JP2013096614A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of reducing power consumption by suppressing a cooling load from increasing in the refrigerator while keeping condensation heat corresponding to a necessary cooling capacity.SOLUTION: The refrigerator includes a total load detecting means to detect a total load which is a cooling load of a whole refrigeration cycle and an individual load detecting means to detect an individual load which is a cooling load in a storage chamber. When the total load is a threshold value Qa or less and the individual load is a threshold value Pa or less, a condensate passage switching valve 28 switches a refrigerant passage to guide a refrigerant to a bypass pipe and when not so, it switches the refrigerant passage to guide the refrigerant to a cabinet pipe.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator in which a cabinet pipe is provided on the periphery of an opening of a cabinet.

  In general, a refrigerator has a cabinet in which a heat insulating material is filled and foamed in a filling space formed by an inner box and an outer box so as to insulate the refrigerator and the outside, and a heat insulating door provided at a front opening of the cabinet. It has. In such a refrigerator, cold air leaks from between the cabinet and the heat insulating door, and the surface temperature in the vicinity of the refrigerator is lower than the outside air temperature of the refrigerator. For this reason, a cabinet pipe (also referred to as a dew condensation prevention pipe or a dew condensation pipe) through which high-pressure refrigerant flows is provided at the periphery of the opening of the refrigerator cabinet, and the opening periphery of the cabinet is heated by condensation heat of the refrigerant flowing through the cabinet pipe. Therefore, the occurrence of condensation was suppressed. However, when the cabinet pipe is heated more than necessary, there is a problem that part of the condensation heat enters the refrigerator from the cabinet pipe and increases the cooling load in the refrigerator.

  Therefore, conventionally, as a refrigerator having a cabinet pipe, “by providing a bypass pipe, a pressure detection device that detects the pressure of the dew condensation prevention capacitor, and a refrigerant flow rate distribution device that distributes the refrigerant flow rate by the output of the pressure detection device. A refrigerator has been proposed that distributes the refrigerant flow so that the minimum necessary refrigerant flow that does not cause condensation at the periphery of the refrigerator main body opening flows into the condensation prevention capacitor and the remaining refrigerant flows into the bypass pipe. For example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, this Patent Document 1 also describes that a temperature detection device that detects the temperature of the dew condensation prevention capacitor (cabinet pipe) is provided instead of the pressure detection device.

JP-A-8-285426 (page 3, FIG. 1)

In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, the pressure and temperature of a dew condensation prevention capacitor (cabinet pipe) are detected by a pressure detection device and a temperature detection device, and heating is not performed more than necessary by the cabinet pipe.
However, the cabinet pipe also has a function as a condenser. When the amount of heat radiation in the condenser is small, the cooling capacity is insufficient. On the other hand, when the required cooling capacity is small, the amount of heat radiation in the condenser is also small. There is also a characteristic such as a living. Therefore, there is a demand for a refrigerator capable of suppressing an increase in cooling load due to high-temperature refrigerant passing through the cabinet pipe while allowing the cabinet pipe to function as a condenser according to the cooling capacity required for the refrigerator. It was rare.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above subjects, and suppresses the increase in the cooling load in a refrigerator, and reduces power consumption, maintaining the condensation heat according to required cooling capacity. A refrigerator that can be used is provided.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention includes a cabinet, the interior of which is partitioned into a plurality of storage rooms, a compressor, a first condenser, a second condenser comprising a cabinet pipe installed on the front opening edge of the cabinet, a throttling device, And a refrigeration cycle having a cooler, a bypass pipe connected in parallel with the cabinet pipe between the first condenser and the expansion device, and a refrigerant flow path from the first condenser in the cabinet Condensation flow path switching means for switching to the pipe or the bypass pipe, total load detection means for detecting the total load that is the cooling load of the entire refrigeration cycle, and individual load detection for detecting the individual load that is the cooling load in the storage chamber The condensing flow path switching means when the overall load is less than or equal to a first threshold value and the individual load is less than or equal to a second threshold value. The bypass pipe switching the flow path of the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flows, the otherwise, it switches the flow path of the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flows into the cabinet pipe.

  According to the present invention, when the total load is equal to or less than the first threshold value and the individual load is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the refrigerant flow path is switched so that the refrigerant flows through the bypass pipe. In this case, the refrigerant flow path is switched so that the refrigerant flows through the cabinet pipe. For this reason, the heat | fever penetration | invasion from a cabinet pipe to a storage chamber can be suppressed and the load in a store | warehouse | chamber can be reduced, ensuring the heat dissipation of the condensation side according to the load of a refrigerator.

It is a figure explaining the structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the structure of the refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the example of installation of the cabinet pipe of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. The refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 is described on the PH diagram of isobutane. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a refrigerant flow path switching operation of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the cooling load of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 and the operations of the compressor, the condensing flow path switching valve, and the throttle flow path switching valve. It is a figure explaining the modification of the structure of the refrigerating cycle which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG.

  Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by the form of this drawing.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, FIG. 1 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1 (c) is a state excluding a door. FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 includes a box-shaped cabinet 1 whose front side is open. The cabinet 1 includes an outer box 11 that forms the outer shell of the refrigerator main body, and an inner box 12 that forms the inner wall of the main body, and a heat insulating material such as urethane is provided therebetween. A divider (partition wall) 2 that partitions the internal space of the cabinet 1 into a plurality of storage chambers is provided inside the cabinet 1. In this Embodiment 1, the refrigerator compartment 3, the ice making room 4, the switching room 5, the freezer compartment 6, and the vegetable compartment 7 are provided as a storage room. Further, a control device 10 including a microcomputer or the like that controls the operation of the refrigerator 100 is provided on the upper rear surface of the refrigerator 100.

  The refrigerator compartment 3 is provided in the uppermost part of the refrigerator 100, and the front surface is covered with the double-opening type door 31 which has a heat insulation structure so that opening and closing is possible. The ice making chamber 4 and the switching chamber 5 are provided side by side on the lower side of the refrigerating chamber 3, and the front surfaces of the ice making chamber 4 and the switching chamber 5 are covered with a drawer type door 41 and a door 51 having a heat insulating structure so as to be freely opened and closed. The freezing room 6 is provided below the ice making room 4 and the switching room 5, and the front surface is covered with a drawer-type door 61 having a heat insulating structure so as to be freely opened and closed. The vegetable compartment 7 is provided below the freezer compartment 6 and at the bottom of the refrigerator 100, and the front surface is covered with a drawer-type door 71 having a heat insulating structure so as to be freely opened and closed. Doors of each storage room are provided with door opening / closing sensors 35, 45, 55, 65, 75 for detecting the opening / closing state (see FIG. 2). The control device 10 receives the output from each door open / close sensor and detects the open / closed state of each door. For example, when the door remains open for a long time, the operation panel 8 or a sound output device described later This can be notified to the user.

Each storage room is distinguished by a settable temperature zone (set temperature zone). For example, the refrigerator compartment 3 is about 0 ° C to 4 ° C, the vegetable compartment 7 is about 3 ° C to 10 ° C, and the ice making room 4 is about −18 ° C. and the freezer compartment 6 can be set to about −16 ° C. to −22 ° C., respectively. The switching chamber 5 can be switched to a temperature zone such as chilled (about 0 ° C.) or soft refrigeration (about −7 ° C.).
Thus, the set temperature zones of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 7 are set to be higher than the ice making chamber 4, the switching chamber 5, and the freezer compartment 6.
The set temperature of each storage room is not limited to this.

  Air outlets 32, 42, 52, 62, 72 for blowing cool air into the storage chamber are opened on the back of each storage chamber, respectively. The air outlets 32, 42, 52, 62, 72 communicate with the air passage 14. Each storage room is provided with internal temperature sensors 33, 43, 53, 63, 73 for detecting the temperature of the storage room. Dampers 34, 44, 54, 64, 74 are provided on the air passage 14 side of each of the air outlets 32, 42, 52, 62, 72 (see FIG. 2). The control apparatus 10 adjusts the opening degree of each blower outlet by adjusting the opening degree of each damper, and adjusts the flow volume of the cold air to each store room.

  On the surface of the door 31 of the refrigerator compartment 3, there is provided an operation panel 8 composed of an operation switch for adjusting the temperature and setting of each storage room and a liquid crystal for displaying the temperature of each storage room at that time. . The operation panel 8 is provided with an outside air temperature sensor 9 that detects the temperature of the outside air around the refrigerator 100. The control device 10 controls the operation of each part including the operation of the refrigeration cycle and the opening / closing of the damper so that the detection value of the internal temperature sensor arranged in each storage room becomes the set temperature set by the operation panel 8. .

  A back wall 13 is provided on the back side of each storage room. An air passage 14 and a cooler chamber 15 are formed between the back surface (back surface) of the back wall 13 and the front surface of the inner box 12 of the cabinet 1. The air path 14 is provided in the range facing the back of the refrigerator compartment 3, the ice making room 4, the switching room 5, the freezer compartment 6, and the vegetable compartment 7, for example. The air passage 14 is a cold air supply air passage for supplying the cool air generated in the cooler chamber 15 to each storage chamber. The cooler chamber 15 is provided, for example, in a range facing the back surface of the freezer chamber 6.

[Configuration of refrigeration cycle]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the refrigeration cycle mounted on the refrigerator 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

  The refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 100 includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22 as a first condenser, a cabinet pipe 23 as a second condenser, a first capillary 24 and a second capillary 25 as a throttling device, and a cooler. 26 is connected by piping. Further, a bypass pipe 27 is connected in parallel with the cabinet pipe 23 between the compressor 21 and the expansion device (first capillary 24 and second capillary 25). A condensing channel switching valve 28 is provided at a branching portion between the condenser 22 and the cabinet pipe 23 as a condensing channel switching means for switching the refrigerant channel. In addition, a throttle channel switching valve 29 is provided at a branch portion between the first capillary 24 and the second capillary 25. A check valve 30 is provided between the outlet side of the cabinet pipe 23 and the throttle channel switching valve 29 to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back to the cabinet pipe 23.

  The compressor 21 is disposed in a machine room provided at the lower back of the refrigerator 100.

  The capacitor 22 is embedded in one or more heat insulating walls of the bottom surface, the back surface, the side surface, and the top surface of the cabinet 1 of the refrigerator 100. The capacitors 22 may be provided at a plurality of locations in the cabinet 1 according to the required cooling capacity.

The cabinet pipe 23 is a condenser provided for preventing dew condensation in the front portion of the cabinet 1.
The condensing flow path switching valve 28 is, for example, a three-way valve, and is controlled by the control device 10 to communicate at least one of the flow paths of the cabinet pipe 23 and the bypass pipe 27. In the first embodiment, an example in which the condensing flow path switching valve 28 made of, for example, a three-way valve is provided at the branching portion of the cabinet pipe 23 and the bypass pipe 27 is shown. However, the refrigerant flow path from the condenser 22 is connected to the cabinet pipe. Other configurations can be adopted as long as the configuration can be switched to 23 or the bypass pipe 27. For example, a valve that is controlled to be opened and closed by the control device 10 is provided on the inlet side of each of the cabinet pipe 23 and the bypass pipe 27, and one of the valves is opened and the other is closed to switch the refrigerant flow path. Also good.

  The first capillary 24 and the second capillary 25 are capillary tubes having different flow path diameters or different tube lengths (that is, different flow path resistances). In the first embodiment, the flow path resistance of the second capillary 25 is smaller than that of the first capillary 24. The throttle channel switching valve 29 is controlled by the control device 10 to connect the channel of the first capillary 24 or the second capillary 25. In the first embodiment, the first capillary 24 and the second capillary 25 having different channel resistances are provided as the throttle device, and the throttle amount is switched by switching the refrigerant channel by the throttle channel switching valve 29 (throttling). Amount switching means). However, instead of these, a throttle amount may be switched by providing a valve capable of adjusting the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the expansion device in multiple steps or continuously.

  The cooler 26 is set in a cooler chamber 15 provided on the back side of the refrigerator 100. A cooler inlet side temperature sensor 17 for detecting the temperature of the air returning to the cooler 26 is provided on the inlet side (the air flow upstream side) of the cooler 26, and the cooler is disposed on the outlet side (the air flow downstream side). A cooler outlet side temperature sensor 18 for detecting the temperature of the air exiting from 26 is provided (see FIG. 2).

  A circulation fan 16 is provided above the cooler 26. The circulation fan 16 blows the cool air cooled around the cooler 26 to each storage chamber via the air passage 14.

[Cabinet pipe installation example]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an installation example of the cabinet pipe of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the cabinet pipe 23 is bent and arranged at the peripheral edge of the front opening of the cabinet 1 and the edge on the front side of the divider 2. The cabinet pipe 23 is installed in the cabinet 1 or the divider 2 via an elastic member having a large heat capacity such as butyl rubber. As shown in FIG. 4A, cabinet pipes 23 may be disposed on the front side edges of the cabinet 1 and the divider 2. Moreover, as shown in FIG.4 (b), it is on the edge of the front side of the cabinet 1 and the divider 2 adjacent to the ice making room 4, the switching room 5, and the freezing room 6 (area where the cold air in the freezing temperature zone can leak). Only the cabinet pipe 23 may be provided. The arrangement of the cabinet pipe 23 is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and the cabinet pipe 23 can be arranged at any place where dew condensation due to leakage of low-temperature cold air to the outside can be suppressed.

[Operation of refrigeration cycle and air flow in the cabinet]
Next, the basic operation of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 100 according to Embodiment 1 and the air flow in the warehouse will be described.
FIG. 5 shows the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 on the PH diagram of isobutane, and the reference numerals in the figure indicate the same as those in FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents enthalpy and the vertical axis represents pressure. The outside air temperature is assumed to be 30 ° C.
Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 5.

  Basically, the control device 10 controls the operation of the compressor 21 based on the output of the internal temperature sensor provided in each storage room. That is, when the temperature in the freezer compartment 6 detected by the internal temperature sensor 63 rises above the upper limit temperature of the set temperature (for example, about −18 ° C.), the control device 10 drives the compressor 21. Thereby, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 21 to become high temperature and high pressure, and is discharged from the compressor 21. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 is condensed in the condenser 22.

  And the refrigerator 100 of this Embodiment 1 switches the refrigerant | coolant flow path with the condensation flow path switching valve 28 and the throttle flow path switching valve 29 according to the conditions mentioned later, and performs cooling operation.

When the cabinet pipe 23 is in the communication state by the condensation flow path switching valve 28, the refrigerant is further condensed in the process of passing through the cabinet pipe 23 (state A in FIG. 5). And the edge of the front side of the cabinet 1 in which the cabinet pipe 23 was arrange | positioned, and the divider 2 is heated by the condensation heat | fever of the refrigerant | coolant in the cabinet pipe 23. FIG. Thereby, the dew condensation which generate | occur | produces with the cold air which leaks from the clearance gap between each store room and a door can be suppressed.
When the cabinet pipe 23 is in communication with the condensation channel switching valve 28, the throttle channel switching valve 29 is in communication with the first capillary 24, and the refrigerant flowing out of the cabinet pipe 23 is an expansion mechanism. It flows into the first capillary 24 and is depressurized (see B in FIG. 5).

  On the other hand, when the bypass pipe 27 is in communication with the condensation flow path switching valve 28, the refrigerant passes through the bypass pipe 27. In this case, the refrigerant is condensed only by the condenser 22 (state C in FIG. 5). When the bypass pipe 27 is in communication with the condensation flow path switching valve 28, the throttle flow path switching valve 29 is in communication with the second capillary 25, and the refrigerant flowing out of the bypass pipe 27 is an expansion mechanism. The pressure is reduced by flowing into the second capillary 25 (see D in FIG. 5).

  The refrigerant that has passed through the first capillary 24 or the second capillary 25 becomes low pressure and evaporates in the cooler 26. The periphery of the cooler 26 is cooled by the endothermic action during evaporation. The refrigerant evaporated in the cooler 26 is sucked into the compressor 21 again.

  The circulation fan 16 blows the cool air cooled around the cooler 26 to each storage room. The cold air blown by the circulation fan 16 is supplied to each storage chamber from the air outlet provided in each storage chamber through the air passage 14 (see FIG. 1).

  In such a basic configuration, the control device 10 detects the temperature in the freezer compartment 6 by the internal temperature sensor 63 provided in the freezer compartment 6, and compresses the detected temperature to be a target set temperature. The capacity (rotation speed) of the machine 21 and the rotation speed of the circulation fan 16 are controlled. At this time, the rotational speed of the compressor 21 is controlled so that the rotational speed increases as the cooling load increases. When the temperature in the freezer compartment 6 detected by the internal temperature sensor 63 reaches the set temperature, the operation of the compressor 21 is stopped, and the temperature in the freezer compartment 6 exceeds the upper limit temperature of the set temperature. When it rises, the operation of the compressor 21 is started. Moreover, the control apparatus 10 detects the temperature in each storage chamber by the inside temperature sensors 33, 43, 53, 73 provided in the refrigerator compartment 3, the ice making room 4, the switching room 5, and the vegetable room 7, and the detection thereof. The opening / closing operation of a damper (not shown) provided near the outlet of each storage chamber is controlled so that the temperature becomes a target set temperature.

[Refrigerant channel switching operation]
As described above, it is possible to suppress dew condensation in the gaps between the cabinet 1 and the divider 2 and the door by flowing the refrigerant through the cabinet pipe 23 and heating it. On the other hand, the heat of the cabinet pipe 23 is stored. It can lead to increasing the cooling load inside the room by entering the room. When heat enters the storage room and the internal load increases, the operation time of the compressor 21 becomes longer and the power consumption increases. For this reason, in the first embodiment, the refrigerant flow path is switched by the condensing flow path switching valve 28 for the purpose of suppressing an increase in the internal load caused by the cabinet pipe 23.

  Next, the refrigerant flow switching operation and its action by the condensation flow switching valve 28 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the refrigerant flow switching operation of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.

  Here, it is assumed that the bypass pipe 27 is in communication with the condensing flow path switching valve 28 and the second capillary 25 is in communication with the throttle flow path switching valve 29 as an initial state.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the operation of the compressor 21 is started (S1), the control device 10 detects the entire load (S2). Here, the total load conceptually refers to the cooling load (required cooling capacity) of the entire refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator 100. A specific example of the total load will be described later. When the total load is larger than the threshold value Qa (first threshold value) (S2; No), the cabinet pipe 23 is brought into a communication state (S3). If it does in this way, a refrigerant will flow into cabinet pipe 23, the cabinet 1 and divider 2 around it will be heated, and generation of condensation will be controlled. Further, in synchronization with the cabinet pipe 23 being brought into communication in step S3, the throttle channel switching valve 29 switches the refrigerant channel so that the first capillary 24 is in communication (S4).

  Then, during the operation of the compressor 21, the control device 10 detects the entire load at a predetermined timing (S5). When the overall load is larger than the threshold value Qa (S5; No), the operation is continued while the cabinet pipe 23 is in a communication state. By doing in this way, in addition to suppression of dew condensation, it is possible to continue to secure the necessary heat of condensation in the refrigeration cycle. That is, the cooling capacity required for the refrigerator 100 includes a fixed amount that depends on the predetermined internal volume of the refrigerator and heat insulation specifications, and a variation that depends on the open / close state of the door of the storage room and the outside air temperature. And according to the required cooling capacity, it is necessary for the refrigerant to dissipate heat in the condenser (condenser 22 and cabinet pipe 23). This is because if the amount of heat released from the condenser is small relative to the required cooling capacity, the cooling capacity becomes insufficient, and the inside of the refrigerator 100 cannot be lowered to the target temperature, or a long time is required. In the case of Embodiment 1, the amount of heat of condensation when the refrigerant flows only through the condenser 22 is smaller than the amount of heat of condensation when the refrigerant flows through the cabinet pipe 23 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) (FIG. 5). C and D). Therefore, when the required cooling capacity (overall load) is large, the refrigerant can be condensed in the cabinet pipe 23 in addition to the condenser 22 by flowing the refrigerant through the cabinet pipe 23. It is possible to continue to secure the heat of condensation.

  In step S5, if the overall load of the refrigerator 100 is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa (S5; Yes), the control device 10 detects an individual load (S6). Here, the individual load conceptually means a cooling load (cooling capacity required in each storage room) of each storage room constituting the refrigerator 100. A specific example of the individual load will be described later. When the individual load exceeds the threshold value Pa (second threshold value) (when cooling is insufficient) (S6; No), the operation is continued with the cabinet pipe 23 kept in communication. As described above, in the first embodiment, even when the total load is equal to or lower than the threshold value Qa, the refrigerant is caused to flow through the cabinet pipe 23 when the individual load exceeds the threshold value Pa. It is possible to continue to secure the necessary amount of heat of condensation as follows.

  In step S6, when the individual load is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa (S6; Yes), the control device 10 controls the condensing flow path switching valve 28 to bring the bypass pipe 27 into communication (S7).

  As described above, when both the total load and the individual load are reduced, the required cooling capacity is relatively lowered. Therefore, even if the condensation in the cabinet pipe 23 is stopped, the necessary cooling is performed. Capability can be maintained. In other words, the amount of heat of condensation can be changed depending on whether or not the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the cabinet pipe 23, thereby changing the cooling capacity. For example, when the required cooling capacity is reduced, it is possible to reduce the refrigerant flow rate by lowering the operating frequency of the compressor 21, but if the operating frequency of the compressor 21 is the lowest frequency, it is more than that. The refrigerant flow rate cannot be reduced. Further, if the compressor 21 is a one-low-speed compressor, the refrigerant flow rate cannot be reduced by the operation of the compressor 21. However, according to the first embodiment, even if the refrigerant flow rate cannot be reduced by the compressor 21, the amount of heat of condensation can be changed by switching the refrigerant flow path between the cabinet pipe 23 and the bypass pipe 27. The cooling capacity can be varied.

  Moreover, heating of the cabinet 1 and the divider 2 by the cabinet pipe 23 is also stopped by stopping the circulation of the refrigerant to the cabinet pipe 23. By doing in this way, the heat | fever penetration | invasion from the cabinet pipe 23 to a storage chamber can be stopped, and the internal load of the storage chamber in which the cabinet pipe 23 was arrange | positioned can be reduced. For this reason, the storage chamber in which the cabinet pipe 23 is disposed is quickly cooled, and the operation time of the compressor 21 can be shortened.

  For example, in a state where cold air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 in addition to the freezer compartment 6 (the damper of the refrigerator compartment 3 is open), if the heat intrusion from the cabinet pipe 23 into the refrigerator compartment 3 is stopped, the refrigerator compartment is stored. The time until the cooling load of the chamber 3 is reduced and the refrigerator compartment 3 is cooled to the set temperature is shortened. For this reason, time until the damper (not shown) provided in the blower outlet 32 of the refrigerator compartment 3 is closed will be shortened. When the damper of the refrigerator compartment 3 is closed, the cold air that has been supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 until then is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 6, so that the refrigerator compartment 6 is cooled more quickly and falls to the set temperature, The operation time of the compressor 21 can be shortened. Here, the refrigerator compartment 3 has been described as an example, but the same applies to other storage rooms.

  Further, for example, when the cold air is supplied only to the freezer compartment 6 and the heat intrusion from the cabinet pipe 23 into the freezer compartment 6 stops, the cooling load of the freezer compartment 6 is reduced and the freezer compartment 6 is set. Since the time until cooling to the temperature is shortened, the operation time of the compressor 21 can be shortened.

  Thus, the power consumption of the refrigerator 100 can be reduced by shortening the operation time of the compressor 21. In general, since most of the power consumption in the refrigerator is input to the compressor, reducing the operation time of the compressor 21 has a great effect of reducing the power consumption of the refrigerator.

  Further, in synchronization with the bypass pipe 27 being brought into the communication state in step S6, the throttle passage switching valve 29 switches the refrigerant passage so that the second capillary 25 is brought into the communication state (S8). Immediately after the bypass pipe 27 is in the communication state, the amount of heat of condensation changes (decreases), and the refrigerant state at the inlet of the expansion mechanism becomes lower in density than when it has passed through the cabinet pipe 23 until then. In order to reduce the low density refrigerant to a necessary low pressure, the refrigerant is passed through the second capillary 25 having a small flow path resistance. By doing in this way, a refrigerant | coolant can be rapidly made into a low voltage | pressure. Immediately after switching the refrigerant flow path from the cabinet pipe 23 to the bypass pipe 27, it is necessary to pass the refrigerant through the second capillary 25 as described above. The flow path may be returned to 24.

  Thereafter, the operation of the compressor 21 is continued, and when the internal temperature sensor 63 detects the set temperature, the operation of the compressor 21 is stopped. In the middle of the process shown in FIG. 6, when the internal temperature sensor 63 detects the set temperature of the freezer compartment 6, the operation of the compressor 21 is stopped at that stage. While the operation of the compressor 21 is stopped, the condensing channel switching valve 28 switches the channel to the bypass pipe 27 side, and the throttle channel switching valve 29 switches the channel to the second capillary 25. It is good to leave. By doing in this way, when the compressor 21 is stopped, it is possible to suppress a state in which the refrigerant accumulates in the cabinet pipe 23 (so-called refrigerant stagnation state). In addition, since the check valve 30 is provided on the outlet side of the cabinet pipe 23, the refrigerant does not flow back to the cabinet pipe 23. By suppressing the refrigerant from accumulating in the cabinet pipe 23 while the compressor 21 is stopped, it is possible to reduce cooling failures when the operation of the compressor 21 is resumed.

  In step S2, when the total load is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa (S2; Yes), an individual load is detected (S9). If the individual load is greater than the threshold Pa (S9; No), the process proceeds to step S3. If the individual load is equal to or less than the threshold Pa (S9; Yes), the bypass pipe 27 and the second capillary 25 remain unchanged. Continue driving.

  Next, the refrigerant flow switching operation of the refrigerator 100 described in FIG. 6 will be further described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. FIG. 7 is a timing chart illustrating the cooling load of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment and the operations of the compressor, the condensing flow path switching valve, and the throttle flow path switching valve. Note that FIG. 7 illustrates a part of continuous operation of the refrigerator 100 as an example.

FIG. 7A illustrates a state in which the cooling load (overall load) of the refrigerator varies depending on factors such as the open / closed state of the door and the outside air temperature.
When the temperature of the freezer compartment 6 detected by the internal temperature sensor 63 exceeds the upper limit value of the set temperature, the compressor 21 starts operation as shown in FIG. 7B (A1). At this time, since the total load exceeds the threshold value Qa, the refrigerant flow path is switched to the cabinet pipe 23 (B1), and the refrigerant flow path is switched to the first capillary 24 (C1). When the total load exceeds the threshold value Qa and the required cooling capacity is large, the refrigerant is flowed through the cabinet pipe 23 to ensure the amount of heat of condensation, and the surroundings are heated by the cabinet pipe 23 to suppress dew condensation.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the total load becomes equal to or less than the threshold value Qa and the individual load exceeds the predetermined value (the individual load is not shown in FIG. 7), FIG. As shown in c), the refrigerant flow path is switched to the bypass pipe 27 (B2), and the refrigerant flow path is switched to the second capillary 25 (C2). By doing in this way, during the period X (refer FIG.7 (c)) during the driving | operation of the compressor 21, since the heating by the cabinet pipe 23 stops, the internal load of the refrigerator originating in the cabinet pipe 23 is reduced. Can be reduced. Even when the supply of the refrigerant to the cabinet pipe 23 is stopped, the cabinet 1 or the divider 2 for some time due to the heat storage action of an elastic material such as butyl rubber interposed between the cabinet pipe 23 and the cabinet 1 or the divider 2. Is kept warm. For this reason, even after the heating of the cabinet pipe 23 is stopped, the ambient temperature can be maintained at or above the dew point temperature of the outside air for a certain period of time. Condensation is likely to occur when the ambient temperature is high and the humidity is high. Under such conditions, the compressor 21 operates almost continuously. It is possible to maintain the cabinet 1 and the divider 2 at or above the dew point temperature by switching the flow path by the technique.

  In FIG. 7B, the compressor 21 starts operation at (A3), but the condensing flow path switching valve 28 does not switch the refrigerant flow path, and the bypass pipe 27 remains in communication. At the same time (B2), the second capillary 25 remains in communication (C2). This is a case where the overall load is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa and the individual load is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa when the compressor 21 starts operation in (A2). In such a case, by not performing heating by the cabinet pipe 23, the cooling load in the refrigerator is not increased, and the operation time of the compressor 21 can be shortened.

[Overall load]
Next, an example of detecting the total load will be described.

(1-1) Detection of the total load based on the operating state of the compressor As described above, the compressor 21 of the first embodiment is based on the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 63 of the freezer compartment 6. The operation / stop is controlled, and during operation, the number of revolutions is controlled in a state where the temperature of the freezer compartment 6 is deviated from the set temperature. For this reason, it can be said that the operation state of the compressor 21 is one of the indexes indicating the overall cooling load of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 100. Therefore, the rotation speed f of the compressor 21 or the input power W to the compressor 21 can be used as the overall load. When the rotational speed f of the compressor 21 is large (when the input power W is large), the overall load is high, and when the rotational speed of the compressor 21 is small (when the input power W is small), the whole The load is low. The control device 10 acquires the rotational speed f or the input power W acquired when controlling the operation of the compressor 21, and compares the value with a threshold value stored in advance in the microcomputer, whereby the overall load becomes the threshold value Qa. It is determined whether or not: In this case, the control device 10 corresponds to the entire load detecting means of the present invention.

(1-2) Detection of overall load due to temperature difference between inlet and outlet of cooler A high air temperature returning to cooler 26 indicates that the load in the cabinet is large, and in this case, the cooler A temperature difference ΔTe is generated between the outlet side 26 and the inlet side. For this reason, it can be said that the temperature difference ΔTe between the outlet side and the inlet side of the cooler 26 is one of indexes indicating the overall cooling load of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 100. Therefore, the temperature difference ΔTe between the outlet side and the inlet side of the cooler 26 can be used as the overall load. The control device 10 acquires outputs from the cooler inlet side temperature sensor 17 and the cooler outlet side temperature sensor 18 of the cooler 26, and compares the temperature difference ΔTe with a threshold value stored in advance in the microcomputer. Thus, it is determined whether or not the total load is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa. In this case, the control device 10, the cooler inlet side temperature sensor 17, and the cooler outlet side temperature sensor 18 correspond to the entire load detecting means of the present invention.

[Individual load]
Next, an example of detecting an individual load will be described.

(2-1) Refrigeration room door opening / closing frequency Rr
When the door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened, outside air flows into the refrigerator compartment 3 and cold air flows out to the outside, the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 rises and the cooling load increases. For this reason, it can be said that the door opening / closing frequency Rr of the refrigerator compartment 3 is one of the indexes indicating the cooling load of the refrigerator compartment 3. Therefore, the door opening / closing frequency Rr per unit time can be used as the individual load of the refrigerator compartment 3. The control device 10 receives the output from the door opening / closing sensor of the door 31, counts the door opening / closing frequency Rr per unit time, and compares the predetermined threshold value stored in the microcomputer in advance with the door opening / closing frequency Rr. It is determined whether or not the individual load of the refrigerator compartment 3 is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa. In this case, the door opening / closing sensor 35 and the control device 10 provided in the refrigerator compartment 3 correspond to the individual load detecting means of the present invention.

(2-2) Door opening / closing frequency Rf of freezer compartment
Similarly, it can be said that the door opening / closing frequency Rf of the freezer compartment 6 is one of the indexes indicating the cooling load of the freezer compartment 6. Therefore, the door opening / closing frequency Rf per unit time can be used as the individual load of the freezer compartment 6 in the same manner as the door opening / closing frequency Rr in the refrigerator compartment 3. In this case, the door opening / closing sensor 65 and the control device 10 provided in the freezer compartment 6 correspond to the individual load detecting means of the present invention.

(2-3) Refrigerating room door opening time τr
As described above, when the door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened, the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 rises and the cooling load increases. For this reason, it can be said that the door opening time τr of the refrigerator compartment 3 (accumulated time of the time when the door is opened per unit time) is one of the indexes indicating the cooling load of the refrigerator compartment 3. Therefore, the door opening time τr of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be used as the individual load of the refrigerator compartment 3. The control device 10 receives the output from the door opening / closing sensor of the door 31 and counts and accumulates the time during which the door 31 is opened. Then, by comparing the door opening time τr per unit time with a predetermined threshold value stored in advance in the microcomputer, it is determined whether or not the individual load of the refrigerator compartment 3 is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa. In this case, the door opening / closing sensor 35 and the control device 10 provided in the refrigerator compartment 3 correspond to the individual load detecting means of the present invention.

(2-4) Freezing room door opening time τf
Similarly, it can be said that the door opening time τf of the freezer compartment 6 is one of the indexes indicating the cooling load of the freezer compartment 6. Therefore, the door opening time τf per unit time can be used as the individual load of the freezing room 6 in the same manner as the door opening time τr in the refrigerator compartment 3. In this case, the door opening / closing sensor 65 and the control device 10 provided in the freezer compartment 6 correspond to the individual load detecting means of the present invention.

(2-5) Cold room temperature Tr
It can be said that the higher the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 33 provided in the refrigerator compartment 3, the greater the internal load of the refrigerator compartment 3. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment temperature Tr can be used as the individual load of the refrigerator compartment 3. The control device 10 receives the output from the internal temperature sensor 33 of the refrigerating room 3 and compares the refrigerating room temperature Tr with a predetermined threshold value stored in advance in the microcomputer, whereby the individual load of the refrigerating room 3 is determined. It is determined whether or not it is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa. In this case, the internal temperature sensor 33 and the control device 10 provided in the refrigerator compartment 3 correspond to the individual load detection means of the present invention.

(2-6) Amount of temperature decrease in freezer compartment When the freezer compartment 6 has a relatively high temperature and a large amount of food is charged, the temperature reduction rate of the freezer compartment 6 tends to be slow. In such a case, it can be said that the cooling load in the freezer compartment 6 is large. Therefore, the amount of temperature drop of the freezer compartment 6 per unit time can be used as the individual load of the freezer compartment 6. The control device 10 receives an output from the internal temperature sensor 63 of the freezer compartment 6 and calculates a temperature decrease amount per unit time, and compares the temperature decrease amount with a predetermined threshold value stored in advance in the microcomputer. Thus, it is determined whether or not the individual load of the freezer compartment 6 is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa. In this case, the internal temperature sensor 63 and the control device 10 provided in the freezer compartment 6 correspond to the individual load detecting means of the present invention.

  Both the detection examples of the entire load and the individual load described above can be realized without providing additional parts for switching the refrigerant flow path between the cabinet pipe 23 and the bypass pipe 27. The score is not increased.

  Note that a plurality of individual loads exemplified here may be used in combination, and the flow path is switched from the cabinet pipe 23 to the bypass pipe 27 when all of the individual loads to be determined are equal to or less than the threshold value Pa. Also good. In the above description, the individual loads of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 6 have been described. Similarly, the individual loads of the other storage compartments (the ice making compartment 4, the switching compartment 5, the vegetable compartment 7) are detected, and the refrigerant flow It may be used as a road switching condition.

  Further, when determining the threshold value Qa for the entire load and the threshold value Pa for the individual load, it is necessary to consider the heat radiation amount of the capacitor 22 as the first condenser. That is, when the refrigerant flow path is switched to the bypass pipe 27 by the condensing flow path switching valve 28, the condensation is performed only in the condenser 22, and therefore, the heat of condensation depends on the heat radiation quantity of the condenser 22. Therefore, when the refrigerant flow path is switched to the bypass pipe 27, it is necessary to balance the cooling capacity obtained by the heat of condensation of the condenser 22, the threshold value Qa, and the threshold value Pa.

Next, the effect | action by switching a refrigerant | coolant flow path based on a whole load and an individual load is demonstrated.
For example, even when the total load detected as described in (1-1) and (1-2) is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa, the individual load of a certain storage room is larger than the threshold value Pa. Will continue to operate the compressor 21 until the temperature of the storage chamber drops to the set temperature. In such a case, if the refrigerant flow path is switched from the cabinet pipe 23 to the bypass pipe 27, the amount of heat of condensation decreases, so the operation time of the compressor 21 can be prolonged and the power consumption can be increased. In the first embodiment, even when the total load is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa, when the individual load is larger than the threshold value Pa, the refrigerant is caused to flow through the cabinet pipe 23, so that the amount of heat of condensation can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to prevent the operation time of the compressor 21 from being prolonged.

  In the above description, the throttle amount in the throttle device is varied in accordance with the flow path switching by the condensation flow path switching valve 28. However, when the refrigerant flow path is switched from the cabinet pipe 23 to the bypass pipe 27 by the condensing flow path switching valve 28, if the refrigerant passing through the bypass pipe 27 can be reduced to the required low pressure, it is not necessarily as described above. It is not necessary to change the aperture value. For example, as in the modified example of the configuration of the refrigeration cycle according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 8, the throttle device 124 having the same throttle amount is used regardless of whether the refrigerant flow path is the cabinet pipe 23 or the bypass pipe 27. You may do it.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the total load is equal to or less than the threshold value Qa (first threshold value) and the individual load is equal to or less than the threshold value Pa (second threshold value), the bypass pipe The refrigerant flow path is switched so that the refrigerant flows, and in other cases, the refrigerant flow path is switched so that the refrigerant flows through the cabinet pipe. For this reason, the heat | fever penetration | invasion from a cabinet pipe to a storage chamber can be suppressed and the load in a store | warehouse | chamber can be reduced, ensuring the heat dissipation of the condensation side according to the load of a refrigerator.

  1 cabinet, 2 divider, 3 refrigerator compartment, 4 ice making room, 5 switching room, 6 freezer room, 7 vegetable room, 8 operation panel, 9 outside air temperature sensor, 10 control device, 11 outer box, 12 inner box, 13 back wall , 14 Air channel, 15 Cooler chamber, 16 Circulation fan, 17 Cooler inlet side temperature sensor, 18 Cooler outlet side temperature sensor, 21 Compressor, 22 Condenser, 23 Cabinet pipe, 24 First capillary, 25 Second capillary , 26 Cooler, 27 Bypass pipe, 28 Condensation flow path switching valve, 29 Throttle flow path switching valve, 30 Check valve, 31 Door, 32 Air outlet, 33 Inside temperature sensor, 34 Damper, 35 Door open / close sensor, 63 Internal temperature sensor, 100 refrigerator.

Claims (11)

A cabinet whose interior is partitioned into a plurality of storage rooms;
A refrigeration cycle having a compressor, a first condenser, a second condenser composed of a cabinet pipe installed in a front opening edge of the cabinet, a throttling device, and a cooler;
A bypass pipe connected in parallel with the cabinet pipe between the first condenser and the expansion device;
Condensation flow path switching means for switching the refrigerant flow path from the first condenser to the cabinet pipe or the bypass pipe;
An overall load detecting means for detecting an overall load which is a cooling load of the entire refrigeration cycle;
An individual load detecting means for detecting an individual load that is a cooling load in the storage room,
The condensation channel switching means is
When the overall load is less than or equal to the first threshold and the individual load is less than or equal to the second threshold, the refrigerant flow path is switched so that the refrigerant flows through the bypass pipe,
In other cases, the refrigerant flow path is switched so that the refrigerant flows through the cabinet pipe. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the total load is calculated based on a rotation speed of the compressor or an input power of the compressor. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the total load is calculated based on a temperature difference between the air on the outlet side and the air on the inlet side of the cooler. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the individual load is calculated based on the number of times the door of the storage room is opened and closed per unit time. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the individual load is calculated based on a cumulative opening time per unit time of the door of the storage room. One of the storage rooms is a freezer room,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the individual load is calculated based on a temperature decrease amount per unit time of the freezer compartment. One of the storage rooms is a refrigerator room,
The said individual load is computed based on the temperature of the said refrigerator compartment. The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. A diaphragm amount switching means for switching the diaphragm amount of the diaphragm device,
The aperture amount switching means includes
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the refrigerant flow path is switched from the cabinet pipe to the bypass pipe by the condensation flow path switching unit, the refrigerant flow is switched in a direction to reduce the throttle amount. A refrigerator according to claim 1. The throttling device includes a first capillary tube, and a second capillary tube that is arranged in parallel with the first capillary tube and has a smaller flow resistance than the first capillary tube,
When the refrigerant flow path is switched from the cabinet pipe to the bypass pipe by the condensing flow path switching means, the throttle amount switching means switches the refrigerant flow path from the first capillary tube to the second capillary tube. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the refrigerator is switched. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the throttle amount switching means includes a valve capable of adjusting a flow passage cross-sectional area of the throttling device in multiple stages or continuously. The operation and stop of the compressor are controlled based on the temperature in any one of the plurality of storage rooms. 11. Refrigerator.