JP2015031502A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator in which visibility of food is improved by illuminating a lower part side of a storage room more brightly without providing a new internal lamp.SOLUTION: A light source device for a catalyst provided at a lower part of a storage room and activating a photocatalyst in a storage room having a photocatalyst is allowed to light intermittently (pulse-like) in a state where a refrigerator door is closed, and it is allowed to light continuously in a state where the refrigerator door is opened. By activating the photocatalyst by allowing the light source device for a catalyst to light intermittently in a state where the door is closed, and by allowing the light source device for a catalyst to light continuously in a state where the door is opened, a lower part side of the storage room can be illuminated brightly by the light source device for a catalyst without providing a new internal lamp, so that visibility of food can be improved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that stores food, drinking water, and the like, and particularly to a refrigerator in which a photocatalyst is installed in a storage room.

  In recent years, with the increase in capacity of refrigerators, various foods have been stored, and interest in hygiene, sterilization, and deodorization in refrigerators has increased. For example, as a configuration for sterilizing and deodorizing the inside of a refrigerator, a configuration is known in which a photocatalyst having a sterilizing and deodorizing function is arranged in the refrigerator to remove odors and bacteria in the circulating cold air.

  For example, in JP 2010-121834 A (Patent Document 1), a decompression storage chamber is provided in the interior of the storage chamber, and a light transmitting portion that transmits light is further provided on the wall of the decompression storage chamber. It is shown that a photocatalyst is applied to the inside of the part and light is intermittently irradiated from the outside to activate the photocatalyst inside the translucent part to perform sterilization and deodorization.

JP 2010-121834 A

  By the way, in a general refrigerator, when a user loads and unloads the refrigerator, when the storage room door is opened, the door opening / closing detection means detects that the storage room door is opened and is provided at the upper part of the storage room. The inside light is turned on. By turning on the interior light, the user confirms and takes out the food in the refrigerator storage room, or stores the food in an empty storage space.

  However, in recent years, the volume of the storage room has increased with the increase in the capacity of the refrigerator, and the distance between the interior lamp provided at the upper part of the storage room and the lower part of the storage room has increased, and other storage There is a problem that the illumination light from the interior lamp is blocked by the components of the room and the stored food, and the visibility of the food in the lower part of the storage room deteriorates with only one interior lamp. In particular, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a small storage chamber such as a decompression storage chamber is installed in the lower portion of the storage chamber, and the storage chamber is often provided with a storage case and a lid. For this reason, there existed a subject that the visibility of the foodstuff stored in the inside of the store room worsened by existence of a storage case and a lid.

  In order to deal with such problems, a new method of installing an interior lamp is conceivable, but in addition to the need for a new interior lamp, a refrigerator must be designed to install this new interior lamp. It was necessary to start over and it was not a realistic response.

  The objective of this invention is providing the refrigerator which improved the visibility of the foodstuff by illuminating the lower part side of a storeroom brighter, without providing a new interior lamp.

  The feature of the present invention is that the catalyst light source device that activates the photocatalyst of the storage chamber that is provided at the lower portion of the storage chamber is intermittently (pulsed) when the refrigerator door is closed, In the state where the refrigerator door is opened, it is lit continuously.

  According to the present invention, when the door is closed, the catalyst light source device is intermittently lit to activate the photocatalyst, and when the door is open, the catalyst light source device is lit continuously to illuminate. By enhancing the function, the lower side of the storage room can be illuminated more brightly with the catalyst light source device without providing a new interior lamp, and the visibility of food can be improved.

  In addition, since the catalyst light source device is intermittently turned on when the door is closed, the activity of the photocatalyst can be improved as compared with continuous lighting, and an increase in internal temperature can be suppressed.

It is the external appearance front view and cross-sectional side view of the refrigerator with which this invention is applied. It is a perspective view of the state where an upper surface wall of a decompression storage room body was omitted and a lid was opened. It is an assembly perspective view of a decompression storage room. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the carbon dioxide in a reduced pressure storage chamber increases by a photocatalytic reaction, and the freshness fall of a foodstuff is suppressed. It is sectional drawing of a pressure-reduction storage chamber. It is a side view which shows the state before attaching the light source device for catalysts to a decompression storage chamber. It is the perspective view which looked at the LED cover in which the LED board was inserted from the back side. It is the perspective view and sectional drawing of the packing attached to the circumference | surroundings of the glass member in which the photocatalyst was formed. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the mode of packing before attaching a glass member. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the duty ratio of LED, and the carbon dioxide production ability of a photocatalyst. It is the graph which put together the relationship between the electricity supply power of LED, and the carbon dioxide production ability of a photocatalyst. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the maximum energization electric current value in case the power consumption of LED is the same, and the carbon dioxide production ability of a photocatalyst. It is a graph which shows the carbon dioxide gas production amount of a photocatalyst by the difference in the lighting method of a present Example and the conventional LED. It is the graph which confirmed the change of K value of the tuna fillet by the difference in the lighting method of a present Example and the conventional LED. It is the graph which confirmed the change of the vitamin C residual amount of the spinach by the difference in the lighting method of a present Example and the conventional LED. It is a graph which shows the illumination intensity in the decompression storage room by the difference in the lighting method of a present Example and the conventional LED. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the main control part of a refrigerator. It is a control flowchart figure which performs the lighting method of LED which becomes one Example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and application examples are included in the technical concept of the present invention. Is also included in the range.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a drawing of a refrigerator main body 100, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1 (b) is a sectional side view thereof. The refrigerator compartment 22 of the refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is covered with two doors on the left and right sides (a left refrigerator compartment door 22a and a right refrigerator compartment door 22b). Each door (the left refrigerator compartment door 22a, the right refrigerator compartment door 22b) is a French type door which can be rotated centering | focusing on the edge part in the width direction.

  The refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment has a plurality of storage rooms, a refrigeration room 22 is formed at the top, an ice making room 23 is formed on the left side immediately below the refrigeration room, and an upper freezer room 24 is on the right side. Is formed. A lower freezing room 25 is formed directly below the ice making room 23 and the upper freezing room 24, and a vegetable room 26 is formed at the lowermost part of the refrigerator 100 immediately below the lower freezing room 25. The refrigerated room 22 and the vegetable room 26 are storage rooms (for example, about 5 ° C.) in a refrigerated temperature zone. The upper freezer compartment 24 and the lower freezer compartment 25 are storage rooms in a freezing temperature zone of 0 ° C. or lower (for example, a temperature zone of about −20 ° C. to −18 ° C.).

  Each storage room is covered with a door and a packing 11 attached thereto. As described above, the refrigerator compartment 22 located at the uppermost stage is covered with the left refrigerator compartment door 22a and the right refrigerator compartment door 22b formed narrowly, and both these doors (the left refrigerator compartment door 22a, the right refrigerator compartment). The room door 22b) is rotatably supported by a hinge 3 (left hinge 3a, right hinge 3b) provided on the upper part of the refrigerator main body 100. That is, it constitutes a French door configured as a left-right opening type. Opening and closing of both doors (the left refrigeration room door 22a and the right refrigeration room door 22b) is detected by the refrigeration room door opening / closing detection means 22c disposed near the upper end and near the upper end.

  The ice making chamber 23 and the upper freezing chamber 24 arranged on the left and right are air-tightly covered with an ice making chamber door 23a and an upper chamber door 24a, which are drawer type doors, respectively. Opening / closing of the ice making room door 23a and the upper freezing room door 24a is detected by the ice making room door opening / closing detecting means 23b and the upper freezing room door opening / closing detecting means 24b arranged close to each other.

  The lower freezer compartment 25 is also airtightly covered with a lower freezer compartment door 25a which is a drawer-type door, and its opening / closing is detected by the lower freezer compartment door open / close detecting means 25b. The vegetable room 26 arranged at the bottom is also covered with a vegetable room door 26a which is a drawer-type door, and the opening / closing of the vegetable room door 26a is detected by the vegetable room door open / close detection means 26b. The lower freezer compartment door opening / closing detection means 25b and the vegetable room door opening / closing detection means 26b are respectively arranged in the middle in the width direction and at the top.

  The side cross section of the refrigerator main body 100 is shown in FIG.1 (b). The refrigerator main body 100 forms a storage room by the heat insulating box 19 formed by filling a heat insulating material between the outer box 21 and the inner box 20. The outer box 21 has a top plate 21a on the ceiling and a rear plate 21b on the back side. The storage chamber is partitioned in the vertical direction by partition members 12 to 14 provided in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and in the present embodiment in three stages, and in order from the top, the refrigerator room 22, the ice making room 23 or the upper freezer room 24, the lower stage freezer. A chamber 25 and a vegetable chamber 26 are formed. In order to supply cold air to each of these storage chambers, a cooling passage 18 is formed in the inner portion of the heat insulation box 19 inside the cabinet. In addition to a damper (not shown) that changes the supply destination of the cold air, a blower 27 and a cooler 28 are disposed in the cooling passage 18. A compressor 30 and a condenser 31 that constitute a refrigeration cycle that generates cold air are disposed in a lower portion on the back side of the refrigerator main body 100.

  A refrigerator light 100 is attached to the ceiling surface of the refrigerator main body 100, and the refrigerator compartment door opening / closing detection means 22c indicates that the refrigerator compartment doors (the left refrigerator compartment door 22a and the right refrigerator compartment door 22b) are opened. Lights when detected. The interior lamp 45 is not particularly specified to be disposed at the illustrated position, and includes, for example, the case where it is provided at an arbitrary position such as the left and right side walls, the back wall, and the bottom wall in the refrigerator compartment 22. A recess 40 is formed on the rear side of the refrigerator main body 100 above the heat insulating box 19, and a main control unit 41 is disposed. The outside of the main control unit 41 is covered with a cover 42. The main control unit 41 controls the compressor 30 and the like that form the refrigeration cycle.

  In the refrigerator compartment 22, a plurality of shelves 46 to 49 made of transparent resin plates are detachably installed. The lowermost shelf 49 is installed in contact with the back surface and both side surfaces of the inner box 20, and divides the lowermost space 50, which is the lower space, from the upper space. A decompression storage chamber 51 is disposed in the lowermost space 50.

  A back panel 52 that forms a passage through which the cool air supplied from the blower fan 27 passes is provided on the back of the refrigerator compartment 22.

  In the lowermost space 50, in order from the left, an ice making water tank (not shown) for supplying ice making water to the ice making tray of the ice making chamber 23, and a storage case (not shown) for storing food such as dessert. And a decompression storage room 51 for maintaining the freshness of food and storing it for a long period of time by depressurizing the room. The decompression storage chamber 51 has a width that is narrower than the width of the refrigerator compartment 22, and is disposed adjacent to the side surface of the refrigerator compartment 22.

  The cold air cooled by the compressor 30 and the condenser 31 and sent to the refrigerating chamber 22 passes through the periphery of the decompression storage chamber 51 to indirectly cool the inside of the decompression storage chamber 51. The arrangement of the ice making water tank, the storage case, and the decompression storage chamber 51 is not limited to this, and for example, the configuration in which the storage case is omitted and the width of the decompression storage chamber 51 is widened and the ice making water tank is different. The structure arrange | positioned in a place may be sufficient.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the top wall of the decompression storage chamber body is omitted and the lid is opened. The decompression storage chamber 51 includes a box-shaped decompression storage chamber main body 60 having an opening for food intake / removal, a decompression storage chamber door 61 for opening / closing the opening for food intake / removal of the main body 60 of the decompression storage chamber, and a decompression for storing food. A decompression storage chamber container 63 that engages with and out of the storage chamber door 61 is provided. By operating the handle 62 of the decompression storage chamber door 61, a negative pressure pump (not shown) is activated, and the space surrounded by the decompression storage chamber body 60 and the decompression storage chamber door 61 is decompressed to form a low pressure space. . The decompression storage chamber container 63 is attached to the back side of the decompression storage chamber door 61 and can be moved back and forth with the movement of the decompression storage chamber door 61.

  The decompression storage chamber 51 is a gas regulating chamber in which internal air is sucked by the negative pressure pump 29 and decompressed to an atmospheric pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, for example, 0.8 atmospheric pressure (80 kPa). That is, the decompression storage chamber 51 nurtures a special air atmosphere for preventing oxidation of food, maintaining the freshness of vegetables, and the like.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the reduced pressure storage chamber 51 is provided with ribs 60a as protrusions on the upper surface. Thereby, it is the structure supported in the state which provided the moderate clearance gap between the decompression storage chamber 51 and the storage shelf 49 immediately above it. In the rear part of the decompression storage chamber 51, a cold air inlet (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment 22 is provided, and the air around the decompression storage chamber 51 is sucked to flow the cold air, thereby indirectly connecting the decompression storage chamber 51. Cool down.

  The decompression storage chamber 51 includes a decompression storage chamber main body 60 having a front opening and having a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a decompression storage chamber door 61 that moves forward and backward to open and close the front opening. An outer peripheral wall is formed. In other words, the decompression storage chamber main body 60 is integrally formed in a box shape. Specifically, a front surface having a side wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and a top wall is formed by resin molding using ABS (resin containing acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene), AS (resin containing acrylonitrile, styrene), or the like. It is formed in an open shape.

  That is, a decompression storage chamber door 61 that is opened and closed is provided in order to put a stored product into and out of the decompression storage chamber 51. Furthermore, reinforcing ribs 60a that increase the section modulus and improve the strength are provided on the outer surface of the decompression storage chamber body 60 in a straight line shape or a lattice shape. The shape of the reinforcing rib 60a is not limited thereto, and any shape may be used as long as the sectional modulus of the decompression storage chamber body 60 is increased to improve the strength.

  Support shafts 61 s are provided on both sides of the decompression storage chamber body 60. An opening / closing handle 62 is rotatably supported around the support shaft 61s. The decompression storage chamber door 61 is configured with a differential pressure relief valve. The user holds the opening / closing handle 62, and the opening / closing operation of the decompression storage chamber door 61 and the locking when the decompression storage chamber door 61 is closed are performed, and the differential pressure release valve is opened / closed.

  A glass plate 70 coated with a photocatalyst is placed on the upper surface of the decompression storage chamber body 60, and the inside of the glass plate 70 is exposed inside the decompression storage chamber body 60. On the upper side of the glass plate 70, a catalyst light source device 80 having an LED 82 fixed to a substrate 81 is provided. A sealing material 72 is provided inside the glass plate 70. This prevents air from entering the inside of the decompression storage chamber body 60 from the periphery of the glass plate 70.

  When the decompression storage chamber 51 is decompressed by the negative pressure pump 29, the decompression storage chamber door 61 is generated by the differential pressure between the atmospheric pressure outside the decompression storage chamber 24 and the decompressed pressure inside the decompression storage chamber 24. The load applied to is increased. Thereby, in order to open the decompression storage chamber door 61 directly, a user requires a considerable force. Therefore, by opening the differential pressure release valve, the internal and external space of the decompression storage chamber door 61 is inserted, the internal and external pressure difference is eliminated, the load due to the differential pressure is eliminated, and the decompression storage chamber door 61 can be easily opened. ing.

  When food is placed on the decompression storage chamber container 63 and the decompression storage chamber door 61 is closed, the movement of gas between the front opening of the decompression storage chamber 51 and the decompression storage chamber door 61 is suppressed. When the refrigerator door (the left refrigerator door 22a and the right refrigerator door 22b) is closed and a door switch (not shown) is turned on, the negative pressure pump 29 is driven and the decompression storage chamber 51 is brought to atmospheric pressure. The pressure is reduced to a low state. Thereby, the oxygen concentration in the decompression storage chamber 51 falls. That is, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of nutritional components in the food by reducing the oxygen concentration in the decompression storage chamber 51.

  In the above-described embodiment, the internal pressure of the decompression storage chamber 51 is reduced by the negative pressure pump 29. However, the decompression storage chamber 51 may be depressurized because it may be stored without decompression. Means that includes both the case where the pressure is reduced and the case where the pressure is not reduced.

  In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail below, food is stored in a sealed storage room, and carbon dioxide in the storage room is increased using the food, so that the reduction in freshness of the food is suppressed by carbon dioxide. I have to.

  As an example of a method for increasing carbon dioxide, a photocatalytic reaction can be used. In the photocatalytic reaction, radicals having high reactivity are generated by decomposing oxygen, hydrogen, and moisture in the air, and the odor component gas is decomposed by the radicals and various bacteria are removed. In a sealed storage room, the moisture of the food becomes a raw material for radicals, and the radicals derived from the moisture of the food decompose and remove the odor component gas.

  Furthermore, the oxidation-reduction reaction by the photocatalytic reaction finally decomposes the odor component gas and various bacteria into carbon dioxide and water. The decomposition products, carbon dioxide and water, are trapped in a sealed storage chamber. Moisture, which is one of the decomposition products, is reused as a raw material for radicals and helps maintain a high humidity environment. Carbon dioxide, which is the other decomposition product, suppresses the enzymatic reaction of meat and fish, reduces the respiratory action of vegetables, prevents deterioration, and suppresses the growth of microorganisms.

  By storing the food in a sealed storage room and carrying out the photocatalytic reaction, the odorous component gas and moisture from the food can be used as a raw material for radicals, and carbon dioxide, which is a decomposition product of the photocatalytic reaction, is used for the freshness of the food. It can be actively used for holding. In this way, the primary effect (decomposition and sterilization of odor component gas) by the photocatalytic reaction and the secondary effect by carbon dioxide, which is a product of the photocatalytic reaction, are generated in the sealed storage chamber. It can be made to suppress that the freshness of food falls.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a component provided inside the sealed storage chamber 51 or the decompression storage chamber 51 is configured in the one having the decompression storage chamber 51 sealed when the food is stored. The other constituent member 70 is provided with an ultraviolet light or visible light responsive photocatalyst 71. The constituent member 70 is made of a light-transmitting material that allows light to pass through. Further, a catalyst light source device 80 is provided outside or inside the storage chamber 51 in order to irradiate the photocatalyst 71 with visible light or ultraviolet light. The catalyst light source device 80 includes a substrate 81 and LED elements 82. This catalyst light source device 80 is used to enhance the visibility in the decompression storage chamber 51.

  Moreover, if the decompression storage chamber 51 is kept in a state lower than the atmospheric pressure, the carbon dioxide concentration in the decompression storage chamber 51 can be made higher than the carbon dioxide concentration in the normal atmosphere. Thereby, the secondary effect by a carbon dioxide can be exhibited.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the odor component gas and ethylene gas generated from the food stored in the reduced pressure storage chamber 51 are changed to carbon dioxide by the photocatalytic reaction described later. Therefore, in addition to the above-described effect due to the reduced pressure, a freshness maintaining effect due to a change in the gas component in the reduced pressure storage chamber 51 can be expected. In addition, when the decompressed storage chamber 51 in a sealed state is decompressed, moisture slightly evaporates from the food stored in the decompressed storage chamber 51. Due to the evaporated water, the inside of the decompression storage chamber 51 becomes in a high humidity state (for example, near 100% humidity). Further, the water evaporated from the food is also used as a radical raw material.

  FIG. 5 shows a more detailed configuration of FIG. A glass member 70 as an example of a transparent window portion is attached to the upper portion of the decompression storage chamber 51 via a seal member 72. That is, for example, a rectangular opening is formed in the ceiling of the decompression storage chamber main body 60, and the rectangular glass member 70 is attached to the opening via the seal member 72. The seal member 72 fills the gap between the peripheral edge of the glass member 70 and the opening and maintains the hermeticity of the decompression storage chamber 51. The decompression storage chamber body 60 bends during decompression, but even in that case, no gap is generated around the glass member 70.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a photocatalyst layer 71 is formed on the inner surface located inside the decompression storage chamber 51 among both surfaces of the glass member 70. In FIG. 5, the thickness of the photocatalyst layer 71 is exaggerated to help understanding.

  A catalyst light source device 80 as a light source is provided above the glass member 70. It is desirable to arrange the catalyst light source device 80 and the glass member 70 as close as possible. This is because the amount of light that passes through the glass member 70 and reaches the photocatalyst layer 71 can be increased. As the distance between the catalyst light source device 80 and the glass member 70 increases, the output of the catalyst light source device 80 needs to be increased. Since light having a short wavelength such as ultraviolet rays is easily attenuated, it is preferable that the distance between the catalyst light source device 80 and the glass member 70 (more precisely, the photocatalyst layer 71 formed on the glass member 70) is short.

  The catalyst light source device 80 is configured as a light source unit that can be attached to and detached from the ceiling of the decompression storage chamber body 60. The light source unit (catalyst light source device 80) is positioned above the glass member 70 and is detachably attached to the ceiling.

  The catalyst light source device 80 includes an LED substrate 81 on which one or a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 82 are provided on the lower surface, and an LED cover for attaching the LED substrate 81 to the ceiling portion of the decompression storage chamber body 60. can do. The LED cover also has a function of protecting the LED substrate 81.

  Here, the wavelength of the light emitted from the catalyst light source device 80 will be examined. The light can be divided into, for example, ultraviolet rays (10 to 400 nm), visible rays (400 to 800 nm), and infrared rays (800 to 4 μm).

  When the photocatalyst layer 71 is composed of an ultraviolet light-responsive catalyst that reacts strongly with ultraviolet light, the catalyst light source device 80 is also composed of LEDs that emit ultraviolet light. When ultraviolet rays are used, it is necessary to provide a member for preventing the user from directly viewing the catalyst light source device 80. However, as a precaution, it is preferable to provide a direct-view prevention member for preventing the ultraviolet rays from being directly viewed by the user. On the other hand, when the photocatalyst layer 71 is composed of a visible light responsive catalyst that reacts strongly with visible light, and the catalyst light source device 80 is composed of LEDs that emit visible light, the direct-view prevention member is not necessary. Become. Therefore, it is simpler to use the visible light responsive photocatalyst layer 71 and the catalyst light source device 80 that outputs visible light. Furthermore, when the photocatalytic reaction is caused by visible light, it is not necessary to provide the above members in the space in the refrigerator main body 1 or the space in the decompression storage chamber 51, and the capacity of these spaces is not reduced.

  By the way, ultraviolet rays have higher energy than visible rays. Even ultraviolet rays with a relatively long wavelength of 350 nm have energy of 343 kj / mol. The carbon-carbon bond C—C forming the resin constituting the decompression storage chamber 51 is 353 kj / mol. Therefore, when UV rays are irradiated to the resin, a chemical reaction occurs, and the polymer chain may be cut, or the cut part may be bonded to another place of carbon to crosslink and the resin may deteriorate. There is. In particular, since the decompression storage chamber 51 requires a sealed structure that can withstand decompression, it is not preferable that the resin deteriorate due to ultraviolet rays.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a photocatalytic reaction is obtained by using the visible light responsive photocatalyst layer 71 and the catalyst light source device 80 that emits visible light. Of the visible light wavelength range, visible light having a wavelength near 470 nm, which is relatively strong, is used as an example. Since the LED has advantageous features in terms of life and luminous efficiency, the catalyst light source device 80 is configured from the LED in this embodiment.

  As a visible light responsive photocatalyst, for example, a product obtained by processing titanium oxide so as to react to the visible light region is known. Not limited to this, tungsten oxide may be used. Since tungsten oxide reacts only with visible light and does not react with ultraviolet light, relatively high reaction efficiency can be obtained by using tungsten oxide as a photocatalyst. Since tungsten oxide does not need to be processed like titanium oxide, its handling is easy and the cost for forming it on the glass member 70 can be reduced. Also in this respect, it is advantageous to use tungsten oxide as a photocatalyst.

  When the photocatalytic layer 71 is formed from tungsten oxide, the above advantages can be obtained. However, nevertheless, the photocatalytic layer 71 may be formed from titanium oxide or the like, or other substance that reacts to visible light. In addition, a configuration using ultraviolet light may be adopted as long as a disadvantage in obtaining a photocatalytic reaction using ultraviolet light can be tolerated.

  The substrate (carrier) on which the photocatalyst layer 71 is formed is preferably capable of supporting the photocatalyst and transparent to the light beam that causes the photocatalytic reaction. Therefore, the substrate is preferably made of glass or resin that is transparent to visible light.

  However, since the resin is an organic substance, application of a photocatalyst directly causes deterioration of the resin. When a substrate is formed from a resin, primer treatment is required. On the other hand, since glass is an inorganic substance, it does not deteriorate even when applied directly. Therefore, the substrate carrying the photocatalyst layer 71 is preferably formed from glass in terms of the number of manufacturing steps of the substrate, material cost, and the like. However, the structure which forms a transparent protective layer by performing a primer process on the surface of a resin board, and forms the photocatalyst layer 71 on a protective layer may be sufficient.

  By the way, as the thickness dimension of the photocatalyst layer 71 is larger, the effect of the photocatalytic reaction can be enhanced. However, when the thickness dimension is too large, the transparency is lowered. Accordingly, the amount of light transmitted through the photocatalyst layer 71 is reduced. Thereby, when using a visible light as illumination in the decompression storage room 51, the visibility of the decompression storage room 51 becomes low by insufficient light quantity. If the photocatalyst layer 71 becomes too thick, the photocatalyst layer 71 may break. Therefore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the photocatalyst layer 71 is set so that the amount of transmitted light does not decrease so much and the possibility of physical destruction decreases.

  In the present embodiment, the catalyst light source device 80 is also used as an illuminating device that illuminates the inside of the decompression storage chamber 51. For this reason, if light is directly applied to the food (foodstuff) in the decompression storage chamber 51, there is a possibility that the nutritional component of the food is oxidized by the photo-oxidation reaction or the food is faded. Moreover, regarding vegetables, although it changes with the wavelengths, if a strong light is irradiated, a photosynthesis reaction will be accelerated | stimulated and the carbon dioxide in the decompression storage chamber 51 may be consumed.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a light shielding plate 90 that is opaque to the irradiation light from the catalyst light source device 80 is provided between the food and the glass member 70. The light transmitted through the glass member 70 and the photocatalyst layer 71 is blocked by the light shielding plate 90 and is not directly irradiated to the food. As indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 5, gas (carbon dioxide, odor component gas, ethylene gas), moisture, and the like in the reduced pressure storage chamber 51 circulate through a gap between the light shielding plate 90 and the ceiling portion. Note that the light shielding plate 90 is not necessarily required, and the position of the catalyst light source device 80 is specified so that visible light is not directly irradiated onto the food, and the oxidation of nutrient components can be appropriately suppressed. That's fine.

  A configuration example in which the glass member 70 having the photocatalyst layer 71 and the catalyst light source device 80 are unitized will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3, a glass member 70 having a photocatalyst layer 71 and a catalyst light source device 80 are detachably attached to the ceiling portion of the decompression storage chamber body 60.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which the catalyst light source device 80 is to be mounted after the glass member 70 is attached to the opening of the ceiling portion of the decompression storage chamber main body 60 via the seal member 72.

  FIG. 7 shows how the catalyst light source device 80 is assembled. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a state before the LED substrate 81 having the LEDs 82 is attached to the attachment space 85 formed on the lower surface of the LED cover 86, as viewed from the lower side of the LED cover 86. A plurality of (for example, two) support portions 84 are formed on the lower surface side of the LED cover 86 so as to be positioned below the attachment space 85 and spaced apart in the width direction. The LED substrate 82 is supported by the support portions 84. Since the width dimension of the attachment space 85 is set according to the width dimension of the LED substrate 82, the LED substrate 81 is positioned in the width direction when the LED substrate 81 is attached to the attachment space 85. Further, since the support portion 84 is inclined, the LED substrate 81 is positioned even in the longitudinal direction by inserting the LED substrate 81 to the back of the mounting space 85. Further, since the LED substrate 81 is supported by the plurality of support portions 84 from the lower side, the LED substrate 81 does not naturally come off from the LED cover 86 and fall. The support portion 84 is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the LED 82.

  FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the seal member 72. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the seal member 72, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the seal member. On the outer peripheral surface of the seal member 72, a seal lip portion 72A and auxiliary lip portions 72B formed above and below the seal lip portion 72A are provided. The seal lip portion 72A is a member for hermetically sealing the inside of the decompression storage chamber 51, and the auxiliary lip portion 72B is a member for preventing dust from entering the seal lip portion 72A.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the seal member 72 is placed on the ceiling of the decompression storage chamber body 60, and the glass member 70 is placed on the auxiliary lip 72 </ b> B of the seal member 72. In this state, the catalyst light source device 80 shown in FIG. 7 is covered from the upper side of the glass member 72, and the decompression storage chamber 51 is completed. The illumination light from the catalyst light source device 80 passes through the glass member 70 and reaches the photocatalyst 71 to activate the photocatalyst 71. Further, the irradiation light transmitted through the glass member 70 can illuminate the food in the decompression storage chamber 51. The control of this irradiation light will be described later.

Next, returning to FIG. 4, the photocatalytic action in the decompression storage chamber 51 will be described. When visible light including light having a predetermined wavelength (for example, around 470 nm) is output from the LED 82 of the catalyst light source device 80, the visible light passes through the glass member 70 and enters the photocatalyst layer 71. When visible light enters the photocatalytic layer 71, electrons and holes are generated. Since holes are positively charged, they take electrons from moisture (H ₂ O) and generate OH radicals and hydrogen radicals. Further, electrons generated in the photocatalyst layer 71 transfer to oxygen molecules to generate oxygen radicals. Moisture that slightly evaporates from the food in the vacuum storage chamber 51 comes into contact with the photocatalyst layer 71 and becomes a radical raw material.

Radicals decompose gas from food (for example, ethylene gas, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide) and minute organic substances (for example, various bacteria) floating in the vacuum storage chamber 51 into carbon dioxide and water. As an example, the decomposition reaction of ethylene gas generated from vegetables is shown in the following chemical formula (1).
C ₂ H ₄ + 4O ₂ → 2CO ₂ + 2H ₂ O (1)
As can be seen from the chemical formula (1), ethylene gas generated from vegetables reacts with oxygen in the air to generate carbon dioxide and water. Vegetables in the vacuum storage chamber 51 are alive and breathe according to the concentration ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. When the carbon dioxide concentration in the decompression storage chamber 51 becomes high, the pores of the vegetables are closed and the respiratory activity is suppressed, so that the deterioration of the vegetables is suppressed. Therefore, deterioration of taste and nutrition can be prevented over a relatively long period.

  Since the meat and fish stored in the vacuum storage chamber 51 have already been killed, they are different from the freshness retention mechanism of vegetables. However, odor component gas and organic gas generated from meat and fish are also decomposed into carbon dioxide and water by the photocatalytic reaction.

  Carbon dioxide generated by the photocatalytic reaction is easily dissolved in water. Accordingly, carbon dioxide, which is a product of the photocatalytic reaction, is dissolved in moisture on the food surface to become carbonic acid. Carbonic acid changes the pH value of the food surface. When the pH value of the food surface changes, it becomes inconsistent with the optimum pH of the microorganisms present on the food surface. Therefore, the propagation of microorganisms is suppressed.

  Moreover, since the enzyme reaction in food has an optimum pH, the enzyme reaction can be suppressed by changing the pH value of the food. The freshness of meat and fish decreases as the enzymatic reaction progresses. Therefore, the freshness of meat and fish can be maintained for a relatively long time by changing the pH value of the food to suppress the enzyme reaction.

  Furthermore, since the photocatalyst decomposes the odor component gas in the decompression storage chamber 51, the deodorization of the decompression storage chamber 51 can be performed. Furthermore, when moisture exists in the vacuum storage chamber 51, radicals are generated by the action of the photocatalyst. Therefore, the inside of the decompression storage chamber 51 can be sterilized by the action of radicals.

  Thus, when the carbon dioxide in the decompression storage room 51 increases, the freshness fall of meat and fish can be suppressed and the quality deterioration of vegetables can also be suppressed. However, carbon dioxide alone cannot suppress food oxidation. In the case of meat and fish, when an oxidation reaction occurs, fatty acids deteriorate and vitamins deteriorate.

  On the other hand, the decompression storage chamber 51 of the present embodiment is not only a high carbon dioxide concentration but also a decompression storage chamber that is maintained at a state lower than atmospheric pressure. That is, the ratio of the oxygen concentration in the decompression storage chamber 51 is lower than that in the normal atmosphere, and conversely, the ratio of the carbon dioxide concentration in the decompression storage chamber 51 is higher than that in the ordinary atmosphere.

Ordinary atmospheric components are 21% oxygen and 0.4% carbon dioxide. Nitrogen and other minor components are omitted. When the pressure in the decompression storage chamber 51 is lowered by 20% from the normal atmospheric pressure, oxygen is 16% and carbon dioxide is 0.032% compared to the composition at atmospheric pressure. Due to the photocatalytic reaction, carbon dioxide is generated in the reduced pressure storage chamber 51. For example, the carbon dioxide concentration in the reduced pressure storage chamber 51 rises to a value of about 0.4%. These specific numerical values are merely examples for understanding the operational effects of the present embodiment, and are not limited to these numerical values.

  Next, the lighting method of the catalyst light source device 80 according to this embodiment will be described. The catalyst light source device 80 is controlled by the main control unit 41 provided at the top of the refrigerator 100.

  FIG. 17 shows the configuration of the main control unit 41 and shows the input / output relationship between the internal control device 200 and the operation control device 300. The internal control device 200 is mainly configured by the internal control microcomputer 201, and the operation control device 300 is mainly configured by the operation control microcomputer 301.

  The internal control microcomputer 201 is a non-volatile storage unit that stores control programs and constants used in computations, a computation unit that performs computations necessary to execute each control function, and a work area that is used in computations. And a storage unit for output, an output unit for outputting a control signal obtained by calculation, and the like.

  The control signal output from the output unit is sent to a drive circuit unit (not shown), and the drive circuit unit generates a drive signal for driving the electrical load in each cabinet. The electrical load in the cabinet is a fan motor in the cabinet, machine room fan motor, refrigerator compartment duct damper, freezer compartment duct damper, vegetable compartment duct damper, automatic ice maker, feed water pump, defrost heater, feed pipe heater, rotary partition heater In addition, the interior lamp 45, the catalyst light source device 80, and the like related to the present embodiment. As described above, the internal control microcomputer 201 has a function of driving the internal electrical load.

  In addition, the monitoring function of the internal control microcomputer 201 is a box-side monitoring system that monitors input information input from a sensor or switch that monitors the internal conditions, and includes a refrigerator temperature sensor, a chilled room temperature sensor, a freezer In addition to the room temperature sensor, freezer temperature sensor, vegetable room temperature sensor, outside air temperature sensor, cooler temperature sensor, the refrigerator door switch 22c, ice making door switch 23b, freezer door switch 24b, 25b, input information such as the vegetable compartment door switch 26b is monitored.

  On the other hand, the operation control microcomputer 301 includes an input unit to which sensor signals are input, a non-volatile storage unit in which constants used in control programs and calculations are stored, and a calculation unit that performs calculations necessary to execute each control function. A volatile storage unit that is a work area used in the calculation, an output unit that outputs a control signal obtained by the calculation, and the like. The input unit also has an AD conversion function for converting an analog signal into a digital signal.

  The operation control microcomputer 301 has a monitoring function and a display / notification function. In the display function, for example, the display function displays the operation content and the internal situation on the display screen and the display LED. In the notification function, the operation sound of the operation button, the notification sound such as an alarm, and the like is generated by the notification buzzer 40. It sounds. These display / notification functions are generally known.

  In this embodiment, the internal control microcomputer 201 detects the case where the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are closed and the case where the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are opened by the refrigerator compartment door switch 22c and changes the lighting method. Control of the catalyst light source device 80 is executed. The control will be described below.

  In FIG. 18, this control flowchart is activated when the activation timing arrives every predetermined time, and the function will be described for each processing step.

≪Step 500≫
In executing this control flow, step 500 first determines the current lighting state of the catalyst light source device 80. This is because if the lighting state is not determined, the starting point of the next lighting state to be controlled becomes unknown. This determination can be made by monitoring the lighting state flag executed in the previous activation cycle. Therefore, when the lighting state flag is a flag indicating intermittent lighting in step 500, it can be determined that the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are closed in the current state. The process proceeds to step 501 where it is determined that the intermittent lighting state is determined in step 500, and if it is determined that the intermittent lighting is not performed, that is, continuous lighting, the process proceeds to step 505.

<< Step 501 >>
If it is determined in step 500 that the lamp is intermittently lit, in step 501, it is determined whether or not the refrigeration doors 22a and 22b are opened. This determination can be made by the arrival of a switch signal indicating whether or not the signal of the refrigerator compartment door switch 22c has been switched from, for example, an “ON” state to an “OFF” state. If this switch signal does not arrive, it is determined that the refrigerating room doors 22a, 22b remain closed, and the process proceeds to step 502. If it is determined that the refrigerating room doors 22a, 22b have been opened, the process proceeds to step 503. It will be.

<< Step 502 >>
If it is determined in step 501 that the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b remain closed, in step 502, the illumination state is maintained in the intermittent lighting state to activate the photocatalyst. When this process is completed, the process exits to the end, ends this process, and waits for the next activation cycle. In this case, the illumination state flag remains in the intermittent lighting state and is not changed.

<< Step 503 >>
If it is determined in step 501 that a switch signal has arrived and the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b have been opened, in step 503, the illumination state is changed to a continuously lit state. In such a continuous lighting state, the irradiation light of the catalyst light source device 80 can penetrate the glass member 70 to strongly illuminate the food in the decompression storage chamber 51. Thereby, the user can visually recognize the food in the decompression storage chamber 51 more clearly. The process proceeds to the next step 504 while continuing the continuous lighting.

<< Step 504 >>
In step 504, the lighting state flag indicating that the lighting state has been intermittently changed is changed to the lighting state flag indicating the continuous lighting state. When this process is completed, the process exits to the end, ends this process, and waits for the next activation cycle.

  Then, when the next start cycle comes, step 500 is executed again. That is, in step 500 described above, since the lighting state flag is changed to the lighting state flag indicating the continuous lighting state in step 504 of the previous activation cycle, the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are opened in the current state. Can be determined. If it is determined in step 500 that the lighting state is continuous, the process proceeds to step 505. If it is determined that the lighting is not continuous lighting, that is, intermittent lighting, the process proceeds to step 501 again. Since the steps after step 501 have already been described, a description thereof will be omitted.

<< Step 505 >>
If it is determined in step 500 that the light is continuously lit, in step 505, it is determined whether or not the refrigeration doors 22a and 22b are closed. This determination can be made based on the arrival of a switch signal indicating whether or not the signal of the refrigerator compartment door switch 22c has been switched from the “off” state to the “on” state, for example. If this switch signal does not arrive, it is judged that the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are kept open, and the process proceeds to step 506. It is judged that the switch signal arrives and the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are closed, and the process proceeds to step 507. Will go on.

<< Step 506 >>
If it is determined in step 505 that the refrigerating room doors 22a and 22b remain open, in step 506, the illumination state is maintained in a continuously lit state and illumination of the decompression storage chamber 51 is continued. The intense irradiation light of the catalyst light source device 80 can pass through the glass member 70 and illuminate the food in the decompression storage chamber 51. Thereby, the user can visually recognize the food in the decompression storage chamber 51 more clearly. When this process is completed, the process exits to the end, ends this process, and waits for the next activation cycle. In this case, the illumination state flag is not changed in the continuous lighting state.

<< Step 507 >>
If a switch signal arrives in step 505 and it is determined that the refrigerator compartment doors 22a and 22b are closed, in step 507, the lighting state is changed to an intermittent lighting state. In such an intermittent lighting state, the intensity of the irradiation light of the catalyst light source device 80 is reduced, and an illumination state suitable for the activity of the photocatalyst and the temperature of the storage chamber is obtained. Proceeding to the next step 508 while continuing this intermittent lighting.

<< Step 508 >>
In step 508, the lighting state flag indicating that the lighting state has been continuously turned on is changed to the lighting state flag indicating the intermittent lighting state. When this process is completed, the process exits to the end, ends this process, and waits for the next activation cycle.

  When the processing steps described above are executed by this repetition and the refrigerating chamber doors 22a and 22b are closed, the catalyst light source device 80 is controlled to be intermittently lit and the refrigerating chamber doors 22a and 22b are opened. When it is, the catalyst light source device 80 is controlled to be continuously lit.

  Therefore, in the intermittent lighting state, the activation of the photocatalyst is increased and the lighting is executed in such a cycle that the temperature of the decompression storage chamber 51 does not increase. In the continuous lighting state, the interior of the decompression storage chamber 51 is illuminated for brighter illumination. It is. Here, the brightness of the catalyst light source device 80 in the continuously lit state is set so as to produce a brighter output than the interior lamp 45.

  Next, the relationship between intermittent lighting and continuous lighting of the catalyst light source device 80 will be described. In this embodiment, an LED 82 is used as the light source of the catalyst light source device 80. The intermittent lighting of the LED 82 is a method of changing the energization rate to the LED 82 and repeating the lighting state and the extinguishing state so as to be lit in a pulsed manner so that the human eye is always lit. The energization rate is determined by a so-called duty ratio, and the larger the duty ratio, the larger the average current value that flows, and the luminance of the LED 82 becomes maximum when the duty ratio is 100% (continuous lighting state).

  On the other hand, when the duty ratio is decreased, the average current value is decreased and the light-off state is lengthened. Therefore, the heat radiation of the LED 82 is advanced, and the temperature rise in the decompression storage chamber 51 can be suppressed. In addition, it is known that the performance of the photocatalytic reaction is improved by turning on a pulse in which illumination light is intermittently applied. Therefore, there is an optimum duty ratio that improves the photocatalytic reaction.

  FIG. 10 summarizes the relationship between the amount of carbon dioxide produced and the duty ratio generated when meat, fish, and vegetables are stored in the vacuum storage chamber 51. FIG. 10 shows that the duty ratio is 100%, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the photocatalytic reaction of the gas generated from the food is increased when intermittent lighting is performed rather than continuous lighting. That is, it is possible to improve the freshness maintaining effect by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide gas produced, and to improve the catalyst performance such as deodorization by the photocatalytic reaction and sterilization performance. According to FIG. 10, the catalyst performance decreases when the duty ratio decreases and increases with the duty ratio peaking at about 50% to 60%.

  Moreover, although the brightness | luminance of LED82 will also raise by raising Duty ratio, an average current value becomes large in connection with this. Increasing the average current value by increasing the duty ratio leads to a rise in temperature in the decompression storage chamber 51 and an increase in power consumption. Conversely, the brightness of the LED 82 is lowered by lowering the duty ratio, but the average current value is reduced accordingly. Decreasing the average current value by lowering the duty ratio suppresses the temperature rise in the decompression storage chamber 51 and the increase in power consumption.

  FIG. 11 summarizes the energization current value and the amount of carbon dioxide generated when the duty ratio is the same. As can be seen from FIG. 11, if the duty ratio is the same, it can be seen that the larger the energization current value, the greater the proportion of the carbon dioxide generation amount. That is, it is possible to improve the freshness maintaining effect by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide gas produced, and to improve the catalyst performance such as deodorization by the photocatalytic reaction and sterilization performance. This means that if the energization current value is increased, a predetermined catalyst performance can be obtained even if the duty ratio is lowered, and an increase in temperature can be suppressed.

  From such a point of view, the current value to be passed through the LED 82 and its duty ratio should be appropriately selected from the viewpoints of visibility for lighting during continuous lighting, catalyst performance of the photocatalyst 71, temperature of the storage room, and power consumption. is important. That is, in order to improve the visibility for lighting during continuous lighting, the current value may be set high, and in order to improve the catalytic performance of the photocatalyst 71, intermittent lighting may be performed, and power consumption and storage are stored. In order to suppress the chamber temperature, the duty ratio may be reduced.

  Therefore, first, in order to lower the temperature and power consumption, as shown in FIG. 10, the duty ratio is set to a duty ratio where the catalyst performance is inferior while avoiding the peak of 50% to 60%, and the decrease in the catalyst performance is shown in FIG. As shown, the current value is increased and lifted. In this way, in the state of intermittent lighting, acquisition of a predetermined catalyst performance, temperature rise and power consumption can be suppressed, and in the state of continuous lighting, the current value is set large, so strong illumination Light is obtained and the visibility of food can be improved.

  From such an idea, FIG. 12 summarizes the relationship between the maximum energization current value and the amount of carbon dioxide generated after storing meat, fish, and vegetables for 8 hours when the power consumption is the same. In this case, the duty ratio is set so that the power consumption is equivalent to that of the conventional one (90 mA, duty ratio 50%). As can be seen from FIG. 12, the concentration of carbon dioxide after storage for 8 hours when the energization current value is 120 mA is the highest. In this embodiment, the maximum energization current value of the LED 82 constituting the catalyst light source device 80 is set to 120 mA, and the duty ratio is set to 25% in order to suppress the power consumption equivalent to the conventional one. According to this, the performance which can be satisfied almost from the viewpoint of the visibility for illumination at the time of continuous lighting, the catalyst performance of the photocatalyst 71, the temperature of the storage room, and the power consumption was obtained. It should be noted that, as in the present embodiment, the maximum energization current value is not limited to 120 mA and the duty ratio is 25%, but may have some width.

  In this way, if the photocatalyst is intermittently lit at a duty ratio of 50% to 60% that exhibits the most catalytic performance, and if the energizing current value at this time is further increased, it is not inferior to the conventional one. Exceeding catalyst performance can be obtained. In addition, since the energization current value is increased, the illumination light can be made stronger when continuously lit.

  The increase in carbon dioxide accompanying photocatalysis will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 shows intermittent lighting (current value 120 mA, duty ratio 25%) of the LEDs 82 constituting the catalyst light source device 80 set in the present embodiment and conventional intermittent lighting (current value 90 mA, duty ratio 50%). It is the graph which compared the carbon dioxide gas concentration at the time of food preservation. According to this example, it can be seen that the carbon dioxide concentration is about three times as high as that of the prior art.

  Similarly, when fish and vegetables are stored with the intermittent lighting (current value 120 mA, duty ratio 25%) and the conventional intermittent lighting (current value 90 mA, duty ratio 50%) of the LED 82 set in this embodiment. The effect of maintaining freshness due to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide produced will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Fig. 14 shows the K value when tuna is stored in an enclosed space for 3 days (a biochemical index indicating the freshness of fish. ATP decreases as freshness decreases, and AMP and inosinic acid are produced. Is a graph when the difference in intermittent lighting of the LED 82 is compared. In the intermittent lighting of this example, the K value after storage for 3 days was lower than the conventional intermittent lighting. This means that a decrease in freshness of tuna is suppressed with an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide produced.

  FIG. 15 is a graph when the amount of vitamin C when spinach is stored for 3 days in an enclosed space is compared by the difference in intermittent lighting of the LED 82 described above. In the intermittent lighting of this example, the amount of vitamin C after 3 days storage was higher than that of the conventional intermittent lighting. This means that a decrease in freshness of spinach is suppressed with an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide produced.

  FIG. 16 is a graph comparing the illuminance in the decompression storage chamber 51 due to the difference L in the intermittent lighting of the LED 82 described above. The LED 82 is continuously lit when the refrigerator compartment door 22c is open, and is intermittently lit when the refrigerator compartment door 22c is closed. Compared with the conventional intermittent lighting, when the user opens the refrigerator compartment door and visually recognizes the inside of the decompression storage chamber 51, the current value is large in this embodiment, so that it becomes easier to see brightly. On the other hand, when the refrigerator door is closed, it has the same brightness as the conventional one, which means that the power consumption is also equivalent.

  As described above, in the present invention, the catalyst light source device that activates the photocatalyst of the storage chamber provided in the lower portion of the storage chamber is intermittently (pulsed) when the refrigerator door is closed. In the state where the door of the refrigerator is opened, the light is continuously turned on.

  As a result, the light source device for catalyst is turned on intermittently when the door is closed to activate the photocatalyst, and the light source device for catalyst is continuously turned on when the door is open to enhance the illumination function. Thus, the lower side of the storage chamber can be illuminated more brightly with the catalyst light source device without providing a new interior lamp, so that the visibility of the food can be improved.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Refrigerator main body, 22 ... Refrigeration room, 24, 25 ... Freezing room, 26 ... Vegetable room, 22a ... Left refrigeration room door, 22b, ... Right refrigeration room door, 23a ... Ice making room door, 24a ... Upper stage freezer room door, 25a ... Vegetable room door, 29 ... Pump, 51 ... Depressurized storage room, 60 ... Depressurized storage room body, 63 ... Food tray, 70 ... Glass member, 71 ... Photocatalyst layer, 72 ... Seal member, 80 ... Light source device for catalyst, 81 ... LED substrate, 82 ... LED.

Claims (5)

At least one storage room formed in the inner box of the refrigerator main body, an interior lamp provided in the storage room, another storage room provided in the storage room, and the other storage A photocatalyst provided in a part of the chamber, a light source device for the catalyst that irradiates light to the photocatalyst, a storage chamber door that opens and closes the storage chamber, and at least the lighting of the interior lamp and the light source device for the catalyst are controlled In a refrigerator equipped with a control device,
The control device intermittently lights the catalyst light source device when the storage chamber door is closed, and continuously lights the catalyst light source device when the storage chamber door is open. A refrigerator characterized by that. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
The storage chamber door is provided with opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of the storage chamber, and when the control device detects that the storage chamber has been opened by the opening / closing detection means, the interior lamp is turned on. A refrigerator characterized by continuously lighting the catalyst light source device. The refrigerator according to claim 2,
The catalyst light source device is an LED element, and intermittent lighting of the LED element is determined by a duty ratio, and the duty ratio is lit at a duty ratio smaller than the duty ratio at which the catalytic performance of the photocatalyst reaches a peak. Refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 3,
The refrigerator is characterized in that the other storage chamber is a decompression storage chamber whose interior is decompressed. The refrigerator according to claim 3,
The maximum energizing current value flowing through the LED element is about 120 mA, and the duty ratio energized through the LED element is about 25%.

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