JP2008039315A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator, solving a problem in which, in a vegetable chamber storing food having a large quantity of transpiration, only high moisture in the storage cannot completely restrain stored food such as vegetables from being dried, and optimizing the disposition of a spray tip part and a counter electrode of an electrostatic atomizer to spray mist to the food efficiently, whereby, while the interior of the refrigerator is kept in a high moisture state, mist is sprayed to the surface of food such as vegetables to improve freshness maintainability. <P>SOLUTION: The electrostatic atomizer and a cooling plate 125 for cooling the interior of the vegetable chamber are provided in the vegetable chamber 107, and the counter electrode 121 is disposed so that water particles generated from the electrostatic atomizer have directivity different from the direction of the cooling plate 125, whereby mist can be sprayed directly to the food stored in the vegetable chamber 107 to efficiently keep the interior of the vegetable chamber 107 in high moisture state so that freshness maintainability of vegetable can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an atomizing device for humidifying a space of a storage room such as vegetables.

  As one of the humidifier methods for maintaining the space at an appropriate humidity, an electrostatic atomization method is known in which fine water droplets obtained by applying a high voltage to water are supplied to the air to obtain humidified air. It is used in various places and fields such as a residence and an office (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional humidifier using electrostatic atomization. An inner cylinder 402 that is slightly shorter than the inner side of the outer cylinder 401 is disposed. The outer cylinder 401 and the inner cylinder 402 are arranged so as to be connected to each other at the upper end to form a low and low cylindrical double pipe 403, and a water reservoir 404 is formed in the lower part. Water is supplied to the water reservoir 404 from the water tank 411 so that the water surface is always constant. The position of the water surface is set so that the lower end of the cylinder 402 is always below the water surface. A notch 405 is provided in a part of the lower portion of the inner cylinder 402 so as to open above the water surface. The upper part of the inner cylinder 402 is opened and a guide 406 is connected thereto. A cup 407 is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the cylindrical double tube 403 so as to be supported by the bottom surface of the cylindrical double tube 403. The cup 407 is provided with its bottom face facing upward, and has a nozzle 408 made of a metal tube at the center of the bottom face. The cup 407 is installed so that the upper end of the nozzle 408 is always above the water surface. A ring electrode 409 is provided in the space inside the inner cylinder 402 and above the nozzle 408. The nozzle 408 is connected to the negative output terminal of the high voltage power supply 412, and the ring electrode 409 is also connected to the positive output terminal of the high voltage power supply. Air is sent from the fan 410 to the space between the outer cylinder 401 and the inner cylinder 402.

  The operation of the humidifier configured as described above will be described below.

When a high voltage is applied between the nozzle 408 and the ring electrode 409 from the high voltage power supply 412, a strong electric field is formed between the nozzle 408 and the ring electrode 409. The air blown from the fan 410 flows from the upper part to the lower part in the space between the outer cylinder 401 and the inner cylinder 402, then passes through the notch 405, circulates inside the inner cylinder 402, and from the guide 406. It is blown out to the external space. At this time, pressure acts on the water surface by the air flowing from the upper part to the lower part in the space between the outer cylinder 401 and the inner cylinder 402. By this pressure, the water in the cup 407 is pushed up toward the nozzle 408 and discharged from the tip of the nozzle 408 as water droplets. The water droplets are negatively charged when passing through the nozzle 408, and some of the water droplets move toward the ring electrode 409 by the action of an electric field. When the charge amount of the water droplet increases and the charge density on the surface of the water droplet reaches a critical value, the electrostatic force cancels the surface tension of the water droplet, and the water droplet is finely divided and atomization occurs. The fine water droplets generated here are blown out to the external space together with the upward airflow flowing through the inner cylinder 402, and humidification is performed.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-191822

  However, in the conventional configuration described above, the fine water droplets (hereinafter referred to as mist) generated by the electrostatic atomizer are sprayed over a wider range, and the spraying direction is upward in order to increase the humidity in the room. Although electrodes are installed, but when adapted to refrigerators, especially in rooms that store foods with a large amount of transpiration, such as vegetable rooms, drying of stored foods such as vegetables can be suppressed only by increasing the humidity in the cabinet. Had no problem.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and by optimizing the arrangement of the electrostatic atomizer to efficiently spray mist on food, while maintaining a high humidity state in the warehouse, The purpose is to improve freshness by spraying mist on the surface of food such as vegetables.

  In addition, in the above conventional configuration, when applying to a refrigerator equipped with a cooler in the storage room, the cooler cools the storage room, which is a very narrow sealed space, compared to a living room, etc. When the spraying direction of the electrostatic atomizer is directed to the cooler, most of the generated mist is attached to the cooler due to both the dehumidifying action and the electrostatic force, and is not sufficiently sprayed into the storage room. There was a problem that a high humidity state could not be maintained in the storage chamber.

  In the present invention, fine water droplets of nano size (hereinafter referred to as mist) are sprayed into the storage chamber without being attracted to the cooling plate by the electrostatic force of the electrostatic atomizer superior to the dehumidifying action by the cooling plate. The purpose is to provide a refrigerator that maintains a high humidity state and improves the freshness of the vegetable compartment, and that has added deodorization, antibacterial, and sterilization functions using ozone generated by the electrostatic atomizer. To do.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention includes an electrostatic atomizer that sprays mist in a storage chamber, and wants to spray a counter electrode on the spray tip of the electrostatic atomizer. It is arranged offset in the direction.

  Thereby, the nano-sized mist generated by the electrostatic atomizer is sprayed toward the food in the storage chamber, and the mist is sprayed directly on the food in the storage chamber, thereby improving the freshness of the food.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention is arranged so that the counter electrode of the electrostatic atomizer is sprayed in the direction of food, not in the direction of the cooling plate, in the storage room equipped with a cooler. By doing so, the nano-sized mist generated from the electrostatic atomizer is attracted in the direction of the counter electrode by the electrostatic force between the ignition electrode and the counter electrode, and sprayed directly onto the food in the storage chamber.

  As a result, the nano-sized mist generated by the electrostatic atomizer is sprayed directly on the food in the storage room without being dehumidified by the cooler, thereby maintaining high humidity and improving freshness. .

  The refrigerator of the present invention includes an electrostatic atomizer in the refrigerator compartment, and in a direction in which the counter electrode is sprayed on the spray tip so that the mist generated from the electrostatic atomizer is efficiently sprayed on the food. By placing it in an offset position, it is possible to increase the humidity in the storage room, spray mist directly on the food being stored, improve the freshness of the food, and add deodorizing, antibacterial, and sterilizing functions. be able to.

  The invention according to claim 1 includes a storage chamber formed by a heat-insulating section in the refrigerator, and an electrostatic atomizing device that is arranged to be offset in a direction in which the counter electrode is sprayed with respect to the spray tip. By spraying mist directly on the food during storage, it is possible to improve the freshness of the food and at the same time deodorize, antibacterial, and sterilizing effects due to ozone, radicals, and negative ions generated when mist is generated with an electrostatic atomizer The function of the storage room can be improved by adding.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, an electrostatic atomizer is provided on the wall surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is disposed so as to spray mist toward the center of the storage chamber. By offsetting the spray tip portion, the food stored in the storage chamber is directly sprayed, and the freshness of the food can be improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the electrostatic atomizer is provided above the back surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is disposed below the spray tip. By arrange | positioning, mist can be sprayed in a storage chamber container, without mist adhering to the top | upper surface of a storage chamber.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first to third aspects, an electrostatic atomizing device is provided below the back of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is located above the spray tip. When the storage room container is shallow, the electrostatic atomizer is installed at the bottom, and the mist is sprayed upward so that the mist does not adhere to the top of the storage room and is directed toward the storage room container. The mist can be sprayed, and the mist can be sprayed in a wide range by spraying the mist upward.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, an electrostatic atomizer is disposed on a side of the back of the storage room, and the counter electrode is sprayed. By placing it on the center side with respect to the tip, it is wider by spraying diagonally from the side than when spraying in the front direction from the center back, such as when the storage container is wide and shallow specification Mist can be sprayed onto the area.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an electrostatic atomizer is provided on the top surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is sprayed toward the center of the storage chamber. Can be sprayed into the storage chamber container uniformly from the top surface of the storage chamber.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the electrostatic atomizer is provided on the front side of the top surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is located on the back side with respect to the spray tip. By arrange | positioning in, the mist will be sprayed toward the back | inner side from the near side of a storage chamber, and it can spray mist over a wider range in a storage chamber.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the electrostatic atomizer is provided on the back side of the top surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is on the near side with respect to the spray tip. By arrange | positioning, mist will be sprayed toward the near side from the back surface of a store room, and it can spray mist to the wider range of a store room.

  Invention of Claim 9 is the refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-8, By comprising the said storage chamber so that the mist spraying path | route of an electrostatic atomizer may be ensured, It is possible to prevent the mist from being hindered by the container or partition in the storage chamber and to spray the mist over a wide area in the storage.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the refrigerator according to the ninth aspect, wherein the refrigerator includes a storage chamber container for storing food in the storage chamber, and a plurality of storages are provided by providing a cutout portion in a portion of the storage chamber container. The mist can go to each storage chamber container from the cutout portion, for example, when it is configured from the chamber container.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the spraying device is arranged in the notch so that the gap between the storage chamber container and the top surface is small and the storage chamber container is cut. The installation location of the electrostatic atomizer can be ensured by providing the notch and providing the electrostatic atomizer in the notch.

  The invention according to claim 12 is the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a cooling plate for cooling the storage chamber in the storage chamber, from the electrostatic atomizer. Since the generated mist is sprayed in a direction different from the cooling plate, the sprayed mist is directly dewed on the cooling plate and dehumidified by disposing the counter electrode offset from the spray tip. It is possible to prevent this, and to maintain high humidity in the storage chamber, and it is possible to maintain the freshness of the food by spraying mist directly on the food in the storage chamber.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the twelfth aspect, the cooling plate is disposed above the electrostatic atomizer so that the interior of the storage room is radiated from the top without providing a diffusion means such as a fan. By cooling, it can cool efficiently.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the twelfth or thirteenth aspect, the cooling plate is a water collecting plate that condenses air moisture in the storage chamber, so that water vapor or door transpiration from the food is obtained. By opening and closing, water vapor entering from the outside air is condensed on the water collecting plate, the condensed water is sent to the electrostatic atomizer and sprayed directly on the food in the storage room, without supplying water from the outside, Mist can be sprayed on food.

  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 sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram and control block diagram of the electrostatic atomizer in the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram of the particle diameter and the number of particles in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. ) Is a characteristic diagram of the discharge current value and ozone generation concentration of the ozone amount determination means in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is the atomization amount and ozone concentration / discharge current value in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 6a is a restoration effect characteristic diagram of the moisture content for the wilted vegetables in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and Fig. 6b is a variation characteristic diagram of vitamin C amount in the first embodiment of the present invention. 6c is a characteristic diagram of the agrochemical removal performance in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6d is a characteristic diagram showing the sterilization performance in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  1, 2, and 3, the refrigerator 101 has a partition wall 103 a, 103 b, 103 c from the top for creating a compartment for the box body 102 and the storage room, and a heat insulating compartment by a door 104 for making these compartments a closed space. From the top, the storage room has different temperatures in the refrigerator room 105, the switching room 106, the vegetable room 107, and the freezing room 108. Among them, the vegetable room 107 has a humidity of about 80% R.D. H or more (during food storage), cooled to 4 to 6 ° C.

  Further, in order to cool the refrigerator 101, the refrigeration cycle includes a compressor 111, a condenser, a decompression device (not shown) such as an expansion valve and a capillary tube, an evaporator 112, piping for connecting these components, a refrigerant, and the like. Is done.

  Furthermore, there is an air passage 113 for conveying the low-temperature air generated by the evaporator 112 to each storage room space, or for collecting the air heat-exchanged in the storage room space to the evaporator 112, and the air passage 113 is provided for each storage room. And is insulated by a partition 114.

  Further, the vegetable compartment 107 includes an electrostatic atomizer 115 as spraying means, a water recovery unit 116 for supplying water to the spraying means, and an irradiation means 117 for controlling the pores of the vegetables. .

  In the vegetable compartment 107, a storage case (storage chamber container) 130 provided with a notch 131 on the back is provided.

  The electrostatic atomizer 115 is installed in the notch 131 of the storage case 130, and the tip 119 is attached toward the spray space 132 in front of the notch to hold water from the water recovery unit 116. An application electrode 120 is formed at a position in contact with water in the vicinity of the front end portion 119 and the front end portion 119 of the atomizing tank 118 and the vegetable compartment 107 for spraying, and the opening of the spray front end portion 119. The mist spray direction is shifted downward with respect to the spray tip 119 in a state where a predetermined distance is maintained between the counter electrode 121 and the opening of the spray tip 119 which is offset downward from the nozzle. The attached counter electrode 121 and a holding member 122 for holding the counter electrode 121 are attached. Further, the negative electrode side of the voltage application unit 135 that generates a high voltage is electrically connected to the application electrode 120, and the positive electrode side is electrically connected to the counter electrode 121. Moreover, the electrostatic atomizer 115 is attached to the partition 114 or the water collection | recovery cover 128 by the connection part 123 of an attachment member.

  The liquid supplied to and adhering to the nozzle tip 119 is refined by high-voltage electrostatic energy applied between the application electrode 120 and the counter electrode 121, and the droplet is charged. Atomized into several μm fine particles and sprayed onto the vegetable compartment 107.

  The water recovery unit 116 is installed at the bottom of the partition 103b and at the top of the vegetable compartment 107, and includes a cooling plate 125 made of a highly heat conductive metal or resin such as aluminum or stainless steel, and a nichrome wire on one surface of the cooling plate 125, for example. The heating means 126 such as a heater, a planar heating element, or a PTC heater configured in the above is abutted. Then, in order to adjust the temperature of the cooling plate 125, the energization rate of the heating unit 126 is determined based on the detected temperature of the cooling plate temperature detecting unit 127, and the temperature of the cooling plate is controlled. A water recovery cover 128 for receiving water condensed on the cooling plate 125 is installed at the lower part.

  The irradiation means 117 is, for example, a blue LED 133 that irradiates light including blue light having a center wavelength of 470 nm, and includes a diffusion plate 134 for improving light diffusibility and protecting components.

  In FIG. 3, the electrostatic atomizer 115 is applied with a high voltage from the voltage application unit 135 between the application electrode 120 and the counter electrode 121. The discharge current detection means 136 detects the current value at the time of application as a signal S1 and inputs the signal as a signal S2 to the atomizer control circuit 137 which is a control means. And the output voltage of the voltage application unit 135 is adjusted as a signal S3. Further, this control means communicates with the atomizer control circuit 137 and the control circuit 139 of the refrigerator 101 main body, and also determines the operation of the irradiation means 117.

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

  First, the vegetables and fruits stored in the vegetable room 107 usually include those that are slightly deflated by transpiration at the time of purchase return or transpiration during storage. It fluctuates depending on the fluctuation of the door, the influence of opening and closing of the door, and the operating state of the refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, the storage environment is severe, and transpiration is promoted and it is easy to wither.

  Then, by operating the electrostatic atomizer 115, fine mist is sprayed on the vegetable compartment 107, and the inside of a warehouse is humidified quickly.

  An excess of water vapor in the vegetable compartment 107 is condensed on the cooling plate 125, and water droplets attached to the cooling plate 125 grow, drop onto the water recovery cover 128 by its own weight, flow through the water recovery cover 128, and an electrostatic atomizer 115 is stored in the atomizing tank 118. And dew condensation water is atomized from the front-end | tip part 119 of the electrostatic atomizer 115, and is sprayed on the vegetable compartment 107. FIG.

  At this time, the application electrode 120 in the vicinity of the tip 119 of the electrostatic atomizer 115 is set to the negative voltage side, the counter electrode 121 is set to the positive voltage side, and a high voltage (for example, 10 kV) is applied between the electrodes by the voltage application unit 135. Let At this time, for example, corona discharge occurs between electrodes separated by a distance of 15 mm, and a nano-level fine mist having a charge of about 1 μm or less that cannot be seen from the tip of the nozzle near the application electrode 120 is positioned below the tip of the nozzle. Is generated toward the counter electrode 121 and sprayed into the vegetable compartment 107. Accompanying this, ozone and OH radicals are generated. The voltage applied between the electrodes is as extremely high as 10 kV, but the discharge current value at that time is μA level, and the input is as low as 1 to 3 W. However, the generated fine mist is about 1 g / h and can be sufficiently atomized and humidified in the vegetable compartment 107.

  Further, when the discharge current value is input to the discharge current detection unit 136 as the signal S1, the current value is converted into a digital or analog voltage signal S2 that can be easily calculated by a CPU or the like and output to the ozone amount determination unit 138. Next, the ozone amount determination means 138 converts the discharge current value into an ozone concentration (experimentally found that the discharge current and the ozone generation are positively proportional), and controls the discharge current value to be equal to or lower than the predetermined ozone generation concentration. The signal S3 is output to the voltage application unit 135. Finally, the voltage application unit 135 changes the voltage value to be applied to generate a high voltage. Thereafter, feedback control is performed while looking at the discharge current value.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the mist sprayed from the nozzle tip 119 is a mist having a negative charge having two peaks of about several tens of nanometers and several μm, and on the vegetable surface charged with a positive charge on the surface. Adhere to. Nano-level fine mist adhering to the vegetable surface contains a lot of OH radicals and is effective for sterilization, antibacterial and sterilization, as well as nutrients such as removal of agricultural chemicals by oxidative degradation and vitamin C content by antioxidants. Increase in vegetables is promoted, and micro level fine mist adheres to the vegetable surface although the amount of radicals is small, and can moisturize the vegetable surface periphery. At this time, fine water droplets adhere to the vegetable surface, but there is also a surface in contact with the air, so there is no obstruction of breathing and no water rot occurs. Therefore, at the same time as the humidity in the vegetable compartment 107 becomes high, the humidity on the vegetable surface and the humidity in the storage chamber are in an equilibrium state, and transpiration can be prevented from the vegetable surface, and the attached mist is a gap between cells on the vegetable and fruit surfaces. The tissue penetrates into the tissue, and water is supplied again into the deflated cells, and the deflation is eliminated by the bulging pressure of the cells, resulting in a state of a chakit.

When the electrostatic atomizer 115 is operating, the irradiation means 117 is turned on to irradiate the vegetables and fruits stored in the vegetable compartment 107. The irradiating means 117 irradiates light including blue light having a central wavelength of 470 nm, for example, a blue LED 133 or a lamp covered with a material that transmits only blue light. The photon of the blue light irradiated at this time is about 1 μmol / It is faint light of (m ² · s). In vegetables and fruits irradiated with weak blue light, the pores existing on the surface of the epidermis increase the opening of the pores as compared to the normal state due to light stimulation of blue light. As a result, the space in the pores is expanded, the apparent relative humidity in the space is reduced, the equilibrium state is broken, and moisture is easily absorbed. Therefore, the mist adhering to the surface of the vegetable or fruit penetrates into the tissue from the surface of the pore-opened state of the vegetable or fruit, and the water is tranquilized by supplying moisture to the cells that have been evacuated and deflated. It returns to the freshness.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the discharge current value is large, the amount of ozone generation increases. Ozone has effects of sterilization and sterilization at low concentrations, and can be expected to increase nutrients such as vitamin C due to degradation of agricultural chemicals and antioxidants by oxidative degradation, but from odor at concentrations exceeding 30 ppb It is unpleasant for humans and has an effect of promoting deterioration of resin parts constituting the storage room, and its concentration adjustment is important. Therefore, the concentration is controlled by the discharge current value.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the atomization amount increases, the current value increases, so that the ozone generation amount increases as the air discharge amount increases. Further, when there is no water in the vicinity of the application electrode 120, this also increases the ozone concentration by increasing the air discharge amount. For this reason, it is important to adjust the amount of water in the atomizing tank 118 and the amount of atomization in the same manner as the ozone concentration.

  FIG. 6a is a diagram showing the relationship between the moisture content restoration effect and the mist spray amount on the wilted vegetables, and the relationship between the appearance sensory evaluation value of the vegetables and the mist spray amount. Since this experiment was conducted in a 70-liter vegetable room, the following spray amounts all indicate the spray amount per 70 liters.

  From FIG. 6a, the range in which the moisture content restoration effect of vegetables is 50% or more in the case of light irradiation is the range of 0.05 to 10 g / h (per liter = 0.007 to 0.14 g / h · l). Met.

  If the amount of mist sprayed is too small, the amount of water released from the pores to the outside of the vegetation falls below, making it impossible to supply moisture to the inside of the vegetable. In addition, it is considered that the contact frequency between the mist and the open pores decreases, and it becomes difficult for water to penetrate into the vegetables.

  In the experiment, it was found that the lower limit value of the spray amount was 0.05 g / h.

  On the other hand, if the amount of mist sprayed is too large, it will exceed the allowable moisture content inside the vegetable, and the moisture that is not taken into the vegetable will adhere to the outside of the vegetable. The phenomenon that rot will occur and vegetables will hurt occurs.

  Excess moisture adhered to the surface of such vegetables, and the range in which the vegetables cause quality deterioration such as water rot is 10 g / h or more, which is unsuitable for experiments. Therefore, the experimental result of 10 g / h (per liter = 0.15 g / h · l) or more cannot be adopted due to the deterioration of the quality of the vegetables, and will be omitted.

  The range in which the moisture content restoring effect of vegetables is 70% or more in the case of light irradiation was 0.1 to 10 g / h (= 0.015 to 0.14 g / h · l per liter). Thus, when the lower limit of the spray amount of mist is increased to about 0.1 g / h or more, the contact frequency with the open pores is sufficiently increased, and the penetration of the mist into the vegetables is actively performed. Conceivable.

  In the case of no light irradiation, there is no range in which the moisture content restoration effect of vegetables is 50% or more, and the moisture content restoration rate is less than 10% for all spray amounts. As shown in the figure, in the case of no light irradiation, since the pores are not sufficiently opened, it is considered that moisture does not penetrate into the vegetables unless the particle diameter is sufficiently small.

  FIG. 6 b is a diagram showing changes in the amount of vitamin C when the vitamin C concentration at the time of charging when the fine mist of the present invention is sprayed is set to 100. In this experiment, an average amount of vegetables (about 6 kg, 15 types) was stored in a 70-liter vegetable room, stored for 3 days, and the change in the amount of vitamin C in broccoli when sprayed with about 0.5 g / h of fine mist. The amount is compared with the existing refrigerator.

  In general, in a vegetable room environment of a refrigerator, the amount of vitamin C can be reduced by increasing the humidity and temperature, but the amount of vitamin C decreases in proportion to the number of days elapsed. Usually, to maintain or increase the amount of vitamin C, it is necessary to carry out photosynthesis in the vegetable body and promote the production of vitamin C, or stimulate the defense reaction of vegetables by stimulating a small amount of oxidant or a small amount of light. There is a method of increasing the amount of vitamin C using one of the antioxidant actions.

  In the former case, in order to perform photosynthesis, a large amount of water and a strong light amount comparable to sunlight are necessary, so it is impossible to realize it in a refrigerator. Since the growth is promoted, there is no problem with the vegetables in the growth stage before harvesting, but aging is promoted with the vegetables after harvesting, so it is unsuitable for the refrigerator.

  Therefore, the latter method is suitable for maintaining or increasing the amount of vitamin C in the refrigerator.

  Therefore, in the present invention, vegetables were stimulated by OH radicals generated by electrostatic atomization and low-concentration ozone, and the amount of vitamin C was increased.

  As shown in FIG. 6b, in the conventional product, the amount of vitamin C decreased by about 6% after 3 days from the time of introduction, but in the present product, about 4% after about 3%, the vitamin C of broccoli. The concentration is rising. This shows that the amount of vitamin C in vegetables is increased by stimulation with OH radicals and ozone.

  Moreover, FIG. 6c is a figure which shows the relationship between the agrochemical removal effect when spraying fine mist, and the amount of mist spraying. In this experiment, ten cherry tomatoes to which about 3 ppm of malathion is attached are used, and the fine mist of the present invention is sprayed at about 0.5 g / h for 12 hours for removal treatment. And the removal rate is computed by measuring the residual malathion density | concentration after a process by gas chromatography (GC).

  As is clear from FIG. 6c, in order to make the malathion removal rate about 50%, the spray amount needs to be 0.0007 g / h · L or more, and the pesticide removal effect is improved as the spray amount increases. Yes.

  Further, when the spray amount exceeds 0.07 g / h · L, although there is a pesticide removing effect, the generated ozone concentration exceeds 0.03 ppm, it is difficult to apply to a household refrigerator from the viewpoint of human safety. The ozone concentration of 0.03 ppm is a level that does not cause an ozone odor, and is an upper limit value of the ozone concentration that has an agrochemical decomposition effect without causing adverse effects such as tissue damage to vegetables. Thus, the appropriate range of the spray amount is 0.0007 g / h · L or more and 0.07 g / h · L or less.

  Furthermore, FIG. 6d is a figure which shows the microbe elimination effect when spraying fine mist. In this experiment, a petri dish in which a certain initial number of E. coli was cultured was placed in a 70 L container at 5 ° C. in advance, and the fine mist of the present invention was sprayed at 1 g / h, and the progress of the rate of decrease in the number of E. coli was measured. Is.

  In addition, the result at the time of spraying the same quantity with an ultrasonic atomizer is shown for the comparison object.

  From FIG. 6d, the sterilization rate of the present invention is clearly higher, and 99.8% of sterilization is achieved after 7 days. This is considered to be a sterilization effect by ozone contained in the mist.

  Thereby, vegetables and containers can be kept clean.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the storage room formed by the heat insulating compartment in the refrigerator, the storage room container for storing food in the storage room, the water storage tank for storing the stored water, and the water in the water storage tank A voltage application unit that applies a voltage, a counter electrode that is maintained at a predetermined distance from the application electrode, and that is opposed to each other; a voltage application unit that applies a high voltage between the application electrode and the counter electrode; and a mist In order to spray the mist efficiently on the spraying object in the storage chamber, the counter electrode is offset in the direction in which the counter electrode is desired to be sprayed. By spraying the mist directly on the food during storage, the freshness of the food can be improved, and at the same time when the mist is generated by the electrostatic atomizer, deodorization, antibacterial action, and killing are caused by ozone, radicals and negative ions. It is possible to improve the function of the storage compartment by adding effects.

  In the first embodiment, by disposing the electrostatic atomizer on the back of the storage room, the electrostatic atomization is disposed in the vicinity of the machine room on the back of the refrigerator, and the wiring can be made short and simple. At the same time, there is no worry that a human hand touches an electrode or the like when taking out food. Moreover, by arranging so that it may be located in the center with respect to the width direction of a store room, mist can be sprayed uniformly in right and left in a store room.

  In the first embodiment, by providing a notch on the back of the storage chamber container and disposing the electrostatic atomizer in the notch, the installation location of the electrostatic atomizer can be secured and the mist can be secured. It can be sprayed into the storage chamber.

  In Embodiment 1, the electrostatic atomizer is provided at the upper part of the rear surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is provided below the spray tip, so that the electric field between the application electrode and the counter electrode of the electrostatic atomizer is generated. It is formed in a direction different from the direction of the cooling plate, and nano-sized mist is generated by electrostatic force, preventing the atomized mist from condensing and collecting directly on the cooling plate. It will be sprayed directly, the humidity in the storage room can be efficiently increased, and the freshness of vegetables can be improved.

  In the first embodiment, since a micro-size particle mist and a nano-size particle mist can be generated at the same time, the micro-size mist ensures the amount of spray necessary for maintaining the freshness of food, and By ionized nano-sized particle size mist, it can be sprayed uniformly into the cabinet, and can penetrate into food and fine irregularities in the cabinet to perform sterilization and pesticide removal.

  In Embodiment 1, it is possible to maintain and increase the amount of vitamin C by the antioxidant action of vegetables by ozone and radicals generated by electrostatic atomization.

  In addition, the amount of ozone generated at the nozzle tip, which is the atomizing section, is grasped by the current value, and the amount of ozone generated can be optimized by controlling the current value. It can improve the freshness of food, disinfect storage rooms and vegetables, decompose agricultural chemicals on the surface of vegetables, increase nutrients such as vitamin C, and can be downsized and inexpensive because no other detection means are used.

  In the first embodiment, when the current value detected by the discharge current detecting means is larger than the predetermined first value, the voltage applied between the application electrode and the counter electrode is forcibly reduced. Ozone generation can be reduced and safety can be increased.

  Furthermore, in the first embodiment, since dew condensation water is used, minerals mixed in tap water and the like are minute, and the cause of clogging of the nozzle tip has been removed, and life reliability is improved. improves.

  In the first embodiment, the specification is such that a high voltage is applied to the water in the water storage tank, but the specification is such that the water in the water storage tank is guided to the tip by a water absorbing material and a high voltage is applied to the water absorbing material. The same effect can be obtained even in a specification in which dew is condensed on the tip of the application electrode of the electrostatic atomizer and a high voltage is applied to the application electrode to spray mist.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 7a is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 7a, the electrostatic atomizer 115 is provided in the upper notch part 131 part of the storage chamber container 130 provided in the vegetable compartment 107, and the counter electrode 121 is located below the spray tip part 119. ,It is configured.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below.

  The mist atomized from the spray tip 119 of the electrostatic atomizer 115 is sprayed toward the lower counter electrode 121 and sprayed into the storage chamber container 130 from the notch 131. The arrangement configuration of the storage chamber container 130, the electrostatic atomizer 115, and the counter electrode 121 is configured such that the top surface of the storage chamber container is cooled by, for example, a cooling plate, and the temperature is lower than other portions and is easily dehumidified. Since it is sometimes effective and mist is sprayed downward from the upper part in the storage container, the sprayed mist adheres to the cooling plate on the upper part, and does not cause dew condensation or dehumidification. It can be efficiently sprayed on the food stored inside.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the notch is provided on the back surface of the storage chamber container, and the electrostatic atomizer is disposed in the notch so that the installation location of the electrostatic atomizer is set. It can be ensured and mist can be sprayed into the storage chamber.

  In Embodiment 1, the electrostatic atomizer is provided at the upper part of the rear surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is provided below the spray tip, so that the electric field between the application electrode and the counter electrode of the electrostatic atomizer is generated. It is formed in a direction different from the top surface direction, generates nano-sized mist by electrostatic force, prevents the atomized mist from being directly condensed on the top surface and dehumidified, and the mist is stored in the storage room. It will be sprayed directly on the food, the humidity in the storage room can be efficiently increased, and the freshness of vegetables can be improved.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the refrigerator in the third embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 7 b, the electrostatic atomizer 115 is provided with a predetermined space above the back of the storage chamber container 130 provided in the vegetable compartment 107, and the counter electrode 121 is located above the spray tip 119. Is configured to do.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below.

  The mist atomized from the spray tip 119 of the electrostatic atomizer 115 is sprayed toward the upper counter electrode 121 and sprayed into the storage chamber container 130. Such an arrangement configuration of the storage chamber container 130, the electrostatic atomizer 115, and the counter electrode 121 can increase the flying distance of the mist, and thus is effective in a large-capacity vegetable room with a depth. The whole vegetable room can be sprayed by the mist sprayed upward from the part 119 toward the counter electrode 121.

  As described above, in Embodiment 3, by providing the counter electrode above the spray tip, the mist is sprayed toward the upper side of the storage chamber, and the spray distance of the mist becomes longer. The mist can be sprayed over a wide area in the storage chamber.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment 3, even when a storage chamber container is shallow, it can spray on the whole storage chamber by installing an electrostatic atomizer in the low position of a back surface, and spraying upwards. it can.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 7c is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the refrigerator in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 7 c, the electrostatic atomizer 115 is provided on the front side of the vegetable compartment 107, and the counter electrode 121 is configured to be located on the back side with respect to the spray tip 119.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below.

  The mist atomized from the spray tip 119 of the electrostatic atomizer 115 is sprayed toward the ring-shaped counter electrode 121 located on the back side and sprayed toward the inside of the storage chamber container 130. In the arrangement configuration of the storage chamber container 130, the electrostatic atomizer 115, and the counter electrode 121, mist can be uniformly sprayed into the vegetable compartment. In particular, when the top surface is a cooling plate, etc., and the temperature is lower than the others, the spray direction of the mist is the downward direction opposite to the top surface, so the sprayed mist does not adhere directly to the top surface and does not cause condensation. All the generated mist can be uniformly sprayed into the storage chamber. In addition, a water recovery plate is provided on the top surface to collect the moisture evaporated from the food and the humidity at the time of opening and closing the door, and collect the recovered water to spray the recovered water with the electrostatic atomizer 115. In the provided refrigerator, since the recovery plate and the electrostatic atomizer are configured in the vicinity, the recovered water can be efficiently guided to the electrostatic atomizer.

  As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the electrostatic atomizer is provided on the front side of the top surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is stored on the back side with respect to the spray tip, and the mist is stored. It will be sprayed toward the back side from the near side of the chamber, and mist can be sprayed over a wider area in the storage chamber.

  In the fourth embodiment, the electrostatic atomizer is arranged in front of the top surface of the storage chamber and the counter electrode is disposed on the back side. However, the electrostatic atomizer is disposed in the storage chamber. The same effect can be obtained even when the counter electrode is disposed on the front side with respect to the spray tip portion, provided on the back side of the top surface.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 7d is a plan sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 7e is a front view of an essential part of the refrigerator in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

  7d and 7e, the storage compartment container 130 in the vegetable compartment 107 forms a two-stage configuration of an upper container 140 and a lower container 141. The electrostatic atomizer 115 is provided from the rear side surface of the lower container 141, and the counter electrode 121 is configured to be positioned obliquely above the spray tip 119. The upper container 140 is provided so as to occupy a part of the width of the vegetable compartment 107, and creates a spray space 132 in front of the electrostatic atomizer 115. Further, the upper container 140 is provided with a notch 131 at a portion facing the electrostatic atomizer 115.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below.

  The mist atomized from the spray tip 119 of the electrostatic atomizer 115 located at the back corner of the lower container 141 is sprayed toward the counter electrode 121 located obliquely above the spray tip 119, and the upper container It sprays on the diagonal from the notch part 131 of 140 to the inside of the upper container 140 toward the center of the lower container.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the storage chamber container is composed of the upper container and the lower container, and the upper container is provided on the front surface of the electrostatic atomizer so as to secure the spray space. Thus, the mist can be sprayed to the lower container without blocking the spray path in the upper container, and the mist is directly sprayed on the vegetables stored in the lower container, so that the freshness of the vegetables can be improved.

  Further, in Embodiment 5, the electrostatic atomizer is disposed on the rear side of the storage chamber and on the side of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is provided closer to the center side than the spray tip, whereby the storage chamber When the container is wide and shallow, the mist can be sprayed in a wider range by spraying diagonally from the side than spraying from the center back to the front.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment 5, by providing a notch part in an upper container, mist will be sprayed toward both an upper container and a lower container, and it can spray uniformly to the whole storage chamber. .

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 8 is a front view of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 8, the cooling plate 307 located on the upper surface of the vegetable compartment 303 excluding the upper part of the electrostatic atomizer 311 and its vicinity is inclined toward the rear side from the front side of the refrigerator main body (not shown). Below the cooling plate 307 is a water receiving plate 310 for receiving water from the cooling plate 307, and the water receiving plate 310 is connected to the drainage mechanism 309 at the back of the vegetable compartment 303. A storage case 320 for storing small vegetables and fruits is provided in the container of the vegetable compartment 303 at a position where the front of the electrostatic atomizer 311 is not blocked. The electrostatic atomizer 311 is installed above the back of the vegetable compartment and from the center to the side. The counter electrode 317 of the electrostatic atomizer 311 is provided in front of the spray tip (not shown) and closer to the center of the vegetable compartment than the spray tip.

  The light irradiation means 321 provided in the upper part of the vegetable compartment 303 is composed of, for example, a blue LED that emits blue light having a center wavelength of 470 nm.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement / effect | action is demonstrated below.

  The vegetable room 303 is composed of an independently sealed room, and is indirectly cooled by the cooling plate 307, so that it is efficiently cooled by the radiation cooling from the cooling plate 207 and the natural convection effect while keeping the humidity high. The freshness of stored foods such as fruits can be maintained.

  The vegetable compartment 303 becomes highly humid and tends to condense. And since the temperature becomes the lowest in the vegetable compartment 303 under the cooling plate 307, the dew condensation water | moisture content becomes easy to adhere. This moisture flows to the drainage mechanism 309 side at the rear of the vegetable compartment 303 because the cooling plate 307 is inclined from the front to the rear, and can be discharged out of the cabinet. There is no worry about the vegetables falling into water and causing water rot.

  In addition, since the water receiving plate 310 is provided below the cooling plate 307, the condensed water flowing through the cooling plate 307 can be received by the water receiving plate 310 even when it falls down, and is also led to the drainage mechanism 309. be able to. Therefore, there is no water dripping into the vegetable compartment 303, and drainage to the drainage mechanism 309 can be performed smoothly.

  The electrostatic atomizer 311 atomizes the water stored in the atomizing tank 318 from the tip (not shown) of the electrostatic atomizer 311 and sprays it on the vegetable compartment 303.

  The application electrode 316 near the tip of the electrostatic atomizer 311 is set to the negative voltage side, the counter electrode 317 is set to the positive voltage side, and a high voltage (for example, 10 kV) is applied between the electrodes by a voltage application unit (not shown). Let At this time, for example, corona discharge occurs between electrodes separated by a distance of 15 mm, and a nano-level fine mist having an electric charge of about 1 μm or less that cannot be seen from the tip of the nozzle in the vicinity of the application electrode 316 is forward from the tip of the vegetable. It is generated toward the counter electrode 316 located from the center of the chamber 303 and sprayed into the vegetable chamber 303. At that time, the sprayed mist has a negative charge, and the space where the mist is sprayed does not have a cooling plate having a dehumidifying action or a food storage case 320 that prevents the mist from spraying. The mist can be directly sprayed by the electrostatic force on the vegetable charged with the positive charge in 303 on the surface. Accompanying this, ozone and OH radicals are generated. The voltage applied between the electrodes is as extremely high as 10 kV, but the discharge current value at that time is μA level, and the input is as low as 1 to 3 W. However, the generated fine mist is about 1 g / h and can be sufficiently atomized and humidified in the vegetable compartment 203.

When the electrostatic atomizer 311 is operating, the irradiation means 321 is turned on to irradiate the vegetables and fruits stored in the vegetable compartment 303. The irradiation means 321 irradiates light including blue light having a center wavelength of 470 nm, such as a lamp covered with a blue LED or a material that transmits only blue light. The photon of the blue light irradiated at this time is about 1 μmol / It is faint light of (m ² · s). In vegetables and fruits irradiated with weak blue light, the pores existing on the surface of the epidermis increase the opening of the pores as compared to the normal state due to light stimulation of blue light. As a result, the space in the pores is expanded, the apparent relative humidity in the space is reduced, the equilibrium state is broken, and moisture is easily absorbed. Therefore, the mist adhering to the surface of the vegetable or fruit penetrates into the tissue from the surface of the pore-opened state of the vegetable or fruit, and the water is tranquilized by supplying moisture to the cells that have been evacuated and deflated. It returns to the freshness.

  Further, the generated mist holds ozone, OH radicals, etc., and this holds strong oxidizing power. Therefore, the generated mist can antibacterial and sterilize the vegetable compartment and the vegetable surface, and at the same time oxidatively decompose harmful substances adhering to the vegetable surface.

  As described above, in the sixth embodiment, the food storage case is provided in the storage chamber, and the food storage case is arranged so as to have a predetermined space for spraying in front of the counter electrode. The nano mist generated from the device can be directly sprayed on food without being obstructed by obstacles, the humidity in the storage room can be efficiently increased, and the stored food such as vegetables and fruits can be prevented from wilting to maintain freshness. can do.

  Further, in the sixth embodiment, by taking care not to place a cooling plate on the spray path of the mist generated from the electrostatic atomizer, dehumidification is performed on the cooling plate before the mist is sprayed on the stored food. Therefore, the counter electrode of the electrostatic atomizer is provided above the application electrode, the spraying direction is directed upward, and it is possible to spray farther, and the sprayed mist can be efficiently attached to the food.

  Moreover, even when installed from the side of the back of the vegetable compartment container, the mist is sprayed diagonally toward the center of the vegetable compartment by providing the counter electrode of the electrostatic atomizer from the center of the vegetable compartment slightly from the application electrode. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wider food storage case that obstructs mist spraying and restricts the installation location.

  In addition, it can improve the freshness of vegetables and improve the function of the vegetable room by adding deodorizing, antibacterial and sterilizing effects with ozone, radicals and negative ions generated when mist is generated by an electrostatic atomizer. it can.

  In addition, since the mist generated from the electrostatic atomizer is directly sprayed and absorbed by the vegetables, the water that has been evaporated from the vegetables or of the sprayed mist that has not been absorbed by the vegetables and has condensed in the vegetable compartment container. Since dew condensation is drained by the cooling plate, it is possible to prevent dew condensation in the vegetable compartment and to absorb water efficiently.

  In addition, the vegetable room is an independently sealed room and is an indirect cooling system via a cooling plate, so that it is efficiently cooled by radiative cooling from the cooling plate and natural convection effect while keeping the humidity high. The freshness of stored foods such as fruits can be maintained.

  As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention can be applied not only to household or commercial refrigerators or vegetable storage, but also to applications such as low-temperature distribution of food such as vegetables and warehouses.

Side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Side sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Control configuration block diagram of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Characteristic diagram of particle diameter and number of particles of electrostatic atomizer in embodiment 1 of the present invention (A) Characteristic diagram of discharge current value and ozone generation concentration of ozone amount determination means of electrostatic atomizer in embodiment 1 of the present invention (b) Fog of electrostatic atomizer in embodiment 1 of the present invention Chart of ozone amount, ozone concentration and discharge current value The figure which showed the relationship between the restoration | restoration effect of the moisture content with respect to the wilted vegetable in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and the mist spray amount, and the external sensory evaluation value of a vegetable, and the mist spray amount Variation characteristic diagram of vitamin C amount in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Characteristic chart of pesticide removal performance in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The characteristic figure which shows the disinfection performance in Embodiment 1 of this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part of the refrigerator in Embodiment 3 of this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part of the refrigerator in Embodiment 4 of this invention Main part plane sectional drawing of the refrigerator in Embodiment 5 of this invention The principal part front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 5 of this invention The principal part front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 6 of this invention Cross-sectional view of a conventional humidifier

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Refrigerator 115,311 Electrostatic atomizer 119 Spray tip part 121 Counter electrode 125,307 Cooling plate 130 Storage chamber container 131 Notch part 132 Spray space

Claims (14)

  The refrigerator provided with the storage chamber formed by the heat insulation division in the refrigerator, and the electrostatic atomizer which offsets and arrange | positions with respect to the spray front-end | tip part in the direction which wants to spray a counter electrode.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an electrostatic atomizer is provided on a wall surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is offset with respect to the spray tip so as to spray mist toward the center of the storage chamber.   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an electrostatic atomizer is provided above the back of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is disposed below the spray tip.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an electrostatic atomizer is provided below the back of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is disposed above the spray tip.   The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-4 which arrange | positioned the electrostatic atomizer at the side of the said store room back surface, and has arrange | positioned the said counter electrode in the center side with respect to the said spraying front-end | tip part.   The electrostatic atomizer is provided in the top | upper surface of the said storage chamber, The said counter electrode is offset and arrange | positioned with respect to the spray front-end | tip part so that mist may be sprayed toward the center of the said storage chamber. refrigerator.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein an electrostatic atomizer is provided on the front side of the top surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is disposed on the back side with respect to the spray tip.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein an electrostatic atomizer is provided on the back side of the top surface of the storage chamber, and the counter electrode is disposed on the front side with respect to the spray tip.   The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-8 which comprised the said storage chamber so that the mist spraying path | route of an electrostatic atomizer might be ensured.   The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising a storage chamber container for storing food in the storage chamber, wherein a cutout portion is provided in a portion of the storage chamber container.   The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the electrostatic atomizer is disposed in the notch.   A cooling plate for cooling the storage chamber is provided in the storage chamber, and the mist generated from the electrostatic atomizer is sprayed in a direction different from the cooling plate. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the refrigerator is offset.   The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the cooling plate is located above the electrostatic atomizer.   The refrigerator according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the cooling plate is a water collecting plate that condenses air moisture in the storage chamber.