JP2972421B2 - Deodorizing equipment such as refrigerators - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a deodorizer for a refrigerator or the like for removing odor components contained in air in a refrigerator or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a deodorizing device for a refrigerator or the like,
For example, using an adsorbent such as activated carbon, the adsorbent is used to adsorb and remove odor components contained in the air in the refrigerator, or an ozone generator and a catalyst are provided, and the ozone generated from the ozone generator is provided. Is reacted with an odor component contained in the air in the refrigerator, the odor component is removed by oxidative decomposition, and the remaining ozone is decomposed and removed by a catalyst.

[0003] However, among these, those using an adsorbent only adsorb odor components by the adsorbent, and when the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent is saturated, it is no longer possible to adsorb odor components. Has a shortcoming that the life of the device is short. On the other hand, those using an ozone generator
In addition to the necessity of an ozone generator, it is necessary to decompose the remaining ozone harmful to the human body.

On the other hand, to solve these disadvantages, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-275277, for example, discloses the following configuration.

As shown in FIG. 4, a heater 1 for defrosting a cooler is provided around a heater 1 for defrosting, and a deodorizing body 2 comprising an adsorbent mixed with a platinum group catalyst is used as the heater. 1
The odor component contained in the air that comes into contact with the deodorizing body 2 is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the odor component is oxidized and decomposed by the action of the catalyst with the heating by the heater 1 when the cooler is defrosted. It has a function to make it work.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned publication, the deodorizing body 2 has a structure in which a catalyst is mixed in an adsorbent, and the catalyst is scattered.
At the time of heating by, the delay of the temperature of the catalyst outside the deodorant body 2 particularly oxidizing and decomposing the odor component is delayed, and the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent is easily released without being decomposed,
There is a disadvantage that the decomposition efficiency of the odor component is poor and the deodorizing effect is not sufficiently exhibited.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing apparatus such as a refrigerator which can enhance the efficiency of decomposing odor components and sufficiently exhibit a deodorizing effect.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a heater, which is disposed in a circulation path for circulating air in a refrigerator or the like and whose power is cut off and controlled, comprises a heater. And an adsorbent that adsorbs the odor component contained in the air passing through the circulation path and desorbs the odor component adsorbed by being heated by the heater, and an outer surface of the adsorbent. A catalyst that is provided so as to cover this, and that oxidizes and decomposes odor components as it is heated by the heater , using alumina as the adsorbent.
In addition, platinum is used as the catalyst, and the adsorbent removes odor components.
The desorption temperature of the adsorbent begins to decrease,
Catalyst in which the reaction rate at which the medium oxidizes and decomposes odor components begins to increase
Characterized in that the temperature is higher than the oxidative decomposition temperature .

[0009]

[Function] By combining the adsorbent and the catalyst having the above-mentioned temperature characteristics, when desorbing the odor component adsorbed by the adsorber during heating by the heater, the catalyst already exhibits the function of oxidizing and decomposing the odor component. As a result, the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent can be prevented from being released without being decomposed.

Moreover, since the catalyst is provided on the outer surface of the adsorbent so as to cover the same, the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent can be efficiently decomposed by the catalyst without releasing it without decomposition.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 3 showing the upper part of the refrigerator, a freezer compartment 12 and a refrigerating compartment 13 are formed inside the refrigerator main body 11, and doors 14 and 1 are respectively provided on the front part.
5 are provided. A cooler 17 is disposed in a cooler room 16 formed at the back of the freezing room 12.
Above 7, a fan 18 for circulating air in the refrigerator is arranged.

When the fan 18 is driven, the cooler 1
A part of the air cooled by 7 is supplied from the supply port 19 into the freezer compartment 12, and the air in the freezer compartment 12 is circulated through the return duct 20 and returned into the cooler compartment 16, Thus, the inside of the freezing compartment 12 is cooled.

A part of the air cooled by the cooler 17 is supplied through the supply duct 21 into the refrigerator compartment 13, and the air in the refrigerator compartment 13 passes through the return duct 22 into the refrigerator compartment 16. Circulated back to
Thus, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 13 is cooled.

In this case, the cooler room 16 and the freezer room 1
A circulation path for circulating the air in the freezing room 12 is constituted by the second duct 2 and the return duct 20, and a circulation in which the air in the cold room 13 is circulated by the cooler room 16, the supply duct 21, the refrigerating room 13, and the return duct 22. The road is configured.

Now, a deodorizing device 23 according to the present invention is provided in the lower part of the circulation path in the cooler room 16, and the deodorizing device 23 will be described.

Below the cooler 17, a heater 24 which is also used as a defrost heater is provided. In this case, the heater 24 is configured by a heater wire itself made of a nichrome wire or the like, and is disposed so as to extend in the left-right direction when viewed from the front in the cooler chamber 16, and is energized when the cooler 17 is defrosted. In other cases, power cutoff control is performed such that the power is cut off.

A tubular deodorizing body 25 is provided so as to surround the heater 24. This deodorant 25
As shown in FIG. 1, it has a porous structure, and has a double structure of an adsorbent 26 and a catalyst 27. Of these, the adsorbent 26 is arranged on the inside close to the heater 24, and the catalyst 27 is It is arranged on the outer surface of the adsorbent 26 so as to cover it.

In this embodiment, as is apparent from the reason described later, alumina is used for the adsorbent 26 and platinum is used for the catalyst 27.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 28 denotes a cover provided so as to cover the heater 24 and the deodorizing body 25 from above.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. During the cooling operation of the refrigerator, the air in the refrigerator (in the freezing room 12 and the refrigerating room 13) is circulated through the circulation path by the blowing action of the fan 18.

In this process, the air passing through the cooler room 16 comes into contact with the deodorizing body 25, and the odor components contained in the air are adsorbed by the adsorbing body 26 and removed. Then, the air from which the odor component has been removed is cooled by the cooler 17 and supplied to the freezing room 12 and the refrigerating room 13 again.

On the other hand, when the cumulative operation time of a compressor (not shown) reaches a predetermined value, the compressor and the fan 18 are turned off, and the heater 24 is energized to generate heat.

The heat generated by the heater 24 heats the deodorizing body 25 around the heater 24 and the cooler 1
7 is also heated. When the cooler 17 is heated,
This is followed by defrosting.

As the deodorizing body 25 is heated by the heater 24, the odor component adsorbed on the adsorbent 26 is desorbed, and the deodorized odor component is converted into the catalyst 2
In 7 it becomes oxidatively decomposed.

Here, the alumina used for the adsorbent 26 is
As shown in FIG. 2, there is a function of adsorbing odor components at about 200 ° C. or less, and beyond that, the adsorption rate gradually decreases, so that the adsorbed odor components gradually desorb. Has a temperature characteristic of

Further, as shown in the figure, the platinum used for the catalyst 27 has no function of oxidizing and decomposing odor components at about 150 ° C. or lower. It has a temperature characteristic of exhibiting a function of oxidizing and decomposing components.

Therefore, in this case, when the heater 24 is heated,
When the odor component adsorbed by the adsorbent 26 is desorbed, the catalyst 27 has already exhibited the function of oxidatively decomposing the odor component, and the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent 26 is almost decomposed by the catalyst 27. Therefore, it can be minimized that the odor components are released without being decomposed.

In addition, since the catalyst 27 is provided on the outer surface of the adsorbent 26 so as to cover the same, the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent 26 is not released without being decomposed.
7 can be efficiently decomposed.

The adsorbent 26 of the deodorant 25 regenerates the adsorption function, that is, the deodorization function by desorbing the odor component by heating by the heater 24.

When the temperature of the cooler 17 reaches a predetermined defrosting end temperature, the heater 24 is turned off and the defrosting operation is completed. Thereafter, the compressor and the fan 18 are energized to restart the cooling operation. Be started. With this, adsorbent 2
5, the adsorbent 26 again adsorbs the odor component in the same manner as described above.

According to the present embodiment, the deodorant 25
While using alumina as the adsorbent 26 constituting
Using platinum as the catalyst 27, the adsorbent 26 removes odor components.
Desorption temperature of the adsorbent 26 where the adsorption rate at which adsorption starts to decrease
However, the reaction rate at which the catalyst 27 oxidizes and decomposes the odorous component increases.
To be higher than the oxidative decomposition temperature of catalyst 27
Because, when heated by the heater 24, when desorbing odor components adsorbent 26 had been adsorbed, the catalyst 27 is already will be exhibit their ability to oxidize and decompose odor components were desorbed from the adsorbent 26 The odor component can be almost completely decomposed in the catalyst 27, so that the release of the odor component without decomposition can be minimized.

Incidentally, for example, when silica is used as an adsorbent and a deodorant is formed using a metal oxide (NiO or CuO) as a catalyst, as shown in the temperature characteristic of FIG. Even if the odorous component that had been desorbed began to be desorbed (even if the adsorption rate was reduced), the metal oxide catalyst was not yet capable of oxidizing and decomposing the odorous component (reaction). Since the temperature range (when the rate is almost 0) is large, there is a problem that many odor components are released without being decomposed.

In this regard, according to the present embodiment, such a problem can be eliminated.

Moreover, since the catalyst 27 is provided on the outer surface of the adsorbent 26 so as to cover the same, the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent 26 is not released without being decomposed.
7 can be efficiently decomposed.

In the above embodiment, the heater 24 is constituted by the heater wire itself, and the tubular deodorizing body 25 is provided so as to surround the heater 24. However, the heater wire is a glass tube. It is also possible to use a so-called glass tube heater surrounded by the above, and to provide the deodorizing body 25 on the outer surface of the glass tube so as to surround the heater.

In addition, a dedicated heater which does not double as a defrost heater may be used as the heater 24.

[0037]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention , alumina is used for the adsorbent and white catalyst is used for the catalyst.
Using gold, the adsorption rate at which the adsorbent adsorbs odor components decreases.
When the desorption temperature of the adsorbent starts, the catalyst oxidizes and decomposes odor components
Temperature rises above the oxidative decomposition temperature of the catalyst
With such a configuration, the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent can be almost completely decomposed by the catalyst, so that the release of the odor component without decomposition can be minimized.

Further, since the catalyst is provided on the outer surface of the adsorbent so as to cover the same, the odor component desorbed from the adsorbent can be efficiently decomposed by the catalyst without releasing it undecomposed. Thereby, an excellent effect of increasing the decomposition efficiency of the odor component and sufficiently exhibiting the deodorizing effect is achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional side view of a main part showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a temperature characteristic diagram of an adsorbent and a catalyst.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the upper part of the refrigerator.

FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 is a refrigerator main body, 16 is a cooler room (circulation path), 23 is a deodorizer, 24 is a heater, 25 is a deodorant, 26 is an adsorbent, and 27 is a catalyst.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ identification symbol FI B01D 53/81 B01D 53/34 116J F25D 23/00 302 (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B01D 53 / 86-53/94 F25D 23/00 B01J 21/00-38/74

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A heater which is provided in a circulation path through which air in a refrigerator or the like circulates and whose power is cut off and controlled, and which is provided so as to surround the heater and is included in air passing through the circulation path An adsorbent that adsorbs the odor component absorbed and desorbs the odor component adsorbed by being heated by the heater, and is provided on the outer surface of the adsorber so as to cover the odor component, and is heated by the heater. A catalyst for oxidatively decomposing odor components, using alumina as the adsorbent, and platinum as the catalyst.
The adsorption rate at which the adsorbent absorbs odor components
The catalyst deoxidizes and decomposes odor components due to the desorption temperature of the adsorbent
Above the oxidative decomposition temperature of the catalyst
Deodorizing device such as a refrigerator, characterized in manner things become.