooled state, and a gap is provided between the light guide plate and the storage chamber. . According to this configuration, when the storage chamber is opened, the cold heat in the storage chamber is transmitted to the light guide plate through the gap.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the light guide plate has a concave portion on the back side for installing the light source. According to this configuration, the light emitted from the light source enters the light guide plate from the recess that covers the light source.

  Further, the present invention provides, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, an ion sending device including an ion generating device that generates ions and a blower that sends out ions generated by the ion generating device through a blowing path on an upper surface of the main body, An air passage that takes in outside air by driving a blower and allows the air to pass therethrough is provided. According to this configuration, the ion generating device and the blower are driven by driving the ion sending device provided on the upper surface of the main body of the refrigerator, and air containing ions is distributed from the upper portion of the refrigerator through the air blowing path. At the same time, the outside air is taken into the air passage by the blower, passes through the air holes, and is exhausted to the outside.

  Further, the present invention provides the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, wherein the ventilation path merges with the air blowing path in front of the air hole through the opening provided in the air blowing path, and the opening is formed by the air flowing through the air blowing path. The air is sucked from the air passage. According to this configuration, air is circulated through the ventilation path by driving the blower, and a suction force acts on the ventilation path via the opening formed in the ventilation path. The air in the ventilation path merges with the air blowing path through the opening by the suction force, and the air passes through the holes.

  According to the present invention, since a hole for diffusing the light by refraction is provided on the optical path of the light incident on the light guide plate from the light source, the light is diffused by an inexpensive point light source such as an LED without reducing the light amount. Can emit light. Therefore, a refrigerator provided with an inexpensive and highly visible lighting device can be obtained.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the front surface side of the hole is a convex curved surface toward the front surface, light can be refracted and diffused with a simple configuration. In addition, since the back surface side of the hole is a convex curved surface toward the back surface, light can be refracted and diffused with a simple configuration.

  According to the present invention, since the curved surface is formed of a cylindrical surface, the curved surface can be stably formed with high accuracy, and high finished surface accuracy can be easily obtained.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the gap is provided between the light guide plate and the storage chamber, it is possible to prevent condensation of the light guide plate due to cold heat transmitted from the storage chamber. Therefore, unnecessary diffusion can be prevented, unnecessary light can be reduced, and a reduction in illumination efficiency can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, the light guide plate has a recess for installing the light source on the back side, so that the light source is covered with the recess. For this reason, the light which is emitted from the light source and does not enter the light guide plate can be reduced to improve the illumination efficiency.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the air passage is provided to allow the outside air to pass through the air holes by driving the blower of the ion sending device arranged on the upper surface of the main body, when the ions are sent out, the air passage is opened to the outside air by driving the blower. Circulates and passes through the pores, and condensation of the pores can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, the air passage joins the air passage through the opening in front of the air hole, and the air in the air passage is sucked from the opening by the air flowing through the air passage. Can be distributed.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in the conventional example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are given the same reference numerals. 1 and 2 are a front view and a top view showing the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has a refrigerator compartment 2 at the top, and a vegetable compartment 3 and a freezer compartment 4 are juxtaposed on the left and right at the bottom. Above the refrigerating chamber 2, an ion sending unit 20 having an opening 9 (see FIG. 2) on the front surface is provided.

  3 and 4 show a side sectional view and a top sectional view of the ion delivery unit 20. A suction port 8 for taking in outside air from behind is formed on the back side of the ion delivery unit 20. A housing 17 in which the blower 6 and the filter 7 are housed is disposed behind the opening 9.

  The blower 6 is composed of a sirocco fan that sucks in the axial direction from the intake port 6a and exhausts it in the circumferential direction from the exhaust port 6b. The filter 7 is provided on one side of the housing 17 and collects dust. The air taken in from the suction port 8 by driving the blower 6 passes through the filter 7 from above to below, flows into the blower 6 from the intake port 6a, and is exhausted from the exhaust port 6b.

  The ion delivery unit 20 is provided with a blower path 11 that expands in the left-right direction as it goes forward from the exhaust port 6 b of the blower 6 toward the opening 9. In front of the blower 6, an ion generator 5 that discharges ions to the blower path 11 is provided.

The ion generator 5 has an electrode (not shown). When a high-voltage alternating voltage is applied to the electrode, positive ions mainly composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n are applied when the applied voltage is positive by corona discharge. In the case of a negative voltage, negative ions mainly composed of O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m are generated. Here, n and m are integers.

H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m aggregate on the surface of airborne microorganisms such as microorganisms in the air and surround the airborne bacteria. Then, as shown in the formulas (1) to (3), the active species [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) are generated and suspended on the surface of the microorganism or the like by collision. Disinfect bacteria. Note that n ′ and m ′ are integers.

H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m → OH + _1/2 O ₂ + (n + m) H ₂ O (1)
H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n + H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{n ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{m ′}
→ 2 OH + O ₂ + (n + n ′ + m + m ′) H ₂ O (2)
H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n + H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _{n ′} + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m + O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _{m ′}
→ H ₂ O ₂ + O ₂ + (n + n ′ + m + m ′) H ₂ O (3)

  Accordingly, the floating bacteria can be sterilized by sending positive ions and negative ions into the room. In addition, a relaxation effect can be obtained by controlling the voltage applied to the electrode and sending negative ions into the room.

  An illuminating device 30 that is turned on and informed when ions are being sent out by the ion sending unit 20 is provided below the front part of the air blowing path 11 in the ion sending unit 20. You may alert | report the operation state of the other refrigerator 1 with the illuminating device 30. FIG. The illuminating device 30 has a light source 31 composed of LEDs and the like, and a light guide plate 32 having an emission surface 32a on the front surface.

  FIG. 5 is a top view showing a lower portion of the air blowing path 11 of the ion delivery unit 20, and FIG. 6 is a top sectional view of the lighting device 30. The light guide plate 32 has a recess 32c for installing the light source 31 on the back side. The light source 31 is covered by the recess 32c, and the light that is emitted from the light source 31 and does not enter the light guide plate 32 can be reduced to improve the illumination efficiency.

  The light guide plate 32 is formed so as to expand from the back side to the front side, and a hole 32 b penetrating vertically is provided on the optical path of the light incident from the light source 31. The back surface side of the air hole 32b is formed substantially perpendicular to the optical path, and the front surface side has a convex curved surface toward the front surface. As a result, light that enters from the recess 32c and reaches the front side of the hole 32b is diffused by refraction and guided to the exit surface 32a. Therefore, the emission surface 32a is surface-emitted, and the visibility of the operating state of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  When the curved surface on the front side of the air hole 32b is formed of a cylindrical surface, mold processing and cutting work are facilitated, the curved surface can be stably formed with high accuracy, and high finished surface accuracy can be easily obtained. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the back surface side of the air holes 32b may be a curved surface convex toward the back surface.

  When the cold heat in the refrigerating chamber 2 is transmitted to the light guide plate 32 due to opening / closing of the door of the refrigerating chamber 2 and the holes 32b are condensed, the light reaching the holes 32b is diffused more than necessary due to water droplets, and unnecessary light increases. Thereby, the illumination efficiency of the illuminating device 30 falls. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3 described above, a gap 34 is provided between the light guide plate 32 and the outer wall of the refrigerator compartment 2. Thereby, the transmission of cold heat can be suppressed and condensation can be prevented.

  Further, an air inflow port 21 capable of taking outside air is provided on the side wall of the ion delivery unit 20. The air inlet 21 is separated from the housing 17 of the blower 6 by a partition wall (not shown). An opening 11a is formed in the lower wall of the air blowing path 11 in front of the air holes 32b. The air inlet 21 and the opening 11a communicate with each other through a hole 32b, and also communicate with each other through a gap between the light source 31 and the recess 32c. Thereby, the ventilation path 35 from the air inflow port 21 to the opening 11a is formed.

  In the refrigerator 1 having the above configuration, when there is a command to send out ions, the blower 6 and the ion generator 7 are driven, and the light source 31 is turned on. External air is taken into the ion delivery unit 20 from the suction port 8 by driving the blower 6, and dust is removed by the filter 7. The air from which the dust has been removed flows into the blower 6 from the axial direction through the intake port 6a and is exhausted from the exhaust port 6b in the circumferential direction.

  The air exhausted from the blower 6 includes ions released by the driving of the ion generator 5, circulates in the air passage 11 while spreading in the left-right direction, and is sent from the opening 9 to the living room. Therefore, a sufficient amount of ions can be diffused into the room to obtain a bactericidal effect and a relaxation effect.

  A suction force acts on the air passage 35 through the opening 11a by the airflow flowing through the air blowing path 11. For this reason, outside air is taken into the ventilation path 35 from the air inlet 21. The outside air taken into the air passage 35 flows through the gap between the light source 31 and the recess 32 c and the air holes 32 b and flows into the air blowing path 11. Thereby, the dew condensation of the hole 32b and the recessed part 32c can further be reduced, and the illumination efficiency fall of the illuminating device 30 can be prevented. In addition, you may provide the ventilation path which branches the exhaust side of the air blower 6 from the ventilation path 11, and lets the clearance gap between the light source 31 and the recessed part 32c, and the hole 32b pass.

  According to the present embodiment, the light that is guided through the light guide plate 32 by the holes 32b can be diffused to emit light from the emission surface 32a. Therefore, the visibility is improved by an inexpensive point light source such as one to several LEDs. The lighting device 30 can be obtained.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the ion delivery unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Top sectional drawing which shows the ion delivery unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the illuminating device of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Top sectional drawing of the illuminating device of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Top sectional drawing of the illuminating device of the other aspect of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention. Top sectional view of a conventional refrigerator lighting device Top sectional view of a conventional refrigerator lighting device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerated room 3 Vegetable room 4 Freezing room 5 Ion generator 6 Blower 7 Filter 8 Suction port 9 Opening part 11 Blower path 11a Opening 20 Ion sending unit 21 Air inflow port 30 Illuminating device 31 Light source 32 Light guide plate 32a Outgoing surface 32b Air hole 32c Recess 34 Air gap 35 Air passage

Claims (8)

  A light guide plate that guides light from a light source and emits the light from a light exit surface on the front surface is provided on the front surface of the main body with an illuminating device that notifies the operation state, and the light guide plate has a hole that diffuses light by refraction from the light source. A refrigerator having an optical path of incident light.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a front surface side of the air hole is a curved surface convex toward the front surface.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a back side of the hole is a curved surface that is convex toward the back.   The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the curved surface is a cylindrical surface.   5. The lighting device is disposed adjacent to a storage room for storing stored items in a cold state, and a gap is provided between the light guide plate and the storage room. The refrigerator described.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light guide plate has a recess on the back side where the light source is installed.   An ion sending device comprising an ion generating device for generating ions and a blower for sending ions generated by the ion generating device through a blowing path is provided on the upper surface of the main body, and the holes are formed by taking in outside air by driving the blower. The refrigerator in any one of the Claims 1-6 provided with the ventilation path which allows to pass through.   The air passage joins the air passage in front of the air hole through an opening provided in the air passage, and the air in the air passage is sucked from the opening by the air flowing through the air passage. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein

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