JP2011174644A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve such a problem that conventionally only illuminance of the surrounding area of the installation location of a refrigerator is taken into consideration for a determination as to switch operation modes between a normal operation and an energy-saving operation, which results in detecting illuminance having a number of disturbing factors, and thus failing to achieve exact switching of operation modes. <P>SOLUTION: It is configured such that illuminance information detected by an illuminance detector 33 and status information concerning the use of a refrigerator detected by a status detector 37 are both input into a determination unit 41 to make a determination as to switch operation modes, whereby a highly reliable energy-saving operation can be controlled. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with illuminance detection means, and more particularly, to a refrigerator capable of power-saving operation according to the usage state of the refrigerator such as an illuminance detection amount and door opening / closing.

  Conventionally, when this type of refrigerator detects a light intensity higher than a predetermined illuminance, it performs a normal operation, and when it detects a light intensity lower than a predetermined illuminance, the user rarely sleeps and opens the refrigerator door. Since it is considered to be fun, products that perform power-saving operation that is operated with less power than the normal temperature have been commercialized. For example, in this power saving operation, there is one that raises the set temperature of the freezer compartment by several degrees Celsius. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 8 is a front view of a conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, FIG. 9 is an electric circuit diagram of the illuminance detection unit, and FIG. 10 is a control flowchart of the operation state.

  In FIG. 8, 1 is the refrigerator of the present invention, and 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are a refrigerator door, a vegetable room door, an ice making room door, a switching room door, and a freezer room door, respectively. An operation unit 7 includes various operation switches (not shown), a liquid crystal display unit 8, and an optical sensor storage unit 9.

  Next, in FIG. 9, 10 is an optical sensor for detecting the illuminance around the refrigerator, 11 is a resistor, 12 is an AD converter that converts an input analog voltage value into a digital signal, and 13 is an AD converter. A storage device for storing a signal from the converter 12, and a microcomputer (control device, 14) for inputting the signal from the AD converter 12 and controlling the operation of a compressor (not shown), etc. Control means). The operation of the compressor is mainly ON / OFF controlled by a freezer sensor (not shown).

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated using the control flowchart of FIG. 10 below.

  First, when a switch (not shown) for enabling power saving operation is pressed, the optical sensor 10 detects the illuminance around the front side of the refrigerator 1 in step 101. In step 102, the illuminance change rate is calculated. The change rate of illuminance is calculated by dividing the change in illuminance by the time of change, and is, for example, 150 lux / second when there is a change of 150 lux per second. 150 lux / second is set as the predetermined change rate. However, it is considered that this set value may be set in the range of 100 to 200 lux / second.

  Next, in step 103, it is determined whether or not the rate of change is greater than or equal to a set value, that is, 150 lux / second or greater. If it is greater than or equal to the set value, the logic is advanced to step 104 to perform normal operation. In this case, the logic is advanced to step 105 to determine whether the decrease rate is equal to or higher than the set value.

  If the rate of decrease is greater than or equal to a predetermined value in step 105, the logic advances to step 106 to perform power saving operation, otherwise the logic is returned to step 101 and illuminance detection is performed again.

The operation for controlling the set temperature of the freezer (usually −20 ° C., the set temperature can be changed) to the set temperature is the normal operation, and the freezer compartment temperature is set to the set temperature (−20 ° C.). The power-saving operation is controlled to be a temperature close to 2 ° C. room temperature (−18 ° C.). For this reason, in this power saving operation, the operation time of the compressor becomes shorter than that in the normal operation, and the operation stop time becomes longer, so that power can be saved as compared with the normal operation.

JP 2002-107025 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, even if the rate of change in illuminance rise or fall is judged, the decision to switch between normal operation and power saving operation is made only by illuminance, and only illuminance detection that is susceptible to malfunctions due to disturbance factors. Then, it had the subject that it could not switch to power saving operation more effectively.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and not only detects the change in illuminance of the refrigerator installation environment but also automatically switches between normal operation and power saving operation by the control means in consideration of the use status of the refrigerator. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can realize energy saving with high practicality.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body, a detection unit that detects a refrigerator installation environment and a usage state of the refrigerator, and a switch between power saving operation and normal operation based on information from the detection unit. And a control means for controlling the operation of the electric load component of the refrigerator by inputting a signal from the determination means, and switching from the normal operation to the power saving operation by a signal from the detection means And a control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation regardless of the signal from the detection means when there is an abnormality in the cooling state of the refrigerator.

  Thus, it is possible to prevent the cooling failure and excessive cooling of the refrigerator and to maintain the storage quality of the refrigerator while ensuring the cooling reliability while reliably suppressing the power consumption by performing the power saving operation.

  In addition, the present invention provides a refrigerator body, a detection unit that detects a refrigerator installation environment and a usage state of the refrigerator, a determination unit that determines switching between a power saving operation and a normal operation based on information from the detection unit, and the determination unit A control means for controlling the operation of the electric load component of the refrigerator by inputting a signal from the refrigerator, and switching from the normal operation to the power saving operation by a signal from the detection means, and an abnormality in the electric load component When there is, there is provided control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation regardless of the signal from the detection means.

  As a result, it is possible to quickly determine whether there is an abnormality such as a failure in the electric load component in the normal operation state. It is possible to quickly and surely detect the abnormality, and the safety can be further improved.

  Thus, it is possible to ensure both safety and reliability while reliably suppressing power consumption by performing power saving operation.

  The refrigerator of the present invention can provide a refrigerator that ensures both safety and reliability while reliably reducing power consumption by performing power saving operation.

Front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Sectional drawing of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention The block diagram of the operation board of the operation part of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention Control block diagram of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Control flow chart of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Monitor data dispersion diagram of ambient illuminance of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Control flow chart of refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the present invention Front view of a conventional refrigerator Electric circuit diagram of conventional illuminance detection unit of refrigerator Conventional refrigerator operation state control flowchart

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator main body, a detection unit that detects a refrigerator installation environment and a usage state of the refrigerator, a determination unit that determines switching between a power saving operation and a normal operation based on information from the detection unit, and the determination unit And a control means for controlling the operation of the electric load components of the refrigerator by inputting a signal from the above, and switching from the normal operation to the power saving operation by the signal from the detection means, and the cooling state of the refrigerator is abnormal When there is, there is provided control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation regardless of the signal from the detection means.

  This prevents a cooling failure and excessive cooling of the refrigerator, and provides a refrigerator that maintains the storage quality of the refrigerator while ensuring cooling reliability while reliably suppressing power consumption by performing power saving operation. be able to.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator main body, a detection means for detecting a refrigerator installation environment and a use state of the refrigerator, a determination means for determining switching between a power saving operation and a normal operation based on information from the detection means, and the determination means A control means for controlling the operation of the electric load component of the refrigerator by inputting a signal from the refrigerator, and switching from the normal operation to the power saving operation by a signal from the detection means, and an abnormality in the electric load component When there is, there is provided control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation regardless of the signal from the detection means.

  As a result, it is possible to quickly determine whether there is an abnormality such as a failure in the electric load component in the normal operation state. It is possible to quickly and surely detect the abnormality, and the safety can be further improved.

  Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that is compatible with ensuring safety and reliability while reliably suppressing power consumption by performing power saving operation.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation when the door is kept open for a predetermined time or more when there is an abnormality in the cooling state.

  As a result, if the door switch that detects the opening / closing of the door detects the opening of the door for a longer period of time than the general usage state, it can be used as an indirect method of detecting that the cooling state of the refrigerator is abnormal. The user can be alerted to the continuous opening of the door and can operate normally without power-saving operation.If the door is opened for a long period of time, the refrigerator will be poorly cooled or excessively cooled if the internal temperature rises rapidly. It is possible to provide a refrigerator that is capable of preventing and maintaining both the power saving operation and the storage quality of the refrigerator.

  In the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the cooling state is abnormal, the time during which the door is kept open for a predetermined time or longer is set to 1 minute or longer.

  As a result, it is possible to accurately detect that the door has been opened continuously for a longer period of time than in normal use, and the refrigerator has poor cooling when the internal temperature suddenly rises due to prolonged door opening. In addition, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that prevents both excessive cooling and power saving operation while maintaining the storage quality of the refrigerator.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, when there is an abnormality in the electrical load component, if any one of the compressor, the cooling fan 31, and the defrosting heater that is the electrical load component is determined to be abnormal, Rather, it is provided with control means for switching from power saving operation to normal operation.

  As a result, it is possible to quickly determine whether there is an abnormality such as a failure in the electric load component in the normal operation state. It is possible to quickly and surely detect the abnormality, and the safety can be further improved.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those of the conventional example or the embodiments described above, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an operation board of an operation unit of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram of the refrigerator in the first embodiment of the present invention. The monitor data dispersion | distribution figure of ambient illuminance is each shown.

  In FIG. 1, the refrigerator main body 21 has a refrigerated room 22, an ice making room 23, a switching room 24, a freezing room 25, and a vegetable room 26 in order from the top. An operation unit 27 is disposed near the center of the refrigerator compartment door 22a of the refrigerator compartment 22.

  In FIG. 2, the heat insulation box body which is the refrigerator main body 21 is foam-filled in the space between the outer box mainly using a steel plate, the inner box molded with resin such as ABS, and the outer box. It is comprised with foaming heat insulating materials, such as hard foaming urethane which is insulated from the circumference | surroundings, and is heat-insulated by the partition wall into the several storage chamber. A refrigerating room 22 is provided at the top, a switching room 24 or an ice making room 23 is provided side by side at the bottom of the refrigerating room, a freezing room 25 is disposed at the bottom of the switching room 24 and the ice making room 23, and a vegetable room 26 is disposed at the bottom. In addition, a door is formed in the front opening of the refrigerator main body 21 so as to separate the outside air from the front of each storage room.

  Moreover, the top surface part of the heat insulation box is a shape in which a dent is provided stepwise toward the back side of the refrigerator body 21, and a machine room is formed in the step-like recess, and the compressor 28, The high-pressure side components of the refrigeration cycle such as a dryer (not shown) for removing moisture are accommodated. That is, the machine room in which the compressor 28 is disposed is formed by biting into the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 22.

  In this embodiment, the matters relating to the main part of the invention described below are of the type in which a compressor room is provided by providing a machine room in the rear region of the lowermost storage room of a heat insulation box, which has been generally used in the past. You may apply to a refrigerator.

Next, a cooling chamber 29 for generating cold air is provided on the back surface of the freezing chamber 25 and is partitioned from the air passage, and between them, a cold air conveying air passage to each chamber having heat insulation properties, A rear partition wall configured to partition the storage chamber from the heat insulation is configured. In addition, a partition plate for separating the freezing chamber discharge air passage and the cooling chamber 29 is provided. In the cooling chamber 29, a cooler 30 is disposed. In the upper space of the cooler 30, cold air cooled by the cooler 30 by a forced convection method is stored in the refrigerator chamber 22, the switching chamber 24, the ice making chamber 23, and vegetables. A cooling fan 31 for blowing air to the chamber 26 and the freezing chamber 25 is disposed. In the lower space of the cooler 30, a defrost heater 32 made of a glass tube for defrosting the frost and ice adhering to the cooler 30 and its periphery during cooling is configured.

  Here, the state of each storage room will be described in detail below.

  The refrigerator compartment 22 is normally set to 1 ° C. to 5 ° C. at the lower limit of the temperature at which it does not freeze for refrigerated storage, and the lowermost vegetable compartment 26 is set to 2 ° C. to 7 ° C., which is the same or slightly higher temperature setting as the refrigerator compartment 22. In addition, the freezer compartment 25 is set in a freezing temperature zone and is usually set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. for frozen storage, but for example, −30 ° C. or − It may be set at a low temperature of 25 ° C.

  The switching chamber 24 is not only refrigerated set at 1 ° C to 5 ° C, vegetables set at 2 ° C to 7 ° C, and frozen at a temperature set usually at -22 ° C to -15 ° C. It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the freezing temperature ranges. The switching room 24 is a storage room provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making room 23, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  In the present embodiment, the switching chamber 24 is a storage room including the temperature range of refrigeration and freezing. However, the refrigeration is performed by the refrigeration room 22 and the vegetable room 26, and the freezing is performed by the freezing room 25. A storage room specialized for switching only the temperature zone in the middle of freezing may be used. Moreover, the storage room fixed to refrigeration may be sufficient as the demand for frozen foods has increased in recent years, for example, frozen food.

  The ice making chamber 23 makes ice with an automatic ice maker (not shown) provided in the upper part of the room with water sent from a water storage tank (not shown) in the refrigerator compartment, and an ice storage container (not shown) arranged in the lower part of the room. To store).

  Next, in FIG. 3, an operation board 27 a is configured inside the operation unit 27, and an illuminance detection unit 33 is provided above and above the vertical axis extension line of the operation board 27 a. The illuminance detection means 33 can be specifically configured by using an optical sensor using a photodiode or phototransistor as a base element.

  Further, the operation board 27a has an operation switch 34 for setting the internal temperature of each room, ice making, quick cooling, and the like, an indicator lamp 35 for displaying a state set by the operation switch 34, and an operating state of the refrigerator. That is, a notification means 36 using an LED or the like for notifying switching between normal operation and power saving operation is disposed.

  Next, the control configuration of each component described above will be described with reference to the control block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 4, the determination unit 41 receives a signal S <b> 1 from the illuminance determination unit 33 and a signal S <b> 2 informing the use status of the refrigerator from the state detection unit 37. Specifically, the state detection means 37 includes an internal temperature sensor 38 for detecting the internal temperature, a door switch 39 for detecting the open / closed state of each storage room door, internal temperature setting, quick freezing operation, and quick ice operation. The operation switch 40 is used to instruct such as. Further, a signal S3 is output from the determination means 41 to the control means 42, and further signals from the control means 42 for controlling the respective electric load components are sent to the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrost heater 32, respectively S4, Output as S5 and S6.

The operation and action of the refrigerator configured as described above will be described below using the control flowchart of FIG. 5 and the monitor data distribution diagram of ambient illuminance of the refrigerator of FIG.

  First, in the operation state in the main control flow, the door switch 39 which is one of the state detection means 37 is detected as step 121, and the door opening / closing frequency per unit time is detected and input to the determination means 41 as a signal S2. Further, the determination means 41 determines whether the number of times of opening and closing the door is less than the prescribed N times. If the number is less than N times, the logic advances to step 122; otherwise, the logic advances to step 124 to start normal operation. (Continue if already normal operation) and return the logic to the main control flow.

  Next, in step 122, the illuminance detection means 33 detects the illuminance around the refrigerator installation environment, and the illuminance is input to the determination means 41 as a signal S1. Further, the determination means 41 determines whether or not the illuminance is 5 lux or less. If the illuminance is 5 lux or less, it is determined that it is midnight and the logic proceeds to step 123 to start the power saving operation (continue if it is already in the power saving operation). If it is not less than 5 lux, the logic advances to step 124 to start normal operation (continue if already normal operation) and return the logic to the main control flow.

  Here, the grounds for determining midnight when the illuminance is 5 lux or less will be described using the monitor data dispersion diagram of illuminance in FIG.

  (A) in FIG. 6 shows all the illuminance data measured at 20 actual homes, and shows the variance in daytime activity, morning wakeup, nighttime activity, and bedtime (midnight) in order from the top. . Fig. (B) is an enlarged view of the illuminance of 0 to 35 lux extracted from Fig. (A). As shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that when a person is active day and night, there is a very large illuminance variation, but at midnight when the person goes to bed, the whole family is less than 2 lux. In addition, there is a boundary where there is no data between the minimum illuminance at night activity and the midnight illuminance, and a determination value is given at this boundary, and the accuracy of the illuminance detection means 33 (variation of the constituent optical sensors and structures) is also considered. Considering this, the value for determining midnight was set to 5 lux.

  Next, in step 125, the door switch 39, which is one of the state detection means 37, outputs a signal S2 for detecting the opening / closing of the door to the determination means 41, and the determination means 41 determines whether the door has been opened or closed. If there is no open / close, the logic advances to step 126; otherwise, the logic advances to step 129.

  Further, in step 126, the operation switch 40, which is one of the state detection means 37, performs an operation in which the user actively cools (such as an increase in the set temperature of the chamber internal temperature setting, ice making, rapid cooling, etc.). The signal S2 at the time of setting) is output to the determination means 41, and it is determined whether or not there has been an operation by the determination means 41. If there is an operation, the logic proceeds to step 127, otherwise the logic proceeds to step 129.

  Further, in step 127, the internal temperature sensor 38, which is one of the state detection means 37, outputs a signal S2 for detecting the internal temperature of the refrigerator to the determination means 41, and the determination means 41 defines the internal temperature. If the temperature is equal to or lower than the temperature t, the process proceeds to step 128 because the temperature fluctuation is small. If the temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature t, the logic proceeds to step 129 because the temperature fluctuation is large.

  Next, in step 128, the determination means 41 determines that there is no change in the usage status of the refrigerator, and outputs a signal S 3 for continuing the power saving operation to the control means 42. The control means 42 outputs signals S4, S5, and S6 to the electric load components of the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrost heater 32, respectively, to continue the power saving operation and return the logic to the main control flow.

  Further, in step 129, when the determination unit 41 determines that the usage state of the refrigerator has changed, that is, when the user's intention has worked (opening / closing of the door, setting operation), or the temperature inside the chamber caused by the system operation When the change occurs, a power saving operation end signal S3 is output to the control means 42.

  The control means 42 outputs signals S4, S5, and S6 to the electric load components of the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrost heater 32, respectively, to end the power saving operation (start the normal operation). Is switched to the normal operation which is the main control flow.

  Furthermore, even during power saving operation or in a state where power saving operation is permitted, if any one of the state detection means 37 of the refrigerator is determined to be abnormal, the power saving operation is not performed and the normal operation is performed.

  This is because when an abnormal signal that is clearly different from that during normal use is output using the refrigerator state detection means 37 when indirectly detecting the case where the cooling state of the refrigerator is abnormal. Moreover, it becomes possible to detect indirectly that there is an abnormality in the cooling state of the refrigerator.

  For example, if the door switch 39, which is one of the state detection means 37, detects the door opening for a longer period of time than a general use state, for example, 1 minute or longer, the user is alerted to the continuous door opening. Normal operation without power saving operation.

  Further, even if any one of the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrosting heater 32 of the refrigerator is determined to be abnormal even during the power saving operation or in a state where the power saving operation is permitted, the power saving operation is performed. Without normal operation.

  This is because when there is an abnormality in the electrical load component, the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrosting heater 32 are electrical load components. Instead, the power saving operation is switched to the normal operation.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when both information conditions of the illuminance detection means 33 and the state detection means 37 are satisfied, the power saving operation and the normal operation are switched. This makes it possible to prevent misjudgment only by the illuminance detection means 33 at the time of activity in the city, and perform highly reliable energy saving control.

  Even when it is judged late at night, it may be judged late night when it is dark even in the daytime in a kitchen etc. without a window. In the form, it is defined that it is judged as midnight.

  That is, as described above, when it is determined that the illuminance detection unit is late at night, that is, when the illuminance is low, and the user's intention is not activated by the state detection unit 37, specifically, within a predetermined time set in advance. There is no door opening and closing, and there is no increase in the set temperature of the chamber temperature setting for each room determined as the intention of the user to actively cool, and there is no setting change such as ice making or rapid cooling. Since there is no power fluctuation operation when there is no temperature fluctuation larger than the preset temperature fluctuation width within a predetermined time period, the power saving operation can be performed with less influence on the freshness of food. Therefore, it is possible to carry out power-saving operation even in irregular conditions such as activities at night when the room is dark or sleeping at night when the room is brightened by natural light. Can be operated switching can be performed with high reliability energy saving control.

In addition, when the temperature fluctuation in the storage is large and normal operation is required, the power saving operation is not started, so that the influence of the temperature rise on the food can be eliminated.

  Further, by setting the illuminance for determining midnight based on the information of the illuminance detection means 33 to 5 lux or less, it is possible to determine the user's activity stoppage and sleeping, so that it is possible to switch to power saving operation by reliable midnight determination.

  Further, by setting the means for determining the stable state of the internal temperature based on the information of the state detecting means 37 when the door opening / closing frequency detected by the door switch 39 is low, the external warm air that affects the internal temperature Since it can be determined that there is no inflow without complicated calculation processing, it is possible to switch to low-cost and highly reliable power saving operation.

  Further, by canceling the power saving operation using only the information of the state detection unit 37 without using the illuminance information of the illuminance detection unit 33, the inside temperature is stable even in the morning when the room is bright with natural light. If this is the case, power saving operation will be continued, so the actual energy savings can be further improved.

  Further, as information for canceling the power saving operation by the state detection means 37, it can be predicted that the use frequency of the user will increase in the future by assuming that the door switch 39 detects opening and closing once, and normal operation Since the cooling operation is performed to quickly change the temperature to lower the internal temperature, high-quality energy-saving control can be performed.

  Further, as information for canceling the power saving operation by the state detection means 37, when the user operates at least one of the operation switches 40 such as the internal temperature setting, the quick freezing operation, and the quick ice operation, the user can set the refrigerator. Since it can be determined that there is a request to improve the cooling performance of the engine and the operation is surely switched to the normal operation, it is possible to prevent problems of uncooling and slow cooling due to the continued power saving operation.

  In addition, as information for canceling the power saving operation by the state detection means 37, when the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 38 fluctuates to a set value or more, the internal temperature is directly measured and normally Since the operation is smoothly switched, the temperature rise in the cabinet after the defrosting operation can be minimized, and the food can be stored with high quality.

  In the present embodiment, when entering the power saving operation from the normal operation, the control means switches from the normal operation to the power saving operation in consideration of the information in the state detection means 37 in addition to the illuminance detection means. However, at least when switching from normal operation to power saving operation, switching from normal operation to power saving operation may be performed by the control means only by the illuminance detection means, for example, when the door is opened or closed just before Even if it is, if it is determined that the illuminance is smaller than a certain value and it is late at night, it is probably more effective to perform power saving operation by judging that there is little need for strong cooling after that. Power can be saved.

  In addition, when switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation, it is also effective to not consider the signal of the illuminance detection means that is the refrigerator installation environment detection means.

  In this case, control is performed by the control means so as to return to normal operation only by the state detection means 37, so that, for example, when it is determined that the user's intention has worked even in a dark environment, the operation is switched to normal operation. As a result, it is possible to quickly cool and recover, and even if the surroundings become brighter and the surroundings become brighter, it does not return. When the refrigerator is not used, the power saving operation can be maintained, so that more energy saving can be realized.

Furthermore, even during power saving operation or in a state where power saving operation is permitted, if any one of the state detection means 37 of the refrigerator is determined to be abnormal, the power saving operation is not performed and the normal operation is performed.

  This is because when an abnormal signal that is clearly different from that during normal use is output using the refrigerator state detection means 37 when indirectly detecting the case where the cooling state of the refrigerator is abnormal. Moreover, it becomes possible to detect indirectly that there is an abnormality in the cooling state of the refrigerator.

  For example, as one of the methods for indirectly detecting that the cooling state of the refrigerator is abnormal, the door switch 39 which is one of the state detecting means 37 is continuously longer than a general use state, for example, for one minute or more. If the door opening is detected, the user is alerted to the continuous opening of the door, and the normal operation is performed without the power saving operation.

  This is because it is estimated that the internal temperature suddenly rises when the door is opened for a long time, so that it is indirectly detected that there is an abnormality in the cooling state of the refrigerator.

  This prevents a cooling failure and excessive cooling of the refrigerator, and provides a refrigerator that maintains the storage quality of the refrigerator while ensuring cooling reliability while reliably suppressing power consumption by performing power saving operation. be able to.

  Further, even if any one of the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrosting heater 32 of the refrigerator is determined to be abnormal even during the power saving operation or in a state where the power saving operation is permitted, the power saving operation is performed. Without normal operation.

  This is because when there is an abnormality in the electrical load component, the compressor 28, the cooling fan 31, and the defrosting heater 32 are electrical load components. Instead, the power saving operation is switched to the normal operation.

  As a result, it is possible to quickly determine whether there is an abnormality such as a failure in the electric load component in the normal operation state. It is possible to quickly and surely detect the abnormality, and the safety can be further improved.

  Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that is compatible with ensuring safety and reliability while reliably suppressing power consumption by performing power saving operation.

  As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention can be implemented and applied to the control for switching the operation mode to the power saving operation or the like by providing the illuminance detection means in the home or business refrigerator.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Refrigerator main body 22 Refrigeration room 22a Refrigeration room door 23 Ice making room 24 Switching room 25 Freezing room 26 Vegetable room 27 Operation part 27a Operation board 28 Compressor 29 Cooling room 30 Cooler 31 Cooling fan 32 Defrost heater 33 Illuminance detection means 34 Operation Switch 35 Indicator light 36 Notification means 37 State detection means 38 Internal temperature sensor 39 Door switch 40 Operation switch 41 Determination means 42 Control means

Claims (5)

Refrigerator body, detection means for detecting the refrigerator installation environment and the usage status of the refrigerator, determination means for determining switching between power saving operation and normal operation based on information from the detection means, and a signal from the determination means Control means for controlling the operation of the electrical load components of the refrigerator, and switching from the normal operation to the power saving operation by a signal from the detection means, and when there is an abnormality in the cooling state of the refrigerator A refrigerator comprising control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation regardless of a signal from the detection means. Refrigerator body, detection means for detecting the refrigerator installation environment and the usage status of the refrigerator, determination means for determining switching between power saving operation and normal operation based on information from the detection means, and a signal from the determination means Control means for controlling the operation of the electrical load component of the refrigerator, and switching from the normal operation to the power saving operation by a signal from the detection means, and when there is an abnormality in the electrical load component A refrigerator comprising control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation regardless of a signal from the detection means. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising control means for switching from the power saving operation to the normal operation when the door is kept open for a predetermined period of time or more when there is an abnormality in the cooling state. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the time for which the door is kept open for a predetermined time or longer is set to 1 minute or longer as a case where the cooling state is abnormal. Assuming that there is an abnormality in the electrical load component, if any one of the compressor, cooling fan 31 and defrost heater that is the electrical load component is determined to be abnormal, the power saving operation is normally performed regardless of the signal from the detection means. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising control means for switching to operation.