JP2010203696A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of efficiently utilizing ozone. <P>SOLUTION: In this refrigerator 100 including a box body 150 having heat insulating performance, further has a plate body 172 vertically partitioning the inside of the box body 150, an ozone generator 173 disposed at a lower part of the plate body 172 and generating ozone supplied to a lower space of the plate body 172, and a housing 174 receiving the ozone generator 173 and held by the plate body 172. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator capable of treating a storage space with ozone.

  Conventionally, ozone having a high oxidizing action has been used for sterilization and fungicide in refrigerators and the like. For example, an ozone generator is placed in the return passage for returning the cool air in the refrigerator to the evaporator, and ozone is generated in that portion, so that the generated ozone is put on the cool air circulating in the refrigerator, and the entire inside of the refrigerator The ozone is spread throughout the area (see Patent Document 1).

Thereby, it is said that the growth of the bacteria adhering to the food and the bacteria floating in the warehouse can be suppressed.
JP 2001-911146 A

  However, in recent years, chemical substances such as agricultural chemicals remaining in food as well as bacteria present in refrigerators have become a problem, and it is desirable to reduce agricultural chemicals remaining in food during food storage. ing. Therefore, the inventors of the present application experimented and studied the case where ozone was placed in cold air and spread throughout the refrigerator, and depending on the method, it was difficult to obtain the effect of decomposing and detoxifying chemical substances such as residual agricultural chemicals I came to find out.

  The present invention has been made on the basis of the knowledge obtained through the above experiments and researches, and aims to provide a refrigerator capable of effectively decomposing chemical substances such as agricultural chemicals existing in a predetermined region with ozone. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator according to the present invention is a refrigerator including a box body having heat insulation performance, and is arranged below a plate body that partitions the inside of the box body vertically. And an ozone generator that generates ozone to be supplied to the space below the plate, and a housing that houses the ozone generator and is held by the plate.

  As a result, ozone is directly supplied to the lower space from the ozone generator disposed below the plate, so that ozone effectively acts on chemical substances and organic substances existing in the lower space of the plate. It is possible to decompose chemical substances to make them harmless, or to act on organisms to prevent their growth.

  Moreover, since the ozone generator is accommodated in the housing, it is possible to improve safety without directly touching the ozone generator to which a high voltage is applied.

  Moreover, since the ozone generator is arrange | positioned under the board, the upper space of a board can be used effectively and it becomes possible to widen the effective storage space of the whole refrigerator.

  Further, the plate body is provided with an attachment hole penetrating in the vertical direction, provided with an attachment hole in which the casing is fitted in a downward projecting shape from the plate body, and provided with a lid body that closes the attachment hole. Is preferred.

  Thus, it becomes possible to manufacture easily the refrigerator provided with an ozone generator and the refrigerator which is not provided by making an ozone generator and a housing | casing detachable with respect to a board | plate body. Therefore, the variation of the refrigerator to provide can be expanded.

  Further, in the case of a refrigerator that does not include an ozone generator, it is possible to eliminate the casing that protrudes downward from the plate, and thus it is possible to widen the lower space of the plate.

  In addition, when the housing exists, the lid that closes the attachment hole functions as a lid that closes the housing, and can prevent the hand from directly touching the ozone generator. On the other hand, when there is no housing, the mounting hole penetrating the plate body in the vertical direction can be closed, so that an article placed on the plate body can be prevented from falling from the mounting hole, which is effective. A large storage space.

  The casing is formed integrally with the plate so that a part of the plate is bulged downward and an upper portion is opened, and the plate includes a lid that closes the opening of the casing. May be.

  Thus, it becomes possible to reduce manufacturing cost by shape | molding a board and a housing | casing integrally.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to include a light emitting device that is housed in the housing and irradiates light to a lower space of the plate body, and the housing includes a transmitting portion that transmits light emitted from the light emitting device.

  Thereby, the synergistic effect of the light emitted from the light emitting device and ozone makes it possible to promote the decomposition of the chemical substance existing in the lower space of the plate body, and also to promote the sterilization. Moreover, it becomes possible to improve the content of vitamins such as vegetables and fruits accommodated in the lower space of the plate by the light from the light emitting device.

In particular, the light emitting device may emit visible light having a wavelength ranging from green to blue.
Thereby, it becomes possible to improve especially the vitamin content of vegetables and fruits. In addition, it is possible to give a refreshing feeling to those who have seen the lower space of the plate.

  In particular, the light emitting device may emit light having a wavelength that resonates with vibrations of molecules present in the lower space of the plate.

  According to this, a chemical substance can be effectively decomposed by a synergistic effect of ozone and light.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that an upper opening is closed by the plate body, and a drawer in which the inflow of cold air from above the plate body is blocked is provided in a lower space of the plate body.

  According to this, since the cold air does not directly flow into the inside of the drawer, it is possible to suitably store foods that are affected by the direct contact of the cold air such as vegetables and fruits. On the other hand, there is a possibility that agricultural chemicals remain in vegetables and fruits, and the vegetables themselves may be adversely affected by the gas released from the vegetables. Moreover, since vegetables and fruits are stored raw, they may be stored in a state where bacteria are attached. Since the above chemical substances can be decomposed by ozone and bacteria can be sterilized, vegetables and fruits can be stored in a fresh state for a long time.

  The front portion of the drawer is preferably formed of a material that transmits light emitted from the light emitting device.

  According to this, the inside of the drawer can be visually recognized from the front of the drawer, and it is easy to check the stock. In particular, when light is irradiated inside the drawer, the light can be recognized from the front of the drawer, and the processing state inside the drawer can be presented to the user of the refrigerator.

  In the present invention, by directly acting ozone generated from an ozone generator, chemical substances such as agricultural chemicals can be decomposed even at a relatively low temperature.

Next, an embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator.

  Refrigerator 100 is a device that refrigerates or freezes and stores stored items stored inward. Box body 150, first door 111, second door 121, third door 112, and through hole 113 and a fourth door 122. The refrigerator 100 is a rectangular box having the longest height among the height, width, and depth.

  The first door 111 is a door that closes the opening on the right side toward the box body 150 so as to be freely opened and closed. In the case of the present embodiment, the first door 111 is hinged to the box body 150 by a hinge (not shown) so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction in front of the right wall of the box body 150. It is attached. The first door 111 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, and is arranged from the upper part to the lower part of the refrigerator 100, and the rotation shaft passes through the right end edge of the first door 111.

  The second door 121 is a door that closes the opening on the left side toward the box body 150 so as to be openable and closable. In the case of the present embodiment, the second door 121 is attached to the box body 150 by a hinge (not shown) so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction in front of the left wall of the box body 150. It is attached. The second door 121 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, and is arranged from the upper part to the lower part of the refrigerator 100, and the rotation shaft passes through the left end edge of the second door 121.

  The through hole 113 is a hole that penetrates the first door 111 in the thickness direction. The through-hole 113 is used to take out stored items stored behind the first door 111 without opening the first door 111, and to insert the stored items for storage behind the first door 111. It is a hole.

  The third door 112 is a door that closes the through hole 113 so as to be freely opened and closed. In the case of the present embodiment, the third door 112 is attached to the first door 111 by a hinge (not shown) so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction at the lower end edge of the through hole 113. ing. Further, the third door 112 is substantially square when viewed from the front (the corners are rounded), and the rotation shaft passes through the lower edge of the third door 112.

  The fourth door 122 is a door that closes the supply port 123 of the dispenser that supplies drinks such as cooled water or ice and ice.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the refrigerator in which the first door and the second door are opened.
Note that FIG. 2 also shows a stored item A stored in the refrigerator 100.

  As shown in these drawings, the refrigerator 100 includes a first box 151, a second box 152, and an outer box 156.

  The 1st box 151 is a box provided with the heat insulation performance long in the up-and-down direction which has an opening part in the front and forms a refrigerator compartment. In the case of the present embodiment, the first box 151 is disposed on the right side of the refrigerator 100 over the entire vertical direction of the refrigerator 100. Note that the refrigerator compartment is a room that maintains the internal temperature in a temperature range of 0 ° C. or higher.

  The 2nd box 152 is a box provided with the heat insulation performance long in the up-and-down direction which has an opening part in the front and forms a freezer compartment. In the case of the present embodiment, the second box 152 is disposed on the left side of the refrigerator over the entire vertical direction of the refrigerator 100. Note that the freezer room is a room that maintains a room temperature lower than the temperature of the refrigerator room at around minus 18 ° C. and stores stored items such as frozen foods.

  The outer box 156 is a metal plate that covers the first box 151 and the second box 152 that are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

  Here, the box body 150 in the present embodiment is manufactured as follows. In other words, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment separated by the partition wall 153 are manufactured independently by the inner box 157 by integral molding with resin. The outer box 156 is arranged outside the inner box 157 so as to cover the inner box 157 with a predetermined distance from the inner box 157. A gap that communicates with the gap between the outer box 156 and the inner box 157 is also provided inside the partition wall 153. A space provided between the outer box 156 and the inner box 157 and a gap between the partition walls 153 are filled and foamed with, for example, hard urethane foam to obtain a heat insulating material. The box body 150 is manufactured as described above.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the walls adjacent to the first box 151 and the second box 152 are inseparably integrated, and the first box 151 and the second box 152 define the partition wall 153. It is intended to be shared as a wall.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a lower portion of the first box.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first box 151 includes a plate 172 and a drawer 170 below the plate 172. A second drawer 117 is also provided above the plate body 172.

  The plate 172 is a plate-like member that partitions the inside of the first box 151 that is a part of the box body 150 in the vertical direction, closes the upper opening of the drawer 170, and exists above the plate 172. This is a member that blocks the flow of cold air that flows directly into the inside of the drawer 170.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the plate body together with the drawer.
In the case of the present embodiment, the plate body 172 includes a plate body 178, a lid body 171, and a flap 176. In addition, an ozone generator 173 is attached to the plate body 172 via a housing 174. A light emitting device 175 is accommodated in the housing 174.

  The plate body 178 is a member that is attached to both side walls of the first box 151 in a bridging manner and divides the upper space and the lower space of the first box 151 in a fixed manner. A mounting hole 177 is provided at the center of the plate body 172.

  The mounting hole 177 is a hole that penetrates the plate main body 178 in the vertical direction. A housing 174 that houses the ozone generator 173 is inserted from above, and the inserted housing 174 protrudes downward from the plate body 172. It is a hole for being fitted and fixed like this.

  Thus, by providing the mounting hole 177 in the plate body 178, it is possible to arbitrarily select whether or not the ozone generator 173 and the housing 174 are attached. Therefore, the variation as the refrigerator 100 can be expanded, and when the ozone generator 173 and the housing 174 are not attached, it is possible to eliminate useless protrusions in the space above the drawer 170.

  The lid 171 is a member that closes the attachment hole 177. In the case of the present embodiment, the lid body 171 is a plate-like member that is disposed so as to spread over the entire width direction of the plate body 172. When the ozone generator 173 and the housing 174 are attached to the attachment hole 177, the lid 171 covers the attachment hole 177 and closes the opening of the housing 174. Thereby, even if the upper part of the housing | casing 174 is opened, it becomes possible to prevent the user of the refrigerator 100 from reaching the ozone generator 173 easily. Further, when the ozone generator 173 and the housing 174 are not attached to the attachment hole 177, the lid 171 closes the attachment hole 177 to block the passage of cold air, and the stored matter is removed from the attachment hole 177. It becomes a member which prevents falling. Further, since the lid body 171 having a flat upper surface occupies most of the plate body 172, it is possible to improve the design while ensuring the function as the plate body 172.

  The flap 176 is a movable member provided over the entire width direction at the front portion of the plate body 172. The flap 176 is a member that rotates so that the front part jumps upward when the drawer 170 is pulled out, and is a member that is provided so that stored items can be easily taken in and out even when the drawer 170 is slightly pulled out. . Further, the flap 176 is formed of a transparent resin so that the stored items stored in the drawer 170 can be seen from above the drawer 170.

  The drawer 170 is a box-shaped member whose upper opening is closed by the plate body 172 in a state where the drawer 170 is inserted into the lower space of the plate body 172, and can be inserted into and removed from the box body 150. Since the drawer 170 has the plate body 172 blocked the inflow of cold air from above, the stored item stored in the drawer 170 does not directly hit the cold air circulating inside the first box 151. It is also possible to maintain the humidity inside the drawer 170. Therefore, the drawer 170 is suitable for storing vegetables and fruits in a raw state, and is sometimes referred to as a vegetable room. In the case of the present embodiment, the drawer 170 is made of a transparent (translucent) resin. This is to improve the visibility of the stored items accommodated in the drawer 170. In addition, even when the drawer 170 is inserted into the space below the plate body 172, the light emitted from the light emitting device 175 is emitted from the drawer 170. This is to make it visible from the outside.

The ozone generator 173 is a device that generates ozone to be supplied to the space below the plate body 172. In the case of this embodiment, the ozone generator 173 supplies ozone to the inside of the drawer 170. The ozone generator 173 is attached to the lower side of the plate 172 via a housing 174 that is directly attached to the plate 172. The ozone generator 173 includes a booster (not shown) that boosts the supplied power supply voltage, and an ozone generator (not shown) that generates high-potential terminals in the space and generates ozone from oxygen in the air. And. The ozone generator 173 is not limited to the above. Specifically, a device for generating ozone (O ₃ ) by irradiating oxygen molecules (O ₂ ) in the air by irradiating ultraviolet light, or an electrode disposed in the air is set to a high voltage, and discharge or the like A device that converts oxygen molecules into ozone, a device that electrolyzes a substance containing oxygen such as water, and supplies ozone into the air may be used.

  The housing 174 is a box-shaped member that accommodates the ozone generator 173 inward and prevents the ozone generator 173 from inadvertently coming into contact with hands or stored items. Thereby, the safety of the refrigerator 100 can be improved. In addition, the housing 174 suppresses the outflow of heat released from the ozone generator 173 to prevent the lower space of the plate 172 from being heated by the ozone generator 173, and around the ozone generator 173. This is a member for maintaining the temperature of the gas at a relatively high temperature to increase the efficiency of ozone generation. Therefore, it is possible to suppress power consumption necessary for generating ozone and contribute to energy saving.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 174 is attached to the plate 172 so as to hang down, thereby arranging the ozone generator 173 to be accommodated below the plate 172. In the case of the present embodiment, a leakage hole 179 that allows ozone to leak out of the housing 174 is provided in the lower portion of the housing 174. Therefore, since ozone leaks from the lower part of the housing 174 that protrudes above the drawer 170, ozone having a specific gravity higher than that of air is directly supplied to the inside of the drawer 170.

  As described above, intense convection does not occur in the inside of the drawer 170 where the convection air flowing into the first box 151 does not directly flow. In addition, ozone is directly supplied to the inside of the drawer 170 from the ozone generator 173 disposed above the drawer 170. Therefore, highly active ozone can be present at a desired concentration inside the drawer 170. The ozone can efficiently decompose the agricultural chemicals remaining in the vegetables and fruits stored inside the drawer 170. In addition, it is possible to decompose the ethylene gas that is naturally released from vegetables and the like, thereby preventing the vegetable from being deteriorated by the ethylene gas.

  Examples of agricultural chemicals to be decomposed by ozone include chlorpyrifos, malathion, pyrethroids, and the like. These pesticides are often used in food and are considered to be highly likely to remain in food.

  In the present embodiment, the plate 172 and the housing 174 have been described as being separable, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the housing 174 may be formed integrally with the plate body 178 so that a part of the plate body 178 bulges downward and the upper part opens. Further, the lid 171 may close only the opening of the housing 174 integrated with the plate body 178.

  Further, the plate body 172 is not limited to the one that partitions the inside of the box body 150 from one side surface to the other side as a whole.

  The light emitting device 175 is a device that irradiates light below the plate body 172 and is accommodated in the housing 174. A portion of the housing 174 to which the light emitting device 175 is attached is configured to transmit light emitted from the light emitting device 175, and forms a transmission portion. In the present embodiment, the light emitting device 175 includes a light emitting diode (LED) as a light source.

  The wavelength of light emitted from the light emitting device 175 is not particularly limited in the present invention. For example, when it is desired to improve the vitamin content by irradiating light on vegetables or fruits contained in the drawer 170, the wavelength of the light emitted from the light emitting device 175 irradiates visible light between green and blue. It is preferable to do. When a light emitting diode is employed as the light source, a light emitting diode that emits light having the same wavelength may be employed, or a plurality of light emitting diodes that emit light having different wavelengths may be employed. In addition, the light emitting method of the light emitting device 175 may be a continuous light irradiation or an intermittent light irradiation. In addition, in the case of intermittent light irradiation, the light may be intermittently irradiated at a speed higher than a level at which a human feels that light is continuously emitted.

  On the other hand, in order to accelerate decomposition of ethylene released from agricultural chemicals and vegetables remaining in vegetables and fruits contained in the drawer 170 by ozone, intermolecular vibrations of these agricultural chemicals, ethylene or ozone, etc. It is preferable to irradiate light having a wavelength that can affect the light intensity. Such a wavelength is included in any of the infrared region, the visible region, and the ultraviolet region, but the infrared region is particularly preferable.

  Specifically, a wavelength that resonates with vibrations of molecules constituting the agricultural chemical is preferable. This wavelength is considered to exist in the infrared region. More specifically, the infrared absorption spectrum of the target agricultural chemical is used, and the wavelength corresponding to the valley portion of the spectrum, such as the wavelength of the strongest absorbing portion, is preferable. For example, the wavelength specified from the infrared absorption spectrum of chlorpyrifos, malathion or pyrethroid pesticides is preferred. This is because it is an agrochemical that is often used in foods and is likely to remain in foods.

  On the other hand, the wavelength at which ozone is activated may be used. For example, the wavelength in the infrared region that ozone absorbs. This is because if ozone is activated, the decomposition of agricultural chemicals is promoted.

  In this embodiment, a light emitting diode is used as a light source. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and a light source that emits light having a continuous spectrum may be used. In addition, irradiation with different wavelengths such as vitamin improvement and pesticide degradation may be performed from a plurality of light sources.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the back plate.
As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 5, the refrigerator 100 includes a back plate 130 in the present embodiment. The back plate 130 is a member that is disposed on the back of the inserted drawer 170 and separates an evaporator (not shown) that is a device constituting the cooling cycle of the refrigerator 100 and the inner space of the first box 151. Yes, it has a cold air outlet and a suction port. The back plate 130 includes a back plate main body 131 and a back decorative plate 132.

  The back plate main body 131 is a member having heat insulation performance, and the inside of the first box 151 is separated from the evaporator disposed on the back of the back plate main body 131 and the inside of the first box 151. Is kept at an appropriate temperature.

  The back decorative plate 132 is a member for improving the design of the inner surface of the first box 151, and is attached to the back decorative plate 132 so as to cover the entire front surface of the back plate main body 131.

  Further, a second light emitting device 165 and a cover member 166 that covers the second light emitting device 165 are attached to the back decorative plate 132.

  The second light emitting device 165 bears the same function as the light emitting device 175, and by irradiating light from multiple directions together with the light emitting device 175, the shadow portion due to stored items or the like is reduced inside the drawer 170, It is a device for maintaining the effects of improving vitamins and promoting degradation of agricultural chemicals.

  As described above, in the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment, the ozone generator 173 is attached in a hanging manner below the plate body 172. Further, in a state where the drawer 170 is inserted, the plate body 172 closes the upper opening of the drawer 170. Therefore, the ozone generator 173 is disposed in a space closed by the plate body 172 and the drawer 170, and supplies ozone directly to the space. Therefore, the inside of the drawer 170 has a relatively high concentration of ozone, and the space is isolated from the convection generated inside the first box 151, so that the ozone stays inside the drawer 170 for a long time. Stay. Thereby, chemical substances such as agricultural chemicals and ethylene gas existing inside the drawer 170 can be efficiently decomposed, and sterilization and bacterial growth can be effectively performed.

  In addition, it is possible to promote decomposition and sterilization of chemical substances by light from the light emitting device 175 and the second light emitting device 165, and vitamin content such as vegetables and fruits stored inside the drawer 170. It is also possible to improve.

  In the present embodiment, the drawer 170 is provided in the lower space of the plate body 172. However, in the present invention, the drawer 170 is not essential, and for example, a door capable of opening and closing only the lower space of the plate body 172 is provided. The stored material may be directly stored in the lower space of the plate body 172.

  The present invention is applicable to a refrigerator, particularly a refrigerator including a plate body that partitions a storage space in the vertical direction.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a refrigerator. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the refrigerator with which the 1st door and the 2nd door were opened. It is a perspective view which shows the lower part of a 1st box. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows a plate body with a drawer. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cross section by cutting out a part of the first box 151. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows another aspect of a board and a housing | casing. It is a perspective view which shows a back plate.

100 Refrigerator 111 First door 112 Third door 113 Through hole 117 Second drawer 121 Second door 122 Fourth door 123 Supply port 130 Back plate 131 Back plate body 132 Back decorative plate 150 Box body 151 First box 152 Second Box 153 Partition wall 156 Outer box 157 Inner box 165 Second light emitting device 166 Cover member 170 Drawer 171 Lid 172 Plate body 173 Ozone generator 174 Housing 175 Light emitting device 176 Flap 177 Mounting hole 178 Plate body 179 Leakage hole

Claims (8)

A refrigerator comprising a box body having heat insulation performance,
A plate that partitions the inside of the box body in the vertical direction;
An ozone generator that is disposed below the plate and generates ozone to be supplied to the space below the plate;
A refrigerator comprising a housing that houses the ozone generator and is held by the plate. The plate is
An attachment hole penetrating in the vertical direction, provided with an attachment hole in which the housing is fitted in a downward projecting shape from the plate body;
The refrigerator of Claim 1 provided with the cover body which obstruct | occludes the said attachment hole. The housing is formed integrally with the plate body so that a part of the plate body bulges downward and the upper part opens.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plate includes a lid that closes an opening of the housing. further,
A light-emitting device that is housed in the housing and emits light to a lower space of the plate;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the casing includes a transmission portion that transmits light emitted from the light emitting device. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting device emits visible light having a wavelength ranging from green to blue. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting device emits light having a wavelength that resonates with vibrations of molecules existing in a lower space of the plate. further,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an upper opening is closed by the plate body, and a drawer is provided in a lower space of the plate body to block inflow of cold air from above the plate body. . The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a front portion of the drawer is formed of a material that transmits light emitted from the light emitting device.

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