JP2012083020A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator that improves deodorization performance.SOLUTION: The refrigerator includes: a housing 21 disposed in a storage compartment 2 and having a suction opening 30a and a blowing opening 30c; an air passage 30 formed in the housing 21 and communicating the suction opening 30a and the blowing opening 30c with each other; an air blower 40 disposed in the air passage 30; an ozone generator 50 disposed in the air passage 30 and generating ozone; an ozone catalyst 70 disposed downstream the ozone generator 50 and adsorbing ozone; and turbulence generators 37a, 37b arranged between the ozone generator 50 and the ozone catalyst 70 and generating turbulence.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator including a deodorizing unit that performs deodorization with ozone.

  A conventional refrigerator is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This refrigerator is provided with a deodorizing unit for deodorizing with ozone at the rear of the top of the storage room. The deodorizing unit is covered with a housing that forms an air passage. A suction port is opened in the lower surface of the rear end of the housing, and a first air outlet and a second air outlet are opened in the front lower surface and the front surface, respectively.

  The air passage extending from the suction port branches through a damper, and has a first branch passage communicating with the first air outlet and a second branch passage communicating with the second air outlet. The airflow flowing into the air passage from the suction port is alternatively guided to the first outlet and the second outlet by switching the damper. An ozone catalyst is provided in the second branch passage.

  A blower comprising an axial fan is disposed at the rear of the air passage. The blower is arranged vertically in the axial direction, and has an intake port on the lower surface and an exhaust port on the upper surface. The intake port is arranged facing the intake port of the housing, and the air passage is formed to bend and extend forward above the exhaust port.

  An ion generator is disposed between the blower and the damper. In the ion generator, an electrode is provided on an ion generation surface forming a wall surface of the air passage. The electrode is discharged by applying a predetermined voltage, and positive ions and negative ions are released from the ion generation surface. Further, when the voltage applied to the electrode is further increased, ions and ozone are released from the ion generation surface by the discharge.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, when the blower and the ion generator are driven, the air in the storage chamber flows into the air passage of the deodorizing unit from the suction port on the lower surface of the housing. The air that has flowed into the air passage of the deodorizing unit passes upward through the blower via the intake port. The air that has passed through the blower flows from the upper side of the exhaust port toward the front side and passes over the ion generation surface of the ion generator.

When the second branch passage is closed by the damper and the first branch passage is opened, a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrode of the ion generator, and ions are included in the airflow. Air containing ions flows through the first branch passage and is sent from the first outlet into the storage chamber. The storage chamber is sterilized by [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) or H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) generated from positive ions and negative ions sent to the storage chamber.

When the first branch passage is closed by the damper and the second branch passage is opened, a high voltage is applied to the electrode of the ion generator, and ions and ozone are included in the airflow. The odor component of the airflow flowing through the air passage is decomposed by [.OH] generated from ions, H ₂ O ₂ and ozone. Ozone is adsorbed by an ozone catalyst disposed in the second branch passage, and an air stream from which ozone has been removed is sent out from the second outlet. Thereby, deodorization in a storage chamber can be performed.

JP 2007-170781 (pages 5 to 13 and FIG. 5)

  However, according to the conventional refrigerator, the second outlet from which the air deodorized by ozone is sent is arranged on the front surface of the housing, and the second branch passage is formed substantially in a straight line with respect to the rear portion of the air passage. The For this reason, the airflow flowing through the second branch passage becomes a substantially laminar flow state, and the odor component in the air taken in from the refrigerator compartment and ozone are not sufficiently in contact with each other. In particular, when the deodorizing unit is downsized, the contact between the odor component and ozone is further reduced because the flow path of the air passage is short. Therefore, there has been a problem that the deodorization performance by ozone is lowered.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator which can improve a deodorizing performance.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a housing that is disposed in a storage chamber and has an inlet and an outlet, and an air passage that is formed in the casing and communicates with the inlet and the outlet. A blower disposed in the air passage, an ozone generator disposed in the air passage for generating ozone, an ozone catalyst disposed downstream of the ozone generator for adsorbing ozone, and the ozone generation And a turbulent flow forming part that forms a turbulent flow between the ozone catalyst and the ozone catalyst.

  According to this configuration, the deodorizing unit is arranged in the storage chamber, and when the blower is driven, the air in the storage chamber flows into the air passage from the suction port provided in the housing. The air flowing into the air passage flows through the air passage and contains ozone generated by the ozone generation unit. The turbulent flow is formed in the turbulent flow forming portion of the air flow containing ozone, and the odor components in the air that come into contact with ozone are decomposed. The ozone in the air is adsorbed by the ozone catalyst, and the air from which the ozone has been removed is sent to the storage chamber.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the turbulent flow forming portion may include a plurality of pins that are erected on a wall surface of the air passage. According to this structure, the air which distribute | circulates an air path collides with a some pin, and forms a turbulent flow.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator configured as described above, the cross-sectional shape of the pin is widened from the upstream end toward the downstream side. According to this configuration, the air flowing through the air passage is spread and flows along the peripheral surface of the pin from the upstream end of the pin, and a vortex is generated on the downstream side of the pin to form a turbulent flow.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the suction port is provided in the rear part of the casing, the outlet is provided in the front part of the casing, and the air passage is provided in the ozone generation unit and the ozone catalyst. After being bent downward between the two, it is further bent and extends forward. According to this structure, the path | route of an air passage is formed long and the odor component which contacts ozone increases.

  According to the present invention, since the turbulent flow forming part that forms a turbulent flow between the ozone generating part and the ozone catalyst in the air passage is provided, the air flowing through the air passage and ozone can be sufficiently mixed, The deodorizing performance of the refrigerator can be improved.

Side surface sectional drawing which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the inside of the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the damper of the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of the deodorizing mode of the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention A view of arrow A in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the pin of the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing which shows the other pin of the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing which shows the other pin of the deodorizing unit of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is provided with a plurality of storage compartments partitioned by a heat insulating box 10 filled with a foamed resin 10a. A refrigerator compartment 2 that is opened and closed by a door 2a is arranged at the top of the heat insulation box 10. An ice making chamber 3 is disposed below the refrigerator compartment 2, and a freezing chamber 5 communicating with the ice making chamber 3 is disposed below the ice making chamber 3.

  A cool air passage 11 is provided behind the freezer compartment 5, and a cooler 14 and a freezer compartment blower 15 are disposed in the cool air passage 11. The cool air passage 11 is provided with a cool air discharge port (not shown) and a return port (not shown) for returning the cool air to the cooler 14.

  A cold air passage 12 communicating with the cold air passage 11 is provided behind the refrigerator compartment 2 via a cold compartment damper (not shown). On both sides of the cold air passage 12, a cold air discharge port (not shown) is opened, and a communication passage (not shown) for returning the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 2 to the upstream side of the cooler 14 is provided.

  A circulation duct 13 is disposed on the back side of the cold air passage 12. The circulation duct 13 opens on both side surfaces an inflow port (not shown) through which air in the refrigerator compartment 2 flows. A deodorizing unit 20 that sends out ions is arranged at the rear of the top surface of the refrigerator compartment 2, and the upper surface of the circulation duct 13 is opened and connected to the deodorizing unit 20.

  2 and 3 show a top view and a side sectional view of the deodorizing unit 20. The deodorizing unit 20 includes a housing 21 of a resin molded product that houses each component and forms an air passage 30 therein. The casing 21 is composed of a main body portion 21a having an upper surface opened and an upper surface cover 21b covering a part of the upper surface of the main body portion 21a. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the top cover 21b is removed.

  2 to 4, an airflow inlet 30 a is opened on the lower surface of the rear end of the housing 21. The suction port 30a is connected to the circulation path 13 (see FIG. 1), and the air flowing through the circulation path 13 flows into the deodorizing unit 20 through the suction port 30a. A first air outlet 30b is opened at the upper front of the housing 21, and a second air outlet 30c is opened at the lower front.

  The air passage 30 includes first and second branch passages 35 and 36 that branch through a damper 60 described later. The inlet 30a and the first outlet 30b communicate with each other through the first branch passage 35, and the inlet 30a and the second outlet 30c communicate with each other through the second branch passage 36. The air flowing through the air passage 30 is sent out from one of the first air outlet 30b and the second air outlet 30c.

  At the upper end of the main body portion 21a of the housing 21, a support portion 22 extending to both sides is formed. The support portion 22 is provided with a screw insertion hole 22a. The first air outlet 30b is provided with a protrusion 23 that protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the air passage 30. The protrusion 23 is provided with a screw insertion hole 23a.

  A sponge-like cushioning material 25 extending in the front-rear direction is attached to both support portions 22. Screws (not shown) inserted through the insertion holes 22a and 23a are screwed into the ceiling surface 2b (see FIG. 1) of the refrigerator compartment 2, and the deodorizing unit 20 is attached to the ceiling surface 2b with the buffer material 25 interposed therebetween. Thereby, a part of the upper wall of the air passage 30 is formed by the ceiling surface 2 b of the refrigerator compartment 2.

  Since the opened first blower outlet 30b is screwed through the projecting portion 23, the first blower outlet 30b is not expanded vertically even when a test finger is pushed in from the first blower outlet 30b. Thereby, since a test finger does not reach the ion generator 50 to which a high voltage described later is applied, the safety standard based on the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law (Japan) can be satisfied.

  A blower 40 is disposed at the rear of the air passage 30. The blower 40 is composed of a centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan, and has an intake port 40a on the lower surface of the housing and an exhaust port 40b on the front surface. Since the centrifugal fan exhausts in the circumferential tangential direction, the exhaust port 40b is provided to be biased to one side in the left-right direction.

  The air passage 30 is provided with an inflow portion 31 having a predetermined height (for example, 10 mm) below the blower 40. By driving the blower 40, air flows into the air passage 30 from the suction port 30 a, and the airflow is guided to the blower 40 through the inflow portion 31.

  A throttle portion 32 is provided in the air passage 30 on the downstream side of the blower 40. The restricting portion 32 has an inclined surface 32a that is inclined to face the exhaust port 40b of the blower 40, and the flow path of the air passage 30 is restricted in the vertical direction. The throttle part 32 can increase the wind speed of the airflow.

  The casing 21 is provided with a concave portion 26 having an upper surface opened and accommodating the ion generator 50 in front of the inclined surface 32a. Since the inner surface of the main body 21a of the housing 21 is formed by pulling the mold upward, the recess 26 has a rear wall 26a that is substantially orthogonal to the inclined surface 32a and a substantially vertical front wall 26b. Yes.

  In the ion generator 50, a positive ion generator 51 and a negative ion generator 52 are arranged side by side on the ion generation surface 50a. The positive ion generator 51 and the negative ion generator 52 have electrodes (not shown) that generate ions when a high voltage is applied.

The electrodes of the ion generator 50 are discharged by applying a voltage having an AC waveform or an impulse waveform. A positive voltage is applied to the electrode of the positive ion generator 51. As a result, ions generated by ionization combine with moisture in the air, and positively-charged cluster ions mainly composed of H ⁺ (H ₂ O) m are emitted from the ion generation surface 50a. A negative voltage is applied to the electrode of the negative ion generator 52. Thereby, ions generated by ionization are combined with moisture in the air, and negatively-charged cluster ions mainly composed of O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) n are emitted from the ion generation surface 50a. Here, m and n are arbitrary natural numbers.

H ⁺ (H ₂ O) m and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) n aggregate on the surface of airborne bacteria and odorous components and surround them. Then, as shown in the formulas (1) to (3), [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) which are active species are collided on the surface of floating bacteria, odorous components, etc. Aggregate to break them. Here, m ′ and n ′ are arbitrary natural numbers. Accordingly, by sending an air stream containing positive ions and negative ions to the refrigerator compartment 2, sterilization and odor removal in the refrigerator compartment 2 can be performed.

_{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) n → · OH + 1 / 2O 2 + (m + n) H 2 O ··· (1)
_{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} + H + (H 2 O) m '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) n + O 2 - (H 2 O) n'
→ 2 · OH + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n ′) H ₂ O (2)
_{^{H + (H 2 O) m}} + H + (H 2 O) m '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) n + O 2 - (H 2 O) n'
→ H ₂ O ₂ + O ₂ + (m + m ′ + n + n ′) H ₂ O (3)

  Further, when the voltage applied to the electrode of the ion generator 50 is increased to increase the discharge amount, ozone is generated in addition to the ions. Thereby, odor components such as hydrogen sulfide and methylamine contained in the air taken into the deodorizing unit 20 can be decomposed by ozone. Therefore, the ion generator 50 constitutes an ozone generator that generates ozone, and can generate stronger deodorization than the deodorization by ions by the generation of ozone. At this time, ozone is adsorbed by an ozone catalyst 70 described later in order to prevent ozone from leaking into the refrigerator compartment 2.

  The ion generator 50 is installed on the bottom surface of the recess 26 and the rear wall 26a, protrudes downward from the upper surface cover 21b, and a rib 21c having an L-shaped lower surface abuts on the ion generation surface 50a. Thereby, the ion generator 50 is pinched | interposed and fixed between the recessed part 26 and the rib 21c. The rib 21 c is disposed between the positive ion generation part 51 and the negative ion generation part 52.

  In addition, the ion generation surface 50 a is arranged along the inclined surface 32 a of the throttle unit 32, and forms a wall surface of the throttle unit 32. Thereby, the ion generating surface 50a opposes the exhaust port 40b of the blower 40. For this reason, the air which flowed out from the exhaust port 40b contacts the inclined surface 32a and ion generating surface 50a which oppose, and distribute | circulates along the inclined surface 32a and ion generating surface 50a.

  Therefore, the ions generated on the ion generation surface 50a can be sufficiently included in the airflow flowing through the throttle portion 32. Moreover, since the wind speed of the airflow is increased by the throttle portion 32, ions generated on the ion generation surface 50a can be sequentially sent out to reduce annihilation due to ion collision. At this time, since the centrifugal fan has a small decrease in the air volume with respect to the increase in pressure loss, even if the inclined surface 32a and the ion generation surface 50a face the exhaust port 40b, it is possible to send air with a desired air volume.

  Since the concave portion 26 is provided in front of the inclined surface 32 a, the ion generation surface 50 a is disposed at the front portion of the throttle portion 32. The front portion of the throttle portion 32 has a narrower flow path width in the vertical direction than the rear portion due to the inclined surface 32a. Since the ion generator 50 is disposed in the portion of the throttle portion 32 where the flow path width in the vertical direction is small, the amount of protrusion downward of the recess 26 can be reduced. Therefore, the deodorizing unit 20 can be reduced in size by reducing the height of the deodorizing unit 20.

  A V-shaped gap 54 is formed between the substantially vertical front wall 26 b of the recess 26 and the front surface of the ion generator 50. The upper part of the gap 54 is covered with a flexible shielding member 55 such as sponge-like resin. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the vortex by the clearance gap 54 can be prevented and the airflow which passed on the ion generating surface 50a can be guide | induced smoothly ahead.

  In front of the recessed portion 26, left and right restricting portions 33 that project both side walls of the air passage 30 toward each other and restrict the flow path in the left and right directions are provided. The air flow including the positive ions generated in the positive ion generation unit 51 and the air flow including the negative ions generated in the negative ion generation unit 52 are mixed close to each other by the left and right restricting unit 33. Thereby, the airflow which mixed the positive ion and the negative ion can be sent out. At this time, the ribs 21 c that block between the positive ion generating part 51 and the negative ion generating part 52 are arranged behind the left and right restricting part 33. Thereby, positive ions and negative ions can be sufficiently mixed.

  A damper chamber 34 in which a damper 60 is disposed is provided in front of the left and right throttle portions 33 in the air passage 30. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the damper 60. The damper 60 includes a thin plate-like support plate 61 and packings 62 and 63 (see FIG. 3 for 63) attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the support plate 61, respectively. The packings 62 and 63 are made of an elastic body such as silicon rubber.

  Since the support plate 61 is made of a resin molded product and is formed in a thin plate shape, space can be saved. On the upper surface of the support plate 61, an inclined portion 61b is provided so that the front portion is inclined upward. The packing 62 is formed in an annular shape and is disposed around the inclined portion 61b.

  A shaft portion 61 a extending in the left-right direction is formed at one end of the support plate 61. The shaft portion 61 a is fitted in a fitting hole (not shown) provided in the side wall of the damper chamber 34 and pivotally supports the damper 60. A stepping motor (not shown) disposed between the side wall of the casing 21 and the side wall of the damper chamber 34 is connected to the shaft portion 61a. The damper 60 is rotated by driving the stepping motor.

  The air passage 30 branches from the damper chamber 34 into a first branch passage 35 and a second branch passage 36. The flow path of the air passage 30 is switched alternatively to the first branch passage 35 and the second branch passage 36 by the damper 60. As will be described in detail later, the air flowing through the first branch passage 35 includes ions sent to the refrigerator compartment 2, and the ozone adsorbed by the ozone catalyst 70 is contained in the air flow flowing through the second branch passage 36. included.

  For this reason, the first branch passage 35 is arranged in a substantially straight line with respect to the rear portion of the air passage 30. Thereby, the pressure loss of the airflow passing through the first branch passage 35 can be reduced and ions can be sent to the refrigerator compartment 2. The second branch passage 36 is formed to extend downward from the damper chamber 34, bend and extend forward.

  A connection port 35 a facing the damper chamber 34 is provided on the inclined surface at the upstream end of the first branch passage 35. A connection port 36 a facing the damper chamber 34 is provided on the horizontal plane at the upstream end of the second branch passage 36. As shown in FIG. 3, when the packing 63 of the damper 60 is in close contact with the periphery of the connection port 36a, the first branch passage 35 is opened and the second branch passage 36 is closed. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the packing 62 of the damper 60 is in close contact with the peripheral edge of the connection port 35a, the second branch passage 36 is opened and the first branch passage 35 is closed.

  In order to seal the connection ports 35a and 36a, the peripheral edges of the packings 62 and 63 are arranged outside the peripheral edges of the connection ports 35a and 36a. Further, since the shaft portion 61a of the damper 60 is driven by being connected to a stepping motor, it is necessary to ensure strength. For this reason, the shaft portion 61a is formed to have a diameter larger than the thickness of the portion of the support plate 61 where the packings 62 and 63 are attached. Accordingly, the shaft portion 61a is provided on the outer side of the peripheral edges of the packings 62 and 63, and is disposed in front of the front ends of the connection ports 35a and 36a.

  Since the shaft portion 61a is disposed in front of the front end of the connection port 35a, a gap 64 is formed between the upper surface of the packing 62 and the front end of the connection port 35a when the connection port 35a is opened. Since the inclined portion 61b is provided on the upper surface of the support plate 61, the airflow can be guided to the first branch passage 35 along the inclined portion 61b and the inflow of the airflow into the gap 64 can be prevented. Therefore, the pressure loss can be further reduced and the air flow can be smoothly circulated through the first branch passage 35.

  The distance between the opposing side walls 35b of the first branch passage 35 increases as it goes forward. Thereby, the airflow which distribute | circulates the 1st branch channel | path 35 spreads in the left-right direction, and is sent to the refrigerator compartment 2 from the 1st blower outlet 30b. Therefore, ions can be diffused over a wide range of the refrigerator compartment 2.

  At this time, the planar shape of the protrusion 23 provided in the first outlet 30b is formed in a triangle with the apex arranged rearward. The side surface 23b of the protrusion 23 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, and the airflow can be smoothly spread to the left and right by the guide of the side surface 23b. Thereby, the guide part which guides an airflow is comprised by the protrusion part 23 provided in order to fix the deodorizing unit 20, and a number of parts can be reduced.

  In addition, the protrusion part 23 is distribute | arranged to the center vicinity of the left-right direction of the eccentric exhaust port 40a of the air blower 40 which consists of a centrifugal fan. Thereby, the airflow which distribute | circulates the air path 30 can be reliably guided to right and left. The side surface 23b of the protrusion 23 may be formed by a curved surface inclined with respect to the front-rear direction.

  A plurality of pins 37 a and 37 b are erected in the second branch passage 36. FIG. 7 shows a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The pins 37a are erected on the bottom wall of the second branch passage 36, and a plurality of pins 37a are arranged in the left-right direction. The pins 37b are arranged on the downstream side of the pins 37a, are erected on the upper wall of the second branch passage 36, and a plurality of pins 37b are arranged in the left-right direction. Further, the pins 37a and the pins 37b are shifted in the left-right direction and arranged in a staggered manner.

  FIG. 8 shows a top cross-sectional view of the pins 37a and 37b. The pins 37a and 37b are formed in a circular shape in cross section, and the airflow flowing as shown by the arrow C toward the pins 37a and 37b forms a turbulent flow by collision with the pins 37a and 37b. Therefore, the pins 37a and 37b constitute a turbulent flow forming portion that forms a turbulent flow.

  Further, since the pins 37a and 37b have a circular cross-sectional shape, they are expanded from the upstream end toward the downstream side. Therefore, the airflow is spread in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction by the pins 37a and 37b, and a vortex 38 is generated on the downstream side of the pins 37a and 37b. Thereby, a turbulent flow can be formed more reliably.

  Therefore, the air passing through the second branch passage 36 and ozone are sufficiently mixed, and the odor component contained in the air can be sufficiently brought into contact with ozone. Further, since the second branch passage 36 is formed to extend downward from the damper chamber 34 and bend and extend forward, the path of the second branch passage 36 can be formed long. Thereby, the odor component which contacts ozone can be increased more.

  The cross-sectional shapes of the pins 37a and 37b may be triangular as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, or may be elliptical. Accordingly, the pins 37a and 37b are spread from the upstream end toward the downstream side, and the vortex 38 is generated on the downstream side, so that a turbulent flow can be reliably formed. Further, the pin 37a and the pin 37b may be provided at the same position in the left-right direction and arranged so as to overlap in the front-rear direction. Further, the pin 37 a and the pin 37 b may be erected on the side wall of the second branch passage 36.

  The ozone catalyst 70 disposed in the second branch passage 36 is formed in a corrugated honeycomb shape mainly composed of manganese dioxide, aluminum oxide, and silicon oxide. As a result, ozone contained in the air passing through the ozone catalyst 70 is adsorbed.

  In the refrigerator 1 having the above configuration, the cold air generated by the cooler 14 is circulated through the cold air passage 11 by driving the freezer compartment blower 15 and is sent to the ice making chamber 3 and the freezer compartment 5. The cold air flows through the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 5 and returns to the cooler 14 through the return port. As a result, the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 5 are cooled, and the stored items and ice are stored frozen.

  A part of the cold air flowing through the cold air passage 11 is led to the cold air passage 12 by the opening of the cold room damper (not shown) and sent to the cold room 2. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment 2 is cooled and the stored item is stored in a refrigerator. The cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment 2 returns to the cooler 14 via a communication path (not shown).

  The deodorizing unit 20 is driven by a circulation mode, a sterilization mode, and a deodorization mode selected by the user. In the circulation mode, the blower 40 is driven and the ion generator 50 is stopped. Further, for example, the damper 60 opens the first branch passage 35 and closes the second branch passage 36.

  The air in the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the circulation duct 13 and flows into the air passage 30 of the deodorizing unit 20. The air flowing through the air passage 30 flows through the first branch passage 35 as shown by an arrow B1 (see FIG. 3), and is sent out from the first outlet 30b. Thereby, the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 2 is circulated. The second branch passage 36 may be opened by the damper 60 and the first branch passage 35 may be closed.

In the sterilization mode, the blower 40 and the ion generator 50 are driven. Further, the damper 60 opens the first branch passage 35 and closes the second branch passage 36. The air in the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the circulation duct 13 and flows into the air passage 30 of the deodorizing unit 20. The air flowing through the air passage 30 includes ions generated by the ion generator 50, and is sent from the first outlet 30b through the first branch passage 35 as shown by an arrow B1 (see FIG. 3). The sterilization and deodorization in the refrigerator compartment 2 are performed by [.OH] and H ₂ O ₂ generated from the ions.

  In the deodorization mode, the blower 40 and the ion generator 50 are driven. Further, the damper 60 opens the second branch passage 36 and closes the first branch passage 35. The air in the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the circulation duct 13 and flows into the air passage 30 of the deodorizing unit 20. The air flowing through the air passage 30 includes ions and ozone generated by the ion generator 50.

Odor components contained in the air current are decomposed by [.OH], H ₂ O ₂ and ozone generated from the ions. The air containing ozone flows through the second branch passage 36 as indicated by arrows B 2 and B 3 (see FIG. 6), and ozone is adsorbed by the ozone catalyst 70. And the air from which ozone was removed is sent out from the 2nd blower outlet 30c. Thereby, the deodorizing in the refrigerator compartment 2 is performed and the deodorizing effect higher than a disinfection mode is acquired.

  According to the present embodiment, since the pins 37a and 37b (turbulent flow forming portions) that form turbulent flow are provided between the ion generator 50 (ozone generating portion) and the ozone catalyst 70 in the air passage 30, the air passage The air flowing through 30 and ozone can be mixed sufficiently to decompose the odor component with ozone. Therefore, the deodorizing performance of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  Moreover, a turbulent flow can be easily formed by the plurality of pins 37 a and 37 b erected on the wall surface of the air passage 30.

  Further, since the cross-sectional shapes of the pins 37a and 37b are widened from the upstream end toward the downstream side, a vortex 38 is generated on the downstream side of the pins 37a and 37b, so that a turbulent flow can be more reliably formed.

  Further, since the second branch passage 36 of the air passage 30 bends downward between the ion generator 50 and the ozone catalyst 70 and then bends and extends forward, the path of the second branch passage 36 is formed long. be able to. Thereby, the odor component which contacts ozone increases more and the deodorizing performance of the refrigerator 1 can be improved more.

  In the present embodiment, a corrugated honeycomb-shaped low temperature deodorization catalyst mainly composed of manganese dioxide, cupric oxide and zeolite may be disposed in the air passage 30. Thereby, odor components such as dimethyl disulfite, trimethylamine, and methyl mercaptan contained in the air passing through the low-temperature deodorization catalyst can be adsorbed. Therefore, the deodorizing effect can be further improved by adsorbing odor components that cannot be decomposed by ozone.

  According to this invention, it can utilize for the refrigerator provided with the deodorizing unit which deodorizes with ozone.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigeration room 3 Ice making room 5 Freezing room 10 Heat insulation box 10a Foamed resin 11, 12 Cold air passage 13 Circulation passage 14 Cooler 15 Freezer room blower 20 Deodorizing unit 21 Case 21a Main body part 21b Upper surface cover 21c Rib 22 Support part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 23 Protrusion part 25 Buffer material 26 Concave part 30 Air passage 30a Suction port 30b 1st blower outlet 30c 2nd blower outlet 31 Inflow part 32 Restriction part 32a Inclined surface 33 Right and left restriction part 34 Damper chamber 35 1st branch passage 35a, 36a 36 2nd branch passage 37a, 37b Pin 38 Vortex 40 Blower 40a Intake port 40b Exhaust port 50 Ion generator 50a Ion generating surface 51 Positive ion generating part 52 Negative ion generating part 54 Crevice 55 Shielding member 60 Damper 61 Support plate 61a Shaft part 61b Inclined part 62, 63 Packing 70 Ozone catalyst

Claims (4)

  A housing that is disposed in the storage chamber and has an inlet and an outlet, an air passage that is formed in the housing and communicates the inlet and the outlet, and a blower that is disposed in the air passage. An ozone generator disposed in the air passage for generating ozone; an ozone catalyst disposed downstream of the ozone generator for adsorbing ozone; and disposed between the ozone generator and the ozone catalyst. And a turbulent flow forming part for forming a turbulent flow.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the turbulent flow forming portion includes a plurality of pins standing on a wall surface of the air passage.   The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the pin is widened from the upstream end toward the downstream side.   After the suction port is provided in the rear part of the casing and the outlet is provided in the front part of the casing, and the air passage is bent downward between the ozone generation part and the ozone catalyst, The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the refrigerator is bent and extends forward.

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