JP2010060263A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator of high usability by effectively utilizing a storage compartment at a central section of the refrigerator to which a user can put in and take out food while keeping user's posture without bending down. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerator comprises a refrigerating compartment 102 disposed at an uppermost section, a vegetable compartment 106 disposed at a lowermost section, and a plurality of storage compartments of freezing temperature zone disposed between the refrigerating compartment and the vegetable compartment, and a part of the storage compartments of the freezing temperature zone is applied as a change-over compartment 103 of which a temperature can be set to various temperature ranges, thus the usability can be improved as the user can put in and take out food to the refrigerating compartment of high convenience while keeping user's posture without bending down, and at-home food life can be improved, as the refrigerator can be more effectively utilized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator pursuing energy saving and usability.

  In recent years, as the demand for larger refrigerators has increased, refrigerators designed to improve volumetric efficiency by reducing the ineffective space, refrigerators with various layouts from the viewpoint of usability, and simple storage functions such as cooling and freezing Refrigerators have been put on the market that have evolved into a function that preserves them without sacrificing their unique taste and texture. In particular, in addition to the spread and enhancement of frozen foods, in addition to bulk purchases on weekends by working together and bulk purchases that take advantage of special prices due to high prices, each of these can be subdivided and stored frozen. Increasing home freezing that is stored in a frozen state increases the frequency of use of the freezer, and there is a need for a larger freezer and increased usability.

  Among them, in order to realize the improvement of the usability of the freezer, in the large refrigerator with the total internal volume of 400L or more and the total height of about 1700mm to 1800mm, the freezer compartment is arranged in the center where it can be taken in and out Have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Hereinafter, the conventional refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 7 is a side longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, and the inside of the heat insulation box 1 is divided into an upper refrigerator compartment 7 and a central freezer compartment 8 by upper and lower heat insulation partitions 5 and 6. And the lower vegetable compartment 9, the refrigeration compartment 7 is provided with a chilled compartment 10, and between the left and right openings of the freezer compartment 8, a partition 11 is provided for dividing the opening up and down. Yes.

  Containers 27 and 28 for storing food are provided in the freezer compartment 8, and the containers 27 and 28 are both used as a freezer compartment maintained in a freezing temperature zone.

  The cool air generating chamber 12 provided on the back side of the freezer compartment 8 is provided with an evaporator 13 that generates cool air and a blower 14 that supplies and circulates cool air to each chamber, and further distributes the cool air to each chamber. A chamber 30 is provided, and a plurality of cold air supply ports are formed on the front surface thereof.

In addition to the cold air supply ports 30a and 30b facing the upper opening surfaces of the container 27 and the container 28, a cold air supply port 30c corresponding to the cold air passage 27a of the container 27 is provided on the front surface of the cold air distribution chamber 30. By passing the cool air discharged from 30c through the cool air passage 27a of the container 27, the food can be frozen in a short time.
JP 2000-304435 A

  The above-described conventional configuration shortens the freezing time of food by disposing a freezing room in the central part of the refrigerator that is easy to use and devising the air path in the container 27.

  Recent large refrigerators not only have a single function of cooling and freezing foods, but also a chilled temperature range of about 1 ° C, a slight freezing temperature range of about -3 ° C that makes fresh food delicious and long-lasting, and a temperature that makes it easy to cook meat A storage room with improved shelf life, such as a weak freezing temperature range of about -7 ° C stored in the oven, or a hot-heater that saves the trouble of heating the hot food immediately after cooking and putting it in the refrigerator. The products with various functions such as frozen storage function are the mainstream, and users can select them according to their eating habits and use them in a wide range. The switching room is one example. When the user has a lot of food to store in the refrigeration room, the refrigerator should be refrigerated, and when there is a lot of fresh meat or fish food, the refrigerator can be set to suit the user himself. It can be adapted.

  However, in the above conventional configuration, the central part of the refrigerator is only the freezer compartment, and it is in the most convenient position where the door can be opened and closed in a straight posture, but it does not support multiple temperature zones. Depending on the user, there was a possibility that the usability would be worse.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems. A freezer room with high frequency of use is provided in the central part of the refrigerator that is most convenient to use. The purpose is to provide an easy-to-use refrigerator with convenient functions that can be stored.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a heat insulation box having a plurality of storage chambers, and the freezing chambers that can be set in a freezing temperature zone in the storage chambers are provided with adjacent storage chambers on both sides in the vertical direction. In addition, a plurality of freezing chambers are provided, and at least one of the plurality of freezing chambers can be set in a multi-temperature region.

  As a result, a freezer room with high frequency of use is placed in the center of the refrigerator, which is the most convenient to use, and the user can select the temperature according to the user's diet and set the temperature that can be used in a wide range. A refrigerator with improved user convenience can be provided.

  In addition, the freezer compartment that can be set to the freezing temperature zone is equipped with adjacent storage compartments on both sides in the vertical direction, so that the area where the freezer compartment comes into contact with the outside air through the heat insulation box can be suppressed, realizing more energy saving It becomes possible to provide a refrigerator.

  The refrigerator of the present invention can provide a refrigerator that is user-friendly and can be used in a wide variety of areas according to the user's diet, and that can be operated with energy saving.

  The refrigerator according to claim 1 is a heat insulating box having a plurality of storage chambers, and the freezer compartment that can be set to a freezing temperature zone in the storage compartment is provided with adjacent storage compartments on both sides in the vertical direction. In addition, a plurality of freezer compartments are provided, and at least one of the plurality of freezer compartments can be set in a multi-temperature region.

  As a result, a freezer room with high frequency of use is placed in the center of the refrigerator, which is the most convenient to use, and the user can select the temperature according to the user's diet and set the temperature that can be used in a wide range. A refrigerator with improved user convenience can be provided.

  In addition, the freezer compartment that can be set to the freezing temperature zone is equipped with adjacent storage compartments on both sides in the vertical direction, so that the area where the freezer compartment comes into contact with the outside air through the heat insulation box can be suppressed, realizing more energy saving It becomes possible to provide a refrigerator.

  The refrigerator according to claim 2 includes a refrigerator compartment at the top of the heat insulation box, a vegetable compartment at the bottom, and a plurality of storage compartments for freezing temperature zones between the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment, and the freezing temperature zone The storage room located at the top of the storage room is a freezing room whose temperature can be set in a multi-temperature region.

  As a result, even if the freezer compartment whose temperature can be set in the multi-temperature region is positioned at the uppermost position among the plurality of freezer compartments, even if the temperature is set higher than the freezer temperature zone, the thermal effect on other freezer compartments Can be reduced as much as possible, and a refrigerator that realizes further energy saving can be provided.

  In addition, by placing a freezer room that can be set in multiple temperatures in the central part of the refrigerator that is located directly under the refrigerator compartment and is most convenient to use, the storage room in the most convenient location can be changed according to the user's diet. Since it can be selected and used in a wide range, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use refrigerator.

  The refrigerator according to claim 3 is provided with an infrared sensor that detects the surface temperature of the food on the top surface of the freezing room or the switching room in which the temperature can be set in a multi-temperature region, so that the food stored in the switching room can be stored. When the temperature can be determined instantaneously, and the function of taking heat or adding the function of storing frozen foods in a frozen state, the cooling of the switching room is stopped and the temperature to other storage rooms due to the heat load of the food. The influence can be suppressed.

  In the refrigerator according to claim 4, the infrared sensor provided in the freezer room capable of setting the temperature in a multi-temperature region is configured by a plurality of infrared sensors or is a movable infrared sensor, thereby increasing a detection range. It is a thing.

  As a result, the detection range and detection accuracy of the infrared sensor can be increased.

  The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the freezer compartment capable of setting the temperature in a multi-temperature region is provided with a cold air discharge port for discharging cold air divided into a plurality of regions in the storage chamber, and hot items are stored by an infrared sensor. Concentrated cooling is performed on the determined area.

  As a result, when a stored item such as food is put into the storage room based on the temperature information detected by the infrared sensor, the infrared sensor detects the temperature rise due to the new charged item, performs centralized cooling, and promptly Since the temperature is lowered, deterioration of food quality (deterioration, discoloration, drying, etc.) due to maintaining a high temperature state for a long time and temperature influence on other foods can be prevented.

  When the infrared sensor detects a temperature equal to or higher than a preset temperature, the refrigerator determines that a hot item has been stored and stops cooling until the temperature falls below a preset predetermined temperature.

  This stops cooling until the food temperature remains hot to some extent, and starts cooling after the food temperature drops to some extent, so that the air whose temperature has risen due to the hot food returns to the cooler and the temperature The rise in the evaporating temperature of the cooler due to the raised air can be suppressed, and the rise in the cold air temperature blown to the other storage chamber can be suppressed. In particular, it is possible to prevent the ice making room and the freezing room from being affected by an increase in the evaporation temperature of the cooler, that is, an increase in the cold air temperature.

  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 front view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of the switching chamber and the freezing chamber according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the refrigerator main body 101 includes a metal (for example, iron plate) outer box 141 that opens forward, a hard resin (for example, ABS) inner box 142, an outer box 141, and an inner box 142. A heat insulation box 143 made of a hard foam urethane heat insulating material 143 filled in between, a refrigerating chamber 102 provided at the top of the main body, a switching chamber 103 provided below the refrigerating chamber, and a refrigerating chamber 102 Below, the ice making chamber 104 provided in parallel with the switching chamber 103, the vegetable chamber 106 provided at the lower part of the main body, the switching chamber 103 installed in parallel, and the freezing provided between the ice making chamber 104 and the vegetable chamber 106. The chamber 105 is configured. The switching chamber 103, the ice making chamber 104, the freezing chamber 105, and the vegetable chamber 106 can be opened and closed freely by a drawer-type door, and the front of the refrigeration chamber 102 can be opened and closed by, for example, a double door that is not shown. Blocked.

  The refrigerator compartment 102 is normally set at 1 to 5 ° C. with the temperature that does not freeze for refrigerated storage as the lower limit. The vegetable room 106 is often set to a temperature setting of 2 ° C. to 7 ° C. that is the same as or slightly higher than that of the refrigerator room 102. If the temperature is lowered, the freshness of leafy vegetables can be maintained for a long time. The freezer compartment 105 is normally set at −22 to −18 ° C. for frozen storage, but may be set at a low temperature of −30 to −25 ° C., for example, to improve the frozen storage state. The switching chamber 103 is not only refrigerated set at 1 ° C to 5 ° C, vegetable set at 2 ° C to 7 ° C, and frozen temperature range normally set at -22 ° C to -15 ° C. It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the freezing temperature ranges. For example, the temperature range between refrigeration and freezing such as soft freezing (approximately -12 to -6 ° C), partial freezing (approximately -5 to -1 ° C), chilled (approximately -1 to 1 ° C), etc. . The switching chamber 103 is a storage chamber provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making chamber 104, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the switching chamber 103 is also a form of a freezing chamber that can be set in the freezing temperature zone in the storage chamber, and the switching chamber 103 is the freezing chamber located at the top of the freezing chamber. Is located.

  The ice making chamber 104 makes ice with an automatic ice maker (not shown) provided in the upper part of the room with water sent from a water storage tank (not shown) in the refrigerator compartment 102, and an ice storage container ( (Not shown) is a storage room that is a storage room provided with an independent door with a small frontage provided in parallel with the switching room 103, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  The top surface portion of the refrigerator main body 101 has a machine room 119 provided with a dent in a step shape toward the back surface of the refrigerator main body 101, and is composed of a first top surface portion and a second top surface portion. A compressor 117, a condenser (not shown), a dryer (not shown) for removing moisture, a capillary tube 118, a cooler 107, and a suction pipe 108 arranged in this stepped recess are sequentially provided. A refrigerant is sealed in a refrigeration cycle connected in a ring shape to perform a cooling operation. That is, the machine room 119 in which the compressor 117 is disposed is formed by biting into the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 102. A refrigerator body that is easy to use for a conventional refrigerator by providing a machine room 119 in the rear region of the uppermost storage room of the refrigerator body 101 that is difficult to reach and is a dead space. The space in the machine room at the bottom of 101 can be effectively converted as the storage room capacity, and the storage performance and usability can be greatly improved. In the present embodiment, the matters relating to the main part of the invention described below are the types in which the compressor 117 is arranged by providing a machine room in the rear region of the lowermost storage room of the refrigerator main body 101, which has been generally used conventionally. It may be applied to other refrigerators.

  In recent years, a flammable refrigerant such as R600a is often used as a refrigerant for environmental protection. In the case of a refrigeration cycle using a three-way valve or a switching valve, these functional parts can be arranged in the machine room.

  A cooling chamber 120 is provided at the back of the ice making chamber 104, the switching chamber 103, and the freezing chamber 105. The cooling chamber 120 is partitioned from the ice making chamber 104, the switching chamber 103, and the freezing chamber 105 by a first cooling duct 121 having heat insulation properties. It has been. In the cooling chamber 120, a fin-and-tube type cooler 107 is disposed as a typical example. In the upper space of the cooler 107, cold air cooled by the cooler 107 by a forced convection method is stored in the refrigerator chamber 102. A cooling fan 122 that blows air to the switching chamber 103, the ice making chamber 104, the vegetable chamber 106, and the freezing chamber 105 is disposed, and frost adhering to the cooler 107 and the cooling fan 122 during the cooling is defrosted in the lower space of the cooler 107. A radiant heater 123 made of a glass tube is provided as an apparatus for performing the above operation.

  In the first cooling duct 121, a cooling air passage 124 for blowing cool air to the freezing chamber 105, the refrigerating chamber 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104 is formed. In addition, the first cooling duct 121 is provided with a twin damper 125 as a damper device that adjusts the flow of cold air in the refrigerating chamber 102 and the switching chamber 103, respectively. The damper device to be adjusted is made into a twin damper to reduce the storage space and reduce the cost. When there is no margin in the height dimension of the cooling chamber 120 and the first cooling duct 121, the twin damper is installed on the first partition wall 132 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104. This facilitates the arrangement of the cooler 107, the cooling fan 122, and the radiant heater 123 in the cooling chamber 120.

  The first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103 is provided with a switching chamber temperature sensor 136 that opens and closes the twin damper 125 in order to adjust the temperature based on the temperature setting of the switching chamber 103.

  The first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the ice making chamber 104 is provided with a cold air discharge port (not shown) for cooling the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the freezing chamber 105 is provided in the first cooling duct 121. A freezer compartment cool air discharge port 126 and a suction port 127 through which cool air for cooling the freezer compartment 105 flows are provided. In the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103, the switching chamber cool air discharge port 128 through which the cool air adjusted by the twin damper 125 flows into the switching chamber 103 and the cooling air returning to the cooling chamber 120 are switched. A room cold air inlet (not shown) is provided.

  The switching chamber 103, the freezing chamber 105, and the ice making chamber 104 are provided with a switching chamber storage container 130, a freezing chamber storage container 131, and an ice storage container (not shown) for storing food or ice, respectively. When there are a plurality of freezer compartment storage containers 131 of the freezer compartment 105 having a large capacity compared to the relatively small capacity switch room 103, it is convenient for storage.

  The first partition wall 132 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104, and the second partition wall 133 that partitions the freezer compartment 105 and the vegetable compartment 106 are foam-filled with foam insulation such as hard foam urethane. It plays the role which increases the intensity | strength of the refrigerator main body 101 at the same time improving the heat insulation of the refrigerator temperature zone and freezing temperature zone with a large temperature difference.

  The switching chamber 103 is partitioned by the ice making chamber 104 and the third partition wall 134, and is partitioned by the freezing chamber 105 and the fourth partition wall 135. The third partition wall 134 and the fourth partition wall 135 are heat insulating partitions, which are made of hard foamed urethane or foamed polystyrene as a heat insulating material depending on the configuration and attachment method of the first cooling duct 121, and heat insulating properties when using hard foamed urethane. In particular, when rigid foamed urethane is used for the fourth partition wall 135, the temperature can be easily adjusted when the switching chamber 103 is set in the refrigeration temperature zone, and a temperature compensation heater is not required or the required capacity can be reduced. And there will be benefits in terms of power consumption. On the other hand, the cooling chamber 107 becomes complicated, for example, the configuration of the cooling air passage of the switching chamber 103 and the first cooling duct 121 and the arrangement of the cooling fan 122 are not located at the center of the cooler 107. When foamed polystyrene is used, the configuration of the first cooling duct 121 is simple and can be removed, so there are advantages in terms of manufacturing and service, but approximately three times the thermal insulation performance compared to high-quality foamed urethane. Therefore, it is difficult to adjust the temperature when the switching chamber 103 is set in a refrigerated temperature zone, and a temperature compensation heater is required, which is negative in terms of cost and power consumption.

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

  First, the operation of the refrigeration cycle will be described. The refrigeration cycle is operated by a signal from a control board (not shown) according to the set temperature in the cabinet, and the cooling operation is performed. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the operation of the compressor 117 dissipates heat in a condenser (not shown) to be condensed and liquefied, and reaches the capillary tube 118. Thereafter, the capillary tube 118 is depressurized while exchanging heat with the suction pipe 108 to the compressor 117, becomes a low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and reaches the cooler 107. By the operation of the cooling fan 122, heat is exchanged with the air in each storage chamber, and the refrigerant in the cooler 122 is evaporated and becomes low-temperature cold air. Low-temperature cold air is sent from the cooling fan 122 to the first cooling duct 121, and a part of the cold air is blown from the cooling air passage 124 in the first cooling duct 121 to the freezing chamber 105 and the ice making chamber 104. The remaining cold air is blown through the twin damper 125 to the refrigerator compartment 102 and the switching chamber 103 to perform desired cooling. The refrigerant exiting the cooler 107 is sucked into the compressor 117 through the suction pipe.

  The cold air blown into the freezer compartment 105 is discharged into the freezer compartment storage container 131 from the freezer compartment cold air outlet 126 and returns to the cooler 107 through the suction port 127. The cold air blown into the ice making chamber 104 is discharged from a cold air discharge port (not shown) for the ice making chamber 104 into an ice storage container (not shown), and returns to the cooler 107 from the suction port 127. That is, the cold air discharged into the ice making chamber 104 returns to the cooler 107 through the same suction port 127 as that of the freezing chamber 105. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a return duct for the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified.

  The cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 102 is sent to the refrigerator compartment 102 via the refrigerator compartment 102 flap of the twin damper 125, and after cooling the refrigerator compartment 102, it passes through a return duct (not shown) for the refrigerator compartment, The vegetable room 106 is blown. The cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 102 returns to the cooler 107 via a vegetable room return duct (not shown). In other words, the vegetable compartment 106 cools the storage compartment using the return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 102. Thereby, since the return duct (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment 102 can be used also as the air duct of the vegetable compartment 106, the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified, and the space created by the additional use can be reduced by the cooler 107. It is possible to improve the cooling capacity and power consumption by expanding the cooler 107 and improving the cooler capacity.

  As a cooling method for the vegetable compartment 106, the return air from the refrigerator compartment 102 is not used, and a dedicated air passage for the vegetable compartment 106 is formed in the first cooling duct 121 and cooled by the cold air blown from the cooling fan 122. Thus, since the cold air temperature is low and the vegetable compartment 106 can be cooled with a relatively small amount of air, the drying in the vegetable compartment 106 can be suppressed and the freshness of the vegetables can be enhanced.

  The cool air blown into the switching chamber 103 is discharged from the switching chamber cool air discharge port 128 into the switching chamber storage container 130 via the switching chamber 103 flap of the twin damper 125, and the switching chamber cool air suction port (not shown). To the cooler 107. If the temperature range set in advance by the user, for example, the partial freezing set temperature is −3 ° C., the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 detects the temperature in the switching chamber 103 and becomes −3 ° C. so that the switching chamber 103 of the twin damper 125 is set. Open and close the flap.

  In addition, the switching chamber 103 can be added with a function of removing heat from food and a function of storing food that is hot while being frozen. Conventionally, when taking hot foods such as freshly cooked foods or freezing freshly cooked rice, the instruction manual should be heated at room temperature and then stored in the refrigerator. It has been enlightened by such as. This is because storing hot foods affects the temperature of other foods stored in the refrigerator, and in particular causes a problem that the frozen foods melt. However, in this embodiment, since the switching chamber 103 is insulated from the ice making chamber 104 and the freezing chamber 105 adjacent to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions, even if hot food is stored, the temperature influence on other food is small. Further, when the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 and the twin damper 125 detect a temperature higher than a preset temperature by the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 and the twin damper 125, the twin damper 125 is judged until it is determined that a hot thing has been stored and becomes a predetermined temperature or lower. The switching chamber 103 flap is closed and cooling is stopped. This stops cooling until the food temperature that remains hot decreases to some extent, and starts cooling after the food temperature decreases to some extent, so that the air whose temperature has risen in the switching chamber 103 due to food that remains hot is cooled by the cooler 107. Returning to the above, the rise in the evaporation temperature of the cooler 107 due to the air whose temperature has risen is suppressed, and the rise in the temperature of the cold air blown into the other storage chamber is suppressed. This is particularly to prevent the ice making chamber 104 and the freezing chamber 105 from being affected by an increase in the evaporation temperature of the cooler 107, that is, an increase in the cold air temperature. In addition, in the case where the function of being able to store the frozen food and the hot food function is started by a user setting, for example, with a button, it can be determined that the hot food is stored in the switching chamber 103. It is possible to suppress the temperature influence on other storage rooms.

  Further, in addition to the switching chamber temperature sensor 136, for example, by providing an infrared sensor 138 on the first partition wall 132 and detecting the temperature of the food stored in the switching chamber storage container 130, the temperature of the food can be determined instantaneously. Thus, the flap for the switching chamber 103 of the twin damper 125 is closed to stop the cooling, and the accuracy of suppressing the temperature influence on the other storage chamber can be improved.

  Compared to the ease of use of the refrigerator, the standard height (157 cm) for Japanese adult female users is around 97 cm (illustration ergonomics, edited by the Japanese Standards Association, published in 1990). It is a position where an adult woman who uses the door can open and close the door without changing his / her posture. In this location, a freezer room or ice making room that is frequently used, and a user-friendly switching room that can be used in a wide variety of areas, such as a quick freezing function, can be used for various purposes. More and more than ever, refrigerators are used to contribute to improving the eating habits at home.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  Note that detailed description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment or the part to which the same technical idea can be applied is omitted.

  In FIG. 4, the switching chamber 103 includes, for example, soft refrigeration (approximately −12 to −6 ° C.), partial freezing (approximately −5 to −5 ° C.), in addition to the freezing temperature range normally set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. Temperature range of about 0 ° C. or less. The switching chamber 103 is a storage chamber provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making chamber 104, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  In the first cooling duct 121, a cooling air passage 124 for blowing cool air to the freezing chamber 105, the refrigerating chamber 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104 is formed. In addition, the first cooling duct 121 is provided with a twin damper 125 as a damper device that adjusts the flow of cold air in the refrigerating chamber 102 and the switching chamber 103, respectively. The damper device to be adjusted is made into a twin damper to reduce the storage space and reduce the cost. When there is no margin in the height dimension of the cooling chamber 120 and the first cooling duct 121, the twin damper is installed on the first partition wall 132 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104. This facilitates the arrangement of the cooler 107, the cooling fan 122, and the radiant heater 123 in the cooling chamber 120.

  The first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103 is provided with a switching chamber temperature sensor 136 that opens and closes the twin damper 125 in order to adjust the temperature based on the temperature setting of the switching chamber 103.

  The first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the ice making chamber 104 is provided with a cold air discharge port (not shown) for cooling the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the freezing chamber 105 is provided in the first cooling duct 121. A freezer compartment cool air discharge port 126 and a suction port 127 through which cool air for cooling the freezer compartment 105 flows are provided. The first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103 is provided with a switching chamber cold air discharge port 128 through which the cold air adjusted by the twin damper 125 flows into the switching chamber 103.

  The switching chamber 103, the freezing chamber 105, and the ice making chamber 104 are provided with a switching chamber storage container 130, a freezing chamber storage container 131, and an ice storage container (not shown) for storing food or ice, respectively. When there are a plurality of freezer compartment storage containers 131 of the freezer compartment 105 having a large capacity compared to the relatively small capacity switch room 103, it is convenient for storage.

  The first partition wall 132 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104, and the second partition wall 133 that partitions the freezer compartment 105 and the vegetable compartment 106 are foam-filled with foam insulation such as hard foam urethane. It plays the role which increases the intensity | strength of the refrigerator main body 101 at the same time improving the heat insulation of the refrigerator temperature zone and freezing temperature zone with a large temperature difference.

  The switching chamber 103 is partitioned from the ice making chamber 104 by a third partition wall 134 that does not have heat insulation properties, and a rail for pulling out the switching chamber 103 is formed on the third partition wall 134.

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

  The cold air blown into the freezer compartment 105 is discharged into the freezer compartment storage container 131 from the freezer compartment cold air outlet 126 and returns to the cooler 107 through the suction port 127. The cold air blown into the ice making chamber 104 is discharged from a cold air discharge port (not shown) for the ice making chamber 104 into an ice storage container (not shown), and returns to the cooler 107 from the suction port 127. That is, the cold air discharged into the ice making chamber 104 returns to the cooler 107 through the same suction port 127 as that of the freezing chamber 105. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a return duct for the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified.

  The cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 102 is sent to the refrigerator compartment 102 via the refrigerator compartment 102 flap of the twin damper 125, and after cooling the refrigerator compartment 102, it passes through a return duct (not shown) for the refrigerator compartment, The vegetable room 106 is blown. The cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 102 returns to the cooler 107 via a vegetable room return duct (not shown). In other words, the vegetable compartment 106 cools the storage compartment using the return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 102. Thereby, since the return duct (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment 102 can be used also as the air duct of the vegetable compartment 106, the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified, and the space created by the additional use can be reduced by the cooler 107. It is possible to improve the cooling capacity and power consumption by expanding the cooler 107 and improving the cooler capacity.

  As a cooling method for the vegetable compartment 106, the return air from the refrigerator compartment 102 is not used, and a dedicated air passage for the vegetable compartment 106 is formed in the first cooling duct 121 and cooled by the cold air blown from the cooling fan 122. Thus, since the cold air temperature is low and the vegetable compartment 106 can be cooled with a relatively small amount of air, the drying in the vegetable compartment 106 can be suppressed and the freshness of the vegetables can be enhanced.

  The cold air blown into the switching chamber 103 is discharged from the switching chamber cold air discharge port 128 into the switching chamber storage container 130 through the flap for the switching chamber 103 of the twin damper 125, and returns to the cooler 107 from the suction port 127. . That is, the cool air discharged into the switching chamber 103 returns to the cooler 107 from the same suction port 127 as that of the freezing chamber 105. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a return duct for the switching chamber 103 as in the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified.

  If the temperature range set in advance by the user, for example, the partial freezing set temperature is −3 ° C., the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 detects the temperature in the switching chamber 103 and becomes −3 ° C. so that the switching chamber 103 of the twin damper 125 is set. Open and close the flap. The switching chamber 103 is, for example, soft refrigeration (approximately -12 to -6 ° C), partial freezing (approximately -5 to -1 ° C), in addition to the refrigeration temperature range normally set at -22 ° C to -15 ° C. This is a storage room that can be switched to a temperature range of 0 ° C. or lower.

  In this way, the switching chamber 103 is partitioned by the ice making chamber 104 and the third partition wall 134 having no heat insulation properties, and is not partitioned by the freezing chamber 105 as a partition wall. Convenient to switch to 0 ° C or lower, such as soft freezing (approximately -12 to -6 ° C), partial freezing (approximately -5 to -1 ° C), etc. A high storage room is located in the center of the refrigerator.

  Compared to the ease of use of the refrigerator, the standard height (157 cm) for Japanese adult female users is around 97 cm (illustration ergonomics, edited by the Japanese Standards Association, published in 1990). It is a position where an adult woman who uses the door can open and close the door without changing his / her posture. By placing a frequently used freezer room or ice making room in this position, a quick freezing function, or a user-friendly switching room where the user can switch to a temperature not available in other storage rooms depending on the application, the usability has increased. As mentioned above, refrigerators are used to contribute to the improvement of eating habits at home.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

  Note that detailed description of the same configuration or the part to which the same technical idea as Embodiment 1 or 2 can be applied is omitted.

  In FIG. 5, the switching chamber 103 is refrigerated set at 1 ° C. to 5 ° C., vegetables set at 2 ° C. to 7 ° C., and a freezing temperature zone normally set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the refrigeration temperature range and the freezing temperature range. For example, the temperature range between refrigeration and freezing such as soft freezing (approximately -12 to -6 ° C), partial freezing (approximately -5 to -1 ° C), chilled (approximately -1 to 1 ° C), etc. . The switching chamber 103 is a storage chamber provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making chamber 104, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  In the first cooling duct 121, a cooling air passage 124 for blowing cool air to the freezing chamber 105, the refrigerating chamber 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104 is formed. In addition, the first cooling duct 121 is provided with a twin damper 125 as a damper device that adjusts the flow of cold air in the refrigerating chamber 102 and the switching chamber 103, respectively. The damper device to be adjusted is made into a twin damper to reduce the storage space and reduce the cost. When there is no margin in the height dimension of the cooling chamber 120 and the first cooling duct 121, the twin damper is installed on the first partition wall 132 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104. This facilitates the arrangement of the cooler 107, the cooling fan 122, and the radiant heater 123 in the cooling chamber 120.

  A switching chamber temperature sensor 136 that opens and closes the twin damper 125 is provided inside the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103 in order to adjust the temperature based on the temperature setting of the switching chamber 103.

  The first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the ice making chamber 104 is provided with a cold air discharge port (not shown) for cooling the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the freezing chamber 105 is provided in the first cooling duct 121. A freezer compartment cool air discharge port 126 and a suction port 127 through which cool air for cooling the freezer compartment 105 flows are provided. In the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103, switching is performed so that the cool air adjusted by the twin damper 125 flows into the switching chamber 103 and the cool air is returned to the cooling chamber 120. A room cold air inlet 129 is provided.

  In addition, an infrared sensor 138 that is a non-contact sensor that detects the temperature of food in a non-contact manner is provided on the top surface of the switching chamber 103.

  The switching chamber 103, the freezing chamber 105, and the ice making chamber 104 are provided with a switching chamber storage container 130, a freezing chamber storage container 131, and an ice storage container (not shown) for storing food or ice, respectively. When there are a plurality of freezer compartment storage containers 131 of the freezer compartment 105 having a large capacity compared to the relatively small capacity switch room 103, it is convenient for storage.

  The first partition wall 132 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104, and the second partition wall 133 that partitions the freezer compartment 105 and the vegetable compartment 106 are foam-filled with foam insulation such as hard foam urethane. It plays the role which increases the intensity | strength of the refrigerator main body 101 at the same time improving the heat insulation of the refrigerator temperature zone and freezing temperature zone with a large temperature difference.

  The switching chamber 103 is partitioned by the ice making chamber 104 and the third partition wall 134, and is partitioned by the freezing chamber 105 and the fourth partition wall 135. The third partition wall 134 and the fourth partition wall 135 are heat insulating partitions, which are made of hard foamed urethane or foamed polystyrene as a heat insulating material depending on the configuration and attachment method of the first cooling duct 121, and heat insulating properties when using hard foamed urethane. In particular, when rigid foamed urethane is used for the fourth partition wall 135, the temperature can be easily adjusted when the switching chamber 103 is set in the refrigeration temperature zone, and a temperature compensation heater is not required or the required capacity can be reduced. And there will be benefits in terms of power consumption. On the other hand, the cooling chamber 107 becomes complicated, for example, the configuration of the cooling air passage of the switching chamber 103 and the first cooling duct 121 and the arrangement of the cooling fan 122 are not located at the center of the cooler 107. When foamed polystyrene is used, the configuration of the first cooling duct 121 is simple and can be removed, so there are advantages in terms of manufacturing and service, but approximately three times the thermal insulation performance compared to high-quality foamed urethane. Therefore, it is difficult to adjust the temperature when the switching chamber 103 is set in a refrigerated temperature zone, and a temperature compensation heater is required, which is negative in terms of cost and power consumption.

  A metal tray 137 is provided on the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130. The metal tray 137 is inexpensive when formed of aluminum, and the solid feeling is increased when formed of stainless steel.

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

  The cold air blown into the freezer compartment 105 is discharged into the freezer compartment storage container 131 from the freezer compartment cold air outlet 126 and returns to the cooler 107 through the suction port 127. The cold air blown into the ice making chamber 104 is discharged from a cold air discharge port (not shown) for the ice making chamber 104 into an ice storage container (not shown), and returns to the cooler 107 from the suction port 127. That is, the cold air discharged into the ice making chamber 104 returns to the cooler 107 through the same suction port 127 as that of the freezing chamber 105. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a return duct for the ice making chamber 104, and the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified.

  The cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 102 is sent to the refrigerator compartment 102 via the refrigerator compartment 102 flap of the twin damper 125, and after cooling the refrigerator compartment 102, it passes through a return duct (not shown) for the refrigerator compartment, The vegetable room 106 is blown. The cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 102 returns to the cooler 107 via a vegetable room return duct (not shown). In other words, the vegetable compartment 106 cools the storage compartment using the return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 102. Thereby, since the return duct (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment 102 can be used also as the air duct of the vegetable compartment 106, the first cooling duct 121 can be simplified, and the space created by the additional use can be reduced by the cooler 107. It is possible to improve the cooling capacity and power consumption by expanding the cooler 107 and improving the cooler capacity.

  As a cooling method for the vegetable compartment 106, the return air from the refrigerator compartment 102 is not used, and a dedicated air passage for the vegetable compartment 106 is formed in the first cooling duct 121 and cooled by the cold air blown from the cooling fan 122. Thus, since the cold air temperature is low and the vegetable compartment 106 can be cooled with a relatively small amount of air, the drying in the vegetable compartment 106 can be suppressed and the freshness of the vegetables can be enhanced.

  The cold air blown into the switching chamber 103 is discharged from the switching chamber cold air discharge port 128 into the switching chamber storage container 130 via the switching chamber 103 flap of the twin damper 125 and is cooled from the switching chamber cold air suction port 129. Return to vessel 107. If the temperature range set in advance by the user, for example, the partial freezing set temperature is −3 ° C., the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 detects the temperature in the switching chamber 103 and becomes −3 ° C. so that the switching chamber 103 of the twin damper 125 is set. Open and close the flap.

  In addition, the switching chamber 103 can be added with a function of removing heat from food and a function of storing food that is hot while being frozen. Conventionally, when taking hot foods such as freshly cooked foods or freezing freshly cooked rice, the instruction manual should be heated at room temperature and then stored in the refrigerator. It has been enlightened by such as. This is because storing hot foods affects the temperature of other foods stored in the refrigerator, and in particular causes a problem that the frozen foods melt. However, in the present embodiment, since the switching chamber 103 is insulated from the ice making chamber 104 and the freezing chamber 105 that are adjacent to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions, even if hot food is stored, the temperature influence on other food is small. Further, when the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 and the twin damper 125 detect a temperature higher than a preset temperature by the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 and the twin damper 125, the twin damper 125 is judged until it is determined that a hot thing has been stored and becomes a predetermined temperature or lower. The switching chamber 103 flap is closed and cooling is stopped. This stops cooling until the food temperature that remains hot decreases to some extent, and starts cooling after the food temperature decreases to some extent, so that the air whose temperature has risen in the switching chamber 103 due to food that remains hot is cooled by the cooler 107. Returning to the above, the rise in the evaporation temperature of the cooler 107 due to the air whose temperature has risen is suppressed, and the rise in the temperature of the cold air blown into the other storage chamber is suppressed. This is particularly to prevent the ice making chamber 104 and the freezing chamber 105 from being affected by an increase in the evaporation temperature of the cooler 107, that is, an increase in the cold air temperature. In addition, in the case where the function of being able to store the frozen food and the hot food function is started by a user setting, for example, with a button, it can be determined that the hot food is stored in the switching chamber 103. It is possible to suppress the temperature influence on other storage rooms.

  By providing the metal tray 137 on the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130, the metal tray 137 improves the thermal conductivity and improves the cooling speed of the food stored in the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130. be able to. The quick freezing function, the heat removal function, and the function to freeze and store foods that are still hot can improve the cooling speed as well, especially in the quick freezing function that rapidly freezes and stores meat and fish. The time can be shortened, and the food can be frozen and stored without damaging the food structure.

  In addition, if a cold storage material is used on the bottom surface of the storage container 130 for the switching chamber, in addition to improving the cooling speed of the food, the effect of temperature on other storage rooms during the function of removing heat and the function of freezing and storing hot food can be reduced. Can be suppressed. The cold storage material is composed of a material having latent heat at, for example, −15 ° C., which is lower than the freezing temperature of a general frozen food, lower than the maximum ice crystal formation zone temperature, and higher than the temperature of the freezing room 105. When food that is still hot is stored using the latent heat and sensible heat of the regenerator material, the temperature effect on other storage rooms is suppressed by heating the regenerator material with the latent heat and sensible heat. Further, even when the door is opened and the switching room storage container 130 is exposed to the outside air, the heat load due to the outside air inflow is absorbed by the cold storage material, so that the inside of the container is kept at a low temperature and the temperature of the stored food is increased. It is possible to suppress quality degradation.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the switching chamber temperature sensor 136, for example, an infrared sensor 138 is provided on the first partition wall 132 to detect the temperature of the food stored in the switching chamber storage container 130. The temperature of the food can be determined instantaneously, and by adjusting the angle of the flap for the switching chamber 103 of the twin damper 125, for example, only the discharge port 128a is opened and the discharge port 128b is closed, so that cold air is directly introduced into the storage container 130. It is also possible to perform quick freezing by flowing. For example, in the case of realizing freezing at a supercooling temperature by slowly cooling the storage chamber, the discharge port 128a is closed and only the discharge port 128b is opened. Thus, it is possible to cool slowly through the outer periphery of the storage container. Further, when the temperature detected by the infrared sensor 138 is high, the twin damper 125 is closed and both the discharge port 128a and the discharge port 128b are closed to stop the cooling and improve the accuracy of suppressing the temperature influence on other storage chambers. In addition, when the temperature of the food is lowered to a certain temperature by the cold storage material provided on the bottom surface, the cooling is started, that is, the twin damper 125 is opened. Cooling can be realized.

  In this way, the most frequently used adult women who use refrigerators can open and close the door in an unattended posture, freezing rooms and ice making rooms that are frequently used, and users can switch various temperatures depending on the application, rapidly By providing a convenient switching room that can be used in a wide range of areas such as cooling functions and can be stored in a higher quality, it is more convenient to use and the refrigerator is used more than ever, contributing to the improvement of eating habits at home. Is.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

  Note that detailed description of the same configuration or the part to which the same technical idea as Embodiments 1 to 3 can be applied is omitted.

  In FIG. 6, the switching chamber 103 is refrigerated at 1 ° C. to 5 ° C., vegetables set at 2 ° C. to 7 ° C., and a freezing temperature zone normally set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the refrigeration temperature range and the freezing temperature range. For example, the temperature range between refrigeration and freezing such as soft freezing (approximately -12 to -6 ° C), partial freezing (approximately -5 to -1 ° C), chilled (approximately -1 to 1 ° C), etc. .

  In the present embodiment, the switching chamber 103 is set as an example in which each temperature range from refrigeration to freezing can be set to multi. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, it may be a single function only in the freezer compartment. The switching chamber 103 is a storage chamber provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making chamber 104, and often has a drawer-type door.

  In the first cooling duct 121, a cooling air passage 124 for blowing cool air to the freezing chamber 105, the refrigerating chamber 102, the switching chamber 103, and the ice making chamber 104 is formed. In addition, a single damper (not shown) as a damper device for adjusting the flow of cold air to the refrigerator compartment 102 and a damper device for adjusting the flow of cold air to the switching chamber 103 are provided in the flow passage of the first cooling duct 121. Twin dampers 141 are provided respectively.

  A switching chamber temperature sensor 136 that appropriately opens and closes two damper flaps of the twin damper 141 to adjust the temperature based on the temperature setting of the switching chamber 103 is provided inside the first cooling duct 121 corresponding to the back surface of the switching chamber 103. Is provided.

  Regarding the supply of cool air into the switching chamber 103, the switching chamber cool air discharge port 141a opened at a position corresponding to the back of the room and the switching chamber cold air discharge port 141b opened through the duct 141c relatively forward of the top surface of the room. The two switching chamber cool air discharge ports 141a and 141b are separated into front and rear in the switching chamber 103 so as to discharge cool air. Then, the switching chamber cold air discharge ports 141a and 141b are assigned to the two damper flaps of the twin damper 141, respectively, and the cold air adjusted by the respective damper flaps is the switching chamber cold air discharge port 141a or the switching chamber cold air discharge port. It is configured to be supplied into the switching chamber 103 via 141b.

  Further, at the rear of the switching chamber 103, a switching chamber for returning the cool air supplied from the switching chamber cold air discharge port 141a or the switching chamber cold air discharge port 141b to the cooling chamber 120 in which the cooler 107 is accommodated. A cold air inlet 142 is provided. In the present embodiment, the cold air supplied into the room from the switching room cold air outlet 141a or the switching room cold air outlet 141b flows through the outer periphery of the switching room storage container 130 and is located at the rear of the room. It is collected in the opening 142 and returned to the cooling chamber 120 through a return duct (not shown).

  In addition, an infrared sensor 138 that is a non-contact sensor that detects the temperature of food in a non-contact manner is provided on the top surface of the switching chamber 103. The installation position of the infrared sensor 138 is not particularly limited as long as it is an arrangement configuration that can effectively detect the temperature of stored items such as food stored in the switching chamber 103. It is easy to detect new stored items when it is placed close to the front of the room where it is easy to be moved, and in order to use the substantial detection range to be as wide as possible, it is mounted relatively close to the front rather than being placed at the center of the room. It would be advantageous to ensure a wide detection range toward the rear of the room while considering the angle. If the infrared sensor 138 has a single fixed configuration and a sufficient detection range cannot be secured, a method of increasing the detection range and detection accuracy as a movable infrared sensor may be used. .

  The switching chamber 103 is partitioned by the ice making chamber 104 and the third partition wall 134, and is partitioned by the freezing chamber 105 and the fourth partition wall 135. The third partition wall 134 and the fourth partition wall 135 are heat insulating partitions, and are usually made of hard foamed urethane or foamed polystyrene as the heat insulating material. If hard foamed urethane is used, the heat insulating property can be improved, especially the fourth partition wall. If rigid foamed urethane is used for 135, the temperature can be easily adjusted when the switching chamber 103 is set to a temperature range where the temperature difference from the freezing chamber 105 is relatively large such as a refrigeration temperature range, chilled, ice temperature, or partial freezing. There is no need for a heater or the required capacity can be reduced, resulting in advantages in terms of cost and power consumption. If further heat insulation is required, it can be considered to appropriately use a vacuum heat insulating material having heat insulation several times that of hard foamed urethane.

  On the other hand, when the temperature setting of the switching chamber 103 is set to a temperature zone such as soft refrigeration where the temperature difference from the freezing chamber 105 is not relatively large as described above, or a setting to which the switching to the freezing temperature zone is added. Can reduce the heat insulating property of the fourth partition wall 135, that is, reduce the thickness of the heat insulating wall, or replace with a heat insulating material with poor heat insulating property, and can set only the refrigeration temperature range. In this case, it is possible to eliminate the heat insulation of the fourth partition wall 135 or abolish the presence of the fourth partition wall 135 itself. In this respect, the same correspondence can be applied to the third partition wall 134 between the ice making chamber 104 and the configuration can be appropriately selected within a range in which there is no problem in cooling quality between the two chambers. .

  For the case where the heat insulating property of the fourth partition wall 135 is lowered, the freezing chamber 105 is used as an indirect cooling source for the switching chamber 103, and the switching chamber cool air discharge ports 141a and 141b at the time of stable cooling are switched to the switching chamber. By reducing the ratio of direct cold air supply to 103 and suppressing energy loss due to loss of duct air blowing resistance, it is possible to save energy, or to minimize temperature fluctuations and drying of stored items due to intermittent cold air supply and stoppage in the room Increasing the storage quality is also a useful means.

  A metal tray 137 is provided on the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130. The metal tray 137 is inexpensive when formed of aluminum, and the solid feeling is increased when formed of stainless steel. It is also useful to use a cold storage material instead of the metal tray 137 to promote cooling and to stabilize the cooling. Further, the metal tray 137 and the cold storage material may be used in combination, or a metal container-like member charged with the cold storage material may be used.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated centering on the part with respect to the switching chamber 103 below.

  The cool air cooled by the cooler 107 passes through the two damper flaps of the twin damper 141 through the cooling air passage 124 and is supplied to the switching room opened from the switching room cold air discharge port 141a opened to the rear of the room. It is discharged from the cold air outlet 141b into the switching chamber 103, circulates around the outer periphery of the switching chamber storage container 130, and partly overflows from the switching chamber storage container 130 and opens from the switching chamber cold air inlet 129 that opens to the rear of the room. Return to cooler 107. If the temperature range set in advance by the user, for example, the freezing temperature of −18 ° C., the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 detects the temperature in the switching chamber 103 and opens / closes the damper flap of the twin damper 141 so that it becomes −18 ° C. The amount of cool air supplied is adjusted to stabilize the cooling to a desired temperature.

  At this time, there is a choice between using either one of the two switching chamber cold air discharge ports or using one of them. However, when only one switching chamber temperature sensor 136 is provided, the switching chamber temperature sensor 136 is usually provided. The two damper flaps of the twin damper 141 are simultaneously opened and closed with respect to the detected temperature, and cold air is supplied from both the cold air discharge ports 141a and 141b for the switching chamber to quickly cool the room to a desired temperature.

  On the other hand, each switching chamber temperature sensor is set to an appropriate position (for example, cooling air for the switching chamber) for each opening / closing operation of the two damper flaps of the twin damper 141 (by control of a motor or the like that drives the flap). If the discharge port 141a is provided at the rear of the room and the front of the switch chamber for the cool air discharge port 141b, the cooling air supply is more finely tuned according to the temperature distribution before and after the switching chamber 103. Can also be controlled.

  Then, taking into account the temperature information detected by the infrared sensor 138 based on such cooling control, when a stored item such as food is put into the switching chamber 103, the temperature rise due to the new charged item is increased. A damper flap that is detected by the infrared sensor 138 and leads to the cooling air outlet 141a for the switching chamber or the cooling air outlet 141b for the switching chamber corresponding to the input region in order to quickly stabilize and stabilize the unsteady state. It is also possible to perform effective centralized cooling by selecting and opening and supplying cold air. Since the two damper flaps of the twin damper 141 are assigned to the air passages leading to the respective cooling air outlets for the switching chambers, the air passages can be switched accurately and reliably.

  In addition, the switching chamber 103 can be added with a function of removing heat from food and a function of storing food that is hot while being frozen. Conventionally, when taking hot foods such as freshly cooked foods or freezing freshly cooked rice, etc., it is necessary to heat it at room temperature and store it in the refrigerator. It has been enlightened with books. This is because storing hot foods affects the temperature of other foods stored in the refrigerator, and in particular causes a problem that the frozen foods melt.

  However, in the present embodiment, it is determined that the infrared sensor 138 has been stored even when the food that is still hot is thrown in, and of the two damper flaps of the twin damper 141, the region where the food to be put is placed. The damper flap connected to the appropriate cold air outlet for the switching room is opened and concentrated cooling is performed on the input food until the temperature falls below the preset temperature, and the temperature is quickly lowered, so that the high temperature state is maintained for a long time. Degradation of food quality (deterioration, discoloration, drying, etc.) and temperature effects on other foods can be prevented.

  That is, when it is detected that food has been put into the front area in the switching chamber storage container 130, cold air is supplied from the cooling air outlet 141 b for the switching room on the top surface, and the food is thrown into the rear area in the switching chamber storage container 130. When it is detected that the air has been discharged, the cool air is supplied from the rear switching chamber cool air discharge port 141a. However, if it is determined not to be specified only in any one of the areas and the food has been introduced into both the entire area and the entire area of the switching chamber storage container 130, the cold air is supplied from both the cooling air outlets 141a and 141b for the switching room. It is also possible to further promote cooling by opening both of the two damper flaps of the twin damper 141 so as to cause the cooling.

  Further, by providing the metal tray 137 on the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130, the metal tray 137 improves the thermal conductivity, and the cooling speed of the food stored on the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130 is increased. Can be improved. The quick freezing function, the heat removal function, and the function of storing frozen foods in a frozen state can also improve the cooling speed.

  Furthermore, if a regenerator material is used for the bottom surface of the switching chamber storage container 130, in addition to improving the cooling speed of food, the effect of temperature on other storage rooms during the function of removing heat and functioning for freezing and storing hot food can be reduced. Further suppression can be achieved.

  The cold storage material is composed of a material having latent heat at, for example, −15 ° C., which is lower than the freezing temperature of a general frozen food, lower than the maximum ice crystal formation zone temperature, and higher than the temperature of the freezing room 105. When food that is still hot is stored using the latent heat and sensible heat of the regenerator material, the temperature effect on other storage rooms is suppressed by heating the regenerator material with the latent heat and sensible heat. Further, even when the door is opened and the switching room storage container 130 is exposed to the outside air, the heat load due to the outside air inflow is absorbed by the cold storage material, so that the inside of the container is kept at a low temperature and the temperature of the stored food is increased. It is possible to suppress quality degradation.

  On the other hand, actions such as rapid cooling to the freezing temperature (freezing), hot removal of hot items and cooling, etc. from the viewpoint of improving quality from other viewpoints and reducing the quality impact on others Considering this, it is considered that cooling the switching chamber 103 by the following method has a certain significance and is considered as a selection item.

  That is, for the introduction of new food into the switching chamber 103, the damper flap of the twin damper 141 leading to both the cooling air outlets 141a and 141b for the switching chamber is closed from the initial cooling to a predetermined time, and the switching chamber 103 is closed. It is to leave it to naturally cool without supplying cold air. During this natural cooling period, taking advantage of the temperature difference from the surrounding room of the switching chamber 103, particularly the freezer compartment 105 through the fourth partition wall 135. The input food is gradually cooled by the endothermic (indirect cooling) action and the endothermic (conductive cooling) action by the metal tray 137 and the cold storage material.

  Even if this slow cooling action proceeds and reaches the freezing point of the food, the slow cooling still proceeds, and eventually the freezing point is exceeded and the state of supercooling is entered. In this state, to apply some external stimulus (for example, open the damper flap of the twin damper 141 leading to the cold air outlet 141a and / or 141b for the switching chamber, or both, and start supplying air suddenly). When the supercooled state is released and suddenly returns to the freezing point, the latent heat of freezing is instantly deprived according to the depth and time of the supercooled state, and countless fine ice crystals appear in the food cells. Can be expected.

  When the fine ice crystals are generated and the food is directly cooled by the cold air supply from the switching chamber cold air outlet 141a and / or 141b or both to reach the freezing temperature zone, the base ice crystals are relatively large. Compared to normal freezing, where ice crystals tend to be enlarged and damage food cells, the base ice crystals are fine, so even if ice crystals grow, they do not become enlarged and food cells are less likely to be destroyed. Can be expected to increase.

  On the other hand, if the new input food is a food with a high temperature and it is desired to perform heat removal or heat cooling of the food while taking the quality into consideration, the supply of cold air into the switching chamber 103 is also temporarily performed from the beginning of the input. In the meantime, the air is allowed to cool naturally during this period, and the cooling is started after the food temperature is lowered to some extent, so that the air whose temperature has risen in the switching chamber 103 due to the hot food returns to the cooler 107 and is caused by the air whose temperature has risen. An increase in the evaporation temperature of the cooler 107 is suppressed, and an increase in the temperature of the cool air blown to the other storage chamber is suppressed. In particular, it is possible to prevent the ice making chamber 104 and the freezing chamber 105 from being affected by an increase in the evaporation temperature of the cooler 107, that is, an increase in the cold air temperature, and at the same time, it can be expected to save energy by suppressing an extra cooling operation due to a thermal effect. .

  Note that the control to release the damper flap of the twin damper 141 at the timing when the above-described supercooling state is released or when the hot but natural cooling is switched to forced cooling is performed by detecting the temperature change of the input food by the infrared sensor 138. be able to. In addition, when the function of freezing or overheating using supercooling or the function of storing frozen food in a frozen state is started by a user setting, for example, with a button, the food is stored in the switching chamber 103. Since it can be judged, it is practically conceivable to use a time timer simply or in combination, without depending on the infrared sensor 138 alone.

  Here, regarding the method of promoting natural cooling, the freezing chamber 105 is indirectly cooled by adjusting the heat insulating property of the fourth partition wall 135 between the switching chamber 103 and the freezing chamber 105 as described above. It can be used as a source and can be an effective means. This divides the storage room of the refrigeration temperature zone of the refrigeration room 102 and the vegetable room 106 in the upper and lower sides, and the storage room having the so-called freezing temperature zone of the switching room 103, the ice making room 104, and the freezing room 105 is placed in the center of the refrigerator body. It is a cooling method with high cooling efficiency that can be rationally and effectively performed by concentrating on the layout and considering the refrigeration temperature range.

  In addition, there is room for practical consideration as to whether or not cooling air is supplied at all when performing slow cooling such as overcooling or natural cooling. For example, the cooling air outlet 141b for the switching chamber provided on the top surface is set in the room. As a cold air discharge mode that is provided in front of the top surface and circulates around the outer periphery of the switching chamber storage container 130, the cooling compensation of the switching chamber is performed, or the switching chamber cold air discharge port 141 a or 141 b is used for a short time. Only when cooling is compensated by sending cool air to the room from time to time can be selected within the range that maintains the supercooled state and does not impair the purpose of natural cooling.

  In this embodiment, the switching chamber cool air discharge port 141 a is opened to the rear of the switching chamber 103, and the switching chamber cool air discharge port 141 b is opened to the top surface of the switching chamber 103. For example, the switching chamber cool air discharge ports 141a and 141b may be placed on the rear side of the switching chamber 103 and used separately. In this case, the duct 141c for guiding the cold air to the switching chamber cool air discharge port 141b is not necessary, and the structure is simple. It becomes. Also, other arrangement combinations may be used. In other words, the arrangement of the cooling air discharge ports for the switching chamber may be appropriately determined according to how the area to be shared with cooling is divided.

  As mentioned above, although the case where the switching chamber 103 was set to the freezing temperature was mainly described, these useful effects can be enjoyed also when the switching chamber 103 is set to the soft freezing temperature zone, and freezing using a supercooling phenomenon is possible. A practical effect can be obtained when the final temperature range is soft refrigeration, such as storage of hot or hot foods, and there are merits mainly in terms of convenience (convenience of short-term storage, cooking, and processing).

  As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with a frequently used freezer room in the central part of the refrigerator that is most convenient to use, and has a switching function and a convenient function that can store hot things as it is in one corner of the freezer room. Constructing the room can improve usability and can be widely applied to refrigerators having a plurality of various storage rooms.

Front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Side surface longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber in Embodiment 2 of the present invention Partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber in Embodiment 3 of the present invention Partially enlarged side longitudinal sectional view of a switching chamber and a freezing chamber in Embodiment 4 of the present invention Side sectional view of a refrigerator in the prior art

Explanation of symbols

102 Cold room (storage room)
103 Switching room (storage room)
104 Ice making room (storage room)
105 Freezer room (storage room)
106 Vegetable room (storage room)
128a, 128b, 141a, 141b Cooling air outlet for switching chamber 130 Storage container for switching chamber (container)
137 Metal tray 138 Infrared sensor

Claims (6)

  A heat insulating box having a plurality of storage chambers, wherein the freezing chamber that can be set to a freezing temperature zone is provided with adjacent storage chambers on both sides in the vertical direction and a plurality of freezing chambers are provided. A refrigerator in which at least one of the plurality of freezing rooms can be set in a multi-temperature region.   A refrigerator compartment at the top of the heat insulation box, a vegetable compartment at the bottom, a plurality of storage compartments in the freezing temperature zone between the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment, the top of the storage compartment in the freezing temperature zone The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage room is a freezing room whose temperature can be set in a multi-temperature region.   The refrigerator as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3 which installed the infrared sensor which detects the surface temperature of foodstuffs in the top | upper surface of the freezer compartment or switching room which can set temperature in a multi-temperature area | region.   The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the infrared sensor provided in the freezer compartment capable of setting the temperature in a multi-temperature region is configured by a plurality of infrared sensors or is a movable infrared sensor, thereby increasing a detection range.   The freezer compartment that can set the temperature in the multi-temperature region is equipped with a cold air outlet that divides the air into multiple regions in the storage compartment, and performs centralized cooling on the region that is judged to contain hot items by the infrared sensor. The refrigerator of Claim 4 to perform. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein when the infrared sensor detects a temperature equal to or higher than a preset temperature, it is determined that a hot object has been stored, and cooling is stopped until the temperature becomes equal to or lower than a preset predetermined temperature.