JP2012241921A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator surely emitting mist in a wide range of the inside of a storage chamber.SOLUTION: The refrigerator includes: a refrigerator body having the storage chamber; and a mist emitting means emitting the mist to the inside of the storage chamber. The mist emitting means includes: a diaphragm having a mist emitting face; a vibrator vibrating the diaphragm; a plurality of holes formed in the mist emitting face of the diaphragm; and a water supply part supplying water to the diaphragm. In the mist emitting means, the vibrator vibrates the diaphragm to generate mist of water, which is supplied from the water supply part to the diaphragm, and the mist is emitted from the holes forward of the mist emitting face. The water supply part is disposed on a side opposite to the mist emitting face of the diaphragm.

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  Some refrigerators are provided with an atomizing device that constitutes a mist releasing means in a vegetable room, which is a storage room for storing food such as vegetables, to humidify the vegetable room. The atomizing device includes an ultrasonic atomizing device. In this ultrasonic atomizing device, the water supplied from the water supply unit is vibrated by a vibrator and atomized (misted), and the generated fog ( The thing which discharge | released it toward the vegetable compartment is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1).

JP 2009-2589 A

  In such an ultrasonic atomizing device, if the water supply unit that supplies water for mist formation is in front of the mist discharge surface, this water supply unit is sufficiently obstructive when discharging the mist. There is a possibility that mist cannot be diffused into the vegetable compartment.

  Therefore, a refrigerator capable of reliably releasing mist over a wide area in a storage chamber is provided.

  The refrigerator of the present embodiment includes a refrigerator body having a storage chamber, and mist discharge means for discharging mist toward the storage chamber. The mist discharging means includes a vibration plate having a mist discharge surface, a vibrator that vibrates the vibration plate, a plurality of holes provided in the mist discharge surface of the vibration plate, and a water supply unit that supplies water to the vibration plate. Have The mist releasing means vibrates the diaphragm with a vibrator to form water mist supplied from the water supply unit to the diaphragm, and discharges the water from the hole toward the front of the mist discharge surface. The water supply part of this mist discharge | release means was arrange | positioned on the opposite side to the mist discharge | release surface of a diaphragm.

1 is a longitudinal side view showing a schematic configuration of the entire refrigerator according to the first embodiment. Longitudinal side view near the ultrasonic atomizer Layout of the ultrasonic atomizer as seen from the front of the refrigerator Expanded longitudinal side view of the vicinity of the ultrasonic atomizer Front view of mist emission surface of ultrasonic atomizer Enlarged sectional view of diaphragm of ultrasonic atomizer Perspective view of the upper case of the vegetable room Diagram showing the state of mist emission FIG. 4 equivalent diagram according to the second embodiment FIG. 4 equivalent diagram according to the third embodiment FIG. 4 equivalent diagram according to the fourth embodiment FIG. 4 equivalent diagram according to the fifth embodiment

Hereinafter, refrigerators according to a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same component, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
[First Embodiment]
First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator main body 1 is configured by providing a plurality of storage chambers in a heat insulating box 2 having a vertically long rectangular box shape whose front surface is open. Specifically, in the heat insulation box 2, a refrigeration room 3 and a vegetable room 4 are provided in order from the top, and an ice making room 5 and a small freezer room (not shown) are provided side by side on the lower side, A freezer compartment 6 is provided below these. A known automatic ice making device 7 is provided in the ice making chamber 5. The heat insulating box 2 is configured by providing a heat insulating material 2c between an outer box 2a made of steel plate and an inner box 2b made of synthetic resin.

  The refrigerated room 3 and the vegetable room 4 are both storage rooms in a refrigerated temperature zone (for example, 1 to 4 ° C.), and are partitioned vertically by a plastic partition wall 8. A hinged heat insulating door 3 a is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and a drawer heat insulating door 4 a is provided on the front surface of the vegetable room 4. A lower case 9 and an upper case 10 for storing food are provided on the back surface of the heat insulating door 4 a in the vegetable compartment 4. The lower case 9 is connected to the heat insulating door 4a. The upper case 10 is smaller than the lower case 9 and is disposed on the upper portion of the lower case 9. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper case 10 is provided with a rectangular opening 10a at the upper portion of the rear surface and a plurality of holes 10b communicating with the lower case 9 at the bottom surface (see FIG. 7). 1 and FIG. 2). These openings 10a and holes 10b are for passage of mist described later.

  The inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is divided into a plurality of stages vertically by a plurality of shelf boards 11. A chilled chamber 12 is provided on the right side of the lowermost part (the upper part of the partition wall 8) in the refrigerator compartment 3, and an egg case and an accessory case are provided vertically on the left side, although not shown. On the left side is a water storage tank. A chilled case 13 is provided in the chilled chamber 12 so that it can be taken in and out. The water storage tank is for storing water to be supplied to the ice tray 7 a of the automatic ice making device 7. The refrigerated room 3, the vegetable room 4, and the chilled room 12 constitute a storage room for storing storage items (not shown) such as food.

  The ice making room 5, the small freezing room, and the freezing room 6 are all storage rooms in a freezing temperature zone (for example, −10 to −20 ° C.), and between the vegetable room 4, the ice making room 5, and the small freezing room, It is partitioned vertically by a heat insulating partition wall 14. A drawer-type heat insulating door 5a is provided on the front surface of the ice making chamber 5, and an ice storage container 15 is connected to the back surface of the heat insulating door 5a. Although not shown, a drawer-type heat insulating door connected to a storage container is also provided on the front surface of the small freezer compartment. A drawer-type heat insulating door 6 a to which a storage container 16 is connected is also provided on the front surface of the freezer compartment 6.

  Although not shown in detail in the refrigerator body 1 as a whole, in order to cool the refrigeration cooler 17 for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, the ice making chamber 5, the small freezer compartment, and the freezer compartment 6. A refrigeration cycle comprising two coolers with the refrigeration cooler 18 is incorporated. A machine room 19 is provided on the back side of the lower end of the refrigerator body 1, and although not shown in detail, a compressor 20 and a condenser constituting a refrigeration cycle are disposed in the machine room 19. A cooling fan, a defrosted water evaporating dish 21 and the like for cooling them are disposed. A control device 22 in which a microcomputer or the like for controlling the whole is mounted is provided near the rear lower portion of the refrigerator body 1.

  A refrigeration cooler chamber 23 is provided at the back of the freezer compartment 6 in the refrigerator body 1. In the refrigeration cooler chamber 23, a refrigeration cooler 18 is disposed at the lower portion, and a refrigeration blower fan 24 is disposed at the upper portion. A cold air outlet 23a is provided in the middle part of the front surface of the refrigeration cooler chamber 23, and a return port 23b is provided in the lower end part. The refrigeration cooler 18 is provided with a defrost heater (not shown).

  In this configuration, when the refrigeration blower fan 24 is driven, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 18 is supplied from the cold air outlet 23a into the ice making chamber 5, the small freezer compartment, and the freezer compartment 6, Circulation is performed such that the return port 23 b returns to the refrigeration cooler chamber 23. Thereby, the ice making room 5, the small freezer room, and the freezer room 6 are cooled. A drainage basin 25 for receiving defrost water when the refrigeration cooler 18 is defrosted is provided below the refrigeration cooler 18. The defrost water received by the drainage basin 25 is guided to the defrost water evaporating dish 21 provided in the machine room 19 outside the warehouse, and evaporates.

  And in the back part of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 in the refrigerator main body 1, the cooler 17 for cooling and the cold air | gas produced | generated by this refrigerator for refrigerator 17 are supplied in the refrigerator compartment 3 (and vegetable compartment 4). A cold air duct 26 for refrigeration, a refrigeration blower fan 27 for circulating the cold air, and the like are arranged as follows. That is, a refrigeration cooler chamber 28 that forms a part of the cold air duct 26 is provided behind the lowermost stage of the refrigeration chamber 3 in the refrigerator main body 1 (behind the chilled chamber 12). A refrigeration cooler 17 is disposed therein.

  A cool air supply duct 29 extending upward is provided above the refrigerating cooler chamber 28, and the upper end portion of the refrigerating cooler chamber 28 communicates with the lower end portion of the cool air supply duct 29. In this case, the cold air duct 26 is constituted by the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 and the cold air supply duct 29. As shown in FIG. 2, the front wall 28 a of the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 bulges forward from the cold air supply duct 29. Further, a heat insulating material 30 having heat insulating properties is provided on the back side of the front wall 28a. In front of the cold air supply duct 29, a plurality of cold air supply ports 31 that open into the refrigerator compartment 3 are provided.

  A drainage basin 32 that receives defrost water from the refrigeration cooler 17 is provided in the lower part of the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 and is positioned below the refrigeration cooler 17. The defrost water received in the drainage basin 32 is also led to the defrosting water evaporating dish 21 provided in the machine room 19 outside the cabinet, similarly to the defrosting water received in the drainage basin 25, It is supposed to evaporate. The left and right length dimensions and the front and rear depth dimensions of the drainage basin 32 are set larger than the left and right length dimensions and the front and rear depth dimensions of the refrigeration cooler 17. In the present embodiment, the defrost water from the refrigeration cooler 17 is received by the drainage basin 32 and a water storage part 45 (see FIG. 2) of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 described later. The received defrost water is configured to be stored in the water storage unit 45.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a refrigeration blower fan 27 is disposed behind the vegetable compartment 4 below the drainage tub 32, and a blower duct 33 and a suction port 34 are provided. Yes. Among them, the air duct 33 communicates with the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 (cold air duct 26) so that the upper end of the air duct 33 circulates the drainage basin 32. The suction port 34 is opened at the rear part of the vegetable compartment 4. A plurality of communication ports (not shown) are formed at the left and right corners of the rear part of the partition wall 8 constituting the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 3. This communication port makes the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 below this communicate.

  In this configuration, when the refrigeration blower fan 27 is driven, the air in the vegetable compartment 4 is sucked into the refrigeration blower fan 27 side from the suction port 34 mainly as shown by the white arrow in FIG. The sucked air is blown out to the air duct 33 side. The air blown out to the blower duct 33 side passes through the cold air duct 26 (the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 and the cold air supply duct 29) and is blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 from the plurality of cold air supply ports 31. The air blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 is also supplied into the vegetable compartment 4 through the communication port, and finally circulated by being sucked into the refrigerator fan 27 for refrigerator. In this process, the air passing through the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 is cooled by the refrigeration cooler 17 to become cold air, and the cold air is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3 and the vegetable chamber 4, whereby the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment. 4 is cooled to a temperature in the refrigeration temperature zone.

  Now, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic atomizer 41 which comprises a mist discharge | release means is provided under the cooler 17 for refrigeration in the back upper part of the vegetable compartment 4. FIG. The ultrasonic atomizer 41 is for discharging mist (mist) toward the vegetable compartment 4. Hereinafter, the ultrasonic atomizer 41 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is disposed in a substantially central portion in the left-right direction in the refrigeration cooler chamber 28 that constitutes a part of the cold air duct 26. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ultrasonic atomizer 41 includes a disk-shaped diaphragm 42, a ring-shaped vibrator 43, and a water supply member 44 that has an inverted L shape when viewed from the side. Equivalent to water holding means) and a water storage section 45.

  The diaphragm 42 is made of, for example, a metal (Ni alloy) and has a mist emission surface 42a. A plurality of holes 46 are provided in the mist discharge surface 42a as shown in FIG. The hole 46 is a fine hole having a hole diameter of, for example, several μm, and is formed in an orifice shape as shown in FIG. 6, and the opening on the mist discharge surface 42a side is narrow.

  The vibrator 43 is for vibrating the diaphragm 42, and is fixed to the outer periphery of the front surface of the diaphragm 42. The vibrator 43 includes a piezoelectric element (not shown) and an oscillation circuit. When power is supplied from a power source (not shown), the oscillation circuit applies a voltage having a frequency of, for example, about several tens to 100 kHz to the piezoelectric element. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts, and accordingly, the vibrator 43 vibrates ultrasonically. As described above, the vibrator 43 is ultrasonically vibrated, so that the vibration plate 42 fixed to the vibrator 43 is also ultrasonically vibrated.

  The water supply member 44 is for sucking up water and supplying the diaphragm 42 with water, and is made of a water retention material (for example, urethane sponge). This water retention material is excellent in water retention and moisture uptake characteristics. As shown in FIG. 4, the water supply member 44 is disposed in a state where the front end portion is in contact with the back side of the diaphragm 42 and the lower end portion is close to the bottom surface of the water storage portion 45. The water supply member 44 sucks up the water stored in the water storage section 45 by capillary action and moves it to the hole 46 of the diaphragm 42 (see FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the water storage unit 45 is disposed above the drainage basin 32 and is defrosted water generated when the refrigeration cooler 17 is defrosted (when frost attached to the refrigeration cooler 17 is melted). It is for receiving and storing a part of water generated in the water. The water supply member 44 and the water storage part 45 constitute a water supply part 47 that supplies water to the diaphragm 42. The water supply unit 47 is disposed on the side (back side) opposite to the mist discharge surface 42 a of the diaphragm 42.

  Below the diaphragm 42, a water receiving portion 48 is provided for receiving water dripping from the mist discharge surface 42a. The water receiver 48 is disposed above the water reservoir 45 and has an opening 48 a that communicates with the water reservoir 45. The water received by the water receiver 48 flows down from the opening 48a to the water reservoir 45 and is stored.

  Further, a cover portion 49 that covers the vibration plate 42 is provided above the vibration plate 42. A mist discharge port 50 is formed in the cover portion 49. The mist discharge port 50 has a size that does not allow a human finger to enter, and is provided corresponding to the mist discharge surface 42a. The mist discharged from the mist discharge surface 42 a passes through the mist discharge port 50, and the inside of the vegetable compartment 4 from the opening 10 a (see FIG. 7) and the opening 10 c of the upper case 10 and the opening 9 a of the lower case 9. (See FIGS. 1 and 2).

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.
The control device 22 includes a refrigeration cooling mode in which the refrigeration temperature storage room (the ice making chamber 5, the small freezer compartment, the freezer compartment 6) is cooled by the refrigeration cooler 18 described above, and Switching between a refrigeration cooling mode for cooling the storage room (refrigeration room 3, vegetable room 4, chilled room 12) and a defrosting mode for defrosting the refrigeration cooler 18 by heating the defrost heater. I have control.

  In the refrigeration cooling mode, the compressor 20 is driven, and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 20 is converted into a condenser, a capillary tube (not shown), a refrigeration cooler 18, an accumulator (not shown), and the like. And circulates back to the compressor 20. In this process, the air around the refrigeration cooler 18 is cooled, and the chilled air is circulated by the refrigeration blower fan 24, so that the storage room (the ice making room 5, the small freezer room, the freezer room) in the freezing temperature zone. 6) is cooled.

  In this freezing / cooling mode, the refrigeration cooler 17 is simultaneously defrosted (refrigerated defrost). In the refrigeration cooling mode, the compressor 20 is driven, but the refrigerant does not flow to the refrigeration cooler 17 side, and the refrigeration cooler 17 is not cooled. At this time, the refrigeration blower fan 27 is driven, and the air in the storage room (refrigeration room 3, vegetable room 4, chilled room 12) in the refrigeration temperature zone is circulated through the cold air duct 26, so The temperature of the cooler 17 rises to a positive temperature, and the defrosting of the cooler 17 is performed accordingly. As described above, a part of the defrost water dripped from the refrigeration cooler 17 during the defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 17 is received and stored in the water storage unit 45 of the ultrasonic atomizer 41, and the rest is stored. After being received by the drainage basin 32, it is guided to the defrosted water evaporating dish 21. In this freezing / cooling mode (refrigerated defrosting), the power of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is turned off, the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is in an operation stop state, and no mist is generated.

  In the refrigeration cooling mode, the compressor 20 is driven, and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 20 passes through a condenser, a capillary tube (not shown), the refrigeration cooler 17 and the like to the compressor 20. Cycle to return. In this process, the air around the refrigeration cooler 17 is cooled, and the chilled air is circulated by the refrigeration blower fan 27 as described above, so that the storage room (the refrigeration room 3, the vegetable room) in the refrigeration temperature zone. 4. The chilled chamber 12) is cooled. At this time, the refrigeration blower fan 24 is disconnected.

  When a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) elapses after switching to the refrigeration cooling mode (after the refrigeration defrosting is completed), the power of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is energized. In addition, the power supply of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is continuously energized until the refrigeration cooling mode ends.

  When electric power is supplied to the vibrator 43 of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 from the power source, the vibrator 43 vibrates ultrasonically, thereby vibrating the diaphragm 42 ultrasonically. At this time, dewatered water generated at the time of defrosting the refrigeration cooler 17 is stored in the water storage unit 45, and the water stored in the water storage unit 45 is sucked up by the water supply member 44, and is shown in FIG. As shown, it has moved to the vicinity of the hole 46 of the diaphragm 42. As shown in FIG. 8A, the moved water reaches the mist discharge surface 42a side through the hole 46 due to the surface tension of the water. In this state, when the diaphragm 42 is ultrasonically vibrated, the diaphragm 42 is elastically deformed in the front-rear direction as shown in FIGS. In response to this, water particles having a small particle diameter (for example, a particle diameter of about several μm to several tens of μm), that is, mist M (made mist), are discharged forward from the hole 46. In this way, the mist M is generated by the ultrasonic atomizer 41. In particular, since the water supply member 44 is disposed from the center of the disc-shaped diaphragm 42, the water supplied to the diaphragm 42 is concentrated from the outer periphery and receives vibration, and the closer to the center, the greater the vibration width. Therefore, the mist M can be discharged further. In order to increase the amount of mist M, the area of the diaphragm 42 should be increased.

  The mist M discharged toward the front of the mist discharge surface 42a from the hole 46 of the vibration plate 42 is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper case 10 and the lower case positioned in front of the ultrasonic atomizer 41. 9 is gradually lowered from above 9 and supplied to the whole vegetable compartment 4. Specifically, the mist M discharged from the mist discharge port 50 is supplied into the upper case 10 from the opening 10a (see FIG. 7) and the opening 10c of the upper case 10 and the opening of the lower case 9. 9a and a plurality of holes 10b provided in the upper case 10 are supplied into the lower case 10. Thus, the mist M is supplied into the vegetable compartment 4 so that the vegetable compartment 4 is humidified.

  When the mist M is continuously discharged by the ultrasonic atomizer 41, water droplets (dew) are generated on the mist discharge surface 42a of the diaphragm 42 and the inner wall surface of the cover portion 49 around the mist discharge port 50. (See FIGS. 4 and 5). In this case, water droplets that drip from the mist discharge surface 42a and the inner wall surface of the cover 49 (periphery of the mist discharge port 50) are received by the water receiving portion 48 provided below the diaphragm 42 and stored in the opening 48a. It flows down in the part 45 and is stored. In this way, a part of the water supplied to the diaphragm 42 is collected in the water storage section 45 and used again for generating mist.

  When the above-described refrigeration cooling mode ends, the refrigeration cooling mode (refrigeration defrost mode) is performed again. At this time, the power supply of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is turned off, and the generation of mist M is stopped. Then, after this refrigeration cooling mode, a periodic defrosting mode is performed. This defrost mode is performed, for example, every 24 hours.

  When the defrost mode is entered, the operation of the compressor 20 is stopped and the circulation of the refrigerant is stopped. The refrigeration blower fan 24 is cut off, and the defrost heater is energized to generate heat. As the defrost heater generates heat, the refrigeration cooler 18 is defrosted. The defrost water is received by the drainage basin 25 and then guided to the defrost water evaporating dish 21. In addition, the refrigeration blower fan 27 is energized, and the air in the refrigeration temperature storage room (refrigeration room 3, vegetable room 4, chilled room 12) is circulated through the cold air duct 26, so Similarly to the case, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 rises to a positive temperature, and the defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 17 is also performed accordingly. Also in the defrosting at this time, a part of the defrosting water dripped from the refrigeration cooler 17 is received and stored in the water storage unit 45, and the rest is received in the drainage basin 32 as described above. It is guided to the defrosted water evaporating dish 21.

  When this defrosting mode ends, the mode is switched again to the freezing / cooling mode (refrigerated defrosting). In this case, the defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 17 is continuously performed. Then, when the refrigeration cooling mode ends (when the refrigeration defrosting ends), the mode is switched to the refrigeration cooling mode. In this case, simultaneously with switching to the refrigeration cooling mode, the power of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is also energized. Thereafter, the refrigeration cooling mode (refrigeration defrosting) and the refrigeration cooling mode are alternately performed. In the refrigeration cooling mode, the power of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is also energized, and the mist M is released.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
An ultrasonic atomizer 41 is installed at the upper back of the vegetable compartment 4, and the mist M generated by the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is supplied into the vegetable compartment 4 from the mist discharge port 50. Thereby, the mist M is supplied to the whole vegetable room 4 from the upper part of the vegetable room 4, so that the inside of the vegetable room 4 can be kept at high humidity, and the freshness maintenance of foods such as vegetables can be expected. And since the water supply part 47 (water supply member 44 and the water storage part 45) of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is arrange | positioned on the opposite side to the mist discharge | release surface 42a of the diaphragm 42, when the water supply part 47 discharge | releases mist M, The mist M can be reliably discharged over a wide area in the vegetable room 4 without being obstructed.

  Furthermore, in the refrigeration cooling mode in which the vegetable compartment 4 is cooled, the power of the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is energized to release the mist M into the vegetable compartment 4. Thereby, since the mist M is supplied in the vegetable compartment 4 during the refrigeration cooling mode in which the humidity decreases with cooling, the reduction of the humidity in the vegetable compartment 4 is suppressed, and the inside of the vegetable compartment 4 is made high humidity. Can keep.

Moreover, since the ultrasonic atomizer 41 is provided in the cold air duct 26, the ultrasonic atomizer 41 does not reduce the internal volume, and the mist M is secured while ensuring a sufficient storage space for the vegetable compartment 4. Can be supplied.
Moreover, since the defrost water stored in the water storage part 45 can be sucked up by the water supply member 44 and water can be continuously supplied to the diaphragm 42, the supply of water can be maintained with a simple configuration. And since water can be supplied stably, the amount of mist discharge from the mist discharge port 50 can also be stabilized.

  Furthermore, since the defrost water generated at the time of defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 17 is received by the water storage unit 45 and this defrost water is used as water for generating mist, supply of water to the diaphragm 42 Can be automatically performed, and it is not necessary to replenish water from the outside, so that the user can dispense with water.

  In addition, since the water receiving part 48 receives water dripping from the mist discharge surface 42a and the inner wall surface of the cover part 49 (the peripheral part of the mist discharge port 50), the water is sent to the water storage part 45 and collected. While defrost water can be used efficiently, it can prevent that the dripping water penetrate | invades in a store | warehouse | chamber.

  The cover portion 49 covers the diaphragm 42, and the cover portion 49 is provided with a mist discharge port 50. The mist discharge port 50 is configured to discharge the mist M. Therefore, the discharge of the mist M can be adjusted in a certain direction. It is possible to adjust the diffusion of the mist M in the vegetable compartment 4 well.

  Moreover, since the opening part 10a through which the mist M discharged | emitted from the ultrasonic atomizer 41 passes was provided in the rear surface of the upper case 10 accommodated in the vegetable compartment 4, the mist supplied from the ultrasonic atomizer 41 M can be satisfactorily received in the upper case 10 and it is possible to prevent the mist M from adhering to the rear surface of the upper case 10 to cause dew. In addition, since the hole 10b communicating with the lower case 9 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper case 10, the mist M can be sufficiently diffused in the upper case 10 and the lower case 9, and the mist M is contained in the vegetable compartment 4. Can supply enough.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, instead of the water receiving portion 48, a water receiving portion 51 having a configuration in which the front end portion extends forward (to the mist discharge direction side) from the mist discharge port 50 is provided.
In this case, since the water receiving portion 51 extends forward, even if water droplets are generated on the mist discharge surface 42a and the inner wall surface of the cover portion 49 (periphery of the mist discharge port 50) due to the discharge of the mist M, The drooping water can be more reliably received by the extended water receiver 51 and collected into the water reservoir 45. Thereby, while being able to utilize defrost water still more efficiently, the dripped water can make it harder to penetrate | invade into a warehouse further.
Also in the second embodiment having such a configuration, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the ultrasonic atomizer 52 according to the third embodiment, the upper portion 53a of the water supply member 53 has a configuration in which the central axis CL facing the front-rear direction is inclined upward in a state where it is raised upward from the horizontal direction. In other words, the mist discharge surface 42a of the vibration plate 42 is inclined upward (for example, by 1 ° to 5 °) so that the mist discharge direction is inclined upward from the horizontal direction.

  In this case, since the mist discharge direction is inclined upward, the mist M is made to fly farther from the mist discharge port 50 than in the case where the mist discharge direction is the horizontal direction as in the first embodiment. Can do. Thereby, the discharge | release distance of mist M can be lengthened and mist M can be spread | diffused further in the vegetable compartment 4.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this 4th Embodiment, it is set as the structure which provided the coil spring 54 as an elastic means to maintain the contact state of the diaphragm 42 and the water supply member 44 (water supply part 47). Instead of the coil spring 54, for example, elastic rubber may be used.

In the ultrasonic atomizer 41 described above, if the contact state between the vibration plate 42 and the water supply member 44 is in a strong contact state, the vibration plate 42 may not be ultrasonically vibrated and mist M may not be generated. Further, if the vibration plate 42 and the water supply member 44 are too far apart, water may not be supplied from the water supply member 44 to the vibration plate 42 and mist M may not be generated. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, a rectangular box-shaped spring receiving portion 55 having an open front surface and a lower surface is provided behind the lower portion of the heat insulating material 30, and a coil spring is provided between the spring receiving portion 55 and the water supply member 44. 54 was disposed. Thereby, the contact state between the diaphragm 42 and the water supply member 44 can be maintained in an appropriate state, the diaphragm 42 can be satisfactorily ultrasonically vibrated, and the water supply member 44 to the diaphragm 42 Water can be supplied stably. The diaphragm 42 is restricted from moving forward by restriction means (not shown).
Also in the fourth embodiment having such a configuration, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the fifth embodiment, an ultraviolet lamp 56 is provided as a sterilizing device above the water storage unit 45. Specifically, an ultraviolet lamp 56 is installed at the lower end of the spring receiving portion 55, and the ultraviolet light having a wavelength region of, for example, 315 nm to 400 nm is irradiated from above the water storage portion 45 toward the water in the water storage portion 45. It was. In place of the ultraviolet lamp 56, an ultraviolet LED may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the defrost water from the refrigeration cooler 17 is water obtained by melting air adhering to the refrigeration cooler 17 by cooling the air and causing water vapor in the air to become frost. Therefore, it does not contain impurities such as minerals, but does not contain chlorine like tap water. For this reason, the water stored in the water storage unit 45 may be deteriorated in water quality. Then, the ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet lamp 56 are irradiated to the water in the water storage unit 45 so that the water in the water storage unit 45 is sterilized. Thereby, the water quality of the water in the water storage part 45 can be maintained satisfactorily, and water with good water quality can be made into a mist and discharged.
Also in the fifth embodiment having such a configuration, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Other Embodiments]
In this embodiment, although the ultrasonic atomizer 41 and 52 which discharge | releases mist M in the vegetable compartment 4 was demonstrated, it is not restricted to this, The ultra which discharge | releases mist M in the other storage chambers, for example, the refrigerator compartment 3, is demonstrated. You may apply to a sonic atomizer.
Further, as the mist emitting means, the mesh type ultrasonic atomizers 41 and 52 that generate the mist M using the diaphragm 42 having the plurality of holes 46 are used, but the mist emitting means is not limited thereto. For example, a surface acoustic wave atomizer may be used. This surface acoustic wave atomizer has a diaphragm and an electrode, and a surface acoustic wave is generated when a high frequency voltage is applied to the electrode. And by the effect | action of this surface acoustic wave, the water supplied on the diaphragm is mist-ized, and mist is discharge | released upwards. Also in this case, by disposing the water supply unit for supplying water to the diaphragm on the side opposite to the mist discharge surface, the water supply unit can discharge mist over a wide range without being disturbed when the mist is discharged. .

  The defrost water from the refrigeration cooler 17 is used as water for generating mist. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and water in a water supply tank, for example, may be used. Further, the defrost water is stored in the water storage unit 45 and then supplied to the vibration plate 42. However, the defrost water may be supplied directly from the refrigeration cooler 17 to the vibration plate 42.

  Although the ultraviolet ray lamp 56 irradiates the water in the water storage unit 45 with ultraviolet rays to sterilize the water in the water storage unit 45, the sterilization method is not limited to this. For example, the water storage part 45 is formed of a material containing silver as an antibacterial component, or an antibacterial agent coating is applied to the inner wall surface of the water storage part 45, the outer peripheral surface of the water supply member 44, the inner wall surface of the water receiving part 48, or the like. Or you may. Thereby, the water for mist generation can be sterilized and the water quality of mist can be maintained favorable.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which inserts an electrode in the water storage part 45 as a microbe elimination apparatus. In this case, it can disinfect by electrolyzing the water in the water storage part 45 with an electrode. Thereby, the sterilized water with oxidizing power can be released as mist, and the surface of the food in the vegetable compartment 4 and the inside of the upper case 10 and the lower case 9 with the diffusion of the oxidizing mist. The walls can be sterilized. That is, it is possible to sterilize the water in the water storage unit 45 and sterilize the vegetable compartment 4 with a single device. Furthermore, an electrostatic atomizer can be used as the sterilizer. According to this, the mist released from the electrostatic atomizer includes the hydroxy radicals having sterilization properties, and the mist removes the sterilization of the water storage unit 45 and the sterilization in the storage chamber into one. It becomes possible to carry out with an apparatus.

  The power supply of the ultrasonic atomizers 41 and 52 is assumed to be continuously energized until the refrigeration cooling mode ends, but this power supply is an intermittent operation that repeats energization and power interruption instead of continuous operation. Also good. Moreover, a humidity sensor may be provided in the vegetable compartment 4, and the operation of the ultrasonic atomizers 41 and 52 may be controlled based on the humidity value detected by the humidity sensor.

  As described above, according to the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the diaphragm is vibrated by the vibrator to mist the water supplied from the water supply unit to the diaphragm, and from the mist discharge surface of the diaphragm toward the front storage chamber. Since it has a mist discharging means that discharges mist and the water supply part is arranged on the side opposite to the mist discharge surface, the mist can be reliably discharged over a wide area in the storage room without obstructing the water supply part. By keeping the storage room at high humidity, it can be expected to maintain the freshness of the food.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 1 is a refrigerator body, 4 is a vegetable room (storage room), 9 is a lower case, 10 is an upper case, 10a is an opening, 10b is a hole, 17 is a refrigeration cooler, 26 is a cold air duct, 41, 52 is an ultrasonic atomizer (mist discharge means), 42 is a diaphragm, 42a is a mist discharge surface, 43 is a vibrator, 44 and 53 are water supply members (water holding means), 45 is a water storage section, 46 is a hole, 47 is a water supply unit, 48 and 51 are water receiving units, 49 is a cover unit, 50 is a mist discharge port, 54 is a coil spring (elastic means), and M is a mist.

Claims (14)

A refrigerator body having a storage room;
Mist discharging means for discharging mist toward the storage chamber,
The mist discharging means supplies a vibration plate having a mist discharge surface, a vibrator that vibrates the vibration plate, a plurality of holes provided in the mist discharge surface of the vibration plate, and water to the vibration plate. A water supply section that vibrates the diaphragm by the vibrator to mist the water supplied from the water supply section to the diaphragm and discharges the water from the hole toward the front of the mist discharge surface. The refrigerator is characterized in that the water supply part is disposed on the opposite side of the diaphragm from the mist discharge surface. A cooler for cooling the storage room provided in the refrigerator body;
A duct for supplying cold air generated by the cooler into the storage chamber,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the water supply section is provided in the duct.   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water supply unit has water holding means for holding water.   The said water supply part has a water storage part which stores water, The refrigerator as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. A cooler for cooling the storage room provided in the refrigerator body;
The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the water storage unit is disposed below the cooler and receives and stores defrost water generated when the cooler defrosts.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mist discharging means is disposed on an upper back surface of the storage room.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a water receiving portion that receives water dripping from the mist discharge surface. The water supply unit has a water storage unit for storing water,
The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the water storage unit is disposed below the water receiving unit, and water received by the water receiving unit is collected by the water storage unit. A cover for covering the diaphragm is provided;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cover is provided with a mist discharge port for discharging mist discharged from the mist discharge surface. A water receiving portion for receiving water dripping from the mist discharge surface;
The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the water receiving portion extends from the mist discharge port toward the mist discharge direction.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a mist discharge direction is inclined upward from a horizontal direction by tilting the mist discharge surface of the diaphragm upward.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising an elastic means for maintaining a contact state between the diaphragm and the water supply unit. In the storage chamber, a case for storing food is provided in front of the mist discharging means,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein an opening through which a mist discharged from the mist discharging means passes is provided on a rear surface of the case. The storage chamber is provided with an upper case and a lower case for storing food, located in front of the mist discharging means,
The rear surface of the upper case is provided with an opening through which mist discharged from the mist discharging means passes.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein a hole communicating with the lower case is provided on a bottom surface of the upper case.

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