JP2020134057A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress temperature rise in a refrigeration chamber while cooling food when high temperature food is put into the refrigeration chamber, and to prevent other food in the refrigeration chamber from going bad.SOLUTION: In a refrigeration chamber 14, a cold storage unit 60 is provided which mounts an upper stage cold storage material 65 which freezes in the refrigeration chamber and a lower stage cold storage material 66 whose freezing point is lower than that of the upper stage cold storage material 65, and with respect to an object 70 of high temperature such as a pot, a kettle, and the like, rapid cooling is possible utilizing the effect of the cold storage material. Also, by the temperature rise of the cold storage material itself being suppressed, function recovery time of the cooling speed of a rapid cooling function is shortened, and usability of the rapid cooling function improves greatly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and particularly to a refrigerator compartment configuration thereof.

In general, a refrigerator has a plurality of temperature zone storage chambers, and some refrigerators have a function of rapid cooling using a cold storage material that freezes at a freezing temperature in the freezing temperature zone storage chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-017768

The refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a function of rapid cooling using a cold storage material that freezes at the refrigerating temperature, and is provided with a function of rapidly cooling the target food in the refrigerating temperature range. In addition, since the cold storage material itself is warmed by the heat of the food, there is a problem that the cooling rate is lowered. One of the means for improving the cooling rate is to keep the temperature of the cold storage material low, but when a cold storage material that freezes and melts at a lower temperature is used, dew condensation occurs in the refrigerator.

In order to solve the above problems, in a refrigerator provided with a rapid cooling function for foods using a cold storage material that solidifies in a refrigerating temperature range, a plurality of cold storage materials having different freezing points are arranged from the top in descending order of freezing points. It is a refrigerator provided with a rapid cooling means having a similar configuration.

As a result, the uppermost cold storage material that directly cools the food is cooled by another cold storage material from the lower part, so that the food cooling rate can be increased. Furthermore, the upper cold storage material comes into contact with the lower cold storage material and heat is transferred to the lower side, so that the lower cold storage material is heated and the air in the refrigerator compartment is not excessively cooled, resulting in condensation. The occurrence can be suppressed.

According to the above configuration, the present invention can suppress the temperature rise in the refrigerating chamber during food cooling and prevent other surrounding foods in the refrigerating chamber from being damaged, so that it is possible to put high-temperature food into the refrigerator. Furthermore, by shortening the passage time in the temperature range where bacteria are likely to occur during food cooling, the ingredients in the refrigerator can be cooled and stored in the optimum state or in a more optimal state, and it is easy to use in response to diversification of lifestyles. Can be a good refrigerator.

Front view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention Front view showing the inside of the refrigerator Central vertical cross section of the refrigerator Front view showing the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator Vertical cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator Cross-sectional perspective view showing the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator Enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator Perspective view of the cold storage unit of the refrigerator Cross-sectional view of the cold storage unit of the refrigerator The figure which showed the time-dependent change of the cold storage material temperature and the pot temperature of the refrigerator

The first invention provides a storage shelf unit including a storage shelf for placing storage in a refrigerating chamber, an upper cold storage material that solidifies in a refrigerating temperature zone, and a lower cold storage material arranged below the upper cold storage material. The structure is such that the freezing point of the upper cold storage material is higher. As a result, when a high-temperature pot containing the cooked food is placed in the storage shelf unit equipped with the cold storage material in the refrigerator compartment, the cold storage material cools the pot by contacting the pot, and at the same time, the lower cold storage material is released. The upper cold storage material can be cooled to suppress heating and improve the cooling rate of food.

In the second invention, particularly in the first invention, the storage shelf unit has a structure in which the upper cold storage material has a higher melting point. As a result, the lower cold storage material having a lower melting point is more likely to melt first, and the upper cold storage material is slowed down, so that the continuous utilization time of latent heat is extended, and the cooling rate of the cooling object such as a pot is improved. be able to.

In the third invention, particularly in the first or second invention, the storage shelf unit has a configuration in which the lower space temperature is lower than the upper space temperature. As a result, the lower cold storage material having a lower freezing point than the upper cold storage material is likely to solidify, so that it is possible to shorten the waiting time until the cold storage unit that has once cooled the object to be cooled and melted can be used again.

A fourth invention, particularly in any one of the first to third inventions, is such that the cold storage unit composed of a plurality of cold storage materials includes an outer shell member constituting the outer shell. As a result, the strength of the cold storage unit can be improved to withstand the load of a pot or the like, and a contact area for heat exchange with the cooling target can be secured, and at the same time, a sense of stability when these foods are placed can be secured.

A fifth invention, particularly in any one of the first to fourth inventions, is that the cold storage unit provided with the upper cold storage material and the lower cold storage material is formed separately from the storage shelf unit. This makes it possible to remove the cold storage unit, improve the portability of the cold storage storage member outside the refrigerator in the state where food is stored, and improve usability. Furthermore, the cold storage unit can be removed for storage. The shelf unit can be cleaned.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
1 to 6 are views for explaining the entire refrigerator and the configuration of each part, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are views for explaining a cold storage unit laid in the refrigerator compartment.

(1. Overall configuration of refrigerator)
First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerator main body 1 having an open front, and the refrigerator main body 1 includes a metal outer box 2, a hard resin inner box 3, and an outer box. It is composed of a foamed heat insulating material 4 which is foam-filled between 2 and the inner box 3, and a plurality of storage chambers are formed by partitions such as partition plates 5 and 6.

Further, each storage chamber of the refrigerator main body 1 is openable and closable by a rotary door 7 or a drawer type door 8, 9, 10 and 11 which adopts the same heat insulating structure as the refrigerator main body 1.

The storage chambers formed in the refrigerator main body 1 are the uppermost refrigerating chamber 14, the temperature zone switchable switching chamber 15 provided under the refrigerating chamber 14, the ice making chamber 16 provided next to the refrigerating chamber 14, the switching chamber 15, and the switching chamber 15. It is composed of a freezing chamber 18 provided between the ice making chamber 16 and the vegetable compartment 17 at the bottom.

The temperature of the refrigerating chamber 14 is usually about 3 ° C., which is 1 ° C. to 10 ° C. so that it does not freeze for refrigerated storage and suppresses the growth of bacteria in food. The vegetable compartment 17 has a normal setting of about 7 ° C., which is slightly higher than the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 14. The freezing chamber 18 is usually set at about −20 ° C., but may be set at about −30 ° C. for improving the frozen storage state.

The ice making chamber 16 has a temperature setting close to that of the freezing chamber 18, and the switching chamber 15 can change the temperature setting from the same temperature as the refrigerating chamber 14 to the same temperature as the freezing chamber 18.

Further, a cooling chamber 23 is provided on the back surface of the freezing chamber 18 of the refrigerator main body 1, and a cooler 24 for generating cold air and a cooling fan 25 for supplying cold air to the respective chambers are installed in the cooling chamber 23. There is.

The cooler 24 constitutes a refrigeration cycle by connecting a compressor 27, a condenser (not shown), a heat radiating pipe for heat dissipation (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown) in an annular shape. Cooling is performed by circulating the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 27.

Further, the cooling fan 25 is provided above the cooler 24, and supplies cold air to the refrigerating chamber 14, the freezing chamber 18, the vegetable compartment 17, etc. via the refrigerating chamber duct 28 and the freezing chamber duct 29 connected to the downstream side thereof. However, each of these rooms is designed to be cooled.

(2. Refrigerator room configuration)
Next, the refrigerator compartment configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

The refrigerating room 14 is located at the uppermost part of the refrigerator main body 1, and a plurality of shelf boards 20 made of a translucent material are detachably provided to partition the refrigerating room space into a plurality of upper and lower spaces and at the lower part. A low temperature storage room 21 is provided.

The above-mentioned refrigerating chamber duct 28 is provided on the back surface of the refrigerating chamber 14. The refrigerating chamber duct 28 is configured by being covered with a heat insulating member made of styrofoam and a resin cover member on the surface of the refrigerating chamber, and a cold air supply port (FIG. It is attached to the back of the refrigerating chamber so as to cover (not shown) and communicated with the cooling chamber 23.

A refrigerating chamber damper 37 is incorporated in the cold air supply port, and the amount of cold air supplied from the cooling chamber 23 to the refrigerating chamber 14 is controlled by opening and closing the refrigerating chamber damper.

The cooling temperature range of the low temperature storage chamber 21 is a partial temperature which is a low temperature of −5 to 3 ° C. suitable for microfreeze storage, or a high temperature of about 1 ° C. which is lower than the refrigerating chamber 14 but higher than the partial chamber. It is configured so that it can be cooled to the chilled temperature of.

In the refrigerating chamber 14, a storage shelf unit 50 is provided as a storage shelf that insulates the refrigerating chamber 14 and the low temperature storage chamber 21 below a plurality of shelf boards 20 that partition the refrigerating chamber 14 into upper and lower spaces. ..
(3. Storage shelf unit configuration)
Next, the storage shelf unit 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The storage shelf unit 50 configured as the top surface of the low temperature storage chamber 21 is configured as a unit by combining the following constituent members as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7. A storage shelf 51 for storing food is configured on the upper surface of the storage shelf unit 50, and a heat insulating material 53 made of styrofoam or the like is incorporated on the lower surface of the storage shelf 51. As a result, the refrigerating chamber 14 and the low temperature storage chamber 21 can be insulated from each other, and each storage space can maintain a separate temperature zone.

A recess 54 is provided on the upper surface of the storage shelf unit 50. The shape of the heat insulating material 53 corresponding to the recess 54 also has the same recess shape.

The cold storage unit 60 is detachably stored and arranged in a recess 54 provided in the storage shelf unit 50. The upper surface of the stored cold storage unit 60 is arranged so as to be flush with the upper surface of the storage shelf 51.
(4. Cold storage unit configuration)
Next, the cold storage unit configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 9.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cold storage unit 60 is configured as a unit by combining the following constituent members that are vertically divided and arranged.

The cold storage unit 60 includes a frame-shaped upper outer shell member 61 molded from a resin material system, a cooling plate 62 formed of a high heat conductive member such as a metal material incorporated from the back side of the upper outer shell member 61, and an upper outer shell. A lower outer shell member 63 molded from a resin material system that is fitted and assembled with the member 61,
A plurality of cold storage materials (upper cold storage material 65, lower cold storage material 65, lower cold storage material 65) each covered with a bag member 64 such as a metal film arranged in layers between the inside of the upper outer shell member 61 and the inner side of the lower outer shell member 63. The material 66a and the lower cold storage material 66b) are combined to form a unit. Further, the bag member 64 is formed of a film obtained by laminating aluminum foil.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, a step portion 62a is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cooling plate 62, and the upper outer member 61 is arranged so as to overlap the upper surface of the step portion 62a with the upper surface portion of the cooling plate 62. It is configured so that the upper outer member 61 is substantially on the same surface.

By providing the stepped portion 62a, the rigidity of the cooling plate 62 is increased, and it is possible to suppress the deformation of the cooling plate 62 when the volume of the upper cold storage material 65 changes with the phase change.

Further, since the cooling plate 62 is formed with the stepped portion 62a, the cooling plate 62 forming the upper surface portion of the cold storage unit 60 and the upper surface portion of the upper outer member 61 are substantially on the same surface, so that the cold storage unit 60 is stored in the storage shelf 51. Since it can be stored flat on substantially the same surface as the upper surface of the storage shelf 51 when stored in, it can be stably placed even when a container such as a pot (object 70 described later) is placed so as to protrude from the cooling plate 62. ..

Further, the cold storage unit 60 can be easily removed from the storage shelf 51 by providing a recess (not shown) into which a finger of a hand can be inserted in a part of the storage shelf 51. As a result, the cold storage unit can be removed and used outside the refrigerator, and the cleaning property of the recess 54 and the cold storage unit 60 is improved, so that the inside of the refrigerator can be kept clean.

Inside the cold storage unit 60, a plurality of cold storage materials enclosed in separate bag members 64 are configured to overlap each other, and at least two types of the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 are configured to have at least two layers or more. Will be done.

The upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 are adhered to each other with an adhesive such as an adhesive or double-sided tape so as to be in contact with each other via the bag member 64. The above-mentioned cold storage material group is configured to be layered from the top in descending order of freezing point, and one or more of the cold storage material groups is a material that solidifies at the refrigerating temperature of the refrigerating chamber, such as the upper refrigerating material 65. To do.

Among the configured cold storage material group, the upper cold storage material 65 having the highest freezing point is adhered to only the cooling plate 62 inside the cold storage unit 60 with an adhesive such as an adhesive or double-sided tape via a bag member 64. ..

Further, a space 71 is formed between the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 in a liquid state and the upper outer member 61 and the lower outer member 63. Even when the cold storage material solidifies and expands in volume due to the space 71, the heat conduction to the cooling plate 62 is maintained in the cold storage unit 60, and the cold storage material is deformed by contact with the upper outer member 61 and the lower outer member 63. It can be suppressed. Further, since the bag member 64 is not adhered to the lower outer shell member 63 which is the facing surface of the cooling plate 62, damage to the bag member 64 can be prevented.

A partition portion may be provided inside the cold storage unit 60 to form a layered structure without using a bag film, and the cold storage material may be arranged.

The upper cold storage material 65 uses a material that solidifies at the refrigerating temperature of the refrigerating chamber, and for example, the material described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-003182 is used. Specifically, some materials that form clathrate hydrates by cooling, such as quaternary ammonium salt clathrate hydrates, have a melting point higher than 0 ° C. (the temperature at which the decomposition of clathrate hydrates begins). There is a material to have. For example, some clathrate hydrates of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) have a melting point of about 5-12 ° C.

Further, the cold storage unit 60 is provided with an installation position indicating unit 67 indicating an optimum installation location for food.

Further, since the cooling plate 62, which is the upper surface of the cold storage unit 60, is formed in a color different from that of the storage shelf 51, it is possible to indicate at which position of the storage shelf 51 the target food to be rapidly cooled should be placed.

The operation and action of the refrigerator configured as described above will be described below.

When the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 14 becomes higher than the set temperature, the refrigerator drives the compressor 27 and the cooling fan 25, and supplies the cold air generated by the cooler 24 to the downstream side of the cooling fan 25.

The cold air supplied to the downstream side of the cooling fan 25 is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 14, the vegetable compartment 17, the freezing chamber 18, and the low-temperature storage chamber 21 via the refrigerating chamber duct 28 and the like to cool each chamber. Then, the supply of cold air to each of the chambers is controlled by opening and closing a damper (not shown), and the refrigerating chamber 14, the vegetable compartment 17, the freezing chamber 18, and the low temperature storage chamber 21 are cooled to their respective set temperatures.

The cold air supplied from the cooling chamber 23 to the refrigerating chamber duct 28 circulates in the refrigerating chamber 14 and returns to the cooling chamber 23. Regarding the state of temperature change in the refrigerator during this period, the temperature is controlled by controlling the amount of cold air supplied by opening and closing the damper based on the output from the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor (not shown).

Next, FIG. 9 describes a state of the cold storage unit 60 in the refrigerating chamber 14.

The cold storage unit 60 stored and arranged in the storage shelf 51 is usually maintained at the same temperature as the temperature inside the refrigerating chamber 14 on the upper surface side, and the lower surface side is for cooling the low temperature storage chamber 21 of the recess 54 inside the storage shelf. It is maintained at the temperature of the air passage.

Since the upper surface of the cold storage unit 60 is flush with the surface of the storage shelf 51, even foods having a size larger than the size of the cold storage unit 60 can be freely used by the cold storage unit 60 without any restrictions on its use. Can be done.

Further, by forming the stepped portion 62a in a drawing process on the cooling plate 62, the strength of the cooling plate 62 is increased, and when the volume of the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 changes with the phase change, the cold storage unit 60 It is possible to suppress the deformation of the upper surface. As a result, the contact area with the container such as a pot (object 70 described later) can be increased, the heat exchange efficiency between the cold storage unit 60 and the container such as a pot can be improved, and the rapid cooling rate can be further improved. This is due to the fact that the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 are enclosed in the bag member 64, so that the effect of absorbing the volume change between the bag member 64 and the outer member (upper outer member 61, lower outer member 63) is obtained. By combining them, the effect can be further enhanced.

Next, the assembly of the cold storage unit 60 will be described. In the production of the cold storage unit 60, the liquid or gel-like upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 are packed in a bag member 64 and incorporated between the upper outer member 61 and the lower outer member 63. This makes it possible to simplify the production of the cold storage unit 60, and to provide a refrigerator in which the liquid upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 do not leak from the gaps between the outer members and ensure reliability.

Further, even if the metal material or the like used for the bag member 64 is a substance that reacts with the cold storage material, the film can be safely used without reacting with the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66. .. For the same reason, the material used for the cooling plate 62 does not need to consider the reactivity with the upper cold storage material 65, and other performances such as thermal conductivity, workability, and material cost can be emphasized.

If the metal material or the like does not react with the upper cold storage material 65 or the lower cold storage material 66, the upper cold storage material 65 or the lower cold storage material 66 is enclosed in a bag-shaped thin film of the metal material or the like to form an outer member (upper). It is also possible to incorporate it between the outer shell member 61 and the lower outer shell member 63), which can reduce the heat transfer loss and further improve the cooling rate.

The upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 are sealed in the bag member 64 after being degassed, and the cooling rate of the object 70 can be improved by reducing the mixing of gas even during the filling. When the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 solidify, air bubbles are formed above the upper cold storage material 65, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in heat exchange efficiency between the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 and the bag member 64. Because it can be done.

Next, rapid cooling by the cold storage unit will be described. There are many needs to preserve the remaining ingredients after cooking while maintaining their deliciousness and safety until the next meal. For example, if you cook hot ingredients such as pots in the morning in the summer and then go out immediately afterwards, if you leave them as they are, bacteria will grow on the food, and when you come home at night, the food will be damaged and you will not be able to eat it. There is. At this time, if rapid cooling can be performed after cooking in the morning, the occurrence of such a situation can be prevented.

Generally, it is said that food poisoning bacteria easily grow when the temperature of food is in the temperature range of about 20 ° C to 50 ° C. By passing through this temperature range quickly, the outbreak of bacteria can be suppressed and safety can be ensured.

Cold storage of hot objects 70 (about 40 ° C to 90 ° C), such as pots with cooked ingredients and leftover dishes, kettles with uncooled boiled tea, and freshly made lunch boxes. It is placed on the upper surface of the cooling plate 62 of the unit 60. The object 70 can be rapidly cooled by exchanging heat with the upper cold storage material 65 via the cooling plate 62 and the bag member 64. The upper cold storage material 65 solidifies at 0 ° C. or higher in consideration of latent heat of 100 J / g or more and supercooling depth, and the effect of rapid cooling in the refrigerating chamber 14 is ensured by using a material having a melting point of 10 ° C. or lower. Further, the upper cold storage material 65 is in contact with the lower cold storage material 66 via the bag member 64 to exchange heat.

FIG. 10 shows the temperature change from the time when the upper cold storage material 65 at room temperature is stored in a predetermined position in the refrigerator compartment 14. The upper cold storage material 65 is the above-mentioned material having a freezing point of, for example, 5 ° C. and a melting point of, for example, 7 ° C. When the refrigerating chamber temperature is about 3 ° C., the upper refrigerating material 65 is supercooled to a depth close to the refrigerating chamber temperature, begins to solidify after the supercooling is released, rises to the freezing point of 5 ° C., and then the upper refrigerating material. 65 is maintained in a solid state at the refrigerating room temperature.

Further, the lower cold storage material 66 is solidified at a freezing point of 0 ° C. or lower and −3 ° C. or higher, which is lower than the upper cold storage material 65 in consideration of latent heat of 100 J / g or more and supercooling depth, and a material having a melting point of 0 ° C. or lower is used.

The lower cold storage material 66 is in contact with the recess 54 of the storage shelf unit 50 via the lower outer member 63. When the low temperature storage chamber is about -3 ° C, the lower cold storage material 66 is supercooled to near the temperature of the low temperature storage chamber, solidification starts after the supercooling is released, the temperature rises to -2 ° C at the freezing point, and then the lower part of the lower cold storage material 66. The sides are frozen and maintained in an individual state. The upper side of the lower cold storage material 66 is warmed by heat transfer from the upper cold storage material 65 which is in contact with the lower cold storage material 66, and is maintained in a liquid state at the temperature of the refrigerating chamber.

The lower cold storage material 66 does not solidify depending on the temperature range of the low temperature storage chamber 21, but in that case, the upper cold storage material 65 can be cooled by utilizing the heat capacity of the lower cold storage material 66 without utilizing latent heat.

By relaxing the heat transfer from the upper surface (3 ° C.) of the storage shelf 51 to the temperature (-3 ° C.) of the recess 54 of the low temperature storage shelf temperature through the cold storage material in this way, the storage shelf 51 It is possible to suppress the occurrence of dew condensation.

After the pot of the object 70 is installed in the solidified cold storage unit 60, the temperatures of the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 rise. When the temperature of the object 70 passes through the temperature range of about 20 ° C. to 50 ° C., the latent heat of the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 is used, so that the object 70 can quickly pass through this temperature range.

At this time, since the lower cold storage material 66 has a lower freezing point and a larger latent heat than the upper cold storage material 65, the lower cold storage material 66 cools even while the upper cold storage material 65 is melting, so that the latent heat of the upper cold storage material 65 is used. The time can be extended and the quenching speed can be improved. The temperature of the cooled object 70 temporarily stabilizes near the melting temperature (7 ° C.) of the upper cold storage material 65.

When the object 70 to be cooled is placed on the cooling plate 62, the heat of the object 70 is immediately transferred to the entire cooling plate 62 which is a high heat conductive member. At this time, since the bag member 64 in which the upper cold storage material 65 is sealed is a high heat conductive member such as metal that is in close contact with the cooling plate 62 by using an adhesive material or the like, the heat of the object 70 transmitted to the cooling plate 62 is efficiently used. Well spread over the entire receiving bag member 64.

Since the bag member 64 encloses the upper cold storage material 65, it is in close contact with the entire circumference of the frozen upper cold storage material 65, so that heat is transferred from the bag member 64 to the upper cold storage material 65 with the minimum thermal resistance. It is transmitted.

Further, the upper cold storage material 65 receives heat not only from above the upper cold storage material 65 on which the object 70 is placed, but also from the entire periphery of the upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 due to the heat conduction effect of the bag member 64. Therefore, the cooling rate of the object 70 can be increased.

The upper cold storage material 65 and the lower cold storage material 66 after heat exchange with the object 70 are in a molten state, which is higher than the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 14. In order to suppress the temperature influence on the peripheral foodstuffs, particularly the lower low temperature storage chamber 21 in which the cold storage unit 60 is installed, the lower side of the recess 54 provided in the storage shelf 51 in which the cold storage unit 60 is embedded is formed. The temperature influence can be suppressed by setting the temperature range from normal to low and incorporating the heat insulating material 53 made of styrofoam or the like.

The upper cold storage material 65 enclosed in the bag member 64 does not have to be one in the outer shell member (upper outer shell member 61, lower outer shell member 63) as in the present embodiment, and a plurality of small ones may be incorporated. It is possible. As a result, the contact area between the bag member 64 and the upper cold storage material 65 increases, so that the heat transfer efficiency can be increased and the cooling rate can be improved.

Since the step portion 62a is provided at a position lower than the central portion on which the object 70 is placed, the step portion 62a has a shape in contact with the side of the bag member 64 and serves as a heat conduction promoting means. As a result, since the cooling plate 62 is made of a high heat conductive member, the heat of the object 70 can be efficiently transported to the side of the bag member 64.

It should be noted that the heat conduction promoting means can be further increased by providing protrusions on the entire lower surface of the cooling plate 62 like a heat sink or joining fins in addition to the step portion 62a.

In this case, the outer shell member (upper outer shell member 61) and the cooling plate 62 are adhered by a method such as welding so as not to leak liquid, and the upper shell member (upper outer shell member 61, lower outer shell member 63) is directly stored in the upper stage cold storage. By enclosing the material 65, the heat exchange efficiency between the cooling plate 62 and the upper cold storage material 65 can be further improved.

When the upper cold storage material 65 is directly sealed in the outer shell member (upper outer shell member 61, lower outer shell member 63), the air in the outer shell member (upper outer shell member 61, lower outer shell member 63) places the object 70 on the cold storage material. It is desirable to provide a space higher than the center as an air collecting portion on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the cold storage unit 60 in order to prevent accumulation near the upper center of the unit 60. As a result, the air accumulated between the cooling plate 62 and the upper cold storage material 65 can be minimized, and a decrease in the cooling rate can be suppressed.

It is also possible to integrally configure the cooling plate 62 with the upper outer shell member 61 and the lower outer shell member 63. As a result, not only the heat transfer efficiency to the lower surface of the cold storage unit 60 is dramatically improved, but also the temperature of the entire outer surface of the cold storage unit 60 is raised, the cooling effect of the refrigerating chamber 14 is utilized, and the cooling rate is further improved. be able to.

On the contrary, the outer shell member of the cold storage unit 60 can be formed only by the upper outer shell member 61 and the lower outer shell member 63 without having the cooling plate 62. The number of parts is increased by joining the upper outer shell member 61 and the lower outer shell member 63 by welding or the like, or integrally forming the outer shell member by blow molding or the like, and directly enclosing the upper cold storage material 65 inside. It becomes possible to easily configure the cold storage unit 60 at low cost. At this time, by erecting ribs or the like on the lower surface of the upper outer shell member 61, the contact area between the upper outer shell member 61 and the upper cold storage material 65 can be increased and the heat exchange efficiency can be improved.

When the object 70 having a high temperature is thrown into the refrigerating chamber 14, the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor (not shown) detects the temperature rise in the refrigerating chamber 14, controls the opening and closing of the damper, and discharges the object 70 from the refrigerating chamber duct 28. By increasing the supply of cold air, a synergistic effect with the cold storage unit 60 can be obtained, and the cooling rate can be increased.

Further, since the freezing point of the upper cold storage material 65 is 5 ° C., it solidifies in a state where it is placed in the refrigerating chamber 14 at a temperature higher than the refrigerating chamber temperature (about 3 ° C.). Can be used up to.

Further, by setting the melting point of the upper cold storage material 65 to 10 ° C. or lower, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the surrounding foodstuffs to 10 ° C. or lower. As a result, it is possible to realize an ideal storage temperature of 10 ° C. or less, which suppresses the growth of bacteria, not only in the foods subject to rapid cooling but also in the surrounding foods.

Further, the object 70 having a high temperature needs to be placed on the upper surface of the cooling plate 62 of the refrigerating chamber 14 in order to obtain the rapid cooling effect, and the installation position indicating portion such as a stamp or a sticker indicating the installation location on the cold storage unit 60. 67 is provided. For example, the cooling plate 62 may be provided with a small concave circular mark, character engraving, logo, or the like, or the upper outer member 61 may be provided with a display such as an engraving or a sticker to explain the function.

By engraving a small recess on the cooling plate 62, not only the decrease in the contact area with the pot or the like can be minimized, but also the strength of the cooling plate 62 is further increased, the flatness is improved, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved. The effect is also obtained.

Although the refrigerator according to the present invention has been described above using the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, it should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. That is, the scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the scope of claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims are included.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, various foodstuffs to be stored at a low temperature in a refrigerated temperature range can be cooled and stored in an optimum state or a more optimum state, and a convenient refrigerator corresponding to the diversification of foodstuffs can be obtained. Therefore, it can be applied to refrigerators of various types and sizes such as household and commercial use.

1 Refrigerator body 2 Outer box 3 Inner box 4 Foam insulation 5, 6 Partition plate 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Door 14 Refrigerator room 15 Switching room 16 Ice making room 17 Vegetable room 18 Freezing room 20 Shelf board 21 Low temperature storage room 23 Cooling room 24 Cooler 25 Cooling fan 27 Compressor 28 Refrigerator room duct 29 Freezer room duct 50 Storage shelf unit 51 Storage shelf 53 Insulation material 54 Recession 60 Cold storage unit 61 Upper outer member 62 Cooling plate (heat conduction member)
62a Stepped part (heat conduction promoting means)
63 Lower outer shell member 64 Bag member 65 Upper cold storage material 66 Lower cold storage material 66a Lower cold storage material 66b Lower cold storage material 70 Object

Claims (5)

It has a storage shelf unit for placing storage in a refrigerating chamber, an upper cold storage material that solidifies in a refrigerating temperature zone, and a lower cold storage material arranged below the upper cold storage material. A refrigerator characterized by a higher freezing point of the material. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage shelf unit has a higher melting point in the upper cold storage material. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage shelf unit has a lower space temperature lower than the upper space temperature. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cold storage unit composed of a plurality of cold storage materials includes an outer shell member constituting the outer shell. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cold storage unit provided with the upper cold storage material and the lower cold storage material is configured separately from the storage shelf unit.

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