JP2024008137A - Storage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage capable of improving sterilization performance and further enhancing reliability of a product by securely sterilizing the entire storage room.

SOLUTION: A storage has a wall body surrounding a storage room, and a flow path forming component that forms a cooling air path through which cold air flows between the storage room and the wall body. The flow path forming component has at least an upper blowout port that blows out cold air into an upper space of the storage room. An ozone generator that generates ozone from oxygen molecules in the cold air is provided on the downstream side of the cooling air path and at a position closer to the upper blowout port. An ultraviolet light source that generates ultraviolet rays to irradiate the generated ozone is provided on the downstream side of the ozone generator.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

A refrigerator has been proposed in which the interior of the refrigerator is sterilized by arranging an ozone generator upstream of a circulation fan and an ultraviolet light source downstream. In such a refrigerator, there has been a demand for a refrigerator that can improve sterilization performance and that takes product reliability into consideration by reliably sterilizing the entire storage room.

Patent No. 6752488 Patent No. 5337339

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can improve product reliability by reliably sterilizing the entire storage room in addition to improving sterilization performance.

The refrigerator of the embodiment includes a wall surrounding a storage chamber, and a flow path forming component that forms a cooling air path between the storage chamber and the wall in which cold air is blown out toward the upper space of the storage chamber. and has. The flow path forming component has an upper air outlet that blows out cold air toward at least the upper space of the storage chamber. An ozone generator that generates ozone from oxygen molecules in the cold air is provided at a position downstream of the cooling air path and closer to the upper outlet. The ozone generator has a configuration in which an ultraviolet light source that generates ultraviolet light to irradiate the generated ozone is provided downstream of the ozone generator.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 taken along line F1-F1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. A cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals. Further, redundant explanations of these configurations may be omitted.

(First embodiment)
In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction in which the refrigerator is viewed from a user standing in front of the refrigerator. Furthermore, when viewed from the refrigerator, the side closest to the user standing in front of the refrigerator is defined as the "front", and the side farthest from the refrigerator is defined as the "back". In this specification, "width direction" means the left-right direction in the above definition. In this specification, "depth direction" means the front-back direction in the above definition. In this specification, "width direction" means the left-right direction in the above definition. In this specification, "vertical direction" means the height direction of the refrigerator.

In this specification, "sterilization" is a term for convenience of explanation, and is a broad term that means suppression of viruses or bacteria (e.g., reduction or inactivation of virus infectivity, suppression of bacterial growth). I am using it. That is, in this specification, "sterilization" is not limited to removing (reducing) bacteria, but also suppressing the increase of bacteria and/or suppressing the spread of viruses other than bacteria. It is used in the sense of "Suppressing the spread of viruses, etc." is not limited to suppressing the spread of viruses inside the refrigerator, but also means reducing the infectivity of the virus and suppressing the spread of the virus after it leaves the refrigerator. This may also be the case.

[Overall configuration of refrigerator]
A refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be explained. However, the refrigerator 1 does not need to have all of the configurations described below, and some configurations may be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the refrigerator 1. FIG. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a housing 10 (wall) and a plurality of doors 20.

The housing 10 has an upper wall 10a, a lower wall 10b, left and right side walls 10c, 10d, and a rear wall 10e (see FIG. 2). The upper wall 10a and the lower wall 10b extend horizontally. The left and right side walls 10c and 10d stand upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 10b and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 10a. The left side wall 10c includes a left side wall portion that is exposed to a vegetable compartment 11B, which will be described later, and forms a left side surface of the vegetable compartment 11B. The right side wall 10d includes a right side wall portion that is exposed to the vegetable compartment 11B and forms the right side surface of the vegetable compartment 11B. The rear wall 10e stands upward from the rear end of the lower wall 10b and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 10a. The casing 10 includes an inner box 10i that forms the inner surface of the casing 10, an outer box 10j that is located outside the inner box 10i and forms the outer surface of the casing 10, and a space between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j. (see FIG. 2), and has heat insulating properties.

A plurality of storage chambers 11 are provided inside the casing 10. The plurality of storage compartments 11 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11A, a chilled compartment 11Aa, a vegetable compartment 11B, an ice making compartment 11C, a small freezing compartment 11D, and a main freezing compartment 11E. The refrigerator compartment 11A is cooled to a refrigeration temperature range of about 2° C. to 6° C., for example. The chilled chamber 11Aa is cooled to a chilled temperature range of about -1°C to +1°C, for example. The vegetable compartment 11B is cooled to a vegetable compartment temperature range of approximately 3°C to 7°C, for example. The ice making compartment 11C, the small freezing compartment 11D, and the main freezing compartment 11E are cooled to a freezing temperature range of about -20°C to -18°C, for example.

In this embodiment, a refrigerator compartment 11A is arranged in the upper space, a vegetable compartment 11B is arranged below the refrigerator compartment 11A, an ice making compartment 11C and a small freezer compartment 11D are arranged below the vegetable compartment 11B, and an ice making compartment 11C and a small freezer compartment 11D are arranged below the vegetable compartment 11B. A main freezer compartment 11E is arranged below the small freezer compartment 11D. However, the arrangement of the storage chamber 11 is not limited to the above example. The housing 10 has an opening on the front side of each storage chamber 11 that allows food to be taken in and out of each storage chamber 11. The vegetable compartment 11B is an example of a storage compartment. The chilled compartment 11Aa is provided in a lower section of the refrigerator compartment 11A.

The housing 10 has first and second partitions 15 and 16 (see FIG. 2). The first and second partitions 15 and 16 are, for example, partition walls that extend substantially horizontally. The first partition part 15 is located between the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa and the vegetable compartment 11B, and partitions the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa from the vegetable compartment 11B. For example, the first partition portion 15 is a partition wall that does not have heat insulation properties. The first partition portion 15 may be provided integrally with the casing 10 or may be provided separately from the casing 10 and attached within the casing 10. The first partition part 15 has a ventilation hole that guides cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 11A or the chilled compartment 11Aa to the vegetable compartment 11B. On the other hand, the second partition part 16 is located between the vegetable compartment 11B, the ice making compartment 11C, and the small freezing compartment 11D, and partitions the vegetable compartment 11B from the ice making compartment 11C and the small freezing compartment 11D. . The second partition portion 16 is, for example, provided integrally with the housing 10 and has heat insulating properties.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of storage chambers 11 are openably and closably closed by a plurality of doors 20. As shown in FIG. The plurality of doors 20 include, for example, left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab that close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 11A, a vegetable compartment door 20B that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment door 20C that closes the opening of the ice-making compartment 11C, and a small freezer. It includes a small freezer compartment door 20D that closes the opening of the chamber 11D, and a main freezer compartment door 20E that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 11E. The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab constitute, for example, a French door (a double door). Each of the vegetable compartment door 20B, the ice making compartment door 20C, the small freezer compartment door 20D, and the main freezer compartment door 20E is a drawer door that can be pulled out to the front side of the refrigerator 1.

Here, the vegetable compartment door 20B will be explained in detail. The vegetable compartment door 20B includes, for example, a door main body 21 and a rail member (not shown). The door body 21 is located outside the housing 10 and faces the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B from the front side of the refrigerator 1. The door main body 21 has an outer shape larger than the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B, and closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B so that it can be opened and closed. A handle is provided at the upper end of the door body 21 for the user to hold when opening the vegetable compartment door 20B. The rail member is attached to the inner surface (rear surface) of the door body 21 and extends rearward from the door body 21. The rail member 22 is supported by rail receivers provided on the left and right side walls of the housing 10 . Thereby, the vegetable compartment door 20B can be slid in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1 with respect to the housing 10.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the refrigerator 1 taken along the line F1-F1 shown in FIG. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a plurality of shelves 30, a plurality of containers 40, a flow path forming component 50, a cooling unit 60, a sterilization device 70, and a control device 80 (control unit).

A plurality of shelves 30 are arranged in the refrigerator compartment 11A.

The plurality of containers 40 are stored in the first and second chilled compartment containers 41 and 42 accommodated in the chilled compartment 11Aa, the first and second vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44 accommodated in the vegetable compartment 11B, and the ice making compartment 11C. A small freezer container 46 is housed in the small freezer compartment 11D, and first and second main freezer containers 47 and 48 are housed in the main freezer compartment 11E.

First, the first and second chilled chamber containers 41 and 42 will be explained. The first chilled chamber container 41 is a container located at the lower side of the two-stage chilled chamber containers 41 and 42. The second chilled chamber container 42 is a container located at the upper side of the two-stage chilled chamber containers 41 and 42. The second chilled chamber container 42 is located above the first chilled chamber container 41. The first and second chilled chamber containers 41 and 42 can be independently pulled forward. Note that only one chilled chamber container may be arranged in the chilled chamber 11Aa.

Next, the first and second crisper containers 43 and 44 will be explained. The first crisper container 43 is a container located on the lower side of the two-tiered crisper containers 43 and 44. The first vegetable compartment container 43 is supported by the vegetable compartment door 20B, and can be pulled out to the front side of the refrigerator 1 together with the vegetable compartment door 20B. The front end portion 43a of the first crisper container 43 is located near the door body 21 of the crisper door 20B. A partition 43p is provided inside the first crisper container 43. On the other hand, the rear end portion 43b of the first crisper container 43 is located near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10 when the first crisper container 43 is accommodated in the crisper 11B.

The second crisper container 44 is a container located at the upper side of the two-tiered crisper containers 43 and 44. The second crisper container 44 is arranged above the first crisper container 43. The size of the second crisper container 44 in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1 is smaller than the size of the first crisper container 43 in the same direction. The front end portion 44a of the second crisper container 44 is located directly above the partition 43p of the first crisper container 43, or located on the rear side of the partition 43p. That is, the front end 44a of the second crisper container 44 is located on the rear side compared to the front end 43a of the first crisper container 43. The front end portion 44a of the second crisper container 44 is provided with a handle on which the user can place his/her hand when pulling out the second crisper container 44 forward. The rear end portion 44b of the second crisper container 44 is located on the front side compared to the rear end portion 43b of the first crisper container 43.

The flow path forming component 50 includes a refrigeration duct 51 and a freezing duct 52. The refrigeration duct 51 is provided within the housing 10 and extends vertically along the rear wall 10e. The refrigeration duct 51 forms a first duct space D1 (cooling air passage) near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10, which is a passage through which cold air flows. Arrow E in the figure indicates the flow of cold air. In this specification, the term "duct" is not limited to a cylindrical component, but is a component that defines at least a portion of the path of cold air E by cooperating with other components (for example, the rear wall 10e of the housing 10). may include. For example, the refrigeration duct 51 of the present embodiment is a plate-shaped cover member that is attached to the rear wall 10e of the housing 10 and forms a first duct space D1 between the refrigeration duct 51 and the rear wall 10e of the housing 10.

The refrigeration duct 51 has cold air outlets 51a, 51b, and 51c and cold air return ports 51d and 51e (lower return ports). Among the cold air outlets, the upper outlet 51a located in the upper space opens at the upper end of the refrigeration duct 51, and blows out cold air E cooled by a refrigeration heat exchanger 62, which will be described later, into the upper space 110 of the refrigerator compartment 11A. . The cold air E blown out from the upper outlet 51a circulates throughout the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B, and is guided back to the first duct space D1 from the cold air return ports 51d and 51e.

Among the cold air outlets, the plurality of intermediate outlets 51b and 51c are located midway in the vertical direction of the refrigeration duct 51, and are located between the lower return ports 51d and 51e of the first duct space D1 and the ozone generator 71. It communicates with the refrigerator compartment 11A, and blows cold air E cooled by a refrigerating heat exchanger 62, which will be described later, into the middle part of the refrigerator compartment 11A. The plurality of first intermediate air outlets 51b blow air from the first duct space D1 into the space between the upper and lower shelves 30 in the refrigerator compartment 11A. The second intermediate outlet 51c opens into the chilled chamber 11Aa, and blows out cold air E cooled by a refrigeration heat exchanger 62, which will be described later, into the chilled chamber 11Aa.

The cold air return port 51d opens into the chilled chamber 11Aa, and guides the cold air E heated by passing through the chilled chamber 11Aa toward the first duct space D1. The cold air return port 51e opens into the vegetable compartment 11B and guides the cold air E, which has been warmed by passing through the refrigerator compartment 11A, the vegetable compartment 11B, etc., to the first duct space D1.

The refrigeration duct 51 has a first wall 511, a second wall 512, and a third wall 513. The first wall portion 511 is exposed to the refrigerator compartment 11A. The second wall portion 512 is exposed to the chilled chamber 11Aa and forms a part of the rear wall portion of the chilled chamber 11Aa. The first wall portion 511 and the second wall portion 512 are walls facing the front side of the refrigerator 1. The third wall portion 513 is exposed to the vegetable compartment 11B and forms a part of the rear wall portion of the vegetable compartment 11B. The upper end of the third wall portion 513 is located at a position overlapping the lower end of the second wall portion 512 on the front side. The third wall portion 513 is sloped so that the height position decreases as it goes toward the rear side from the upper end (that is, it slopes downward toward the front). The refrigeration duct 51 is provided with walls (not shown) that close the lower end and both left and right sides.

The first wall portion 511 is provided with a plurality of intermediate air outlets 51b. A cold air outlet 51c is provided at the upper part of the second wall portion 512. The third wall portion 513 is provided with a cold air return port 51d (a return port for cold air E from the chilled compartment 11Aa) at the top, and a cold air return port 51e (a return port for the cold air E from the vegetable compartment 11B) at the bottom. It is being A plurality of cold air return ports 51d and 51e are arranged in a row in the width direction of the refrigerator 1, respectively. For example, each of the plurality of cold air return ports 51d and 51e has an elongated hole shape extending in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1.

The refrigeration duct 51 is preferably formed from an insulator with a thickness of 1 mm or more that can ensure basic insulation. Specifically, as the material of the refrigeration duct 51, resins such as polypropylene (PP) and ABS can be adopted, for example. Furthermore, the wall portion constituting the refrigeration duct 51 may be made of a material that does not transmit ultraviolet rays of 200 to 300 nm, but may also be made of a transparent resin such as acrylic resin, polycarbonate, or polystyrene that transmits visible light. be. That is, quartz glass, fluororesin, etc. that transmit ultraviolet rays are not applicable.

A heat insulating member 55 is provided inside the refrigeration duct 51. The heat insulating member 55 is, for example, a foamed heat insulating material such as expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), and has high heat insulating properties. The heat insulating member 55 is a heat insulating member having better heat insulating properties per unit thickness than the duct 51.

The cold air E that has flowed into the refrigeration duct 51 from the cold air return port 51d and the cold air return port 51e is guided to the cold air passage (hereinafter referred to as "merging space G") of the third wall portion 513, and merges in the merging space G. do.

The refrigeration duct 52 is provided within the housing 10 and extends vertically along the rear wall 10e. The refrigeration duct 52 forms a second duct space D2 near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10, which is a passage through which the cold air E flows. The refrigeration duct 52 has a cold air outlet 52a and a cold air return opening 52b. The cold air outlet 52a opens to the ice making compartment 11C, the small freezing compartment 11D, or the main freezing compartment 11E, and supplies cold air E cooled by a freezing cooler 64, which will be described later, to the ice making compartment 11C, the small freezing compartment 11D, or the main freezing compartment 11C. It blows out into the freezer compartment 11E. The cold air return port 52b opens at the bottom of the main freezing compartment 11E, and sends the cold air E heated by passing through one or more of the ice making compartment 11C, the small freezing compartment 11D, and the main freezing compartment 11E to the duct space D2. lead

The cooling unit 60 includes, for example, a compressor 61, a refrigeration heat exchanger 62, a refrigeration fan 63 (air blower), a refrigeration cooler 64, and a freezer compartment fan 65. The refrigeration heat exchanger 62 and the refrigeration fan 63 are arranged in the first duct space D1. The refrigeration heat exchanger 62 is disposed at the upstream opening of the first duct space D1, and uses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61 to cool the cold air E passing through the first duct space D1 by heat exchange. The refrigeration fan 63 circulates the cold air E within the first duct space D1 and within the refrigerator compartment 11A. When the refrigerating fan 63 is driven, the cold air E cooled by the refrigerating heat exchanger 62 is blown out from the cold air outlets 51a, 51b, and 51c to the refrigerating compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa. A part of the cold air E that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 11A or the chilled compartment 11Aa flows into the vegetable compartment 11B. The cold air E warmed in one or more of the refrigerator compartment 11A, the chilled compartment 11Aa, and the vegetable compartment 11B returns to the first duct space D1 from the cold air return ports 51d and 51e.

The freezing cooler 64 and the freezer compartment fan 65 are arranged in the second duct space D2. The refrigeration cooler 64 is supplied with refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61 and cools the cold air E flowing through the second duct space D2. When the freezing compartment fan 65 is driven, the cold air E cooled by the freezing cooler 64 is supplied from the cold air outlet 52a to the freezing compartment (ice making compartment 11C, small freezing compartment 11D, main freezing compartment 11E), and the freezing The cold air E warmed in the room returns to the second duct space D2 from the cold air return port 52b.

Control device 80 includes a circuit board and electronic components mounted on the circuit board. The control device 80 controls the entire refrigerator 1 in an integrated manner. For example, the control device 80 controls the operations of the compressor 61, the refrigeration fan 63, the freezer fan 65, the sterilization device 70, etc. described above. Further, the control device 80 controls the irradiation of ultraviolet rays by the sterilization device 70. In this embodiment, the control device 80 controls the sterilization device 70 based on the detection result of the door switch that detects the open/closed state of the door of the vegetable compartment door 20B and the chilled compartment 11Aa. For example, when it is detected that the vegetable compartment door 20B or the door of the chilled compartment 11Aa is opened, the control device 80 stops the irradiation of ultraviolet rays by the sterilization device 70. On the other hand, when it is detected that the vegetable compartment door 20B or the door of the chilled compartment 11Aa is closed, the control device 80 causes the sterilization device 70 to restart the irradiation of ultraviolet rays.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of essential parts of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sterilization device 70 is provided within the first duct space D1. The sterilization device 70 is exposed to the first duct space D1, and is exposed to the cold air E flowing from the cold air return ports 51d and 51e, passing through the refrigeration heat exchanger 62, and heading toward the upper air outlet 51a. The sterilization device 70 is arranged at a position near the upper air outlet 51a on the downstream side of the first duct space D1.

The sterilization device 70 includes an ozone generator 71 that generates ozone from oxygen molecules in the cold air E, and an ultraviolet light source 72 that is disposed downstream of the ozone generator 71 and generates ultraviolet rays to irradiate the generated ozone. Be prepared. Ozone generator 71 and ultraviolet light source 72 are mounted on substrate 73. In the sterilization device 70, all the cold air E that has passed through the ultraviolet light source 72 is blown out from the upper air outlet 51a into the upper space 110 of the refrigerator compartment 11A.

The sterilization device 70 is installed on the inner wall surface forming the first duct space D1 at a position downstream of the refrigeration fan 63, with the ultraviolet light source 72 directed toward the downstream side of the ozone generator 71 (above the refrigerator compartment 11A). Fixed. The ozone generator 71 is provided downstream of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62.

In the sterilization device 70, cold air E is introduced into the first duct space D1 in which an ozone generator 71 and an ultraviolet light source 72 are provided, and the ozone generator 71 converts oxygen in the cold air E into ozone (O ₃ ). The generated ozone is irradiated with ultraviolet rays generated by the ultraviolet light source 72 to convert the generated ozone into OH radicals. In the sterilization device 70, the odor components contained in the cold air E are oxidized and decomposed by the converted OH radicals to make them odorless.

[Ozone generator]
The ozone generator 71 has a discharge section and efficiently generates ozone within the air path 2. The discharge section of this embodiment is arranged at the center of the first duct space D1 in the left-right direction and the front-back direction. The ozone generator 71 is of a discharge type in which ozone (O ₃ ) is generated from oxygen molecules (O ₂ ) in the cold air E by applying a high voltage of several kV between electrodes in a discharge section to generate discharge. The ozone generator 71 intermittently applies a high voltage to control the emitted ozone concentration to a range of 0.01 to 0.1 ppm that has sterilization performance and does not affect the human body. are doing. As an example of the ozone generator 71, an ozone generation method using a silent discharge method (barrier discharge method) or a creeping discharge method, which generates an ozone amount of 0.02 mg/Hr or more, can be adopted. The ozone generator 71 of this embodiment is an example of a silent discharge method (barrier discharge method).

[Ultraviolet light source]
The ultraviolet light source 72 includes an irradiation section that is disposed on one surface of the substrate 73 and irradiates ultraviolet light at a predetermined irradiation angle (irradiation range). The irradiation part of the ultraviolet light source 72 is arranged at a position where the ozone (O ₃ ) generated by the ozone generator 71 can be sufficiently irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

The ultraviolet light source 72 is arranged in a shielding region R that is not directly visible from the outside through an opening serving as an entrance and exit of the first duct space D1. That is, the ultraviolet light source 72 is arranged so that the generated ultraviolet rays are not irradiated into the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa. Further, the ultraviolet light source 72 is in a state where the intermediate air outlet 51b formed in the first wall portion 511 of the refrigeration duct 51 is shielded by the refrigeration duct 51 when viewed horizontally from the refrigeration compartment 11A side (front side). It is located in

The ultraviolet light source 72 employs an LED element that generates ultraviolet (UV) light in a wavelength range of 200 to 300 nm. The ultraviolet light source 72 irradiates ultraviolet light having an ozone absorption wavelength of 200 to 300 nm that can be absorbed by ozone. As an example of the ultraviolet light source 72, for example, one having a light output of 3 mW and a peak wavelength of 280 nm can be adopted.

The irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 72 is 120° to 150°. In the ultraviolet light source 72, ozone (O ₃ ) is dissociated into oxygen molecules (O ₂ ) and oxygen atoms (O) by irradiating ozone with ultraviolet rays. Then, the dissociated oxygen atoms (O) react with water vapor (H ₂ O) to generate and release OH radicals (hydroxyl radicals) (OH.) with high oxidizing power. The generation of OH radicals promotes the deodorizing reaction that reacts with various odor components in the cold air E in the gas phase, making it possible to oxidize and remove ammonia, fatty acids, etc. that are difficult to remove by ozone oxidation. Generally, gaseous ozone absorbs ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 200 to 300 nm, and oxygen atoms are dissociated from ozone molecules by the light energy.

In the sterilization device 70 configured as in this embodiment, the ultraviolet light source 72 is arranged downstream of the ozone generator 71 with respect to the flow direction of the cold air E. As the ultraviolet light source 72, by increasing the light output or increasing the number of lights used in accordance with the amount of ozone generated by the ozone generator 71, high concentration odor can be made odorless without leaking ozone. It can promote sterilization.

The ozone generator 71 is operated in conjunction with the operation of the refrigeration fan 63. The control device 80 controls the operation of the ozone generator 71. That is, the control device 80 controls the ozone generator 71 to be operated in conjunction with the operation of the refrigeration fan 63.

A specific example of a method of controlling the sterilization device 70 using the control device 80 will be described. As shown in Table 1, the operation modes (operations) when the control device 80 closes the refrigerator compartment door 20 of the refrigerator compartment 11A are a cooling mode P1 in which cold air E circulates within the refrigerator compartment 11A, a freezing mode 11C, It has a defrosting mode P2 (defrosting operation) in which the refrigeration cycles of 11D and 11E are stopped, and a stop mode P3 (stopping operation) in which the circulation of cold air E in the refrigerator compartment 11A is stopped. The ultraviolet light source 72 operates in each of the operation modes (cooling mode P1, defrosting mode P2, and stop mode P3). The objects to be controlled are the refrigeration cycle, the refrigeration fan 63, the ozone generator 71, and the ultraviolet light source 72. In Table 1, those that work are shown as "O", and those that do not work are shown as "x".

In cooling mode P1, the refrigeration cycle, refrigeration fan 63, ozone generator 71, and ultraviolet light source 72 are controlled to operate. In the defrosting mode P2, the operations of the refrigeration cycle and the ozone generator 71 are stopped, and the refrigeration fan 63 and the ultraviolet light source 72 are controlled to operate. In the stop mode P3, the operations of the refrigeration cycle, the refrigeration fan 63, and the ozone generator 71 are stopped, and only the ultraviolet light source 72 is controlled to operate. Table 1 also shows the operation of the refrigerator compartment door 20A in the door opening mode P4. In door open mode P4, all operations of the refrigeration cycle, refrigeration fan 63, ozone generator 71, and ultraviolet light source 72 are controlled to be stopped.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, an ozone concentration detection sensor 74 that detects the ozone concentration in the refrigerator compartment 11A is provided on one of the left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab of the refrigerator compartment 11A. The control device 80 controls the ozone generator 71 to operate when the ozone concentration detected by the ozone concentration detection sensor 74 falls below a predetermined set concentration.

Further, in this embodiment, an ozone decomposition catalyst 75 is provided downstream of the ultraviolet light source 72 to reduce the ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 to a certain concentration or less. The ozone decomposition catalyst 75 is arranged at a position directly below the ultraviolet light source 72 on the downstream side within the first duct space D1.

In addition, the sterilization device 70 of the present embodiment is provided with a dew condensation detection section (not shown) that detects the condensation state in the first duct space D1, and when the condensation detection section detects dew condensation, the control device 80 The operation of the ozone generator 71 may be controlled to be stopped.

Next, the operation and function of the refrigerator 1 will be explained.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the cold air E is blown out toward the upper space 110 of the refrigerator compartment 11A between the housing 10 surrounding the refrigerator compartment 11A and the rear wall 10e of the refrigerator compartment 11A and the housing 10. A refrigeration duct 51 that forms a first duct space D1 that allows the flow to flow in the same direction. The first duct space D1 includes an upper air outlet 51a that blows out cold air E into at least the upper space 110 of the refrigerator compartment 11A. An ozone generator 71 that generates ozone from oxygen molecules in the cold air E is provided at a position closer to the upper outlet 51a on the downstream side of the first duct space D1. On the downstream side of the ozone generator 71, an ultraviolet light source 72 is provided that generates ultraviolet rays to irradiate the generated ozone.

Moreover, according to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the ultraviolet light source 72 is arranged downstream of the ozone generator 71 in the first duct space D1. All the cold air E that has passed through the ultraviolet light source 72 in the first duct space D1 is blown out from the upper air outlet 51a into the upper space 110 of the refrigerator compartment 11A.

In this embodiment, the ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 from the cold air E flowing into the first duct space D1 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays generated by an ultraviolet light source 72 provided downstream of the ozone generator 71, Active species such as OH radicals generated by the reaction between generated oxygen atoms and water vapor can be released. In this way, since the ozone that has been accelerated and oxidized in the cold air E can be reliably irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the amount of OH radicals can be increased and the sterilization performance can be improved. In this embodiment, the ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 in the first duct space D1 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source 72, and the generated OH radicals are transferred to the upper space of the refrigerator compartment 11A of the storage chamber 11. By circulating from 110 throughout the refrigerator compartment 11A and vegetable compartment 11B, it can be reliably diffused throughout the storage compartment, and a high sterilization effect and deodorizing effect can be obtained in the entire storage compartment.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the lower return ports 51d and 51e of the first duct space D1 are provided with a refrigeration heat exchanger 62 that cools the passing cold air E by heat exchange with a refrigerant, and a first duct space D1. A refrigeration fan 63 that circulates cold air E within the duct space D1 and within the refrigerator compartment 11A is provided. In this case, the ozone generator 71 is provided downstream of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62. Here, since moisture generated from stored items such as vegetables forms frost on the refrigeration heat exchanger 62, the downstream side of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 is dry. By installing the ozone generator 71 downstream of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 where humidity is low in this manner, the ozone generator 71 can prevent dielectric breakdown and high voltage propagation due to dew condensation.

Since ozone is generated downstream of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 and the refrigeration fan 63, the ozone concentration does not decrease due to adsorption or decomposition, and the sterilization device 70 can efficiently generate OH radicals. Furthermore, since the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 and the refrigeration fan 63 are not exposed to high concentration ozone immediately after being generated from the ozone generator 71, deterioration due to oxidation can be suppressed.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the refrigeration duct 51 is arranged upstream of the upper air outlet 51a and communicates with the refrigerator compartment 11A on the upstream side of the ozone generator 71 in the first duct space D1. At least one intermediate outlet 51b, 51c is provided. The cold air E blown out from the first duct space D1 to a position where it is difficult to circulate throughout the entire refrigerator compartment 11A is not OH radicals generated by irradiating ozone with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source 72, but is generated by the refrigeration heat exchanger 62. By blowing out only the cold air E cooled by the air E and blowing out the OH radicals only into the upper space 110 of the circulating refrigerator compartment 11A, the OH radicals can be efficiently circulated within the refrigerator compartment 11A, increasing the reliability of the sterilization effect. can be increased.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, an ozone decomposition catalyst 75 is provided downstream of the ultraviolet light source 72 to reduce ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 to a certain concentration or less. In this case, the high concentration of ozone in the refrigerator compartment 11A can be reduced by the ozone decomposition catalyst 75, and the ozone concentration in the refrigerator compartment 11A can be prevented from increasing significantly. For example, the ozone concentration can be kept at a control value of 0.1 ppm or less.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, a control device 80 that controls the operation of the ozone generator 71 is provided. In this case, by controlling the control device 80 so that the ozone generator 71 operates in conjunction with the operation of the refrigeration fan 63, the ozone generator 71 and the ultraviolet light source 72, the entire refrigerator compartment 11A can be efficiently and reliably sterilized.

In this embodiment, when the refrigeration fan 63 is operating and the cold air E is circulating in the refrigerator compartment 11A, the ozone generator 71 is operated and the generated ozone can be diffused into the storage compartment 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the ozone from becoming locally concentrated in the refrigerator compartment 11A, and it is possible to prevent the user from inhaling the cold air E in which the ozone has become highly concentrated. In addition, since the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 and the refrigeration fan 63 are not exposed to the high concentration of ozone immediately generated from the ozone generator 71, they are less susceptible to deterioration due to oxidation. By operating the refrigeration fan 63 when the sterilization device 70 is in use, the ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 can be prevented from diffusing to the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 side upstream from the sterilization device 70 in the first duct space D1. , deterioration of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62 due to oxidation can be prevented.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the operation modes of the refrigerator compartment 11A are a cooling mode P1 in which cold air circulates in the refrigerator compartment 11A, a stop mode P3 in which the circulation of cold air in the refrigerator compartment 11A is stopped, and a freezing mode P3 in which the circulation of cold air in the refrigerator compartment 11A is stopped. A defrosting mode P2 for stopping the cycle is provided. The ultraviolet light source 72 operates in each of the operation modes P1, P2, and P3. In this case, even if the ozone generator 71 is stopped, the ultraviolet light source 72 is operating, so the ultraviolet light source 72 can irradiate the ozone in the refrigerator compartment 11A with ultraviolet light, resulting in a sterilization effect. It will be done.

According to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, when the refrigerator door 20 that opens and closes the refrigerator compartment 11A is opened, the operation of the ultraviolet light source 72 is stopped, thereby preventing the user from being directly irradiated with ultraviolet rays. can.

According to at least one embodiment described above, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that not only improves sterilization performance but also improves product reliability by reliably sterilizing the entire storage chamber.

(Second embodiment)
Next, referring to FIG. 4, a refrigerator 1A according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar members and portions as in the above-described first embodiment, and explanations thereof are omitted, and configurations that are different from the first embodiment will be explained.

In the refrigerator 1A, the position of the sterilizing device 70 is different from the position of the sterilizing device 70 of the first embodiment described above. That is, the ozone generator 71 is arranged at a position closer to the upper outlet 51a on the downstream side of the first duct space D1. Specifically, the ozone generator 71 is located between the upper outlet 51a and the intermediate outlet 51b in the upper space.

In the second embodiment, a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 72 are provided in the refrigerator compartment 11A on the downstream side of the upper air outlet 51a. Of the ultraviolet light sources 72, the first ultraviolet light source 72A is arranged in the upper space 110 in the refrigerator compartment 11A on the downstream side of the upper air outlet 51a. The first ultraviolet light source 72A generates OH radial by irradiating ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 and blown out from the upper outlet 51a with ultraviolet rays in the upper space 110 of the refrigerator compartment 11A. The OH radial cold air E generated in the upper space 110 circulates throughout the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B, and returns to the first duct space D1. The second ultraviolet light source 72B is disposed on the front surface of the second wall portion 512 of the refrigeration duct 51 in the chilled compartment 11Aa, and on the front surface of the third wall portion 513 located on the rear side of the vegetable compartment 11B. The second ultraviolet light source 72B irradiates the cold air E (ozone) circulating within the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B with ultraviolet light.

In the refrigerator 1A of the second embodiment, a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 72A and 72B are arranged in the storage chamber 11. Therefore, even when the ozone generator 71 is stopped, by operating the ultraviolet light source 72, the sterilizing effect of the ultraviolet light generated from the ultraviolet light source 72 can be obtained. That is, as in the present embodiment, the ultraviolet light source 72 is provided in each of the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B, and OH radicals are generated at locations where the sterilization effect is desired, thereby improving the sterilization effect.

According to the refrigerator 1A of the second embodiment, it is possible to control the ultraviolet light sources 72A and 72B arranged in the storage chamber 11 to operate even when the ozone generator 71 is stopped. In this case, even if the ozone generator 71 is stopped, the ultraviolet light source 72 is operating, so the ultraviolet light source 72 can irradiate the ozone in the refrigerator compartment 11A with ultraviolet light, resulting in a sterilization effect. It will be done.

According to the refrigerator 1A according to the present embodiment, an ozone decomposition catalyst for reducing ozone generated by the ozone generator 71 to a certain concentration or less is provided upstream of the refrigeration heat exchanger 62. In this case, the high concentration of ozone in the refrigerator compartment 11A can be reduced by the ozone decomposition catalyst 75, and the ozone concentration in the refrigerator compartment 11A can be prevented from increasing significantly. For example, the ozone concentration can be kept at a control value of 0.1 ppm or less. Furthermore, in the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the refrigeration heat exchanger 62, which performs the cooling function of the refrigerator 1A, from deteriorating due to oxidation caused by contact with ozone.

Although an embodiment of the invention has been described, this embodiment is presented by way of example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

In the embodiment described above, one ozone generator 71 is arranged in the first duct space D1, but a plurality of ozone generators 71 may be arranged.

In this embodiment, a refrigeration fan 63 that circulates cold air E in the first duct space D1 and the refrigerator compartment 11A is provided, and the ozone generator 71 is operated in conjunction with the operation of the refrigeration fan 63. It is not limited. Therefore, the control device 80 that controls the operation of the ozone generator 71 is not limited to controlling the ozone generator 71 to be operated in conjunction with the operation of the refrigeration fan 63.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ozone generator 71 for reducing ozone to a certain concentration or less is provided, but the ozone decomposition catalyst 75 may be omitted.

Further, in the first embodiment, the ozone generator 71 and the ultraviolet light source 72 are provided on one substrate 73 to form a unit. The ozone generator 71 and the ultraviolet light source 72 may be provided on separate substrates and arranged at separate positions within the first duct space D1.

In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the objects to be sterilized by the sterilization device 70 are the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B of the storage room 11, but the freezer may also be an object to which sterilization is applied.

1, 1A...refrigerator, 10...casing (wall), 10e...rear wall, 11...storage room, 11A...refrigerator compartment, 11Aa...chilled compartment, 11B...vegetable compartment, 110...upper space, 20A...refrigerator compartment door , 51... Refrigeration duct (flow path forming part), 51a... Upper outlet, 51b... Intermediate outlet, 51c... Intermediate outlet, 51d, 51e... Cold air return port, 62... Refrigerating heat exchanger, 63... Refrigerating fan (blower), 70...sterilization device, 71...ozone generator, 72, 72A, 72B...ultraviolet light source, 73...substrate, 74...ozone concentration detection sensor, 75...ozone decomposition catalyst, 80...control device (control ), D1...first duct space (cooling air path), E...cold air, R...shielding area.

Claims (12)

A wall surrounding the storage room,
a flow path forming component that forms a cooling air path between the storage chamber and the wall body in which cool air is blown out toward the upper space of the storage chamber;
The flow path forming component includes an upper air outlet that blows out cold air toward at least the upper space of the storage chamber,
An ozone generator that generates ozone from oxygen molecules in cold air is provided at a position downstream of the cooling air path and closer to the upper air outlet;
The refrigerator is provided with an ultraviolet light source that generates ultraviolet light to irradiate the generated ozone on the downstream side of the ozone generator. The ultraviolet light source is arranged downstream of the ozone generator in the cooling air path,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein all the cold air that has passed through the ultraviolet light source is blown out from the upper air outlet into the upper space of the storage chamber. The ultraviolet light source is arranged in the storage chamber downstream of the upper air outlet,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ozone generated by the ozone generator and blown out from the upper outlet is irradiated with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the ultraviolet light sources are provided in the storage chamber on the downstream side of the upper air outlet. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the ultraviolet light source in the storage chamber operates when the ozone generator is stopped. A lower return port is provided at a lower portion of the flow path forming component, and the cold air blown out from the upper air outlet is circulated throughout the storage chamber and returned to the cooling air path.
On the downstream side of the lower return port,
a heat exchanger that cools the cold air passing through it by heat exchange with a refrigerant;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a blower that forms a flow of cold air in the cooling air path and in the storage chamber. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein an ozone decomposition catalyst for reducing ozone generated by the ozone generator to a certain concentration or less is provided upstream of the heat exchanger. The flow path forming component is provided with at least one intermediate air outlet that is disposed upstream of the upper air outlet and communicates with the storage chamber on the upstream side of the ozone generator in the cooling air path. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an ozone decomposition catalyst for reducing ozone generated by the ozone generator to a certain concentration or less is provided downstream of the ultraviolet light source. A control unit that controls the operation of the ozone generator is provided,
The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the ozone generator to operate in conjunction with the operation of the blower. The operation of the storage chamber includes a cooling operation in which cold air is circulated within the storage chamber, a stopping operation in which circulation of cold air is stopped in the storage chamber, and a defrosting operation in which a refrigeration cycle is stopped,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ultraviolet light source is operated in each of the operating operations. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ultraviolet light source stops operating when a door for opening and closing the storage chamber is opened.

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