JP2010281491A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce power consumption by reducing an energization amount to a heater for shortening the defrosting time. <P>SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes a cooler chamber provided with a cooler and an in-storage blowing means, a machine chamber provided with a compressor and a machine chamber blowing means, a first damper for controlling flow of cold air to a storage chamber in a freezing temperature zone, a second damper for controlling flow of cold air to a storage chamber in a refrigerating temperature zone, a defrosting heater provided below the cooler, a drain pipe for communicating the machine chamber and the cooler chamber, and an opening/closing valve provided at an opening of the drain pipe on the machine chamber side. The defrosting operation of the cooler blows the cold air to the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone by operating the machine chamber blowing means and the in-storage blowing means while opening the opening/closing valve, closing the first damper, opening the second damper, and stopping the compressor. When a predetermined time passes until temperature of the cooler increases to predetermined temperature, the second damper is closed, the in-storage blowing means is stopped, and the defrosting heater is energized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

  Refrigerators in recent years are required to improve energy savings, and it is important not only to improve the structure and cooling operation, but also to improve the efficiency of defrosting operation to defrost frost generated in the cooler.

  Conventionally, the defrosting operation of the refrigerator is performed in accordance with the “natural defrosting method” in which the refrigeration unit is stopped and the refrigerant supply is stopped to leave the cooler for defrosting and the refrigeration unit is stopped. There is a “heating defrosting method” in which the cooler is heated with a heater or the like. Here, in the former natural defrosting method, there is a tendency that it takes time to complete the defrosting. In the latter heating defrosting method, although defrosting ends quickly, a lot of power is consumed for energizing the defrosting heater. There is a problem of doing.

  For this reason, it has been proposed that natural defrosting is performed at the initial stage of the defrosting operation and the power consumption by the defrosting heater is reduced by shifting to a heating defrosting method after a certain time (for example, Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2006-52878 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to reduce the heater input, as a result, natural defrosting is performed for 60 minutes, so that there is a problem that the defrosting time increases as a whole.

  Furthermore, the subject that the power consumption by the cooling operation after a defrost increases increases by the temperature rise in a store | warehouse | chamber.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to reduce the energization amount to the heater, shorten the defrosting time, and reduce the power consumption.

  In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerator of the present invention includes a freezing temperature zone storage room, a refrigeration temperature zone storage room, a cooler room provided with a cooler and an internal blowing means, a compressor, A machine room provided with a machine room blower, a first electric damper that controls the flow of cold air to the storage room in the refrigeration temperature zone, and a first motor that controls the flow of cold air to the storage room in the refrigeration temperature zone Two electric dampers, a defrosting heater provided below the cooler, a drain pipe communicating the machine room and the cooler room, and an opening on the machine room side of the drain pipe. A drain pipe opening / closing valve, and the defrosting operation of the cooler is performed by opening the drain pipe opening / closing valve, closing the first electric damper, opening the second electric damper, and stopping the compressor. By operating the machine room blower and the internal blower in the state When the cool air is blown into the storage room in the refrigerated temperature zone and a predetermined time has passed until the cooler rises to a predetermined temperature, the second electric damper is closed, and the internal air blowing means is stopped, The defrosting heater is energized.

  Further, a refrigeration cycle having a cooler and a compressor, a cooler chamber in which the cooler is disposed, a drain pipe for discharging defrost water of the cooler to a machine chamber in which the compressor is disposed, and In a refrigerator provided with an evaporating dish that is disposed above the compressor in a machine room and receives the defrosted water, and an outside fan unit that blows air to the evaporating dish and promotes evaporation of the defrosted water. In operation, with the refrigeration cycle and the defrosting heater stopped, the outside air blowing means is operated to allow outside air to flow from the drain pipe into the cooler chamber, and the cooler rises to a predetermined temperature. When a predetermined time has elapsed, the defrost heater is energized.

  Further, a drain pipe opening / closing valve is provided at an opening of the drain pipe on the machine room side, and the drain pipe opening / closing valve is opened when the defrosting operation is started.

  The present invention can reduce the energization amount to the heater, shorten the defrosting time, and reduce the power consumption.

It is a structure schematic diagram of the refrigerator which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a control system block diagram of the refrigerator which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a machine room structure schematic diagram of the refrigerator which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a defrost operation control flowchart of the refrigerator which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a timing chart of the refrigerator which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a drain pipe open / close valve of the refrigerator which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a defrost operation control flowchart of the refrigerator which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a timing chart of the refrigerator which concerns on Example 2 of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

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

  First, the structure of the whole refrigerator is demonstrated, referring FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control system block diagram of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a machine room structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator of a present Example is provided with the storage room divided into plurality in the refrigerator main body. These storage rooms are arranged from the top in order of frequency of use, and are configured to improve the convenience of the refrigerator. For example, the refrigerator compartment 14, the freezing temperature compartment 15, and the vegetable compartment 16 are provided in order from the top, and the storage compartments in different temperature zones are partitioned by heat insulating partition walls 19 and 20.

  The freezing temperature chamber 15 is divided into an ice making chamber 18 and a freezing chamber 17 that are maintained at a freezing temperature of about −6 to −40 ° C., for example. The refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 are comprised so that it may be used as a refrigerator temperature room of about 0 degreeC-10 degreeC, for example.

  A cooler chamber 13a is located behind the freezing temperature chamber 15, and the cooler 13 is installed in the cooler chamber 13a. In addition, the cooler chamber 13a is provided with an internal air blowing means 21 (internal air blowing means) so that the cool air heat-exchanged in the cooler 13 can be blown and circulated. Specifically, the internal air blowing means 21 is provided above the cooler 13, and the cool air is sent not only to the freezing temperature chamber 15 but also to the refrigerating chamber 14 and the vegetable chamber 16, and cold air circulation is performed.

  The compressor 12 constituting the refrigeration cycle together with the cooler 13 is located in the machine room 30 on the rear side of the refrigerator main body, and is connected to a condenser or capillary tube (not shown) by a refrigerant pipe. The rotation speed of the compressor 12 is controlled by the detection values of the refrigeration temperature detection means 25 and the refrigeration temperature detection means 26. The freezing temperature detection means 25 is provided in the freezing temperature chamber 15 and detects the temperature in the freezing temperature chamber 15. The refrigeration temperature detection means 26 is provided in the refrigeration chamber 14 (refrigeration temperature chamber) and detects the temperature of the refrigeration chamber 14. Operation control of the refrigeration cycle including the compressor 12 is performed by the control device 11.

  The cool air generated by heat exchange by the cooler 13 is sent from the cooler chamber 13a to each storage chamber by the internal air blowing means 21. Electric dampers 22 and 23 are attached to the cold air passages communicating with the storage chambers. This cold air passage is opened and closed by electric dampers 22 and 23, and the supply of cold air to each chamber is controlled.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature detection value in each storage chamber detected by the freezing temperature detection means 25 and the refrigeration temperature detection means 26 is input to the control device 11. The control device 11 controls the opening and closing of the electric dampers 22 and 23, the operation of each fan, and the operation of the refrigeration cycle.

  Moreover, the frost adhering to the cooler 13 is regularly defrosted by the natural defrost by the stop of a refrigerating cycle, and the defrost heater 32 with which the lower part of the cooler 13 was equipped. The defrost water generated by the defrosting flows into the eaves provided at the lower part of the cooler chamber 13a, and then reaches the evaporating dish 31 through the drain pipe 33 and evaporates. At this time, a defrosting thermistor 35 is attached in the vicinity of the cooler 13, and when the detected temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the defrosting operation is terminated and a predetermined time during which the defrosting water is dropped. Then restart the cooling operation. The temperature of the defrosting thermistor 35 at this time is defined as the defrosting end temperature. The defrosting end temperature is set in the range of about 1 ° C to 15 ° C because it is necessary to melt the frost as much as possible. In this embodiment, “7 ° C.” is set.

  In the present embodiment, during the defrosting operation, the machine room air blowing means 34 (external air blowing device) shown in FIG. 3 is operated for a certain period of time. Thereby, the heat in the machine room 30 flows into the cooler room 13a through the drain pipe 33. At this time, the temperature in the machine room 30 becomes high due to the operation of the compressor 12, and is, for example, 30 ° C. to 60 ° C. higher than the temperature of the cooler room 13 a in the initial stage of defrosting. That is, the heat of the machine room 30 can be utilized as heat for defrosting the cooler 13. If the time during which the machine room air blowing unit 34 is operated and the time for natural defrosting by stopping the refrigeration cycle are too long, the rise in the internal temperature increases. Therefore, the natural defrosting time is about 2 to 30 minutes. In this embodiment, this time is “10 minutes”.

  Next, details of the operation control will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the defrosting operation control of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a timing chart of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  When the defrosting operation is started (determination of “YES” in S2), first, natural defrosting by stopping the refrigeration cycle is executed in S3. At the same time, air is blown into the cooler chamber 13a by the machine room blowing means 34, and warm air flows into the cooler 13 to defrost. In the warm air inflow and natural defrosting by the machine room air blowing means 34, when the detection temperature of the defrosting thermistor 35 reaches 7 ° C. (S4 is “YES”), the defrosting is completed, and the cooling operation is resumed by S8. . Further, when 10 minutes have passed with natural defrosting (step 5 is “YES”), energization of the defrosting heater 32 is started in step S6. As a result, defrosting progresses, and when the detection temperature of the defrosting thermistor 35 reaches 7 ° C. (step S7 is “YES”), it is considered that the defrosting is completed, the energization to the defrosting heater 32 is cut off, Cooling operation is resumed after draining time.

  According to the present embodiment, even during natural defrosting in which the temperature rise of the cooler 13 is generally slow, the temperature rise is promoted in order to effectively use the warm air in the machine room 30, thereby heating the defrost heater thereafter. The defrosting time can be shortened. Moreover, since the whole defrosting time is shortened, it is possible to suppress the use of extra power in the subsequent cooling operation, and to reduce the power consumption as the entire operation related to defrosting.

  Next, Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. The form of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the points described below, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 whose opening / closing is controlled by, for example, the control device 11 is provided in the vicinity of the outlet of the drain pipe 33, that is, the opening on the machine room 30 side. The drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 opens and closes the machine room 30 side opening of the drain pipe 33 according to the operation state of the refrigerator. The drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 is in an open state as shown in FIG. 6 (B) during defrosting, and is closed as shown in FIG. 6 (A) except for defrosting. In the present embodiment, the drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 having the shape shown in FIG. 6 is provided and warm air from the machine room 30 is taken in. However, although not particularly limited, a sufficient opening angle α is set to 30 ° or more.

  The shape of the drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. In addition, the electric dampers 22 and 23 are controlled in synchronization with the natural defrosting.

  Details of the operation control in the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the defrosting operation control of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a timing chart of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.

  When the defrosting operation is started (determination of S2 is “YES”), natural defrosting is executed by S9, and the drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 is opened, for example, by 30 ° or more. Then, air is blown into the cooler chamber 13a by the machine room blowing means 34, and warm air is caused to flow into the cabinet. At this time, the electric damper 23 that controls the blowing to the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 is “open”, and the electric damper 22 that controls the blowing to the freezing temperature chamber 15 is “closed”. Further, the internal air blowing means 21 is operated to circulate cold air. That is, the low-temperature air obtained by defrosting is sent to the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 to cool not only the natural defrost of the cooler 13 but also the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 at the same time.

  Cooling of the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 in this embodiment (electric damper 23: “open”, electric damper 22 “closed”, internal blower means 21: “operation”, compressor: “stop”, machine room blower Means: “operation”, drain pipe opening / closing valve: “open”) and natural defrosting operation are terminated when the detected temperature of the defrosting thermistor 35 reaches 7 ° C. (determination of “YES” in step S4), and S8 As a result, the cooling operation is resumed. If 10 minutes have passed since S7 has not reached 7 ° C (S4 is determined to be “NO”) (S5 is determined to be “YES”), the electric damper 23 that blows air to the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable room 16 is closed by S10. And the energization of the defrosting heater 32 is started. As a result, the defrosting of the cooler 13 proceeds, the detected temperature of the defrosting thermistor 35 reaches 7 ° C. (Step S7 is “YES”), the defrosting is considered to have ended, and the defrosting heater 32 is energized. The cooling operation is resumed after a predetermined time for dropping the defrosted water that is blocked and attached to the cooler 13.

  According to Example 2, the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 are cooled simultaneously with natural defrosting (the freezing temperature chamber 15 does not cool the electric damper 22 as “closed”). That is, the temperature rise of the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 during defrosting can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the cold air generated by defrosting has a high humidity, the refrigerator compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 16 can be kept at high humidity, and the freshness of the stored fresh food can be enhanced.

  In addition, by intentionally opening and closing the drain pipe opening / closing valve 37, the drain pipe opening / closing valve 37 is fully closed during operation other than defrosting, so that warm air enters the cooler chamber 13a during normal cooling operation. Can be prevented. Thereby, cooling efficiency improves and power consumption can be reduced. Furthermore, since the warm air of the machine room 30 is taken in from the opening of the drain pipe 33 during the defrosting operation, an efficient defrosting operation can be performed and the power consumption can be reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Control apparatus 12 Compressor 13 Cooler 14 Refrigeration room 15 Freezing temperature room 16 Vegetable room 17 Freezing room 18 Ice making room 21 Internal blower means 22, 23 Electric damper 25 Freezing temperature detection means 26 Refrigeration temperature detection means 30 Machine room 32 Removal Frost heater 33 Drain pipe 34 Machine room blower 35 Defrost thermistor 37 Drain pipe on / off valve

Claims (3)

Refrigeration temperature zone storage room, refrigeration temperature zone storage room, cooler room provided with a cooler and internal air blowing means, machine room provided with compressor and machine room air blowing means, and the freezing temperature A first electric damper that controls the flow of cold air to the storage chamber of the belt, a second electric damper that controls the flow of cold air to the storage chamber of the refrigerated temperature zone, and a lower portion of the cooler. A defrost heater, a drain pipe communicating the machine room and the cooler room, and a drain pipe opening / closing valve provided at an opening on the machine room side of the drain pipe,
In the defrosting operation of the cooler, the drain pipe opening / closing valve is opened, the first electric damper is closed, the second electric damper is opened, and the compressor is stopped. By operating the internal air blowing means, cool air is blown into the storage room in the refrigeration temperature zone,
When a predetermined time has elapsed before the cooler rises to a predetermined temperature, the second electric damper is closed, the internal blower is stopped, and the defrost heater is energized. The compressor arranges a refrigeration cycle having a cooler and a compressor, a cooler chamber in which the cooler is disposed, a defrost heater provided below the cooler, and defrost water in the cooler. A drain pipe for discharging to the machine room, an evaporating dish disposed above the compressor in the machine room for receiving the defrost water, and blowing air to the evaporating dish to promote evaporation of the defrost water In the refrigerator provided with the outside air blowing means,
In the defrosting operation, with the refrigeration cycle and the defrosting heater stopped, the outside air blowing means is operated to allow outside air to flow from the drain pipe into the cooler chamber,
The refrigerator, wherein a predetermined time elapses before the cooler rises to a predetermined temperature, the defrost heater is energized. In Claim 2, a drain pipe opening and closing valve is provided at the opening on the machine room side of the drain pipe,
The drain pipe open / close valve is opened when the defrosting operation is started.

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