JP2024022899A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator that can enhance a degree of freedom of an arrangement position of a component to which power is wirelessly supplied.

SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to an embodiment comprises: a refrigerator body part comprising a storage chamber; a wireless detection part provided in the refrigerator body part, and to which power is wirelessly supplied; and a wireless power supply part for wirelessly supplying power to the wireless detection part. A non-metallic region in which a metal material is not used is provided between the wireless detection part and the wireless power supply part.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

For example, the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a power supply section is provided in the refrigerator main body, a power reception section is provided in the storage compartment door, and power is wirelessly supplied from the power supply section to the power reception section by electromagnetic induction by a coil.

Patent No. 6877304

In the conventional configuration, the power feeding section and the power receiving section must be arranged close to each other and facing each other, which greatly limits the degree of freedom in the arrangement position of the power receiving section with respect to the power feeding section.

The present embodiment provides a refrigerator in which the degree of freedom in the arrangement of components to which power is supplied wirelessly can be increased.

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber, a wireless detection section provided in the refrigerator main body and supplied with power wirelessly, and a wireless power supply supplying power wirelessly to the wireless detection section. A non-metal region in which no metal material is used is provided between the wireless detection section and the wireless power supply section.

A front view schematically showing a configuration example of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment A front view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the upper part of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment A plan view schematically showing a configuration example of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment A diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a wireless sensor according to the present embodiment A longitudinal sectional front view schematically showing a configuration example of a heat insulating box according to the present embodiment A longitudinal sectional front view schematically showing a configuration example of a portion of the heat insulating box according to the present embodiment in which a through hole is provided. Diagram (part 1) schematically showing an installation example of the wireless sensor according to the present embodiment Diagram (Part 2) schematically showing an installation example of the wireless sensor according to the present embodiment Diagram schematically showing an installation example of the wireless sensor according to this embodiment (part 3) A vertical cross-sectional side view schematically showing an example of the internal configuration of the large freezer compartment according to the present embodiment Diagram (part 1) schematically showing a configuration example of a refrigerator control device according to the present embodiment A diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the evaporator and its surrounding parts of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment A diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a heat insulating material of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment Diagram (part 2) schematically showing a configuration example of the refrigerator control device according to the present embodiment A longitudinal side view schematically showing a configuration example of a water storage tank of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment Diagram (part 3) schematically showing a configuration example of the refrigerator control device according to the present embodiment A diagram schematically showing an installation example of the illuminance sensor according to the present embodiment A diagram schematically showing an installation example of a weight sensor according to the present embodiment A front view (part 1) schematically showing a configuration example of the upper part of a refrigerator according to a modification of the present embodiment A front view (part 2) schematically showing an example of the configuration of the upper part of the refrigerator according to the modification of the present embodiment A diagram (part 1) schematically showing a display example of visualization information according to a modification of the present embodiment Diagram (part 2) schematically showing a display example of visualization information according to a modification of the present embodiment A front view (part 3) schematically showing an example of the configuration of the upper part of the refrigerator according to the modification of the present embodiment A front view schematically showing a configuration example of a partition wall of a refrigerator according to a modification of the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of a refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. The refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 inside a rectangular box-shaped heat insulating box 11 that forms the outer shell of the refrigerator 10. The heat insulating box 11 is an example of a refrigerator main body that constitutes the main body of the refrigerator 10. Inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, it is possible to store various items such as foods. The heat insulating box 11 has a structure in which a heat insulating material is provided between an inner box made of resin and an outer box made of metal. As the heat insulating material constituting the heat insulating box 11, various heat insulating materials can be used, such as a vacuum heat insulating panel, foamed urethane, and a heat insulating molded body made of a heat insulating material.

The storage compartment 12 is in this case a refrigerated compartment maintained in a refrigerated temperature range. Hereinafter, the storage room 12 may be referred to as the "refrigeration room 12." The storage compartment 13 is in this case a vegetable compartment maintained in a refrigerated temperature range. Hereinafter, the storage compartment 13 may be referred to as the "vegetable compartment 13". The storage compartment 14 is in this case an ice-making compartment maintained in a freezing temperature range. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 14 may be referred to as the "ice-making chamber 14." The storage compartment 15 is, in this case, a small freezer compartment maintained in a freezing temperature range. Hereinafter, the storage compartment 15 may be referred to as the "small freezer compartment 15." The storage compartment 16 is in this case a large freezer compartment maintained in a freezing temperature range. Hereinafter, the storage compartment 16 may be referred to as the "large freezer compartment 16."

The refrigerator compartment 12 is the uppermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 included in the refrigerator 10. The vegetable compartment 13 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 12, and is located at the center of the heat insulating box 11 in the vertical direction. The ice making compartment 14 and the small freezer compartment 15 are provided below the vegetable compartment 13 and are lined up along the lateral direction of the refrigerator 10 within the heat insulating box 11. The large freezer compartment 16 is provided below the ice making compartment 14 and the small freezer compartment 15 within the heat insulating box 11 . The large freezer compartment 16 is the lowest storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 included in the refrigerator 10.

The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 can be opened and closed by two storage compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R] that are rotatable in the left-right direction, ie, two so-called double-folding refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R]. The refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] is rotatably supported by a hinge portion 12H[L] provided on the left side of the front end of the upper surface of the heat insulating box 11. The refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] is rotatably supported by a hinge portion 12H[R] provided on the right side of the front end of the upper surface of the heat insulating box 11.

The front opening of the vegetable compartment 13 can be opened and closed by a pull-out vegetable compartment door 13D that is movable in the front-back direction. The front opening of the ice-making compartment 14 can be opened and closed by a pull-out ice-making compartment door 14D that is movable in the front-back direction. The front opening of the small freezer compartment 15 can be opened and closed by a pull-out small freezer compartment door 15D that is movable in the front-rear direction. The front opening of the large freezer compartment 16 can be opened and closed by a pull-out large freezer compartment door 16D that is movable in the front-rear direction.

The refrigerator 10 includes a chilled compartment 17 inside a refrigerator compartment 12. In this case, the chilled compartment 17 is provided in a lower region within the refrigerator compartment 12 . The chilled chamber 17 is provided as an example of a switching chamber that can be switched to multiple types of cooling modes, such as a normal cooling mode and a thawing mode. The normal cooling mode is a cooling mode in which the inside of the chilled chamber 17 is cooled to a normal refrigeration temperature range. The thawing mode is a cooling mode in which stored items stored in the chilled chamber 17 are cooled to a thawing temperature range in which they can be thawed.

The refrigerator 10 includes a tank storage chamber 18 within the refrigerator compartment 12. In this case, the tank storage chamber 18 is provided in a lower region within the refrigerator compartment 12 in an area on the left side of the chilled compartment 17 when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. A water storage tank 19, which will be described in detail later, is removably housed in the tank housing chamber 18. The ice-making water stored in the water storage tank 19 is supplied to the ice-making device 14a in the ice-making compartment 14 via a water supply pipe (not shown) through the cooperation of a water supply pump 19c and a water supply motor 18a, which will be described in detail later. .

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 10 includes a plurality of wireless sensors 20 inside the heat insulating box 11, in this case inside the refrigerator compartment 12. The wireless sensor 20 is an example of a wireless detection unit that is provided within the heat insulating box 11 and is supplied with power wirelessly. The wireless sensor 20 receives wireless radio waves from the outside to secure power for operation. The wireless sensor 20 transmits data and signals such as detection data to the outside by radio.

The wireless sensor 20 includes a control device that controls the overall operation of the wireless sensor 20. The control device of the wireless sensor 20 stores unique number information indicating a unique number for identifying the wireless sensor 20. When the control device of the wireless sensor 20 receives a radio wave from the control device of the refrigerator 10, it attaches unique number information to the radio wave transmitted to the control device of the refrigerator 10. A configuration example of the control device for the refrigerator 10 will be described later.

When the control device of the wireless sensor 20 receives a radio wave from the control device of the refrigerator 10, it continues to transmit detection data that changes from moment to moment to the control device of the refrigerator 10 in chronological order, for example. The control device for the refrigerator 10 can determine various operating conditions of the refrigerator 10 based on the detection data provided by the control device for the wireless sensor 20, and can execute predetermined operations as necessary.

The transmission interval of detection data from the control device of the wireless sensor 20 to the control device of the refrigerator 10 can be adjusted and set as appropriate. By setting a shorter transmission interval, the control device of the wireless sensor 20 can increase the frequency of transmission of detection data from the control device of the wireless sensor 20 to the control device of the refrigerator 10, and can transmit more information. It can be provided to the control device of the refrigerator 10.

Examples of the wireless sensor 20 include a temperature sensor that detects temperature, a humidity sensor that detects humidity, a weight sensor that detects weight, an illuminance sensor that detects illuminance, a touch sensor that detects human contact, and a storage room door opening/closing sensor. An open/close detection sensor that detects the state, a movement detection sensor that detects the movement state of various rotatable or slidable members included in the refrigerator 10, a position sensor that detects position information of predetermined components included in the refrigerator 10, and wireless charging. Various sensors such as sensors with functions can be applied.

Refrigerator 10 includes a wireless power supply device 30. The wireless power supply device 30 is an example of a wireless power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power to the wireless sensor 20, and in this case, is provided at the upper part of the upper wall of the heat insulating box 11. In this case, the wireless power supply device 30 is configured to wirelessly supply power to the wireless sensor 20 based on the Bluetooth communication standard (Bluetooth: registered trademark), which is an example of a short-range wireless communication standard. Furthermore, the wireless power supply device 30 can receive various data and signals, such as detection data, from the wireless sensor 20 . That is, the wireless power supply device 30 is a device that functions as an example of a radio wave transmitting/receiving device that can transmit and receive radio waves.

The refrigerator 10 includes a space 40 between the wireless sensor 20 in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the wireless power supply device 30 outside the heat insulating box 11. In this case, the space 40 is a space that penetrates the lower region of the wireless power supply device 30 in the upper wall of the heat insulating box 11 . The space 40 is an example of a non-metallic region in which no metallic material is used. The space 40 may be filled with a heat insulating material that does not use metal materials.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the wireless power supply device 30 is provided on the rear side of the central portion CL1 of the heat insulating box 11 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the space portion 40 is also provided on the rear side of the central portion CL1 in the front-rear direction of the heat insulating box body 11. The wireless power supply device 30 may be arranged such that the entirety thereof is located on the rear side of the central portion CL1 of the heat insulating box 11 in the front-rear direction, or at least a portion thereof may be located in the center portion of the heat insulating box 11 in the front-rear direction. It may be arranged so as to be located on the rear side of CL1. The wireless power supply device 30 may be arranged at a position closer to the front side of the area behind the center portion CL1 in the front-rear direction of the heat insulating box 11, or may be arranged at a position closer to the rear side.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the wireless sensor 20 includes a base material 21 that constitutes a base portion thereof, and a sensor main body portion 22 that operates as a main body of a detection function. The base material 21 is configured in a thin plate shape. The sensor main body part 22 is attached to one surface of a thin plate-shaped base material 21. The area other than the sensor body 22 on one surface of the base material 21 to which the sensor body 22 is attached is a radio wave receiving/transmitting area capable of receiving radio waves from the outside and transmitting radio waves to the outside. It is section 23. The wireless sensor 20 can receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply device 30 via the radio wave reception/transmission unit 23, and can transmit radio waves to the wireless power supply device 30 and the control device of the refrigerator 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the refrigerator compartment 12 is equipped with a plurality of wireless sensors 20[1], 20[2], and 20[3], three in this case.

The wireless sensor 20 [1] is arranged on the upper surface of the uppermost shelf 12Ta provided in the refrigerator compartment 12, with the radio wave receiving and transmitting unit 23 facing upward, that is, toward the wireless power supply device 30 side. , the radio wave receiving and transmitting unit 23 is in a state where it can directly receive radio waves from the wireless power supply device 30. Here, the upper surface of the uppermost shelf 12Ta on which the wireless sensor 20[1] is arranged is an example of a predetermined special part in the refrigerator main body. The state in which the wireless sensor 20[1] directs the radio wave receiving and transmitting unit 23 upward on the upper surface of the top shelf 12Ta is a state in which the wireless sensor 20 [1] is directed in a predetermined special direction in which it is possible to receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply unit. This is an example of the state.

The wireless sensor 20 [2] is arranged on the inner wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 with the radio wave receiving/transmitting unit 23 oriented in the horizontal direction, and the wireless sensor 20 [2] directly receives the radio waves from the wireless power supply device 30 by the radio wave receiving/transmitting unit 23. is in a state where it can be received. Here, the inner wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 where the wireless sensor 20[2] is arranged is an example of a predetermined special part in the refrigerator main body. The state in which the wireless sensor 20 [2] points the radio wave receiving and transmitting unit 23 in the horizontal direction on the inner wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 is the state in which the wireless sensor 20 [2] points in a predetermined special direction in which it can receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply unit. This is an example.

The wireless sensor 20[3] is mounted on the lower surface of the lowest shelf 12Tb provided in the refrigerator compartment 12, with the radio wave receiving and transmitting unit 23 directed downward, that is, on the opposite side to the wireless power supply device 30 side. It is located. Here, the lower surface of the lowest shelf 12Tb on which the wireless sensor 20[3] is arranged is an example of a predetermined special part in the refrigerator main body. The state in which the wireless sensor 20[3] directs the radio wave receiving/transmitting unit 23 downward on the bottom surface of the lowest shelf 12Tb is the state in which the wireless sensor 20[3] is directed in a predetermined special direction in which it is possible to receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply unit. This is an example of the state.

That is, the radio waves transmitted from the wireless power supply device 30 into the refrigerator compartment 12 are reflected by the inner wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12, stored items, etc., so that the radio waves directed toward the opposite side of the wireless power supply device 30 receive the radio waves. Even the transmitting unit 23 can receive it. Therefore, the state in which the wireless sensor 20 [3] directs the radio wave receiving and transmitting unit 23 downward can also be defined as an example of the state in which the wireless sensor 20 [3] directs in a predetermined special direction in which it can receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply unit. .

Although not shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 10 can also appropriately arrange the wireless sensor 20 in the storage compartments 13, 14, 15, and 16 other than the refrigerator compartment 12. The wireless sensors 20 arranged in the storage compartments 13, 14, 15, and 16 other than the refrigerator compartment 12 are also oriented in a predetermined special direction in which they can receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply device 30 in a predetermined special part. It is placed in such a state.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, metal layers 50A and 50B made of a metal material are provided inside the wall of the heat insulating box 11. The metal layer 50A is provided on the inner surface side of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 inside the wall of the heat insulating box 11. The metal layer 50B is provided on the outer side of the wall of the heat insulating box 11, which is the opposite side to the inner side of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

The metal layer 50A is an example of a metal part, and is, for example, the outer side of the resin inner box that forms the inside of the heat insulating box 11, which is the side opposite to the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. It can be constructed by a metal plate provided on the inner box or a metal vapor-deposited layer provided on the surface of a heat insulating material placed between the inner box and the outer box.

The metal layer 50B is an example of a metal part, and for example, is provided on the inner surface side of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the metal outer box constituting the outside of the heat insulating box body 11. It can be constructed from a metal plate or a metal vapor deposition layer provided on the surface of a heat insulating material placed between the inner box and the outer box. The refrigerator 10 may be configured to include at least one of the metal layers 50A and 50B. That is, the refrigerator 10 has an inner surface that is the inner side of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 within the wall of the insulating box 11, and an inner side that is the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15 within the wall of the insulating box 11. , 16 may have a structure in which the metal layer is not provided on either one of the outer surfaces that are opposite to the inner sides.

A nonmetal layer 50C made of a nonmetallic material is provided within the wall of the heat insulating box 11. The nonmetallic layer 50C has an inner surface inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 within the wall of the heat insulating box 11, and an outer surface that is opposite to the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. , that is, between the metal layer 50A and the metal layer 50B. The non-metal layer 50C is an example of a non-metal part, and can be composed of, for example, a heat insulating material placed between the inner box and the outer box of the heat insulating box 11.

The metal layer 50A provided in the inner box is provided with a plurality of through holes 51 passing through the metal layer 50A. On the other hand, the metal layer 50B provided in the outer box is not provided with the plurality of through holes 51 that penetrate the metal layer 50B. The through hole 51 is an example of a radio wave passage portion through which radio waves can pass.

All of the plurality of through holes 51 are provided below the central portion CL2 of the heat insulating box 11 in the vertical direction. Since the plurality of through holes 51 are provided below the central portion CL2 in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box 11, the refrigerator 10 has a configuration in which at least the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 does not have through holes 51. It becomes. However, the refrigerator 10 may have a configuration in which the through hole 51 is provided above the central portion CL2 in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box 11, and thereby, the refrigerator 10 may have a configuration in which the through hole 51 also corresponds to the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12. You can also use it as

In the refrigerator 10, the closer to the bottom of the heat insulating box 11, the shorter the intervals between the plurality of through holes 51 are. The intervals between the plurality of through holes 51 become shorter as they approach the bottom of the heat insulating box 11, so that the refrigerator 10 has one through hole 51 on each of the left and right walls in the vegetable compartment 13, The ice making compartment 14 has two through holes 51 on the left wall, the small freezing compartment 15 has two through holes 51 on the right wall, and the large freezing compartment 16 has three through holes 51 on the left and right walls. The structure has two through holes 51. However, the refrigerator 10 may be configured such that the intervals between the plurality of through holes 51 are the same regardless of the positional relationship with the bottom of the heat insulating box 11.

In this case, in the vegetable compartment 13, the through hole 51 is arranged at the center of the vegetable compartment 13 in the vertical direction or at a position slightly lower than the center. In the ice-making compartment 14, the through-holes 51 are distributed above and below the center of the ice-making compartment 14 in the vertical direction. In the small freezer compartment 15 as well, the through holes 51 are arranged in a dispersed manner above and below the central portion of the small freezer compartment 15 in the vertical direction. In the large freezing compartment 16, the through holes 51 are arranged at the center of the large freezing compartment 16 in the vertical direction, and are also distributed above and below the central part of the large freezing compartment 16 in the vertical direction. It is arranged as follows.

Although detailed illustrations are omitted, when the refrigerator 10 is provided with a plurality of through holes 51 corresponding to one storage chamber, the plurality of through holes 51 are distributed and arranged along the front-rear direction of the storage chamber. You may. In this case, in the refrigerator 10, the height of the through hole 51 disposed on the front side in the front-rear direction of the storage room may be different from the height of the through hole 51 disposed on the rear side. The refrigerator 10 may have a configuration in which all of the plurality of through holes 51 are provided on the front side or the rear side of the central part in the front-rear direction of the storage room. The refrigerator 10 may include a through hole 51 on the rear surface of the storage compartment.

The refrigerator 10 has, for example, a portion made of foamed urethane on an intermediate insulation wall that partitions between a plurality of storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 within a heat insulation box 11, and the portion includes: For example, components such as refrigerant pipes included in the refrigeration cycle are arranged. Since this part is made of urethane foam, radio waves can easily pass through it. Therefore, the portion made of such foamed urethane may function as the through hole 51.

As illustrated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 6, a part of the radio waves generated by the wireless power supply device 30 is also supplied between the inner box and the outer box of the heat insulating box 11, that is, into the wall of the heat insulating box 11. . At this time, since the metal layers 50A and 50B are provided in the wall portion of the heat insulating box 11 so as to face each other with a predetermined interval, the radio waves are transmitted while being reflected by the metal layers 50A and 50B. That is, the wall portion of the heat insulating box 11 having the metal layers 50A and 50B inside functions like a waveguide that transmits radio waves while reflecting them. The radio waves transmitted within the wall of the heat insulating box 11 are appropriately guided into the storage room through the through hole 51 and reach the wireless sensor 20 inside the storage room.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the wireless sensor 20 can be provided within a recess 70 provided within the storage chamber. The recesses 70 may be provided at various locations in the refrigerator 10, such as the left and right side walls, rear wall, top wall, and bottom wall of the storage compartment, shelves and partitions within the storage compartment, the back of the storage compartment door, and door pockets. Can be done.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the wireless sensor 20 can be provided inside a thin plate-shaped card-type case 80. The card-shaped case 80 is an example of a thin plate-shaped housing section. The card-type case 80 can be accommodated within the recess 70. However, the card-type case 80 may be removably housed in a card slot (not shown) instead of in the recess 70. The card slot can be provided at various locations in the refrigerator 10, such as the left and right side walls, rear wall, top wall, bottom wall of the storage compartment, shelves and partitions inside the storage compartment, the back of the storage compartment door, and door pockets. can.

The card-type case 80 has a combination of a metal case part 81 made of a metal material and a non-metal case part 82 made of a non-metallic resin material. The metal case portion 81 is an example of a metal portion, and the non-metal case portion 82 is an example of a non-metal portion. The card-type case 80 is disposed so as to be oriented in a predetermined special direction in which it can receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply device 30 from the non-metallic case portion 82 .

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the card-type case 80 has a part that the wireless sensor 20 contacts, in this case, the back surface of the non-metallic case part 82, made of a highly thermally conductive material such as copper or aluminum. A high thermal conductivity section 83 may be provided. It is preferable that the high thermal conductivity section 83 is made of at least a material having higher thermal conductivity than the non-metallic case section 82 .

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a case will be described in which a temperature sensor 20A that detects the temperature inside the large freezer compartment 16 is provided as the wireless sensor 20 described above. The temperature sensor 20A is an example of a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature inside the storage room. Inside the large freezer compartment 16, there is provided a large rectangular container 16A with an open top that can accommodate stored items. The large container 16A is integrated with the large freezer compartment door 16D, and is movable in the front-rear direction together with the large freezer compartment door 16D. A small container 16B smaller than the large container 16A is placed on top of the large container 16A. The temperature sensor 20A is provided on the front wall and the rear wall of the large container 16A, respectively.

The control device 60 illustrated in FIG. 11 is configured mainly of, for example, a microcomputer, and is configured to be able to control the overall operation of the refrigerator 10 based on a control program, various setting information, and the like. The control device 60 virtually implements the quenching processing section 61 using software by executing a control program. The rapid cooling processing section 61 may be configured by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

The rapid cooling processing unit 61 is an example of a rapid cooling unit, and performs a high-speed freezing process when the temperature inside the large freezing chamber 16 detected by the temperature sensor 20A exceeds a predetermined temperature. The high-speed freezing process increases the operating output of a refrigeration cycle (not shown) that generates cold air, and the operating output of a blower fan that sends the cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle into the large freezer compartment 16. This is a process that cools the water more rapidly than usual. The normal cooling rate is a cooling rate that cools the inside of the large freezer compartment 16 to a predetermined cooling temperature over a predetermined normal time. The predetermined normal time and the predetermined cooling temperature can be changed and set as appropriate. According to such high-speed freezing processing, for example, when relatively high-temperature foods are stored in the large freezer compartment 16, the temperature in the large freezer compartment 16 is directly detected in real time and the food is quickly deep-frozen. The inside of the chamber 16 can be cooled.

According to the refrigerator 10, the temperature sensors 20A are provided separately on the front wall and the rear wall of the large container 16A, so that the temperature in the front and rear regions of the large freezer compartment 16 can be detected respectively. can. Therefore, for example, if the temperature of the front area in the large freezer compartment 16 is high, the front area can be intensively cooled, and if the temperature of the rear area in the large freezer compartment 16 is high, the front area can be intensively cooled. The side areas can be centrally cooled. For example, the refrigerator 10 can intensively cool the front area of the large freezer compartment 16 by adjusting the angle of the wind direction plate provided at the cold air supply port that supplies cold air into the large freezer compartment 16. The rear region can be intensively cooled. Alternatively, the refrigerator 10 may include, for example, a front duct extending to the front area and a rear duct extending to the rear area in the large freezer compartment 16, and the duct for supplying cold air of the front duct and the rear duct may be connected to the duct by a damper or the like. By appropriately switching, it is possible to intensively cool the front area in the large freezer compartment 16 or to intensively cool the rear area.

The temperature sensors 20A may be arranged separately on the left wall and right wall of the large container 16A. According to this configuration example, it is possible to detect the temperature of the left side area and the right side area of the large freezer compartment 16, and depending on the temperature situation, intensive cooling of the left side area of the large freezing compartment 16 or concentrated cooling of the right side area of the large freezer compartment 16 is possible. Cooling can be performed.

Although detailed explanation is omitted, the refrigerator 10 may arrange the temperature sensor 20A in the refrigerator compartment 12, for example. As a result, when relatively high temperature foods are stored in the refrigerator compartment 12, the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is directly detected in real time by the temperature sensor 20A, and the interior of the refrigerator compartment 12 is quickly cooled. A cooling process can be performed.

In this case, the temperature sensors 20A are preferably disposed in a distributed manner over as wide a range as possible within the refrigerator compartment 12, for example by installing the temperature sensors 20A on all the shelves within the refrigerator compartment 12. Thereby, for example, it is possible to perform control such as intensively cooling the area of the refrigerator compartment 12 with the highest temperature, or weakening the cooling intensity of the area of the refrigerator compartment 12 with the lowest temperature. .

For example, by installing the temperature sensor 20A on the right wall of the refrigerator compartment 12, the temperature sensor 20A can be installed on the right wall of the refrigerator compartment 12, so that the temperature sensor 20A can It is possible to determine a state such as a weakening of the cooling intensity. In this case, by controlling the supply of cold air into the refrigerator compartment 12 so that the cooling intensity in the right side area of the refrigerator compartment 12 is increased, the temperature distribution throughout the refrigerator compartment 12 can be made as close to uniform as possible. .

The refrigerator 10 can determine, for example, the state of ice making in the ice making compartment 14 by arranging the temperature sensor 20A in the ice making compartment 14, for example. In this case, since the temperature sensor 20A is a wireless sensor, even if it is directly attached to the ice tray of the ice making device 14a, the ice tray can be removed together with the temperature sensor 20A from the ice making chamber 14 without being affected by wiring etc. be able to. Therefore, although the temperature sensor 20A is provided, it is possible to prevent the temperature sensor 20A from interfering with cleaning the ice tray.

Refrigerator 10 may arrange temperature sensor 20A in chilled chamber 17, for example. According to this configuration example, when relatively high temperature food is stored in the chilled chamber 17, the temperature inside the chilled chamber 17 is directly detected in real time by the temperature sensor 20A, and the temperature inside the chilled chamber 17 is quickly detected. A high-speed cooling process can be performed to cool down the Furthermore, when relatively low-temperature foods, for example foods in the frozen temperature range, are stored in the chilled chamber 17, the chilled chamber 17 is automatically placed in a thawing mode based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20A. You can switch to

When installing the temperature sensor 20A on the bottom of the chilled chamber 17, in order to avoid weakening the intensity of the radio waves received by the temperature sensor 20A or the intensity of the radio waves emitted by the temperature sensor 20A, it is necessary to It is preferable not to provide a metal material such as an aluminum plate on the bottom surface. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 20A may be placed on the top surface of a metal material such as an aluminum plate.

In the refrigerator 10, the temperature sensor 20A may be arranged around a heater (not shown). According to this configuration example, the output of the heater can be optimized based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20A. The heater is, for example, a defrosting heater for defrosting the evaporator 90, which will be described later, or a heater provided inside a partition plate (not shown) provided between the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R]. This includes heaters to prevent condensation.

Refrigerator 10 may arrange temperature sensor 20A in various containers provided in storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. According to this configuration example, when relatively high temperature foods are stored in various containers, the temperature inside the container is directly detected in real time by the temperature sensor 20A, and the inside of the container is quickly cooled. can.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include a temperature sensor 20A on a cover member 91 that covers an evaporator 90 that constitutes a part of the refrigeration cycle. According to this configuration example, the frosting state of the evaporator 90 can be determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20A. When the amount of frost on the evaporator 90 exceeds a predetermined amount, the evaporator 90 can be defrosted.

The cover member 91 has a protrusion 91a extending toward the evaporator 90 side. The temperature sensor 20A is preferably provided at the tip of the protrusion 91a so that the temperature sensor 20A comes into direct contact with the evaporator 90. The temperature sensor 20A is preferably in contact with a surface of the rectangular evaporator 90 that does not face the blower fan 92, in this case, the top surface or bottom surface of the evaporator 90. Thereby, it is possible to avoid that the flow of air by the blower fan 92 is obstructed by the temperature sensor 20A. The upper surface and the lower surface of the evaporator 90 can also be defined as surfaces parallel to the rotation axis 92a of the blower fan 92.

As illustrated in FIG. 13, the heat insulating material 100 provided within the wall of the heat insulating box 11 is a combination of a vacuum heat insulating panel 101 and a urethane foam 102. The refrigerator 10 includes a temperature sensor 20B on the surface of the vacuum insulation panel 101 opposite to the urethane foam 102, and a temperature sensor 20C on the surface of the urethane foam 102 opposite to the vacuum insulation panel 101. The temperature sensor 20B is an example of a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the vacuum insulation panel 101 that constitutes a part of the insulation material 100. The temperature sensor 20C is an example of a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the urethane foam 102 that constitutes a part of the heat insulating material 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the control device 60 virtually implements the deterioration degree determination processing unit 62 using software by executing a control program. The deterioration level determination processing unit 62 may be configured by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

The deterioration degree determination processing section 62 is an example of a deterioration degree determination section, and determines the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100, that is, the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100, based on the difference between the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20B and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20C. It is possible to determine whether the heat insulation performance is lower than a predetermined heat insulation performance. That is, if the difference between the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20B and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20C is smaller than a predetermined amount, the deterioration state determination processing unit 62 determines that the temperature on the vacuum insulation panel 101 side and the urethane foam If the difference between the temperature on the side 102 and It is determined that the performance is in a degraded state. The predetermined heat insulation performance, which serves as a standard for determining the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100, can be changed and set as appropriate.

The deterioration degree determination processing unit 62 determines the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100 in chronological order based on the temperature difference between the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 20B and 20C, which are detected at predetermined time intervals such as every minute, for example. Good too.

The deterioration degree determination processing unit 62 compares a predetermined reference value with the temperature difference between the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 20B and 20C, and determines the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100 in chronological order based on the comparison result. You can also do this.

The deterioration level determination processing unit 62 sets, for example, the temperature difference between the detected temperatures of the temperature sensors 20B and 20C obtained when the operation of the refrigerator 10 is started as an initial value, and uses the initial value and the temperature detected as appropriate. The temperature difference between the temperatures detected by the sensors 20B and 20C may be compared, and the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100 may be determined in chronological order based on the comparison result.

The refrigerator 10 partially determines the degree of deterioration of the insulation material 100 by arranging temperature sensors 20B and 20C in the portions of the insulation material 100 corresponding to the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, respectively. It is possible to specify which storage room 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 the insulation performance of the portion corresponding to is degraded.

The temperature sensors 20B and 20C may be directly fixed to the heat insulating material 100, or may be fixed directly to the inner box or outer box. The temperature sensors 20B and 20C may be fixed using, for example, an adhesive or an adhesive, or a fastening member such as a screw may be used, or a claw may be formed to lock the temperature sensors 20B and 20C. Alternatively, it may be fixed by simply sandwiching it between the inner box or outer box and the heat insulating material 100.

The refrigerator 10 may have temperature sensors 20B disposed on both sides of the vacuum insulation panel 101, and the deterioration degree determination processing section 62 may be configured to be able to determine the degree of deterioration of only the vacuum insulation panel 101. The refrigerator 10 may have temperature sensors 20C disposed on both sides of the urethane foam 102, and the deterioration level determination processing section 62 may be configured to be able to determine the degree of deterioration of the urethane foam 102 only. The deterioration degree determination processing unit 62 determines the degree of deterioration of the insulation material 100 based on the difference between the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20B or 20C placed in the insulation material 100 and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor placed in the storage room. It may be possible to configure. In this case, the number of temperature sensors arranged in the heat insulating material 100 can be suppressed.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example of the configuration of the water storage tank 19. The water storage tank 19 is an example of a water storage unit that stores water for ice making, and is removably provided in a storage chamber, in this case, a tank storage chamber 18 provided in the refrigerator compartment 12.

The water storage tank 19 includes a tank body portion 19a, a tank lid portion 19b, a water supply pump 19c, and the like. The tank body portion 19a is formed in the shape of a long rectangular container with an open top surface, and can store ice-making water therein. The tank lid portion 19b removably closes the top opening of the tank body portion 19a. The tank lid portion 19b has a water supply port 19d, and a water purification filter 19e is connected to the water supply port 19d. The user can replenish water into the tank body 19a through this water supply port 19d.

The water supply pump 19c has a rotatable impeller 19m containing a magnet, and this impeller 19m is rotated by magnetic force as the water supply motor 18a outside the water storage tank 19 rotates the magnet 18b. There is. The water supply motor 18a is provided at the back of the tank storage chamber 18, and is configured such that the magnet 18b faces the water supply pump 19c when the water storage tank 19 is accommodated in the tank storage chamber 18.

As the impeller 19m of the water supply pump 19c rotates, water in the tank body 19a is pumped up and supplied to the ice making device 14a in the ice making compartment 14 via the water supply pipe 19f.

The refrigerator 10 includes a wireless sensor 20 in a water storage tank 19. In this case, the wireless sensor 20 is placed in the tank main body 19a at a position near the water surface when the tank is full.

As illustrated in FIG. 16, the control device 60 virtually implements the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 using software by executing a control program. The water storage tank position determination processing section 63 may be configured by hardware, or may be configured by a combination of software and hardware.

The water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 is an example of a water storage unit position determination unit, and is configured to be able to determine whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11. In this case, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 is configured to determine that the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 when the radio wave intensity received from the wireless sensor 20 included in the water storage tank 19 falls outside a predetermined range. ing.

When the radio wave intensity received from the wireless sensor 20 included in the water storage tank 19 becomes weaker than the lower limit of a predetermined range, or when the radio waves from the wireless sensor 20 are interrupted, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 causes the water storage tank 19 to be insulated. It may be configured to determine that it is located outside the box 11. Alternatively, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 determines that the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box body 11 when the radio wave intensity received from the wireless sensor 20 included in the water storage tank 19 becomes stronger than the upper limit of a predetermined range. It may be configured as follows.

As illustrated in FIG. 15 , the refrigerator 10 may have a configuration in which the water storage tank 19 is provided with a water level sensor 20D as the wireless sensor 20. The water level sensor 20D is an example of a water amount detection section that detects the amount of water stored in the water storage section.

For example, the control device 60 determines whether the water level stored in the water storage tank 19 exceeds a predetermined water level and the water level stored in the water storage tank 19 based on the water level data in the water storage tank 19 detected by the water level sensor 20D. If the state in which the water level exceeds the predetermined water level continues for more than a predetermined time, such as 5 seconds, and it is determined that the water storage tank 19 is located outside the insulation box 11 based on the radio wave intensity received from the water level sensor 20D, An automatic door-opening device (not shown) may be operated to automatically open the closed refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R]. As a result, for example, when the user takes out the water storage tank 19 from the tank housing chamber 18 and refills it with water, the closed refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R] are automatically opened. This makes it possible to easily accommodate the water storage tank 19 in the tank accommodation chamber 18.

An automatic door opening device (not shown) is provided, for example, at the upper part of the upper wall of the heat insulating box 11. The automatic door opening device is configured to push forward and open the closed refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R] by operating a plunger, for example.

As illustrated in FIG. 17, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include an illuminance sensor 20E as the wireless sensor 20 on a wall surface within the tank storage chamber 18. The illuminance sensor 20E is an example of an illuminance detection unit that detects the illuminance of light received through the water storage tank 19.

In this case, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 can determine whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E. That is, when the water storage tank 19 is housed in the tank housing chamber 18 and faces the illuminance sensor 20E, the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E has a low value. On the other hand, when the water storage tank 19 is removed from the tank storage chamber 18 and does not face the illuminance sensor 20E, the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E has a high value. Therefore, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 determines whether the water storage tank 19 is accommodated in the tank storage chamber 18 or not, and whether it is present in the heat insulating box 11 based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E. It can be determined whether it exists outside the heat insulating box 11.

The illuminance sensor 20E is preferably placed at a position near the water surface when the water storage tank 19 is in a predetermined full state. Thereby, it is also possible to determine whether or not the water storage tank 19 is full of water. That is, when the water storage tank 19 is full of water and the water is facing the illuminance sensor 20E, the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E has a low value. On the other hand, when the water storage tank 19 is not full of water and the water is not facing the illuminance sensor 20E, the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E has a high value. Therefore, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 can determine whether or not water at the full level is stored in the water storage tank 19 based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20E.

The illuminance sensor 20E may be arranged at a position near the water surface when the water storage tank 19 is at a predetermined lowest water level. Thereby, it can be determined whether the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 19 is less than the predetermined minimum water amount. The predetermined minimum water level may be set to, for example, the minimum water level necessary for making ice a predetermined number of times, for example, from once to several times. As a result, if the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 19 does not reach the minimum level required for making ice a predetermined time, for example, a notification process is performed using a display panel or a buzzer (not shown). The user can be prompted to replenish the water storage tank 19 with water.

The illuminance sensor 20E is arranged not only near the water surface when the water storage tank 19 is in a predetermined full state or near the water surface when the water storage tank 19 is in a predetermined minimum water level state, but also by changing its height position as appropriate. be able to.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include a weight sensor 20F as the wireless sensor 20 on the bottom surface of the tank storage chamber 18. The weight sensor 20F is an example of a weight detection unit that detects the weight of the water storage tank 19.

In this case, the water storage tank position determination processing section 63 can determine whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F. That is, when the water storage tank 19 is housed in the tank housing chamber 18, the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F increases. On the other hand, when the water storage tank 19 is removed from the inside of the tank storage chamber 18, the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F becomes smaller. Therefore, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 determines whether or not the water storage tank 19 is accommodated in the tank storage chamber 18, based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F, and furthermore, whether it is present in the heat insulating box 11. It can be determined whether it exists outside the heat insulating box 11.

The water tank position determination processing section 63 can also determine the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 19 based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F. That is, the greater the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 19, the greater the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F. Thereby, the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 19 can be determined.

According to the refrigerator 10 illustrated above, no metal material is used between the wireless sensor 20 provided in the heat insulating box 11 and the wireless power supply device 30 that wirelessly supplies power to the wireless sensor 20. A space 40 is provided as a non-metal region. According to this configuration example, it is easy to wirelessly supply power from the wireless power supply device 30 to the wireless sensor 20 via the space 40 without arranging the wireless sensor 20 and the wireless power supply device 30 to face each other closely. can. Therefore, the degree of freedom in the arrangement position of the wireless sensor 20 to which power is wirelessly supplied can be greatly increased.

According to the refrigerator 10, since no metal material is used in the space 40, it is possible to suppress the strength of radio waves passing through the space 40 from being weakened.

In this type of refrigerator, a machine room in which, for example, a compressor constituting a refrigeration cycle is disposed is generally provided in the lower part of the heat insulating box. Therefore, if the wireless power supply device 30 is placed near such a machine room, there is a concern that the radio waves transmitted or received by the wireless power supply device 30 may be weakened. The refrigerator 10 includes a wireless power supply device 30 in the upper part of the insulating box 11 that is sufficiently spaced from the lower part of the insulating box 11 where the machine room is assumed to be provided. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the radio waves transmitted or received by the wireless power supply device 30 are unlikely to be weakened.

For example, by arranging the wireless sensor 20 on the shelf 12T in the refrigerator compartment 12, it becomes possible to directly and accurately detect the surface temperature of the stored items placed on the shelf 12T. The shelf 12T is arranged horizontally within the refrigerator compartment 12. Therefore, it is preferable that the wireless power supply device 30 be provided on the upper wall of the insulation box 11 parallel to the horizontal shelf 12T, rather than on the side wall of the insulation box 11 perpendicular to the horizontal shelf 12T. It is. As a result, the radio waves emitted by the wireless power supply device 30 easily enter the wireless sensor 20 provided on the horizontal shelf 12T, and the radio waves emitted by the wireless sensor 20 provided on the horizontal shelf 12T become wireless. It becomes easier to enter the power supply device 30.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless power supply device 30 is provided at the upper part of the upper wall of the heat insulating box 11. According to this configuration example, it is possible to wirelessly supply power from the wireless power supply device 30 to the wireless sensors 20 disposed in each part within the heat insulating box 11 as viewed from a high position, and each wireless Power can be efficiently supplied to the sensor 20 wirelessly.

According to the refrigerator 10, since the wireless power supply device 30 is arranged outside the heat insulating box 11, the wireless power supply device 30 may get wet due to dew condensation generated in the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, for example. can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the necessity of providing the wireless power supply device 30 with a waterproof structure, and it is possible to avoid complicating the structure of the wireless power supply device 30.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless power supply device 30 is provided on the rear side of the central portion CL1 of the heat insulating box 11 in the front-rear direction. According to this configuration example, the distance between the front openings of the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 and the wireless power supply device 30 can be ensured as long as possible, and the radio waves transmitted by the wireless power supply device 30 can be It is possible to prevent the liquid from flowing out from the front openings of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

In the refrigerator 10, a metal material may be deposited on the surface of the vacuum insulation panel 101 provided in the rear wall or side wall of the insulation box 11. According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless power supply device 30 is provided on the rear side of the central portion CL1 of the heat insulating box 11 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the radio waves emitted from the wireless power supply device 30 can be easily reflected by the metal vapor deposited surface of the vacuum insulation panel 101 in the rear wall surface and side wall surface of the insulation box 11, and the radio waves transmitted from the wireless power supply device 30 can be easily reflected in the storage room. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 can be efficiently transmitted.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wall of the heat insulating box 11 is the inner surface side which is the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and the opposite side to the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. It has metal layers 50A and 50B made of a metal material on the outer surface side, and the inner surface that is the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 and the inside of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are A non-metal layer 50C made of a non-metal material is provided between the outer surface side, which is the opposite side. The metal layer 50A is provided with a plurality of through holes 51 that penetrate the metal layer 50A.

According to this configuration example, the inside of the wall of the heat insulating box 11 can be made to function like a waveguide by the metal layers 50A and 50B, and the radio waves transmitted from the wireless power supply device 30 can be separated from the wireless power supply device 30. The power can be supplied to the storage room, for example, the large freezer compartment 16 which is the farthest away from the wireless power supply device 30, while suppressing a decrease in the strength of radio waves to a minimum. According to the refrigerator 10, since the metal layer 50A is provided with the through hole 51, the radio waves transmitted within the wall of the heat insulating box 11 can be sufficiently guided into the storage room.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless power supply device 30 is provided above the vertically central portion CL2 of the heat insulating box 11, whereas the through hole 51 is provided above the vertically central portion CL2 of the heat insulating box 11. It is provided below CL2. Here, the storage compartment provided above the central portion CL2 in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box 11, in this case the refrigerator compartment 12, is compared with the wireless power supply device 30 provided at the top of the heat insulating box 11. Therefore, it is possible to relatively easily supply radio waves through the space 40 without transmitting them inside the wall of the heat insulating box 11. Therefore, it is less necessary to form the through hole 51 in the storage chamber provided above the central portion CL2 in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box 11. On the other hand, the storage compartments provided below the central part CL2 in the vertical direction of the insulating box body 11, in this case, the vegetable compartment 13, the ice making compartment 14, the small freezer compartment 15, and the large freezer compartment 16, It is relatively far from the wireless power supply device 30 provided on the upper part of the heat insulating box 11, and therefore it is difficult to supply radio waves unless the radio waves are transmitted through the walls of the heat insulating box 11. Therefore, by forming the through hole 51 in the storage chamber provided below the central part CL2 in the vertical direction of the heat insulating box 11, the radio waves transmitted within the wall of the heat insulating box 11 are supplied. It's easy to do.

According to the refrigerator 10, the closer to the bottom of the heat insulating box 11, that is, the farther away from the wireless power supply device 30 at the top of the heat insulating box 11, the shorter the distance between the through holes 51 becomes. Here, the intensity of the radio waves transmitted within the wall of the heat insulating box 11 becomes weaker as the distance from the wireless power supply device 30 increases, and in this case, the closer to the bottom of the heat insulating box 11. Therefore, by shortening the distance between the plurality of through holes 51 as one gets closer to the bottom of the insulating box 11, even if the intensity of the radio waves transmitted inside the wall of the insulating box 11 weakens, the inside of the storage room, in this case. , radio waves can be sufficiently supplied to the ice making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16 near the bottom of the heat insulating box 11.

As described above, in the refrigerator 10, there is a situation in which the wireless power supply device 30 is preferably disposed at the upper part of the heat insulating box 11 as far away as possible from the machine room at the bottom of the heat insulating box 11. However, if the wireless power supply device 30 is disposed above the heat insulating box 11, there is a concern that the radio waves generated by the wireless power feed device 30 may be difficult to transmit to the lower side of the heat insulating box 11. Therefore, in the refrigerator 10 according to the present disclosure, a through hole 51 through which radio waves can pass is provided in the lower part of the heat insulating box 11. Therefore, even though the wireless power supply device 30 is disposed as far away from the machine room as possible, radio waves can be sufficiently supplied from the wireless power supply device 30 to the lower part of the heat insulating box 11.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless power supply device 30 is configured to wirelessly supply power to the wireless sensor 20 based on the Bluetooth communication standard, which is an example of a short-range wireless communication standard. However, the wireless power supply device 30 may be configured to wirelessly supply power to the wireless sensor 20 based on a standard other than the Bluetooth communication standard. The wireless power supply device 30 may be configured to wirelessly supply power to the wireless sensor 20 using, for example, an electromagnetic induction method.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless sensor 20 is arranged in a predetermined special part of the heat insulating box 11 in a state where it is oriented in a predetermined special direction where it can receive wireless power supply from the wireless power supply device 30. That is, according to the refrigerator 10, since the wireless sensor 20 is disposed in a predetermined special part and oriented in a predetermined special direction, the wireless sensor 20 and the wireless power supply device 30 are arranged so as to be close to each other and face each other. There's no need to. Therefore, the degree of freedom in the arrangement position of the wireless sensor 20 to which power is supplied wirelessly can be greatly increased.

As the predetermined special part, it is preferable to set a part of the heat insulating box 11 that can easily receive the radio waves transmitted by the wireless power supply device 30, such as a shelf in the storage room, an inner wall surface of the storage room, etc. Even if it is a part that does not directly face the wireless power supply device 30, it can be set as a predetermined special part as long as it can receive the radio waves transmitted by the wireless power supply device 30 even indirectly. .

As the predetermined specific direction, it is preferable to set an appropriate direction in which it is easy to receive radio waves transmitted by the wireless power supply device 30 at a predetermined specific location. Even if the direction does not directly point toward the location where the wireless power supply device 30 is located, if it is a direction in which radio waves emitted by the wireless power supply device 30 can be received even indirectly, it is set as a predetermined special direction. It is possible to do so.

The refrigerator 10 can be configured to include a temperature sensor 20A that detects the temperature inside the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 as the wireless sensor 20. In this case, the quenching processing section 61 includes the temperature sensor 20A When the temperature detected by the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 exceeds a predetermined temperature, the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are rapidly cooled. That is, according to the refrigerator 10, rapid cooling processing can be performed using the temperature sensor 20A, which is the wireless sensor 20.

The refrigerator 10 can be configured to include temperature sensors 20B and 20C that detect the temperature of the heat insulating material 100 as the wireless sensor 20. In this case, the deterioration state determination processing section 62 detects the temperature detected by the temperature sensors 20B and 20C. The degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100 is determined based on the temperature. That is, according to the refrigerator 10, it is possible to perform a process of determining the degree of deterioration of the heat insulating material 100 using the temperature sensors 20B and 20C, which are the wireless sensors 20.

According to the refrigerator 10, the water storage tank position determination processing section 63 determines whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11. The water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 determines that the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 when the radio wave intensity received from the wireless sensor 20 included in the water storage tank 19 falls outside of a predetermined range. That is, according to the refrigerator 10, it can be determined whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 by utilizing the radio wave intensity of the wireless sensor 20 included in the water storage tank 19.

The refrigerator 10 can be configured to include an illuminance sensor 20E as the wireless sensor 20 that detects the illuminance of light received through the water storage tank 19. In this case, the water storage tank position determination processing section 63 uses the illuminance sensor 20E. It is determined whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 based on the illuminance detected by the controller. That is, according to the refrigerator 10, it can be determined whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 by utilizing the illuminance sensor 20E, which is the wireless sensor 20.

The refrigerator 10 can be configured to include a weight sensor 20F that detects the weight of the water storage tank 19 as the wireless sensor 20. In this case, the water storage tank position determination processing unit 63 determines the position based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 20F. Then, it is determined whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 or not. That is, according to the refrigerator 10, it can be determined whether the water storage tank 19 is located outside the heat insulating box 11 by utilizing the weight sensor 20F, which is the wireless sensor 20.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless sensor 20 can be provided in the recess 70 provided in the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. According to this configuration example, it is possible to form a state in which the wireless sensor 20 is accommodated in the recess 70, that is, a state in which it is not directly exposed in the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. . Thereby, the wireless sensor 20 can be protected, and the durability and waterproofness of the wireless sensor 20 can be improved.

The wireless sensor 20 may be configured to be attached by fitting into the recess 70. Thereby, the wireless sensor 20 can be firmly and stably fixed within the recess 70.

According to the refrigerator 10, the wireless sensor 20 can be provided inside a thin plate-shaped card-shaped case 80. This configuration example also allows a state in which the wireless sensor 20 is housed in the card-type case 80, that is, a state in which it is not directly exposed in the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, to be formed. . Thereby, the wireless sensor 20 can be protected, and the durability and waterproofness of the wireless sensor 20 can be improved.

According to the card type case 80, it can be easily installed in a card slot (not shown) provided in an appropriate part of the refrigerator 10, and the configuration in which the wireless sensor 20 is firmly and stably fixed can be easily achieved. can be formed.

The card-type case 80 has a metal case part 81 made of a metal material and a non-metal case part 82 made of a non-metal material, and wirelessly supplies power from the wireless power supply device 30 to the non-metal case part 81. It is arranged so as to be oriented in a predetermined special direction in which it can receive power from the section 82 . According to this configuration example, while the strength of the card-type case 80 is ensured by the metal case part 81, it is possible to avoid interference with radio wave reception by the metal case part 81.

The card-type case 80 may include a high thermal conductivity section 83 made of a material with high thermal conductivity in a portion that the wireless sensor 20 comes into contact with. According to this configuration example, the heat of the air in the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 can be efficiently transmitted to the wireless sensor 20 via the high heat conduction part 83, and the temperature of the wireless sensor 20 can be Detection accuracy can be improved.

Note that this embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be modified or expanded as appropriate without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the refrigerator 10 can be configured by appropriately selecting and combining the various configuration examples described above and the various configuration examples described below.

As illustrated in FIG. 19, the wireless power supply device 30 may be provided inside the upper wall portion of the heat insulating box 11. In this case, the space portion 40 may be provided at least below the wireless power supply device 30. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the wireless power supply device 30 may be provided at the lower part of the upper wall portion of the heat insulating box 11. In this case, there is no need to provide the space 40 in the heat insulating box 11, and the spaces within the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 function as the space 40.

Also in the configuration example illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, wireless power is supplied from the wireless power supply device 30 to the wireless sensors 20 disposed in various parts of the heat insulating box 11 as viewed from a high position. This allows efficient wireless power supply to each wireless sensor 20.

The wireless power supply device 30 may be arranged on at least one of the hinge parts 12H[L] and 12H[R] that rotatably support the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R].

The wireless power supply device 30 may be placed on an operation panel (not shown) provided on the surface of the storage room door or in its surrounding area. The wireless power supply device 30 may be placed on a handle portion (not shown) on which the user rests his or her fingers when manually opening and closing the storage room door, or on a portion around the handle portion. The wireless power supply device 30 is not limited to the upper wall of the heat insulating box 11, but includes, for example, left and right side walls, a rear wall, a bottom wall, an intermediate heat insulating wall partitioning between a plurality of storage compartments, a storage compartment door, etc. It can be provided at various locations in the refrigerator 10.

The refrigerator 10 includes temperature sensors 20A as wireless sensors 20 in each of the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, and the control device 60 of the refrigerator 10 controls the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and It may also be configured to be able to output information that visualizes the temperature within 16. By providing such visualization information, the user can visually grasp the cooling state of each part in the refrigerator 10, for example, the cooling intensity of each storage compartment 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. It is possible to take measures such as changing the settings of the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, and changing the arrangement positions of stored items in each storage chamber 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

FIG. 21 shows an example of visualization information G that visualizes and shows the temperature in each of the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. According to the visualization information G, the display colors 12c, 13c, 14c, 15c, 16c of the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 are changed depending on the temperature inside the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. are different. According to the visualization information G, for example, the display colors 12c, 13c, 14c, 15c, and 16c of storage rooms whose temperature is higher than the set temperature are shown in warm colors such as red, and when the temperature is lower than the set temperature. The display colors 12c, 13c, 14c, 15c, and 16c of the storage rooms are shown in cool colors such as blue.

Alternatively, according to the visualization information G, for example, the higher the temperature in the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, the lighter the density of the cold color, and the lower the temperature in the storage chamber, the lighter the warm color. By applying a gradation to the display colors 12c, 13c, 14c, 15c, and 16c, such as decreasing the density of the display colors 12c, 13c, 14c, 15c, and 16c, each storage chamber 12, 13, 14, It may also be possible to express the temperature within 15 and 16.

When expressing the temperature in each storage compartment 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 by the shading of display colors 12c, 13c, 14c, 15c, 16c, for example, the refrigerator compartment 12 is blue, the vegetable compartment 13 is green, An image color is set for each storage compartment 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, such as purple for the ice making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and large freezer compartment 16, and the temperature is expressed by the shade of the image color. You may also do so.

For example, in the refrigerator compartment 12, each section partitioned by the shelves 12T may have a display color indicating the temperature of the section. Furthermore, each section may be subdivided, for example, vertically or horizontally, and a display color indicating the temperature may be displayed for each subdivided area.

As illustrated in FIG. 22, for example, for the chilled chamber 17, an icon 17P indicating an opening/closing cover for opening and closing the front opening of the chilled chamber 17 is provided in the visualization information G, and the icon 17P portion is set in a predetermined display color 17c. It is also possible to do as shown below. When the inside of the chilled chamber 17 is partitioned into multiple stages, a display color indicating the temperature may be shown for each compartment.

An icon indicating a handle provided on the storage room door of each storage room 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 may be provided in the visualization information G, and the icon portion may be shown in a predetermined display color.

The temperature of the stored items stored in the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 is arranged so as to be pinpoint detectable by the temperature sensor 20A, and an icon indicating the stored item is provided in the visualization information G, The temperature of the icon, that is, the temperature of the stored item may be indicated in a predetermined display color. In this case, by changing the display color of the icon representing the stored item in real time according to the temperature of the stored item, the degree of cooling of the stored item can be visually indicated.

The control device 60 of the refrigerator 10 may be configured to be able to output visualization information that visualizes the temperature in each of the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 using numerical values rather than display colors. Alternatively, the control device 60 of the refrigerator 10 may be configured to be able to output visualization information that visualizes the temperature in each of the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 using both display colors and numerical values.

The visualized information G as exemplified above can be displayed on the display, for example, if the refrigerator 10 is equipped with a display, or can be displayed on the display of a mobile terminal used by the user. can. A function that enables the output of such visualization information G can be realized by, for example, application software. Application software can be obtained from an application server via the Internet environment or cloud environment, for example.

As illustrated in FIG. 23, the refrigerator 10 includes a non-metal region 40A in which no metal material is used, and a metal region 40B in which a metal material is used, between the wireless sensor 20 and the wireless power supply device 30. It is good also as a structure provided with. In this case, the non-metal region 40A and the metal region 40B are provided in the lower region of the wireless power supply device 30 in the upper wall portion of the heat insulating box 11. The upper wall portion of the heat insulating box 11 is an example of a portion of the heat insulating box 11 that extends in the width direction of the heat insulating box 11. The non-metallic regions 40A and the metallic regions 40B are arranged alternately along the width direction of the heat insulating box 11. Note that the non-metallic regions 40A and the metallic regions 40B may be arranged alternately along the front-rear direction of the heat insulating box 11.

In this configuration example, the radio waves generated by the wireless power supply device 30 are reflected at the metal region 40B, but are supplied to, or propagated to, the wireless sensor 20 in the refrigerator compartment 12 through the non-metal region 40A. That is, according to this configuration example, even if there is a metal region 40B between the wireless sensor 20 and the wireless power supply device 30 that prevents the passage of radio waves, the wireless power supply device 30 will Radio waves can be sufficiently supplied wirelessly to the wireless sensor 20 via the non-metallic region 40A.

Note that the non-metal region 40A and the metal region 40B are provided on a partition wall 11A that partitions between the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 in the heat insulating box 11, as illustrated in configuration example A in FIG. Alternatively, as illustrated in configuration example B in FIG. As illustrated in configuration example C in FIG. 24, it may be provided in a partition wall 11C that partitions between the ice making compartment 14, the small freezing compartment 15, and the large freezing compartment 16 in the heat insulating box 11. The partition walls 11A, 11B, and 11C are examples of portions of the heat insulating box 11 that extend in the width direction of the heat insulating box 11.

In configuration example B, the non-metal region 40A and the metal region 40B are provided in a portion of the partition wall 11B that constitutes the upper wall portion of the ice making compartment 14 and a portion that constitutes the upper wall portion of the small freezing compartment 15, respectively. There is. In configuration example C, the non-metal region 40A and the metal region 40B are provided in a portion of the partition wall 11C that constitutes the lower wall portion of the ice making compartment 14 and a portion that constitutes the lower wall portion of the small freezing compartment 15, respectively. There is.

With these configuration examples, even if there is a metal region 40B between the wireless sensor 20 and the wireless power supply device 30 that prevents the passage of radio waves, the wireless sensor in the storage room can be connected from the wireless power supply device 30 to the wireless sensor in the storage room. Radio waves can be sufficiently supplied to the nonmetallic region 20 via the nonmetallic region 40A.

The radio wave passing portion is not limited to the through hole 51 that penetrates the metal layer 50A, but may be, for example, a gap formed between a plurality of heat insulating materials within the wall of the heat insulating box 11, through which radio waves can pass. Various configurations can be applied to the constituent elements.

Although the embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

In the drawing, 10 is a refrigerator, 11 is an insulated box (refrigerator body), 12 is a refrigerator compartment (storage compartment), 13 is a vegetable compartment (storage compartment), 14 is an ice making compartment (storage compartment), and 15 is a small freezer compartment. (storage room), 16 is a large freezing room (storage room), 19 is a water storage tank (water storage section), 20 is a wireless sensor (wireless detection section), 20A is a temperature sensor (temperature detection section that detects the temperature inside the storage room) , 20B, 20C are temperature sensors (temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the insulation material), 20E is an illuminance sensor (illuminance detection unit), 20F is a weight sensor (weight detection unit), and 30 is a wireless power supply device (wireless power supply unit). , 40 is a space (non-metal region), 40A is a non-metal region, 40B is a metal region, 50A and 50B are metal layers (metal part), 50C is a non-metal layer (non-metal part), 51 is a through hole (radio wave 61 is a quenching processing section (quenching section), 62 is a deterioration degree determination processing section (deterioration degree determination section), 63 is a water storage tank position determination processing section (water storage portion position determination section), 70 is a recessed portion, 80 81 is a card-type case (accommodating part), 81 is a metal case part (metal part), 82 is a non-metal case part (non-metal part), 83 is a high thermal conductivity part, and 100 is a heat insulating material.

Claims (9)

a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber;
a wireless detection unit provided in the refrigerator main body and supplied with power wirelessly;
a wireless power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power to the wireless detection unit;
Equipped with
A refrigerator including a non-metallic region in which no metal material is used between the wireless detection section and the wireless power supply section. The wall of the refrigerator main body is
having a metal part made of a metal material on at least one of an inner surface side that is the inside of the storage chamber and an outer surface side that is the opposite side to the inside of the storage chamber;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a non-metallic part made of a non-metallic material between an inner surface side which is the inside of the storage chamber and an outer surface side which is the opposite side from the inside of the storage chamber. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a radio wave passing section that is different from the non-metallic region and allows radio waves to pass therethrough. The wireless power feeding unit is provided above a central portion of the refrigerator main body in the vertical direction,
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the radio wave passage section is provided below a central portion of the refrigerator main body in the vertical direction. The wireless power feeding unit is provided above a central portion of the refrigerator main body in the vertical direction,
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the closer to the bottom of the refrigerator main body, the shorter the distance between the plurality of radio wave passing sections. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the wireless power supply unit wirelessly supplies power to the wireless detection unit based on a short-range wireless communication standard. The non-metal region and a metal region using a metal material are provided between the wireless detection unit and the wireless power supply unit,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the radio waves generated by the wireless power supply section pass through the non-metallic region and are supplied to the wireless detection section. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the non-metallic region and the metal region are provided in a portion of the heat-insulating box extending in the width direction of the heat-insulating box. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the wireless power feeding section is provided at a rear side of a central portion of the refrigerator main body in the front-rear direction.

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