JP2010276336A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently spray negative ions generated by a negative ion generator to foods, especially to vegetables in a vegetable chamber. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerator includes the vegetable chamber 3 for storing the vegetables in which a storage container 14 is arranged in the storage chamber positioned below a lateral partition plate 11 which is a fixing member of the refrigerator, and the storage container 14 forming the body of the vegetable chamber 3 is a drawer type container. The negative ion generator 17 generating the negative ions is placed oppositely to a discharge port 15b discharging the negative ions to the storage container 14 at the back of the lateral partition plate 11. The negative ions from the negative ion generator 17 are directly discharged in the storage container together with cold air through the discharge port without being passed through a duct, and sprayed to the vegetables directly in a shower form. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

As a function of maintaining the freshness of food, a refrigerator having a function of generating negative ions and letting it be applied to food is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-145545. Based on the finding that negative ions (mainly O ₂ ⁻ ) are not adversely affected by the human body and the growth of microorganisms and molds can be suppressed at extremely low concentrations, Proposed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a refrigerator with a negative ion generator described in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 13, 101 is a freezing room, 102 is a refrigeration room, 103 is a chilled room, 104
Is a vegetable room, 105 is a compressor, 106 is an evaporator, 107 is a fan (cold air blower), 108 is a negative ion generator, and negative ions generated by the negative ion generator 108 are cooled by the fan 107 together with the cold air in each room. To be sent to.

By the way, in order to generate negative ions, especially when an alternating high voltage is applied to the electrodes, ozone and positive ions are generated at the same time. In addition, ozone has a very strong oxidizing power, which significantly reduces the quality of the food, so in order to prevent the ozone from circulating in the storage chamber, the positive ion collector is located near the negative ion generator. An electrode and an ozonolysis catalyst are required, and the structure becomes extremely complicated and expensive. Therefore, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is devised so that ozone and positive ions are not generated by applying a DC voltage to the negative ion generator.

Further, in Patent Document 1, when a negative ion generator is arranged on the back side of one of the storage chambers and the storage chamber is a drawer type, a retractable cord is used as a power source for the negative ion generator. I try to connect.

JP-A-8-145545

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the ion generator 108 is installed in a duct provided on the ceiling and negative ions are sent into each room by the fan 107, the negative ions are made of plastic. The amount of negative ions sprayed directly onto foods (especially vegetables in the vegetable compartment) is reduced by attaching to the duct, and there is a problem that the effect of sterilization and antibacterial is small. That is, in the case of the configuration as shown in FIG. 13, since the negative ion generator is installed in the cooling air blowing passage far from the vegetable room, the generated negative ions pass through the narrow ventilation path. There is a problem that the number of negative ions absorbed into the surrounding plastic passage and discharged into the vegetable compartment is extremely small, and the effects of sterilization and antibacterial are reduced. Therefore, it has been pointed out that the negative ion generator needs to be as close as possible to the storage room (particularly the vegetable room) and to use negative ions effectively.

In addition, when a negative ion generator is arranged on the back side of the storage room, the negative ion overhanging action is improved, but in the case of a drawer-type storage room such as a vegetable room, it can be expanded and contracted. The cord must be connected to the negative ion generator. This may cause damage to the cord due to use over time, resulting in poor contact or disconnection. Also, pull out the vegetable compartment storage container completely and wash it with water. There is a problem that you can not.

In addition, an independent negative ion generator and blower are installed in the upper part of the sealed vegetable room, and indirect cooling is performed by flowing cooling air to the outside of the vegetable room (a vegetable storage container constituting the main body of the vegetable room). In addition, there is a problem that moisture evaporated from a stored product such as vegetables condenses on the vegetable compartment cover covering the upper portion of the vegetable storage container and drops onto the stored food in the vegetable storage container. Therefore, it has been desired to realize a configuration that can reliably prevent such dripping of water.

In addition, if the structure of the negative ion generator having the negative ion generating electrode and the positive ion receiving electrode is not appropriate, harmful ozone is generated and the stored foods such as vegetables are discolored or discolored, and the vegetables There is a problem that hurts quickly. Therefore, realization of a negative ion generator that generates less ozone has been demanded.

In addition, if a negative ion generator is installed in the upper part of the sealed vegetable room and a small container is installed in the upper part of the vegetable container that constitutes the main body of the vegetable room, the inside of the upper small container However, negative ions are often applied to the stored foods of vegetables, but the stored foods of vegetables in the vegetable storage container below the small container are not blocked by negative ions because they are blocked by the small container. There is a problem that the freshness of vegetables cannot be maintained for a long time. Therefore, even if a small storage container is installed above the vegetable storage container that constitutes the main body of the vegetable room, a structure in which negative ions hit the vegetables in the vegetable storage container below the small storage container can be realized. It was sought after.

In addition, when food is stored in a pile in the upper accessory storage container, air convection becomes worse,
Since negative ions are no longer uniformly distributed on stored foods, it has also been required to realize a device for improving convection and increasing the flow rate of air containing negative ions.

If a negative ion generator is incorporated in the vegetable compartment cover located at the top of the vegetable compartment (the vegetable storage container that constitutes the main body of the vegetable compartment), the negative ion generator electrode is
In order to protect stored foods and human fingers from contact and damage, a grill-like guard member is provided. Depending on the material of this guard member, the generated negative ions can be absorbed and the number of negative ions can be reduced. There is. Therefore, it has been pointed out that it is necessary to select a material that does not easily reduce negative ions as the material of the guard member.

In addition, if the fan for cooling air that cools the storage room other than the vegetable room is also used as a fan for feeding negative ions, the fan for cooling air that is linked to the operation of the refrigerator when the outside air temperature is low in winter. Decreases the operating rate, reduces the amount of negative ions blown, and reduces the effects of negative ions. Therefore, it has been pointed out that there is a need for an independent negative ion feeding fan that does not link to the operating rate of the refrigerator. However, if an independent fan for feeding negative ions is provided at this time, space is required, and the internal volume of the refrigerator food storage is reduced. Therefore, a structure that does not reduce the internal volume as much as possible is required. It is done.

Also, if a dedicated independent fan for feeding negative ions generated by the negative ion generator is covered with a blower cover attached to the vegetable compartment cover, an abnormality will occur in the blower for negative ion blowing, There is a possibility that this may not be noticed even in the stopped state, and in that case, there is a problem that the freshness of the stored food cannot be maintained and it is quickly damaged. Therefore, it is desired that the rotation state of a dedicated independent fan for feeding negative ions can be easily recognized by the user.

In general, in a refrigerator having a direct cooling storage room for introducing and cooling forced draft cooling air and an indirect cooling storage room for cooling indirectly from the surroundings without directly introducing cooling air into the storage room, the indirect cooling storage room There are various problems to be investigated in order to suitably maintain the freshness of the food.

  The present invention has been made in view of the technical problems as described above, and the present invention includes a vegetable room for storing vegetables in which a storage container is arranged in a storage room located below a horizontal partition plate of a refrigerator, A refrigerator in which a storage container constituting the main body of the vegetable room is a drawer-type container, and a negative ion generator that generates negative ions is discharged to the storage container at the back of the horizontal partition plate. The negative ions from the negative ion generator are directly discharged into the storage container together with the cold air through the discharge port without passing through the duct so as to be directly showered on the vegetables. It takes the composition that it sprays on.

As described above, according to the present invention, the independent circulation fan dedicated to the indirect cooling storage chamber for circulating the cool air in the indirect cooling storage chamber is provided on the upper surface of the storage chamber cover in which the discharge port and the suction port are formed. Therefore, the convection of the air in the indirect cooling storage chamber is improved, and a large amount of cooled air circulates on the surface of the food in the indirect cooling storage chamber, so that the temperature of the food becomes uniform quickly and the freshness of the food Can be maintained for a long time.

In addition, since the negative ion generator is installed in the lee of the circulating fan, negative ions will not be adsorbed by the duct etc. by passing through the duct as in the past, and a large amount of negative ions is indirectly cooled and stored. Since it can be sprayed indoors, the barrier effect of negative ions suppresses moisture transpiration, and the freshness of vegetables and the like can be kept fresh.

In addition, the storage chamber cover that covers the upper part of the indirect cooling storage chamber is provided with a suction port and a discharge port, and a negative ion generator is installed directly above the discharge port. It can be discharged well. In addition, the return air circulated in the indirect cooling storage chamber is sucked back to the circulation blower directly from the suction port, so the amount of negative ions circulated is not reduced, and a large amount of negative ions are scattered on foods such as vegetables. Therefore, the effect of maintaining the freshness of food is also great in this respect.

In addition, the negative ion generator and the circulation blower are arranged in the space provided in the back of the horizontal partition plate member of the refrigerator, and the circulation blower is inclined so that the suction is directed upward. Even with a circulating fan having a diameter, the installation height can be lowered, and therefore, without reducing the food storage capacity in the refrigerator, in the flat space provided in the back of the horizontal partition plate member, It can be placed compactly with good space factor,
Effective use of the internal volume is possible.

Moreover, since the negative ion generator and the circulation blower are disposed on the upper side of the storage chamber cover fixed below the horizontal partition plate member, the negative ion generator is attached to a member that can be pulled out as in the past. Compared to the structure, there is no fear of the cord being disconnected, and the connection structure can be simplified.

In addition, even if the small storage container is arranged above the storage container of the indirect cooling storage chamber and below the negative ion blowing site, a slit is formed in the small storage container.
Negative ions pass through the slits, and negative ions can be sprayed on vegetables in the storage container other than the accessory storage container. In addition, there is a gap through which air can circulate sufficiently between the upper edge of the front plate of the small container and the storage compartment cover, preventing air convection even if there is a lot of food such as vegetables. Therefore, air can be reliably circulated in the indirect cooling storage chamber.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged view in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the storage container which comprises the main body of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the accessory storage container mounted on it. It is explanatory drawing which shows the recirculation | reflux of the air in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the test result for examining the principal part longitudinal section of the negative ion generator used with the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the suitability of the guard height in a negative ion generator. It is a principal part perspective view of the negative ion generator used with the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the negative ion generator used with the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the grill-like protection member attached to it. It is explanatory drawing which showed the experimental result in order to examine the suitability of the material of a grill-shaped protection member attached to the negative ion generator used with the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the physical-property value according to material for examining the suitability of the material of a grill-shaped protection member attached to the negative ion generator used with the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a time chart figure of operation control of a negative ion generator and a vegetable room fan used in a vegetable room of a refrigerator concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a principal part perspective view which shows the mode of the bottom face of the refrigerator compartment located in the upper stage with the refrigerator which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the conventional refrigerator.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 12 relate to a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator of the present embodiment, and FIG. Fig. 4
These are the perspective views which show the storage container which comprises the main body of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator of this embodiment, and the accessory storage container mounted on it, FIG. 5 shows the recirculation | reflux of the air in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator of this embodiment. Explanatory drawing, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing test results for examining the longitudinal section of the main part of the negative ion generator used in the refrigerator of the present embodiment and the height of the guard in the negative ion generator,
7 is a perspective view of a main part of a negative ion generator used in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a negative ion generator used in the refrigerator of the present embodiment and a grill-like protective member attached thereto. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing experimental results for examining the suitability of the material of the grill-like protective member attached to the negative ion generator used in the refrigerator of this embodiment, and FIG. 10 is used in the refrigerator of this embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows the physical-property value according to material for examining the suitability of the material of the grill-shaped protective member attached to a negative ion generator, FIG. 11: is a negative ion generator used in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator of this embodiment. Time chart of operation control of vegetable room fan, FIG.
It is a principal part perspective view which shows the mode of the bottom face of the refrigerator compartment located in the upper stage with the refrigerator of this embodiment.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a refrigerator, 2 is a door open / close refrigerator room (refrigerated storage room), 3 is a drawer type vegetable room (a refrigerated storage room for vegetables), 4 and 5 are drawer type freezer rooms, 6 Is a compressor, 7
Is a fan (cold air blower) for the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 3, 8 is a cooler for the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 3, 9 is a fan (cold air blower) for the freezer compartment 4 and the freezer compartment 5, and 10 is a freezer It is a cooler for the chamber 4 and the freezing chamber 5. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 2, the freezer compartment 4, and the freezer compartment 5 serve as a direct cooling storage room that introduces forced-air cooling air to cool it, and the vegetable compartment 3 is a vegetable provided in the room. Without introducing cooling air directly into the storage container 14 (see FIG. 2), the vegetable storage container 1
4 is an indirect cooling type storage chamber that cools indirectly from the periphery of 4. In addition, in this embodiment, although the vegetable compartment 3 is arrange | positioned in the middle stage of a refrigerator, if it takes the structure which is mentioned later,
The location of the vegetable room is arbitrary.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vegetable compartment 3 of the present embodiment includes a horizontal partition plate 11 and a horizontal partition plate 12 of the refrigerator 1.
Is located between. The vegetable compartment 3 includes a vegetable storage container (a vegetable storage container constituting the main body of the vegetable compartment) 14 that can be pulled out integrally with the vegetable compartment door 13, and a vegetable compartment cover 15 that covers the upper surface of the vegetable storage container 14. A small container (small container) 16 placed in the upper back of the vegetable storage container 14 and held so as to be able to be pulled out to the vegetable storage container 14, and a minus disposed on the upper surface of the vegetable compartment cover 15. An ion generator 17, an independent vegetable room fan 18 disposed on the upper surface of the vegetable room cover 15 and dedicated to the vegetable room, and attached to the upper surface of the vegetable room cover 15 to cover the negative ion generator 17 and the vegetable room fan 18. Blower cover 19
Are included.

The horizontal partition plate 11 forms a part of the framework of the refrigerator 1, and the door of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment door 1.
3 has a function of adsorbing 3 packings (not shown), and a space is provided behind the horizontal partition plate 11. The vegetable compartment cover 15 is attached below the horizontal partition plate 11,
A negative ion generator 17 and a vegetable room fan 18 are arranged on the upper surface of the back of the vegetable room cover 15, and a blower cover 19 that covers the negative ion generator 17 and the vegetable room fan 18 is provided.
It is attached to the upper part of the vegetable compartment cover 15. That is, the negative ion generator 17, the vegetable compartment fan 18, and the blower cover 19 are housed in a flat space on the back side of the horizontal partition plate 11, and the vegetable compartment door 13. Since the negative ion generator 17 and the vegetable compartment fan 18 are mounted on the vegetable compartment cover 15 which is a fixing member of the refrigerator 1 instead of the vegetable storage container 14 that can be pulled out as a unit, the drawer is pulled out as in the past. Compared with a structure in which a negative ion generator is attached to a possible member, there is no possibility of disconnection of the cord, and the connection structure can be simplified.

The blower cover 19 is at least partially formed of a transparent or translucent material so that the vegetable compartment fan 18 can be seen from above, and the bottom plate 20 of the refrigerator compartment 2 located above the blower cover 19. Is also formed of a transparent or translucent material.

The upper surface of the vegetable storage container 14 is sealed with a vegetable compartment cover 15 and a blower cover 19, and the sealed vegetable compartment 3 is cooled by the cold air blown by the above-described fan (cold air blower) 7. The vegetable container 14 is cooled from the outer periphery.

The vegetable compartment cover 15 that covers the upper surface of the vegetable storage container 14 has an air suction port 15 a and a discharge port 1.
The air (cold air) sucked from the suction port 15a by the vegetable compartment fan 18 is blown out from the discharge port 15b by the vegetable compartment fan 18, and the vegetable storage container 1
4 is forced to circulate inside. And since the negative ion generator 17 is arrange | positioned leeward rather than the vegetable compartment fan 18, the negative ion produced | generated with the negative ion generator 17 with the vegetable storage container 14 with the cold air sent out from the discharge outlet 15b. The vegetables in the accessory storage container 16 are sprayed in a shower shape.

That is, in this embodiment, since the negative ions are easily absorbed by the plastic material, the negative ion generator 17 is not used instead of the method of passing the negative ions through the cooling air circulation duct of the refrigerator as in the conventional technique described above. The cold air containing negative ions is sprayed directly onto the vegetables. Moreover, since the cold air in the sealed vegetable compartment is forced to circulate, negative ions are evenly applied to every corner of the vegetable storage container 14, and the effect of maintaining the freshness of food by the negative ions is greatly enhanced.

As shown in FIG. 3, the negative ion generator 17 is disposed so as to be located immediately above the discharge port 15 b, and the vegetable compartment fan 18 is on the windward side of the negative ion generator 17 and the suction port. It is disposed at an intermediate position between 15a and the discharge port 15b. The vegetable room fan 18 employs a propeller type fan with a large diameter in order to secure the air volume including negative ions, so that it fits within the height dimension of the horizontal partition plate 11 (see FIG. 2). The vegetable compartment fan 18 is disposed so as to be inclined so that the discharge side faces downward and has an inclination of 30 degrees or less from the horizontal. According to the vegetable compartment fan 18 of the present embodiment having such a structure and mounting posture, it is possible to achieve a sufficient air volume and a flat and narrow space at the same time. In addition, since it is a propeller type fan, as will be described later, the vegetable room fan 18 can easily check its rotation / stop state.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a moisture absorption / deodorant sheet 21 is attached to the lower side of the vegetable room fan 18 on the upper surface side of the vegetable room cover 15, and the vegetable room fan 18 is attached to the moisture absorption / deodorization sheet 21. It is configured so that the wind blown from directly hits. This moisture absorption / deodorization sheet 21 absorbs and retains the moisture produced by the vegetables when there are many vegetables in the vegetable storage container 14, and the moisture is reduced when the vegetables are reduced and the interior of the vegetable storage container 14 is dried. Is located above the anion generator 17 and the function of automatically adjusting the humidity in the vegetable storage container 14, the function of absorbing odors, and the like. It has a function of adsorbing water droplets condensed on the inner surface of the blower cover 19 from flowing down through the cover and preventing the water droplets from dropping on the vegetable storage container 14. In addition, when the moisture absorption / deodorant sheet 21 is moist, the odor component can be efficiently adsorbed.

The moisture absorption / deodorization sheet 21 is disposed at a position where the water droplets condensed on the inner surface of the upper position of the negative ion generator 17 in the blower cover 19 can be received and dropped to absorb the water drops dripped from the blower cover 19. It is installed. Here, moisture is condensed on the upper surface of the blower cover 19 on the side where the negative ion generator 17 is stored.
3 is closed, the vegetable storage container 14 is sealed, and the vegetable storage container 14 is indirectly cooled from the outer periphery by the cold air blown by the fan (cold air blower) 7 described above, and the temperature of the vegetable storage container 14 is reduced. When the temperature becomes higher than the outside temperature, moisture contained in the vegetables is evaporated and circulated in the vegetable storage container 14 by the vegetable compartment fan 18 to generate negative ions in the cooled fan cover 19. This is because moisture contacts the upper portion of the vessel 17 to cool and condense.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the ceiling portion 19 a above the negative ion generator 17 in the blower cover 19 is inclined to the moisture absorption / deodorization sheet 21, and the ceiling portion 1.
9a is configured such that the condensed water drops fall on the moisture absorption / deodorant sheet 21. In addition,
In the present embodiment, the ceiling portion 1 above the negative ion generator 17 in the blower cover 19.
Although only 9a is inclined to the moisture absorption / deodorization sheet 21, the ceiling part on the upper side of the vegetable compartment fan 18 in the blower cover 19 may also be inclined to the moisture absorption / odor prevention sheet 21 side (ceiling part 19a). And may be inclined in the opposite direction).

Here, in FIG. 3, 19 b is a transparent window member provided on the blower cover 19, which is located above the vegetable compartment fan 18.

As described above, in this embodiment, in addition to the vegetable storage container 14, the vegetable compartment 3 has a small storage container 16 having a shallow height for organizing and storing small vegetables and the like. It is made to be piled up on the upper back part of the vegetable storage container 14, and this accessory storage container 16 is located under the discharge outlet 15b. Accordingly, the vegetables in the accessory storage container 16 are exposed to negative ions sent in the circulating cold air, but if the shape of the accessory storage container 16 is not devised, the accessory storage container flows the circulating cold air. Therefore, negative ions are hard to hit the vegetables in the vegetable storage container 14 and the freshness maintenance period of the vegetables in the vegetable storage container 14 is shortened.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to improve the circulation of the cold air in the vegetable storage container 14, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of ridges are formed behind the ridge line portion formed by the bottom surface and the side surface of the accessory storage container 16. A slit 16a is formed so that negative ions can fall through the slit 16a by being mixed with the circulated cold air, and can reliably contact (touch) the vegetables in the vegetable storage container 14. is there. In addition, although the position, shape, and number of slits (through holes) drilled in the accessory storage container 16 are arbitrary, when the accessory storage container 16 is provided below, the vegetable storage container 14 as will be described later.
It becomes suitable for formation of the circulation path of the inside cold air.

Furthermore, in order to improve the circulation of cool air in the vegetable storage container 14 and increase the amount of circulating air in the vegetable storage container 14, that is, make negative ions touch the vegetables in the vegetable storage container 14 well. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the front plate of the accessory storage container 16 is
The height is set lower than the side plate and the back plate of the accessory storage container 16, and thereby, a gap through which air can sufficiently circulate between the upper end of the front plate of the accessory storage container 16 and the vegetable compartment cover 15. Is provided.

In this way, the cold air mixed with negative ions is formed by the slit 16 a provided at the position of the accessory storage container 16 and the gap provided between the upper end of the front plate of the accessory storage container 16 and the vegetable compartment cover 15. By the operation of the vegetable compartment fan 18, the sealed vegetable storage container 14 is circulated as shown by the arrows in FIG. 5 so that the vegetables in the accessory storage container 16 and the vegetable storage container 14 are evenly applied. Has been. In addition, the height dimension L1 of the clearance gap provided between the upper end of the front plate of the accessory storage container 16 and the vegetable compartment cover 15 is the depth of the accessory storage container 16 (
It is confirmed that the air convection in the vegetable storage container 14 is not obstructed even if food such as vegetables is piled up in the vegetable storage container 14 by setting the height to about 1/2 of 80-100 mm. It was. In addition, the distance between the front plate of the accessory storage container 16 and the front plate of the vegetable storage container 14 is set to about 100 to 120 mm here.

By the way, when an alternating high voltage is applied to the negative ion generator electrode to generate negative ions, ozone (O3) and positive ions are also generated at the same time. Is required as described above. Therefore, in the present embodiment, alternating current is converted into direct current, and a negative direct current voltage is applied to the cathode of the negative ion generator 17 to generate only negative ions. Further, when corona discharge or glow discharge occurs, high energy is given to the oxygen molecules and the reaction of generating ozone from the oxygen molecules is promoted. Therefore, the negative ion generator 17 is prevented from causing corona discharge or glow discharge. A guard made of an insulating material is provided between the two electrodes.

That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, both electrodes 31, 32 protrude between the needle-like electrode (cathode) 31 and the ring-like electrode (positive electrode) 32 of the negative ion generator 17. A ring-shaped guard 33 made of an insulating material that is higher than the height is provided. In the present embodiment, the protruding height H2 of the needle electrode 31 is 4.5 mm, and the protruding height of the ring electrode 32 is 3.0 m.
The table in FIG. 6 shows the experimental results of measuring the generation amount of ozone and the generation amount of negative ions by changing the height of the guard 33 at this time. As can be seen from the results of this experiment, guard 3
When the height dimension H1 of 3 is 8 to 9 mm, the amount of ozone generated can be kept as low as 0.1 to 0.01 or less, but the amount of negative ions generated is 6.45 to 20.93 k pieces. / Cc
Slightly less and not a suitable value. On the other hand, if the height dimension H1 of the guard 33 is 6 to 7 mm, the amount of negative ions generated is sufficient, and the amount of ozone generated converted to the concentration in the vegetable storage container is 0.009 to 0.018 ppm. It was confirmed that the value was sufficiently low and suitable.

Moreover, in this embodiment, when the user of the refrigerator puts the hand in the vegetable compartment 3, in order to protect from an electric shock etc. and to protect the negative ion generator 17 from damage etc., on the lower side of the negative ion generator 17, As shown in FIG. 8, a plastic grill-like protective member 34 is provided. The grill-like protective member 34 has a shallow arm shape, and at least the bottom surface thereof is formed in a grill shape (protective net shape), and is made into a shape that allows negative ions to pass therethrough.

By the way, since the amount of negative ions decreases when they come into contact with a plastic or the like charged with a positive charge, it is preferable to select a plastic material that is difficult to be charged as the grill-like protection member 34. FIG. 9 is an experimental result showing the number of negative ions measured when the plastic material of the grill-like protective member 34 is changed, and FIG. 10 is a table showing physical properties of the plastic material used in the experiment of FIG. As can be seen from FIGS. 9 and 10, in the case of PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), the number of negative ions is large and the volume resistivity is large. In this embodiment, the amount of negative ions is not reduced as much as possible. For this purpose, the grill-like protection member 34 is formed of PBT. Although not used in the experiment, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) also has the same characteristics as PBT and can be used in the same manner as PBT.

In addition, as described above, if the fan for cooling air that cools the vegetable room and the storage room other than the vegetable room is also used as a fan for feeding negative ions, the outdoor air temperature (indoor temperature) in winter will be reduced. When the temperature is low, the cool air blowing fan that is linked to the refrigerator operation has a low operating rate (the air blowing time is shortened). Is not sprayed, so the effect of negative ions is reduced. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the fan 7 for the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 3 described above,
Separately from the fan 9 for the freezer compartment 4 and the freezer compartment 5, a vegetable compartment fan 18 for forcing air to circulate in the sealed vegetable storage container 14 and feeding negative ions is provided. The room fan 18 is configured as an independently controllable fan that is not linked to the operating rate of the refrigerator.

That is, in this embodiment, the vegetable room fan 18 for negative ion blowing (spreading) is driven for a predetermined time in an independent operation without being synchronized with the operation of the fan 7, and always in winter and summer. The operation of the vegetable compartment fan 18 is controlled so that negative ions are sufficiently distributed in the vegetable storage container 14. The operation of the negative ion generator 17 is as follows.
It synchronizes with the operation of the vegetable room fan 18.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the operation of the vegetable room fan 18 and the negative ion generator 17 is completely synchronized with the fan 7 in summer when the operating rate of the refrigerator is high (when the outside air temperature is high). In winter when the operating rate of the refrigerator is low (when the outside air temperature is low), the operation is started in synchronization with the start of the operation of the fan 7, or several minutes after the operation of the fan 7 is stopped. The extended operation may be performed so that the negative ions are sufficiently distributed in the vegetable storage container 14 even in summer when the operation rate of the refrigerator is low.

Moreover, in the refrigerator of this embodiment, it is set as the structure which the user of a refrigerator can visually recognize the rotation condition of the vegetable compartment fan 18 easily. In other words, if the vegetable room fan 18 is caught by the user and easily monitored from the outside, the vegetable room fan 18 is easily noticeable and safe at the time of abnormality. A transparent window member 19b is provided on the blower cover 19 positioned, and the bottom plate 20 of the refrigerating chamber 2 located above the blower cover 19 is formed of a transparent material, whereby the door of the refrigerating chamber 2 is opened. Sometimes, as shown in FIG. 12, the user can directly check the operating condition of the vegetable compartment fan 18 with the naked eye.

In addition, since the vegetable room fan 18 is a propeller type fan and is inclined so that the vegetable room fan 18 is laid down, the rotation state of the vegetable room fan 18 can be more easily confirmed. ing.

As you can see the vegetable room fan 18 rotating from the outside like this,
When a refrigerator is displayed and sold, it becomes easier for the store clerk to explain to the customer that the fan for feeding negative ions (vegetable room fan) is rotating, and if it breaks down Even easier to find the failure.

As described above, according to the refrigerator of the present embodiment, an independent circulation blower (vegetable room fan) for circulating cold air in a sealed vegetable storage container that is an indirect cooling storage room,
Since the storage compartment cover (vegetable compartment cover) covering the top of the vegetable storage container is provided, the air convection in the vegetable storage container is improved and the surface of the food such as vegetables in the vegetable storage container is cooled a lot. The air gets hot, the temperature of the food becomes uniform quickly, and the freshness can be maintained for a long time.

In addition, since the negative ion generator is installed on the discharge side (leeward) of the independent vegetable room fan, negative ions do not pass through the duct as in the conventional case, so negative ions can be adsorbed by the duct or the like. In addition, since a large amount of negative ions is dispersed in the vegetable storage container, the barrier effect of the negative ions can suppress moisture transpiration and keep the freshness of vegetables and the like fresh.

In addition, the vegetable compartment cover that covers the top of the vegetable storage container is provided with a suction port and a discharge port, and a negative ion generator is installed directly above the discharge port. Can be discharged. Furthermore, the return air circulated in the vegetable storage container
Since it is sucked back to the vegetable room fan directly from the suction port, the circulation amount of negative ions is not reduced, and a large amount of negative ions are sprayed on vegetable foods. This also helps maintain the freshness of the food. Is big.

In addition, the negative ion generator and the vegetable room fan are placed in the space provided behind the horizontal partition plate member of the refrigerator, and the vegetable room fan is tilted so that the suction is directed upward. Even if the fan has a large diameter, the installation height can be lowered, and therefore, in the flat space provided in the back of the horizontal partition plate member without reducing the volume of food that can be stored in the refrigerator. Can be placed compactly with good space factor,
Effective use of the internal volume is possible.

In addition, the negative ion generator and the vegetable compartment fan are arranged on the vegetable compartment cover fixed below the horizontal partition plate member. Compared to the structure, there is no risk of the cord being disconnected, and the connection structure can be simplified.

Even if the small container is arranged in the vegetable container, since the slit is formed in the small container, negative ions pass through the slit and are negative for the vegetables in the vegetable container. It becomes possible to disperse ions. In addition, there is a gap through which air can circulate sufficiently between the upper edge of the front plate of the small container and the vegetable compartment cover, preventing air convection even if there is a lot of food such as vegetables. Therefore, air containing negative ions can be reliably circulated in the vegetable storage container.

The wind blown from the vegetable room fan leans downward, but a moisture absorption (dehumidification) / deodorization sheet is placed under the vegetable room fan, and this moisture absorption / deodorization sheet is placed from the vegetable room fan. When the wind is in direct contact and moisture is absorbed in the wind, moisture is absorbed into the sheet, and when the wind is dry, moisture absorbed in the sheet is released, so the humidity in the vegetable storage container is properly controlled. Therefore, negative ions in the air can be circulated without being reduced, and negative ions can be used effectively. Moreover, the deodorization in a vegetable storage container can also be performed simultaneously.

Also, tilt the ceiling part of the fan cover attached to the top of the vegetable compartment cover toward the moisture absorption / deodorant sheet side so that water droplets condensed on the inclined ceiling part fall on the moisture absorption / deodorization sheet. As a result, water drops do not drop down from the vegetable compartment cover, and moisture absorption and
Since the deodorizing sheet can be kept moist all the time, the inside of the vegetable storage container can be prevented from being extremely dry, and the amount of negative ions does not decrease as the amount of moisture increases. Can be made difficult to reduce.

In addition, since a ring-shaped guard made of an insulating material is installed between the needle-shaped electrode and the ring-shaped electrode of the negative ion generator, it is possible to suppress the generation of harmful ozone as much as possible. Become. Furthermore, by making the cathode side of the negative ion generator a needle-like electrode and making the anode side a ring-like electrode surrounding the needle-like electrode, there is no adhesion so that water drops can be passed between both electrodes. There is no risk of short circuit.

In addition, since the material of the grill-like protective member provided on the ion discharge side of the negative ion generator is a high volume resistivity, for example, a PBT material, the amount of negative ions absorbed is greatly reduced, and negative ions are efficiently produced. Can be sprayed.

In addition, the operation time of the negative ion generator and the vegetable room fan is easily controlled by the outside air temperature, independent from the operation of the refrigerator cooling air fan, or in winter when the refrigerator operating rate is low (When the outside air temperature is low), the operation is started in synchronization with the start of the operation of the cool air blowing fan of the refrigerator, or the extended operation is performed for a predetermined time after the operation of the cold air blowing fan fan is stopped. Thus, even in winter when the outside air temperature is low, a sufficient amount of negative ions can be sprayed into the vegetable storage container, and the maintenance period of food such as vegetables can be extended.

Moreover, since the rotation state of the vegetable room fan can be easily seen by the user of the refrigerator, it is possible to give the user a sense of security, and it is easy to find this even if there is a failure. Furthermore, when the store clerk explains the product to the customer at the store, the vegetable room fan can be seen, so that the sales can be persuasive.

1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerated room (refrigerated storage room)
3 Vegetable room (refrigerated storage room for vegetables)
4, 5 Freezer compartment 6 Compressor 7 Fan for refrigerator compartment 2 and vegetable compartment 3 8 Cooler for refrigerator compartment 2 and vegetable compartment 3 9 Fan for refrigerator compartment 4 and freezer compartment 5 10 For freezer compartment 4 and refrigerator compartment 5 Cooler 11, 12 Horizontal partition plate 13 Vegetable room door 14 Vegetable storage container 15 Vegetable room cover 15a Suction port 15b Discharge port 16 Small storage container 16a Slit 17 Negative ion generator 18 Vegetable room fan 19 Blower cover 19a Ceiling 19b Transparent Window member 20 Bottom plate 21 Hygroscopic / deodorizing sheet 31 Needle-shaped electrode 32 Ring-shaped electrode 33 Guard 34 Grill-shaped protective member

Claims (1)

A refrigerator comprising a vegetable room for storing vegetables in which a storage container is arranged in a storage room located below a horizontal partition plate of the refrigerator, wherein the storage container constituting the main body of the vegetable room is a drawer-type container,
A negative ion generator that generates negative ions is installed in the back of the horizontal partition so as to face the discharge port for discharging the negative ions to the storage container.
A refrigerator in which negative ions from the negative ion generator are directly discharged into the storage container together with cold air through the discharge port without passing through a duct and sprayed directly on vegetables in a shower shape.

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