JP2024009281A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of easily storing food favorably.

SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes a housing, a cooling part, and a control part. The control part can control a cooling part with a cooling pattern that includes cooling a storage part at a second temperature zone higher than a first temperature zone, and then, cooling the storage part at the first temperature zone. The control part can switch between a first control mode for cooling at a fixed temperature zone and a second control mode for cooling the storage part with the cooling pattern. The control part performs defrosting of a cooler at a predetermined time interval in the first control mode. In the second control mode, the control part alternately performs controlling the cooling part so as to cool the storage part at the first temperature zone during first time, and controlling the cooling part so as to cool the storage part at the second temperature zone during second time. The first time is longer than the predetermined time interval.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Refrigerators are known that include a chilled compartment that is kept at a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment. The chilled room stores foods such as fermented foods and fresh foods at the lowest temperature possible without freezing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-102320

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can easily preserve food well.

The refrigerator of the embodiment includes a housing, a cooling section, and a control section. The housing includes a storage section. The cooling unit includes a cooler and cools the storage unit. The control unit cools the storage unit in a first temperature range or a temperature range lower than the first temperature range so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored items stored in the storage unit, and then cools the storage unit in a first temperature range or a temperature range lower than the first temperature range. The storage section is cooled in a second temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone so as to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the storage object, and then the surface of the storage object is cooled in the first temperature zone. The cooling section is controllable with a cooling pattern that includes cooling the reservoir to a slight freeze. The control unit includes, as a cooling mode of the storage unit, a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in a certain temperature range, and a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in the cooling pattern. A second control mode for controlling the cooling unit can be switched. The control unit defrosts the cooler at predetermined time intervals in the first control mode. In the second control mode, the control unit may control the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in the first temperature range for a first time, and control the storage unit for a second time. and controlling the cooling unit so as to cool the temperature in the second temperature range. The first time period is longer than the predetermined time interval.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view showing the overall schematic configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the arrangement|positioning of the cold air supply duct and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor of the refrigerator of embodiment. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control device for a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The figure which shows the operation panel part of the refrigerator of embodiment. The figure which shows the measurement result of the air temperature of the chilled room when the refrigerator of embodiment cooled by the special chilled operation. The figure which shows the measurement result of the air temperature of the chilled room in low-temperature cooling when the refrigerator of embodiment cooled by the special chilled operation. 1 is a flowchart showing an extended defrosting time type defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator according to the embodiment. The figure which shows the measurement result of the temperature of the refrigeration cooler and the air temperature of the chilled room when the refrigerator of the embodiment performs a defrosting operation. 1 is a flowchart showing a minimum defrosting time setting type defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator of the embodiment. The figure which shows the change of the execution ratio of high temperature operation time in the defrosting operation which the refrigerator of embodiment performs. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a schematic overall configuration of a refrigerator according to a modified example.

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. 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 far away from the user is defined as the "back".

As used herein, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX" and includes cases where it is based on another element in addition to XX. Moreover, "based on XX" is not limited to the case where XX is used directly, but also includes the case where it is based on calculations and processing performed on XX. "XX" is an arbitrary element (for example, arbitrary information).

(First embodiment)
<Refrigerator configuration>
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the overall schematic configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is configured by providing a plurality of storage chambers within a vertically long rectangular box-shaped insulating casing 2 with an open front. Specifically, inside the heat insulating case 2, a refrigerator compartment 3 and a vegetable compartment 4 are provided in order from the top, and below that, an ice making compartment 5 and a small freezer compartment 6 (see FIG. 2) are arranged side by side. , a freezing chamber 7 is provided below these. As shown in FIG. 1, an automatic ice-making device 8 is provided within the ice-making compartment 5. Although the details will be described later, the heat insulating casing 2 is constructed by having a heat insulating material between an outer box 2a made of a steel plate and an inner box 2b made of a synthetic resin. The heat-insulating casing 2 is an example of a "casing".

The refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are both storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range (for example, a positive temperature range of 1 to 4°C), and are partitioned vertically by a plastic partition wall 9. . A hinged heat insulating door 3a is provided at the front of the refrigerator compartment 3, and a pull-out heat insulating door 4a is provided at the front of the vegetable compartment 4. A lower case 10 constituting a storage container is connected to the back side of the heat insulating door 4a. An upper case 11 smaller than the lower case 10 is provided above the lower case 10.

At the lowest part of the refrigerator compartment 3 (above the partition wall 9), a chilled compartment 12 is provided on the right side. The chilled chamber 12 stores foods such as fermented foods such as yogurt and fresh cream, fresh foods, paste products, and dairy products at a temperature as low as possible without freezing, for example, at a temperature of 1°C. Note that the chilled chamber 12 may store food at -3° C. (partial) in the slight freezing range. A chilled case 13 is provided in the chilled chamber 12 so that it can be taken in and out. The chilled chamber 12 is an example of a "storage section" and a "first storage section". Further, on the left side of the chilled chamber 12, a water storage tank (not shown) is provided for storing water to be supplied to the ice tray 8a of the automatic ice making device 8.

The ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 are all storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (for example, a minus temperature range of -10 to -20°C). The freezer compartment 6 is vertically partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 14. As shown in FIG. 1, a pull-out heat insulating door 5a is provided at the front of the ice making compartment 5, and an ice storage container 15 is connected to the back of the heat insulating door 5a. The front part of the small freezer compartment 6 is also provided with a pull-out heat insulating door 6a to which a storage container is connected. The front part of the freezer compartment 7 is also provided with a pull-out heat insulating door 7a to which a lower storage container 7b and an upper storage container 7c are connected. Each of the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 is an example of a “second storage unit” that is thermally separated from the chilled compartment 12.

A refrigeration cycle device 16 (see FIG. 4) is incorporated into the refrigerator 1 to cool each storage compartment. Although the details will be described later, the refrigeration cycle device 16 includes a refrigeration cooler 17 for cooling the storage compartments in the refrigerated temperature range (refrigeration compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4), and storage compartments in the freezing temperature range ( It is configured to include a freezing cooler 18 for cooling the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7).

The refrigerating cooler 17 is provided with a refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a. The refrigeration cooler temperature sensor 17a is provided, for example, at the upper end of the refrigeration cooler 17, as shown in FIG. 1, and detects the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17. The freezing cooler 18 is provided with a freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a. The freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a is provided, for example, at the upper end of the freezing cooler 18, and detects the temperature of the freezing cooler 18. The refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a and the freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a are composed of, for example, a thermistor.

As shown in FIG. 1, a machine compartment 19 is provided on the back side of the lower end of the refrigerator 1. In the machine room 19, there are a compressor 20 and a condenser 21 (see FIG. 4) that constitute the refrigeration cycle device 16, a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling these, a defrosting water evaporation tray 35, which will be described later, and the like. It is arranged. As shown in FIG. 1, a control panel 53 including a control unit 100 configured with a computer such as a microcomputer is provided at a lower portion of the back of the refrigerator 1. The control unit 100 controls the entire refrigerator 1. do. The control unit 100 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the lower part of the refrigeration cooler chamber 32, a refrigeration side water receiver 33 is located below the refrigeration cooler 17 and receives defrosting water from the refrigeration cooler 17. is provided. The refrigeration side water receiver 33 is connected to a defrosting water evaporation tray 35 provided in the machine room 19 via a refrigeration side drainage hose 34. The defrosting water received by the refrigeration side water receiving part 33 is led to the defrosting water evaporation tray 35 through the refrigeration side drainage hose 34, and is evaporated in the defrosting water evaporation tray 35.

At the rear of the vegetable compartment 4, a refrigerating ventilation fan 31 is disposed below the refrigerating water receiving section 33, and a ventilation duct 36 and a suction port 37 are also provided. The refrigerating fan 31 is an example of a blower, and sends air to the refrigerating cooler 17. Note that in this specification, "sending air to the cooler" is not limited to the case where the air is placed upstream of the cooler in the direction of air flow, and air is sent toward the cooler; This also includes a case in which the air conditioner is disposed downstream of the cooler, and air located upstream of the cooler is moved toward the cooler by sending surrounding air further downstream. The air duct 36 communicates with the refrigeration cooler chamber 32 so that the upper end portion bypasses the refrigeration side water receiver 33 . The suction port 37 opens into the vegetable compartment 4, for example.

Further, in the chilled chamber 12, a plurality of chilled cold air supply ports 30b are provided so as to penetrate the front wall portion 32a of the refrigerator cooler chamber 32 (the rear wall portion of the chilled chamber 12). The refrigerator cooler chamber 32 and the chilled chamber 12 communicate with each other through the plurality of chilled cold air supply ports 30b. Thereby, a part of the cold air immediately after passing through the refrigerator cooler 17 of the refrigerator cooler chamber 32 is directly supplied to the chilled chamber 12 through the chilled cold air supply port 30b. By the cold air directly supplied through the chilled cold air supply port 30b, the temperature of the chilled chamber 12 can be maintained at about -5° C. during low-temperature cooling, which will be described later.

In this configuration, when the refrigerating fan 31 is driven, the air in the vegetable compartment 4 is sucked into the refrigerating fan 31 through the suction port 37, mainly as shown by the white arrow in FIG. The sucked air is blown out to the ventilation duct 36 side. The air blown to the ventilation duct 36 side passes through the refrigerator cooler chamber 32 and the cold air supply duct 30, is blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 from the plurality of refrigerator cold air supply ports 30a, and is blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 from the plurality of refrigerator cold air supply ports 30b. The air is blown out from the air into the chilled chamber 12. The air blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 flows from the refrigerator compartment 3 to the vegetable compartment 4, and the air blown into the chilled compartment 12 flows from the chilled compartment 12 to the vegetable compartment 4, and is finally used as a cooling air blower. A circulation is performed in which the air is sucked into the fan 31.

In this process, the air passing through the refrigerator cooler compartment 32 is cooled by the refrigerator cooler 17 and becomes cold air, and the cold air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4. 4 is cooled to a temperature in the refrigeration temperature range. At this time, the refrigerating fan 31 including the heat generating component (motor) is located upwind of the refrigerating cooler 17 and at the rear of the vegetable compartment 4 where the temperature is higher than that of the refrigerating compartment 3 (and the chilled compartment 12). The refrigerator cooler 17, which has the lowest temperature, is located behind the chilled compartment 12, which has a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4. Therefore, the arrangement of each component can be made to correspond to the temperature distribution of the refrigerator compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, and vegetable compartment 4, and cooling performance suitable for each compartment can be obtained. can also be done easily.

A freezing cooler chamber 38 is provided on the back wall of the storage compartments (ice making compartment 5, small freezing compartment 6, freezing compartment 7) in the freezing temperature range of the refrigerator 1. In the lower part of the freezing cooler chamber 38, the freezing cooler 18, a defrosting heater (not shown), and the like are arranged. Furthermore, a freezing fan 39 is disposed above the freezing cooler chamber 38 . A cold air outlet 38a is provided at the middle part of the front surface of the freezing cooler chamber 38, and a return port 38b is provided at the lower end.

As shown in FIG. 1, a freezing side water receiver 40 is provided below the freezing cooler 18 to receive defrosting water during defrosting of the freezing cooler 18. The freezing side water receiver 40 is connected to a defrosting water evaporation tray 35 provided in the machine room 19 via a freezing side drainage hose 41. As a result, the defrosting water received by the freezing water receiving part 40 is also guided to the defrosting water evaporation tray 35 through the freezing drainage hose 41 and is evaporated in the defrosting water evaporating tray 35. ing.

In this configuration, when the freezing fan 39 is driven, the cold air generated by the freezing cooler 18 is supplied into the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 from the cold air outlet 38a. Thereafter, the liquid is returned to the refrigeration cooler chamber 38 through the return port 38b. As a result, the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 are cooled.

In this embodiment, the compressor 20, the refrigeration cooler 17, the refrigeration blower fan 31, the refrigeration cooler 18, and the refrigeration blower fan 39 constitute an example of a "cooling section." In addition, "controlling a cooling part" means controlling any one or more of the compressor 20, the ventilation fan 31 for refrigeration, and the ventilation fan 39 for freezing, for example.

On the back wall of the storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range (refrigerating compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4) of the refrigerator 1, there is a refrigeration cooler 17, and the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 17 is connected to the refrigerator 1. A cold air supply duct 30 for supplying the cold air into the refrigerator 3 (and the vegetable compartment 4), a refrigerating fan 31 for circulating the cold air, and the like are arranged as follows. That is, a refrigerating cooler chamber 32 is provided on the back wall of the refrigerator 1, located behind the chilled chamber 12 at the lowest stage of the refrigerating chamber 3. The refrigeration cooler 17 is disposed within the refrigeration cooler chamber 32. The front wall portion 32a of the refrigerating cooler chamber 32 (the rear wall portion of the chilled chamber 12) has heat insulation properties. Further, the upper end of the refrigerating cooler chamber 32 is connected to the lower end of a cold air supply duct 30 provided so as to extend upwardly on the back wall of the refrigerating chamber 3 with a constant width. The cold air supply duct 30 is provided with a plurality of refrigerating cold air supply ports 30a that open in the refrigerator compartment 3 and a plurality of chilled cold air supply ports 30b that open in the chilled compartment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the cold air supply duct 30 and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 2, with the cold air supply duct 30 and the refrigerating cooler 17 seen through. Actually, the cold air supply duct 30 and the refrigerator cooler 17 are provided on the back wall of the refrigerator compartment 3. When the insulation door 3a is opened, a part of the cold air supply duct 30 can be seen from the front of the refrigerator 1 through the opening of the opened insulation door 3a, but other parts are actually Refrigerator 1 cannot be seen from the front. As shown in FIG. 3, the cold air supply duct 30 includes a ventilation section 30A at the center in the width direction, and non-ventilation sections 30B and 30C at both ends in the width direction. The ventilation portion 30A is hollow inside and is a portion through which cold air blown from the refrigerator cooler chamber 32 is ventilated. A plurality of cold air supply ports 30a for refrigeration are provided in the ventilation section 30A. The non-ventilated portions 30B and 30C are separated from the ventilated portion 30A by a partition wall or the like, and are portions where the cold air blown from the refrigerator cooler chamber 32 is not vented. The non-ventilated portion 30B includes a through portion 30Ba that penetrates the non-ventilated portion 30B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 1 near the approximate center of the cold air supply duct 30 in the height direction of the refrigerator 1. A refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 is fixed to the back wall portion of the refrigerator compartment 3 corresponding to the position of the penetration portion 30Ba. Refrigerator temperature sensor 110 is electrically connected to control unit 100, which will be described later, and is arranged so as to be exposed to the air inside refrigerator compartment 3 through penetration portion 30Ba. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 measures the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3. The refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 will be described later.

Next, the configuration of the refrigeration cycle device 16 will be described in detail.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the refrigeration cycle device 16 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the refrigeration cycle device 16 includes a compressor 20, a condenser 21, a dryer 22, a three-way valve 23, capillary tubes 24, 25, and coolers 17, 18 in the order of refrigerant flow. It is connected to the. A condenser 21 and a dryer 22 are sequentially connected to a high-pressure discharge port of the compressor 20 via a connecting pipe 26 . A three-way valve 23 is connected to the discharge side of the dryer 22. The three-way valve 23 has one inlet to which the dryer 22 is connected and two outlets. One of the two outlets of the three-way valve 23 is connected to the refrigeration side capillary tube 24 and the refrigeration cooler 17 in this order. The refrigeration cooler 17 is connected to the compressor 20 via a refrigeration side suction pipe 27 which is a connection pipe.

The freezing side capillary tube 25 and the freezing cooler 18 are connected in this order to the other of the two outlets of the three-way valve 23 . The refrigeration cooler 18 is connected to the compressor 20 via a refrigeration side suction pipe 28 which is a connection pipe. Note that a check valve 29 is provided between the refrigeration cooler 18 and the compressor 20 to prevent the refrigerant from the refrigeration cooler 17 from flowing back to the refrigeration cooler 18 side.

Next, the flow of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device 16 will be explained.
First, the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle device 16 is compressed by the compressor 20 to become a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. This gaseous refrigerant is heat-radiated by the condenser 21 and becomes a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Thereafter, the liquid refrigerant from which impurities such as dirt and moisture have been removed passes through the dryer 22 and enters the refrigeration side capillary tube 24 (or the freezing side capillary tube 25) while being controlled by the three-way valve 23. At this time, the medium temperature, high pressure liquid refrigerant in the refrigeration side capillary tube 24 (or freezing side capillary tube 25) is depressurized while exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the refrigeration side suction pipe 27 (or freezing side suction pipe 28). . Then, this refrigerant evaporates while passing through the refrigerating cooler 17 (or the freezing cooler 18), and the inside of the refrigerating cooler chamber 32 (or the freezing cooler chamber 38) is cooled. Thereafter, the refrigerant, which has become a gas at low temperature and low pressure, flows into the refrigeration side suction pipe 27 (or the freezing side suction pipe 28). At this time, the temperature of the refrigerant gas immediately after flowing into the refrigeration side suction pipe 27 (or the refrigeration side suction pipe 28) from the refrigeration cooler 17 (or the refrigeration cooler 18) is as low as about -10°C. However, while passing through the suction pipe 27 (or suction pipe 28), this refrigerant gas exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the capillary tube 24 (or capillary tube 25), and the temperature eventually rises to about room temperature. be done. This refrigerant gas is then sucked into the compressor 20 again, completing the circulation of the refrigerant.

In the refrigeration cycle device 16 described above, the three-way valve 23 is controlled by the control unit 100 (see FIG. 5), and selects one or both of the flow path B and the flow path C. Flow path B is a flow path that serves to cool the storage compartments in the refrigerated temperature range (refrigeration compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4), while flow path C is used to cool the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (ice making compartment 5). , small freezer compartment 6, and freezer compartment 7). These two flow paths merge at a junction D, and the refrigerant flows from this junction D in the direction of arrow E and returns to the compressor 20.

If flow path B is selected by switching the refrigerant flow path as described above, a refrigeration operation is performed to cool the storage compartments (refrigerated compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4) in the refrigeration temperature range, and the flow If path C is selected, a freezing operation will be performed to cool the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (ice making compartment 5, small freezer compartment 6, freezing compartment 7), and if both channels B and C are selected, , performs both refrigeration and freezing operations. When the refrigeration operation is stopped (when only the refrigeration operation is performed or when the compressor 20 is stopped), by driving the refrigeration blower fan 31 for the refrigeration temperature range (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 3). It is possible to melt and evaporate the frost adhering to the refrigerator cooler 17 and supply moisture to the storage compartments (refrigeration compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4) in the refrigeration temperature range (defrosting operation).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control unit 100 of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment. The control panel 53 includes a control section 100 configured with a computer having a microcomputer, a timer, etc., and controls the refrigerator 1 in general. Refrigerating room temperature sensor 110, freezing room temperature sensor 112, outside temperature sensor 114, storage unit 116, refrigeration cooler temperature sensor 17a, freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a, compressor 20, three-way valve 23, refrigeration blower fan 31, the refrigeration blower fan 39, and the operation panel section 150 are each connected to the control section 100, and are each driven and controlled by commands from the control section 100.

As described above, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 is provided within the refrigerator compartment 3 and detects the air temperature within the refrigerator compartment 3. Similarly, the freezer compartment temperature sensor 112 is provided within the freezer compartment 7 and detects the air temperature within the freezer compartment 7. Each of the refrigerator room temperature sensor 110, the freezer room temperature sensor 112, the refrigerator cooler temperature sensor 17a, and the freezer cooler temperature sensor 18a is an example of a "sensor that detects the internal state of the housing." On the other hand, the outside temperature sensor 114 is provided outside the storage room, that is, outside the refrigerator, and detects the temperature outside the refrigerator, that is, the temperature inside the room where the refrigerator 1 is installed. The outside temperature sensor 114 is an example of a "sensor that detects the external state of the housing."

The storage unit 116 stores information necessary for operating the refrigerator 1. For example, the storage unit 116 stores a defrosting operation flag indicating whether or not a defrosting operation is being performed.

For example, when the doors 3a and 4a of the storage compartments in the refrigerated temperature range (refrigerated compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, and vegetable compartment 4) are opened or closed, or when the amount of stored items in the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 increases, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor The air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 detected by 110 rises to a predetermined temperature or higher. In this case, the control unit 100 drives the refrigeration cycle device 16 to perform a refrigeration cooling operation to cool the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 and vegetable compartment 4 to the target temperature. Similarly, for example, the doors 5a, 6a, and 7a of storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (ice making compartment 5, small freezing compartment 6, and freezing compartment 7) may be opened and closed, or When the number of stored items increases, the air temperature in the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 detected by the freezing compartment temperature sensor 112 rises to a predetermined temperature or higher. Then, the control unit 100 drives the refrigeration cycle device 16 to perform a refrigeration cooling operation to cool the insides of the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7 to the target temperature.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation panel section 150 of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment. The operation panel section 150 is provided in a vertically elongated rectangular region of the front surface of the left door 3a on the opening side opposite to the hinge, that is, near the right side (see FIG. 2). The operation panel section 150 is electrically connected to the control section 100. The operation panel section 150 accepts operations for switching the set temperature and operation mode of each storage compartment, and also displays setting contents and current operation status. The operation panel section 150 is, for example, a so-called touch-type operation panel section. The touch-type operation panel section includes a touch sensor configured with a capacitive switch. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel section 150 is provided on the surface of the refrigerator compartment door 3a and integrally with the refrigerator compartment door 3a.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the operation panel section 150 includes a plurality of operation sections 151 to 157, seven in this case, which are arranged in a vertical line on the right side and are operated by touch with the fingers of the user's hand. Along with this, display sections 158 to 163 corresponding to the respective operation sections 151 to 157 are arranged vertically on the left side of the operation sections 151 to 157. Each of the operation units 151 to 157 is composed of a capacitive touch sensor, and includes operation buttons 151a to 157a that are virtually set on the front side of the operation panel unit 150, and static buttons (not shown) located on the back side of the operation buttons 151a to 157a. and a capacitance detection section.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, from the top, there is an operation section 151 (operation button 151a) for "refrigeration", an operation section 152 (operation button 152a) for "freezing", and an operation section 153 for "refrigeration function". (operation button 153a), "ice making" operation section 154 (operation button 154a), "power saving" operation section 155 (operation button 155a), "special chilled" operation section 156 (operation button 156a), "home" An operation section 157 (operation button 157a) is provided.

On the other hand, the topmost display section 158 is provided at an intermediate height corresponding to the "refrigeration" and "freezing" operation sections 151 and 152, and displays the characters "strong" and "weak". It consists of five arcuate line-shaped marks arranged in a circle as a whole, and the number of lights lit is an indicator representing the intensity level. The display section 159 located one below corresponds to the operation section 153 for the "freezing function", and the characters "immediate freezing", "hot food freezing", "vegetable freezing", and "dry" are selectively displayed in order from the top. will be displayed.

The display section 160 below corresponds to the "Ice Making" operation section 154, and the words "Ice Making" and "Ice Making Off" are selectively displayed. The display section 161 below corresponds to the "power saving" operation section 155, and the characters "power saving," "going out," and "peak shift" are selectively displayed in order from the top. The display section 162 below corresponds to the "special chilled" operation section 156, and the characters "normal chilled" and "special chilled" are selectively displayed. The display section 163 at the bottom corresponds to the "home" operation section 156, and displays the words "eco mode" and a "key" mark.

Control unit 100 controls the operation of refrigerator 1 according to the operation of operation panel unit 150 by the user. In addition, in the default state of the refrigerator 1 at the time of shipment, the control unit 100 is in a state where "normal chilled" is selected. In a state where "normal chilled" is selected, normal chilled operation, which will be described later, is performed. When the user selects "special chilled" by touching the operation section 156 and "special chilled" is displayed on the display section 162, the control section 100 executes a special chilled operation to be described later. In the default state at the time of shipment of the refrigerator 1, the control unit 100 is in a state where "normal chilled mode" is selected. This has the effect of suppressing unnecessary consumption of electricity due to operation.

The operation panel section 150 is an example of an "input section" and receives user input. Note that the "input section" is not limited to the operation panel section 150, and may be a physical button provided on the inner wall or door 3a of the heat-insulating casing 2 of the refrigerator 1. Further, in the case of the refrigerator 1 that supports voice input, the "input section" may be a voice analysis section connected to a microphone that picks up the user's voice.

<Normal chilled operation>
First, normal chilled operation will be explained.
In the normal chilled operation, the control unit 100 cools the inside of the chilled chamber 12 to the normal chilled target temperature by controlling the refrigeration cycle device 16. To be more specific, the control unit 100 converts the normal chilled target temperature into the refrigerator compartment target temperature by a predetermined calculation, and sets the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 to the refrigerator compartment target temperature. Then, the refrigeration cycle device 16 is controlled according to feedback control such as PID control (Proportional-Integral-Differential Control). As a result, the inside of the chilled chamber 12 is maintained in the normal chilled temperature range corresponding to the normal chilled target temperature. Typically, the chilled target temperature is, for example, 0 to 1°C. The normal chilled temperature zone is an example of a "constant temperature zone." When the control unit 100 controls the refrigeration cycle device 16 to bring the inside of the chilled chamber 12 to the normal chilled target temperature, the center temperature of the normal chilled temperature zone becomes approximately the same as the normal chilled target temperature. Therefore, the center temperature of the normal chilled temperature zone in normal chilled operation is also, for example, 1°C. Note that the center temperature is a value obtained by dividing the sum of the maximum temperature and minimum temperature during the period in which the target operation is performed by two. Temperature during a period when the temperature is not yet stable immediately after the control unit 100 switches the operation mode may be excluded in calculating the center temperature.

As explained above, the control unit 100 alternately switches the refrigerant flow path between the flow path B and the flow path C shown in FIG. 4 by controlling the three-way valve 23. When the refrigerant is flowing through the flow path B, the storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range (refrigeration compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4) are cooled. When the refrigerant is flowing through the flow path C, the storage compartments (the ice making compartment 5, the small freezing compartment 6, and the freezing compartment 7) in the freezing temperature range are cooled. For example, the control unit 100 cools the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range by flowing the refrigerant through the flow path B for 40 minutes, and cools the storage room in the freezing temperature range by flowing the refrigerant through the flow path C for 60 minutes. Cool the storage room. Defrosting of the freezing cooler 18 is performed while the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range is being cooled. Defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 is performed while the storage room in the freezing temperature range is being cooled. For example, the control unit 100 cools the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range by flowing the refrigerant through the flow path B for 40 minutes, and cools the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range by flowing the refrigerant through the flow path C for 60 minutes. ``cooling the storage compartment of the storage room'' means ``the control unit controls the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the first cooler during a third time; "controlling the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the second cooler for a period of time." Defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 and the freezing cooler 18 will be described later.

As described above, in the default state of the refrigerator 1, the control unit 100 is set to cool the chilled compartment 12 in the normal chilled operation. That is, when the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on from a state where the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned off, the control unit 100 cools the chilled chamber 12 by the normal chilled operation. The normal chilled operation is an example of a "first control mode" which is one of the cooling modes for the chilled chamber 12.

In the above description, in the normal chilled operation, the control unit 100 cools the inside of the chilled chamber 12 to the normal chilled target temperature (for example, 1° C.), which is a temperature on the verge of freezing. However, the control unit 100 may be configured to cool the inside of the chilled chamber 12 to a so-called partial target temperature (for example, −1° C. to −3° C.), which is a temperature in a semi-frozen or slightly frozen state. As a result, the inside of the chilled chamber 12 is maintained in a partial temperature range corresponding to the partial target temperature. The partial temperature zone is an example of a "constant temperature zone." When the control unit 100 controls the refrigeration cycle device 16 to bring the inside of the chilled chamber 12 to the partial target temperature, the center temperature of the partial temperature range becomes approximately the same as the partial target temperature. Therefore, the center temperature of the partial temperature range is also an arbitrary temperature between -1°C and -3°C, for example. Calculation of center temperature is the same as above. The operation of cooling the chilled chamber 12 at a partial target temperature is an example of a "first control mode" which is one of the cooling modes for the chilled chamber 12.

<Special chilled operation>
Next, the special chilled operation of the embodiment will be explained.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the measurement results of the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 when the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment performs cooling in the special chilled operation. In FIG. 7, the vertical axis shows the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12, and the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time from the start of measurement.

The control unit 100 of the refrigerator 1 can selectively perform normal chilled operation and special chilled operation regarding temperature control of the chilled chamber 12. For example, by the user touching the operation section 156 of the operation panel section 150 as described above, the normal chilled operation and the special chilled operation can be switched. For example, when the user touches the operation section 156 of the operation panel section 150, the control section 100 switches the cooling mode of the chilled chamber 12 from the normal chilled operation to the special chilled operation, and starts the special chilled operation. When the user touches the operation section 156 of the operation panel section 150 to switch the cooling mode of the chilled chamber 12 from the normal chilled operation to the special chilled operation, the control section 100 first controls the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature range. A low-temperature cooling control is performed to cool the chamber 12, and then a high-temperature cooling control is performed to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a second temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone. Note that FIG. 7 shows the measurement results during the special chilled operation, not the measurement results from the start of the special chilled operation. A user's touch on the operation section 156 of the operation panel section 150 is an example of a "user's predetermined input." The special chilled operation is an example of a "second control mode" that is one of the cooling modes for the chilled chamber 12.

In the special chilled operation, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 100 performs low-temperature cooling control to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone, and then cools the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone. The refrigerator cooler 17 is controlled with a cooling pattern that includes performing high-temperature cooling control for cooling in two temperature zones, and then performing low-temperature cooling control for cooling the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone. Note that after performing low-temperature cooling control to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone, but before performing high-temperature cooling control to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a second temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone, Any control may be performed. Further, after performing high-temperature cooling control to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a second temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone, and before performing low-temperature cooling control to cool the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature zone, Any control may be performed. Here, the arbitrary control is not particularly limited. The arbitrary control may be, for example, cooling control that performs cooling at a target temperature other than the first temperature zone or the second temperature zone. Even if any control is performed, the special chilled operation of this embodiment can be realized. That is, executing arbitrary control between the low-temperature cooling control and the high-temperature cooling control constitutes a part of the special chilled operation of this embodiment.

The first temperature zone is the temperature zone of the chilled chamber 12 when the control unit 100 controls the chilled chamber 12 to be cooled to the special chilled low temperature target temperature. The special chilled low temperature target temperature is, for example, -5°C. That is, the center temperature of the first temperature zone is also, for example, -5°C. The special chilled low temperature target temperature (center temperature of the first temperature zone) is a temperature below 0°C. In the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, the maximum value of the first temperature zone is also a temperature of less than 0°C. The first temperature zone is usually a lower temperature zone than the chilled temperature zone. The first temperature range is a temperature at which the surface of the stored items in the chilled chamber 12 is slightly frozen. The first temperature zone is a temperature zone in which the stored items in the chilled chamber 12 do not freeze up to the middle, but can form a layer of ice only on the surface.

The second temperature zone is the temperature zone of the chilled chamber 12 when the control unit 100 controls the chilled chamber 12 to be cooled to the special chilled high temperature target temperature. The special chilled high temperature target temperature (center temperature of the second temperature zone) is, for example, 1°C. That is, the center temperature of the second temperature zone is also, for example, 1°C. The special chilled high temperature target temperature (center temperature of the second temperature zone) is a temperature of 0° C. or higher. In the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, the maximum value of the second temperature zone is a temperature of 0°C or higher, and the minimum value of the second temperature zone is a temperature of less than 0°C. The second temperature zone is usually a higher temperature zone than the chilled temperature zone. The second temperature zone is the temperature at which the slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the storage material can be thawed.

In this embodiment, the second temperature zone includes a temperature higher than the maximum ice crystal formation zone (eg, −5° C. to −1° C.). The maximum ice crystal formation zone is the temperature zone where the formation of ice crystals in the water in the food is at its maximum and most of the water in the food freezes. Further, the control unit 100 controls the cooling unit so that the temperature of the food stored in the chilled chamber 12 is higher than the maximum ice crystal formation zone in the second temperature zone.

The first temperature zone is between the average value of the maximum value and the average value of the minimum value of the air temperature of the chilled chamber 12 when the control unit 100 controls the chilled chamber 12 to be cooled to the special chilled low temperature target temperature. temperature range. At this time, when calculating the average value of the local maximum value and local minimum value of the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12, the average value may be calculated by excluding outliers. The same applies to the second temperature zone. The center temperature of the first temperature zone is the average value of the maximum value and the average value of the minimum value of the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 when the control unit 100 controls the chilled chamber 12 to be cooled to the special chilled low temperature target temperature. It may be the average value of At this time, when calculating the average value of the maximum value and the average value of the minimum value of the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12, the average value may be calculated by excluding outliers. The same applies to the center temperature of the second temperature zone.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air in the chilled chamber 12 during a period when the control unit 100 changes the cooling of the chilled chamber 12 from the second temperature zone to the first temperature zone and the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 is not yet stable. The temperature may be excluded from the maximum and minimum values of the air temperature in the first temperature zone. Similarly, during a period when the control unit 100 changes the cooling of the chilled chamber 12 from the first temperature zone to the second temperature zone and the air temperature of the chilled chamber 12 is still not stable, the air temperature of the chilled chamber 12 is changed to the second temperature zone. It may be excluded from the maximum and minimum values of air temperature in the temperature range.

In the embodiment, the first temperature difference (6°C) between the special chilled low temperature target temperature (center temperature of the first temperature zone, -5°C) and the normal chilled target temperature (1°C) is the special chilled high temperature target temperature. It is larger than the second temperature difference (0° C.) between the temperature (center temperature of the second temperature zone, 1° C.) and the normal chilled target temperature (1° C.).

As shown in FIG. 7, in the first temperature zone, the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 fluctuates within the range of the first temperature zone. Similarly, in the second temperature zone, the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 fluctuates within the range of the second temperature zone. In the second temperature zone, the air temperature changes more slowly when the temperature increases than when the temperature decreases. The rate of temperature change in the temperature increase in the second temperature zone is not constant. That is, in the temperature rise in the second temperature zone, the temperature rises rapidly at first, and then gradually rises from the middle. In other words, in the temperature rise in the second temperature zone, the initial temperature change rate is large, and the temperature change rate becomes small from the middle. Further, the rate of temperature change when the temperature rises is greater than the rate of temperature change when the temperature falls. The operating frequency of the compressor 20, which will be described later, is adjusted so as to change the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 as described above. Similarly, in the first temperature zone, the air temperature changes more slowly when the temperature increases than when the temperature decreases. The rate of temperature change in the temperature increase in the first temperature zone is not constant. That is, in the temperature rise in the first temperature zone, the temperature rises rapidly at first, and then gradually rises from the middle. In other words, when the temperature rises in the first temperature zone, the initial temperature change rate is large, and the temperature change rate becomes small from the middle. Further, the change in temperature change rate when temperature increases is larger than the change in temperature change rate when temperature decreases. Adjustment of the operating frequency of the compressor 20 and control of the three-way valve 23, which will be described later, are performed so as to change the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 as described above.

In this specification, the expression "one temperature zone is higher than another temperature zone" means "the center temperature of a certain temperature zone is higher than the center temperature of another temperature zone", and "a certain temperature zone is higher than the center temperature of another temperature zone". This shall also include cases where part of the ``temperature zone'' overlaps with a portion of ``another temperature zone''. Similarly, the expression "one temperature zone is lower than another temperature zone" means "the center temperature of one temperature zone is lower than the center temperature of another temperature zone"; This shall also include cases where part of the temperature range includes a part of "another temperature zone".

The control unit 100 controls the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone during a first time, and to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a second temperature zone during a second time. and controlling the cooling section alternately. controlling the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone during a first time; controlling the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a second temperature zone during a second time; Any control may be performed while doing so.

The first time is, for example, two hours. The second time is, for example, 5 hours. The second time is longer than the first time. In normal chilled operation, the first time is the time (40 minutes) in which the refrigerant is flowed through channel B to cool the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range, and the time (40 minutes) in which the refrigerant is flowed through channel C to cool the storage room in the freezing temperature range. cooling time (60 minutes) (and even longer than the sum of them). In other words, the first time is longer than the defrosting cycle of the refrigerator cooler 17 and the freezing cooler 18 in normal chilled operation.

During the normal chilled operation, the second time is the time (40 minutes) in which the refrigerant is flowed through channel B to cool the storage room in the refrigeration temperature range, and the time (40 minutes) in which the refrigerant is flowed through channel C to cool the storage room in the freezing temperature range. cooling time (60 minutes) (and even longer than the sum of them). In other words, the second time is longer than the defrosting cycle of the refrigerator cooler 17 and the freezing cooler 18 in normal chilled operation.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the measurement results of the air temperature in the chilled compartment 12 during low-temperature cooling when the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment performs cooling in the special chilled operation. That is, FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of the low-temperature cooling shown in FIG. In FIG. 8 as well, the vertical axis shows the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12, and the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time from the start of measurement. In the low-temperature cooling shown in FIG. 8, cooling is performed to bring the inside of the chilled chamber 12 to a low-temperature target temperature of, for example, -5°C. The inside is preserved. Furthermore, after switching from high-temperature cooling to low-temperature cooling, the low-temperature target temperature of -5°C was reached in 15 minutes.

In normal chilled operation, if the temperature inside the chilled chamber 12 is a little high, it is difficult to maintain freshness. Conversely, if you cool the chilled chamber 12 to a partial temperature, for example, a target temperature of -1°C, making the inside of the chilled chamber 12 a bit cold, the food will freeze. There was a possibility that the inside of the food would gradually become slightly frozen, causing drips to occur when the frozen part was thawed, resulting in a worsening of the food condition. Therefore, in the special chilled operation, for example, the chilled chamber 12 is cooled to a low target temperature of -5°C for 2 hours (low temperature cooling), and the chilled chamber 12 is kept to a high target temperature of 1°C for 7 hours. By controlling the repeated cooling (high temperature cooling) to slightly freeze only the surface of the food, drying and oxidation of the food can be prevented, and the food can be chilled without freezing. can maintain freshness.

In the special chilled operation, the special chilled high temperature target temperature, the high temperature cooling implementation time, the special chilled low temperature target temperature, and the low temperature cooling implementation time are not limited to the above example. In the special chilled operation, the special chilled high temperature target temperature, the high temperature cooling implementation time, the special chilled low temperature target temperature, and the low temperature cooling implementation time may have arbitrary values. Preferably, the special chilled high temperature target temperature, the high temperature cooling implementation time, the special chilled low temperature target temperature, and the low temperature cooling implementation time are such that, in the high temperature cooling, the freeze on the food surface formed during the low temperature cooling is thawed; It is preferable to set the value to such a value that the melting of the food does not progress to the inside. However, this embodiment is not limited thereto. If the special chilled high temperature target temperature, high temperature cooling implementation time, special chilled low temperature target temperature, and low temperature cooling implementation time are set to values that can improve the quality of food stored in the refrigerator 1. , can be any value.

The special chilled high temperature target temperature may be a temperature above the freezing point (0° C.) that can thaw the surface of the food. The special chilled high temperature target temperature is, for example, 1°C. The special chilled low temperature target temperature may be a temperature below the freezing point (0° C.) that can maintain the freshness of the food. The special chilled low temperature target temperature is, for example, -5°C.

The period of time for performing high temperature cooling may be any period of time that can thaw the surface of the food. Preferably, the execution time of high temperature cooling is, for example, 4 hours or more. More preferably, the high temperature cooling period is, for example, 7 hours. The low-temperature cooling may be performed for a period of one hour or more, which maintains the freshness of the food. The execution time of low-temperature cooling is, for example, 2 hours.

In the special chilled operation, even during low-temperature cooling control, the control unit 100 alternately switches the refrigerant flow path between flow path B and flow path C shown in FIG. 4 by controlling the three-way valve 23. By switching to , the storage compartments in the refrigerated temperature range (refrigerating compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4) are cooled, and the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (ice making compartment 5, small freezer compartment 6, freezing compartment 7) are cooled. Repeat alternately. The control unit 100 defrosts the refrigeration cooler 17 while the high temperature cooling control is being performed. In principle, the control unit 100 does not defrost the refrigerator cooler 17 while the low-temperature cooling control is being performed. In other words, while the low-temperature cooling control is being performed, even if the three-way valve is switched to the flow path C and the time has come to cool the storage compartment in the freezing temperature range, the control unit 100 controls the refrigerating cooler 17. Do not defrost. In other words, when the special chilled operation is being performed, the control unit 100 stops defrosting the refrigeration cooler 17 at least during the first time period during which the low-temperature cooling control is performed. On the other hand, while the high-temperature cooling control is being performed, the control unit 100 raises the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 to 3° C. or higher in order to defrost the refrigeration cooler 17.

In the special chilled operation described above, the control unit 100 basically does not defrost the refrigerator cooler 17 while the low-temperature cooling control is being performed. However, in the special chilled operation, the control unit 100 defrosts the refrigeration cooler 17 while the low-temperature cooling control is being performed, and defrosts the refrigeration cooler 17 while the high-temperature cooling control is being performed. Defrosting of the container 17 may be performed weaker. For example, the control unit 100 may control the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 17 to be higher than the defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 that is performed while the high temperature cooling control is being performed. , control may be performed to raise the temperature to a low temperature. Further, for example, the control unit 100 defrosts the refrigeration cooler 17 while the low-temperature cooling control is being performed, and defrosts the refrigeration cooler 17 while the high-temperature cooling control is being performed. Control may be performed so that the process is executed for a shorter period of time than in the case of frost. ``In principle, the refrigeration cooler 17 is not defrosted while the low-temperature cooling control is being implemented,'' and ``while the low-temperature cooling control is being implemented, the refrigeration cooler 17 is not defrosted.'' ``Performing weaker defrosting than the defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 that is performed while high-temperature cooling control is being performed'' is an example of ``suppressing the execution of defrosting of the cooler.'' It is.

<Special chilled operation based on information detected by sensors>
In the above example, the special chilled operation shows an example of cooling control based on a fixed time period in which low-temperature cooling is performed for 2 hours and high-temperature cooling is performed for 7 hours. In the special chilled operation, either one of the high-temperature cooling implementation time and the low-temperature cooling implementation time may be changed based on information detected by the sensor. For example, based on the outside temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor 114, either one of the high-temperature cooling period and the low-temperature cooling period can be changed. For example, based on the outside temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor 114, the high temperature cooling period can be changed to 5 hours, 7 hours, or 10 hours. That is, when the outside temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor 114 is high, the high temperature cooling time is reduced from the standard 7 hours to 5 hours to prevent food deterioration. Further, when the outside temperature measured by the outside temperature sensor 114 is low, the time for performing high-temperature cooling is increased or decreased from the standard 7 hours to 10 hours to prevent the food from freezing inside. Here, an example has been described in which the execution time of high-temperature cooling is changed, but the execution time of low-temperature cooling may be changed. Similarly, the execution time of high temperature cooling may be changed, for example, based on the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 measured by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110.

In the special chilled operation, either one of the high-temperature cooling implementation time and the low-temperature cooling implementation time can be changed based on information detected by various sensors. For example, it is possible to change either the high-temperature cooling period or the low-temperature cooling period using a camera that photographs the outside or inside of the refrigerator. For example, a camera that takes pictures of the inside of the refrigerator may be used to determine at least one of the type and amount of food stored in the chilled compartment 12, and depending on the determination result, either high-temperature cooling or low-temperature cooling can be performed. or one can be changed. The above example shows an example of changing either the execution time of high temperature cooling or the execution time of low temperature cooling, but based on the information detected by various sensors, the special chilled high temperature target temperature and the special chilled low temperature The target temperature may be changed.

For example, based on information detected by a sensor that measures the air temperature and food temperature in the chilled room 12, the special chilled high temperature target temperature, the execution time of high temperature cooling, the special chilled low temperature target temperature, and the execution of low temperature cooling are determined. Any one of the times may be changed. The sensor that measures the food temperature may be a temperature sensor that comes into contact with a metal tray on which the food is placed in the chilled chamber 12. This allows for special chilled operation with more accurate temperature control.

The control unit 100 controls the refrigeration cycle device 16 in order to perform high-temperature cooling and low-temperature cooling in the special chilled operation. The operating frequency of the compressor 20 may be higher than the operating frequency of the compressor 20 when performing high temperature cooling. For example, the operating frequency of the compressor 20 when performing high-temperature cooling may be 20 Hz, and the operating frequency of the compressor 20 when performing low-temperature cooling may be 60 Hz. In low-temperature cooling, by increasing the operating frequency of the compressor 20, the cooling capacity is improved and the inside of the chilled chamber 12 can be cooled to the low-temperature target temperature in a short time. Thereby, food deterioration can be more reliably prevented. If it takes time to shift to low-temperature cooling, freezing will begin not only on the surface of the food but also inside the food. Therefore, by increasing the operating frequency of the compressor 20, the cooling capacity can be improved to prevent freezing of the inside of the food. This can be prevented by letting Note that, contrary to the above, when the load is light, the operating frequency of the compressor 20 may be lowered during low-temperature cooling.

<About the first low-temperature cooling of special chilled operation>
As described above, when the refrigerator 1 is in the normal chilled operation, when the user touches the "special chilled" operation section 156 on the operation panel section 150, the control section 100 starts the special chilled operation. When the special chilled operation is started, the initial low-temperature target temperature in the initial low-temperature cooling may be in the first temperature zone or may be in the third temperature zone that is lower than the first temperature zone. The center temperature of the third temperature zone is, for example, -10°C. In addition, regarding the definition of the temperature zone and the center temperature, the above-mentioned explanation of the first temperature zone and the second temperature zone is used. When the special chilled operation is started, the control unit 100 controls the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 at a third temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone, and then cools the chilled chamber 12 at a second temperature. Controlling the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature range and controlling the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature range may be alternately repeated.

Further, when a predetermined period of time has passed after the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12 reaches the third temperature zone, the control unit 100 may change the low temperature target temperature to the first temperature zone. In addition, the total time of cooling with the low-temperature target temperature as the third temperature zone in the first low-temperature cooling and the time of cooling with the low-temperature target temperature in the first temperature zone is different from that in the second and subsequent low-temperature cooling. The control unit 100 may control the cooling unit so that the time period for cooling is approximately the same as the low-temperature target temperature in the first temperature range.

If the temperature outside the refrigerator (temperature inside the room where the refrigerator 1 is installed) detected by the outside temperature sensor 114 is higher than the normal indoor temperature, the control unit 100 sets the target temperature for the first low-temperature cooling. , it may be a third temperature zone that is lower than the first temperature zone. Further, the refrigerator 1 may include a sensor that detects the opening/closing of a door (not shown) of the chilled compartment 12, and when the sensor detects the opening/closing of the door of the chilled compartment 12, the control unit 100 controls the initial low-temperature cooling. The target temperature may be set to a third temperature zone that is lower than the first temperature zone. Further, the refrigerator 1 may include a sensor that detects the sliding of the chilled case 13 in the chilled compartment 12, and when the sensor detects the sliding of the chilled case 13, the control unit 100 sets the target for the initial low-temperature cooling. The temperature may be set to a third temperature zone that is lower than the first temperature zone. Further, the refrigerator 1 may include a sensor that detects the temperature of the food in the chilled compartment 12, and when the temperature of the food detected by the sensor is higher than a reference value, the control unit 100 The target temperature may be set to a third temperature zone that is lower than the first temperature zone. By setting the target temperature in the first low-temperature cooling to the third temperature zone that is lower than the first temperature zone, the food can be cooled in a short time and the freshness of the food can be maintained.

<Auto special chilled mode>
Note that the control unit 100 may start the special chilled operation even if the user does not touch the “special chilled” operation unit 156 of the operation panel unit 150. In this case, the first low-temperature cooling may be performed in the third temperature zone. For example, the operation panel section 150 may further include an "auto special chilled mode" operating section (not shown), and in this case, the user can touch the "auto special chilled mode" operating section and select "auto special chilled mode". When the special chilled mode is selected, the control unit 100 determines whether food suitable for the special chilled operation has been placed in the chilled chamber 12, based on an image captured by an internal camera (not shown). When it is determined that food suitable for the special chilled operation has been placed in the chilled chamber 12, the control unit 100 automatically starts the special chilled operation. The internal camera in this case is an example of a sensor.

<Modification example 1 of special chilled operation>
In the above embodiment, when the user touches the operation section 156 of the operation panel section 150 to switch the cooling mode of the chilled chamber 12 from the normal chilled operation to the special chilled operation, the control section 100 first controls the operation of the chilled chamber 12. 12 in a first temperature zone, and then high temperature cooling control in which the chilled chamber 12 is cooled in a second temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone. However, the special chilled operation of the embodiment is not limited to the above embodiment. In the first modified example of the special chilled operation, when the user touches the operation section 156 of the operation panel section 150 to switch the cooling mode of the chilled chamber 12 from the normal chilled operation to the special chilled operation, the control section 100 first , high-temperature cooling control is performed to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a second temperature zone, and then low-temperature cooling control is performed to cool the chilled chamber 12 in a first temperature zone lower than the second temperature zone.

<Variation example 2 of special chilled operation>
In the above embodiment, the control unit 100 controls the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature range during the first time, and controls the chilled chamber 12 to cool the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature range during the second time. The cooling unit was controlled to perform cooling in two temperature zones and this was alternately repeated. However, the special chilled operation of the embodiment is not limited to the above embodiment. In the second modification of the special chilled operation, the control unit 100 controls the cooling unit to cool the chilled chamber 12 in the first temperature range during the first time, and controls the chilled chamber 12 to cool the chilled chamber 12 during the second time. 12 in the second temperature range for at least one cycle.

<Modified example using a damper>
In the above embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the chilled compartment 12 are cooled by the common refrigeration cooler 17 and the refrigeration fan 31 at linked temperature settings. The refrigerator cooler 17, which has the lowest temperature, is placed behind the chilled compartment 12, which has a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, so that the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the chilled compartment 12 The special chilled operation of this embodiment can be performed even if the temperature settings are linked to each other. However, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the above configuration. For example, a refrigerator according to a modification of the embodiment includes a damper device (not shown) in addition to the configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment. The damper device is a so-called twin damper device having two openings. The damper device separately controls the cold air blown from the refrigeration fan 31 of the refrigeration cooler 17 to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, and to the chilled compartment 12. Thereby, in the refrigerator of the modified example of the embodiment, the temperature of the chilled compartment 12 and the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 can be controlled independently. As a result, the refrigerator of the modified example of the embodiment can freely control the temperature of the chilled compartment 12 independently of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 during the special chilled operation, so that the storage state of food can be controlled. It can be further improved. In this modification, the compressor 20, the refrigeration cooler 17, the refrigeration fan 31, the refrigeration cooler 18, the refrigeration fan 39, and the damper device constitute an example of a "cooling section."

<Modified example using special chilled operation and vacuuming of chilled chamber>
The configuration of the chilled compartment 12 of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the above. The refrigerator of the modified example of the embodiment includes, instead of the chilled chamber 12, a reduced pressure chilled chamber that is depressurized to suppress deterioration in the freshness of food. The reduced-pressure chilled chamber is a gas-controlled chamber configured to be hermetically sealed, and the air inside is sucked in by a vacuum pump and the pressure is reduced to, for example, 0.7 atmospheres (70 kPa). By reducing the pressure in the reduced-pressure chilled chamber, oxygen around the food is reduced and oxidation is suppressed, thereby suppressing deterioration in the freshness of the food. The special chilled operation of this embodiment can also be applied to a refrigerator equipped with such a reduced pressure chilled chamber. By evacuating the vacuum chilled chamber during the high temperature cooling control of the special chilled operation, the freshness of the food can be maintained even when the air temperature in the vacuum chilled chamber is high. It should be noted that the inside of the vacuum chilled chamber may be evacuated during the low temperature cooling control of the special chilled operation. When evacuating the vacuum chiller chamber during low-temperature cooling, the food stored in the vacuum chiller chamber is placed under reduced pressure to evaporate the moisture contained within the food and remove the heat of evaporation from the food. By depriving food, cooling can be accelerated. Therefore, by cooling the food in a short time, the preservation state of the food can be improved.

Further, the inside of the depressurized chilled chamber may be evacuated during the high temperature cooling control of the special chilled operation. If the inside of the vacuum chilled chamber is evacuated during high-temperature cooling, the temperature of the vacuum chilled chamber becomes high and the freshness of the food is likely to deteriorate. By reducing oxygen content and suppressing oxidation, it is possible to prevent food from deteriorating in freshness. In other words, in this case, deterioration in freshness of food during high-temperature cooling can be reduced. In addition, when vacuuming the vacuum inside the vacuum chilled chamber during the low temperature cooling control of the special chilled operation, it is not necessary to vacuum the vacuum inside the vacuum chilled chamber during the high temperature cooling control of the special chilled operation. The inside of the vacuum chilled chamber may be evacuated during control.

Here, the first damper device 260 is a so-called twin damper device having two openings. The first opening 260a (not shown) controls air blowing to the cold air supply duct 30, and the second opening 260b controls air blowing to the chilled room air blowing duct 265. The chilled room ventilation duct 265 branches off to the right side of the cold air supply duct 30 when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 200 and communicates with the inside of the chilled room 12.

<Defrosting operation>
Next, the defrosting operation of the refrigerator 1 will be explained. Defrosting operations include a method using a defrosting heater and a method of defrosting by blowing air with an air blower without using a defrosting heater. In the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, defrosting of the freezing cooler 18 is performed by a defrosting heater, and defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 17 is performed by blowing air from the refrigeration fan 31.

The defrosting operation of the freezing cooler 18 is performed with the compressor 20 stopped or with the three-way valve 23 stopping the supply of refrigerant to the freezing cooler 18 . In this case, when the control unit 100 starts the defrosting operation of the freezing cooler 18, it drives a defrosting heater (not shown). As a result, the freezing cooler 18 is warmed, and the frost attached to the freezing cooler 18 is removed. On the other hand, the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 17 is performed with the compressor 20 stopped or with the three-way valve 23 stopping the supply of refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 17.

When the control unit 100 starts the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 17, it drives the refrigeration fan 31. Then, the air with a positive temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 is drawn into the refrigerator cooler compartment 32 by the blowing action of the refrigerator fan 31 . The refrigerating cooler 17 is warmed by this positive temperature air, and the frost adhering to the refrigerating cooler 17 is removed. At this time, the moisture generated by defrosting is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 by the blowing action of the cooling fan 31. In this case, the moisture caused by defrosting is mainly supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 if the refrigerating fan 31 rotates in the forward direction, and is mainly supplied to the vegetable compartment 4 if the refrigerating fan 31 rotates in the reverse direction. In this embodiment, supplying the moisture generated by defrosting the refrigerator cooler 17 to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 is referred to as a moisture operation, and this moisture operation functions as a humidity control means. If the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 detected by the refrigeration cooler temperature sensor 17a exceeds a predetermined threshold (3° C.), the control unit 100 ends the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 17.

<First defrosting operation and second defrosting operation>
In the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, the control unit 100 performs the first defrosting operation (defrosting operation according to the first defrosting control) which is a normal defrosting operation during normal times when predetermined conditions are satisfied, and performs the first defrosting operation (defrosting operation according to the first defrosting control). When the conditions are not met, a second defrosting operation (defrosting operation according to the second defrosting control) having a higher defrosting effect than the first defrosting operation is performed. That is, the control unit 100 sets a reference value and changes the cooling control when the reference value is outside the reference value.

The predetermined condition (reference value) is at least one of temperature sensors such as the refrigerator temperature sensor 110, the freezer temperature sensor 112, the outside temperature sensor 114, the refrigerator cooler temperature sensor 17a, and the freezer cooler temperature sensor 18a. This is a condition (reference value) regarding information obtained from two detection results. The freezing room temperature sensor 112, the outside temperature sensor 114, the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a, and the freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a are examples of temperature sensors. The temperature sensor is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the storage unit (e.g., refrigerating room temperature sensor 110, freezing room temperature sensor 112), or a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cooler (e.g., refrigerating room temperature sensor 112). cooler temperature sensor 17a) and freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a).

The second defrosting operation includes at least one of defrosting the refrigeration cooler 17 for a longer time and increasing the temperature at which the refrigeration cooler 17 is defrosted than the first defrosting operation. Including one. Below, a case in which the refrigerating cooler 17 is defrosted for a long time will be described in detail. Note that increasing the temperature at which the refrigeration cooler 17 is defrosted means, for example, increasing the temperature of the refrigeration blower fan 31 for defrosting the refrigeration cooler 17 compared to when the first defrosting operation is performed. This includes increasing the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 by increasing the number of revolutions (increasing the amount of air blown) and applying more air in the storage room to the refrigerating cooler 17. In addition, raising the temperature at which the defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 is performed means that the defrosting end threshold temperature for determining the completion of defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 is set higher than when the first defrosting operation is performed. This may include increasing the amount. For example, raising the temperature at which the refrigeration cooler 17 is defrosted includes changing the defrosting end threshold temperature, which is normally 3°C, to 5°C.

In this embodiment, the second defrosting operation includes a defrosting time extension type defrosting operation that achieves a high defrosting effect by extending the defrosting time, and a defrosting operation that performs defrosting by setting the minimum defrosting time. It includes at least one of a defrosting operation of a minimum defrosting time setting type that performs an operation with a high frost effect. First, an example of an extended defrosting time type defrosting operation will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an extended defrosting time type defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment.

The second defrosting operation of the extended defrosting time type is performed, for example, when the information obtained from the detection result of the refrigerator cooler temperature sensor 17a does not satisfy the first predetermined condition (when the second predetermined condition is satisfied). ) includes extending the defrosting time of the refrigerating cooler 17 by a predetermined time regardless of the temperature detected by the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a.

Specifically, first, the control unit 100 determines whether the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 measured by the refrigeration cooler temperature sensor 17a is equal to or lower than the defrosting start threshold temperature (step S100). The defrosting start threshold temperature is, for example, -20°C. If the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 is not below the defrosting start threshold temperature, the control unit 100 repeats step S100. If the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 is equal to or lower than the defrosting start threshold temperature, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S110.

Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the refrigeration cooler 17 is defrosting or not based on whether the defrosting operation execution flag in the storage unit 116 is a value indicating that the defrosting operation is being executed or a value indicating that the defrosting operation is not being executed. It is determined whether or not (step S110). If the refrigerator cooler 17 is being defrosted, the process advances to step S130. If the refrigerator cooler 17 is not defrosting, the process proceeds to step S120, starts defrosting operation, and sets the defrosting operation in progress flag in the storage unit 116 to a value indicating that the defrosting operation is in progress (step S120).

Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 is equal to or higher than the defrosting end threshold temperature (step S130). The defrosting end threshold temperature is, for example, 3°C. If the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 is not equal to or higher than the defrosting end threshold temperature, the control unit 100 repeats step S130. If the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 is equal to or higher than the defrosting end threshold temperature, the control unit 100 proceeds to S140.

Next, the control unit 100 starts the defrosting operation so that the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 rises, and at that time, the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 changes from the defrosting section start temperature to the defrosting end threshold temperature. It is determined whether the time required for the defrosting is equal to or less than the defrosting time threshold (step S140). The defrosting section start temperature is, for example, -1°C. The defrosting time threshold is, for example, 15 minutes. If it is determined that the time required for the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 to reach the defrost end threshold temperature from the defrost section start temperature is equal to or less than the defrost time threshold, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S160. . If the time taken for the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 to reach the defrost end threshold temperature from the defrost section start temperature is not equal to or less than the defrost time threshold, the process advances to step S150 and the defrost operation is ended.

In step S160, the control unit 100 determines whether the additional defrosting operation has been completed. The additional defrosting operation means, for example, performing the defrosting operation for an additional 10 minutes. If it is not determined that the additional defrosting operation has been performed, the control unit 100 repeats step S160. If it is determined that the additional defrosting operation has been completed, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S150 and ends the defrosting operation. Note that executing the defrosting operation for an additional 10 minutes is an example of the second defrosting control. In addition, the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 rises after starting the defrosting operation, and at that time, the time taken for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to go from -1°C to 3°C is longer than 15 minutes. An example of the first predetermined condition is that the length is long. An example of the second predetermined condition is that the time required for the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 17 to decrease from -1° C. to 3° C. is 15 minutes or less. This concludes the explanation of the flowchart showing the extended defrosting time type defrosting operation.

Step S140 in the above example will be explained using specific numerical values. In step S140, the control unit 100 starts the defrosting operation so that the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 increases, and at that time, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 changes from the defrost section start temperature to the defrost end threshold. It is determined whether the time it took to reach the temperature was less than or equal to the defrosting time threshold. That is, in step S140, the control unit 100 determines that the first predetermined condition (the time taken for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to decrease from -1°C to 3°C) is longer than 15 minutes. or a second predetermined condition (the time taken for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to go from -1°C to 3°C is shorter than 15 minutes), and If the condition (the time taken for the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 to go from -1°C to 3°C is longer than 15 minutes) is met, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S150 and performs the second If the predetermined condition (the time taken for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to go from -1° C. to 3° C. is shorter than 15 minutes) is met, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S160.

In the above example, the first predetermined condition and the second predetermined condition are based on the same threshold value. However, the first predetermined condition and the second predetermined condition may be conditions based on different threshold values. For example, the first predetermined condition may be that the time taken for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to decrease from -1° C. to 3° C. is longer than 17 minutes, and the first predetermined condition is , the time required for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to go from -1°C to 3°C may be less than 13 minutes.

In the extended defrosting time type defrosting operation, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 rises after the defrosting operation is started, and at that time, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 increases from -1°C to 3°C ( If the time taken from the defrost section start temperature to the defrost end threshold temperature is too short (less than 15 minutes, that is, less than the defrost time threshold), the problem may be due to the refrigerator compartment door being ajar. It is possible that the defrost has not been sufficiently defrosted. This is because when the door is left ajar, the temperature around the refrigeration cooler temperature sensor 17a of the refrigeration cooler 17 tends to rise, but a lot of frost may remain in other parts of the refrigeration cooler 17. It is from. Therefore, excessive frosting is suppressed by extending the defrosting period of the cooler longer than usual. In the above, it is assumed that an additional 10 minutes of defrosting operation is performed as the second defrosting control. above), the defrosting operation may be performed.

In the above, in step S140, it is determined whether the time taken for the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 to decrease from -1°C to 3°C was 15 minutes or less. However, the determination in step 140 is made even though the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 measured by the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a is from -1°C to 3°C (from the defrosting section start temperature to the defrosting end threshold temperature). The determination is not limited to the time taken, and various other determination methods are possible. For example, if frost has formed on the refrigerator cooler 17, heat exchange will not take place and the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 17 will drop more quickly, so it is determined that it is necessary to perform the second defrost control. Good too. Therefore, for example, the second defrosting control may be performed when the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 is lower than normal, or when the temperature decreases at a faster rate or time. In addition, if the insulation door 3a of the refrigerator compartment 3 is ajar, it is expected that humid air from outside will flow into the refrigerator compartment 3 and frost will form easily. It may be determined that it is necessary to perform control. Therefore, for example, when the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 110 is less likely to decrease than usual, the second defrosting control may be performed. As described above, various temperature sensors provided in the refrigerator 1 (for example, the refrigerator temperature sensor 110, the freezer temperature sensor 112, the outside temperature sensor 114, the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a, the freezing cooler temperature sensor 18a) ) can be used to make the determination in step S140. Further, the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 measured by the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a is substituted by the temperature detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of an accumulator connected to the refrigerating cooler 17. You can.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the measurement results of the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 17 and the air temperature of the chilled compartment 12 when the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment performs a defrosting operation. In FIG. 10, the vertical axis shows the air temperature in the chilled chamber 12, and the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time from the start of measurement. As illustrated, when the defrosting operation of the refrigerating cooler 17 is performed, the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 17 rises, and the frost attached to the refrigerating cooler 17 is removed. Defrosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 is carried out until the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 17 reaches +3° C., and in the configuration of the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, defrosting usually takes 30 minutes or more.

Next, an example of a minimum defrosting time type defrosting operation will be described.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a minimum defrosting time setting type defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment. The minimum defrost time setting type defrosting operation is the same as the defrosting time extension type defrosting operation except that step S160 in the defrosting time extension type defrosting operation is replaced with step S260. Therefore, only the differences will be explained below.

The second defrosting operation of the minimum defrosting time type is performed, for example, when the information obtained from the detection result of the refrigerator cooler temperature sensor 17a does not satisfy a predetermined condition (when the second predetermined condition is satisfied). Regardless of the temperature detected by the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a, at least the preset minimum execution time includes defrosting the cooler.

Specifically, in step S140, if it is determined that the time required for the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 17 to reach the defrost end threshold temperature from the defrost section start temperature is equal to or less than the defrost time threshold, the control The unit 100 proceeds to step S260 and determines whether the elapsed time from the start of the defrosting operation is equal to or longer than the minimum defrosting implementation time (for example, 30 minutes) (step S260). If it is determined in step S260 that the elapsed time from the start of the defrosting operation is not longer than the minimum defrosting implementation time (for example, 30 minutes), the control unit 100 repeats step S260. If it is determined in step S260 that the elapsed time from the start of the defrosting operation is equal to or longer than the minimum defrosting implementation time (for example, 30 minutes), the control unit 100 proceeds to step S150, ends the defrosting operation, Set the defrosting operation flag to a value indicating that the defrosting operation is not in progress. Note that executing the defrosting operation for a period longer than the minimum defrosting execution time (for example, 30 minutes) is an example of the second defrosting control. This concludes the explanation of the flowchart showing the extended defrosting time type defrosting operation.

According to the extended defrosting time type defrosting operation, the continuation of the defrosting operation is determined based on the minimum defrosting execution time (for example, 30 minutes), so the defrosting time can be reliably secured. . Therefore, defrosting can be performed reliably. In addition, according to the extended defrosting time type defrosting operation, the defrosting operation is performed at least for the minimum defrosting execution time (for example, 30 minutes), so it is possible to defrost reliably even in the event of a sensor malfunction. can.

<Combination of special chilled and defrost operation>
If a defrosting operation is performed during the special chilled operation, adverse effects such as freezing of foods other than the chilled compartment and excessive frosting of the refrigerator cooler 17 are expected. If this problem is addressed by structural improvement, this may result in a decrease in the internal volume of the refrigerator 1 and an increase in cost. In particular, by cooling down to -5°C in special chilled operation, frost formation on the refrigerator cooler 17 is promoted, so if the door is left ajar in a particularly hot and humid environment, frost formation and deterioration may occur. This may result in a state where cooling is not possible. In addition, in a refrigerator (two-evaporator type) equipped with a refrigerating cooler 17 dedicated to the refrigerating room, such as the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, defrosting is performed not by a heater but by air blowing from a refrigerating fan 31. . Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 equipped with the refrigerating cooler 17 dedicated to the refrigerator compartment, the risk of gradual accumulation of frost may be higher than when defrosting is performed using a heater. Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment, when the first predetermined condition as described above is no longer satisfied during the special chilled operation (when the second predetermined condition is satisfied), the above-described Defrost control (second defrost control) using information acquired from the refrigerator cooler temperature sensor 17a, as shown in the minimum defrost time setting type defrost operation and the defrost time extended type defrost operation. control), the above problem can be suppressed.

When performing a defrost operation during special chilled operation, the second defrost control may be any control other than the minimum defrost time setting type defrost operation or the defrost time extension type defrost operation explained above. In addition, the second defrosting control can be performed by changing the length of either the low-temperature cooling or the high-temperature cooling of the special chilled operation.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a change in the implementation ratio of high temperature operation time in the defrosting operation performed by the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, as the second defrosting control, the execution time of high temperature cooling can be extended. In other words, normally high-temperature cooling is performed for 7 hours, but as the second defrost control, high-temperature cooling is extended from 7 hours to 10 hours, thereby increasing the proportion of high-temperature cooling. , the refrigerating cooler 17 can be defrosted.

In addition, when a defrosting operation is performed together with the special chilled operation, the second defrosting control (defrosting time extension type, minimum defrosting time setting type) is executed when the high temperature cooling control is being performed. This allows defrosting during high-temperature cooling, so it does not interfere with low-temperature cooling.

<Modified example of combination of special chilled and defrost operation>
For example, when it is detected that the first predetermined condition is not satisfied (the second predetermined condition is satisfied) while the low temperature cooling control is being performed, the control unit 100 controls the The cooling control may be switched from low-temperature cooling control to high-temperature cooling control, and the second defrosting control may be performed. For example, when the amount of frost formation is large, excessive frost formation can be prevented by switching from low temperature cooling control to high temperature cooling control. This allows you to deal with situations where you need to defrost immediately.

<Modified example of second defrosting control>
As the second defrosting control, in addition to the method described above, compared to the case where the first defrosting control is performed, the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 31 for cooling the storage room is lowered, By reducing the amount of air blown, it is also possible to reduce the amount of heat exchange and suppress the amount of frost formation. As shown in FIG. 2, if the blow-off duct of the chilled compartment 12 and the blow-off duct of the other refrigerator compartments 3 are the same, by lowering the rotation speed of the refrigerating fan 31, the temperature can be lowered to a lower temperature (-5°C). It becomes possible to send the cold air mainly to the chilled compartment 12 (in other words, it does not reach the upper stage of the refrigerator compartment 3), and it is also possible to obtain the effect of suppressing freezing of foods other than the chilled compartment 12. For example, by reducing the rotation speed of the refrigerating fan 31 from 1500 rpm to 700 rpm, the amount of frost formation can be suppressed.

In addition, as the second defrost control, the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 17 is increased by lowering the capacity of the compressor 20 compared to the case where the first defrost control is performed. , the amount of frost formation may be suppressed. For example, the operating frequency of the compressor 20 in the first defrosting control, 60 Hz, is lowered to 50 Hz to 30 Hz.

Further, as the second defrosting control, the control unit 100 may increase the cooling target temperature (set temperature) of the refrigerator compartment 3. By raising the target temperature (set temperature) of the refrigerator compartment 3, the cooling time is shortened and the amount of frost formation is suppressed. For example, by setting the target temperature (set temperature) from 4°C to 5°C, the cooling time can be shortened and the amount of frost formation can be suppressed.

<Modified example of using a common cooler for the refrigerator and freezer compartments using a damper>
In the above, an example of the two-evaporator refrigerator 1 in which the refrigerator compartment 3 is cooled by the refrigerator cooler 17 and the freezer compartment 7 is cooled by the freezer cooler 18 has been described. However, even when the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 7 are cooled by a common cooler, the configurations of the embodiments and modified examples can be applied.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the overall schematic configuration of a refrigerator 200 according to a modified example. In the refrigerator 200 of FIG. 13, components having the same or similar functions as the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. Like the refrigerator 1, the refrigerator 200 is configured by providing a plurality of storage chambers within a vertically long rectangular box-shaped insulating casing 2 with an open front. In the refrigerator 1, the refrigeration cycle device 16 includes a refrigeration cooler 17 for cooling storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range (refrigeration compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4), and storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (ice-making compartments). However, in the refrigerator 200, the refrigeration cycle device 16 is configured to include a freezing cooler 18 for cooling the storage compartments (refrigerating compartment 3, chilled compartment 7) in the refrigeration temperature range. It is configured to include a shared cooler 210 that cools both the compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 4) and the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (the ice making compartment 5 and the freezing compartment 7). Further, in the refrigerator 200, the control panel 53 is provided at a rear portion in the depth direction on the upper surface of the housing 2. Further, the back surface of the housing 2 is provided with a vacuum insulation panel 2c.

As shown in FIG. 13, the shared cooler 210 is provided on the back wall of the freezer compartment 7. The shared cooler 210 is provided with a shared cooler temperature sensor 210a. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerating cooler temperature sensor 17a is provided, for example, at the upper end of the shared cooler 210, and detects the temperature of the shared cooler 210. A blower fan 230 is provided above the shared cooler 210. The cold air cooled by heat exchange in the shared cooler 210 is sent to the cold air supply duct 30, the chilled room air duct 265, the vegetable room air duct (not shown), the freezer room air duct 240 (not shown), and the ice making room air duct (not shown) by the air blower fan 230. are sent to the refrigerator compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4, ice making compartment 5, and freezing compartment 7, respectively. Air blowing to each storage compartment is controlled by opening and closing the first damper device 260 and the second damper device 270, which are controlled by the control unit 100.

Here, the first damper device 260 is a so-called twin damper device having two openings. The first opening 260a (not shown) is configured to control air blowing to the cold air supply duct 30, and the second opening 260b is configured to control air blowing to the chilled room ventilation duct 265. The chilled room ventilation duct 265 branches to the right hand side of the cold air supply duct 30 when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 200 and communicates with the inside of the chilled room 12.

Specifically, air blowing to each storage compartment is controlled as follows. When the first opening 260a of the first damper device 260 is in the open state and the second damper device 270 is in the closed state, cold air passes through the cold air supply duct 30 and enters the refrigerator compartment 3 from the plurality of cold air supply ports 30a for refrigeration. Sent.

When the second opening 260b of the first damper device 260 is in an open state and the second damper device 270 is in a closed state, cold air is sent to the chilled room 12 through the chilled room ventilation duct 265.

The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 3 returns to the lower right side when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 200 through a return port (not shown) provided at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3 through a refrigerator compartment return duct (not shown). Further, the return air from the crisper compartment 4 returns to the lower part of the shared cooler 210 from the return port 280 through the crisper compartment return duct 285.

When the second damper device 270 is in the open state, the cold air heat-exchanged by the shared cooler 210 is passed through the ice-making compartment ventilation duct (not shown) and the freezer compartment ventilation duct 240 (not shown) by the ventilation fan 230 from the air outlet 38a to the ice-making compartment 5, respectively. Air is blown to the freezer compartment 7. The cold air that has cooled the freezer compartment 7 and the ice-making compartment 5 returns to the shared cooler compartment 208 via a suction port 37 provided at the bottom of the freezer compartment 7 .

When sending cold air through the shared cooler 210 to both the storage compartments in the refrigerated temperature range (refrigerated compartment 3, chilled compartment 12, vegetable compartment 4) and the storage compartments in the frozen temperature range (ice making compartment 5, freezing compartment 7) In this case, most of the cool air is sent to the second damper device 270 side, and a small amount of the remaining cool air is sent to the cold air supply duct 30 side.

The cold air guided to the cold air supply duct 30 is guided to the cold air supply duct 30 when only the first opening 260a of the first damper device 260 is open. When only the second opening 260b is open, the air is guided to the chilled room ventilation duct 265. When both the first opening 260a and the second opening 260b are open, the cold air is guided to both the cold air supply duct 30 and the chilled room ventilation duct 265.

A defrost heater 220 is installed below the shared cooler 210. A water receiver 40 that receives defrosting water from the shared cooler 210 is provided below the shared cooler 210. The water receiver 40 is connected to a defrosting water evaporation tray 35 provided in the machine room 19 via a refrigeration side drainage hose 41. As a result, the defrosting water received by the water receiving part 40 is led to the defrosting water evaporating dish 35 through the freezing side drainage hose 41, and is evaporated in the defrosting water evaporating dish 35. .

The shared cooler 210 is provided with a shared cooler temperature sensor 210a. The shared cooler temperature sensor 210a is provided, for example, at the upper end of the shared cooler 210, as shown in FIG. 1, and detects the temperature of the shared cooler 210. The shared cooler temperature sensor 210a is composed of, for example, a thermistor.

In the refrigerator 200, similarly to the refrigerator 1, the control panel 53 includes a control unit 100 configured with a computer having a microcomputer, a timer, etc., and controls the refrigerator 1 in general. Refrigerator room temperature sensor 110, freezer room temperature sensor 112, outside temperature sensor 114, storage unit 116, shared cooler temperature sensor 210a, compressor 20, ventilation fan 230, first damper device 260, second damper device 270, and The operation panel sections 150 are each connected to the control section 100, and are each driven and controlled by a command from the control section 100. The control unit 100 controls respective drive motors (described later) that individually drive the first damper device 260 and the second damper device 270, controls ON/OFF and rotational speed of the blower fan 230, controls the refrigeration cycle device 16, etc. I do.

Next, when the first damper device 260 is in the closed state and the second damper device 270 is in the open state, and only the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range (ice making compartment 5, freezing compartment 7) are being cooled, the ice making The cold air blown into the compartment 5 through the ice-making compartment ventilation duct descends into the freezing compartment 7. Then, together with the cold air blown into the freezer compartment 7, it returns to the shared cooler room 208 through the suction port 37, and heat exchange with the shared cooler room 208 is performed.

On the other hand, when the first damper device 260 is in the open state and the second damper device 270 is in the closed state, and only the refrigerating temperature range compartments (refrigerating compartment 3 to vegetable compartment 4) are being cooled, the The return cold air returns to the shared cooler room 208 from the suction port 37 via a refrigerator room return duct (not shown), where it exchanges heat with the shared cooler 210.

As explained above, in the refrigerator 200, air blowing to each storage compartment is controlled by opening and closing the first damper device 260 and the second damper device 270, which are controlled by the control unit 100. Similarly, in the refrigerator 200, the above-described special chilled operation, the first defrosting control, and the second defrosting control can be applied. That is, by replacing the control of the refrigerating cooler 17 in the embodiment with the control of the shared cooler 210, the special chilled operation, the first defrosting control, and the second defrosting control of the embodiment can be changed to this modification. Can be applied. That is, in this modification, the compressor 20, the shared cooler 210, and the blower fan 230 constitute an example of a "cooling section."

The above is an example of a refrigerator 200 in which cold air is supplied from the cooler to the chilled compartment 12 by the chilled compartment ventilation duct 265 dedicated to the chilled compartment 12, as a modified example in which the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 7 are cooled by a common cooler. explained. However, the chilled compartment 12 may be cooled by supplying cold air that cools the freezing compartment 7 to the chilled compartment 12. In this case as well, the special chilled operation described above, the first defrosting control and the second defrosting control can be applied.

<Modified example of using a fan and using a common cooler for the refrigerator and freezer compartments>
In the above modification, the first damper device 260 was used to control the blowing of cold air to the chilled chamber 12. The means for controlling the blowing of cold air to the chilled room 12 is not limited to the first damper device 260, and, for example, the blowing of cold air to the chilled room 12 can also be controlled by a blower fan. Instead of the first damper device 260, a cold air supply duct fan that blows cold air to the cold air supply duct 30 and a chilled room ventilation fan that blows cold air to the chilled room 12 may be provided. In this case, the temperature of the chilled room 12 can be controlled by individually controlling the amount of air blown by the cold air supply duct blower fan and the chilled room blower fan. Even in this case, the special chilled operation, the first defrosting control, and the second defrosting control described above can be applied in the same way. That is, by replacing the control of the refrigerating cooler 17 in the embodiment with the control of the shared cooler 210, the special chilled operation, the first defrosting control, and the second defrosting control of the embodiment can be changed to this modification. Can be applied. That is, in this modification, the compressor 20, the shared cooler 210, and the chilled room ventilation fan constitute an example of a "cooling section."

Although several embodiments and modifications have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the above examples. For example, the embodiments and modifications can be implemented in combination with each other. The second time is not limited to being longer than the first time, and may be the same as the first time or may be shorter than the first time. According to a certain viewpoint, the second defrost control may be performed regardless of the special chilled operation.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the refrigerator cools the first storage compartment in a first temperature range, and then cools the storage compartment in a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range. , further comprising a control unit that controls the cooling unit to cool the first storage chamber in the first temperature range. According to such a configuration, it is possible to improve the preservation state of food.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the refrigerator performs the first defrosting control when the predetermined condition is satisfied, and when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the refrigerator has a better defrosting effect than the first defrosting control. It has a control section that performs high second defrosting control. According to such a configuration, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator that can easily store food well.

In at least one embodiment described above, the center temperature may be replaced with the average temperature. The average temperature is the average value of temperature during the period in which the target operation is performed.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are 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.

Some refrigerators are listed below.
[1]
a housing including a storage section;
a cooling section that includes a cooler and cools the storage section;
A first defrosting control is performed on the cooler when a first predetermined condition is satisfied, and a first defrosting control is performed on the cooler when a second predetermined condition is satisfied. A control unit that performs second defrost control with high defrosting effect.
[2]
Compared to the first defrosting control, the second defrosting control includes at least one of defrosting the cooler for a longer time and increasing the temperature at which the cooler is defrosted. The refrigerator according to [1].
[3]
The control unit includes low-temperature cooling control that controls the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in a first temperature range, and low-temperature cooling control that controls the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in a second temperature range higher than the first temperature range. Alternately repeating high temperature cooling control to control the cooling unit,
The refrigerator according to [1] or [2], wherein the control unit performs the second defrosting control while the high temperature cooling control is being performed.
[4]
The second defrosting control terminates the low-temperature cooling control and starts the high-temperature cooling control when it is detected that the second predetermined condition is satisfied while the low-temperature cooling control is being performed. The refrigerator according to [3], comprising: starting the refrigerator.
[5]
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the second defrosting control includes increasing the ratio of the execution time of the high temperature cooling control to the execution time of the low temperature cooling control.
[6]
The refrigerator includes a temperature sensor,
From claim [1], the second defrosting control includes extending the defrosting time of the cooler when the information obtained from the detection result of the temperature sensor satisfies the second predetermined condition. The refrigerator according to any one of [5].
[7]
The refrigerator includes a temperature sensor,
The second defrosting control includes defrosting the cooler for at least a preset minimum execution time when information obtained from the detection result of the temperature sensor satisfies the second predetermined condition. The refrigerator according to any one of claims [1] to [6].
[8]
The cooling unit includes a blower that sends air to the cooler,
The control unit lowers the amount of air blown by the blower for cooling the storage unit when the second defrosting control is performed, compared to when the first defrosting control is performed. ] to [7].
[9]
The cooling unit includes a compressor that compresses refrigerant supplied to the cooler,
Among claims [1] to [8], the control unit reduces the compression capacity of the compressor when the second defrosting control is performed, compared to when the first defrosting control is performed. The refrigerator according to any one of the items above.
[10]
Among claims [1] to [9], the control unit makes the target temperature of the storage unit higher when the second defrosting control is performed than when the first defrosting control is performed. The refrigerator according to any one of the items above.
[11]
The refrigerator includes a temperature sensor,
Either one of the first predetermined condition and the second predetermined condition is a condition regarding information obtained from the detection result of the temperature sensor;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims [1] to [10].
[12]
The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the storage section or a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cooler.

1, 200...refrigerator, 2...casing, 3...refrigerator, 3a...insulation door, 4...vegetable compartment, 5...ice making compartment, 6...small freezer compartment, 7...freezer compartment, 12...chilled compartment, 16...freezing Cycle device, 17... Refrigeration cooler, 18... Freezing cooler, 20... Compressor, 30... Cold air supply duct, 53... Control panel, 100... Control unit, 110... Refrigerator room temperature sensor, 112... Freezer room temperature Sensor, 114...Outdoor temperature sensor, 150...Operation panel section, 200...Refrigerator, 208...Shared cooler room, 210...Shared cooler, 210a...Shared cooler temperature sensor, 220...Defrost heater, 230...Blower fan , 240... Freezer room ventilation duct, 260... First damper device, 265... Chilled room ventilation duct, 270... Second damper device

Claims (16)

a housing including a storage section;
a cooling section that includes a cooler and cools the storage section;
The storage section is cooled in a first temperature zone or a temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored items stored in the storage section, and then, the temperature zone is lower than the first temperature zone. The storage section is cooled in a high second temperature zone to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the stored object, and then the surface of the stored object is slightly frozen in the first temperature zone. a control unit capable of controlling the cooling unit with a cooling pattern including cooling the storage unit;
Equipped with
The control unit includes, as a cooling mode of the storage unit, a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in a certain temperature range, and a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in the cooling pattern. It is possible to switch between a second control mode for controlling the cooling unit, and
The control unit defrosts the cooler at predetermined time intervals in the first control mode,
In the second control mode, the control unit may control the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in the first temperature range for a first time, and control the storage unit for a second time. and controlling the cooling unit so as to cool the temperature in the second temperature range,
the first time is longer than the predetermined time interval;
refrigerator. The second time is longer than the first time.
The refrigerator according to claim 1. comprising a sensor that detects the external or internal state of the casing,
The control unit changes the length of at least one of the first time period and the second time period based on a detection result of the sensor.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or claim 2. The control unit defrosts the cooler while the storage unit is being cooled in the second temperature zone.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The storage unit includes a first storage unit that is the storage unit, and a second storage unit,
The cooling unit includes a compressor that compresses refrigerant, a first cooler that is the cooler that cools the air that is supplied with the refrigerant and is sent to the first storage unit, and a first cooler that is supplied with the refrigerant and that cools the air that is sent to the first storage unit. a second cooler that cools the air sent to the second storage section; a three-way valve that controls the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the first cooler and the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooler; Equipped with
The control unit controls the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the first cooler for a third time when the first storage unit is being cooled in the first temperature range. and controlling the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the second cooler during a fourth time;
When the control unit controls the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the second cooler when the first storage unit is being cooled in the first temperature zone. Even if, the execution of defrosting of the first cooler is suppressed,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. further comprising an input section for receiving user input;
The control unit switches the cooling mode of the storage unit from the first control mode to the second control mode when a predetermined input from the user is received by the input unit.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The control unit stops defrosting of the cooler for at least the first time in the second control mode.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6. further comprising an input section for receiving user input;
The control unit includes:
The storage section is configured to slightly freeze the surface of the stored items stored in the storage section at a temperature range lower than the first temperature range when a predetermined input from the user is accepted by the input section. cool,
Thereafter, during the second time period, the storage unit is cooled in the second temperature range so as to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the storage item; Alternately cooling the storage unit by raising and lowering the air temperature of the storage unit within a first temperature range so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored item;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The control unit, when the second control mode is started,
cooling the storage unit in a third temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored item;
Thereafter, during the second time period, the storage unit is cooled in the second temperature range so as to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the storage item; Alternately cooling the storage unit by raising and lowering the air temperature of the storage unit within a first temperature range so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored item;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8. Cooling the storage unit so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored item in the first temperature range includes increasing or lowering the air temperature of the storage unit within the range of the first temperature range.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit cools the storage unit in the first control mode when the refrigerator is powered on. The first temperature zone is a temperature zone lower than the certain temperature zone,
The second temperature zone is a temperature zone higher than the certain temperature zone,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The control unit is configured such that a temperature change rate of the air temperature when the air temperature of the storage unit increases in the second temperature zone is a rate of change of the air temperature when the air temperature of the storage unit decreases in the second temperature zone. controlling the cooling unit so that the temperature is lower than the temperature change rate;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 12. a housing including a storage section;
a cooling unit that cools the storage unit;
The storage section is cooled in a first temperature zone or a temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored items stored in the storage section, and then, the temperature zone is lower than the first temperature zone. The storage section is cooled in a high second temperature zone to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the stored object, and then the surface of the stored object is slightly frozen in the first temperature zone. a control unit capable of controlling the cooling unit with a cooling pattern including cooling the storage unit;
Equipped with
The cooling unit includes a compressor that compresses refrigerant, and a cooler that cools air supplied with the refrigerant compressed by the compressor and sent to the storage unit,
The control unit defrosts the cooler while the storage unit is being cooled in the second temperature zone,
The storage section includes a first storage section and a second storage section,
The cooling unit includes a first cooler that cools the air supplied with the refrigerant and sent to the first storage unit, and a second cooler that cools the air supplied with the refrigerant and sent to the second storage unit. a three-way valve that controls the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the first cooler and the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second cooler,
The control unit controls the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the first cooler for a third time when the first storage unit is being cooled in the first temperature range. and controlling the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the second cooler during a fourth time;
When the control unit controls the three-way valve to send the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the second cooler when the first storage unit is being cooled in the first temperature zone. Even if, the execution of defrosting of the first cooler is suppressed,
refrigerator. a housing including a storage section;
a cooling section that includes a cooler and cools the storage section;
an input section that accepts user input;
cooling the storage unit so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored items stored in the storage unit in a temperature range lower than the first temperature range when a predetermined input from the user is accepted by the input unit; and then cooling the storage section in a second temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone so as to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the storage object; a control unit that controls the cooling unit with a cooling pattern that includes alternately cooling the storage unit so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored item;
Equipped with
The control unit includes, as a cooling mode of the storage unit, a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in a certain temperature range, and a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in the cooling pattern. It is possible to switch between a second control mode for controlling the cooling unit, and
The control unit defrosts the cooler at predetermined time intervals in the first control mode, and the control unit defrosts the storage unit in the second control mode for a first time. Alternating between controlling the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in one temperature zone and controlling the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in the second temperature zone for a second time;
the first time is longer than the predetermined time interval;
refrigerator. a housing including a storage section;
a cooling section that includes a cooler and cools the storage section;
The storage section is cooled in a first temperature zone or a temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored items stored in the storage section, and then, the temperature zone is lower than the first temperature zone. The storage section is cooled in a high second temperature zone to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the stored object, and then the surface of the stored object is slightly frozen in the first temperature zone. a control unit capable of controlling the cooling unit with a cooling pattern including cooling the storage unit;
Equipped with
The control unit cools the storage unit in a third temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone so as to slightly freeze the surface of the stored item when the cooling pattern is started. , then cooling the storage unit in the second temperature range to warm a slightly frozen layer formed on the surface of the stored item, and slightly freezing the surface of the stored item in the first temperature range. and cooling the reservoir alternately,
The control unit includes, as a cooling mode of the storage unit, a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in a certain temperature range, and a first control mode in which the cooling unit is controlled to cool the storage unit in the cooling pattern. It is possible to switch between a second control mode for controlling the cooling unit, and
The control unit defrosts the cooler at predetermined time intervals in the first control mode,
In the second control mode, the control unit may control the cooling unit to cool the storage unit in the first temperature range for a first time, and control the storage unit for a second time. and controlling the cooling unit so as to cool the temperature in the second temperature range,
the first time is longer than the predetermined time interval;
refrigerator.

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