JP3089617U - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a refrigerator capable of efficiently sterilizing floating bacteria. SOLUTION: Cold air in the refrigerator compartment 2 is taken into the ion generation chamber 45 provided behind the refrigerator compartment 2 from the cold air return port 10, and the needle-shaped electrode 1 arranged above the ion generation chamber 45 is provided.
By applying a voltage to 1a and discharging positive ions and negative ions by a corona discharge substantially in parallel with cold air flowing in the direction of arrow B2, loss of ions due to collision with a wall surface is reduced, and ions in a wide area are reduced. , The contact period between the cold air and the ions is extended to improve the sterilization ability.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

 The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a sterilizing means for sterilizing airborne bacteria in cold air in a storage room.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 A conventional refrigerator is disclosed in JP-A-8-145545. According to the publication, a negative DC high voltage is applied to an electrode to generate negative ions by an ion generator provided in the refrigerator and having a counter electrode for attracting electric charge. Negative ions are sent out into the storage room, and the growth of airborne bacteria in the storage room is suppressed to maintain the freshness of food.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

 In the above-mentioned conventional refrigerator, a counter electrode facing the needle electrode is provided in the ion generator. Ions emitted from the needle electrode into a narrow region between the needle electrode and the counter electrode are attracted to the counter electrode. Therefore, a large-sized blower having a high blowing capacity is required in order to send a desired amount of ions required for sterilization to the room. For this reason, there has been a problem that the ion generator is complicated and large-sized by the counter electrode and the large blower.

When a negative voltage is charged on the needle electrode in order to selectively generate a large amount of negative ions, a positive charge is charged on the electric circuit. For this reason, a malfunction of the circuit due to charging and a decrease in the amount of generated negative ions due to the charging of the positive charge occur. In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to connect the ground directly to the ground to release the positive charge.It is difficult for all households to connect the ground to the ground for home refrigerators due to construction conditions. There were also problems.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can efficiently sterilize suspended bacteria. In addition, the present invention does not require grounding to the ground and can be easily installed in homes, and can improve sterilization efficiency by easily contacting ions with floating bacteria without complicating the device. It is intended to provide a refrigerator.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the refrigerator of the present invention generates a positive ion such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and a negative ion such as O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _m by applying a high voltage. An electrode is provided, and positive ions and negative ions are emitted from the electrode to an air flow path through which air flows. The air flow path includes a storage room and a duct provided behind the storage room.

[0007] The present invention includes a positive ion such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and a high voltage is applied to the electrode without a counter electrode, O ₂ ^- and (H ₂ O) negative ions _m such It is characterized in that positive ions and negative ions are emitted into the air circulation path through which the generated air flows.

The present invention also provides an ion generator that is not grounded, and applies a high voltage to the electrodes of the ion generator to generate positive ions such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O). ) Generates negative ions such as _m and discharges positive ions and negative ions into the air circulation path through which air flows.

[0009] The present invention includes an ion generating device having no grounded electrode, and positive ions such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n by applying a high voltage to the electrodes of the ion generating equipment, O ₂ ^- (H ₂ O) _{m and the} like.

[0010] Further, the present invention provides a refrigerator having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein at least one storage room is provided, and a duct for guiding air to at least one of the storage rooms is provided, and the electrodes are arranged in the duct. Features.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator of each of the above-described configurations, the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a needle-like projection is protruded from a part of the flat plate.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator having the above-mentioned constitution, the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a plurality of needle-like projections are protruded from a part of the plate.

[0013]

[Embodiment of the invention]

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The refrigerator main body 1 is provided with a refrigerator compartment 2, a freezer compartment 3, and a vegetable compartment 4 from above, and the refrigerator compartment 2, the freezer compartment 3, and the vegetable compartment 4 are partitioned by partitions 6a, 6b. An isolation chamber 5 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 2 and houses a case 7 movable in the front-rear direction. The refrigerator compartment 2 is provided with placing shelves 8a to 8d for placing foods and the like, and the placing shelf 8d forms the ceiling of the isolation room 5.

The refrigerator compartment 2 can be opened and closed by a refrigerator compartment door 19 pivotally supported at the front. Door pockets 21 a to 21 d are provided on the rear side of the refrigerator compartment door 19. The freezer compartment 3 can be opened and closed by a freezer compartment door 22 of a drawer type. The freezing case 23 is detachably attached to the freezing room door 22 so as to be drawn out integrally with the freezing room door 22. The freezing case 24 disposed above the freezing case 23 is provided so as to be able to be pulled out independently of the freezing compartment door 22.

The vegetable room 4 can be opened and closed by a drawer type vegetable room door 25. The vegetable case 26 is attached to the vegetable room door 25 and is pulled out integrally with the vegetable room door 25. An accessory case 27 is arranged above the vegetable case 26. The upper surface of the vegetable case 26 is covered with a vegetable case cover 28 so that the vegetable case 26 and the accessory case 27 are maintained at a predetermined humidity.

A cool air passage 38 is provided behind the freezer compartment 3, and a cooler 29 that generates cool air by driving a compressor 46 is arranged in the cool air passage 38. Below the cooler 29, a heater 33 for defrosting the cooler 29 is arranged. Defrosted water by defrosting the heater 33 is collected in an evaporating dish 39 through a drain pipe 37.

Above the cooler 29, a blower 30 for sending cold air to the refrigerator compartment 2, the freezer compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the isolation compartment 5 is arranged. A pressure chamber 32 is provided on the discharge side of the blower 30, and cool air is discharged into the freezing chamber 3 from discharge ports 31 a, 31 b, and 31 c provided in a duct 31 communicating with the pressure chamber 32. Then, the cool air in the freezer compartment 3 returns to the cooler 29 in the cool air passage 38 through the cool air return port 35.

The cold air distribution chamber 17 communicates with the pressure chamber 32 via a damper 17a. The cool air distribution chamber 17 communicates with a cool air passage 41 arranged behind the refrigerator compartment 2. The cool air passage 41 includes a passage assembly 40 having a heat insulating material 42 and a passage cover 43 on the front side. Reference numeral 47 denotes an electric circuit assembly for controlling the refrigerator and controlling the operation of the apparatus. The electric circuit assembly 47 is covered with an electric cover 47a.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the refrigerator compartment 2. The cool air passage 41 is composed of an ascending passage 41a arranged substantially at the center of the refrigerator compartment 2 and a descending passage 41b provided outside the ascending passage 41a. The ascending passage 41a and the descending passage 41b communicate with each other at the upper end. The cool air guided to the cool air passage 41 discharges the cool air from the discharge port 14 into the isolation chamber 5.

On the other hand, the remaining cool air rises in the ascending passage 41 a and discharges the cool air from the discharge port 15 into the refrigerator compartment 2 through the descending passage 41 b. At the lower right in the drawing of the refrigerator compartment 2 when viewed from the front, a cool air return port 10 having a plurality of holes in a lattice shape is provided so that the cool air in the refrigerator compartment 2 flows in.

In FIG. 1, an ion generation chamber 45 for generating ions (sterilizing substance) by corona discharge is provided behind the cool air return port 10. Below the ion generation chamber 45, a cool air passage 16 whose periphery is covered with a heat insulating material 16a is provided in communication. Although the ion generation chamber 45 and the cold air passage 38 are illustrated in the same plane for convenience, the cold air passage 16 is actually provided in parallel with the cold air passage 38, and the cold air passage 16 and the ion generation chamber 45 are arranged in substantially the same plane.

The outlet 13 at the lower end of the cool air passage 16 is disposed facing the vegetable compartment 4, and cool air passing through the cool air passage 16 is discharged into the vegetable compartment 4. The cool air in the vegetable compartment 4 is guided to the cooler 29 in the cool air passage 38 via the cool air return port 34.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a side sectional view and a rear view showing the ion generation chamber 45. In the ion generation chamber 45, an ion generator 11 (sterilization unit) having the needle-shaped electrode 11a is provided. The needle-shaped electrode 11a protrudes from the flat plate-like portion 11b and is connected to the power supply 11e via a lead 11d covered with an insulating film. The lead portion 11d is supported by a resin support portion 10a integrally formed with a grill 10b forming the cool air return port 10.

The flat portion 11b is disposed parallel to the vertical surface, and suppresses accumulation of dust on the electrode portion 11c including the needle electrode 11a and the flat portion 11b when corona discharge is not performed. It has become. The flat portion 11b is substantially parallel to the grill 10b forming the cool air return port 10. Therefore, the distance from the cool air return port 10 as the opening to the plurality of needle electrodes 11a can be made the same. Therefore, safety against electric shock can be ensured without using unnecessary space.

When a high voltage is applied to the needle electrode 11a from the power supply unit 11e via the lead unit 11d, an electric field concentrates on the tip of the needle electrode 11a, and the cool air taken in from the cool air return port 10 is cooled by the electrode tip. Causes local dielectric breakdown and corona discharge. The length of the lead portion 11d is 200 mm or less so as to suppress a decrease in discharge efficiency and facilitate wiring. When the length of the lead portion 11d is 100 mm or less, a decrease in discharge efficiency can be further suppressed. Further, it is more preferable that the thickness be 50 mm or less because electrodes can be connected without substantially lowering discharge efficiency.

[0026] When applied by a corona discharge voltage is a positive voltage is generated positive ions consisting mainly ^{_{H + (H 2 O) n}} , primarily in the case of negative voltage O ₂ ^- minor temperature consisting of (H ₂ O) _m Is generated. H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and ^{_{O 2 - (H 2 O)}} m is aggregated on the surface of microorganisms, surround airborne bacteria, such as microorganisms in the air. Then, as shown in formulas (1) to (3), the active species [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) are generated on the surface of microorganisms by collision. Sterilize floating bacteria.

[0027] ^{_{H + (H 2 O) n}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) m → · OH + 1 / 2O 2 + (n + m) H 2 O ··· (1) H + (H 2 O) n + H ^{_{+ (H 2 O) n '}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) m + O 2 - (H 2 O) m' → 2 · OH + O 2 + (n + n '+ m + m') H 2 O ··· _{^{(2) H + (H 2}} O) n + H + (H 2 O) n '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) m + O 2 - (H 2 O) m' → H 2 O 2 + O 2 + (n + _{n '+ m + m')} H 2 O ··· (3)

In the present embodiment, the floating bacteria in the cold air can be sterilized by the positive ions and the negative ions, so that the damage to the stored matter can be suppressed more than before. Further, since there is no counter electrode facing the needle electrode 11a or a collecting electrode for collecting positive ions, ions are attracted to these electrodes due to a potential difference as in the related art, or counter to the needle electrode. No ions are generated in a narrow area between the electrodes.

[0029] For this reason, even without strong air blowing, ions can be diffused into the cool air passage and airborne bacteria in the cool air can be captured and sterilized in a wide range. Therefore, the sterilizing ability can be further improved. Furthermore, since the ion generator 11 is simplified, the size of the ion generator 11 can be reduced.

Since a positive voltage and a negative voltage are applied to the needle electrode 11a, the electric circuit is not charged even if there is no ground potential. For this reason, the refrigerator 1 can be easily installed in the home without the need for the earth connected to the ground. Therefore, the ion generator 11 can be further simplified and downsized.

According to the above formulas (1) to (3), equal amounts of a positive ion and a negative ion are required to generate active species. In the present embodiment, the amount of generated positive ions is smaller than the amount of generated negative ions because the positive ions alone have the function of aging cells when they come into contact with food or the like. As a result, positive ions and negative ions aggregate on the surface of the microorganisms to form active species, thereby killing the suspended bacteria, and preventing the growth of the suspended bacteria by surplus negative ions. Inflow can be prevented.

At this time, if the amount of generated positive ions is less than 3% of the amount of generated negative ions, the amount of [.OH] generated is reduced, resulting in a decrease in sterilizing power. For this reason, the amount of positive ions generated is set to 3% or more of the amount of negative ions generated. In addition, sufficient bactericidal ability can be obtained by setting the amount of generated plus ions to 5000 or more per 1 cm ³ .

The amount of each ion generated can be changed by changing the application time of the positive voltage and the negative voltage. Further, the amount of generated ions may be controlled by performing duty control for varying the on / off time of voltage application.

In addition, ozone generated simultaneously with ions by corona discharge has oxidizing power, and when flowing into the refrigerator compartment 2 or the vegetable compartment 4, at a high concentration, foods are oxidized and deteriorated. For this reason, the voltage applied to the needle electrode 11a is reduced (for example, an AC voltage of +1.8 kV to -1.8 kV), so that the amount of ozone generated by corona discharge is suppressed to an extremely small amount. I have. In addition, it is more desirable to repeat the on / off of the applied voltage at short time intervals during the duty control because the generation of ozone can be suppressed.

The needle electrode 11 a is arranged in a cold air passage (ion generation chamber 45) communicating with the refrigerator compartment 2. Thereby, the outflow of ozone to the refrigerator compartment 2 is suppressed by the cool air flowing into the cool air return port 10, and the oxidation of food can be prevented by removing ozone in the cool air passage as described later.

Further, by disposing the needle electrodes 11a in the cool air passage at a distance of, for example, 40 mm or more behind the cool air return port 10, the needle electrodes 11a are covered with an insulating case to ensure safety. There is no need for this, and the ion generator 11 can be configured at low cost. In addition, the ozone generated at the time of ion generation due to the cold air flowing into the cold air return port 10 is suppressed from flowing out to the refrigerator compartment 2, and as described later, ozone is removed in the cool air passage to prevent food oxidation. can do.

The needle electrode 11 a may be constituted by a plurality of needle conductors having the same potential. At this time, since a large amount of ions are emitted from the tip of the needle-shaped conductor in an extended manner, it is possible to emit ions to a wide area around the needle-shaped electrode 11a by arranging a plurality of conductors in different directions. And sterilization ability can be improved. Note that the released ions are further dispersed to the surroundings thereafter.

If the distance L between the support portion 10a and the electrode portion 11c is small, high pressure may be applied to the support portion 10a when dew condensation occurs on the support portion 10a. Therefore, the distance L is set to 3.5 mm or more (for example, 5 mm), more preferably 10 mm or more, and the support 10a is separated from the needle-shaped electrode 11a, whereby the support 10a is reliably insulated. In addition, the region where ions are released by corona discharge can be widened, and the sterilizing ability can be improved. It is desirable that the support portion 10a be formed of an insulating material.

When positive ions and negative ions are generated by one needle-like electrode 11a, a part of the positive ions and negative ions are offset in the vicinity of the electrodes, and the actual amount of generated ions is reduced. For this reason, if two needle-shaped electrodes 11a are provided and positive and negative ions are generated by separate electrodes, the substantial amount of generated ions can be increased. This also makes it possible to easily vary the amount of each ion generated.

The two electrodes can easily change the ion generation balance by changing the circuit configuration, applied voltage, electrode shape, electrode material, and the like. Further, if the two electrodes are arranged at least 10 mm or more (preferably 30 mm or more) apart, the positive and negative ions from each electrode hardly cancel each other, and the ions can be effectively used for sterilization. it can.

Below the needle electrode 11a (downwind side), a deodorizing device 12 for removing odorous substances is arranged. As shown in FIG. 5, the deodorizing device 12 is formed by coating a substance formed in a corrugated honeycomb shape with a low-temperature deodorizing catalyst and an adsorbent. The deodorizing device 12 may be composed of a low-temperature deodorizing catalyst, a filter carrying an adsorbent, or a nonwoven fabric, but is more preferably formed in a honeycomb shape because the pressure loss can be reduced.

In addition, floating bacteria can be captured in the deodorizing device 12 by the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst or the adsorbent. Therefore, when the deodorizing device 12 is close to the ion generating device 11, a large amount of the suspended bacteria caught by the deodorizing device 12 can be sterilized, and the sterilizing effect can be improved. At this time, it is desirable to secure a distance of at least 10 mm between the needle-shaped electrode 11a for corona discharge and the surface of the deodorizing device 12.

That is, if the distance between the needle electrode 11a and the deodorizing device 12 is too close, the deodorizing device 12 is regarded as a counter electrode and the electric field becomes strong. Therefore, even when the applied voltage is low (for example, an AC voltage of about 90 kHz from +1.8 kV to -1.8 kV (3.6 kVp-p)), the state becomes the same as when the discharge output increases, and the corona is applied. Degradation of the deodorizer 12 due to discharge is remarkable. Therefore, when the distance is set to 10 mm or more, the deterioration of the deodorizing device 12 can be prevented. When the deodorizing device 12 contains a large amount of carbon and metal components (for example, activated carbon particles, carbon fibers, platinum powder, nickel, etc.), the deterioration becomes more remarkable.

The discharge from the needle-shaped electrode 11a is performed mainly in the range of a solid angle of 2πsr forward with the tip as a center, and a hemispherical effective discharge region is formed. For example, at the above-mentioned applied voltage (3.6 kVp-p), a discharge effective region having a radius of 100 mm (100,000 or more negative ions per 1 cm ^{3 in a} windless state) can be obtained.

For this reason, when the deodorizing device 12 is disposed in the discharge effective area, an effective sterilizing action in the deodorizing device 12 is obtained, and the sterilizing efficiency is improved. Therefore, it is also possible to reduce the amount of ozone generated by suppressing the applied voltage.

The results of an experiment in which ions were delivered by an ion generator having only one needle-shaped electrode 11a assuming a refrigerator having a total volume of 400 L in which cold air circulates were as follows. Here, the sterilization rate is the amount of suspended bacteria per unit volume after sending ions with respect to the amount of suspended bacteria per unit volume before sending ions.

Experiment No. Applied voltage Applied time Sterilization rate 1 -1.8 kV to +1.8 kV 10 minutes 25% 2 -2.5 kV to +2.5 kV 45 minutes 80%

Experiment No. In No. 1, the sterilization rate was 25%, and in the results of the sensory test, almost no ozone odor was felt after the experiment. Therefore, if the absolute value of the applied voltage is an AC voltage of 1.8 kV or more, a refrigerator having a certain sterilizing effect and no discomfort can be obtained. In addition, for corona discharge effective for sterilization, an AC voltage having an absolute value of a peak value of the applied voltage of 1.8 kV is required.

Experiment No. In No. 2, the sterilization rate was 80%. The amount of generated ozone was about 0.15 mg. According to the results of the sensory test, when the door was opened, the user did not feel the smell of ozone. Therefore, if the absolute value of the peak value of the applied voltage is set to an AC voltage of 2.5 kV, a refrigerator having a sufficient sterilizing effect in ordinary use in ordinary households and less discomfort can be obtained.

When the application time exceeds 45 minutes, the sterilization rate gradually becomes equilibrium, and only the ozone generation amount increases, but the sterilization efficiency deteriorates. Therefore, the time for one application is preferably 45 minutes or less. Therefore, when sterilization is performed by applying an applied voltage of 3.6 kVp-p to 5 kVp-p to the needle electrode 11a in a range of 10 minutes to 45 minutes, in a normal use state, it has a desired sterilizing effect and causes ozone odor. A refrigerator with less discomfort can be obtained.

The generation amount of the positive ions and the negative ions can be adjusted by adjusting the absolute values of the applied positive voltage and negative voltage. Therefore, in the range of 3.6 kVp-p to 5 kVp-p, 1. Each ion can be adjusted by varying the absolute values of the positive voltage and the negative voltage so as to have a peak value of 8 kV or more.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 described above, by forming the electrode shape including three needle-shaped electrodes 11a, the amount of generated ions is maintained or increased even at a low applied voltage, and the sterilization effect is further improved. Ozone can be reduced. That is, an applied voltage of 3.6 kVp-p to 5 kVp-p is applied to each needle electrode 11a within a range of 15 minutes to 20 minutes, and ions are sent to the 400 L storage chamber in the same manner as described above. This results in a sterilization rate of 50% and an ozone generation of about 0.05 mg. Therefore, according to the results of the sensory test, when the door is opened, the user hardly feels any discomfort due to the ozone odor, and a refrigerator having a high sterilizing effect can be obtained.

In addition, if the ion generator 11 is not operated for a predetermined time after the ion generator 11 is operated, the remaining amount of ozone is further reduced. For example, if the ion generator 11 is driven for 30 minutes and then stopped for 30 minutes with the damper 17a open, the residual ratio of ozone becomes approximately 0%. Therefore, the discomfort caused by ozone can be further reduced.

When the ion generator 11 is operated in synchronization with the operation of the compressor 46, ozone is reduced when the compressor 46 is stopped, and discomfort can be further reduced. At this time, if the operation of the ion generator 11 and the blower 30 is synchronized with the opening of the damper 17a, the ions are sent out into the refrigerator, and the sterilizing effect can be further improved. An operation switch (not shown) for driving the ion generator 11 is provided, for example, on the outer surface of the refrigerator compartment door 19. Thus, the user can drive the ion generator 11 at a desired time to perform sterilization.

In order to improve the sterilization rate, it is preferable to increase the number of the electrode portions 11c. For this reason, in general household refrigerators, in order to secure the distance between the electrodes and to limit the space in the device, usually, one to five needle-shaped electrodes 11a have one to five electrode portions 11c. It is desirable to provide it.

Next, the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst is made of a copper-manganese-based oxide, and oxidizes and decomposes odorous substances such as amine-based and thiol-based volatile substances and hydrogen sulfide. Further, the copper-manganese-based oxide can also function as an ozone decomposition catalyst to decompose ozone.

[0057] For this reason, it is possible to suppress the outflow of ozone without separately providing an ozone removing device. In addition to the drive control of the ion generator described below, the ozone concentration in the refrigerator compartment or the vegetable compartment is harmless to the human body and ignored. It can be reduced to the extent possible. Further, since no ozone removing device is provided, the cost of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced. Since the deodorizing device 12 is provided around the ion generating device 11, the generated ozone is quickly decomposed, so that it does not easily affect other members, the refrigerator compartment 2, and the like.

When the deodorizing effect can be obtained by another method such as heating and deodorizing, an ozone decomposing catalyst having excellent ozone decomposing ability may be supported on the deodorizing device 12. As such an ozonolysis catalyst, for example, manganese dioxide, platinum powder, lead dioxide, copper (II) oxide, nickel or the like is used.

The adsorbent is carried to adsorb odorous substances, ozone and airborne bacteria, and for example, silica gel, activated carbon, zeolite, sepiolite, etc. can be used. A granular or powdery adsorbent may be separately provided. Further, if the deodorizing device 12 is provided detachably, it can be replaced and cleaned, and the inside of the refrigerator can be kept clean.

When the deodorizing device 12 is provided on the windward side of the ion generating device 11, the ions do not come into contact with the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst or the adsorbent, so that the ionicity is not lost. Can be improved. Therefore, the deodorizing device 12 can be arranged according to the purpose.

In the refrigerator having the above configuration, the cool air cooled by the cooler 29 is sent to the pressure chamber 32 through the cool air passage 38 by the blower 30. The cool air is discharged from the pressure chamber 32 through the duct 31 to the freezing chamber 3 through the discharge ports 31a, 31b, 31c. As a result, the inside of the freezing compartment 3 is cooled, and the cool air is returned from the front of the freezing cases 23 and 24 to the cooler 29 through the cool air return port 35 under the freezing case 24.

When it is detected that the room temperature of the refrigerator 2 is higher than a predetermined temperature by the refrigerator temperature sensor 48 (see FIG. 2) provided in the refrigerator 2, the damper 17a of the cold air distribution chamber 17 is activated. be opened. The cool air in the pressure chamber 32 is led to the cool air passage 41 through the cool air distribution chamber 17.

A part of the cool air passing through the cool air passage 41 is sent from the discharge port 14 to the case 7 of the isolation chamber 5 to cool the storage in the case 7, and the front upper end of the case 7, the mounting shelf 8, Out of the room to the refrigerator compartment 2. The amount of cool air sent from the discharge port 14 to the case 7 is adjusted by the opening areas of the discharge ports 14 and 15 so that the temperature in the case 7 is kept lower than the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2. .

The other cool air passing through the cool air passage 41 rises in the rising passage 41 a, descends in the descending passage 41 b, and is discharged from the discharge port 15 into the refrigerator compartment 2. The cool air descends while cooling the storage items mounted on the mounting shelf 8 and the door pockets 21a to 21d. Then, together with the cool air flowing out of the isolation chamber 5, the cool air flows into the ion generation chamber 45 from the cool air return port 10 through the space between the bottom surface of the case 7 and the partition 6a.

Note that, in front of the cool air return port 10, a guide portion that covers the cool air return port 10 and that is opened below the case 7 may be provided. In this way, a short circuit from the discharge port 14 to the cool air return port 10 is prevented, and cool air is sucked from a wide range below the case 7 in the left-right direction to obtain a uniform cool air flow. Thereby, the cooling efficiency in the refrigerator compartment 2 can be improved.

The cool air flowing into the ion generation chamber 45 reaches the periphery of the needle electrode 11 a of the ion generator 11. Positive ions and negative ions generated by corona discharge from the needle-shaped electrode 11a aggregate and surround the floating bacteria floating in the cool air. Then, the sterilization of airborne bacteria by [· O H] and active species H ₂ O _2. Thereafter, the deodorizing device 12 removes the odorous substances generated from the storage in the isolation room 5 and the refrigerator compartment 2 and the ozone generated by the trace amount by corona discharge by decomposition or adsorption.

The cool air circulated in the isolation chamber 5 and the refrigerator compartment 2 passes through the cool air return port 10 and passes around the needle-shaped electrode 11 a close to the cool air return port 10 and the deodorizing device 12. For this reason, the strong odor of fish etc. put in the isolation room 5 can be quickly deodorized, and a large amount of odor generated from the storage in the cold room 2 having a relatively high room temperature can be efficiently deodorized near the source. . Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the odor of the isolation room 5 and the refrigerator room 2 to be transferred to the other.

The deodorizing device 12 may be arranged between the case 7 and the partition wall 6b. In this case, although an ozone removing device is separately required, the area for passing cool air can be widened and the deodorizing effect can be improved.

The cool air that has passed through the deodorizing device 12 is discharged through the cool air passage 16 from the outlet 13 to the vegetable compartment 4. The cold air is returned from the refrigerator compartment 2 but is deodorized by the ion generator 11 and the deodorizer 12, so that no odor adheres to the storage in the vegetable compartment 4.

Then, the cool air passes under and in front of the vegetable case 26 in the vegetable compartment 4, passes through the upper surface of the vegetable case cover 28, and flows into the cool air passage 38 through the cool air return port 34. The heater 33 for defrosting is covered with a catalyst film layer carrying a deodorizing catalyst. After the heater 33 removes the odorous substances in the cool air passing through the vegetable compartment 2, the cool air is supplied to the cooler 29. Will be returned.

It is also conceivable that positive ions and negative ions are directly sent into the refrigerator compartment 2 or the vegetable compartment 4 which is a cold air distribution channel. By doing so, the sterilizing effect of floating bacteria can be improved. it can.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the refrigerator 1. The electric circuit assembly 47 (see FIG. 1) is provided with a control unit 50 composed of, for example, a microcomputer or the like. The temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the refrigerator compartment 3 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 48 (see FIG. 2) and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49 are input to the controller 50.

The refrigerator compartment door open / close detection switch 51, the vegetable compartment door open / close detection switch 52, and the freezer compartment door open / close detection switch 53 detect the opening / closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19, the vegetable compartment door 25, and the freezer compartment door 22, and the detection result. Is input to the control unit 50. Further, the opening / closing of the damper 17 a is detected by the damper opening / closing detection switch 54 and is input to the control unit 50.

Further, the damper 17 a, the compressor 46, the blower 30, the ion generator 11, and the illumination lamp 55 are connected to the control unit 50. These drives are controlled based on a signal input to the control unit 50.

Next, the ion generator 11 is driven according to the operation of the refrigerator compartment door 19, the vegetable compartment door 25, the damper 17a, the operation state of the compressor 46, and the like. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a main routine showing these operations. FIG. 8 shows a door opening / closing monitoring process of a subroutine for constantly monitoring the opening / closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25.

In FIG. 8, in step # 41, it is determined whether one of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 has been opened, and waits until the doors are opened. When the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened, the damper 17a is closed, and the timer TM3 and the ion generator 11 are temporarily stopped. In step # 42, it is determined whether the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed.

If it is not closed, it is determined in step # 43 whether three seconds have elapsed since the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 was opened. If 3 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to step # 42, and steps # 42 and # 43 are repeated. If the closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 is earlier than the lapse of 3 seconds, the process returns to step # 41 and waits until the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 opens.

If three seconds have passed since the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 was opened, the process proceeds to step # 44. In step # 44, the number of times Ncmp and Nion indicating the number of times the compressor 46 and the ion generator 11 have been driven while the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed are reset, and the refrigerator compartment door 19 is reset. Alternatively, the opening / closing frequency Ndry of the vegetable room door 25 is incremented.

Then, in step # 45, the process waits until the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed, and when closed, returns to step # 41 to monitor the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25. . When the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed, the damper 17a is opened, and the ion generator 11 is restarted. The opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 and the determination of the elapse of 3 seconds are performed independently for each door.

As will be described later, the number of driving Ncmp of the compressor 46 is incremented every time the compressor 46 is driven after opening and closing the door (see FIG. 7, step # 17). The driving number Nion of the ion generator 11 is incremented each time the ion generator 11 is driven after the door is opened and closed (see FIG. 10, step # 73). Further, the opening / closing operation of other doors such as the freezer compartment door 22 may be added to the determination in the above flowchart. This is the same in the following flowcharts.

Depending on the values of the number of times Ncmp to drive the compressor 46, the number of times Nion to drive the ion generator 11, and the number Ndor of opening and closing, there is a risk that the amount of ozone accumulated in each storage room such as the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 will increase. For this reason, the driving of the ion generator 11 is restricted.

For this reason, when the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened for 3 seconds or more, a part of the air in the storage room is replaced with the outside air, and at the same time, it is determined that a part of the ozone in the storage room has flowed out and the drive is performed. The number of times Ncmp and Nion are reset. As a result, a large amount of ozone is not accumulated in each storage room, and the discomfort of the user can be reduced.

Next, a driving operation of the compressor 46 and the like will be described with reference to FIG. When the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on, the control unit 50 is returned to an initial state in step # 11, and variables and a timer described later are initialized. In step # 12, it is determined whether or not a timer TM1 described later has elapsed 500 hours. Since it has not elapsed here, the process proceeds to step # 13, and it is determined whether or not the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is higher than a predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 48.

When the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is higher than the predetermined temperature, the damper 17 a is opened in step # 31, and the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor 49 in step # 32. If the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is lower than the predetermined temperature, it is determined in step # 14 whether or not the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is higher than the predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the freezer compartment temperature sensor 49.

If the temperature of the freezing room 3 is higher than the predetermined temperature, the process proceeds to step # 15. If the temperature of the freezing room 3 is lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to Step # 12, and Steps # 12 to # 14 are performed and waits until either the refrigerator room 2 or the freezing room 3 becomes higher than the predetermined temperature. .

In step # 15, the operating conditions of the compressor 46 are set based on the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3. For example, when the temperatures of the refrigerating compartment 2 and the freezing compartment 3 are equal to or higher than a predetermined set temperature, the compressor 46 is operated at the maximum output. In step # 16, the compressor 46 is driven under the set operating conditions, and the refrigeration cycle is operated.

In step # 17, the ion generator driving flag Fion is reset. At this time, the value of the timer TM2 is substituted into the off time T off to store the off time of the compressor 46 which has been stopped so far, and the number of driving Ncmp of the compressor 46 is incremented.

The flag Fion is set to 1 when the ion generator 11 is driven while the compressor 46 is being driven. The off-time Toff is used for calculating the operation rate E of the compressor 46, and the operation rate E is expressed by Ton / (Ton + Toff) × 100% by the on-time Ton and the off-time Toff of the compressor 46. In this case, since the on-time Ton has not been determined since the start of operation, it cannot be calculated. In step # 18, the timer TM2 is restarted, and the measurement of the ON time of the compressor 46 is started.

In step # 19, the ion generation processing of FIG. 9 is called. In step # 51 of FIG. 9, it is determined whether or not the ion generator driving flag Fion is 0. If it is 1, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. In step # 52, it is determined whether or not an ion switch (not shown) for permitting the transmission of ions is set to ON by the user. If not, the process returns to the main routine without generating ions.

In step # 53, it is determined whether or not the damper 17a is open. If the damper 17a is closed, no cold air is sent to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, so that no ions are generated and the process returns to the main routine. In step # 54, it is determined whether or not the number of times Ncmp of the compressor 46 is driven is 0 or an even number. When the number of driving Ncmp is 0, it means that the compressor 46 has not been driven yet since the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed.

In this embodiment, in principle, ions are generated each time the compressor 46 is driven twice after the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed. Therefore, when the number of times of driving the compressor 46 Ncmp is an even number, the process proceeds to step # 55, and when it is an odd number, the process returns to the main routine. As a result, if the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed and remains closed, it is considered that once the suspended bacteria are sterilized, the amount of subsequently produced suspended bacteria is small, and ions are generated more than necessary. Emissions of ozone due to this process are suppressed.

Further, the generation of ozone can be suppressed even if the compressor 46 generates ions every time the compressor 46 is driven, for example, three times. In this case, in step # 54, when the number of driving times Ncmp of the compressor 46 is a multiple of 3, the process may be shifted to step # 55.

In step # 55, it is determined whether or not the number of times of driving Nion of the ion generator 11 after opening or closing of the refrigerator compartment 2 or the vegetable compartment 4 is smaller than 6. When the driving frequency Nion is 6, the ion generator 11 is driven six times with the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 closed, and the amount of ozone accumulated in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 is increased. It returns to the main routine without generating ions.

When the drive time of the ion generator 11 with the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 closed is longer than a predetermined time, the process may return to the main routine without generating ions. Further, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 3 hours) has elapsed without opening and closing the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 22 after the door was opened and closed. The process may return to the main routine without performing.

In step # 56, it is determined whether or not the cumulative number of times Nttl of driving the ion generator 11 is larger than a predetermined number (for example, 50 times in the present embodiment). If smaller, the process proceeds to step # 59. . The cumulative number of times of driving Nttl is incremented every time the ion generator 11 is driven, regardless of whether the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 are open or closed (see FIG. 10, step # 73).

For this reason, if the number Ndor of opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is not more than a predetermined number (for example, 10 times) after the ion generator 11 has been cumulatively driven 50 times, the refrigerator compartment It is determined that the amount of ozone accumulated in the second and vegetable compartments 4 has increased, and the process returns to the main routine without generating ions (step # 57).

If the number of opening / closing Ndor is 10 or more, the cumulative number of driving Nttl of the ion generator 11 and the number of opening / closing Ndor of the ion generator 11 are reset in step # 58, and the process proceeds to step # 59. The determination may be made based on the cumulative driving time of the ion generator 11 instead of the cumulative driving number Nttl.

In step # 59, the operating ratio E of the compressor 46 driven last time is calculated, and it is determined whether the operating ratio E is greater than 50%. As described above, the operation rate E is calculated by Ton / (Ton + Toff) × 100% based on the on-time Ton of the compressor 46 at the time of the previous drive and the off-time Toff from the end of the previous drive to the current drive.

If the operating rate E of the compressor 46 is greater than, for example, 50%, the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 is set to 15 minutes in step # 60. When the operation rate E of the compressor 46 is 50% or less, it is considered that the outside air temperature is low or the load is small, and it is determined that the amount of floating bacteria flowing into the refrigerator compartment 2 or the vegetable compartment 4 is small, and Step # 61 is performed. Sets the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 to 10 minutes.

Thus, by setting the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 to a different time, the amount of generated ions can be adjusted, and generation of ozone can be suppressed without generating unnecessary ions.

In the above description, the generation of a predetermined amount of ions is adjusted by the predetermined driving time Tion of the ion generator 11, but the voltage applied to the needle electrode 11a is set to a different value (for example, E> (When E is 50%, the applied voltage is 5 kVp-p for 10 minutes, and when E ≦ 50%, the applied voltage is 3.6 kVp-p for 10 minutes).

In step # 62, the ion generator 11 is turned on based on the settings in steps # 60 and # 61. In step # 63, 1 is substituted for the flag Fion, and the timer TM3 is restarted. The timer TM3 measures the driving time of the ion generator 11. Then, the process returns to the main routine.

The relationship between the operation rate E and the ion generation time Tion is, for example, Tion = 7 minutes when E <40%, Tion = 10 minutes when 40% ≦ E <80%, and E ≧ 80%. By setting several stages such as Tion = 15 minutes at this time, more precise sterilization control can be performed.

In the main routine of FIG. 7, the damper freezing prevention process shown in FIG. 11 is called in step # 21. In the present embodiment, to prevent the damper 17a from freezing, the damper 17a is temporarily closed when a predetermined time (for example, 12 minutes) elapses after the damper 17a is opened.

In step # 81 of the damper freezing prevention process, it is determined whether or not the ion generator 11 is being driven. If it is, it is determined in step # 82 whether or not the damper 17a is closed. If the damper 17a is open, the damper freezing prevention process has not been performed, and the process returns to the main routine.

If the damper 17a is closed, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 83. In step # 84, the timer TM3 is temporarily stopped, and in step # 85, 1 is assigned to the flag Fcon indicating the dew condensation preventing state.

When it is determined in step # 81 that the ion generator 11 is not driven, it is determined in step # 86 whether the damper 17a is open. If the damper 17a is closed, the process returns to the main routine because the ion generator 11 can be kept off. If the damper 17a is open, it is determined in step # 87 whether the flag Fcon is "1".

When the flag Fcon is 0, it indicates that a normal ion generation state is set, and the process returns to the main routine without performing the dew condensation preventing process. When the flag Fcon is 1, since the damper 17a is opened from the damper freeze prevention processing state and the damper freeze prevention processing is completed, the ion generator 11 is driven in step # 88.

In Step # 89, the temporary stop of the timer TM3 is released. In step # 90, the flag Fcon is reset and the damper freezing prevention processing state is released. As a result, ions that have not reached the predetermined amount generated due to the temporary stop are continuously generated, and sufficient sterilization of floating bacteria can be performed.

Returning to the main routine of FIG. 7, in step # 22, it is determined whether or not the timer TM3 has reached a predetermined drive time Tion. When the timer TM3 has reached the predetermined drive time Tion, the ion stop process of FIG. 10 described later is called in step # 23.

If the timer TM3 has not reached the drive time Tion, it is determined in step # 24 whether or not the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 has been lowered to a predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 48 (see FIG. 2). Is done. If the temperature is not lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to step # 19, and steps # 19 to # 24 are repeated.

When the temperature of the refrigerating room 2 becomes lower than the predetermined temperature, the damper 17a is closed in step # 25. Then, in step # 26, the ion stop process is called, and in step # 27, it is determined whether or not the freezing room 3 has been cooled to a predetermined temperature. If the temperature of the freezer compartment 3 is not lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to step # 19, and steps # 19 to # 26 are repeated.

When returning to step # 19, if the flag Fion is 1, the process immediately exits in step # 51 in the ion generation processing (see FIG. 9). Further, when the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed, the number of driving Ncmp of the compressor 46 and the number of driving Nion of the ion generator 11 are reset (see FIG. 8, step # 44).

For this reason, when the flag Fion is 0, the ion generator 11 may be driven to satisfy the conditions in steps # 54 and # 55 in FIG. Therefore, when it is considered that at least a part of the ozone accumulated in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 has flowed out by opening and closing the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25, the ion generator 11 is immediately driven to cool the refrigerator. The floating bacteria in the chamber 2 and the vegetable chamber 4 can be sterilized.

In steps # 23 and # 26, the ion stop processing of FIG. 10 is called. In step # 71, it is determined whether or not the ions have already been stopped. If the ions have been stopped, the process returns to the main routine. If ions are being generated, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 72.

In step # 73, the timer TM1 is restarted to start measuring the time after the drive of the ion generator 11 is stopped, and the timer TM3 and the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 are reset. Further, the number of times Nion and the number of times Nttl of driving of the ion generator 11 are incremented, and the process returns to the main routine.

If the timer TM3 reaches the predetermined driving time Tion before the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is lowered to the predetermined temperature, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 23, and the timer TM3 reaches the predetermined driving time Tion before the timer TM3 reaches the predetermined driving time Tion. When the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is lowered to a predetermined temperature, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 26.

When the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 26, the predetermined driving time Tion of the ion generator 11 has been reset, and after the refrigerator compartment 2 is cooled down to the predetermined temperature, the ion generator 11 is stopped. Even if the generator 11 has not reached the predetermined drive time Tion, the generator 11 is stopped without performing the subsequent ion generation.

It is considered that the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 2 is rapidly lowered because the outside air temperature is low, and the amount of floating bacteria entering the refrigerator 1 is small. For this reason, even if the ion generator 11 is stopped, sufficient sterilization can be achieved, and an increase in ozone can be suppressed.

The ion generator 11 may be stopped by detecting the outside air temperature. That is, if control based on the outside air temperature is inserted between step # 82 and step # 83 in FIG. 11 as shown in FIG. 12, subsequent ion generation is performed even if the predetermined drive time Tion has not been reached. It is stopped without being stopped. As a result, it is possible to obtain a refrigerator that does not generate ions more than necessary when the outside air temperature is low and suppresses an increase in ozone and can perform appropriate sterilization as described above.

In step # 91, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature t0. If the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature t0, the process proceeds to step # 83 and the above-described processing is performed. If the outside air temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature t0, it is determined in step # 92 whether or not the timer TM3 has passed a predetermined time T1 (for example, 5 minutes).

If the timer TM3 has not elapsed for the predetermined time T1, the process proceeds to step # 83. If the timer TM3 has elapsed for the predetermined time T1 and a predetermined amount of ions have been generated, the flow shifts to step # 93 to substitute the value of the timer TM3 for the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11. You. Then, the flow shifts to step # 83.

Since the timer TM3 is equal to the drive time Tion, when returning to the main routine, the conditions are satisfied in Step # 22 and the ion stop processing is performed in Step # 23. As a result, even if the outside air temperature is detected and the predetermined drive time Tion has not been reached, the subsequent ion generation is not performed and the operation is stopped.

[0124] The case where the opening / closing command of the damper 17a is based on the temperature of the inside of the refrigerator or the outside air and the case where the command is based on the opening / closing of the door and other commands are discriminated. If it is determined to reset, it is possible to further suppress ozone generation and perform appropriate sterilization.

In step # 28 of the main routine, the compressor 46 is stopped because the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3 have been lowered to the predetermined temperatures. In step # 29, the value of the timer TM2 is substituted for the on-time Ton in order to store the on-time of the compressor 46 which has been operating so far. In step # 30, the timer TM2 is restarted, and the measurement of the off time of the compressor 46 is started.

Then, returning to step # 12, steps # 12 to # 30 are repeatedly performed. If a long period of time (for example, 500 hours in the present embodiment) has elapsed since the ion generator 11 was last driven, it is considered that ozone in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 has disappeared. Therefore, every time the ion generator 11 is turned off in steps # 72 and # 73 (see FIG. 10), the timer TM1 is restarted. When the timer TM1 becomes 500H, the step # 12 is determined by the determination in step # 12. Going to 11, all variables and timers are initialized.

After the initialization in step # 11, the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator may be shortened when the ion generator is first driven. For example, the flag Ffst is set to 1 at the same time when all are initialized. Then, when performing the ion generation processing in step # 19, it is determined whether or not the flag Ffst is 1 before step # 59 in FIG. If the flag Ffst is 1, the predetermined drive time Tion is set to, for example, 7 minutes, 0 is substituted for the flag Ffst, and the routine proceeds to step # 62. If the flag Ffst is 0, the flow shifts to step # 59.

In this way, even when the refrigerator 1 is purchased and connected to the power supply for the first time, the ion switch is turned on and the ion generator 11 is driven, so that the driving time is short and the amount of generated ozone is small. Therefore, when a storage item is put into the storage room after the storage room is cooled, the user does not feel the ozone odor even if there is no masking effect in which the ozone odor is hidden by the odor from the food. Thus, the refrigerator 1 that does not cause discomfort can be obtained.

According to the present embodiment, since the cold air in the refrigerator is sterilized by the positive ions and the negative ions, the damage to the stored material is suppressed with a simple configuration without the need for a collecting electrode for collecting the positive ions. can do.

Further, by performing corona discharge from an electrode having substantially no counter electrode, generated positive ions and negative ions are not attracted by a potential difference. For this reason, even if there is no ventilation, it is diffused in a wide area in the flow path of cold air. Then, both ions are aggregated on the surface of the floating bacteria, and the active species generated by the collision can kill the floating bacteria over a wide range. Therefore, the sterilizing ability can be improved without increasing the blowing capacity and complicating the apparatus. In addition, since a positive voltage and a negative voltage are applied to the electrodes, the electric circuit is not charged, and a ground connected to the ground is not required, so that the refrigerator can be easily installed in the home.

In addition, it is possible to suppress the residual ozone generated at the time of electric discharge, and to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable or danger to health. In addition, the positive ions and the negative ions are generated by corona discharge, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained by generating ions by other methods.

Next, FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are a side sectional view and a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator of the present embodiment. For convenience of description, in these figures, the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The difference from the first embodiment is that the supporting portion 10a for supporting the electrode portion 11c is formed integrally with the upper portion of the grill 10b, and the needle-shaped electrode 11a is arranged to be suspended from the upper portion of the ion generation chamber 45. That is the point. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

As described above, if the distance L between the support portion 10a and the needle electrode 11a is short, a high pressure may be applied to the support portion 10a when dew condensation occurs on the support portion 10a. To ensure that the support 10a is insulated, the distance L needs to be 3.5 mm or more to separate the support 10a from the needle electrode 11a.

On the other hand, when the needle-shaped electrode 11a is installed close to the support portion 10a, ions are emitted from a position near the upper surface in the ion generation chamber 45, and the contact period between the ions and the cool air is lengthened. Thus, the sterilization ability can be improved. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the distance L is set to 5 mm, the sterilization ability is ensured, and a high voltage is constantly applied to the needle electrode 11a stably, so that corona discharge is reliably performed and stable ions can be emitted. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 14, the cool air flowing into the ion chamber 45 from the cool air return port 10 in the direction of the arrow B 1 is turned to the direction of the arrow B 2 and guided to the cool air passage 16. Ions emitted from the needle electrode 11a are emitted at a high density from the tip of the needle electrode 11a to a region having a radiation angle of about 45 °, as shown in part A. The needle-shaped electrode 11a is arranged such that a region (portion A) having a high ion density is along the cold air flow direction (direction B2).

This suppresses the reduction of ions due to collision between the emitted ions and the wall surface, and allows the ions to be easily transported by the cool air, so that the ions come into contact with the cool air in a wide range in the flow direction of the cool air. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved. It should be noted that low-density ions are also emitted from the tip of the needle-shaped electrode 11a to a region outside a region having a radiation angle of about 45 °.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, when a plurality of needle-like portions 11c of the needle-like electrode 11a are formed, the direction of each needle-like portion 11c is made different so that the height is highest in the B2 direction. While having an ion density, the ion density can be increased in a wide angle range. In addition, not only in the ion generating chamber 45 but also in a place where there is a cool air flow, the sterilization effect can be similarly improved by discharging the ions along the cool air flow.

Further, since the deodorizing device 12 is provided below (toward the leeward side) of the needle-shaped electrode 11 a, ions are uniformly irradiated on the entire upper surface of the deodorizing device 12. Therefore, the suspended bacteria caught by the deodorizing device 12 can be surely sterilized, and the sterilizing ability can be further improved.

At this time, if the deodorizing device 12 is brought close to the ion generating device 11, a large amount of the suspended bacteria caught by the deodorizing device 12 can be sterilized. Since the ions are released, disposing the deodorizing device 12 away from the ion generating device 11 can further improve the sterilizing ability.

That is, the ions can reach farther along the flow of cold air, and the suspended bacteria are sterilized and reduced by contact with the ions for a long time before reaching the deodorizer 12. Thereafter, the floating bacteria are caught by the deodorizing device 12, so that the number of floating bacteria passing through the deodorizing device 12 is reduced. Then, the floating bacteria collected in the deodorizing device 12 are sterilized by the ions that have reached the deodorizing device 12. When the deodorizing device 12 is subjected to an antibacterial treatment, the sterilizing effect is further improved.

Since the ions generated by the ion generator 11 are irradiated to the deodorizer 12, most of the ions are killed by sterilizing the suspended bacteria caught by the deodorizer 12. Therefore, since the generated ions are eliminated in the ion chamber 45, it is possible to prevent the vegetables room 4 and the cool air passage 16 from being deteriorated by the ions. The wall surface of the ion chamber 45 may be provided with a metal coating treatment or an ion-resistant substance coating for preventing ion deterioration. Further, the wall surface of the ion generation chamber 45 may be covered with a metal plate.

When the deodorizing device 12 is provided on the windward side of the ion generating device 11, the ions do not come into contact with the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst or the adsorbent, so that the ionicity is not lost. Can be improved. Therefore, the deodorizing device 12 can be arranged according to the purpose.

Next, FIG. 16 is a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the present embodiment, the ion generating device 11 is provided with four needle-like electrodes 11p, 11q, 11r, and 11s whose applied voltage is controlled by a power supply unit 11e. Other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment.

The needle-shaped electrodes 11p and 11q are suspended from the upper part of the ion generation chamber 45 as in the second embodiment. The needle-shaped electrodes 11r and 11s are attached so as to emit ions upward from the lower part of the ion generation chamber 45. The needle electrodes 11p and 11s generate positive ions, and the needle electrodes 11q and 11r generate negative ions.

[0146] The needle-shaped electrodes 11p and 11q release ions along the cold air flowing in the direction of the arrow B2, and as in the second embodiment, airborne bacteria contained in the cold air are in contact with the ions for a long period of time and sterilized. You. Further, ions are emitted by the needle-shaped electrodes 11r and 11s in a direction opposite to the flow of the cool air in the direction of arrow B2. Thereby, the ions colliding with the cold air are diffused into the ion chamber 45, and the ions are distributed over a wider area, so that the sterilizing ability can be further improved.

When positive ions and negative ions are generated by one needle-like electrode 11a (see FIG. 14), a part of the positive ions and negative ions are canceled at an early stage of generation, and the substantial amount of generated ions is reduced. In the present embodiment, since the electrodes (11p, 11s) that generate positive ions and the electrodes (11q, 11r) that generate negative ions are distinguished, a substantial amount of generated ions can be increased.

Then, the amount of generated positive ions and the amount of generated negative ions can be easily changed. In addition, since the electrode that generates positive ions and the electrode that generates negative ions are adjacent to each other, the positive ions and negative ions are mixed and uniformly distributed, facilitating aggregation and ensuring sufficient sterilization ability. Can be secured.

Furthermore, if adjacent electrodes are arranged at least 10 mm or more (for example, 30 mm) apart, positive ions and negative ions from each electrode hardly cancel each other, and ions are effectively used for sterilization. be able to. Further, when a voltage is applied to the needle electrodes 11p and 11s, the application of the voltage to the needle electrodes 11q and 11r is stopped, and when a voltage is applied to the needle electrodes 11q and 11r. By stopping the application of the voltage to the needle electrodes 11p and 11s, the offset between the positive ions and the negative ions can be further reduced.

In addition, for example, a voltage is alternately or simultaneously applied to the needle electrodes 11q and 11p, and the application of the voltage to the needle electrodes 11r and 11s is stopped for a predetermined period to easily change the amount of generated ions. be able to.

In addition, only one ion may be generated by each of the needle electrodes 11p, 11q, 11r, and 11s, but positive ions and negative ions may be generated at different generation ratios from each. For example, a large amount of positive ions are generated by the needle electrodes 11p and 11s, and a large amount of negative ions are generated by the needle electrodes 11q and 11r.

Also in this case, the electrode that mainly generates positive ions and the electrode that mainly generates negative ions are distinguished, so that the ion cancellation is reduced and the substantial amount of generated ions is increased. Can be done. At this time, the ion generation balance can be easily varied by changing the circuit configuration, applied voltage, electrode shape, electrode material, and the like.

According to the second and third embodiments, effects similar to those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, while suppressing the decrease in the number of ions due to the collision between the released ions and the wall surface, the ions are easily transported by the cool air, and the ions come into contact with the cool air in a wide range in the flow direction of the cool air. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved.

Further, in the second and third embodiments, a case where a needle-like electrode is not used may be used. For example, if a voltage is applied between electrodes facing each other with an insulator in between to generate ions, the counter electrode will increase the size of the device. Can be improved. Furthermore, sterilization may be performed by releasing not only ions but also other sterilizing substances. As the disinfecting substance, for example, a tangible substance such as a chemical agent or an intangible substance such as heat or ultraviolet rays which is not physically a substance can be used.

Next, FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing a direct-cooled refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. In the figure, 131 is a compressor, 132 is a refrigerator cooler arranged in the refrigerator 134, and 133 is a refrigerator cooler arranged in the freezer 135. Reference numeral 136 denotes an ion generator similar to the first to third embodiments, which is provided in a case 138 provided above the refrigerator compartment 134. Reference numeral 137 denotes a fan, and positive ions and negative ions are discharged from the outlet 139 of the case 138 into the refrigerator compartment 134 by the rotation of the fan 137. Thereby, similarly to the first to third embodiments, the bacteria floating in the refrigerator compartment 134 are inactivated, and the damage of the stored food is suppressed.

Next, FIG. 18 is a top cross-sectional view showing the food storage 121 of the fifth embodiment. The food storage 121 can be opened and closed to store food. In the figure, reference numeral 122 denotes a partition installed at a predetermined distance from each of the four walls of the food storage 121. The partition 122 divides the inside of the food storage 121 into a food placement section 123 and a cool air circulation path 124.

Reference numeral 125 denotes an ion generator similar to the first to third embodiments. Reference numeral 126 denotes a fan, and positive ions and negative ions are sent into the food storage 121 by rotation of the fan 126. The air in the food storage 121 flows by the fan 126 as shown by arrows in the figure, and positive ions and negative ions flow along this flow. Thus, as in the first to third embodiments, bacteria floating in the air are inactivated, and food damage is suppressed.

Next, FIG. 19 is a schematic sectional view showing a dishwasher / dryer according to a sixth embodiment. The dishwasher / dryer according to the present embodiment includes the same ion generator 113 as in the first to third embodiments, and includes an electrode unit of the ion generator 113 in a circulation path for circulating hot air to the tableware storage room 104 in a drying process. 113a. Then, after the drying step or the drying step is completed, the positive ions and the negative ions are released from the electrode portion 113a, and the positive ions and the negative ions are circulated in the tableware storage chamber 104. Thereby, deodorization in the tableware storage room 104 and sterilization of floating bacteria are performed.

At the front of the tableware storage room 104, an openable front door 101 for taking in and out tableware and the like is provided. A rack 103 for accommodating the tableware 102 is arranged in the tableware storage room 104, and a rotatable washing nozzle 105 is provided below the rack 103 so as to protrude substantially at the center of the tableware storage room 104. A plurality of injection holes 106 are formed in the cleaning nozzle 105, and the cleaning water supplied by the cleaning pump 108 is injected. A heater 107 for heating the cleaning water is provided below the cleaning nozzle 105.

[0160] A drain pump 110 for discharging washing water to a water pipe 109 is arranged below the tableware storage room 104. A water supply pipe 111 for supplying washing water is arranged above the tableware storage room 104. A water tap 112 for controlling water supply is provided on the way of the water supply pipe 111. In addition, a heat exchange duct 116 is provided to cover the upper surface of the tableware storage room 104, discharge warm air to the outside from the main body, condense water vapor, and return water to the tableware storage room 104.

An ion generator 113, a fan 114, and a heater 115 are arranged at the rear of the tableware storage room 104. The fan 114 circulates air to dry the washed dishes 102. At this time, the air heated by the heater 115 is sent into the tableware storage room 104. Plus ions and minus ions released from the electrode portion 113a of the ion generator 113 by the fan 114 circulate in the tableware storage room 104. Reference numeral 117 denotes a control device for controlling the entire dishwasher.

The operation of the dishwasher will be described. First, the front door 101 is opened, and tableware 102 and cooking utensils to be washed are stored in a predetermined location of the rack 103. After the rack 103 is placed in the tableware storage room 104, the operation is started by adding a special detergent.

Then, a predetermined amount of washing water is supplied to the tableware storage room 104 through the water supply pipe 111 by the “opening” operation of the water supply valve 112. Subsequently, the washing water pressurized by the operation of the washing pump 108 is sprayed together with the detergent from the spray hole 106 of the rotary washing nozzle 105 to the tableware 102 to perform washing.

After that, a rinsing step and a drying step are performed. Then, after the drying step, the fan 114 and the ion generator 113 are driven for a predetermined time (about 30 minutes), and the positive ions and the negative ions released from the electrode unit 113a are released into the tableware storage room 104. Circulate as indicated by the arrow. The generation of ions may be started from the latter half of the drying step, which is considered to be evaporated and dried with warm air even when water droplets adhere to the electrode portion 113a, to shorten the operation time.

According to the present embodiment, positive ions and negative ions are released and circulated into the tableware storage room 104, thereby deodorizing the inside of the tableware storage room 104 and disinfecting floating bacteria as in the first to fifth embodiments. The tableware and cooking utensils can be stored cleanly.

In the first to sixth embodiments, the shape of the electrode portion of the ion generator is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 20 to 22 show another shape of the electrode portion 11c. For convenience of explanation, the same portions as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The electrode portion 11c shown in FIG. 20 is formed so that the lengths of the plurality of needle electrodes 11a protruding from the flat plate portion 11b are different. In the electrode portion 11c shown in FIG. 21, a plurality of needle electrodes 11a protruding from the flat plate portion 11b are formed in the same direction. The electrode portion 11c shown in FIG. 22 has a single needle-like electrode 11a protruding from the flat plate portion 11b. In any case, the same effects as in the first to sixth embodiments can be obtained.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the case where the electrode portions 11c are arranged substantially in parallel to the direction of air flow, and the electrode portions 11c with respect to the air flow E flowing through the air flow path 141 as shown in FIG. May be arranged vertically.

Although the first to sixth embodiments have described the refrigerator, the food storage, and the dishwasher, the same ion generator as described above may be mounted in other storages. For example, freezers, cupboards, dish dryers, dishwashers, preservation cabinets that store storage at a temperature higher than room temperature, warehouses for food storage, lockers, etc. The same effect can be obtained if the storage is large and separated from other spaces. Further, the storage may be divided into a plurality of storage rooms depending on the form.

Further, the refrigerator may be a warehouse having a refrigeration function, and the freezer may be a warehouse having a refrigeration function. In addition, the refrigerator cools and stores items such as a storage room of a refrigerator car and a cooling display case. Anything that has the purpose of storage is included in the storage of the present invention.

[0171]

[Effect of the invention]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the positive ions and the negative ions sterilize the air in the refrigerator, such as a refrigerator, so that the storage material can be stored in a simple configuration without the need for a collecting electrode for collecting the positive ions. Damage can be suppressed.

Further, by performing corona discharge from an electrode having substantially no counter electrode, generated positive ions and negative ions are not attracted due to a potential difference. For this reason, even if there is no ventilation, it is diffused in a wide area in the flow path of cold air. Then, both ions are aggregated on the surface of the floating bacteria, and the active species generated by the collision can kill the floating bacteria over a wide range.

Therefore, the sterilizing ability can be improved without increasing the blowing capacity and complicating the apparatus. Further, since a positive voltage and a negative voltage are applied to the electrodes, the electric circuit is not charged, and a ground connecting to the ground is not required, so that a refrigerator such as a refrigerator can be easily installed at home. In addition, it is possible to suppress the residual ozone generated at the time of electric discharge, thereby preventing discomfort and danger to the user's health.

Furthermore, by releasing sterilizing substances such as ions along the flow of cold air, it is possible to suppress the reduction of ions due to collision between the released ions and the wall surface, and the ions are easily transported by the cool air. Ions and cold air come into contact in a wide range of cold air flow directions. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the ion generating chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the ion generating chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the deodorizing device of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a refrigerator door open / close detection process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the ion generating process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an ion stop process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a dew condensation preventing process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating another operation of the dew condensation prevention process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing an ion generating chamber of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a rear view showing the ion generating chamber of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view showing a food storage according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a side sectional view showing a dishwasher / dryer according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a schematic view showing another shape of an electrode portion of the ion generator mounted in the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a schematic view showing another shape of the electrode portion of the ion generator mounted in the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a schematic view showing another shape of an electrode portion of the ion generator mounted in the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a schematic view showing another arrangement of the electrode unit of the ion generator mounted on the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 2 Refrigerator room 3 Freezer room 4 Vegetable room 5 Isolation room 10, 34, 35 Cold air return port 10a Support part 11, 113, 125, 139 Ion generator 11a Needle electrode 11c Electrode part 12 Deodorizer 13-15, 31a-31c Discharge port 16, 38, 41 Cold air passage 17 Cold air distribution chamber 17 17a Damper 29 Cooler 30 Blower 31 Duct 45 Ion generation chamber 46 Compressor

Claims (12)

[Utility model registration claims] 1. An electrode for generating positive ions and negative ions by applying a high voltage, wherein positive electrodes and negative ions are emitted from the electrodes to an air flow path through which air flows, and at least one storage chamber is provided. And a duct for guiding air to at least one of the storage compartments, and the electrodes are arranged in the duct. 2. A high voltage is applied to an electrode having no counter electrode to generate positive ions and negative ions, and emits positive ions and negative ions into an air circulation path through which air flows. A refrigerator comprising a storage room, a duct for guiding air to at least one of the storage rooms, and the electrodes are arranged in the duct. 3. An ion generator which is not grounded, generates a positive ion and a negative ion by applying a high voltage to an electrode of the ion generator, and generates a positive ion and a negative ion in an air flow path through which air flows. And at least one storage compartment, a duct for guiding air to at least one of the storage compartments, and the electrodes are arranged in the duct. 4. An ion generator without a ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions, and at least one storage chamber is provided. At least one of the rooms
A refrigerator, wherein a duct for guiding air is provided at one end, and the electrodes are arranged in the duct. 5. An electrode for generating a positive ion and a negative ion by applying a high voltage, wherein the electrode emits a positive ion and a negative ion to an air flow path through which air flows, and the electrode is formed from a flat plate. A refrigerator characterized in that needle-like projections are protruded on a part of the refrigerator. 6. A high voltage is applied to an electrode having no counter electrode to generate positive ions and negative ions, and emits positive ions and negative ions into an air circulation path through which air flows. A refrigerator comprising a flat plate, and needle projections protruding from a part of the flat plate. 7. An ion generator that is not grounded, applies a high voltage to the electrodes of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions, and generates positive ions and negative ions in an air flow path through which air flows. And the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a needle-like projection is protruded from a part of the flat plate. 8. An ion generator without a ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to an electrode of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions, and the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a part thereof. A refrigerator characterized by having needle-like projections protruding therefrom. 9. An electrode for generating positive ions and negative ions by applying a high voltage, wherein the electrodes discharge positive ions and negative ions from the electrodes into an air flow path through which air flows, and the electrodes are formed from a flat plate. A refrigerator characterized in that a plurality of needle-shaped projections are protruded from a part thereof. 10. A high voltage is applied to an electrode having no counter electrode to generate positive ions and negative ions, and emits positive ions and negative ions into an air flow path through which air flows. A refrigerator comprising a flat plate and a plurality of needle-like projections projecting from a part thereof. 11. An ion generator which is not grounded, applies a high voltage to an electrode of the ion generator, generates positive ions and negative ions, and generates positive ions and negative ions in an air flow path through which air flows. And a plurality of needle-like projections protruding from a part of the electrode. 12. An ion generator without a ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to an electrode of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions, and the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a part thereof. A refrigerator having a plurality of needle-like projections protruding therefrom.