JP2014202394A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator using a heat storage medium for preventing a low temperature failure in a stored item in a vegetable room, and capable of storing the stored item for a long period of time while preventing this heat storage medium from thermally influencing other stored items.SOLUTION: A refrigerator in a present embodiment comprises: a cooled stockroom kept cooled in a cold storage temperature zone; a storage vessel provided in the cooled stockroom; a heat storage medium releasing heat into a storage space of the storage vessel by being condensed at a temperature equal to or higher than 10°C; and holding means holding the heat storage medium above the storage vessel. An interior of the storage vessel is kept cooled in a temperature zone from 10°C to 15°C.

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  In recent years, in the vegetable room of a household refrigerator, the room cooling temperature has been set to a low temperature as compared with the conventional 3-5 ° C. This is because the freshness of vegetables stored in the vegetable room is reduced by respiration, but the vegetable room is kept at a low temperature so as not to freeze, thereby suppressing the respiration of vegetables and preventing the deterioration of freshness. This is for the purpose. On the other hand, in order to preserve vegetables that are vulnerable to low temperatures such as cucumber and eggplant, the set temperature in the vegetable room is too low, causing a low-temperature failure, and the stored product is browned or softened.

  In order to prevent low-temperature failure, the temperature of the vegetable room should be raised to about 5-7 ° C. When storing vegetables that prefer low temperature, a cold storage material with a melting point of -1-0 ° C on the side of the vegetable container. The structure which changes and controls the temperature in a vegetable container is also proposed (for example, refer patent document 1).

  However, when the temperature in the vegetable room is set below the freezing point by cooling with the cold storage material, the side of the vegetable room is cooled by the cold storage material and becomes around 0 ° C., whereas the surrounding space is 5 to 7 ° C. In the vegetable container, large temperature unevenness occurs, which may adversely affect the stored food.

Japanese Patent No. 4712056

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and uses a heat storage material to prevent a low-temperature failure of a stored product in a vegetable room, and prevents the heat effect of this heat storage material on other stored products. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that enables long-term storage.

  In order to solve the above problems, the refrigerator of the present embodiment includes a cooling storage room that is cooled and held in a refrigeration temperature zone, a storage container provided in the cooling storage room, and a storage container that is solidified at a temperature of 10 ° C. or more. A heat storage material that releases heat into the storage space and holding means for holding the heat storage material above the storage container are provided, and the storage container is cooled and held in a temperature range of 10 ° C to 15 ° C.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematic structure of the whole refrigerator of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of 1st embodiment. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the lid in a first embodiment from the upper part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the principal part in the XX cross section of FIG. 3 in the state provided with the storage container 50 and the thermal storage material 44. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the storage container which accommodates a thermal storage material. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of 2nd embodiment. It is a perspective view at the time of using the side surface of a front cover in FIG. 6 as the storage port of a thermal storage material. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of 3rd embodiment. It is a perspective view at the time of providing the cover in the recessed part in FIG. It is a perspective view at the time of providing a fin part in a part of recessed part in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1 showing a schematic overall configuration of the refrigerator, the refrigerator body 1 is foam-filled with a heat insulating material 2c such as urethane foam in a gap between a steel plate outer box 2a and a synthetic resin inner box 2b. Thus, it is formed of a vertically long heat insulating box 2 whose front face is open and the inside is a storage space, and the storage space is insulated into an upper refrigerated storage space and a lower refrigerated storage space.

  In a refrigerated storage space formed by a single inner box 2b, a refrigerated chamber 3 provided with a plurality of mounting shelves, a lower case 41 as a storage container, and a vegetable chamber 4 provided with an upper case 42 are adjacent to each other. They are arranged vertically.

  Below the vegetable compartment 4, an ice making chamber (not shown) and a small freezer compartment 5 equipped with a storage container are juxtaposed side by side through a heat insulating wall, and a lower case and an upper case as storage containers are provided at the bottom. The main freezer compartment 7 is arranged to be a frozen storage space that is cooled and held at -18 to -20 ° C.

  The front opening of each storage room is closed by an independent heat insulating door, and the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3 is a double door 3a that is rotatably supported by hinges provided at the upper and lower sides of the left and right sides. Is provided. The vegetable compartment 4, the ice making compartment, the small freezer compartment 5, and the main freezer compartment 7 hold the respective storage containers connected to the doors 4a, 5a, 7a, and are closed by a drawer mechanism by a rail mechanism provided in the storage compartment.

  A refrigeration cooler 11 and a refrigeration blower 12 are disposed at the back of the refrigerated storage space that spans the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, and the cold storage duct 13, the cooler cover 14, and the blower cover 15 are connected to the storage compartment. It is partitioned. In addition, a refrigeration cooler 16 and a refrigeration blower 17 are disposed across the ice making chamber, the small freezer compartment 5 and the main freezer compartment 7 and are separated from the storage compartment by a cover body 18 forming a cold air duct. .

  The defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 11 is performed by operating the refrigeration blower 12 in a state where the inflow of the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 11 is stopped, so that the refrigeration room 3 and the vegetable room 4 have a temperature of 0 ° C. or higher. Circulating air at a temperature and heating the refrigeration cooler 11 is performed.

  Below the refrigeration cooler 16, a drainage tub (not shown) that receives the defrost heater 19 and defrost water is disposed. Defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 16 is performed by heating the refrigeration cooler 16 with radiant heat from the defrost heater 19. At this time, the melted defrost water is discharged to the outside by the drain.

  A machine chamber 20 that is recessed inward is formed outside the lower rear portion of the heat insulation box 2, and a compressor 21 that forms part of the refrigeration cycle, a condenser, a heat radiating fan, and an evaporating dish 22 that evaporates defrost water are arranged. Has been established.

  In addition, a control device 23 equipped with a microcomputer for controlling the operation of the refrigerator is installed in the upper part of the machine room 20.

  The control device 23 includes detection signals from temperature sensors provided in the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the main freezer compartment 7, and detection switches that detect opening and closing of the doors of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the main freezer compartment 7. The detection signal is input. In addition, a signal such as switching of a cooling mode by a user's operation is input to an operation panel (not shown) installed on the front surface of the door of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the compressor 21 is driven and a refrigeration cycle based on a control program prepared in advance. The refrigerant is switched, the refrigeration blower 12 and the refrigeration blower 17 are controlled, and the operation panel is displayed.

  Next, the flow of cold air when the refrigerator is operated will be described. When the compressor 21 is driven, the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigeration cooler 11 and the refrigeration cooler 16 by the refrigeration cycle based on the control device 23, and each is cooled to a predetermined temperature. The cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 11 is sent to the cold air duct 13 by the refrigeration blower 12 and the inside of the cold storage chamber 3 through a plurality of cold air outlets provided at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction of the cold air duct 13. To cool the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3. The cold air that has reached the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment 3 passes through a ventilation hole made up of a plurality of holes provided in the bottom plate of the refrigerator compartment, and passes through the vegetable compartment 4 located below the refrigerator compartment 3 at a predetermined temperature (for example, 4 ° C.). ) Cool down.

  A heat insulating material 24 for preventing heat leakage from the vegetable compartment 4 to the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided on the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 4.

  About the frozen storage space, the cold air cooled by the freezing cooler 16 is blown to each freezing room by the freezing blower 17 to be cooled. Thereafter, the cold air that has cooled the freezing space is directed downward of the freezer compartment, is sucked into a suction port provided below the cover body 18, is cooled again by the freezing cooler 16, and is circulated by the freezing blower 17. repeat.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part in the first embodiment. The upper case 42 of the vegetable compartment 4 is provided with a lid 43 that closes the upper opening thereof, and the front lid 45 that is the front portion of the lid 43 is provided to prevent the temperature inside the upper case 42 from being excessively cooled. A heat storage material 44 is provided as a heat source. The heat storage material 44 only needs to have a freezing point of about 15 ° C., and is not particularly limited. For example, paraffin or sodium sulfate hydrate is used, and a liquid heat storage material 44 is filled in a bag case made of a resin film. Alternatively, it is formed by being enclosed in a rectangular container.

  The heat storage material 44 is held by a storage container 50 which will be described in detail later and a holding means of the storage container 50 provided on the front lid 45, and the heat storage material 44 arranged on the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 4 Above the arranged region, it is arranged so as to cover at least the upper projection region of the heat storage material 44.

  The heat storage material 44 is held by being stored in a rectangular box-shaped storage container 50, and a plurality of the storage containers 50 are arranged and held as follows. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the lid 43 as viewed from above, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an XX cross section in FIG. 3 in a state in which the storage container 50 and the heat storage material 44 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lid 43 that closes the opening of the upper case 42 is formed by connecting a front lid 45 and a rear lid 46, which are two flat members, with a hinge 47. A rear lid 46 located on the back side of the upper case 42 is fixed to the upper case 42, and the front lid 45 is pivotable in the vertical direction with a hinge 47 as a support shaft. The opening of can be opened and closed freely.

  On the lower surface of the front lid 45, that is, on the storage space side of the upper case 42, substantially L-shaped rail members 48 a and 48 b facing each other with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction are provided in parallel. The reinforcing member 49 is in contact with the rail member 48b in a closed state.

  The storage container 50 storing the heat storage material 44 is slid and inserted between the two rail members 48a and 48b from the side in a state where the front lid 45 is rotated and lifted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, which is a perspective view of the storage container 50 for the heat storage material 44, the storage container 50 has a hollow box shape and is formed with ridges protruding in the front and rear portions on the front and rear edges of the upper surface, respectively. The front side facing the chamber door 4a side is opened to serve as a storage port 50a for the heat storage material 44.

  Then, by sliding and inserting the collar portion into the grooves of the rail members 48a and 48b of the front lid 45, the storage container 50 is held at the substantially central portion of the lower surface of the front lid 45 on the storage space side, and heat is stored from the storage port 50a. The material 44 is stored in the storage container 50 and is taken out.

  The bottom surface of the storage container 50, that is, the surface on the storage space side, has a large number of vent holes 51 that are opened in a rectangular shape, and the bottom surface has a lattice shape.

  As the storage container 50, it is only necessary to form the vent hole 51 so that the heat generated by the heat storage material 44 is easily transmitted into the storage space. The vent hole 51 is formed as a slit on the bottom surface, or a circle is formed on the bottom surface. You may form the ventilation hole 51 which is a shape-shaped opening. Further, the vent hole 51 may be provided not only on the bottom surface of the storage container 50 but also on the side surface and the back surface.

  The heat storage material 44 in the storage container 50 held by the L-shaped rail members 48a and 48b of the front lid 45 uses the latent heat when the phase transition between the solid phase and the liquid phase occurs, The temperature in 42 is kept higher than the temperature in the vegetable compartment 4. That is, when the ambient temperature of the heat storage material 44 is 15 ° C. or less, the heat storage material 44 is solidified to release heat, thereby preventing the ambient temperature from dropping below the current temperature. Until it solidifies, the temperature in the upper case 42 is kept higher than the temperature in the vegetable compartment 4.

  The heat storage material 44 is taken out from the storage container 50 periodically (for example, once a day), and when the heat storage material 44 is solidified, it is melted and then stored in the storage container 50 again, so that the upper case The temperature in 42 is maintained at 10 ° C. to 15 ° C., which is a temperature zone that prevents a low temperature failure.

  In addition, although 10 to 15 degreeC was set as a temperature range which prevents a low temperature disorder | damage | failure, since the temperature which causes a low temperature disorder | damage differs with foodstuffs, optimal storage temperature also changes with foodstuffs. For example, a temperature around 10 ° C. for eggplants and a temperature around 12 ° C. for pumpkins and cucumbers are suitable for storage. However, when storing vegetables, transpiration due to respiration is prominent at temperatures exceeding 15 ° C., and the stored vegetables are likely to rot. Therefore, the temperature in the upper case 42 is controlled to be at least 15 ° C. or less. .

  With the above configuration, the storage container 50 is arranged on the front lid 45 and the storage container 50 is provided with the heat storage material 44, so that the inside of the upper case 42 can be prevented from being overcooled. Can be stored with good freshness without causing low-temperature damage.

  Since the heat storage material 44 is located above the upper case 42, even if the temperature of the heat storage material 44 is too high compared to the refrigeration temperature, such as immediately after the room temperature heat storage material 44 is installed, the heat storage material 44 There is no direct contact with the stored items and no significant adverse effects on the stored items.

  When the upper case 42 is provided with a lid 43 which is a separate member, and the lid 43 is provided with a means for holding the heat storage material 44, the upper case 42 of the existing refrigerator is to be made a refrigerated space to prevent a low-temperature failure. Even if it exists, the heat storage material 44 and its holding member should just be provided in the lid | cover 43 corresponding to the upper case 42, and it is not necessary to add the big design change to the refrigerator main body 1. FIG.

  Since the storage container 50 is detachably attached to the front lid 45, the storage container 50 can be removed and washed, and maintenance is good.

  If the stored food is not likely to cause a low temperature failure, the heat storage material 44 and the storage container 50 may be removed from the lid 43, or the lid 43 may be removed from the upper case 42, and the storage capacity in the upper case 42 can be further increased. Can be enlarged.

  By disposing the heat insulating material 24 on the ceiling surface of the vegetable room 4 so as to cover the upper part of the region where the heat storage material 44 is provided, the heat generated from the heat storage material 44 is prevented from leaking to the refrigerator compartment 3 side. Since the temperature in the chamber 3 does not increase, the stored items in the refrigerator compartment 3 are not adversely affected.

(Second embodiment)
The difference from the first embodiment is that the storage container 50 is not provided in the front lid 45 as a means for holding the heat storage material 44 but the heat storage material 44 is provided in the front lid 45.

  As shown in FIG. 6 which is a perspective view of the main part of the second embodiment, the front lid 45 is formed into a hollow box shape, and heat is stored on the front side of the six surfaces forming the box shape, that is, the vegetable room door side surface. An opening as a storage port 45 a for taking in and out the material 44 is provided, and the heat storage material 44 is held in the hollow of the front lid 45. A semicircular cutout 52 is provided in each of the left and right half portions of the upper and lower surfaces of the front lid 45 so that the heat storage material 44 can be easily taken out by sandwiching the heat storage material 44 directly at the center on the near side. Is provided.

  At the center of the front lid 45, a partition member 53 that divides the hollow region into two substantially right and left is provided. Note that the number of the partition members 53 provided in the front lid 45 is not limited to one, but may be divided into a plurality of three or more regions, or may not be provided with the partition members 53 and do not partition the hollow regions.

  In the front lid 45, the wall thickness on the upper surface side of the storage space for storing the heat storage material 44 may be increased, and the wall thickness on the bottom surface side may be decreased (although different from the state shown in FIG. 6). A vent hole 51 is formed on the bottom surface, which is a surface facing a certain upper case 42, as in the first embodiment.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the opening of the front lid 45 may be provided on both sides of the front lid 45 instead of the front side, and the heat storage material 44 may be taken in and out from the side.

  Also in the second embodiment described above, similarly to the first embodiment, since the heat storage material 44 is provided in the front cover 45 of the upper case 42, it is possible to prevent the inside of the upper case 42 from being cooled too much. The food stored inside can be stored with good freshness without causing low-temperature damage.

  Further, the heat storage material 44 can be held only by the front lid 45 without providing the storage container 50 and rail members 48a and 48b, and the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be reduced.

  By reducing the thickness of the bottom surface side of the front lid 45, the heat from the heat storage material 44 is effectively introduced to the bottom surface side, that is, the storage space side, and by increasing the thickness of the upper surface side, Since leakage of heat to the space above the lid 45 can be suppressed, adverse effects on stored items in the storage room such as the chilled room located above the vegetable room 4 can be reduced.

(Third embodiment)
The difference from the first embodiment is that the storage container 50 is not disposed in the front lid 45 as a means for holding the heat storage material 44, but the front lid 45 is recessed into the storage space to form a recess 54, and the recess 54 is used for heat storage. The holding means for the material 44 is used.

  As shown in FIG. 8 which is a perspective view of the main part of the third embodiment, a concave portion 54 is formed in a substantially central portion of the front lid 45 so as to be depressed downward from the upper surface, that is, toward the storage space side. Store in the recess 54.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a cover 55 made of a heat insulating material that opens and closes the storage space for the heat storage material 44 is provided, and the concave portion 54, which is the storage space for the heat storage material 44, is closed by the cover 55. The material 44 may be securely held in the concave portion 54. As shown in FIG. 10, a fin portion 56 that protrudes from the rear end of the upper surface of the concave portion 54 to the near side and covers a part of the concave portion 54 is formed. May be pocketed.

  The thickness of the bottom part of the recessed part 54 which accommodates the thermal storage material 44 is formed thinner than the thickness of the front lid 45, and the recessed part 54 is provided with a vent hole 51 as in the first embodiment.

  Also in the third embodiment described above, similarly to the first embodiment, by providing the heat storage material 44 in the front lid 45 of the upper case 42, it is possible to prevent the inside of the upper case 42 from being cooled too much. The food stored inside can be stored with good freshness without causing low-temperature damage.

  In addition, since the heat storage material 44 can be taken in and out with the front lid 45 closed, the user can use the heat storage material 44 with ease.

  The inflow of heat of the heat storage material 44 to the storage space is ensured by forming the thickness of the recess 54 for storing the heat storage material 44 thinner than the thickness of the lid 43 and further providing the vent hole 51 in the recess 54. Can do.

  Further, by forming the cover 55 with a heat insulating material, it is possible to suppress the thermal effect on the upper side of the front lid 45.

  According to at least one embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

  Since it can prevent that the temperature in a storage container falls below the desired temperature with the heat storage material 44 by providing the lid | cover 43 provided with the holding means which hold | maintains the heat storage material 44 in the storage container in the vegetable compartment 4, it is low temperature Stored goods can be stored in a temperature zone that does not cause damage.

  Since the stored product does not directly touch the heat storage material 44 because the heat storage material 44 is held in the lid 43 located at the top of the storage container, the heat storage material 44 having a higher temperature than the stored product is stored. However, it does not have a serious adverse effect on the stored goods.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example 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.

3 is a refrigeration room, 4 is a vegetable room, 11 is a refrigeration cooler, 12 is a refrigeration blower, 13 is a cold air duct, 14 is a cooler cover, 15 is a blower cover, 24 is a heat insulating material, 41 is a lower case, 42 Is an upper case, 43 is a lid, 44 is a heat storage material, 45 is a front lid, 45a is a storage port, 46 is a rear lid, 47 is a hinge, 48a and 48b are rail members, 49 is a reinforcing member, 50 is a storage container, 50a is a storage opening, 51 is a vent hole, 52 is a notch, 53 is a partition member, 54 is a recess, 55 is a cover, and 56 is a fin.

Claims (9)

A cooling storage room for cooling and holding in a refrigerated temperature zone;
A storage container provided in the cooling storage chamber;
A heat storage material that releases heat into the storage space of the storage container by solidifying at a temperature of 10 ° C. or higher;
Holding means for holding the heat storage material above the storage container,
A refrigerator that cools and holds the inside of the storage container in a temperature range of 10 ° C to 15 ° C.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage container has a shape with an open top, includes a lid that closes the opening of the storage container, and the holding means is included in the lid.   The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the holding unit includes a storage port that allows the heat storage material to be attached and detached.   The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the holding means is a storage container that is detachably provided on a lower surface of the lid.   The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the holding means has a shape in which the lid is recessed downward from the upper surface.   The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the holding unit includes a cover that closes the storage space above the storage space for storing the heat storage material.   The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the holding unit has a fin portion that protrudes toward the front side from the back end of the upper surface of the storage space for storing the heat storage material, and covers a part of the upper surface of the storage space.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the holding means includes a bottom surface portion that covers at least the bottom surface side of the heat storage material, and a vent hole that communicates with the storage space in the storage container. .   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a heat insulating material is disposed in an upper region of the heat storage material.

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