JP2023060414A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that improves heat exchange performance between a cooler and a cold storage material.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 according to the present disclosure comprises a refrigerating cooler 32 for cooling a refrigerating chamber 13, a cold storage material 100, and a low-temperature chamber 16 arranged in the refrigerating chamber 13. The refrigerator 1 has a structure in which the cold storage material 100 is arranged between the low-temperature chamber 16 and the refrigerating cooler 32, an outer frame of the refrigerating cooler 32 is formed of a nearly flat surface part, and the cold storage material 100 is arranged in thermal contact with the nearly flat surface part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to refrigerators.

In the refrigerator of Patent Document 1, the storage chamber is positioned on one side of the cold storage material and the cooling unit is positioned on the other side so that the temperature fluctuation of the storage chamber is suppressed by the cold storage material. A refrigerator is disclosed that is provided with a cold storage material so that the projection plane overlaps the cold storage material when projected in the spatial direction.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-139591

Although the present disclosure states that the projection plane of the storage chamber is arranged so as to overlap the cold storage material, the positional relationship between the cold storage material and the cooling unit is not disclosed, and heat exchange between the cooling unit and the cold storage material is not disclosed. If this is not done efficiently, the cold storage capacity will decrease, and temperature fluctuations in the storage compartment may increase.

A refrigerator according to the present disclosure includes a refrigerating cooler that cools a refrigerating compartment, a cold storage material, and a low-temperature compartment that is divided and arranged in the refrigerating compartment, wherein the cold accumulating material is placed between the low-temperature compartment and the refrigerating cooler. The outer shell of the cooler for refrigeration is formed of a substantially flat portion, and the cold storage material is arranged in thermal contact with the substantially flat portion.

In the refrigerator according to the present disclosure, the heat exchange between the cold storage material and the cooler is improved, temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator are suppressed, and energy saving can be achieved.

A vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 Schematic front view showing an outline of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 Refrigerating cycle diagram showing the refrigerating cycle of Embodiment 1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The perspective view which shows the cooler for refrigerating of Embodiment 1 FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the cooler for refrigeration and the cold storage material of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of Embodiment 1; Schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the protective plate of Embodiment 1 Longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part of the modified example

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description from becoming more redundant than necessary and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to allow those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter thereby.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

[1-1. composition]
[Refrigerator configuration]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the outline of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a main body 10 of a heat insulating box. An upper partition plate 11 and a lower partition plate 12, each made of a heat insulating plate, are provided at two locations in the vertical direction of the main body 10 to divide the interior of the main body 10 into three upper and lower spaces.

The space above the upper partition plate 11 serves as a refrigerator compartment 13, the space between the upper partition plate 11 and the lower partition plate 12 serves as a freezer compartment 14, and the space below the lower partition plate 12 serves as a vegetable compartment 15. It is said that

A low-temperature chamber 16 whose temperature is lower than that of the refrigerating chamber 13 is provided below the refrigerating chamber 13 . The temperature of the low-temperature chamber 16 can be set in a range from lower than 0°C to a slightly freezing temperature (for example, about -7°C). Inside the refrigeration compartment 13, a shelf board 17 for placing food is provided.

Inside the freezer compartment 14, an ice making compartment 18 for storing ice is provided.

A side-opening door 20 for the refrigerator compartment is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 13 so as to be freely opened and closed.

A freezer compartment drawer door 21 is openably and closably provided on the front surface of the freezer compartment 14, and inside the freezer drawer door 21, a freezer drawer case 22 for storing food is provided inside.

A vegetable compartment drawer door 23 is provided at the front opening of the vegetable compartment 15 so that it can be opened and closed. Inside the vegetable compartment drawer door 23, a vegetable compartment drawer case 24 for storing food is provided. is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cooling chamber 30 for refrigerating is provided on the back side of the refrigerating chamber 13 of the refrigerator 1 . A refrigerating chamber duct 31 extending above the refrigerating chamber 13 is connected above the cooling chamber 30 for refrigerating. Further, a duct cover 31a is configured to partition the refrigerator compartment 13, the refrigerator compartment duct 31, and the cooling compartment 30 for refrigeration into the front and rear.

A refrigerating cooler 32 is accommodated in the refrigerating cooling chamber 30 . The refrigerating cooler 32 is a microchannel cooler. A microchannel cooler is, for example, a cooler composed of flat perforated tubes and fins. A flat perforated tube is a flat tube in which a plurality of channels through which a coolant flows are formed. Details of the refrigerating cooler 32 will be described later.

A cold storage material 100 is provided behind the low temperature chamber 16 . Details will be described later.

A refrigerating fan 33 is arranged above the refrigerating cooler 32 in the refrigerating cooling chamber 30 . A centrifugal fan, for example, is used as the cooling fan 33 . The centrifugal fan is a fan that draws in cool air that has passed through the refrigerating cooler 32 from the central portion of one side in the axial direction of the rotating blades and blows it out in the centrifugal direction. Also, the centrifugal fan draws cold air from the rear of the cooling chamber 30 for refrigeration and blows it out in the centrifugal direction. By using a centrifugal fan, it is possible to secure air volume even in narrow ducts.

In the present embodiment, the centrifugal fan draws cold air from the rear of the cooling chamber 30 for refrigeration, but may be configured to draw cold air from the front of the cooling chamber 30 for refrigeration.

Also, the cooling fan 33 may be, for example, an axial fan. The axial fan is inclined so that the blowing side faces upward so as to efficiently blow out the cold air cooled by the cooler 32 for refrigeration to the refrigerator compartment 13 . By using an axial fan, cool air can be easily discharged downward.

Frost adhering to the refrigerating cooler 32 can be defrosted by the air inside the refrigerating compartment. In this case, it is preferable to switch the switching valve 52 (to be described later) so that the refrigerant does not flow through the cooler 32 for refrigeration, or to drive the fan 33 for refrigeration while the compressor 50 is stopped.

The refrigerating compartment duct 31 is connected to a casing 33a on the outlet side of the refrigerating fan 33. The refrigerating compartment duct 31 is tapered such that its width gradually increases upward.

The cold room duct 31 has a low temperature room duct 34 extending in the middle. In the refrigerator compartment 13, a refrigeration outlet 35 communicating with the refrigerator compartment duct 31 is formed in the duct cover 31a.

When the interior of the room is cooled by a temperature sensor (not shown) of the refrigerator compartment 13, cold air generated by the refrigerator cooler 32 is forcibly blown to the refrigerator compartment duct 31 by the refrigerator fan 33, and the air outlet 35 communicates with the refrigerator compartment duct 31. Then, the refrigerator compartment 13 is cooled to a predetermined temperature.

When the temperature sensor of the refrigerator compartment 13 reaches a predetermined temperature, the refrigerator fan 33 is stopped.

A low-temperature-room duct 34 is formed by branching from the middle of the cold-room duct 31 , and a low-temperature-room damper 36 is provided in the low-temperature-room duct 34 . The low-temperature room damper 36 is configured to switch between sending cold air cooled by the refrigerating cooler 32 and forcibly blown by the refrigerating fan 33 to the low-temperature room 16 or stopping the air supply by performing opening and closing operations.

A ceiling duct 16b connected to the downstream of the low temperature chamber damper 36 is formed in the ceiling wall 16a of the low temperature chamber 16, and a ceiling outlet 16c for blowing air into the low temperature chamber 16 is formed.

A shielding plate 39 is provided on the lower surface side of the cooler 32 for refrigeration and below the header described later. By covering the lower part of the header, the shielding plate 39 prevents the internal air sent from the refrigerating chamber 13 from passing between the headers and not between the fins 73, which will be described later. It has the function of leading to an air flow path.

The shield plate 39 may be provided in the cooling chamber 30 for refrigeration. In this case, the shielding plate 39 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower portion of the header, which will be described later.

A freezing cooling chamber 40 is provided on the back side of the freezing chamber 14 of the refrigerator 1 . A freezing cooler 41 is accommodated in the freezing cooling chamber 40 .

The freezing cooler 41 is, for example, a fin-tube cooler. A fin-tube cooler is, for example, a cooler composed of a circular pipe and flat fins. A freezing fan 42 that sends cold air cooled by the freezing cooler 41 to the inside of the freezing compartment 14 is arranged above the freezing cooler 41 .

A fin-tube cooler has a lower heat transfer efficiency than a microchannel cooler because the distance between the refrigerant pipe and the tip of the fin is large, and the temperature of the tip of the fin is less likely to drop. Therefore, clogging due to frost formation can be suppressed, and the number of times the heater for defrosting is energized can be reduced. Therefore, power consumption can be suppressed.

An axial fan, for example, is used as the cooling fan 42 . The axial fan is inclined so that the blowing side faces upward so as to efficiently blow out the cold air cooled by the freezing cooler 41 to the freezer compartment 14 . A freezer outlet 43 is formed on the back surface of the freezer compartment 14 .

The freezing fan 42 may be, for example, a centrifugal fan.

A glass tube heater 44 for defrosting frost adhering to the freezing cooler 41 is arranged below the freezing cooler 41 .

Instead of using the glass tube heater 44, a pipe heater that directly heats the freezing cooler 41 may be used to defrost the freezing cooler 41. FIG.

Cold air in the cooling chamber 40 for freezing is configured to be sent to the vegetable compartment 15 through a communication hole 45 formed in the lower partition plate 12 .

A dew tray 37 for refrigeration is arranged below the cooler 32 for refrigeration. A freezing dew tray 46 is arranged below the freezing cooler 41 .

An evaporating dish 47 is arranged below the back side of the vegetable compartment 15 .

A refrigerating drain pipe 38 is connected to the refrigerating dew tray 37 . A freezing drain pipe 48 is connected to the freezing dew pan 46 . The lower ends of refrigerating drain pipe 38 and freezing drain pipe 48 penetrate upper partition plate 11 and lower partition plate 12 , respectively, and extend to the vicinity of the upper portion of evaporating plate 47 .

As a result, the drain accumulated in the refrigerating dew pan 37 and the refrigerating dew pan 46 can be sent to the evaporating pan 47 via the refrigerating drain pipe 38 and the freezing drain pipe 48, and the drain evaporates in the evaporating pan 47. configured to do so.

A compressor 50 is installed on the upper rear portion of the main body.

[Configuration of Refrigerating Cycle Device]
Next, the refrigerating cycle configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a refrigerating cycle diagram showing the refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 1 includes a compressor 50, a condenser 51, a switching valve 52, a refrigerating decompression means 53, a refrigerating cooler 32, a refrigerating return pipe 55a, and a freezing decompressor. The means 54, the cooling device 41 for freezing, and the return pipe 55b for freezing are connected by the refrigerant|coolant return pipe 55, and it is comprised. A refrigerating capillary tube 53 and a freezing capillary tube 54 are provided as decompressing means 53 for refrigerating and decompressing means 54, respectively.

The refrigerating pressure reducing means 53 and the refrigerating cooler 32 and the freezing pressure reducing means 54 and the freezing cooler 41 are connected in parallel with each other via the switching valve 52 .

[Configuration of refrigerating cooler 32]
Next, the configuration of the refrigerating cooler 32 mounted on the refrigerator 1 will be described.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing cooler 32 for refrigeration according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing cooler 32 for refrigeration according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view showing cooler 32 for refrigeration according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the refrigerating cooler 32 includes a refrigerant conduction member 60 through which refrigerant flows. The refrigerant conduction member 60 is composed of a porous flat tube in which a plurality of substantially rectangular passages are continuously arranged.

The refrigerant conduction member 60 is formed in a meandering shape including a plurality of flat tubes 61 formed substantially parallel with a predetermined interval and curved portions 62 connecting ends of the flat tubes 61 .

In this embodiment, four flat tubes 61 are provided between headers, which will be described later.

The number of flat tubes 61 is not limited to this, and can be set arbitrarily.

Further, each flat tube 61 and the bent portion 62 may be integrated, and one flat tube 61 may meander and be formed between the headers.

The flat tube 61 and the bent portion 62 are vertically divided into three upper regions 63, a middle region 64, and a lower region 65 in this embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the area is vertically divided into three areas, but the area may be vertically divided into two areas or four or more areas.

An inlet side header 66 and an outlet side header 67 extending vertically are provided at one end of the outermost flat tube 61 .

The inlet-side header 66 and the outlet-side header 67 are made of circular tubes, for example.

The inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67 are arranged with their positions shifted in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the refrigerating heat exchanger 32, and the inlet side header 66 is arranged near the flat tube 61, The outlet side header 67 is arranged at a position farther from the flat tube 61 than the inlet side header 66, and the inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67 are alternately provided.

The outlet side header 67 may be arranged near the flat tube 61 and the inlet side header 66 may be arranged at a position farther from the flat tube 61 than the outlet side header 67 is.

The inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67 are attached so as not to protrude from the end surface of the flat tube 61 in the depth direction (front-rear direction). The inlet-side header 66 is connected to the flat tube 61 via a bent portion 61a formed by bending the end of the flat tube 61, and the outlet-side header 67 is connected to the flat tube 61 by bending the end of the flat tube 61. It is connected to the flat tube 61 via the curved portion 61a.

By arranging the inlet-side header 66 and the outlet-side header 67 in this way, the end faces of the inlet-side header 66 and the outlet-side header 67 are flush with the outer surface of the flat tube 61 of the refrigerant conducting member 60, and the inlet-side header The side surfaces of 66 and outlet side header 67 are arranged so as not to protrude from the thickness of flat tube 61 .

As a result, the thickness dimension of the refrigerating cooler 32 can be reduced, and when the refrigerating cooler 32 is accommodated inside the refrigerating cooling chamber 30, the internal space of the refrigerating chamber duct 31 can be reduced. can. As a result, the internal space of the refrigerator compartment 13 can be enlarged.

Further, an inlet pipe 68 is connected to a side surface of the inlet header 66 on the rear side of the refrigerator compartment 13 at a height corresponding to the lower region 65 . Specifically, an inlet-side pipe 68 is connected to the side of the inlet-side header 66 in a direction toward the flat tube 61 to which the outlet-side header 67 is connected. Furthermore, the inlet-side pipe 68 is preferably connected substantially parallel to the depth direction (front-rear direction) of the refrigerating cooler 32 .

The outlet side header 67 is formed higher than the height dimension of the inlet side header 66 . Outlet-side pipe 69 is connected to a side surface of outlet-side header 67 facing forward of refrigerator compartment 13 and at a position above the upper end of upper region 63 . Specifically, the outlet side pipe 69 is connected to the side surface of the outlet side header 67 in the direction toward the flat tube 61 to which the inlet side header 66 is connected. Furthermore, the outlet pipe 69 is preferably connected substantially parallel to the inlet pipe 68 . That is, the outlet pipe 69 is connected to a position above the upper end of the uppermost flat tube.

The inlet-side pipe 68 extends upward substantially parallel to the inlet-side header 66 , and the outlet-side pipe 69 extends upward substantially parallel to the outlet-side header 67 . In addition, the inlet-side pipe 68 protrudes toward the outlet-side header 67 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the flat pipe 61 , and the outlet-side pipe 69 protrudes toward the inlet-side header 66 from the flat pipe 61 . It protrudes in the thickness direction (front-rear direction).

The inlet-side pipe 68 and the outlet-side pipe 69 have diameters smaller than those of the inlet-side header 66 and the outlet-side header 67 .

By arranging the inlet-side pipe 68 and the outlet-side pipe 69 as described above, the arrangement space for the inlet-side pipe 68 and the outlet-side pipe 69 can be reduced.

The inlet pipe 68 is connected to the capillary tube 53 for refrigeration, and the outlet pipe 69 is connected to the return pipe 55a for refrigeration.

The refrigerating capillary tube 53 extends above the inlet side header 66 and is embedded in the rear heat insulating wall of the main body 10 . Also, the refrigerating return pipe 55 a extends upward from the outlet side header 67 and is embedded in the rear heat insulating wall of the main body 10 .

In the rear heat insulating wall, the refrigerating capillary tube 53 and the refrigerating return pipe 55a are tightly connected so as to exchange heat.

An accumulator (gas-liquid separator) for preventing liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 50 is not provided between the outlet pipe 69 and the refrigerating return pipe 55a connected downstream.

As shown in FIG. 4, a partition plate 70 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the lower region 65 and the middle region 64 of the inlet side header 66 . The positions corresponding to the middle region 64 and the upper region 63 of the inlet side header 66 communicate with each other.

A partition plate 71 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the upper region 63 and the middle region 64 of the outlet side header 67 to block communication within the outlet side header 67 . Positions corresponding to the middle region 64 and the lower region 65 of the outlet side header 67 communicate with each other.

The coolant that has flowed in from the lower portion of the inlet side header 66 flows through the interior of the lower region 65 of the coolant conduction member 60 and into the outlet side header 67 . The refrigerant that has flowed through the outlet side header 67 flows into the central region 64 of the refrigerant conduction member 60 , flows into the inlet side header 66 , flows through the inlet side header 66 and through the lower region 65 , and then flows through the upper portion of the outlet side header 67 . is drained from

That is, the refrigerant that has flowed into the inlet side header 66 flows through the lower region 65 , the middle region 64 , and the upper region 63 of the flat tube 61 in order, and then flows in series to reach the outlet side header 67 . Here, each flat tube 61 is connected in series. As a result, even when the cool air ventilation direction is aligned with the direction of gravity, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from accumulating in the lower portion due to gravity. Therefore, it becomes possible to spread the refrigerant over the entire heat exchanger, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in heat exchange efficiency.

An air flow path 72 is formed between each flat tube 61 of the refrigerant conduction member 60 .

Inside the air flow path 72, fins 73 are arranged which are continuously provided by being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the flat tube 61 and bent in a zigzag shape. , an air flow path 72 having a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape is continuously formed.

Note that the air flow path 72 having a rectangular cross-sectional shape may be formed continuously.

The air flow path 72 is formed vertically along the vertical direction of the cooling chamber 30 for refrigeration.

As a result, the inside air flowing upward from the bottom of the cooling chamber 30 for refrigeration flows through the air flow path 72, and at this time, exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant conduction member 60, and is cooled to a predetermined temperature. configured to be
[Configuration of cold storage material]
The cold storage material 100 is composed of a cold storage material whose freezing point is in the range of −10° C. to 0° C. and changes between a solid phase and a liquid phase, and a cold storage container on the outside. are doing. The cold storage container is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and is flexible and deformable.

As shown in the figure, a cold storage material case 101 made of metal is fixed to the outer shell of the refrigerating cooler 32 facing the back surface of the low temperature chamber 16 . The cold storage material case 101 is formed to have a substantially L-shaped cross section, and the cold storage material 100 is detachably arranged inside the cold storage material case 101 from above.

One side of the cold storage material 100 stored in the cold storage material case 101 is in contact with or close to the flat surface of the outer flat tube 61 positioned on the outer shell of the refrigerating cooler 32 , and the other side is disposed in contact with the cold storage material case 101 . ing. The bottom portion 101a of the cold storage material case 101 is fixed to the lower end portion of the cooler 32 for refrigeration without a gap.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the flat tubes 61 are formed in three upper regions 63, a middle region 64, and a lower region 65 in the horizontal width direction. or placed close to each other.

A plurality of openings 102 are formed in the duct cover 31a on the back surface of the low temperature room 16, and the cold storage case 101 is arranged in contact with the duct cover 31a.

A refrigerator compartment return port 103 is provided below the opening 102 in the lower portion of the duct cover 31a.

[1-2. motion]
The operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as described above will be described below.

First, by driving the compressor 50 , the refrigerant is sent to the condenser 31 , and by switching the switching valve 52 , the refrigerant is sent to either the refrigerating cooler 32 or the freezing cooler 41 .

The refrigerant sent to the cooler 32 for refrigeration flows from the inlet side header 66 of the refrigerant conduction member 60 and flows inside the upper region 63 . The refrigerant that has flowed to the outlet side header 67 flows through the middle region 64 via the outlet side header 67 , is sent to the inlet side header 66 , and flows through the lower region 65 via the inlet side header 66 . Refrigerant that has flowed through the lower region 65 flows out from the outlet side header 67 and is returned to the compressor 50 .

By driving the refrigerating fan 33 while the refrigerant is flowing inside the refrigerant conduction member 60, the air circulating in the refrigerating chamber 13 is drawn into the refrigerating cooling chamber from the suction port 103 formed in the duct cover 31a. 30, the heat transfer area is increased by the fins 73 of the refrigerating cooler 32, thereby improving the efficiency of heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant conducting member 60. pass upwards from

As a result, cold air is blown out from the refrigerating outlet 35 to cool the refrigerating compartment 13 to an appropriate temperature.

In addition, the low temperature chamber damper 36 is controlled to open and close according to the set temperature of the low temperature chamber 16, and the controlled air volume passes through the ceiling duct 16b and is blown out from the ceiling outlet 16c. The temperature is controlled by forced ventilation from 16a and radiant heat from the cold storage material 100 on the back.

The cold storage material 100 has a freezing point of −10° C., is placed in direct contact with or close to the flat surface of the flat tube 61 outside the refrigerating cooler 32, and has an evaporation temperature of about −15° C. Cooled by conduction.

In addition, the cold storage material 100 does not change in temperature due to latent heat associated with the phase change from the solid phase to the liquid phase at the freezing point of −10° C., and maintains the freezing point temperature for a predetermined time, thereby heating the metal cold storage material case 101 . The inside of the room can be cooled to a temperature lower than 0°C by radiant heat from the back of the low-temperature chamber 16 through the opening 102 of the duct cover 31a. In a state where the refrigerant does not flow to the cooling device 32, for example, when the operation of the compressor 50 is stopped, or when the switching valve 52 causes the refrigerant to flow to the cooling device 41 side, the radiant heat of the cold storage material 100 causes the cooling of the low temperature chamber 16. Temperature fluctuations can be suppressed.

The cold storage material 100 is formed of a cold storage container made of a flexible material, and is placed in contact with the plane portion of the upper and lower flat tubes 61 located on the outer shell of the cooler 32 for refrigeration. Since it is accommodated in the cold storage material case 101, it can be brought into close contact with the refrigerating cooler 32, so that the contact heat resistance can be reduced, the heat exchange performance is improved, and the cold storage efficiency is increased.

In addition, since the bottom portion 101a of the cold storage case 101 is fixed to the lower end portion of the refrigerating cooler 32 without a gap, the return cold circulating in the refrigerating chamber 13 flows between the cold accumulating material 100 and the refrigerating cooler 32. It is possible to suppress the passage of the cold storage material 100 and further improve the heat exchange between the cold storage material 100 and the cooler 32 for refrigeration.

The cold storage case 101 is arranged in contact with the duct cover 31a on the back of the low-temperature chamber 16, cools the inside of the low-temperature chamber 16 with radiant heat through the opening 102, and forms the back wall of the low-temperature chamber 16 to maintain the cooling performance. can be done.

Further, as shown in the figure, the cold storage material case 101 may also be partially formed with a case opening 101b.

As a result, the radiant heat from the cold storage material 100 can be directly passed through the opening 102 from the case opening 101b to cool the inside of the low-temperature chamber 13 .

In order to improve the cold storage speed of the cold storage material 100, the refrigerating fan 33 is stopped to suppress heat exchange with the air in the cold storage cooler 32, thereby lowering the evaporation temperature and cooling the cold storage material 100. After that, the refrigerator fan 33 is operated to control the low-temperature room damper 34a according to the set temperature of the low-temperature room 16, so that the temperature can be cooled to an appropriate temperature.

In addition, although it is assumed that the cold storage material 100 is in direct contact with the refrigerating cooler 32, the front surface of the flat tube 61 of the refrigerating cooler 32 is made of the same material as the flat tube 61, or is made of a thermally conductive material that prevents corrosion due to contact with different metals. A high metal protective plate 104 is provided, the flat tube 61 and the protective plate 104 are fixed in contact with each other, and the cold storage material 100 is placed in contact with the protective plate 104 while being press-fitted, so that the cold storage material 100 is transferred from the refrigerating cooler 32. You may

The protective plate 104 is formed in a flat plate shape over the three upper regions 63 , middle regions 64 , and lower regions 65 of the cooler 32 for refrigeration.

Thereby, the cold storage container of the cold storage material 100 and the flat tube 61 can be protected.

The protection plate 104 and the flat tube 61 may be arranged close to each other while being in thermal contact with each other. As a result, the protective plate 104 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity different from that of the flat tube 61, and the heat exchange performance between the refrigerating cooler 32 and the cold storage material 100 can be maintained even when they are arranged close to each other. In addition, the refrigerant sent to the freezing cooler 41 by switching the switching valve 52 is heat-exchanged between the air flowing upward from the bottom of the freezing cooling chamber 40 and the refrigerant by driving the freezing fan 42. The generated cold air is blown into the freezer compartment 14 from the freezing outlet 43 and cooled to an appropriate temperature.

[1-3. effects, etc.]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator provided with the refrigerating cooler 32 for cooling the refrigerating chamber 13, the cold storage material 100, and the low-temperature chamber 16 partitioned in the refrigerating chamber 13 has a low-temperature A cold storage material 100 is arranged between the chamber 16 and the cooler 32 for refrigeration. ing.

As a result, the cold storage material 100 and the refrigerating cooler 32 face each other and come into thermal contact with each other.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the cold storage material 100 is in surface contact with the substantially flat portion.

As a result, the cold storage material 100 and the refrigerating cooler 32 are arranged facing each other, so that the surface contact area can be increased, the heat exchange performance can be improved, and the cold storage efficiency to the cold storage material 100 can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the substantially flat portion is formed of flat tubes 61 arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction.

As a result, the contact area with the cold storage material 100 is further increased, the cold storage efficiency to the cold storage material 100 is improved, and the cooling capacity of the cold storage material 100 can be improved.

Further, the substantially flat portion is composed of a protective plate 104 having thermal conductivity. Specifically, a protective plate 104 made of the same material as the flat tube 61 or made of a metal that prevents corrosion due to contact with dissimilar metals is provided in contact with and fixed to the flat tube 61 .

As a result, damage to the cold storage container of the cold storage material 100 or corrosion of the flat tube 61 can be prevented and protected.

Also, the cold storage material 100 is held on the substantially flat side of the cooler 32 for refrigeration.

As a result, variations in the contact area between the cold storage material 100 and the cooler 32 for refrigeration can be suppressed, the heat exchange performance can be improved, and the cold storage speed can be increased.

The cold storage material 100 is composed of a cold storage material having a freezing point in the range of -10°C to 0°C, and a cold storage container made of a flexible material for containing the cold storage material.

As a result, the cold storage material 100 can be press-fitted and held in the cold storage case 101, and the heat exchange performance is improved and the cold storage speed is increased, so that cooling to the solidification point can be efficiently performed.

Also, a cooler 32 for refrigeration is provided on the back of the low temperature chamber 16 .

As a result, temperature fluctuations in the low-temperature chamber 16 can be suppressed when the compressor 50 is ON/OFF-operated, or when the switching valve 52 is switched so that the refrigerant flows to the refrigerating cooler 41 .

(Modification)
Next, modified examples of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a modification of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the cold storage material 100 is held by the duct cover 31a. A holding member 105 made of resin is formed on the duct cover 31 a made of resin, and the cold storage material 100 is held by the holding member 105 .

When the duct cover 31a is fixed to the main body 10 from the front of the refrigeration cooler 32 with the cold storage material 100 held by the holding member 105, the holding member 105 is positioned so that the cold storage material 100 is in direct contact with the refrigeration cooler 32. formed.

In this modified example, since the cold storage material 100 is held in the duct cover 31a, attachment during the manufacturing process is facilitated.

Further, the holding member 105 is formed on the duct cover 31a so as to be positioned above the upper end of the upper flat tube 61 and below the lower end of the lower flat tube 61 of the cooler 32 for refrigeration.

Further, in the left-right direction, holding means (not shown) are formed at positions corresponding to the bent portions 61a and the bent portions 62 outside the horizontal portion of each flat tube 61 .

Therefore, the holding member 105 is prevented from coming into contact with the flat tubes 61, and the cold storage material 100 is brought into contact with the flat tubes 61. This improves the contact area between the refrigerating cooler 32 and the cold storage material 100, thereby improving heat exchange. can be done.

As described above, Embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments with modifications, replacements, additions, omissions, and the like. Also, it is possible to combine the constituent elements described in the first embodiment to form a new embodiment.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure can be suitably used for refrigerators that can improve the heat exchange efficiency of a refrigerator heat exchanger.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 refrigerator 10 main body 11 upper partition 12 lower partition 13 refrigerator compartment 14 freezer compartment 15 vegetable compartment 16 low temperature compartment 18 ice making compartment 30 cooling compartment for refrigeration 31 refrigeration compartment duct 31a duct cover 32 cooler for refrigeration 33 fan for refrigeration 61 flat Pipe 100 Cold storage material 104 Protective plate

Claims (8)

A refrigerator comprising a refrigerating cooler for cooling a refrigerating chamber, a cold storage material, and a low-temperature chamber disposed within the refrigerating chamber,
The cold storage material is arranged between the low-temperature room and the refrigerating cooler, the outer shell of the refrigerating cooler is formed of a substantially flat portion, and the cold storage material is in thermal contact with the substantially flat portion. A refrigerator characterized by being arranged. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said cold storage material is in surface contact with said substantially flat portion. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the substantially flat portion is formed of flat tubes arranged vertically in a plurality of stages. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the substantially flat portion is a protective plate having thermal conductivity. 5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cold storage material is held on the substantially flat portion side of the cooler for refrigeration. 5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cold storage material is held by a duct cover that partitions between the low-temperature chamber and the substantially flat portion side of the refrigerating cooler. . 3. The cold storage material is composed of a cold storage material having a freezing point in the range of −10° C. to 0° C. and a cold storage container made of a flexible material for containing the cold storage material. 7. The refrigerator according to any one of 1 to 6. 8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cooler for refrigeration is provided on the back surface of the low temperature compartment.

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