JP2885638B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vegetable room
For a refrigerator configured to be able to store for a long time .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a storage room is used as a vegetable room, for example, a home refrigerator, which is a refrigerator of this kind, fresh vegetables and fruits can be stored in a fresh state for a certain period (for example, about one week). It is configured as follows. In the case of this configuration, specifically, a so-called drawer-type storage container is provided so as to be able to enter and leave the storage room, and further, cool air is circulated between the storage container and the chamber wall of the storage room, and the storage container is fixed. , The vegetables can be stored at a temperature (3 to 5 ° C.) and a humidity (90 to 95%) suitable for storage.

[0003]

One of the major factors for accelerating the aging of vegetables and fruits is a component (ethylene,
Acetaldehyde, etc.). Therefore, if the plant growth promoting components such as ethylene and acetaldehyde can be effectively removed from the vegetable compartment (storage container), the vegetables and fruits can be stored for a longer period of time.

However, a technique for effectively removing plant growth promoting components such as ethylene gas has not been sufficiently established, and measures for removing plant growth promoting components even in refrigerators have not been established. Was not taken at all.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to effectively remove growth promoting components released from vegetables, fruits, and the like, and to enable long-term storage of vegetables, fruits, and the like. Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of extending the life of a device for long-term storage.

[0006]

Refrigerator of the present invention, in order to solve the problem] is provided with a vegetable chamber provided in the refrigerator main body, and the vegetables
A gas decomposition member that is provided in a communication path communicating with the room or the vegetable room and is activated by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays and is made of a photocatalyst that decomposes a plant growth promoting component and a lamp that irradiates the gas decomposition members with ultraviolet light And a door for the vegetable compartment was opened.
When the lamp is turned off, the vegetable room door is closed
And a lamp control means for turning on the lamp after a lapse of a predetermined time .

[0007]

[0008]

The present inventor conducted experiments and researches on refrigerators, focusing on photocatalytic technology, in order to develop technology for effectively removing plant growth promoting components such as ethylene and acetaldehyde released from vegetables and fruits in refrigerators. As a result of the superposition, they found that a combination of a photocatalyst represented by a metal oxide such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide and ultraviolet light was extremely effective in decomposing the growth promoting component, and completed the present invention. It was.

That is, when the photocatalyst is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, active species are generated on the surface of the photocatalyst, and various chemical reactions occur. In particular, the ability to oxidatively decompose organic compounds is strong,
Plant growth promoting components (ethylene, acetaldehyde, etc.)
Also, it can decompose malodorous components (ammonia, trimethylamine, methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, etc.) into water, carbon dioxide, and the like. The principle of the photo-oxidative decomposition is as follows.

[0010]

Embedded image

Therefore, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the gas comprising the gas decomposing member made of the photocatalyst and the lamp for irradiating the gas decomposing member with ultraviolet rays is provided in the storage room or in the communication passage communicating with the storage room. Since the removal device is provided, when the storage room is used as a vegetable room, plant growth promoting components such as ethylene and acetaldehyde released from stored vegetables and fruits are stored in the storage room or in the communication passage.
The gas is decomposed and removed by the gas removing device, so that the growth (aging) of vegetables and fruits can be significantly suppressed.

[0012] In addition to the action of removing the plant growth-promoting components, the gas removal device also decomposes the odor components in the storage room,
The effect of removal can be expected, and also the effect of sterilization and fungicide in the storage room by ultraviolet rays emitted from the lamp can be expected. In addition, the gas removing device does not generate harmful ozone or the like, so that the safety is excellent.

By the way, if the lamp in the gas removing device is always turned on (energized), the decomposition of the growth promoting component can be prevented.
Although the removal function can be always exerted, it is expected that the life of the lamp will be shortened and the lamp will need to be replaced after a relatively short period of use. Therefore, the present inventor has configured the lamp to be turned off when the storage room is switched to the refrigeration room and used, since there is no need to remove the plant growth promoting component. As a result, the life of the lamp can be prolonged, and further, the power consumption can be reduced.

In the case where the storage room is used as a vegetable room, when the door of the storage room is opened, the plant growth promoting component lighter than air is released to the outside of the storage room. Is opened, the concentration of the plant growth promoting component in the storage room is sufficiently low, and thereafter, there is no need to remove the plant growth promoting component for a predetermined period of time, and therefore, there is no problem even if the lamp is cut off.
Therefore, the present inventor is configured to turn on / off the lamp based on opening and closing of the door of the storage room when the storage room is switched to the vegetable room and used. As a result, the lighting time of the lamp can be reduced to a necessary minimum, the life of the lamp can be further extended, and the power consumption can be reduced.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a home refrigerator will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG. 2 schematically showing a configuration of a refrigerator, a refrigerator main body 1 composed of a heat insulating box is provided with an inner box 3 made of, for example, a plastic inside an outer box 2 made of a metal plate. And inner box 3
Is filled with a heat insulating material 4 such as urethane foam. The inside of the refrigerator main body 1 is divided into a plurality of upper and lower sections by a partition wall 5 having heat insulation, and a plurality of (for example, four up and down) storage rooms 6 to 9 are formed. In this case, the three storage rooms 6 to 8 from the top are configured to be used as a refrigerator room 6, an upper freezer room 7, and a lower freezer room 8 in order from the top, and the lowermost storage room 9 is a refrigerator room or It is configured so that it can be used by switching to the vegetable room.

A well-known refrigeration cycle as a cooling means is incorporated in the refrigerator body 1, and a cooler 10 is provided in a cooler room 11 provided at the back of the refrigerator body 1. Have been. A cool air circulation path for circulating and supplying cool air from the cooler room 11 to each of the storage rooms 6 to 9 is provided in the main body 1, and a cool air circulation passage is provided in the cooler room 11. A fan device 12 is provided. In addition, doors 13 to 16 having heat insulating properties for opening and closing the storage rooms 6 to 9 are provided on the front surface of the refrigerator body 1 respectively.

A so-called drawer-type storage container 17 is provided in the storage room 9, and stores such as fresh vegetables and fruits are stored in the storage container 17. The storage container 17 has a container shape with an open upper surface, is connected to a door 16 that opens and closes the storage room 9, and is configured to be taken in and out integrally with the door 16. When the storage container 17 is stored (the door 16 is closed), the upper opening of the storage container 17 is covered with a container cover 18. The container cover 18 has a function of switching the storage room 9 to a refrigerator room or a vegetable room. In this case, as shown in FIG.
When the switching lever 19 provided at the front center portion of the container cover 18 is operated, for example, to the right in FIG. 3, the storage chamber 9 is switched to be used as a refrigerator, and the switching lever 19 is switched.
Is operated so that the storage room 9 can be used as a vegetable room.

As shown in FIG. 3, a door switch 20 for detecting the opening and closing of the door 16 is provided at the right end of the front surface of the storage room 9 (the front surface of the partition wall 5). A switching switch 21 for detecting the switching position of the switching lever 19 is provided at the center. The door switch 20 is a switch that performs an on / off operation according to the open / close state of the door 16, and the changeover switch 21 is a changeover lever 1
A switch that is turned on and off in accordance with the switching operation position 9. Here, in the present embodiment, the changeover switch 21 is formed of, for example, a reed switch, and a magnet for operating the reed switch is mounted on the changeover lever 19. Note that the changeover switch 21 may be configured by, for example, a microswitch, and the microswitch may be turned on and off by the changeover lever 19.

The cool air supplied into the storage room 9 through the cool air circulation path is mainly circulated between the storage container 17 and the inner wall of the storage room 9. When the storage room 9 is switched to be used as a vegetable room, and the storage container 17 is housed in the storage room 9, the storage container 17 is kept in a fixed closed state by the container cover 18 and the like. Water (steam) is not allowed to escape. Thus, the storage container 17 is configured to store vegetables at a temperature (3 to 5 ° C.) and a humidity (90 to 95%) suitable for storage.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A gas removal device 22 for removing plant growth promoting components such as ethylene and acetaldehyde released from vegetables and fruits is provided at the upper part of the storage room 9. Less than,
This gas removing device 22 is mainly described in FIGS.
It will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

First, the partition wall 5 constituting the ceiling of the storage room 9 is provided integrally with the refrigerator body 1 and is filled with a heat insulating material 4. On the lower surface of the partition wall 5, that is, on the ceiling surface of the storage room 9, a rectangular recess 23 that is long in the lateral direction is provided. The unitized gas removing device 22 is attached to the concave portion 23. The gas removing device 22 is configured by disposing a gas decomposing member 25 and a cold cathode lamp 26 (hereinafter, referred to as an ultraviolet lamp 26) as an ultraviolet light source in a case 24. The case 24 is formed of a material that does not transmit ultraviolet rays, such as a metal plate, for example.
It is formed in a rectangular box shape whose lower surface is open so as to fit into the concave portion 23. The ultraviolet lamp 26 includes a pair of lamp sockets 27 attached to the bottom of the case 24,
Since both ends are supported by the cover 27, the cover 27 is attached to the case 24 so as to extend in the left-right direction. The case 24
Any material that does not transmit ultraviolet rays may be glass, a plastic plate plated with metal, or the like, and protects the plastic inner box 3 from ultraviolet rays.

The gas decomposing member 25 is made of a photocatalyst made of, for example, a metal oxide such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide. In this case, the gas decomposing member 25 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction and having a concave side surface (corner excluding the upper wall portion). (Cylindrical). The gas decomposing member 25 is attached by two U-shaped attachment fittings 28 attached to the bottom surface of the case 24 so that both left and right ends are prevented from being pulled downward. At this time, the gas decomposition member 25 is separated from the ultraviolet lamp 26, and is arranged below, before and after the ultraviolet lamp 26. Further, a gap is formed between the upper end of the gas decomposition member 25 and the bottom of the case 24. As will be described in detail later in the description of the operation, the gas decomposing member 25 is activated by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays and exhibits an effect of decomposing a plant growth promoting component and the like.

The gas removing device 22 constructed as described above
Is mounted on the upper part of the storage room 9 by fitting the case 24 into the concave portion 23 and screwing it, for example.
Further, the lower surface of the gas removing device 22 (the lower surface opening of the case 24) is covered with a protective cover 29 so that a user does not touch the gas decomposition member 25 or the like. The protective cover 29 has, for example, a plurality of slits 29a, and is attached to the partition wall 5 by claw portions 29b, 29b at both ends. The slit 29a may be, for example, a plurality of circular holes.

On the other hand, in FIG. 7 showing an electric configuration for controlling the energization of the ultraviolet lamp 26, a control circuit 30 as a lamp control means is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and controls the energization (turns on / off) of the ultraviolet lamp 26. Lighting control)
And a control program for performing the operation. The control circuit 30 is configured to receive each switch signal from the door switch 20 and the changeover switch 21 via inverters 31 and 32, respectively. Specifically, the door switch 20 is connected in series with the resistor 33 between the DC power supply terminal Vcc and the ground, and an intermediate connection point between the door switch 20 and the resistor 33 is connected to the control circuit 30 via the inverter 31. Have been. In this case, the control circuit 30 receives a low level signal when the door switch 20 is off, and receives a high level signal when the door switch 20 is on. The door switch 20 is set to turn off when the door 16 is open and to turn on when the door 16 is closed.
The relationship with the on / off of the signal may be reversed.

Similarly, the changeover switch 21 is connected in series with the resistor 34 between the DC power supply terminal Vcc and the ground, and an intermediate connection point between the changeover switch 21 and the resistor 34 is connected via the inverter 32 to the control circuit 30. It is connected to the.
In this case, the control circuit 30 receives a low level signal when the changeover switch 21 is off, and receives a high level signal when the changeover switch 21 is on. The changeover switch 21 is set to turn off when the operation lever 19 is switched to the refrigerator compartment side and to be turned on when the operation lever 19 is switched to the vegetable compartment side. The relationship between the operation position and the on / off of the changeover switch 21 may be set in reverse.

The control circuit 30 is configured to control the power supply of the relay coil 35a of the relay 35 that cuts off the ultraviolet lamp 26 through the transistor 36. In this case, the control circuit 30
By applying a control signal to the base of the transistor 36 via a resistor 37, the transistor 36 is turned on and off. More specifically, when a high-level control signal is given from the control circuit 30 to the base of the transistor 36 and the transistor 36 is turned on, the exciting coil 35a is energized and the relay switch 35 is turned on. When the lamp 35 is turned on, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned on.
Is turned on, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated toward the gas decomposition member 25. When a low-level control signal is given from the control circuit 30 to the base of the transistor 36, and the transistor 36 is turned off, the exciting coil 35a is turned off and the relay switch 35 is turned off. The light is turned off and the gas decomposition member 25 is turned off.
UV rays are not irradiated toward the.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. Various foods and the like are stored and stored in the respective storage rooms 6 to 9 according to the type. Among them, fresh vegetables, fruits, and the like are in a state where the storage room 9 is switched to be used as a vegetable room (that is, the switching lever 1).
9 is operated to the operation position shown in FIG.
In the storage container 17. At this time, vegetables and fruits are stored at a temperature (3-5 ° C.) and humidity (90-9
5%).

Here, from the vegetables and fruits themselves, ethylene gas or the like, which is a component for promoting the growth of the plant, is released, and if it is not removed, it remains in the storage room 9 (storage container 17). If the concentration exceeds a predetermined concentration (this is referred to as a limit gas concentration) within the range 17, the aging of vegetables and fruits is accelerated. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the gas removing device 2
By providing 2, the plant growth promoting component can be effectively removed.

That is, ethylene gas and the like generated from vegetables and fruits are lighter than air and tend to rise, gather on the lower surface side of the container cover 18, and pass through the ventilation holes formed in the container cover 18. Accumulate in the upper part of the storage room 9. The ethylene gas and the like thus accumulated enter the gas removing device 22 through the slit 29 a of the protective cover 29 of the gas removing device 22. At this time, the ethylene gas, etc.
The space between the gas decomposing member 25 and the ultraviolet lamp 26 is passed through a gap between the gas decomposing member 25 and the case 24 and an opening at the end face of the gas decomposing member 25.

On the other hand, in the gas removing device 22, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is controlled to be turned on and off as described later in detail. When the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned on, the ultraviolet lamp 2 is applied to the gas decomposition member 25 made of a photocatalyst.
6 from the gas decomposition member 2
Active species are generated on the surface of No. 5, and various chemical reactions, particularly oxidative decomposition reactions of organic compounds, are remarkably performed. Therefore, the plant growth promoting components such as ethylene and acetaldehyde released from the stored vegetables and fruits are decomposed into water, carbon dioxide and the like by the gas removing device 22 and are removed. The growth (aging) of vegetables and fruits caused by the ingredients is suppressed.

The gas removing device 22 not only decomposes and removes plant growth promoting components, but also decomposes and removes malodorous components (ammonia, trimethylamine, methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, etc.). Thus, a deodorizing effect can be obtained. In addition, sterilization in the storage room 9 by the ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet lamp 26,
A fungicidal effect can also be expected.
Does not generate harmful ozone or the like, and is therefore excellent in safety.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show the decomposition ability of each organic compound by the photocatalyst. As time passes, ethylene gas (FIG. 8), acetaldehyde (FIG. 9), ammonia (FIG. 10), It shows the changing situation of each concentration of methyl mercaptan (FIG. 11). Further, for reference, a change in density when no ultraviolet light (abbreviated as UV in the figure) is irradiated is also shown. As can be understood from FIGS. 8 to 11, the gas removing device 22 combining the photocatalyst and the ultraviolet light has the ability to decompose and remove the plant growth promoting components (ethylene and acetaldehyde) and the malodorous components (ammonia, Methyl mercaptan) is extremely excellent in its ability to decompose and remove.

The control of turning on and off the ultraviolet lamp 26 of the gas removing device 22 will be described below with reference to FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 1 schematically shows the control contents of the control program stored in the control circuit 30. In the flowchart of FIG. 1, when the power is turned on, first, in step S1, the changeover switch 2
It is determined based on the switch signal from 1 whether or not the storage room 9 has been switched to the vegetable room. Here, when the storage room 9 is switched to the refrigeration room and used, the process proceeds to "NO" in step S1, and the control is performed so that the ultraviolet lamp 26 is kept turned off.

On the other hand, if the storage room 9 has been switched to the vegetable room, the process proceeds to "YES" in step S1, and it is determined whether, for example, 30 minutes have elapsed (step S1).
2). Thereafter, when 30 minutes have elapsed, the process proceeds to "YES" in step S2, and the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned on (step S3). By this lighting, growth promoting components released from vegetables, fruits and the like are effectively removed. Then, it is determined whether or not the door 16 has been opened based on a switch signal from the door switch 20 (step S4). Here, if the door 16 remains closed, the process proceeds to “NO” in step S4, and the ultraviolet lamp 26 is kept turned on. On the other hand, when the door 16 is opened, the process proceeds to “YES” in step S4, and control is performed so as to turn off the ultraviolet lamp 26 (step S5). This is because the plant growth promoting component such as ethylene gas is lighter than air, and when the door 16 of the storage room 9 is opened, the growth promotion component is released to the outside of the storage room 9. When the door 16 is opened, the indoor concentration of the plant growth promoting component is sufficiently low, and the ultraviolet lamp 26
This is because there is no problem even if the power is cut off.

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the door 16 is closed (step S6). If the door 16 is closed, the process proceeds to "YES" in step S6, for example, whether 30 minutes have elapsed. It is determined whether or not it is (step S7). Thereafter, when 30 minutes have elapsed, “YES” is determined in step S7.
The procedure returns to step S3 to turn on the ultraviolet lamp 26. If the door 16 is opened again before the elapse of 30 minutes, the process proceeds to "YES" in step S8, and returns to step S5 with the ultraviolet lamp 26 turned off. Here, door 16
The reason why the ultraviolet lamp 26 is not turned on for 30 minutes after closing the container is that the above-mentioned 30 minutes are required for the plant growth promoting component to accumulate in the storage room 9 to some extent. For 30 minutes after the closure, the growth promoting component does not accumulate in the storage room 9 so much, so that there is no need to decompose and remove the growth promotion component (after the storage room 9 is switched to the vegetable room, 30 minutes (Step S
(2) The reason why the ultraviolet lamp 26 is not turned on is the same reason). After that, the processes of steps S3 to S8 are repeatedly executed.

When the storage room 9 is switched from the vegetable room to the refrigeration room, an interruption occurs at the time of the switching and the control for turning off the ultraviolet lamp 26 (at the time of the interruption, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned off. If there is, control to continue turning off the light is performed, and then the process proceeds to step S1. Therefore, when the storage room 9 is switched from the refrigerator compartment to the vegetable compartment again thereafter, the process proceeds to "YES" in step S1 at the time of the switch, and the above-described processes (steps S2 to S8) are executed. It is configured to be.

According to this embodiment having such a structure, the gas decomposition member 25 made of a photocatalyst and the ultraviolet lamp 2 for irradiating the gas decomposition member 25 with ultraviolet light are provided above the storage chamber 9.
6 so that when the storage room 9 is switched to the vegetable room and used, the growth promoting components released from vegetables, fruits and the like can be effectively removed. . As a result, coupled with the control of temperature and humidity, the progress of aging of the vegetables and fruits stored in the storage room 9 can be effectively suppressed, and measures for removing the plant growth promoting components are taken. Compared to the conventional configuration in which nothing is taken, vegetables and fruits can be stored in a fresh state for a sufficiently long period of time. Moreover, in the above embodiment, the effect of removing the offensive odor component can also be obtained by the gas removing device 22.

In the above embodiment, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned off when the storage room 9 is switched to the refrigerator room for use. In this case, since the storage room 9 is a refrigeration room, it is not necessary to remove the plant growth promoting component. That is, when it is not necessary to remove the growth promoting component,
Is reliably turned off, the life of the ultraviolet lamp 26 can be prolonged, and therefore, the replacement time of the ultraviolet lamp 26 can be delayed, and the power consumption can be reduced.

By the way, until the growth promoting component of the plant released from the vegetables and fruits reaches the limit gas concentration in the storage room 9 (storage container 17), almost all of the stored products (vegetables and fruits, etc.)
And it takes some time to reach the limit gas concentration. Therefore, if the indoor concentration of the plant growth promoting component is sufficiently low, the gas removing device 2 may take some time (for example, about 30 minutes).
Stopping the function of No. 2 is not inferior to the effect of suppressing the progress of aging of vegetables and fruits. Thus, in the above embodiment, based on the detection signal from the door switch 20, when the door 16 is in the closed state, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned off, and 30 minutes after the door 16 is closed. After the elapse, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is controlled to be turned on. Thereby, the power cut-off time of the ultraviolet lamp 26 can be ensured while the effect of suppressing the aging of vegetables and fruits can be ensured, and the life of the ultraviolet lamp 26 can be further extended and power can be further saved.

Further, in the above embodiment, the gas removing device 22
Is provided in the upper part of the storage room 9 and the gas decomposition member 25 is provided.
And the ultraviolet lamp 26 are provided apart from each other, so that the plant growth promoting component can be efficiently decomposed and removed. Further, the gas decomposition member 25 is connected to an ultraviolet lamp 26.
Is provided so as to have a concave shape below, so that ultraviolet rays can be effectively irradiated to the gas decomposing member 25 and can receive glass and mercury when the ultraviolet lamp 26 is broken. Also, it is possible to obtain the effect that it is possible to prevent the falling into the storage room 9 beforehand.

In the above-described embodiment, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned on when a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes has elapsed after the door 16 is closed. What is necessary is just to determine suitably considering the removal capability etc. of the gas removal apparatus 22. Further, in the above embodiment, after the door 16 is closed, after 30 minutes have elapsed, the ultraviolet lamp 26 is continuously turned on until the door 16 is opened. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after the ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned on for a set time, intermittent lighting control for turning off the light for a set time may be repeated. Note that the set time in this configuration may be appropriately determined in consideration of the capacity of the storage room 9, the removal capability of the gas removal device 22, and the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the gas removing device 22 is provided above the storage room 9. However, the gas removing device 22 is connected to the storage room instead. It is also possible to provide a gas removing device in the communication passage.In this case, when both ends of the communication passage communicate with the storage room, the air in the refrigerator is passed through the communication passage by a fan device or the like. The configuration is more effective if it is configured to make forced convection. Furthermore, when a gas removing device is provided in the cool air circulation path, if there is a possibility that icing or dew condensation may occur on the surface of the gas decomposing member, a heater may be arranged in the vicinity thereof to heat as necessary. . In this case, the timing of the heating can be made to coincide with the timing of the defrosting operation of the cooler, and the heater can also be used as a heater for defrosting.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to home refrigerators but also to commercial refrigerators and the like. The present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the gist, for example, various modifications can be considered for the structure and structure.

[0044]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention includes a vegetable room provided in the refrigerator body,
It is provided in a vegetable room or a communication passage communicating with the vegetable room ,
It is provided with a gas decomposing member made of a photocatalyst that is activated by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays and decomposes a plant growth promoting component, and a lamp that irradiates the gas decomposing members with ultraviolet rays, and further includes a vegetable compartment. That the door was opened
When the lamp is turned off, the door of the vegetable compartment is closed
The lamp control means for turning on the lamp after a predetermined time has elapsed since the growth promoting component released from vegetables, fruits, etc. can be effectively removed, and long-term storage of vegetables, fruits, etc. is possible And, moreover,
This has an excellent practical effect of extending the life of the lamp and saving power.

[0045]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal side view of a refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view around a storage room.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a gas removing device part.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional front view of a gas removing unit.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the gas removing device.

FIG. 7 is an electric circuit diagram

FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram showing the ability of a photocatalyst to decompose ethylene gas.

FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing the ability of photocatalyst to decompose acetaldehyde.

FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing the ability of a photocatalyst to decompose ammonia.

FIG. 11 is a characteristic diagram showing the ability of a photocatalyst to decompose methyl mercaptan.

[Explanation of symbols]

In the drawing, 1 is a refrigerator main body, 6 is a refrigerator room, 7 and 8 are freezer rooms, 9 is a storage room, 10 is a cooler, 11 is a cooler room, 12
Is a fan device, 13 to 16 are doors, 17 is a storage container, 18
Is a container cover, 19 is a switching lever, 20 is a door switch, 21 is a switching switch, 22 is a gas removing device, 24 is a case, 25 is a gas decomposition member, 26 is an ultraviolet lamp,
9 is a protective cover, 30 is a control circuit (lamp control means),
Reference numeral 35 denotes a relay, and 35a denotes an exciting coil.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-5-180555 (JP, A) JP-A-1-159579 (JP, A) JP-A-64-88079 (JP, A) JP-A-62-1988 252875 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F25D 23/00 A23B 7/00 A61L 9/20

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vegetable catalyst provided in a refrigerator body and a photocatalyst which is provided in a communication passage communicating with the vegetable compartment or the vegetable compartment, and which is activated by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays and decomposes a plant growth promoting component. A gas decomposition member consisting of
A gas removing device comprising a lamp for irradiating the gas decomposition member with ultraviolet light, and the lamp is turned off when a door of the vegetable compartment is opened.
After a predetermined time has passed since the door of the vegetable compartment was closed
A refrigerator comprising: lamp control means for turning on the lamp.