JP2010025532A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that it is impossible to discriminate whether temperature fluctuation detected by an infrared ray sensor is caused by storage of food or disturbance such as mixing of warm air in opening and closing a door. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerator is controlled by a control means 133 to perform a quick freezing operation for cooling the inside of a freezing compartment 103, when a temperature detecting means 126 detects that a temperature of the inside of the freezing compartment 103 or a stored object is higher than a certain specific temperature, and the quick freezing operation is stopped when a disturbance detecting means 131 detecting temperature rise caused by disturbance detects that the temperature rise is caused by reasons excluding storage of the stored object, thus the quick freezing operation can be performed only when it is really necessary, unnecessary power consumption can be prevented, and freshness keeping performance for food can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that directly detects and controls the temperature of food.

  Conventionally, in a refrigerator, temperature detection in a storage is generally measured with a thermistor or the like. This thermistor measures the air temperature in the storage and is used to adjust the temperature of the air in the storage to a target temperature.

  However, in the conventional method, the temperature of the food cannot be measured directly, and the slow follow-up to the temperature change has been a problem. In order to cope with this problem, an infrared sensor is provided to directly measure the temperature of food, and when this detected temperature reaches a set temperature, a refrigerator that stops cooling of the refrigerator has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

  14 is a side sectional view of a conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged vertical sectional view of a switching chamber in the conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 16 is a conventional refrigerator switching. It is a flowchart in the case of cooling food in a room.

  In FIG. 14, the cabinet 12 of the refrigerator 10 has a refrigerator room 14, a vegetable room 16, an ice making room 18, and a freezing room 20 from the top, and a switching room 22 that can switch the set temperature beside the ice making room 18. Is provided.

  A machine room 24 is provided on the bottom surface of the cabinet 12, and a compressor 26 is provided.

  In addition, on the back of the vegetable compartment 16, the refrigerator compartment 14, a refrigeration evaporator (hereinafter referred to as “R EVA”) 28 for cooling the vegetable compartment 16, and the cold air cooled by the R evaporator 28 are stored in the refrigerator compartment 14 and vegetables. A blower fan (hereinafter referred to as “R fan”) 30 for blowing air to the chamber 16 is provided.

  Further, a freezing evaporator (hereinafter referred to as “F EVA”) 32 for cooling these three rooms is provided on the back of the ice making chamber 18, the freezing chamber 20, and the switching chamber 22. A blower fan (hereinafter referred to as “F fan”) 34 is provided to blow cool air cooled by the air to each room.

  An operation panel 38 is provided on the openable door 14 a of the refrigerator compartment 14. In addition to the operation switches, the operation panel 38 is provided with a display unit for displaying the internal temperature, a buzzer, and the like.

  In FIG. 15, an infrared sensor 2 is built in the ceiling surface 1. That is, a recess 3 is provided on the lower surface of the ceiling surface 1, and a circuit board 4 to which the infrared sensor 2 is attached is stored in the recess 3. A cover 5 is attached to prevent cold air from flowing into the infrared sensor 2.

  A mark 7 is provided on the bottom surface of the container 6 positioned in the visual field range (specifically, directly below) which is the detection range of the infrared sensor 2 to indicate that it is within the visual field range.

  In FIG. 16, in step 1, the door 50 of the switching chamber 22 is pulled out and the hot food S is stored in the container 52. In this case, the food S is placed immediately above the mark 64 of the container 52. Then, the door 50 is closed.

  In step 2, a set temperature for cooling the hot food S is set by the operation panel 38, and the process proceeds to step 3.

  In step 3, the switch on the operation panel 38 is operated to start rapid cooling. Then, the compressor 26 is driven and the damper 54 is opened, and cold air is supplied to the switching chamber 22 to start cooling the food S.

  In step 4, the infrared sensor 56 directly detects the surface temperature of the food S, determines whether or not the detected temperature has reached the set temperature, and determines the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 56 in real time. 38 on the display unit. If the detected temperature does not reach the set temperature, the process returns to step 3, and if it reaches, the process proceeds to step 5.

  In step 5, if the food S is cooled to the set temperature, the forced cooling is stopped. As a stopping method in this case, there are a case where the compressor 26, the R fan 30 and the F fan 34 are stopped, and a case where the damper 54 is closed. That is, when the other rooms are not cooled, the operation of the compressor 26 is continued and the damper 54 is closed. Then, the process proceeds to Step 6.

In step 6, in order to notify that the food S has been cooled to the set temperature, the information is displayed on the display unit on the operation panel 38, and further notified by sounding a buzzer. Therefore, food can be put into a specific cooling chamber and the food can be easily cooled to a set temperature.
JP 2002-235976 A

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, it is impossible to determine whether the temperature rise detected by the infrared sensor is due to food being stored or due to disturbance such as warm air due to opening / closing of the door. It is. Therefore, the user operates the switch to enhance the cooling operation, but it is not only a troublesome operation, but it may unnecessarily enhance the cooling operation due to incorrect switch operation and consume unnecessary power. is there.

  Furthermore, a configuration that automatically enhances the cooling operation without operating the switch is also conceivable, but as described above, since it is impossible to determine whether or not food has been added, there has been an increase in temperature without food input. In this case, it is inevitable that the cooling operation is unnecessarily reinforced and wasteful power is consumed.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and provides a refrigerator that performs an automatic cooling operation that is optimal only when food is added and suppresses unnecessary power consumption.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage room that is thermally insulated, a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the storage room or the storage item, and a storage room based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. Control means for controlling the cooling operation, and disturbance detection means for detecting a temperature rise due to a disturbance other than when a stored item is thrown into the storage chamber.

  This makes it possible to determine whether the temperature fluctuation detected by the temperature sensor is due to the input of food or due to disturbances such as opening / closing of the door.

  Since the refrigerator of the present invention performs the optimum automatic cooling operation only when the food is added by the above means, no troublesome operation is required, an optimum cooling operation can be obtained, and unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an essential part of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a freezing room 103 which is a part of a storage room of a refrigerator 102 composed of a heat insulating box 101 is a refrigerator room 106 having different temperature zones by an upper upper heat insulating partition 104 and a lower lower heat insulating partition 105. And the vegetable compartment 107. Further, an opening (not shown) of the freezer compartment 103 is provided with a partition 108 that connects the left and right ends of the opening.

  In the cold air generation chamber 109 provided on the back surface of the freezer compartment 103, an evaporator 110 for generating cold air and a blower 111 for supplying and circulating the cold air to the refrigerator compartment 106, the freezer compartment 103, and the vegetable compartment 107 are arranged. Yes. The defrosting means 112 is a heater that melts and removes frost generated in the evaporator 110.

  The door 121 is a drawer-type door, and is used by pulling out food in and out of the refrigerator, that is, the left side as shown in FIG. The freezer compartment 103 is closed so as not to exist. The door 121 is fixed to the frame body 122, and the storage container 123 is placed on the frame body 122.

  A cold storage material 124 is placed on the bottom surface of the storage container 123. The cold storage material 124 has a melting temperature that is lower than the freezing temperature of the food to be frozen and higher than the temperature of the freezer compartment 103. The freezer compartment 103 is temperature-controlled around −20 ° C. where food can be stored frozen for a certain period of time, but the regenerator material 124 uses a material whose melting temperature is set to about −15 ° C., for example. In a sufficiently cooled state, the cold storage material 124 is completely frozen. Further, the filling amount of the cold storage material 124 is set to an amount that does not completely melt even when food is put on and placed on the cold storage material 124.

  The food 125 is placed and stored on the cold storage material 124 by the user's hand. The cold storage material 124 plays a role of taking away the heat of the stored food 125, and not only remarkably increases the cooling rate of the food 125 but also quickly takes away the heat even if the food 125 is at a high temperature of about 50 ° C., for example. The effect of high temperature on other stored foods is reduced.

  The infrared sensor 126 is embedded in the upper heat insulating partition plate 104 on the ceiling surface of the freezer compartment 103, and measures the temperature of the object to be measured by the amount of infrared radiation emitted from the food 125, the cold storage material 124, and the like.

  In FIG. 2, the disturbance detection means 131 determines whether the change in temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 is due to input of food or due to disturbance such as opening / closing of a door. In this determination, since it is necessary to monitor the time required for the determination and the temperature fluctuation per predetermined time, the timer 132 measures these times.

  The control means 133 discriminates the input of food by the infrared sensor 126, the disturbance detection means 131, and the timer 132, and starts the automatic cooling operation when the input food 125 is above a predetermined temperature.

  In the present embodiment, the automatic cooling operation will be described below as a quick freezing operation for enhancing the cooling capacity.

  In the quick freezing operation, the compressor 134 is driven at a high speed to lower the temperature of the evaporator 110 that is a cold air source. Further, the air blower 111 is driven at a high speed to increase the amount of cool air blown into the freezer compartment 103 to quickly cool the food 125. The outside air temperature detecting means 137 monitors the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 102, optimizes the operating state of the evaporator 110, the blower 111, and the like based on the detected temperature, and precisely adjusts the temperature of the freezer compartment 103.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated hereafter using FIG. 3, FIG.

  5 and 6, the refrigerator 102 performs a normal cooling operation when the food 125 is not charged or the door 121 is not opened or closed. At this time, the inside of the freezer compartment 103 is cooled to around −20 ° C., and the regenerator material 124 installed in the freezer compartment 103 is also cooled to an equivalent temperature.

  The infrared sensor 126 detects food that has entered the detection range 127, and constantly monitors the temperature state in the freezer compartment 103. Although the detection range 127 in FIG. 1 remains in a part of the freezer compartment 103, in order to detect the inside of the freezer compartment 103 uniformly, the viewing angle of the infrared sensor 126 is widened or a plurality of infrared sensors are installed. Also good.

  For example, when the food 125 of about 15 ° C. is stored, it is desirable to start the quick freezing operation quickly. However, the infrared sensor 126 does not measure only the food 125, but all the temperatures within the detection range 127. For example, even when warm air flows into the freezer compartment 103 by opening and closing the door 121, there is a possibility of detecting about 15 ° C. That is, it is not possible to distinguish between temperature fluctuations due to the input of the food 125 and temperature fluctuations due to other disturbances. Therefore, there is a possibility that a temperature change due to a disturbance is erroneously detected as food is introduced.

  As described above, wasteful power is consumed by starting the quick freezing operation even when food is not input, so it is necessary to reliably detect whether or not food is input. Therefore, a determination time for determining the input of food is provided, and a reliable determination is made by monitoring the temperature during this time.

  If the infrared sensor 126 detects 10 ° C. or more which is provided as a discrimination threshold (step 101), it enters a discrimination time for discriminating whether or not food has been added, starts counting by the timer 132 (step 102), and quickly freezes. Temperature acquisition for determining the start of operation is performed (step 103).

  As shown in (1) of FIG. 4, the detected temperature at the time of food addition gradually decreases. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 (2), when no food is input, the temperature of the food already stored at a low temperature or the temperature of the cold storage material 124 is detected, so the detected temperature decreases rapidly. To go.

  Thus, a clear difference is obtained in the detected temperature after the elapse of the discrimination time depending on whether or not food is added. Using this difference, it is possible to determine that the food is input when the detected temperature after the determination time has elapsed is higher than a predetermined value, and that the food is not input when the detected temperature is low.

  If this detection time has passed without the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 changing as shown in (1) of FIG. 4, it is determined that no food has been introduced, and the determination ends (step 104).

  However, since there is a possibility that disturbance such as some temperature fluctuation or electric noise is mixed at the moment of determination, for example, when the start threshold is exceeded continuously for 30 seconds (step 105), the quick freezing operation is started (step 105). Step 106).

  In addition, according to the experiment using the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to sufficiently determine whether or not food is added in a determination time of about 1 to 3 minutes.

  Further, the discrimination threshold is not limited to the above-described temperature, and it is preferable to set an optimum value for maintaining a good food storage state.

  Further, during the disturbance determination mode A and the quick freezing determination mode B, the determination informing means 135 notifies the user by blinking, for example, an LED lamp (not shown).

  After the quick freezing is started, the timer 132 starts counting the continuous cooling limit time, step 107), and obtains the temperature for determining the end of the quick freezing operation (step 108).

  The quick freezing operation is ended when the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Here, as with the determination of the quick freezing operation start, prevention of erroneous detection due to disturbance is taken into consideration. For this reason, for example, when it is below the end threshold value for 30 seconds continuously (step 110), the quick freezing operation is ended.

  When the continuous cooling limit time has elapsed (step 109), the quick freezing operation is terminated (step 111). This is to prevent the compressor 134 from becoming excessively low pressure due to high-speed driving for a long time, and the continuous cooling limit time is set to about 150 minutes. After the 150 minutes have elapsed, the compressor 134 is stopped for a predetermined time.

  Also, consider the possibility of further food input during quick freezing.

  If further food input is detected during the quick freezing, the quick freezing operation is started again.

  However, if this timing is just before the continuous cooling limit time elapses, priority may be given to the continuous cooling limit time that has already been counted for the protection of the compressor 134, rather than starting the quick freezing again. desirable.

  Therefore, priority is given to the quick freezing that has already been started, and after the compressor 134 is stopped, the process is started again from the determination of whether or not food is added. As a result, the compressor 134 can be reliably protected.

  Further, in step 110, the quick freezing operation may be terminated when the determination based on the end threshold value is not continuous for 30 seconds and falls below the start threshold value for a predetermined time.

  Further, the determination based on the end threshold value is not limited to continuous 30 seconds, and an optimal time that can reliably determine the disturbance may be selected.

  Further, the quick freezing notification means 136 notifies the user that the quick freezing operation has been started, for example, by turning on an LED lamp or the like (not shown).

  As described above, according to such a configuration, when the infrared sensor 126 detects that the temperature in the freezer compartment 103 or the stored item is higher than a certain temperature, the quick freezing operation for cooling the freezer compartment 103 is performed. When the disturbance detection means 131 that detects a temperature rise due to a disturbance detects that the temperature rise is other than when the stored item is thrown in, quick freezing is performed. By stopping the operation, the quick freezing operation can be performed only when it is really necessary, and the freshness of the food can be improved without consuming unnecessary power.

  The disturbance detecting means 131 is a temperature fluctuation monitoring means for monitoring fluctuations in the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126, and it is determined whether the temperature rise is due to stored items or due to disturbance based on the detection signal of the temperature fluctuation monitoring means. By doing so, it becomes possible to detect the disturbance only by the infrared sensor 126 without providing any special detection means.

  Further, after the temperature fluctuation monitoring means detects a predetermined temperature fluctuation, a discrimination time for discriminating the insertion of the stored item is provided, and the temperature rise is caused by the stored item by detecting the temperature fluctuation state within this determination time. By determining whether it is due to disturbance or not, accurate determination can be made based on the difference in temperature fluctuation depending on whether or not food is added.

  In addition, there is an end determination threshold value for ending the quick freezing operation, and when the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 is equal to or lower than the end determination threshold value during the quick freezing operation, the quick freezing operation is stopped, so that the food 125 When it is determined that the cooling is sufficiently performed, the quick freezing operation is immediately stopped, and unnecessary power consumption can be prevented.

  Further, the predetermined time from the start of the quick freezing operation is set as the continuous cooling limit time, and when this continuous cooling limit time has elapsed, the cooling operation is stopped and the predetermined time is stopped, so that the compressor 134 is driven at a high speed for a long time. This makes it possible to prevent an excessively low pressure.

  In addition, when it is determined during the automatic cooling operation that the automatic cooling operation is started, priority is given to the automatic cooling operation that has already been started to prevent unnecessary rapid cooling immediately before the compressor 134 is stopped. It becomes possible to do.

  Further, since the temperature detecting means is an infrared sensor, it is possible to directly detect the temperature of the object to be measured and further improve the responsiveness to temperature fluctuations.

  In addition, during the determination time, the user is informed that the infrared sensor 126 has detected temperature fluctuations due to the insertion of stored items or disturbance due to the presence of the determination informing means 135 for notifying the user that the determination is in progress. Can be confirmed.

  In addition, when the system is shifted to the quick freezing operation, the quick freezing notification means for notifying the user of the fact is provided, so that the user can confirm that the refrigerator 102 is in a special operation state. Become.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the refrigerator of the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a transition diagram of detected temperature of the refrigerator of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a high-temperature disturbance of the refrigerator of the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a temperature detection transition diagram when there is a low-temperature disturbance of the refrigerator of the second embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view when the door of the refrigerator of the second embodiment is opened. .

  In the present embodiment, a sequence for further ensuring the determination of the presence or absence of food input according to the first embodiment is proposed.

  For example, when a high-temperature food 125 of about 40 ° C. is put into the freezer compartment 103, it is necessary to quickly cool so that other stored food does not melt due to the residual heat of the food 125. Therefore, when the high temperature threshold is set to about 30 ° C. and the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 exceeds the high temperature threshold (step 201), the quick freezing operation for immediately enhancing the cooling capacity is automatically started (step 211). ). During this quick freezing operation, the control means 133 drives the compressor 134 at a high speed to enhance the evaporation capability of the evaporator 110 and drives the blower 111 at a high speed to increase the amount of cool air blown into the freezer compartment 103.

  Note that the high temperature threshold is not limited to the above-described temperature, and may be set to an optimum value within a range that does not adversely affect other stored foods, and may be set to a temperature higher than a determination threshold described later.

  The above-described start of the quick freezing operation with the high temperature threshold is an example in the case where extremely high temperature food is stored. However, the stored food 125 can be quickly cooled even at a medium temperature of about 15 ° C., for example. Is desirable. However, the infrared sensor 126 never measures only the food 125, and detects all temperatures in the detection range 127. For example, even when warm air flows into the freezer compartment 103 by opening and closing the door 121, it is about 15 ° C. May be detected. That is, it is not possible to distinguish between temperature fluctuations due to the input of the food 125 and temperature fluctuations due to other disturbances. Therefore, there is a possibility that a temperature change due to a disturbance is erroneously detected as food is introduced.

  As described above, wasteful power is consumed by starting the quick freezing operation even when food is not input, so it is necessary to reliably detect whether or not food is input. Therefore, it is assumed that the discrimination time for discriminating the input of the food is set to about 1 to 3 minutes, and the temperature is measured during this time to make a reliable discrimination.

  If the infrared sensor 126 detects 10 ° C. or more which is provided as a discrimination threshold (step 202), it enters a discrimination time for discriminating whether or not food is added, and starts counting by the timer 132 (step 203).

  Hereinafter, the control sequence within the determination time from step 203 to step 207 will be referred to as disturbance determination mode A, and the details will be described.

  As shown in (1) of FIG. 6, the detected temperature at the time of food addition gradually decreases. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6 (2), when no food is input, the temperature of the food already stored at a low temperature or the temperature of the cold storage material 124 is detected, and the detected temperature rapidly decreases. To go.

  Thus, a clear difference is obtained in the detected temperature after the elapse of the discrimination time depending on whether or not food is added. Using this difference, it is possible to determine that the food is input when the detected temperature after the determination time has elapsed is higher than a predetermined value, and that the food is not input when the detected temperature is low.

  However, there is a possibility that further disturbance will occur during this determination time. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (3), there is a possibility that the temperature rises during the determination time even though no food is input. This is the case when the door 121 is opened and closed during the determination time and warm air flows in, or when high-temperature food is added.

  Further, as shown in (4) of FIG. 8, there is a possibility that the temperature may fall during the determination time even though food is input. This is the case when the door 121 is opened during the determination time, and the detection range 127 detects the low temperature of the regenerator material 124, not the food 125, as shown in FIG.

  As described above, when a disturbance occurs during the determination time, there is a possibility that the difference in the detected temperature depending on the presence or absence of the food as described above may not be sufficiently obtained after the determination time has elapsed.

  In order to prepare for such disturbance during the discrimination time, the infrared sensor 126 continues to acquire the temperature fluctuation ΔT for every predetermined time during the discrimination time (step 204). If this temperature fluctuation ΔT becomes a predetermined value, for example, + 5K or more, it is considered that a disturbance has occurred (step 205), the discrimination time count is reset (step 206), and the discrimination time count is started from the beginning. Try again. In this way, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection by reliably obtaining the time required for discrimination.

  When the determination time has elapsed without detecting the occurrence of disturbance (step 207), it is possible to determine whether or not food has been added because a sufficient difference in detected temperature is obtained depending on whether or not food is added.

  Note that the determination time is not limited to the above-described 1 to 3 minutes, and it is preferable to set an optimal time for performing reliable determination. According to the experiment using the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to sufficiently determine the presence or absence of food input in a determination time of about 30 seconds to about 1 minute.

  Further, the discrimination threshold is not limited to the above-described temperature, and it is preferable to set an optimum value for maintaining a good food storage state.

  Further, the temperature fluctuation ΔT is not limited to the above-described value, and may be set low when improving the response to disturbance and set high when decreasing. Further, the temperature variation ΔT is not limited to the temperature rise, and it is also possible to detect a temperature drop. Further, the sequence may be determined as a disturbance when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded without detecting the temperature fluctuation ΔT.

  Hereinafter, the control sequence from step 208 to step 210 for determining the presence or absence of food input and the necessity of quick freezing will be referred to as quick freezing determination mode B, and the details will be described.

  After the determination time has elapsed, if the infrared sensor 126 detects a temperature equal to or higher than the start threshold value, quick freezing is started. However, it is necessary to consider that disturbance is mixed at the moment of this determination. For this reason, in the quick freezing determination mode B, the temperature Tα is acquired every 10 seconds (step 208), and when these values exceed the start threshold value three times in succession (step 209), the quick freezing operation is performed. Start (step 211). If these values are below the start threshold value three times in succession (step 210), the sequence is terminated. Tα is continuously acquired until any one of these conditions is satisfied.

  Note that the unit time for acquiring Tα is not limited to the above-mentioned 10 seconds, and it is preferable to set an optimal time for which reliable determination can be made. Further, in steps 209 to 210, the determination by Tα is not performed continuously three times, and the quick freezing operation is started when the predetermined time start threshold is exceeded, and when it is less, the sequence may be ended.

  Further, the determination by Tβ is not limited to three consecutive times, and an optimal number of times that can reliably determine the disturbance may be selected.

  Alternatively, the disturbance determination mode A may be omitted, and the sequence may be shifted from step 202 to step 208. In this case, although the accuracy of discrimination of whether or not food is added and disturbance is slightly lowered, the time required for discrimination can be greatly reduced.

  Further, during the disturbance determination mode A and the quick freezing determination mode B, the determination informing means 135 notifies the user by blinking, for example, an LED lamp (not shown).

  Hereinafter, the control sequence in the quick freezing operation from step 211 to step 216 will be referred to as a quick freezing mode C, and the details will be described.

  After quick freezing is started (step 211), the timer 132 starts counting the continuous cooling limit time (step 212).

  The quick freezing operation is ended when the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Here, as in the quick freezing determination mode B, prevention of erroneous detection due to disturbance is taken into consideration. Therefore, the temperature Tβ is acquired every 10 seconds (step 213).

  Here, when the continuous cooling limit time has elapsed (step 214), the quick freezing operation is terminated (step 216). This is to prevent the compressor 134 from becoming excessively low pressure due to high-speed driving for a long time, and the continuous cooling limit time is set to about 150 minutes. After the 150 minutes have elapsed, the compressor 134 is stopped for a predetermined time.

  If the acquired temperature Tβ falls below the end threshold value for three consecutive times (step 215), it is determined that the stored food 125 has been sufficiently cooled, and the quick freezing operation is ended (step 216).

  Also, consider the possibility of further food input during the quick freezing mode C.

  When the sequence of the disturbance determination mode A and the quick freezing determination mode B is executed during the quick freezing mode C, if a further food input is detected, the quick freezing mode C is started again.

  However, if this timing is just before the continuous cooling limit time elapses, priority may be given to the continuous cooling limit time that has already been counted for the protection of the compressor 134, rather than starting the quick freezing again. desirable.

  Therefore, priority is given to the quick freezing that has already been started, and after the compressor 134 is stopped, the disturbance determination mode A is started again. As a result, the compressor 134 can be reliably protected.

  Note that the unit time for acquiring Tβ is not limited to the above-mentioned 10 seconds, and it is preferable to set an optimal time for which reliable determination can be made. In step 215, the quick freezing operation may be terminated when the determination based on Tβ is not continued three times and falls below the predetermined time start threshold.

  Further, the determination by Tβ is not limited to three consecutive times, and an optimal number of times that can reliably determine the disturbance may be selected.

  Further, the quick freezing notification means 136 notifies the user that the quick freezing operation has been started, for example, by turning on an LED lamp or the like (not shown).

  As described above, according to such a configuration, when the infrared sensor 126 detects that the temperature in the freezer compartment 103 or the stored item is higher than a certain temperature, the quick freezing operation for cooling the freezer compartment 103 is performed. When the disturbance detection means 131 that detects a temperature rise due to a disturbance detects that the temperature rise is other than when the stored item is thrown in, quick freezing is performed. By stopping the operation, the quick freezing operation can be performed only when it is really necessary, and the freshness of the food can be improved without consuming unnecessary power.

  The disturbance detecting means 131 is a temperature fluctuation monitoring means for monitoring fluctuations in the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126, and it is determined whether the temperature rise is due to stored items or due to disturbance based on the detection signal of the temperature fluctuation monitoring means. By doing so, it becomes possible to detect the disturbance only by the infrared sensor 126 without providing any special detection means.

  In addition, the disturbance detection means 131 has a predetermined determination time and a determination threshold for determining whether or not the disturbance is present. When the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 is equal to or higher than the determination threshold at the end of the determination time, quick freezing is performed. By performing the operation, the difference in temperature fluctuation due to the input of the food 125 and the disturbance is distinguished by the determination threshold value, and determination with a simple control sequence becomes possible.

  In addition, the disturbance detection unit 131 detects the temperature by the infrared sensor 126 every predetermined time when the determination time elapses, and performs the quick freezing operation when the predetermined number of detection temperatures is equal to or higher than the determination threshold, thereby detecting the detected temperature. Thus, it is possible to prevent the erroneous determination due to the occurrence of disturbance at the determination moment.

  In addition, the disturbance detection means 131 performs temperature detection every predetermined time by the infrared sensor 126 when the determination time elapses, and performs a quick freezing operation when the detection temperature of the predetermined number of times is equal to or higher than the determination threshold. Since the determination is repeated until the same detected temperature is continuously obtained, erroneous determination due to the occurrence of disturbance at the determination instant can be prevented.

  In addition, the disturbance detection means 131 detects whether the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 is equal to or higher than a determination threshold during the determination time in order to determine whether the disturbance is present. By performing the operation, the presence or absence of the food 125 is determined without waiting for the end of the determination time, so that the time until the determination can be shortened.

  The disturbance detection unit 131 determines that there is a disturbance when the temperature fluctuation monitoring unit detects a temperature fluctuation of a predetermined value or more during the determination time, and performs the determination time again to measure the time required for the determination. Since time can be obtained with certainty, erroneous detection can be prevented.

  In addition, when the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 is equal to or higher than the high temperature threshold having a high temperature threshold set higher than the determination start threshold, by performing the quick freezing operation regardless of the determination of the disturbance detection unit 131, When a high-temperature food is introduced, it is possible to prevent melting of other stored food.

  In addition, there is an end determination threshold value for ending the quick freezing operation, and when the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 126 is equal to or lower than the end determination threshold value during the quick freezing operation, the quick freezing operation is stopped, so that the food 125 When it is determined that the cooling is sufficiently performed, the quick freezing operation is immediately stopped, and unnecessary power consumption can be prevented.

  In addition, the disturbance detection means 131 performs temperature detection at predetermined intervals by the infrared sensor 126 during the quick freezing operation in order to determine whether the disturbance is present, and when the predetermined number of detection temperatures is equal to or less than the end determination threshold value. By stopping the quick freezing operation, it is possible to statistically determine the accuracy of the detected temperature and prevent erroneous determination due to the occurrence of a disturbance at the moment of determination.

  In addition, the disturbance detection means 131 detects the temperature by the infrared sensor 126 every predetermined time during the quick freezing operation in order to determine whether it is a disturbance or not, and a predetermined number of detected temperatures are continuously below the end determination threshold value. In such a case, by stopping the quick freezing operation, it is possible to repeat the determination until the same detected temperature is continuously obtained, and to prevent erroneous determination due to the occurrence of disturbance at the time of determination.

  Further, the predetermined time from the start of the quick freezing operation is set as the continuous cooling limit time, and when this continuous cooling limit time has elapsed, the cooling operation is stopped and the predetermined time is stopped, so that the compressor 134 is driven at a high speed for a long time. This makes it possible to prevent an excessively low pressure.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 10 is a control flowchart of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The operation and action will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 10, the outside air temperature detection means 137 acquires the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 102 (step 301). The installation environment of the refrigerator 102 may be 0 ° C. or lower in winter and 40 ° C. or higher in summer, and the temperature fluctuation range is large. Although the refrigerator 102 is covered with the heat insulation box 101, since it is not a little influenced by ambient temperature, it is desirable to change a cooling sequence with ambient temperature. This is not an exception in the sequence for determining the presence or absence of stored items and disturbances in the present invention, and it is ideal to change various threshold values in order to prevent erroneous determination due to the influence of outside air temperature.

  Further, when the evaporator 110 is continuously cooled, it forms frost due to warm and humid air flowing into the refrigerator 102, and therefore it is necessary to periodically remove frost by the defrosting means 112. The defrosting means 112 is generally a means for melting frost with a heater. For this reason, the temperature in the freezer compartment 103 rises during the operation of the defrosting means 112. That is, there is a possibility that the operation of the defrosting means 112 is determined as a disturbance.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, whether or not the defrosting operation is being performed is monitored (step 302), and the values such as the high temperature threshold value, the discrimination threshold value, the start threshold value, and the end threshold value are optimized depending on the acquired ambient temperature and the presence or absence of the defrosting operation. (Step 303).

  Note that the value to be changed is not limited to various threshold values, but includes all parameters that affect the present sequence, such as the determination time.

  The control sequence from step 301 to step 303 is referred to as correction mode D.

  After step 303, the process proceeds from step 201 to step 202, disturbance determination mode A, and quick freezing determination mode B, as in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, after the quick refrigeration determination mode B, the mode is shifted to the quick refrigeration mode C. In this embodiment, it is confirmed whether or not the defrosting operation is being performed (step 304), and the defrosting operation is performed. If not, the quick freezing mode C is entered. If the defrosting operation is in progress, the start of the quick freezing operation is suspended until the end of the defrosting operation (step 305).

  This is to prevent the defrosting operation for raising the defrosting means 112 at a high temperature and the quick freezing operation for lowering the evaporator 110 at the same time, thereby preventing a low-efficiency system. In addition, since the cooling efficiency is reduced when the evaporator 110 is frosted, first, the defrosting operation is prioritized to remove the frost on the evaporator 110, and then the quick freezing operation is started. Consume consumption.

  As described above, according to this configuration, the defrosting unit 112 for removing frost attached to the evaporator 110 that generates cold air is provided, and the start of the quick freezing operation is suspended during the operation of the defrosting unit 112. By performing the automatic cooling operation after the defrosting means 112 is stopped, the quick freezing operation is started after the frost formation on the evaporator 110 is removed, so that an efficient quick freezing operation is possible.

  In addition, when the defrosting means 112 is in operation, it is possible to change the threshold value such as the determination start threshold value, the determination threshold value, the high temperature threshold value, etc. It is possible to reliably determine the presence / absence of input and the occurrence of disturbance.

  In addition, an outside temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature is provided, and the freezing room 103 is influenced by the influence of the outside air temperature by changing threshold values such as a discrimination start threshold, a discrimination threshold, and a high temperature threshold according to the detected temperature of the outside air temperature detecting means. Even when there is a temperature fluctuation, it is possible to reliably determine the presence or absence of food and the occurrence of disturbance.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a control flowchart of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a control block of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

  Hereinafter, the operation and action will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The same components as those in the second and third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  11 and 12, the power-on detection means 141 detects the start of power supply from the commercial power source of the refrigerator, that is, the time of insertion of an outlet or the return from a power failure (step 401).

  As described above, in most cases, the inside of the refrigerator immediately after the power is turned on is not sufficiently cooled, and the temperature is equal to that of the food placed at room temperature. Even if food 125 is input in this state, there is no temperature difference between the freezer compartment 103 and the food 125, and no temperature change occurs. Therefore, it is impossible to detect the input of the food 125.

  Therefore, it is assumed that the presence / absence of the food is not determined immediately after the power is turned on until the freezer compartment 103 is cooled to −10 ° C. or lower (step 402). In addition, the value set to −10 ° C. in the present embodiment is not limited to this, and it is desirable to set an optimum value within a range in which food input can be sufficiently determined.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the period in which the food input is not determined from immediately after the power is turned on until the temperature becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature is, for example, the period in which the food input is not determined for a predetermined time immediately after the power is turned on. May be set as

  The sequence from step 401 to step 402 will be referred to as “power-on mode E”.

  Thereafter, as in the third embodiment, the correction mode D, step 201 to step 202, disturbance determination mode A, quick freezing determination mode B, step 304 to step 305, and quick freezing mode C are sequentially shifted.

  As described above, according to such a configuration, after the power is turned on, the quick freezing operation is not performed until the predetermined time has elapsed, so that the quick freezing operation is started in spite of the state where the food input cannot be determined. Preventing unnecessary power consumption.

  In addition, after the power is turned on, the quick freezing operation is not performed until the temperature in the storage room is lower than the predetermined temperature, so that a clear temperature difference occurs between the input food and the freezing room 103, so that the input of the food is reliably determined. It becomes possible to do.

  Hereinafter, the operation and action will be described with reference to FIG. The same components as those in the second to fourth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 13, the failure detection means 151 detects a failure of the infrared sensor 126. In general, the infrared sensor 126 is configured to output the detected temperature as a voltage, but the following phenomenon is observed in the output voltage at the time of failure.

  One is a phenomenon in which the output voltage is greatly disturbed. It is easy to detect this, and it is only necessary to detect an extreme change in output voltage by the control means 133.

  Or, there is a phenomenon that the output voltage is fixed at an upper and lower limit value that can be output, or a phenomenon that the output voltage exceeds the upper and lower limit value. When this phenomenon occurs, it may be determined as a failure by the control means, and can be easily detected.

  A phenomenon in which failure detection is difficult is when the output voltage is fixed within a normal range. When the refrigerator 102 is operating stably, the temperature fluctuation in the freezer compartment 103 is small, and the detection temperature of the infrared sensor 126, that is, the output voltage is fixed unless food is added or other disturbance occurs. It is difficult to distinguish it from the time of failure.

  However, during the defrosting operation that is performed periodically, the temperature in the freezer compartment 103 rises even if it is smaller by driving the heater that is the defrosting means 112. That is, the failure detection means 151 can determine that a failure has occurred when there is no change in the output voltage of the infrared sensor 126 despite the defrosting operation.

  When the infrared sensor 126 fails, the sequence shown in the second to fourth embodiments is stopped, and the user is notified of the failure.

  As described above, according to such a configuration, when there is no change in the detection temperature of the infrared sensor 126 during the operation of the defrosting unit 112, it is assumed that an abnormality has occurred in the infrared sensor 126, thereby causing a failure of the infrared sensor 126. Thus, even when the output voltage is fixed in the normal range, it is possible to reliably determine the failure.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention can discriminate whether the stored item is inserted or not and temperature fluctuations due to other disturbances only with the temperature sensor. Therefore, the refrigerator is not limited to the refrigerator but also to an automatic temperature control device using the temperature sensor. Useful.

Side surface sectional drawing of the principal part of the refrigerator of Embodiment 1 of this invention Control block diagram of refrigerator of Embodiment 1 of the present invention Control flow chart of refrigerator of Embodiment 1 of the present invention Detected temperature transition diagram of refrigerator of embodiment 1 of the present invention Control flowchart of the refrigerator of Embodiment 1 or 2 of the present invention Detected temperature transition diagram of refrigerator of embodiment 1 or 2 of the present invention Temperature detection transition diagram when there is a high-temperature disturbance in the refrigerator of the second embodiment Temperature detection transition diagram when there is a low-temperature disturbance in the refrigerator of the second embodiment Sectional drawing at the time of door opening of the refrigerator of this Embodiment 2. Control flowchart of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Control block diagram of refrigerator of embodiment 4 of the present invention Control flow chart of refrigerator according to embodiment 4 of the present invention Control block diagram of refrigerator of embodiment 4 of the present invention Side sectional view of a conventional refrigerator Partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber in a conventional refrigerator Flowchart for cooling food in a switching room of a conventional refrigerator

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Heat insulation box 102 Refrigerator 103 Freezer compartment 104 Upper heat insulation partition plate 105 Lower heat insulation partition plate 106 Refrigeration room 107 Vegetable room 108 Partition body 109 Cold air generation room 110 Evaporator 111 Blower 112 Defrosting means 121 Door 122 Frame body 123 Upper container 124 Cold storage material 125 Food 126 Infrared sensor (temperature detection means)
127 Detection range 131 Disturbance detection means 132 Timer 133 Control means 134 Compressor 135 Notification-in-progress means 136 Quick-freezing notification means 137 Outside air temperature detection means 141 Power-on detection means 151 Failure detection means

Claims (23)

  A storage chamber partitioned by heat insulation, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the storage room or a stored item stored in the storage chamber, and a cooling operation in the storage chamber is controlled based on a temperature detected by the temperature detection means. Control means, and when the temperature detection means detects that the storage room or the stored item is at a temperature higher than a certain temperature, the control means is configured to perform automatic cooling for cooling the storage room. And a disturbance detecting means for detecting a temperature rise due to a disturbance other than when the stored item is thrown into the storage chamber, and the disturbance detecting means detects that the temperature rise due to the disturbance. A refrigerator that stops automatic cooling operation.   The disturbance detection means is a temperature fluctuation monitoring means for monitoring a change in temperature detected by the temperature detection means, and determines whether or not the temperature rise is a temperature rise due to a disturbance by a temperature change detection signal from the temperature fluctuation monitoring means. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the subsequent cooling operation is changed.   The temperature fluctuation monitoring means provides a discrimination time for discriminating the input of the stored item after detecting a predetermined temperature change, and whether the temperature rise is due to the stored item by detecting the temperature fluctuation state within the determination time. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein it is determined whether the temperature rises due to a disturbance, and a subsequent cooling operation is changed.   The disturbance detection means has a predetermined determination time and a determination threshold for determining whether the temperature rises due to disturbance, and the temperature detected by the temperature detection means at the end of the determination time or immediately after the end of the determination time is The refrigerator as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3 which performs automatic cooling operation, when it is more than a discrimination | determination threshold value.   5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the disturbance detection unit performs temperature detection at predetermined intervals by the temperature detection unit during the determination time, and performs an automatic cooling operation when the predetermined number of detection temperatures is equal to or higher than the determination threshold value.   5. The disturbance detection unit performs temperature detection at predetermined time intervals by the temperature detection unit during a determination time, and performs automatic cooling operation when the detection temperature is continuously equal to or higher than a determination threshold value. Refrigerator.   5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the disturbance detection unit detects whether the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than a determination threshold during the determination time, and performs an automatic cooling operation when the detection temperature is always equal to or higher than the determination threshold.   5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the disturbance detection unit determines that there is a disturbance when the temperature fluctuation monitoring unit detects a temperature fluctuation of a predetermined value or more during the determination time, and performs the determination time again.   The automatic cooling operation is performed regardless of the determination of the disturbance detection means when the temperature detection means has a high temperature threshold set higher than the determination start threshold and the temperature detected by the temperature detection means is equal to or higher than the high temperature threshold. Item 9. The refrigerator according to any one of Items 8.   A defrosting means for removing frost attached to the evaporator serving as a cold air source, wherein the start of the automatic cooling operation is suspended during the operation of the defrosting means, and the automatic cooling operation is performed after the defrosting means is stopped The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-9.   The refrigerator of Claim 10 which changes the threshold value which discriminate | determines whether it is a disturbance at the time of operation | movement of a defrosting means.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising an outside air temperature detecting means for detecting an outside air temperature, wherein a threshold value for determining whether or not there is a disturbance is changed according to the detected temperature of the outside air temperature detecting means. .   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the automatic cooling operation is not performed until a predetermined time elapses after the power is turned on.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein after the power is turned on, the automatic cooling operation is not performed until the temperature in the storage chamber becomes a predetermined temperature or less.   An end determination threshold value for ending the automatic cooling operation is provided, and at the time of the automatic cooling operation, the automatic cooling operation is stopped when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is equal to or lower than the end determination threshold value. The refrigerator as described in any one of 14.   The disturbance detection means performs temperature detection by the temperature detection means every predetermined time during the automatic cooling operation in order to determine whether or not the temperature rises due to disturbance, and a predetermined number of detected temperatures are equal to or less than the end determination threshold value. The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-15 which stops an automatic cooling driving | operation in the case of becoming.   The disturbance detection means performs temperature detection every predetermined time by the temperature detection means during automatic cooling operation in order to determine whether or not the temperature rises due to disturbance, and a predetermined number of detected temperatures are continuously detected as the end determination threshold value. The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-16 which stops an automatic cooling driving | operation when it is below.   The predetermined time from the start of the automatic cooling operation is set as a continuous cooling limit time, and when the continuous cooling limit time has elapsed, the cooling operation is stopped and the system is stopped for a predetermined time. Refrigerator.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein when the start of the automatic cooling operation is further determined during the automatic cooling operation, priority is given to the already started automatic cooling operation.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means does not change during the operation of the defrosting means, it is considered that an abnormality has occurred in the temperature detecting means.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the temperature detection unit is an infrared sensor.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 21, further comprising an in-determination notification unit that notifies the user that the determination is being performed during the determination time.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising a cooling operation notifying unit that notifies the user when the automatic cooling operation is performed.