JP2008106994A - Storage and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve such problems that wiring requires a sufficient length for a condition where a drawer type storage chamber is opened when installing electrodes at a drawer type container with a stored object drawn out interlockingly, and design of not interfering with other parts is required because the wiring sags when the drawer type storage chamber is closed, and output characteristics from a control part are changed by lengthening the wiring, that is, electric field strength falls to have an adverse effect on thawing. <P>SOLUTION: This storage is composed of the electrodes 5a, 5b provided facing in the drawer type storage chamber 1 with a storage space placed in between in the drawer container 1a in a case 3 for holding the drawer type storage chamber 1, and a control part 6 for controlling energization to the electrodes 5a, 5b. A drawer type door 4 interlocked with the drawer type container 1a can be opened/closed without interference/bite of the wiring 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an electrode for applying a high voltage to a storage room.

  In recent years, it is known that in commercial refrigerators and thawing devices, by applying a high voltage within a food storage environment, an effect of promoting improvement in food freshness retention ability and thawing ability can be obtained.

  As an example of providing such an electrode for applying a high voltage, there is a thawing storage box using a fixed shelf plate on which a food, food material, etc. of a conductive material is placed as an electrode (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional thawing storage described in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  In FIG. 7, the conventional thawing storage is composed of two unit parts, a high voltage unit part 101 and a thawing storage unit part 102. The high voltage unit 101 uses a commercial AC power supply and supplies an appropriate amount of power to the high voltage transformer 104 via the transformer 103 as a voltage regulator. The high voltage transformer 104 is adjusted to boost the voltage to 1000V to 30000V.

  In addition, a general-purpose refrigerator 105 that is grounded is used for the thawing storage unit 102, the thawing set temperature is set to + 1 ° C. to −3 ° C., and the frozen product is arranged on the electrode 106. To do.

In the electrode 106, a shelf plate made of a conductive material is covered with an insulating plate, and is connected by a high voltage cord 107. In this configuration, when a high voltage from the high voltage transformer 104 is applied to the electrode 106, the food is charged by a low-frequency minute current polarized at a high voltage, and a weak electric current is generated inside the food. As a result of the transfer of electric charge due to electrostatic induction due to this alternating current giving weak heat energy to the food, the food can be prevented from freezing in a temperature range slightly below the ice temperature (0 degrees Celsius). Thereby, thawing | decompression in the temperature environment in which a microbe cannot propagate easily is attained, and the preservability of foodstuffs improves.
JP-A-11-32746

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, since the shelf board using the conductive material as an electrode and the wiring are directly connected, the shelf board cannot be removed and recombined or washed to another stage. Therefore, in order to remove the shelf board, there is a method of cutting the wiring or using an extremely long wiring. However, naturally, the wiring cannot be cut every time the shelf is removed, and when an extremely long wiring is used, there is a concern about a decrease in voltage applied to the electrode or a change in frequency characteristics. This is a similar problem when an electrode is installed on a drawer-type door on which the storage container itself operates, and the drawer cannot be opened and closed with this configuration.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and provides a refrigerator capable of opening and closing a drawer door without interference of wiring by providing an electrode on a housing side that houses a drawer storage container.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the refrigerator according to the present invention has at least a pair of a drawer-type storage chamber and the top and bottom surfaces, the left and right side surfaces, or the front and rear surfaces of the frame body that houses the drawer-type storage chamber. It is comprised by the provided electrode and the control part which performs the electricity supply control to an electrode.

  As a result, even if an electrode is installed outside the pull-out container, it is possible to give the stored item the effect of energizing the electrode, and to open and close the pull-out door without interference of wiring.

  The refrigerator of the present invention is configured such that the electrode is provided in the drawer-type storage chamber, and the contact portion provided between the electrodes and the control unit is joined and energized when the drawer-type storage chamber is closed. It is.

  As a result, the electrode can be installed outside the pull-out container, and the pull-out storage chamber can be opened and closed without interference of wiring.

  The refrigerator of the present invention is provided with a condensation prevention heater near the contact portion.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent electric leakage due to condensation or freezing on the contact portion.

  In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention is provided with an open / close detecting means for detecting opening / closing of the drawer door.

  As a result, the control unit stops the energization to the electrode when the pull-out door is opened, and stops energizing when the effect of energizing the electrode cannot be given to the stored item. Consumption, leakage of electric shock, electric field and magnetic field can be prevented.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention attaches a control part to the said drawer-type storage chamber or the component of the said frame.

  As a result, the distance between the control unit and the electrode is almost the shortest, so the length of the wiring can be shortened as much as possible, and the voltage drop and frequency change caused by the generation of the wiring impedance and stray capacitance can be reduced. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention covers the control part with the heat insulation wall.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the control unit and condensation on the control unit in the low temperature zone.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention surrounds the area | region containing one or more among a drawer-type storage chamber, an electrode, a control part, and wiring with the shielding material which reduces leakage of an electric field, a magnetic field, etc.

  Thereby, leakage of an electric field, a magnetic field, etc. can be reduced, and adverse effects such as noise and noise on other devices can be prevented.

  The refrigerator of the present invention can open and close the drawer-type door without interference of wiring by providing an electrode on the frame body side that houses the drawer-type storage chamber in a configuration that gives an arbitrary effect by energizing the electrode in the storage chamber. .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a (drawer-type) storage chamber formed in a housing, a pull-out door that opens and closes an opening of the (drawer-type) storage chamber, and a storage in the (draw-out) storage chamber A pull-out container together with the pull-out door, an electrode provided facing the (draw-out) storage chamber across the storage space in the pull-out container, and a control for controlling energization of the electrode By providing the portion with the effect of energizing the electrode to the stored item, the drawer door can be opened and closed without interference of wiring.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the electrode is provided in the pull-out storage chamber, and a contact portion provided between the electrodes and the control unit when the pull-out storage chamber is closed is provided. By joining and energizing, the electrode can be installed in the pull-out storage chamber, and the pull-out door can be opened and closed without interference of wiring.

  In addition to the invention of claim 2, the invention of claim 3 is provided with a dew condensation prevention heater in the vicinity of the contact part, and the contact part is heated at a certain temperature even in a low temperature environment. Therefore, it is possible to prevent electric leakage due to condensation or freezing on the contact portion.

  In addition to the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the invention according to claim 4 includes an opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of the pull-out storage chamber, and the control unit includes: It is configured to stop energization to the electrode when the pull-out door is opened, and the control unit may open the pull-out door and give an effect to the storage by energizing the electrode. By stopping energization when it is not possible, wasteful power consumption and leakage of electric shock accidents, electric fields, magnetic fields, etc. can be prevented.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit is attached to a component of the drawer-type storage chamber or the housing. The distance between the control unit and the electrode is almost the shortest, and the length of the wiring can be shortened as much as possible, thereby preventing a voltage drop or a change in frequency characteristics caused by the generation of the wiring impedance or stray capacitance. be able to.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit is covered with a heat insulating wall, and is defined for each electronic component of the control unit. By maintaining the operating temperature range, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the control unit in the low temperature range and to prevent condensation on the control unit.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a region including one or more of the pull-out storage chamber, the electrode, the control unit, and the wiring is provided. It is surrounded by a shielding material that reduces leakage of electric and magnetic fields. By reducing leakage of electric and magnetic fields, adverse effects such as noise and noise on other devices can be prevented.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, provided with a refrigeration apparatus, and only the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the freshness of the stored item while keeping the temperature constant in a supercooled state, and to store it for a longer period of time.

  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)
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a storage (thaw storage) or a drawer-type storage chamber of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a control of the storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a block diagram.

  1 and 2, the drawer-type storage chamber 1 is surrounded by a housing 3 and a drawer-type door 4 each composed of heat insulating walls 2a and 2b, and a user places a drawer on which stored items such as food and food are placed. The pull-out door 4 can be opened and closed by pushing and pulling the container 1a and the pull-out door 4 interlocked therewith.

  Electrodes 5a and 5b are respectively provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the casing 3 on the indoor side so as to face each other. The electrodes 5a and 5b may be provided on the left and right side surfaces or the front and rear surfaces in addition to the top and bottom surfaces of the frame 3, or any two or more sets may be provided. In the present embodiment, the control unit 6 applies an arbitrary AC high voltage to the electrodes 5 a and 5 b through the wiring 7.

  The control unit 6 is equipped with an inverter circuit that rectifies the input of the commercial power supply 8 into direct current by the rectifier circuit unit 9 and further converts it into alternating current rectangular waves by the switching circuit unit 10. The switching circuit unit 10 is driven by a microcomputer 11 and a drive circuit unit 12. The AC rectangular wave generated by the switching circuit unit 10 is boosted to an arbitrary voltage by the step-up transformer 13 and applied to the electrodes 5a and 5b. Although not shown, it is more preferable if a circuit unit for feedback control of the output voltage and frequency is mounted.

  The surroundings of the housing 3 and the pull-out door 4 are surrounded by a shielding material 14 such as a magnetic shield to prevent a leakage magnetic field from the pull-out storage chamber 1 and the like. In addition, it is desirable that the gasket 15 provided in order to improve the hermeticity of the housing 3 and the pull-out door 4 include a metal material or the like to have a shielding function.

  Moreover, in order to detect the open / closed state of the drawer-type storage chamber 1, an open / close detection means 16 using a switch or a hall element is provided.

  In the above configuration, an example of the operation of the refrigerator in the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of the storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation will be described with reference to FIG.

  The inside of the drawer-type storage chamber 1 is kept at a low temperature of about −10 ° C. to −5 ° C. to store food.

  First, the microcomputer 11 receives a detection signal from the open / close detection means 16 and determines the open / close state of the pull-out storage chamber 1 (step 1). During normal storage, the pull-out storage chamber 1 is closed, and the electrodes 5a and 5b are positioned facing the top and bottom of the pull-out storage chamber 1.

  When the drawer-type storage chamber 1 is closed, the control unit 6 applies AC high voltage of several tens kHz and several kV to several tens kV to the electrodes 5a and 5b through the wiring 7 (step 2). Thereby, an electric field, a magnetic field, or both are generated between the electrodes 5a and 5b provided above and below the frame 3, respectively. If the bottom surface of the pull-out storage chamber 1 is made of a conductive material, the upper and lower electrodes 5a and 5b prevent the electric and magnetic fields from being generated, but the pull-out storage chamber 1 has a non-conductive property such as resin. Since materials are used, generation of electric and magnetic fields is not hindered.

  Further, means for generating an electric field and a magnetic field may be provided separately.

  The effect given to the food stored in the pull-out storage chamber 1 by the electric and magnetic fields generated in this way is considered as follows.

  When the magnetic field fluctuates over time, a vortex electric field is induced around the magnetic field by electromagnetic induction. The electric field reverses with the vibration of the magnetic field. On the other hand, water contained in foods and other objects has an electric dipole due to the asymmetry of the bond angle and electron configuration of water molecules, so it is oriented in the direction of the electric field and accompanying the inversion of the electric field. Freezing is suppressed by minute heat generated by the vibration and the friction at that time.

  In addition, since hydrogen nuclei in water molecules have magnetic dipoles, they are oriented in the direction of the magnetic field at the energy level corresponding to the spin quantum number, and the hydrogen nuclei vibrate as the magnetic field fluctuates over time. It affects the hydrogen bond between water molecules, and although it is slight, the molecular motion of the water molecules is activated, which also suppresses freezing of moisture.

  Furthermore, eddy currents are generated when electrolyte ions contained in moisture move along the direction of the electric field depending on their polarity, and freezing is also suppressed by the minute heat generated thereby.

  Due to these combined actions, the moisture contained in ingredients such as food and food ingredients is not frozen below the maximum ice crystal formation temperature zone, but also due to the strength of the electric and magnetic fields and the magnitude of the frequency. It becomes possible to cool.

  Supercooled food does not freeze even when placed at normal freezing temperature, so thawing is not necessary, and in order to prevent cell destruction in food due to freezing and thawing, ensure a high preservation state. be able to.

  Further, the pull-out container is made of resins (PP / PS, etc.), and generally an electric field / magnetic field passes therethrough, so that the supercooling effect can be exhibited.

  On the other hand, metal, metal powder, wire mesh (mesh), aluminum tape, etc. (conducting materials) have a shielding effect and block electric and magnetic fields, so a supercooling effect cannot be expected.

  As mentioned above, the effect which improves the preservability of stored goods, such as food and a foodstuff, can be given.

  However, when the pull-out door 4 is opened, the electric and magnetic fields generated by the electrodes 5a and 5b are not completely applied to the pull-out storage chamber 1. Moreover, since an electric field, a magnetic field, etc. leak from an opening part, the control part 6 stops electricity supply to electrode 5a, 5b (step 3).

  That is, when the pull-out door 4 is closed, power is supplied, and when it is open, power supply is stopped.

  For example, when the electrodes 5 a and 5 b are provided in the pull-out storage chamber 1, the pull-out door 4 is opened and the electrodes 5 a and 5 b are also moved away from the control unit 6. That is, since the wiring 7 needs to have a length that can be reached even when the pull-out storage chamber 1 is opened, the wiring 7 can be loosened when the pull-out door 4 is closed. Therefore, it interferes with other parts, bites or causes disconnection.

  This problem is solved by installing the electrodes 5a and 5b on the frame body 3 side as in the present embodiment, and the opening and closing of the pull-out door 4 can interfere with other parts, bite in, or be disconnected. No.

  FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the length of the wiring 7 and the electric field strength applied between the electrodes 5a and 5b in the present embodiment. This characteristic diagram is experimental data when applied to the electrodes 5a and 5b at an output voltage of 2000 V and a frequency of 40 kHz.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the wiring 7 has a minimum length of 0.1 m, an electric field strength of about 2000 V / m is applied, but the electric field strength decreases as the wiring length increases. . In general, the control board of the refrigerator is often installed on the back of the upper or lower part of the refrigerator. In this configuration, the distance between the electrodes 5a and 5b and the control unit 6 is long, and the wiring 7 is also long. As a result, there is a concern about a decrease in electric field strength, so that the control unit 6 is preferably attached to the pull-out storage chamber 1 or the components of the frame 3. As a result, the distance between the electrodes 5a and 5b and the control unit 6 is almost the shortest, the length of the wiring 7 can be suppressed as much as possible, and the reduction of the electric field strength can be prevented.

  Moreover, although it is desirable to install the control unit 6 in a place as close to the normal temperature environment as possible, there is a high possibility that the control unit 6 is placed in a low-temperature environment such as the inside of the pull-out storage chamber 1 or its surroundings. That is, since there is a possibility that the output characteristic of the control unit 6 changes or condensation occurs, a method of covering the periphery of the control unit 6 with the heat insulating wall 2c can be considered. Thereby, it can prevent that the control part 6 itself becomes low temperature, and since it is completely silled, it can prevent the malfunction of the control part 6 without condensation.

  Furthermore, it is conceivable that an electric field, a magnetic field, or the like leaks from the electrodes 5a, 5b, the control unit 6, and the wiring 7. As a result, there is a possibility of malfunction due to noise superimposition on electronic components in the refrigerator, home appliances installed around the refrigerator, and the like. In order to prevent this, a method of surrounding the electrodes 5a and 5b, the control unit 6, and the wiring 7 with a shield material 14 is conceivable. Since an electric field, a magnetic field, and the like may leak from the gasket 15, metal powder or a mesh metal net may be formed in the gasket 15 to serve as a shield.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the electrodes 5 a and 5 b are not provided in the pull-out storage chamber 1 and are fixed to the frame body 3 side. The drawer-type door 4 can be opened and closed without interfering with the above-mentioned part.

  In addition, since the opening / closing detection means 16 for detecting the opening / closing of the pull-out door 4 is provided, the control unit 6 stops energization to the electrodes 5a and 5b when the pull-out door 4 is opened. Electric power consumption and leakage of electric shock, electric field, magnetic field, etc. can be prevented.

  In addition, since the control unit 6 is attached to the pull-out storage chamber 1 or the components of the frame body 3, the distance between the control unit 6 and the electrodes 5a and 5b is almost the shortest. Therefore, it is possible to prevent voltage drop, electric field strength drop and frequency change due to generation of wiring impedance or stray capacitance.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention can prevent the malfunctioning and dew condensation of the control part 6 in a low temperature zone by covering the control part 6 with the heat insulation wall 2c.

  Further, by surrounding the drawer-type storage chamber 1, the electrodes 5a and 5b, the control unit 6, and the wiring 7 with a shielding material 14 that reduces leakage of electric and magnetic fields, leakage of electric and magnetic fields is reduced. It is possible to prevent adverse effects such as noise and noise on the device.

  Furthermore, since the refrigerator of the present invention maintains the low temperature state by the freezing device 19, the freshness of the stored items can be maintained for a long time.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a storage (thaw storage) or a refrigerator-type storage room in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a control of the storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. It is a block diagram.

  In FIG. 5, the electrode 5 a is provided on the top surface of the frame 3 and is connected to the control unit 6 through the wiring 7. On the other hand, the electrode 5 b is provided on the bottom surface of the drawer-type storage chamber 1.

  Further, a contact portion 17a is provided on the back surface of the pull-out container 1b and is electrically connected to the electrode 5b. Further, a contact portion 17 b is provided on the inner surface of the frame 3 and is connected to the control unit 6 through the wiring 7. The contact portions 17a and 17b are, for example, connectors, and it is desirable that they can be reliably joined and separated.

  With the above configuration, when the pull-out door 4 is closed, the contact portion 17a is joined to the contact portion 17b, and the electrode 5b and the control portion 6 are electrically connected.

  Further, a dew condensation prevention heater 18 is installed in the vicinity of the contact portion 17b. This is provided in order to prevent the contact portions 17a and 17b from dewing when the inside and the surroundings of the pull-out type storage chamber 1 become low temperature and causing electric leakage due to the condensed water. It is effective that the dew condensation prevention heater 18 is energized periodically or immediately after the drawer door 4 is opened and closed. Of course, the condensation prevention heater 18 may be provided in the vicinity of the contact portion 17a, or may be provided in the vicinity of both the contact portion 17a and the contact portion 17b.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the contact portion 17a provided between the electrode 5b and the control unit 6 when the electrode 5b is provided on the bottom surface of the pullout container 1b and the pullout door 4 is closed, By configuring so that 17b is joined and energized, the electrode can be installed in the pull-out storage chamber 1, and the pull-out door 4 can be opened and closed without interference and biting of the wiring. In this configuration, when opening the pull-out door 4, it is desirable to stop energization by the detection of the open / close detection means 16 before the contact portions 17a and 17b are completely separated. This prevents a situation in which the contact portions 17a and 17b are energized in a halfway state and a sufficient output cannot be performed, and the occurrence of a spark between the contact portions 17a and 17b.

  Further, by providing the condensation prevention heater 18 in the vicinity of the contact portion 17b, it is possible to prevent the leakage to the contact portions 17a and 17b due to condensation or freezing.

  As described above, the storage (thaw storage) or the refrigerator according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, a home or business storage (thaw storage) or a device provided with an electrical load such as an electrode in one room of the refrigerator. Is.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the drawer | drawing-out type storage room of the storage (thaw storage) or the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Control block diagram of storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Control flow chart of storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The characteristic view which shows the relationship between the length of the wiring 7 of the storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention, and the electric field strength applied between electrode 5a, 5b. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the storage (thaw storage) or drawer | drawing-out type storage room of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of this invention Control block diagram of storage (thaw storage) or refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention A longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a conventional thawing storage

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pull-out type storage chamber 1a, 1b Pull-out type container 2a, 2b, 2c Thermal insulation wall 3 Case 4 Pull-out type door 5a, 5b Electrode 6 Control part 7 Wiring 8 Commercial power supply 9 Rectification circuit part 10 Switching circuit part 11 Microcomputer 12 Drive circuit Part 13 Step-up transformer 14 Shielding material 15 Gasket 16 Opening / closing detection means 17a, 17b Contact part 18 Condensation prevention heater 19 Refrigerating device

Claims (8)

  A (drawer-type) storage chamber formed in the housing; a drawer-type door that opens and closes an opening of the (drawer-type) storage chamber; and a drawer-type container housed in the (drawer-type) storage chamber and the drawer door And a storage container having an electrode provided facing the inside of the (draw-out type) storage chamber across the storage space in the pull-out container, and a control unit that controls energization of the electrode.   The electrode is provided in a drawer-type storage chamber, a drawer-type container on which food / foodstuffs are placed, a drawer-type door that is pulled out and stored together with the drawer-type container, and the drawer-type door when the drawer-type door is closed A storage case in which a contact point provided between the wirings of the electrode and the control unit is joined, and the electrode can be energized.   The storage of Claim 2 provided with the heater for dew condensation prevention in the said contact part vicinity.   The open / close detection means for detecting opening / closing of the pull-out door, and the control unit stops energization of the electrode when the pull-out door is opened. Storage as described in.   The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit is attached to a component of the drawer-type storage chamber or the frame.   The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit is covered with a heat insulating wall.   The region including one or more of the pull-out storage chamber, the electrode, the control unit, and the wiring is surrounded by a shielding material that reduces leakage of an electric field, a magnetic field, and the like. The storage as described in any one of.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the refrigerator is provided with a refrigeration device and can cool the storage chamber.