JP2009236474A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber with an excellent appearance capable of avoiding a problem of food freezing inside the refrigerating chamber. <P>SOLUTION: The refrigerator is equipped with a heat insulation box 101, a door body openably/closably mounted on an opening part of the heat insulation box 101, a cooling means for cooling air inside the heat insulation box 101 and generating cold air, and a cold air circulating path for guiding cold air between the refrigerating chamber 102 and the cooling means. The lateral width of a duct 129a forming the cold air circulating path is formed narrower than the lateral width of the refrigerating chamber 102. Discharge ports 130a-130f for discharging cold air into the refrigerating chamber 102 and a suction port 131a for sucking cold air from the refrigerating chamber 102 are provided on a side surface of the duct 129a. A chamber space 302 is provided between the duct side surface and a sidewall surface inside the refrigerator. The problem of food freezing in the refrigerating chamber 102 can be avoided and the appearance of the refrigerating chamber can be made excellent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator in which cold air circulates between a storage room and a cooling means.

  In recent refrigerators, there are many layouts in which a refrigerating room having a high frequency of use is placed at the uppermost part where a user can easily see the stored items, and a freezing room is arranged immediately below the refrigerating room. In this case, since the cooler is placed in the cooling room arranged at the back of the freezing room, in order to allow the supply of cold air to the entire refrigerating room, the cooling air is supplied by a duct from the back of the cooling room to the back of the refrigerating room. Be transported.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a duct provided in a conventional refrigerator.

  Here, a portion that is visible in the front when the door of the refrigerator compartment 502 is opened is shown. That is, a duct 529a is provided along the heat insulating box 501 of the refrigerator compartment 502 having a heat insulating structure, and a Y-shaped cold air circulation path is formed between the duct 529a and the heat insulating box 501. As shown by arrows in FIG. 9, the cold air in the refrigerating chamber 502 is sucked from a suction port 531 that opens below the refrigerating chamber 502, circulates through each storage chamber, and then discharge outlet 530 a that opens above the refrigerating chamber 502. , 530b, 530c, 530d, 530e, and 530f. The horizontal width of the duct 529a is approximately the same as the horizontal width of the refrigerator compartment 502 in consideration of the air volume distribution in the warehouse, the interior lighting device is disposed in the center, and is opposed to each shelf space as an air passage branched to the left and right. An opening is provided so as to discharge at each position (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a conventional duct before fixing. FIG. 10 (B) is a diagram showing the conventional duct after being fixed.

  Here, a cross-sectional view of the rear portion of the refrigerator compartment 502 is shown. As shown in FIG. 10A, duct engaging projections 501a and 501b are formed at the corners on both sides of the heat insulation box 501. As shown in FIG. When the duct 529a is fitted so as to face the protrusions 501a and 501b, as shown in FIG. 10B, the protrusions 501a and 501b and the duct 529a are engaged.

  Moreover, FIG. 11 (A) shows a duct sectional plan view of another conventional refrigerator. FIG. 11 (B) shows a perspective view of the duct portion of another conventional refrigerator.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (A), the lighting device 47 is arranged at the center of the back of the refrigerator, the refrigerator compartment ducts 44 are arranged on both side surfaces thereof, the outlet on the front of the duct is abolished, Cold air is discharged from the gap with the refrigerator box. Thereby, there is an effect that the rear surface of the refrigerator is neatly configured and a space for accommodating the rear duct can be widely provided (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Moreover, as shown to FIG. 11 (B), the structure which has the hole 15b of the discharge port in the side part of the duct 15 is described (for example, refer patent document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-103844 JP-A-6-213550

  However, the conventional refrigerator (Patent Document 1) has a problem that the food and beverage placed on the shelves in the refrigerator compartment 502 freeze because the suction port 531 and the discharge ports 530a to 530f are in front of the duct 529a. . In addition, as a design consideration that does not directly apply the discharged cold air to the food, there is a case where the discharge port is arranged at a position facing the uppermost part between the shelves so that the cold air flows from the upper part of the food. In the case of a structure where the food size is tall or is not effective for stacking, and the shelf position can be changed to improve storage, the design consideration of the arrangement of the discharge port itself means It will not be.

  Also, since the discharge part of the duct passes cool air at a relatively low temperature at a relatively high flow rate, the shape of the opening of the discharge opening is very important if it is not composed of a highly heat-insulating member (for example, a foamed resin material such as foamed polystyrene). Condensation is likely. However, if the front discharge part is made of heat insulating material, the heat insulating material can be seen and looks bad, and the user may accidentally spill food or beverage at the discharge port, causing contamination or clogging inside the duct. There is a possibility that.

  In addition, when food is stored on each shelf by the user, even if it is stored until the outlet of the duct is not blocked, the food may block the space in the front-rear direction and the back part may be too cold. there were.

  In particular, refrigerators in recent years have increased in capacity and the depth of the refrigerator compartment has increased, and food that is not often used is placed in the back of a shelf with depth, and frequently used food is placed in the foreground. It becomes easy to guess for ease of use. In such a case, the food in the back, which has a low frequency of taking in and out, is placed in a state of being too cold for a long time, so that the possibility of freezing increases.

  In addition, when the depth of the refrigerator compartment shelf increases, it is difficult to see the state of the food in the back due to the food in the front, and it is easily predicted that the food will be pushed in unknowingly from the front to the back. It was very difficult to secure the space.

  Further, in another conventional configuration (Patent Document 2), the provision of the discharge port hole in the front of the panel is abolished, the duct is made almost full width on the back, and the discharge port is formed between the side of the duct panel and the inner wall surface. Forming. However, there is no detailed description about prevention of condensation at the outlet opening through which low-temperature cold air passes, and since the outlet opening is located at both ends on the back, the food is placed at the end. There is still a risk of food freezing (see FIG. 11A).

  Further, as another example of another conventional configuration (Patent Document 2), a configuration having a discharge port hole 15b in the side surface portion of the duct 15 is described, but the relationship with the food storage place is described. Otherwise, if food is placed in front of the discharge port 15b on the side surface of the duct 15, it may still freeze (see FIG. 11B).

  The present invention solves these problems, and provides a refrigerator capable of avoiding the problem that food in a refrigerator compartment freezes regardless of the position of the shelf or the position where the food is placed. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention is provided with a refrigerator compartment duct on the back of a refrigerator compartment formed at the top of the heat insulation box, and the refrigerator compartment duct is a vent on the side. An outlet is provided, and a chamber space is provided from a side surface of the refrigerator compartment duct to a side surface of the refrigerator compartment.

  Thereby, since there is no cold air outlet in front of the refrigerator compartment duct, it is possible to avoid the problem that the food in the refrigerator compartment freezes. In addition, the cool air discharged from the discharge port, which is the ventilation port on the side of the refrigerator compartment duct, circulates while being mixed with the air in the chamber while the air speed is reduced in the chamber space, so the temperature of the food may be locally lowered Can be reduced.

  The refrigerator of the present invention has no cold air outlet on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment duct, and cold air is discharged into the chamber space from the outlet provided on the side of the refrigerator compartment duct. It is possible to avoid the problem of freezing food. In addition, since the width of the refrigerator compartment duct becomes narrower than before, it contributes to resource saving by reducing the amount of material used, and also contributes to energy saving by reducing the transport energy related to parts distribution. There is also an effect that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, since there is no cold air outlet in front of the refrigerator compartment duct, when the door of the refrigerator compartment is opened, the outlet is not visible on the front, so the appearance of the refrigerator compartment is improved.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a refrigeration chamber duct is provided on the back surface of a refrigeration chamber formed at the uppermost part in the heat insulation box, and the refrigeration chamber duct includes a discharge port which is a ventilation port on a side surface, and the refrigeration chamber Since the chamber space is provided from the side of the duct to the side of the refrigerator compartment, there is no cold air outlet on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment duct, so that the problem of freezing food in the refrigerator compartment can be avoided. In addition, the cool air discharged from the discharge port, which is the ventilation port on the side of the refrigerator compartment duct, circulates while being mixed with the air in the chamber while the air speed is reduced in the chamber space, so the temperature of the food may be locally lowered Can be reduced. In addition, since there is no cold air outlet in front of the refrigerator compartment duct, when the door of the refrigerator compartment is opened, the outlet is not visible on the front, so the appearance of the refrigerator compartment is improved.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator compartment duct is provided with a discharge outlet which is a ventilation opening on both right and left side surfaces, and is arranged at the center of the left and right sides on the back of the refrigerator compartment, The side wall of the refrigerator compartment is located at the center of the back of the refrigerator compartment and the center of both side walls of the refrigerator, so that sufficient cold air can be discharged from the discharge port, and sufficient cold air can be drawn from the intake port. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the refrigerator compartment duct includes a heat insulating air passage and a front panel attached to the front surface of the heat insulating air passage. The discharge port is configured by the heat insulating air passage, and is disposed at a position where the discharged cold air does not directly contact the front panel, thereby causing local condensation and frost formation due to the front panel being cooled. Can be prevented.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the refrigerator compartment duct is provided with a suction port that is a ventilation port on a side surface thereof, thereby opening the refrigerator compartment door. In this case, since both the discharge port and the suction port, which are ventilation ports, are not visible on the front surface, the appearance is further improved.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a refrigerator 100 that includes a double-spread door, and includes a plurality of compartments in a heat insulating box 101. The storage room is referred to as a refrigeration room 102, an ice making room 105, a switching room 106, a vegetable room 104, a freezing room 103, or the like depending on its function (cooling temperature).

  At the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 102, a rotary heat insulating door 107 filled with foam heat insulating material such as urethane is provided. In addition, the ice making chamber 105, the switching chamber 106, the vegetable chamber 104, and the freezing chamber 103 are each provided with a heat insulating plate 108 as a front plate of the drawer, thereby sealing the storage chamber so that there is no leakage of cold air. Yes.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Specifically, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion cut along line AA in FIG.

  The heat insulating box 101 is formed by filling a heat insulating material such as rigid urethane foam between an outer box mainly made of a metal steel plate and an inner box mainly made of a vacuum molded resin. It is a box body. The heat insulation box 101 is insulated by suppressing heat transfer from the surroundings to the inside of the heat insulation box 101.

  The refrigerated room 102 is a storage room that is maintained at a low temperature that does not freeze for refrigerated storage. The lower limit of the specific temperature is usually set to 1 to 5 ° C. In particular, the temperature may be set to 0 to 1 ° C. in order to improve the freshness of fresh products.

  The vegetable room 104 is a storage room whose temperature is set equal to or slightly higher than that of the refrigerator room 102. Specifically, it is set to 2 to 7 ° C. The lower the temperature, the longer the freshness of the leafy vegetables can be maintained. The purpose of setting the temperature slightly higher than that of the refrigerator compartment 102 is to suppress the influence of freshness deterioration called low temperature failure at a low temperature such as eggplant or cucumber. Moreover, since the vegetable compartment 104 which stores vegetables becomes high humidity with the water | moisture content emitted from stored food compared with the refrigerator compartment 102, if it cools locally, it may condense. Setting the temperature to a relatively high temperature increases the amount of moisture in the air and reduces the amount of cooling required to maintain the temperature, thereby suppressing temperature fluctuations in the vegetable compartment 104 and suppressing the occurrence of condensation. it can.

  The freezer compartment 103 is a storage room set in a freezing temperature zone. Specifically, it is usually set to −22 to −18 ° C. for frozen storage, but may be set to a low temperature such as −30 ° C. and −25 ° C. for improving the frozen storage state. .

  The ice making chamber 105 is a storage chamber that periodically supplies water from a water supply tank (not shown) disposed in the refrigerator compartment 102, automatically makes ice by an ice making mechanism (not shown), and stores the ice. .

  The switching chamber 106 is a storage chamber that is provided on the side of the ice making chamber 105 and in which the temperature in the warehouse can be changed. The operation panel attached to the refrigerator 100 can be switched from a refrigeration temperature zone to a freezing temperature zone according to the application.

  The top surface portion of the heat insulating box 101 is formed with a recess 113 so as to be stepped toward the back of the refrigerator, and includes a first top surface portion 111 and a second top surface portion 112. The staircase-shaped recess 113 mainly stores components on the high-pressure side forming the refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor 114 and a dryer (not shown) for removing moisture. That is, the recess 113 in which the compressor 114 is disposed is formed by biting into the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 102. Therefore, the compressor 114 is not disposed in the rear region of the lowermost storage chamber of the heat insulating box 101 that has been generally used conventionally.

  On the back surfaces of the freezer compartment 103 and the vegetable compartment 104, a cooling chamber 115 is provided in such a manner as to span both chambers. The cooling chamber 115 is partitioned from the freezer compartment 103 and the vegetable compartment 104 by a first partition 116 having heat insulation as a partition wall. Moreover, between the freezer compartment 103 and the vegetable compartment 104, the 2nd partition 117 which has the heat insulation as a heat insulation partition wall is arrange | positioned.

  The first partition 116 and the second partition 117 are parts assembled to the heat insulating box 101 after the heat insulating box 101 is foamed. Therefore, a foamed resin such as foamed polystyrene is usually used as a heat insulating material from the viewpoint of heat insulation. In addition, in order to further improve the heat insulating performance and rigidity, rigid foamed urethane may be used, or a vacuum insulating material having high heat insulating properties may be inserted to further reduce the partition structure. Further, the third partition 118 which is the top surface portion of the ice making chamber 105 and the switching chamber 106 and the fourth partition 119 on the bottom surface portion which are arranged in parallel are integrally formed of the same foam heat insulating material as the heat insulating box body 101. .

  The cooling chamber 115 constitutes a part of the cooling means, and typically includes a fin-and-tube evaporator 120. In addition, the cooling chamber 115 is arranged vertically in the vertical direction across the freezing chamber 103 and the vegetable chamber 104. However, the evaporator 120 is arranged so that the area facing the vegetable compartment 104 is smaller than the area facing the freezer compartment 103. This is because the cooling chamber 115 has the lowest temperature in the refrigerator 100, and thus the influence of the low temperature state on the vegetable chamber 104 is reduced.

  A cooling fan 121 is disposed in the upper space of the evaporator 120. The cooling fan 121 blows the cool air cooled by the evaporator 120, forcibly convects the cool air to each storage chamber, and circulates the cool air in the refrigerator 100.

  Inside the refrigerator 100, a circulation path for forcibly circulating cool air is formed. Specifically, the cold air cooled by the evaporator 120 is forced into a blowing state by the cooling fan 121 and is carried to each room through a duct provided between each storage room and the heat insulating box 101. Each chamber is cooled and returned to the evaporator 120 through a suction duct. A sterilization device 200 is provided near the discharge port of the refrigerating room discharge duct 129a provided in the refrigerating chamber 102, and a deodorizing device (not shown) is provided near the suction port.

  Further, the refrigerator compartment 102 is provided with a plurality of food storage shelves 201 for storing foods and the like in the cabinet, and a slide case 202 is provided at the bottom, mainly by setting a temperature slightly lower than the shelf of the refrigerator compartment 102. There is a chilled room for storing meat and fish. Further, a plurality of door shelves 201 are provided on the door side, and the food storage shelves 201 and the door shelves 203 can be changed by changing the mounting positions according to the convenience of the user. Thereby, the height at which food enters can be changed by adjusting the vertical interval, and various storage properties can be improved.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a duct configuration of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator compartment 102 / vegetable compartment 104 circulation path through which relatively high-temperature cold air circulates, an ice making room 105 circulation path through which relatively low-temperature cold air circulates, and a freezer compartment 103 circulation. There is a path and a switching path 106 circulation path. Such a cold air circulation path is formed by a duct.

  Hereinafter, the circulation path of the refrigerator compartment 102 and the vegetable compartment 104 will be described in detail.

  The cold air cooled by the evaporator 120 is blown to the refrigerating chamber 102 by the cooling fan 121 through the refrigerating chamber discharge duct 129a. However, the cold air cooled by the evaporator 120 is cooled to a temperature that can sufficiently correspond to the freezing temperature of the freezer compartment 103. Therefore, if the air is kept blown to the refrigerator compartment 102 in a relatively low temperature cold state, the refrigerator compartment 102 becomes too cold.

  Therefore, a twin damper 128 capable of controlling the insertion of the cold air is provided in the cold air circulation path including the refrigerator compartment 102. The cold air cooled by the evaporator 120 is controlled by the twin damper 128 to be inserted (cool air circulation ON / OFF) and does not always circulate through the path of the refrigerator compartment 102 and the vegetable compartment 104. Further, when the entire refrigerator 100 is sufficiently cooled, the rotation of the cooling fan 121 is stopped and the circulation of the cold air is also stopped. At this time, the cooling cycle, that is, the compressor 114 and the like are also stopped.

  The cool air cooled by the evaporator 120 passes through the refrigerator discharge duct 129a upward from below according to the above control, and from the ventilation openings 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, 130e, and 130f opened at the top of the refrigerator 102. Exhaled. The cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 102 is sucked into a suction port 131 a that opens at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 102. The cold air sucked into the suction port 131a is discharged from the discharge port 131b to the refrigerating chamber return duct 137, and a part is discharged from the discharge port 136 opened at the upper part of the vegetable chamber 104 via the refrigerating chamber return duct 137. A part of the cool air discharged from the discharge port 136 circulates through the vegetable compartment 104 and then joins again to return to the evaporator 120.

  The above is the description of the circulation path of the refrigerator compartment 102 and the vegetable compartment 104.

  In the ice making chamber 105 and the switching chamber 106, the circulation of the cold air is controlled by a damper for intermittently controlling the discharged cold air, and the temperature of each chamber is controlled. That is, the refrigerator compartment 102, the ice making room 105, and the switching room 106 are equipped with temperature sensors (not shown) for controlling the internal temperature. Based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the control board 122 (see FIG. 2) attached to the back of the refrigerator 100 controls the opening and closing of the damper. That is, when the temperature sensor is higher than the preset first temperature, the damper is opened, and when the temperature sensor is lower than the second temperature, the damper is closed to adjust the internal temperature to a predetermined temperature.

  The ice making room damper 123 for intermittently controlling the ice making room 105 is installed in the upper part of the cooling room 115, and the cold air blown from the cooling fan 121 passes through the ice making room damper 123 and the ice making room discharge duct 124a. After being discharged into the interior and exchanging heat, the duct is configured to return to the evaporator 120 via the ice making chamber return duct 124b.

  The twin damper 128 is integrally provided with a damper for intermittently controlling the refrigerator compartment 102 and a damper for intermittently controlling the switching chamber 106. Further, the twin damper 128 further cools the cold compartment flap 125 and the switching chamber 106 for interrupting the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 102. A switching chamber flap 126 for intermittent connection is provided, and in addition, a motor portion 127 for driving the flap is also integrally provided. The twin damper 128 is installed around the back of the ice making chamber 105 and the switching chamber 106.

  By the way, in the conventional refrigerator, as shown in FIG. 9, the suction port 531 which sucks in cold air from the refrigerator compartment 502, and the discharge ports 530a-530f which discharge cold air to the refrigerator compartment 502 are in the front of the duct 529a, and the refrigerator compartment A food or beverage placed in 502 may be placed near the discharge port and freeze. In addition, the food storage shelf 201 can be replaced. In particular, depending on the changed shelf position, there is a problem that the food is directly cooled and easily freezes. Further, when the door of the refrigerator compartment 502 is opened, the suction port 531 and the discharge ports 530a to 530f can be seen, so that there is a problem that the appearance is bad. Further, when the food storage shelf is replaced, the positions of the discharge holes are arranged inconsistently with the interval between the shelves, and the appearance is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the following configuration is adopted in order to solve these problems.

  4 and 5 are schematic views of the refrigerator duct in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The duct referred to here is the refrigerator compartment discharge duct 129a, and hereinafter, the refrigerator compartment discharge duct 129a is simply referred to as "duct 129a". FIG. 4 shows a surface (front surface) that can be seen when the door of the refrigerator compartment 102 is opened, and FIG. 5 shows the back surface thereof. As shown in these drawings, the duct 129a is a combination of a heat insulating air passage 300 molded from foamed polystyrene or the like and a front panel 301 molded from a resin such as polypropylene, polystyrene, or ABS. The basic air path is composed of a heat insulating air path 300, and the front panel 301 is provided in the exterior portion in terms of design and strength. Further, the front panel 301 has a width larger than the lateral width of the heat insulating air passage 300, and the design is improved by making it difficult to see the side surface and the air vent from the front.

  On the side surface of the duct 129 a, there are provided discharge ports 130 a to 130 f that discharge cold air to the refrigerating chamber 102 as ventilation holes, and a suction port 131 a that sucks cold air from the refrigerating chamber 102. The shapes of the discharge ports 130a to 130f and the suction port 131a may be holes or notches and are not particularly limited. At this time, the discharge ports 130a to 130f are formed by the heat insulating air passage 300, and the front panel 301 is not in direct contact with the discharged cold air. It is possible to prevent frost formation.

  The width of the duct 129a needs to be narrower than the width of the refrigerator compartment 102 to ensure a sufficient chamber space 302. Since there are discharge ports on both side surfaces of the duct 129a, in order to secure a sufficient chamber space 302, the duct 129a is arranged in the approximate center in the refrigerator compartment 102, and the side surface of the duct 129a is located on the side from the center in the refrigerator. The lateral width of the duct 129a is designed at a position located substantially at the center (W2) of the wall surface (W1). When the width of the duct 129a is made substantially the same as the width of the refrigerator compartment 102 as in the conventional case, sufficient cool air cannot be discharged from the discharge ports 130a to 130f, and sufficient cool air can be sucked from the suction port 131a. It is not possible. Furthermore, it can be set as the structure which a foodstuff, a foreign material, and a liquid cannot fall into the suction inlet 131a easily.

  Further, the discharge ports 130a to 130f are places where low-temperature cold air is first discharged to the interior space, and the air temperature becomes the lowest in the refrigerator compartment 102, and compared with other air convection in the interior. Since the discharge flow rate is high, the discharge ports 130a to 130f are arranged not on the front surface of the duct 129a but on the side surface of the duct, and by providing a sufficient chamber space 302 on the side surface, Mixing with the internal air and smoothing, and reducing the discharge flow rate, prevent the freezing without locally lowering the food temperature.

  In order to secure a sufficient chamber space 302, the duct 129a is disposed in the approximate center of the refrigerator compartment 102, and the side surface of the duct 129a extends from the center of the interior to the approximate center (W2) of the side wall surface (W1). The lateral width of the duct 129a is designed at a position located at (), but it is preferable that (1/4) × W1 <the position of the side surface of the duct 129a <(3/4) × W1.

  Specifically, if the position of the side surface of the duct 129a> (3/4) × W1, the chamber space 302 becomes small, the temperature is locally lowered, and there is a possibility that a food or the like freezes. Is expensive.

  On the other hand, when the position of the side surface of the duct 129a <(1/4) × W1, the depth direction of the duct 129a is increased in order to ensure the duct internal volume (that is, the duct is on the near side in the warehouse), It will press the internal volume. Further, the chamber space 302 becomes large, the wind speed of the cold air discharged from the discharge port decreases, it becomes difficult for the cold air to flow from the rear to the front, and the temperature distribution in the refrigerator compartment becomes difficult to be uniform.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the preferable chamber space 302 is that the duct 129a is arranged at substantially the center of the refrigerator compartment 102 and the distance from the center of the refrigerator to the side wall surface is W1, and the duct 129a It is a space obtained by designing the lateral width of the duct 129a so that the position of the side surface falls within the range of (1/4) × W1 <the position of the side surface of the duct 129a <(3/4) × W1. , Without squeezing the internal volume, uniforming the temperature distribution in the refrigerated room, mixing the cold air temperature with the internal air before the food gets cold, and reducing the cool air discharge flow rate By doing so, it is possible to prevent freezing of food and the like without local low temperature.

  In addition, as a result of detailed analysis of the above-described preferable chamber space, (1/4) × W1 <position of the side surface of the duct 129a <(3/4) × W1, the inventors have found the following knowledge. Obtained.

  Specifically, by setting (1/2) × W1 <the position of the side surface of the duct 129a, a region where the cold air coming out from the left discharge port and the cold air coming out from the right discharge port overlap is increased. (I.e., the overlapping area becomes larger) resulting in inefficient cooling. In addition, there is a possibility that the cooling is locally performed in the vicinity of the central portion of the cabinet where the cold air wraps.

  On the other hand, by setting (1/2) × W1> the position of the side surface of the duct 129a, the area where the cold air coming out from the left discharge port and the cold air coming out from the right discharge port overlap is reduced. (In other words, the overlapping area becomes smaller), and the cooling becomes efficient. In addition, the cold air coming out from the left outlet and the right air coming out from the right outlet make it easier for the cold air to reach near the left and right walls, and the temperature distribution in the left and right sides of the compartment. Can be made more uniform (that is, the temperature difference between the vicinity of the left and right wall surfaces and the central portion in the cabinet is reduced). Moreover, the area | region where cold air wraps becomes small, and possibility that it will cool locally in the center part in a store | warehouse | chamber becomes low.

  Therefore, the more preferable chamber space 302 is that when the duct 129a is arranged at substantially the center in the refrigerator compartment 102 and the distance from the center to the side wall surface is W1, the position of the side surface of the duct 129a is This is a space obtained by designing the lateral width of the duct 129a so as to fall within the range of (1/2) × W1 <the position of the side surface of the duct 129a <(3/4) × W1, and the lateral width of the duct 129a. Although the degree of downsizing is reduced, by setting (1/2) × W1 <the position of the side surface of the duct 129a, the depth direction of the duct 129a is not further increased, and the internal volume is compressed. Therefore, the area of wrapping between the cool air coming out of the left outlet and the cool air coming out of the right outlet becomes smaller and efficient. The cool air can easily reach the walls on the left and right walls of the cabinet, making the temperature distribution in the refrigerator compartment uniform, and mixing the cool air temperature with the air in the cabinet before the food gets cold. In addition, it is possible to prevent freezing of foods and the like without local temperature reduction by reducing the discharge flow rate of the cold air.

  By designing the width of the duct 129a so as to obtain such a chamber space 302, the width of the refrigerator compartment duct becomes narrower than before, which contributes to resource saving by reducing the amount of material used and distributing parts. This also contributes to energy saving by reducing the transport energy involved, and as a result, can reduce the manufacturing cost.

  Further, since the heat insulating air passage 300 of the duct 129a has a left-right symmetrical shape, the chamber space 302 also has a left-right symmetrical shape, and the flow of cold air from the left direction to the right direction is almost the same. The temperature distribution in the room becomes more uniform.

  Further, in the conventional configuration (Patent Document 2), as shown in FIG. 11 (B), a duct plate 15 is provided in order to blow out cold air uniformly to the left and right, and the air passage is branched leftward and rightward. , One opening direction with respect to one air passage (for example, right direction). The duct plate 15 is provided with an illumination means storage portion 15d. The duct plate 15 is not an air passage, and the portion of the duct plate 15 at the center is substantially an ineffective space. It has become.

  However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower part of the heat insulating air passage of the duct is a single air passage at the center without branching from the center in the left direction and the right direction. There is no invalid space as in the configuration (Patent Document 2), and by providing each chamber space at the tip of the discharge port, the discharge port is not blocked and the balance of the airflow resistance is not lost. The width can be narrowed, and the amount of material used can be reduced, contributing to resource saving.

  In addition, the food storage shelf 201 can be replaced or moved up and down without worrying about the position of the discharge port.

  As already described, the cooled cool air flows upward through the duct 129a and is discharged from the discharge ports 130a to 130f opened at the top of the refrigerator compartment 102. The cold air thus discharged into the refrigerator compartment 102 is sucked from the suction port 131a that opens at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 102, flows downward, and is discharged from the discharge port 131b to the refrigerator compartment return duct 137.

  Since cold air flows from below to above, compared to the method in which cold air flows from above to below, in order to sufficiently circulate the cold air to the top, a large flow rate is required and the discharge flow rate becomes large. An effective effect is obtained.

  The chamber space may be provided with ribs on the extension of the food storage shelf 201 from the inner side of the back surface of the heat insulating box 101 to the front to prevent food falling.

  In the present embodiment, the upper and lower food storage shelves use this food fall prevention means, and will be described below.

  Specifically, the refrigerator compartment 102 is provided with a plurality of food storage shelves 201 for storing food and the like in the cabinet. The refrigerator compartment 102 has three food storage shelves 201 in the upper, middle, and lower stages, and is installed in a bridge form from the left side to the right side of the refrigerator compartment 102.

  FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the lower food storage shelf in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional plan view taken at the position of the lower food storage shelf in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the lower food storage shelf is a food storage shelf 221 in which the back side 221 </ b> A is linear.

  Specifically, the food storage shelf 221 includes a food placement space 211A in which foods and the like are placed, and the food placement space 211A is made of glass.

  In addition, a frame portion 211C made of resin is provided around the food placement space 211A.

  As shown in FIG. 13, ribs 223 are formed on the left and right of the chamber space 302 from the inner surface of the back surface of the heat insulating box 101 to the front, with the duct 129 a sandwiched between the ribs 223. It arrange | positions on the extension line | wire of the end surface of the back side (back part inner surface side of a heat insulation box).

  Thereby, since the back side of the food storage shelf 221 is linear, the food storage shelf itself does not undergo complicated processing, and the end surface of the back side of the food storage shelf 221 and the back inner surface of the heat insulating box 101 In this case, the gap formed by the ribs 223 is narrowed by the ribs 223, so that the food drops into the chamber space 302 when the food placed on the back side of the food storage shelf 221 is placed on the back side, particularly small food. This can be prevented.

  In addition, although the lower food storage shelf was demonstrated here, in this Embodiment, it is set as the structure similar to the lower food storage shelf also about the upper food storage shelf.

  On the other hand, the shape of the food storage shelf may be devised to prevent food falling.

  In the present embodiment, the food storage shelf in the middle stage uses this food fall prevention means, and will be described below.

  The middle food storage shelf is a food storage shelf 211 that is installed in a bridge shape from the left side surface to the right side surface of the refrigerator compartment 102 and is shaped to surround the refrigerator compartment duct 129a.

  FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a food storage shelf in the middle stage of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional plan view cut at the position of the food storage shelf in the middle of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the food storage shelf 211 includes a food placement space 211A in which foods and the like are placed, and guide ribs 211B provided on the back side of the food installation space 211A. The food placement space 211A is made of glass. The guide rib 211B is made of resin.

  More specifically, a frame portion 211C made of resin is provided around the food placement space 211A, and the back side of the food storage shelf 211 extends this frame portion 211C rearward to guide rib 211B. It is what.

  Further, a step is provided between the food placement space 211A and the guide rib 211B so that the guide rib 211B becomes higher. Normally, no food is placed on the guide rib 211B.

  The guide rib 211B is disposed in the chamber space 302.

  Thereby, the food storage shelf 211 shaped to surround the refrigerator compartment duct 129a, that is, the guide rib 211B is provided on the back side of the food storage shelf, so that the end face on the back side of the food storage shelf 211 and the heat insulation are insulated. The gap formed between the inner surface of the back portion of the box body 101 is narrowed by the guide rib 211B, and when the food placed on the back side of the food storage shelf 211, particularly small foods, is placed on the back side, the chamber It is possible to prevent food from falling into the space 302.

  In the present embodiment, the upper and lower food storage shelves are the food storage shelves 221 with the back side 221A being linear, and the middle food storage shelves surround the refrigerator compartment duct 129a. Although the food storage shelf 211 is formed into a simple shape, the ribs 223 are formed from the back surface to the front as the food storage shelf 221 having a straight side 221A on the back side for all of the plurality of food storage shelves. May be. On the other hand, ribs may not be provided as the food storage shelves 211 having a shape surrounding the refrigerator compartment duct 129a for all of the plurality of food storage shelves.

  However, the food storage shelf whose vertical position can be changed is a food storage shelf 211 having a shape surrounding the refrigerating room duct 129a without providing the ribs 223 from the aspect of appearance, that is, the food storage shelf. It is preferable to devise the shape.

  In other words, by devising the shape of the back inner surface of the heat insulation box, or devising the shape of the food storage shelf, that is, by providing food fall prevention means, the chamber space from the side of the refrigerator compartment duct to the side of the refrigerator compartment In the refrigerator provided with the food, it is possible to prevent the food from dropping into the chamber space 302 when the food placed on the back side of the food storage shelf is placed on the back side.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an internal structure of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Here, the state before fixing the duct 129a is shown. As shown in FIG. 6, protrusions 101 a and 101 b are formed in two vertical rows at an intermediate position of the heat insulating box 101. The protrusions 101a and 101b are protrusions of the inner box and engage with the duct 129a. Therefore, the distance between the protruding portions 101a and 101b is substantially equal to the lateral width of the duct 129a, and there is no protruding portion at a position corresponding to the discharge ports 130a to 130f and the suction port 131a.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a duct provided in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  Here, when the door of the refrigerator compartment 102 is opened, the part seen in the front is shown. That is, a duct 129 a is provided along the heat insulating box 101 of the refrigerator compartment 102 having a heat insulating structure, and a Y-shaped cold air circulation path is formed between the duct 129 a and the heat insulating box 101. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 7, the cold air in the refrigerator 102 is sucked from the suction port 131 a that opens below the refrigerating chamber 102, circulates through each storage chamber, and then the discharge ports 130 a to 130 a that open above the refrigerating chamber 102. It is discharged from 130f.

  Here, the discharge ports 130a to 130f and the suction port 131a are provided on the side surface of the duct 129a. That is, neither the discharge ports 130a to 130f nor the suction port 131a exist on the front surface of the duct 129a, and the chamber space 302 is provided at the tip of the discharge ports 130a to 130f. The problem of freezing can be avoided, and when the door of the refrigerating room is opened, the discharge port and the suction port are not visible on the front surface, so the appearance of the refrigerating room 102 is improved.

  By the way, in the conventional refrigerator, as shown in FIG. 10, the protrusions 501a and 501b for engaging the duct are formed at the corners on both sides of the heat insulating box 501, but the protrusions 501a and 501b are small. There is a problem that the protrusions 501a and 501b cannot be formed with high accuracy. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the following configuration is adopted in order to solve this problem.

  FIG. 8 (A) is a diagram showing the refrigerator duct before fixing in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 (B) is a diagram illustrating a state after fixing the duct of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Here, a cross-sectional view of the rear portion of the refrigerator compartment 102 is shown. As shown in FIG. 8A, duct engaging protrusions 101a and 101b are formed at intermediate positions of the heat insulating box 101. As shown in FIG. When the duct 129a is fitted so as to face the projecting portions 101a and 101b, the projecting portions 101a and 101b and the duct 129a are engaged with each other as shown in FIG. 8B. In this way, if the protrusions 101a and 101b are formed at the intermediate position of the heat insulation box 101, the space can be increased as compared with the case where the protrusions 101a and 101b are formed at the corners of the heat insulation box 101, and the protrusions 101a and 101b are accurate. Can be formed.

  Moreover, since the protruding portions 101a and 101b are formed at the intermediate position of the heat insulating box 101, it is possible to engage with the duct 129a outside the protruding portions 101a and 101b. That is, the duct 129a holds the portion that protrudes outside the protruding portions 101a and 101b.

  This point will be described in more detail. When the protrusions 101a and 101b are formed at the corners on both sides of the heat insulating box 101 as in the prior art, it is only possible to engage with the duct 129a inside the protrusions 101a and 101b. No (see FIG. 10). However, in the present invention, since the protrusions 101a and 101b are formed at the intermediate position of the heat insulating box 101, the duct 129a is engaged not only inside the protrusions 101a and 101b but also outside the protrusions 101a and 101b. It becomes possible. Thus, the present invention has room for selection in the shapes of the protruding portions 101a and 101b (that is, the degree of freedom of the shape is high), and can be said to be superior to the prior art in terms of diversity.

  As is apparent from the above description, according to the refrigerator in the embodiment of the present invention, there is neither a cold air discharge port nor a suction port on the front surface of the duct, and a chamber between the side surface of the duct 129a and the inner wall surface. Since the space 302 is provided, it is possible to prevent discharged cold air having a low temperature and a high flow rate from directly hitting food in the refrigerator compartment, avoiding a problem that the food freezes, and improving the appearance of the refrigerator compartment. In addition, since the width of the duct 129a is narrower than that of the prior art, there is an effect that it contributes to resource saving and energy saving and as a result, the manufacturing cost is reduced.

  Furthermore, since the protrusion for engaging the duct is formed at an intermediate position of the heat insulation box, it is possible to provide a space with sufficient space and to accurately form the protrusion compared to the case where the protrusion is formed at the corner of the heat insulation box. And the diversity of the shape of the protrusion is increased. In addition, since the protrusion for engaging the duct is provided in the heat insulating box, there is an effect that a separate part for engaging with the duct is unnecessary.

  Although not particularly mentioned in the above description, a method of fixing the duct 129a using a fixing member such as a rivet may be employed. In this case, a fixing member (such as a rivet) that secures a sealing property is disposed at a position that controls the flow of cold air in the duct 129a (for example, a place that deflects the flow of cold air toward the discharge port on the side of the duct). Is preferred. This is because the sealing performance can be ensured and the role of guiding the cool air can also be achieved. Of course, if the fixing member is provided with a guide member, the effect of guiding cold air can be further improved. Furthermore, if a fixing member (rivet or the like) is arranged at the branching position of the Y-shaped cold air circulation path, the cold air from the lower side is easily branched into two and flows upward, and the circulation of the cold air is improved. Needless to say.

  In the above description, the arrangement positions of the six discharge ports 130a to 130f have not been described in detail. However, the arrangement positions are not particularly limited. However, it is preferable to arrange the six outlets 130a to 130f so that the temperature distribution in the refrigerator compartment 102 is as uniform as possible.

  In the above description, the six discharge ports 130a to 130f are illustrated, but the number of discharge ports is not particularly limited. Similarly, although one suction port 131a was illustrated, the number of suction ports is not particularly limited.

  In addition, although the explanation was given by the layout in which the freezer compartment is arranged at the lowest stage, the same effect can be obtained even in a so-called mid freezer type layout in which the freezer compartment is arranged in the center.

  As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention can avoid the inconvenience that the food in the refrigerator compartment is frozen and can improve the appearance of the refrigerator compartment. Applicable to refrigerators of various types and sizes.

Front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention The figure showing the duct structure of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Overview of the refrigerator duct in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Overview of the refrigerator duct in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The figure which shows the internal structure of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Explanatory drawing of the duct with which the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention is provided. (A) The figure which shows before fixation of the duct of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention (B) The figure which shows after fixation of the duct of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Explanatory drawing of the duct with which the conventional refrigerator is equipped (A) The figure which shows before fixation of the duct in the past (B) The figure which shows after fixation of the duct in the past (A) Duplex section plan view of another conventional refrigerator (B) Perspective view of the duct section of another conventional refrigerator The perspective view of the food storage shelf of the lower stage of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Plan sectional drawing cut | disconnected in the position of the food storage shelf of the lower stage of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view of the food storage shelf of the middle stage of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Plan sectional drawing cut | disconnected in the position of the food storage shelf of the middle stage of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Refrigerator 101 Heat insulation box 101a, 101b Projection part 102 Refrigeration room 103 Freezing room 104 Vegetable room 105 Ice making room 106 Switching room 107 Heat insulation door 108 Heat insulation board 129a Duct (refrigeration room duct)
130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, 130e, 130f Discharge port (ventilation port)
131a Suction port (ventilation port)
131b Discharge port 201, 211, 221 Food storage shelf 211A Food placement space 211B Guide rib 221A Side of food storage shelf 223 Rib 300 Insulated air channel 301 Front panel 302 Chamber space

Claims (4)

  A refrigerating room duct is provided on the back of the refrigerating room formed at the top of the heat insulating box, and the refrigerating room duct has a discharge port which is a vent on the side surface, from the side surface of the refrigerating room duct to the side surface of the refrigerating room. Refrigerator with chamber space.   The refrigerator compartment duct is provided with outlets which are ventilation openings on both left and right side surfaces, and is disposed substantially at the center of the left and right sides on the back of the refrigerator compartment, and the side of the refrigerator compartment duct is substantially the back center of the refrigerator compartment and the both side walls in the refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 1 located in the center.   The refrigerator compartment duct is composed of a heat insulating air passage and a front panel attached to the front surface of the heat insulating air passage, and a discharge port which is a side air vent is composed of the heat insulating air passage and is directly discharged to the front panel. The refrigerator of Claim 1 or 2 arrange | positioned in the position which does not contact.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the refrigerator compartment duct includes a suction port that is a ventilation port on a side surface.