JP2006200786A - Quenching device for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a quenching device for cooling cans without reducing a storage volume of a refrigerator by forming an exclusive space of a refrigerator main body. <P>SOLUTION: This quenching device for the refrigerator has a driving body 220 mounted on a rotary door 102a constituting an outer wall of the refrigerator main body 100 to rotate a container 108, and receiving the power source from the refrigerator main body 100, and a holding member 250 composed of a flexible cold storage material 251 and holding the container with the driving body 220, and the holding member 250 is constituted so as to corotate with the container 108. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a can cooling device for a refrigerator.

  In general, when cooling a beverage can or the like, it is cooled in a refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator. However, there is a problem that it takes a considerable amount of time until the product is cooled to an appropriate temperature.

  Therefore, in recent years, a quenching device has been developed that aims to quickly cool the convection of the contents by rotating the can in a sideways state in the refrigerator body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a conventional refrigerator can cooling device described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerator main body 1 is composed of a plurality of food storage rooms each provided with a front door, and is composed of an outer box 2, an inner box 3, and a heat insulating material 4 such as urethane foam filled between the two boxes. Has been. The inside of the refrigerator main body 1 is partitioned by a partition wall 8 having a heat insulating action, and is provided with a refrigerator compartment 5, a vegetable compartment 6, a freezer compartment (not shown) from the top, and the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 5 can be opened and closed. The vegetable compartment 6 and the freezer compartment can be closed by a drawer type door (not shown). Each of the doors is configured by filling a heat insulating material such as urethane foam between a door outer box made of a steel plate and a door inner box made of a hard resin material.

  A mounting space 11 is recessed in the front lower portion of the left side wall 10 of the refrigerator compartment 5, and a gear motor 12 as a rotational drive body is disposed in the mounting space 11. And the holding member 14 which hold | maintains the cans 20 with drinks, such as 350 ml and 500 ml, sideways is fixed to the output shaft 13 of this motor 12. As shown in FIG.

  The holding member 14 is a substantially bottomed cylindrical body, and is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and a claw portion 15 is formed on the inner surface of the side wall. The flange at the upper end of the outer periphery of the beverage can 20 slides along the inclined surface forming the claw 15 so that the claw 15 is held by engaging with the groove of the flange.

  Further, the front left portion of the partition wall 8 which is the bottom surface portion of the refrigerator compartment 5 is depressed to support the lower portion of the can 20 held by the holding member 14 and is slightly larger in diameter and longer than the can 20. A semi-columnar support portion 16 is formed. The support portion 16 is provided with a cooling plate 17 made of a material having good thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, and a cold storage material 18 is further provided under the outer cooling plate 17. As the cold storage material 18, for example, an organic brine such as a known aqueous solution of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, a mixture of an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer and the organic brine, and the like are used in a plastic bag.

  The refrigerator compartment 5 is supplied with cold air from a known refrigeration cycle unit from a duct outlet formed by the back of the main body and the duct forming plate, and can store food in the refrigerator compartment 5 in a refrigerator. .

  With the above configuration, the inside of the refrigerating chamber 5 is in a refrigerated state, and the cooling plate 17 and the regenerator material 18 disposed in the support portion 16 are constantly cooled. Here, the beverage can 20 is turned sideways and pushed in such a way as to slide the flange at the upper end of the outer periphery of the beverage can 20 along the slope forming the claw portion 15 of the holding member 14, and the claw portion 15. Is engaged with and held in the groove of this flange. At this time, the beverage-containing can 20 is fitted into the support portion 16 and placed on the cooling plate 17.

For this reason, the beverage containing can 20 rotates together with the holding member 14 while sliding on the support portion 16, and the beverage having the contents is convected and cooled quickly and uniformly.
JP 2002-295971 A

  However, in the configuration of the conventional can cooling device, it is necessary to provide a dedicated space for cooling the can in the main body of the refrigerator, and there is a problem that the storage amount of other stored items is substantially reduced. It was.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and it aims at providing the rapid cooling apparatus which does not affect the storage capacity of a refrigerator.

  Further, the configuration of the conventional can cooling device has a problem that the container easily breaks because the cooling plate and the container rotate while being in contact with each other.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rapid cooling apparatus in which a container is not easily damaged.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the refrigerator rapid cooling apparatus of the present invention includes a driving body that is provided on the outer wall of the refrigerator body and rotates the container when the container is set from the outside, and cooling that cools the container The driving body or the cooling means is supplied with power from the refrigerator body.

  Thereby, a container such as a can can be rapidly cooled outside the refrigerator main body.

  The quenching device for a refrigerator according to the present invention can cool a container such as a can without affecting the storage capacity of the refrigerator by providing the quenching device on the outer wall of the refrigerator body.

  The invention according to claim 1 includes a driving body that is provided on the outer wall of the refrigerator main body and rotates the container when the container is set from the outside, and a cooling unit that cools the container, and the driving body or the Since the cooling means is supplied with power from the refrigerator main body, the container such as a can is rapidly cooled outside the refrigerator main body, and the beverage can can be rapidly cooled without affecting the storage capacity of the refrigerator. .

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in addition to the first aspect of the invention, the cooling means is a cold storage material, and has a holding member that holds the container together with the driving body when the container is set from the outside. Then, the holding member in contact with the container rotates together with the container, thereby preventing sliding due to rotation on the surface of the container and preventing the container from being damaged.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the magnet disposed on the bottom surface of the holding member and the magnet disposed on the driving body face each other to generate torque. By rotating the holding member by transmitting, torque can be transmitted only by placing the holding member with the container attached on the driving body, and the operability of the quenching device is improved.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second aspect of the invention, since the holding member has a cylindrical shape with one end opened, a contact area between the holding member and the container is increased, and a cooling time is increased. Can be shortened.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the container set from the outside is substantially cylindrical, the container supports at least the flange portion of the container by the driver. In addition, by rotating the axial direction of the cylinder vertically, condensed water accumulates in a gap formed between the cold insulation member and the container and heat transfer is promoted, so that the cooling time can be shortened. it can.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second to fifth aspects of the present invention, a heat insulating member is disposed on the outer surface of the holding member, so that condensation on the outer surface of the holding member is suppressed. Thus, the heat loss of the holding member can be reduced.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second or third aspect of the invention, the driving body is configured on a wall surface of the refrigerator main body and an outer wall of the refrigerator main body and is driven by the motor. Since the motor is configured in the wall surface, the motor is not exposed to the outside of the refrigerator, and space saving of the driving body outside the storage becomes possible.

  According to an eighth aspect of the invention, in addition to the seventh aspect of the invention, the rotating body is configured to be rotatable on the outer wall of the refrigerator main body between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position. In the substantially vertical position, the distance formed by the rotating body from the refrigerator main body can be reduced, and the external dimensions of the refrigerator main body can be reduced in a state where the quenching device is not used.

  According to a ninth aspect of the invention, in addition to the seventh or eighth aspect of the invention, the motor transmits torque without using gears or the like by transmitting torque to the rotating body by friction. The noise of the quenching device can be reduced.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those of the conventional example or the embodiments described above, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a side view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the quenching apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the quenching device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  1, 2, and 3, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator compartment 102, a vegetable compartment 103, an ice making compartment 104, a switching compartment 105, and a freezing compartment 106 that are partitioned by a heat insulating wall 101. Here, a revolving door 102 a is rotatably attached to the front of the refrigerator compartment 102, the door 103 a is on the front of the vegetable compartment 103, the door 104 a is on the front of the ice making compartment 104, and the front of the switching room 105. The door 105a is attached to the front of the freezer compartment 106 so that the door 106a can move horizontally toward the front.

  The container 108 is a can and a plastic bottle in which a beverage is enclosed, and a main part has a substantially cylindrical shape.

  The rapid cooling device 110 is disposed on the outer surface of the rotary door 102a, and mainly includes a driving body 120 and a cooling means 130.

  The driving body 120 mainly includes a support member 121 and a rotating body 125.

  The support member 121 is fixed to the outer surface of the revolving door 102a. Inside the support member 121, there is a motor 122 disposed in the vertical direction and a substantially fixed fixed to the tip of the motor shaft 122a facing upward. A cylindrical magnet 123 is accommodated. Here, the motor 122 is connected to the control unit 107 configured in the refrigerator main body 100 and is operated and stopped by a signal from the control unit 107. Further, a recess 124 having a predetermined radius is formed on the upper surface of the support member 121 with the rotation axis of the motor 122, that is, the motor shaft 122a as the center.

  The rotating body 125 is a substantially cylindrical container that is disposed on the upper surface of the support member 121 and has an upper surface opened. Here, the opening on the upper surface of the rotating body 125, that is, the concave section of the cross section is shaped such that the bottom of the container 108 fits in, and a cover 126 having a relatively high frictional resistance and softness is formed on the inner surface of the concave section. Has been. In addition, a substantially cylindrical magnet 127 is built in the bottom surface of the rotating body 125, and a convex portion 128 is formed downward. At this time, in a state where the rotating body 125 is disposed on the support member 121, the magnet 127 and the convex portion 128 are positioned concentrically with the motor shaft 122a, and the concave portion 124 and the convex portion 128 are configured to fit. A predetermined gap is formed between the upper surface of the indicating member 121 and the lower surface of the rotating body 125. Further, in this state, the magnet 123 fixed to the motor 122 and the magnet 127 built in the rotating body 125 face each other and transmit torque.

  The cooling means 130 is a Peltier element fixed to the outer surface of the rotary door 102a, and the cooling surface 131 of the Peltier element is disposed on the outer surface of the refrigerator body. Here, in a state where the container 108 is attached to the quenching device, the cooling surface 131 is configured to abut on the body portion of the container 108. The cooling unit 130 is connected to the control unit 107 configured in the refrigerator main body 100, and is operated and stopped by a signal from the control unit 107.

  The operation switch 140 is fixed to the rotary door 102a and is a push button type switch. Here, the operation switch 140 is connected to the control unit 107 configured in the refrigerator main body 100, and the operation of the operation switch 140 instructs the control unit 107 to perform a rapid cooling operation.

  About the quenching apparatus comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, the container 108 is attached to the rotating body 125 by the user's hand.

  Next, when the user operates the operation switch 140, the cooling unit 130 is first in an operating state by a signal from the control unit 107, and the temperature of the cooling surface 131 decreases.

  Furthermore, after a predetermined time has elapsed, an operation signal is sent from the control unit 107 to the motor 122, and the motor 122 rotates.

  Here, since the magnet 123 fixed to the motor 122 and the magnet 127 built in the rotating body 125 are opposed to each other, the rotating body 125 is also rotated by the rotation of the motor 122. At this time, due to the frictional force of the cover 126 formed in the upper surface recess of the rotating body 125, the container 108 rotates while the body side surface is in contact with the cooling surface 131 in conjunction with the rotating body 125.

  Therefore, after the predetermined time has elapsed, until the operation to the motor 122 and the cooling means 130 is automatically stopped, in addition to the heat conduction from the cooling surface 131, the convection of the beverage inside the container 108 causes the inside of the container 108 to be quickly and uniformly. The beverage will be cooled.

  As described above, the rapid cooling apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the driving body 120 that is provided on the outer wall of the refrigerator main body 100 and rotates the container 108 and the cooling means 130 that contacts the container 108. Is supplied with power from the refrigerator main body 100, the container 108 is rapidly cooled outside the refrigerator main body 100, and the storage capacity of the refrigerator is not affected.

  In the present embodiment, the cooling means 130 is composed of Peltier elements, but the same effect can be expected even if a part of the cooling system of the refrigerator main body 100 is used.

  In this embodiment, the quenching device 110 is attached to the outer surface of the rotary door 102a, but the vegetable compartment door 103a, the ice making chamber 104 door 104a, the switching chamber 105 door 105a, the freezer compartment door 106a, or You may attach to the side of a refrigerator main body.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a side view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the quenching device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the quenching device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the quenching apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  4, 5, 6, and 7, the rapid cooling device 210 is disposed on the outer surface of the rotary door 102 a, and mainly includes a driving body 220 and a holding member 250.

  Further, the driving body 220 is mainly composed of a driving body main body 230 disposed at the lower part, an upper support member 240 disposed at the upper part, and a connecting member 241.

  Further, the driving body 230 is mainly composed of a motor 231 and a casing 232.

  The motor 231 is disposed in the vertical direction inside the rotary door 102a, and a first friction wheel 234 is attached to the tip of the motor shaft 233 facing upward. Here, the outer periphery of the first friction wheel 234 is configured not to be exposed to the outside of the rotary door 102a.

  The casing 232 is attached to the outside of the rotary door 102a, and is rotatable between a first position where the casing 232 is inverted in a substantially vertical direction and a second position where the casing 232 is in a substantially horizontal state. Yes.

  Here, in the casing 232, a transmission member 235 and a second friction wheel 236 are configured to be rotatable. The transmission member 235 includes a substantially cylindrical magnet 235a disposed near the upper surface of the casing 232, and a third friction gear 235b below the magnet 235a. The magnet 235a and the third friction gear 235b are Rotate together.

  The second friction wheel 236 is disposed on the refrigerator main body 100 side with respect to the third friction gear 235b so as to contact the third friction gear 235b and transmit power.

  At this time, except for the second position where the casing 232 is in a substantially horizontal state, the first friction wheel 234 located inside the rotary door 102a and the second friction wheel 236 disposed in the casing 232 do not contact each other. It is configured as follows.

  The upper support member 240 is a ring-shaped support member attached to the outside of the revolving door 102a, and a first position where the upper support member 240 is inverted in a substantially vertical direction and a first position where the upper support member 240 is in a substantially horizontal state. It can be rotated between two positions.

  The connecting member 241 is a mechanism member that is rotatably attached to the casing 232 and the upper support member 240. Here, since the casing 232 and the upper support member 240 are mechanically connected by the connecting member 241, the upper support member 240 is also in the same manner at the first position where the casing 232 is inverted in a substantially vertical direction. At the second position where the casing 232 is in a substantially horizontal state, the upper support member 240 is also in the second position.

  The holding member 250 mainly includes a cold storage material 251 and a heat insulating cover 252.

  As the regenerator material 251, it is desirable to use an organic brine such as a known aqueous solution of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, a mixture of an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer and the organic brine, etc. in a plastic bag. As for, it is the cylinder shape which opened the upper surface.

  The heat insulating cover 252 is a substantially cylindrical container made of resin with an upper surface opened, and a flange 253 is formed on the upper surface toward the outer periphery. Furthermore, a magnet 254 is formed at the center of the lower surface of the heat insulating cover 252.

  Here, in the holding member 250, the regenerator material 251 and the heat insulating cover 252 are detachable, the regenerator material 251 is provided inside the heat insulating cover 252, and the container 108 is fitted inside the regenerator material 251. It is attached to the quenching device 210.

  When the quenching device 210 is usable, that is, when the casing 232 and the upper support member 240 are also in the second position, in the state where the holding member 250 fitted with the container 108 is attached to the quenching device 210, the transmission member 235 The rotation center and the rotation center of the heat insulating cover 252 are arranged in a straight line, and the magnet 235a and the magnet 254 face each other so that torque can be transmitted. Further, the lower surface of the flange 253 contacts the upper surface of the upper support member 240.

  About the quenching apparatus comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, when the quenching device 210 is not used, the casing 232 and the upper support member 240 are similarly in the first position by the user's hand, and even if the user accidentally operates the operation switch, Although the friction wheel 234 rotates, since both are housed in the rotary door 102a, there is little danger, and rotational power is not transmitted to the second friction wheel 236 exposed to the outside.

  Next, when the quenching apparatus 210 is used, the casing 232 and the upper support member 240 are similarly moved to the second position by the user's hand. At this time, since the first friction wheel 234 located inside the rotary door 102a and the second friction wheel 236 disposed in the casing 232 are in contact with each other, the power of the motor 231 is transmitted to the transmission member 235. .

  Here, the cool storage material 251 that has been cooled in any storage chamber of the refrigerator main body 100 in advance by the user's hand is attached to the quenching device 210 together with the container 108 and the heat insulating cover 252, and the user operates the operation switch 140. Thus, the motor 231 is rotated by a signal from the control unit 107. Due to the rotation of the motor 231, the power transmitted through the first friction wheel 234, the second friction wheel 236, and the transmission member 235 rotates the container 108 together with the holding member 250. Therefore, the beverage inside the container 108 is cooled quickly and uniformly by the convection of the beverage inside the container 108 in addition to the heat conduction from the cold storage material 251 until the operation of the motor 231 is automatically stopped after the predetermined time has elapsed. Will be.

  Furthermore, since the holding member 250 covers the outer periphery of the regenerator material 251 with the heat insulating cover 252, condensation does not occur on the outer surface of the holding member 250.

  Furthermore, the holding member 250 is covered with a heat insulating cover 252 whose upper surface is opened. By rotating the holding member 250 and the container 108 in the vertical direction, condensed water generated in the heat insulating cover 252 Since the gap between 108 is closed, the heat transfer coefficient between the cool storage material 251 and the container 108 is improved as compared with the state in which the gap is formed.

  Furthermore, since the motor 231 is housed inside the revolving door 102a, the exposed portion can be made compact outside the revolving door 102a of the quenching device 230.

  Furthermore, since the casing 232 and the upper support member 240 can rotate between the first position and the second position, the distance formed from the refrigerator main body of the driving body 220 can be reduced when the quenching device 210 is not used. it can.

  Furthermore, since the power of the motor 231 is transmitted to the container 108 by a friction wheel, noise can be reduced compared to a transmission method using gears.

  Further, since the power of the motor 231 is transmitted to the container 108 by the friction wheel, the casing 232 and the operation of switching the upper support member 240 from the first position to the second position are easy.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the water supply container of the present embodiment is provided to rotate the container 108 on the outer wall of the refrigerator main body 100 and is supplied with power from the refrigerator main body 100. The holding member 250 is made of a soft regenerator material 251 and holds the container 108 together with the driving body 220. When the holding member 250 in contact with the container 108 rotates together with the container 108, sliding by rotation on the container surface. The container will not be damaged.

  Further, the magnet 254 disposed in the center of the lower surface of the heat insulating cover 252 and the magnet 235a disposed in the driving body 220 are opposed to each other to transmit the torque, whereby the holding member 250 attached with the container 108 is transferred to the driving body 220. Torque can be transmitted simply by placing it, improving the operability of the quenching device.

  In addition, since the cold storage material 251 has a cylindrical shape with one end opened, the contact area between the cold storage material 251 and the container 108 is increased, and the cooling time can be shortened.

  Further, by disposing the heat insulating cover 252 on the outer periphery of the cold storage material 251, condensation on the outer surface of the holding member 250 is suppressed, and heat loss of the cold storage material 251 can be reduced.

  The substantially cylindrical container 108 is supported on the lower surface of the container 108 by the driving body 220 and rotates in the axial direction of the trunk in the vertical direction, so that condensation is formed in a gap formed between the cold insulation member 250 and the container 108. Water accumulates and heat transfer is promoted, and the cooling time can be shortened.

  In addition, since the motor 231 is housed inside the revolving door 102a, the motor 231 is not exposed outside the refrigerator main body 100, and space saving outside the refrigerator of the driving body 220 is possible.

  In addition, since the casing 232 and the upper support member 240 can rotate between the first position and the second position, when the quenching device 210 is not used, the distance formed by the drive body 220 from the refrigerator main body can be reduced. it can.

  Further, the motor 231 transmits torque to the container 108 by friction, thereby transmitting torque without using a gear or the like, and the noise of the quenching device 230 can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the quenching device 210 is attached to the outside of the rotary door 102a. However, the quenching device 210 can move between the first position and the second position, that is, when the quenching device 210 is not used. In this embodiment cooling, which can be folded and stored on the wall surface, even if the quenching device 210 is configured on the inner wall of the rotary door 102a, the quenching can be performed with minimal influence on the internal volume of the refrigerator.

  As described above, since the quenching apparatus according to the present invention can quench the container outside the refrigerator, the container can be rapidly cooled without providing a dedicated space for quenching inside the refrigerator. It can be applied to other uses.

Side view of refrigerator in embodiment 1 of the present invention. Configuration diagram of quenching device in the embodiment Sectional drawing of the quenching device in the embodiment Side view of refrigerator in embodiment 2 of the present invention. Configuration diagram of quenching device in the embodiment Sectional drawing of the quenching device in the embodiment Side view of quenching device in the same embodiment Longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional refrigerator can cooling device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Refrigerator main body 108 Container 110 Quench apparatus 120 Drive body 130 Cooling means 210 Quench apparatus 220 Drive body 231 Motor 232 Casing 235a Magnet 250 Holding member 252 Thermal insulation cover 254 Magnet

Claims (9)

  A driving body that is provided on the outer wall of the refrigerator main body and rotates the container when the container is set from the outside, and a cooling means that cools the container. The driving body or the cooling means supplies power from the refrigerator main body. Refrigerator quenching equipment being supplied.   The cooling means is a cold storage material, and has a holding member that holds the container together with the driver when the container is set from the outside, and the holding member that contacts the container rotates together with the container. The refrigerator rapid cooling apparatus according to 1.   The rapid cooling apparatus of the refrigerator of Claim 1 or 2 which rotates the said holding member by making the magnet arrange | positioned at the bottom face of the said holding member and the magnet arrange | positioned at the said drive body oppose, and transmitting torque.   The rapid cooling apparatus for a refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the holding member has a substantially cylindrical shape with one end opened.   5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein when the container set from the outside is substantially cylindrical, the container is supported by at least a flange portion of the container by the driving body and rotates in the axial direction of the barrel vertically. Quenching device.   The refrigerator rapid cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a heat insulating member is disposed on an outer surface of the holding member.   4. The refrigerator rapid cooling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving body includes a motor configured in a wall surface of the refrigerator body and a rotating body configured on an outer wall of the refrigerator body and driven by the motor. .   The refrigerator rapid cooling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotating body is configured to be rotatable between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position on an outer wall of the refrigerator body.   The refrigerator rapid cooling apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the motor transmits torque to the rotating body by friction.

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