JP2019219126A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that comprises a flow rate adjustment mechanism in an air blowing duct for blowing cold air into a storage chamber, and allows smooth operation so that operation of the flow rate adjustment mechanism is not hindered by freezing of dew condensation water.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body 11 inside which storage spaces and a cooler chamber 30 are formed, a refrigeration cycle including a cooler 36 housed in the cooler chamber 30, an air blowing duct 80 for blowing air cooled by the cooler 36 into storage spaces 14 and 16 from the cooler chamber 30, a slider 102 for changing a cross-sectional area of the air blowing duct 80, and a rail part 104 for guiding movement of the slider 102. The rail part 104 comprises a lower rail 110 supporting a lower side of the slider 102, and a lower drainage part 114 vertically penetrating the lower rail 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  A refrigerator that partitions the inside of a refrigerator body into a storage space and a cooler room, and cools the storage space to a predetermined temperature by blowing cool air generated by a cooler provided in the cooler room to the storage space through an air duct. It has been known.

  In such a refrigerator, a flow rate adjusting mechanism that adjusts the amount of cool air supplied to the storage space by changing the cross-sectional area of the air duct by sliding the switching means may be provided to change the temperature in the storage space ( For example, Patent Document 1 below.

  However, in a refrigerator provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism in the air duct, moisture contained in the air in the air duct may condense on the flow rate adjusting mechanism and then be cooled and frozen again to hinder the operation of the flow rate adjusting mechanism. .

JP 2008-116128 A

  In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator that has a flow rate adjusting mechanism in a ventilation duct that sends cool air to a storage room and that can smoothly operate without the operation of the flow rate adjusting mechanism being hindered by freezing of dew condensation water. And

  The refrigerator of the present embodiment includes a refrigerator main body in which a storage space and a cooler room are formed, a refrigeration cycle including a cooler housed in the cooler room, and cooling of the air cooled by the cooler. A ventilation duct for blowing air from the container room to the storage space, a slider for changing a cross-sectional area of the ventilation duct, and a rail for guiding the movement of the slider, wherein the rail supports a lower side of the slider. And a drainage part penetrating the lower rail up and down.

Sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Partial front view of refrigerator with door removed Main part enlarged view of FIG. Perspective view of flow adjustment mechanism Front view of a flow rate adjusting mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Front view of a flow rate adjusting mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention. AA sectional view of FIG. Front view of a flow rate adjusting mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. BB sectional view of FIG.

(1st Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment includes a heat-insulating box body that is opened at the front and is filled with foamed heat-insulating material between an outer box forming an outer shell and an inner box forming a storage space. A main body 11 is provided. The storage space formed inside the refrigerator main body 11 is insulated by a partition wall 12 into an upper frozen storage room (first storage room) 14 and a lower refrigerated storage room (second storage room) 16, The front openings of the freezer storage room 14 and the refrigerated storage room 16 are closed by doors 15 and 17, respectively.

  The refrigerated storage room 16 is a space that is cooled to a refrigerated temperature (for example, 2 to 4 ° C.), and is provided with a drawer shelf 20 at an upper portion and a partition plate 22 also serving as a mounting shelf at a lower portion. A plurality of mounting shelves 24 are arranged between the drawer shelf 20 and the partition plate 22, and the sliding between the partition plate 22 and the bottom of the refrigerated storage room 16 can be slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the refrigerator body 11. Is provided with a drawer container 26.

  The freezing storage room 14 is a space in which the inside is cooled to a freezing temperature (for example, −18 ° C. or lower), and the inner space is vertically divided by a mounting shelf 28. At the rear of the freezer storage room 14, a cooler cover 32 forming a cooler room 30 together with the rear end of the partition wall 12 and the back of the refrigerator main body 11, and a rear surface of the freezer storage room 14 arranged in front of the cooler cover 32. Is provided.

  The cooler cover 32 is formed of a plate-like member that covers the front surface of the cooler 36, and the blower fan 38 is attached to a mounting hole provided above the cooler 36.

  The cooler room 30 houses therein a cooler 36, a blower fan 38, and a drain gutter 58. The cooler room 30 is a space that generates cold air to be supplied to the freezing storage room 14 and the refrigerated storage room 16, and is connected to the air duct 80, the first return duct 42, and the second return duct 52, and blows the generated cold air. The air is supplied to the freezing storage room 14 and the refrigerated storage room 16 via the duct 80.

  The cooler 36 is housed in the cooler room 30 so that the lower end thereof faces the partition wall 12 in the front-rear direction. The cooler 36 constitutes a refrigerating cycle together with a compressor 56 provided at the lower part of the refrigerator 10 and a condenser and a capillary tube (not shown), and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 56 receives the refrigerant through the condenser and the capillary tube. be introduced. Thereby, the cooler 36 cools down and cools the air in the cooler room 30 to generate cool air.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a defrost heater 37 for heating the cooler 36 during the defrosting operation is provided around the cooler 36.

  The drain gutter 58 is formed of a container that is provided below the cooler 36 and that opens on the upper surface, and receives dew water (defrost water) generated from the cooler 36 during the defrosting operation. A drain hose 60 is connected to the bottom of the drain gutter 58, and drains defrost water received by the drain gutter 58 to an evaporating dish 62 provided on the bottom bottom of the back of the refrigerator body 11 via the drain hose 60.

  The duct plate 34 is formed of a plate-like member provided at an interval in front of the cooler cover 32 and forms a ventilation duct 80 and a first return duct 42 between the duct plate 34 and the cooler cover 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the duct plate 34 is provided with an upper outlet 82, a lower outlet 84, and a freezing inlet 44 that open to the freezing storage room 14, and the upper outlet 82 and the lower outlet 84. The first return duct 42 is connected to the refrigeration suction port 44.

  The ventilation duct 80 includes a freezing duct 81 that supplies cold air to the freezing storage room 14 and a branch duct 88 connected to the refrigeration duct 50 that supplies cold air to the refrigerated storage room 16.

  The refrigeration duct 81 is a flow path that extends vertically from the blower fan 38 provided on the cooler cover 32, and the tip of the upwardly extending flow path is connected to the upper outlet 82, and is connected to the tip of the downwardly extending flow path. The lower outlet 84 is connected.

  The upper outlet 82 is an opening provided in the upper part of the freezing storage room 14 in the width direction, and a louver for directing air blown out from the air duct 80 forward is provided inside the opening.

  The lower outlet 84 is an opening provided in a widthwise direction below the upper outlet 82, in this example, at a position close to the lower surface of the mounting shelf 28. At 14, the air blows out to the space below the mounting shelf 28.

  The refrigeration inlet 44 is an opening provided below the lower outlet 84 and provided almost entirely in the width direction near the upper surface of the partition wall 12 constituting the bottom surface of the refrigeration storage room 14.

  The branch duct 88 branches off from the freezing duct 81 and extends downward, and is connected to the upper end of the refrigeration duct 50. A connection 89 between the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88 is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 100 for controlling the amount of cool air flowing from the freezing duct 81 to the branch duct 88. The flow rate adjusting mechanism 100 will be described later in detail.

  Reference numeral 90 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 denotes a drain hole that opens above the drain gutter 58. When the frost adhering to the cooler cover 32 provided on the front side of the cooler 36 melts during the defrosting operation and becomes water droplets and flows down along the cooler cover 32, the frost adheres to the branch duct 88 through the drain hole 90. The water is discharged to the outside and discharged to the drain gutter 58 provided below the drain hole 90.

  The refrigeration duct 50 is a flow path that vertically passes through the rear end of the partition wall 12 and extends vertically along the back surface of the refrigerated storage room 16. On the front surface of the refrigeration duct 50, a plurality of refrigeration outlets 51 that open to the refrigeration storage room 16 are provided.

  When the blower fan 38 rotates, cool air is blown from the cooler room 30 to the blower duct 80, and is supplied from the upper outlet 82 and the lower outlet 84 to the freezing storage room 14.

  Further, when the damper 86 (see FIG. 2) provided at the upper end of the refrigeration duct 50 is opened, the blower fan 38 rotates, so that the air blown out of the cooler room 30 passes through the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88. It is supplied to the refrigeration duct 50. Then, the cold air is supplied to the refrigerated storage room 16 from the refrigeration outlet 51 provided on the front surface of the refrigeration duct 50.

  The first return duct 42 has a cross-sectional shape that is elongated over substantially the entire width direction of the refrigerator, and includes a flow path that extends vertically below the blower duct 80. The first return duct 42 is connected to the cooler room 30 at a connection portion 43 provided at a lower end thereof, and the air in the freezer storage room 14 taken in from the freezer suction port 44 is put on the front surface of the cooler cover 32. It is guided downward along and is introduced into the cooler room 30 from the connection part 43. In addition, the connection part 43 can be arrange | positioned in the position which opposes the lower end part of the cooler 36 accommodated in the cooler room 30.

  The second return duct 52 has a cross-sectional shape that is elongated over substantially the entire width of the refrigerator and is formed of a flow path that extends in the front-rear direction and is provided inside the partition wall 12, and has a front end opened at the front lower surface of the partition wall 12. The outlet 54 is connected to the refrigerated storage room 16, and the rear end is connected to the cooler room 30 at a connection portion 43 that opens to the lower end of the cooler room 30. The second return duct 52 guides the air in the refrigerated storage room 16 taken in from the refrigerated suction port 54 backward, and introduces the air into the cooler room 30 from the connection portion 43.

  In the refrigerator 10 having such a configuration, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 100 includes a slider 102 for changing a flow path cross-sectional area at a connection portion 89 between the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88, and a rail portion 104 for guiding the movement of the slider 102. , A knob 106.

  The slider 102 is made of a plate-shaped member, and is supported by a rail 104 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. The slider 102 has a position to open a flow path at a connecting portion between the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88 on one side (left side in this example) in the left-right direction, and a branch with the freezing duct 81 on the other side (right side in this example). It moves between a position where the flow path of the connecting portion 89 to the duct 88 is closed.

  A shaft portion 109 protruding forward is provided on a front side surface of the slider 102, and a knob 106 is attached to a tip of the shaft portion 109. With the slider 102 housed in the connecting portion 89 between the refrigeration duct 81 and the branch duct 88, the shaft portion 109 is inserted through a slit 111 extending in the left-right direction provided on the duct plate 34 and protrudes forward from the duct plate 34, The knob 106 is supported in front of the duct plate 34.

  The rail section 104 includes a lower rail 110 that supports the lower side of the slider 102 and an upper rail 112 that is provided above the lower rail 110 with a space.

  The lower rail 110 is formed of a ridge extending in the left-right direction and protruding from the cooler cover 32 toward the inside of the duct. The lower rail 110 is provided with a drainage portion 114 penetrating vertically. In this example, a plurality of drainage portions 114 are provided at regular intervals in the slider movement direction (in this example, the left-right direction).

  The upper rail 112 is formed of a ridge extending in the left-right direction and protruding from the cooler cover 32 toward the inside of the duct, and supports the upper side of the slider 102. In this example, the upper rail 112 is not provided with a hole penetrating in the up-down direction, and is formed of one ridge continuous in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a gap 122 may be formed between the rear end of the slider 102 and the front surface of the cooler cover 32.

  When the user moves the knob 106 to one side in the left-right direction (the left side in this example), the slider 102 is housed in the housing 108 and the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88 Open the flow path at the connection part. As the user moves the knob 106 to the other side (right side in this example) from this state, the slider 102 gradually closes the connection 89 between the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88, and the connection 89 , The cross-sectional area of the flow path is gradually reduced.

  That is, when the user moves the knob 106 in the left-right direction, the flow path cross-sectional area at the connecting portion 89 between the freezing duct 81 and the branch duct 88 is changed. The amount of cool air supplied to 16 is adjusted.

  In the refrigerator 10 as described above, since the lower rail 110 supporting the lower side of the slider in the flow rate adjusting mechanism 100 is provided with the drainage portion 114 penetrating the lower rail 110, it is included in the cool air flowing through the freezing duct 81. Even if dewed water of the water that enters the space between the upper rail 112 and the lower rail 110 of the flow rate adjusting mechanism 100, the water that has entered the upper and lower rails 110 through a drainage portion 114 provided on the lower rail 110. , 112 are quickly discharged to the outside. Therefore, the slider 102 can be moved smoothly without an ice block being generated between the upper and lower rails 110 and 112 to hinder the operation of the slider 102.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the water discharged from the sewage drain 114 flows downward through the cooler cover 32 and is discharged from the drain hole 90 to the drain gutter 58.

  Also, as in the present embodiment, by providing a plurality of drainage portions 114 on the lower rail 110 at regular intervals in the moving direction of the slider 102, regardless of the position of the slider 102, the upper and lower rails 110, Water that has entered between 112 can be drained out of sewage drain 114.

(2nd Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 5, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. The components having the same configuration as the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the configuration is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the drainage portion 214 is provided on the lower rail 210 constituting the rail portion 204 in the flow rate adjusting mechanism 200, and the upper rail 212 is provided with a water drainage that vertically penetrates the upper rail 212. A cutout 216 is provided. The upper drain section 216 is provided at a position shifted from the lower drain section 214 in the moving direction of the slider 102.

  In the present embodiment, since the upper rail 212 is also provided with the upper drainage section 216, the condensed water passes through the upper drainage section 216 and the lower drainage section 214 without collecting on the upper rail 212. It can be discharged below 210. Therefore, it is possible to move the slider 102 smoothly without generating ice blocks on the upper rail 212 and hindering the operation of the slider 102.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the upper drainage portion 216 is provided at a position shifted in the moving direction of the slider 102 with respect to the lower drainage portion 214, and the leading end of the slider 102 in the moving direction is provided with the lower rail 210 and the upper rail 210. Since the slider 102 is supported by any one of the sliders 212, the slider 102 can be smoothly moved with less rattling when sliding.

  Note that the other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Third embodiment)
The third embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. The components having the same configuration as the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the configuration is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the present embodiment, in the flow rate adjusting mechanism 300, the lower rail 310 constituting the rail section 304 is provided with the drainage portion 314, and the upper rail 312 is vertically penetrated by the upper rail 312. A water drainage section 316 is provided. The upper draining section 316 is provided at a position corresponding to the moving direction of the slider 102 with respect to the lower draining section 314, and the upper draining section 316 and the lower draining section 314 communicate vertically.

  In this embodiment, since the upper rail 312 is also provided with the upper drainage section 316, the condensed water passes through the upper drainage section 316 and the lower drainage section 314 without collecting on the upper rail 312. It can be discharged below 310. In addition, in the present embodiment, since the upper drain section 316 and the lower drain section 314 communicate with each other so as to be vertically overlapped, the dew water generated on the upper rail 312 is quickly discharged to below the lower rail 310. be able to.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, since a gap 322 is formed between the rear end of the slider 102 and the front surface of the cooler cover 32, the frictional resistance between the slider 102 and the cooler cover 302 is increased. Even when the slider 102 is located between the upper drain section 316 and the lower drain section 314 that communicate vertically, the condensed water generated on the upper rail 312 passes through the gap 322 and drains. It is discharged below the lower rail 310 from the cutout portion 314.

  Note that the other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Fourth embodiment)
The fourth embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. The components having the same configuration as the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the configuration is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the present embodiment, the drainage portion 414 is provided on the lower rail 410 constituting the rail portion 404 in the flow rate adjusting mechanism 400, and the upper rail 412 is vertically penetrated through the upper rail 412. A water draining section 416 is provided. The upper draining section 416 is provided at a position corresponding to the moving direction of the slider 102 with respect to the lower draining section 414, and the upper draining section 416 and the lower draining section 414 communicate vertically.

  The cooler cover 32 is provided with a concave groove 420 which is depressed rearward so as to connect the upper drainage section 416 and the lower drainage section 414. Thereby, the concave groove 420 connects the upper drainage section 416 and the lower drainage section 414 behind the slider 102.

  In the present embodiment, a concave groove 420 is provided at the rear of the slider 102 to connect the upper drainage section 416 and the lower drainage section 414, and a comparison is made between the rear end of the slider 102 and the front side of the cooler cover 32. Since a large space is formed, even when the slider 102 is positioned between the upper drain 416 and the lower drain 414 communicating vertically, the dew condensation generated on the upper rail 412 forms the concave groove 420. Thus, the water is smoothly discharged from the drainage part 414 to a position below the lower rail 410.

  Note that the other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Refrigerator, 11 ... Refrigerator main body, 12 ... Partition wall, 14 ... Frozen storage room, 16 ... Refrigeration storage room, 30 ... Cooler room, 32 ... Cooler cover, 34 ... Duct plate, 36 ... Cooler, 43 ... Connection part, 50: Refrigeration duct, 51: Refrigeration outlet, 54: Refrigeration inlet, 80: Blast duct, 81: Refrigeration duct, 82: Upper outlet, 84: Lower outlet, 86: Damper, 88: Branch duct 89, connecting part, 100, flow rate adjusting mechanism, 102, slider, 104, rail part, 106, knob, 108, storage part, 110, lower rail, 111, slit, 112, upper rail, 114, sewage drain part, 122 ... gap

Claims (6)

A refrigerator main body in which a storage space and a cooler room are formed, a refrigeration cycle including a cooler housed in the cooler room, and air cooled by the cooler from the cooler room to the storage space. An air duct for blowing air, a slider for changing a cross-sectional area of the air duct, and a rail portion for guiding the movement of the slider,
The refrigerator, wherein the rail portion includes a lower rail that supports a lower side of the slider, and a drainage portion that vertically penetrates the lower rail. The lower rail includes a plurality of the drainage portions,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of drainage portions are provided at intervals in a moving direction of the slider. The rail portion includes an upper rail provided above the lower rail and supporting an upper side of the slider, and the slider moves between the lower rail and the upper rail,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the upper rail includes a drainage portion penetrating vertically.   4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the upper drain section is provided so as to be displaced from the lower drain section in a moving direction of the slider. 5.   4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the water drainage part is provided in the moving direction of the slider with respect to the drainage part. 5.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a concave groove connecting the drainage part and the drainage part is provided on a wall surface defining the air duct.

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