JP3502231B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator having both of the ease of use and the efficiency of storage inside refrigerating compartment by improving the ease of use and the efficiency of storage of a fresh food storage compartment including not only a vegetable compartment but a low temperature compartment. SOLUTION: The storing quantity of the fresh foods is increased by providing an independent low temperature compartment 29 with a refrigerating compartment 25 at upper part, a freezer compartment 27 at lower part and drawer type doors 31 and 32 at middle part and a vegetable compartment 30 and the operability such as easy taking in and out of foods is improved by gathering preserving spaces at the central part of a main body where the drawer type door can be handled with a comfortable posture. The ease of opening and closing doors at eyes height, glancing over the foods and taking in and out of them are provided for the refrigerator compartment simultaneously.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment at the top. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in addition to a conventional freezing room and a refrigerator room, a low-temperature room and a vegetable room for storing fresh food such as fish, meat, vegetables, fruits and the like are provided. Refrigerators are widespread. On the other hand, instead of a refrigerator having a conventional freezer at the upper part, a refrigerator which has a frequently used refrigerator at the level of the upper eye to improve the usability and the storage capacity has become mainstream. Representative examples of these are disclosed, for example, in JP-A-6-2.
One example is shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 73031, which will be described below with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body constituted by an outer box 2, an inner box 3, and a heat insulating material 4 filled in a space between the two boxes 2, 3. Reference numerals 5 and 6 denote partition walls that partition the inside of the refrigerator up and down. Reference numeral 7 denotes a refrigerator compartment formed above the partition wall 5 and above the main body 1, and has a rotary door 8. Numeral 9 denotes a vegetable room for storing vegetables and fruits, which are formed below the partition wall 6 and below the main body 1, and includes a humidity control means 10 for keeping the room at a high humidity and a drawer type door 11. Have. Reference numeral 12 denotes a freezer compartment formed in the center of the main body 1 between the partition walls 5 and 6, and a drawer-type door 13,
14 is provided. Reference numeral 15 denotes a low-temperature chamber provided in the refrigerator compartment 7 for storing fish and meat. A compressor 16 and a cooler 17 constitute a refrigeration cycle. Reference numeral 18 denotes a blower for forcibly ventilating the cool air cooled by the cooler into the refrigerator.
Numeral denotes temperature control means (hereinafter referred to as damper devices 19 and 20) for sending a required amount of cold air to the cold room 15 and the cold room 15, respectively. The operation of the refrigerator configured as described above will be described. The operation of the compressor 16 allows the cooler 17
The cool air cooled in the above is forcibly ventilated to each room by the blower 18, and the refrigerating room 7, the vegetable room 9, and the low-temperature room 15 are maintained at appropriate temperatures by the damper devices 19 and 20. For this, vegetables,
Temperature control of fresh foods such as fruits, fish and meat can be maintained and freshness can be maintained. In addition, since the refrigerator compartment, which is most frequently used, is located at the level of the upper eyes, the refrigerator has a conventional freezer compartment at the top, which is easy to use and store, such as opening and closing the doors, making it easy to overlook food, and putting it in and out. Better than. [0006] However, in the above configuration, the vegetable room is provided with an independent drawer-type door, so that it is easy to use and has a large storage capacity, but the low temperature room is installed inside the refrigerator room. As a result, there is a problem that the door does not have an independent door, the storage amount cannot be increased, and the usability and the storage property are not good. [0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator that enhances the usability and storage of a fresh food storage room including not only a vegetable room but also a low-temperature room, and also has the convenience of a refrigerator room and the ease of storage. . In order to achieve this object, a refrigerator according to the present invention has a refrigerator compartment at an upper portion, a freezer compartment at a lower portion, and an independent drawer type door at a central portion. It has a cold room and a vegetable room. [0009] Thus, a sufficient amount of fresh food, including the vegetable room and the low-temperature room, can be collected and managed in the central portion which is convenient for the drawer-type door. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a refrigerator compartment at the top, a freezer compartment at the bottom, an independent low temperature compartment with a drawer door at the center, and a vegetable compartment. In addition, the storage amount of fresh foods such as fish, meat, vegetables, etc. is increased, and at the same time, the storage space is concentrated, and since it is located at the center of the main body, it is easy to take in and out the food without bending down. Further, the cooling room and the vegetable room are controlled to be cooled by one temperature control means. In addition, the temperature control of the vegetable room is related to the low-temperature room where the load fluctuation is small and the temperature accuracy is high, so that the temperature stability of the vegetable room storage is increased. The low temperature room and the vegetable room communicate with each other, and the vegetable room is provided with a humidity control means. The excess humidity in the vegetable compartment acts on the low-temperature compartment and suppresses the drying of meat and fish. In addition, humidity control means is provided in both the low temperature room and the vegetable room. In addition, not only the vegetable room but also the low-temperature room is maintained at a high humidity, and the preservability is enhanced. Further, at least one of the low-temperature room and the vegetable room is provided with temperature switching means capable of mutually switching the temperature. Further, it is possible to cope with a change in the required storage amount in the vegetable room or the low-temperature room. In addition, deodorizing means is provided in the cool air return passage of the low temperature room and the vegetable room. Further, the fresh food storage room having a large amount of odor can be rationally concentrated and deodorized. Embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described below.
This will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the same structure as a conventional one, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a refrigerator main body.
Reference numerals 22, 23, and 24 denote partition walls that partition the cabinet vertically. Reference numeral 25 denotes a refrigerator compartment formed above the partition wall 22 and above the main body 21, and has a rotary door 26. A freezing room 27 is formed below the partition wall 24 and below the main body 21 and has a drawer-type door 28. Reference numeral 29 denotes a low-temperature room for storing fish and meat, and 30 denotes a vegetable room provided at the lower portion of the low-temperature room 29 for storing vegetables and fruits, both of which are drawer-type doors 31, 32 and the doors 31, 32. Equipped with containers 33 and 34 that are attached to and withdrawn from the main body 32, they are located between the partition walls 23 and 24, and are divided by the partition walls 23 and disposed in the center of the main body 22. Further, in the vegetable room 30, a humidity control means 35 such as a moisture permeable functional film for maintaining the room at a high humidity is provided. Reference numeral 36 denotes a cooler of the refrigeration cycle,
Is a blower for forcibly ventilating the cool air cooled by the cooler 36 into the refrigerator. Reference numeral 38 denotes a temperature control means (hereinafter referred to as a damper device 3) for feeding a required amount of cold air to the refrigerator compartment 25 and the vegetable compartment 30 and 39 to the low-temperature compartment 29, respectively.
8, 39). Reference numeral 40 denotes a cold air inlet to the freezer compartment 27;
Reference numeral 41 denotes a cool air discharge port in the freezing room 27. Reference numeral 42 denotes a cool air introduction port to the vegetable room 30 formed in the refrigerator compartment 25, and reference numeral 43 denotes a cool air discharge port in the vegetable room 30. 44 is a cold air inlet to the low temperature chamber 29, and 45 is a cold air outlet in the low temperature chamber 29. 46 is a cool air inlet from the vegetable compartment 30 to the cooler 36,
47 is a cold air inlet from the low temperature chamber 29 to the cooler 36;
Is a cool air return port to the cooler 36. Regarding the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The cool air cooled by the cooler 36 is forcibly ventilated to each room by the blower 37. Cool air is sent from the cool air inlet 40 to the freezer compartment 27 via the cool air outlet 41, and is maintained at an appropriate temperature such as -18 ° C. on the other hand,
An appropriate amount of cold air is sent into the refrigerator compartment 25 by the damper device 38, and the refrigerator compartment 25 is maintained at a suitable temperature such as 4 ° C. The cool air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 25 is supplied with an appropriate amount of cool air from the cool air inlet 42 to the vegetable room 29 through the cool air discharge port 43, and the vegetable room 29 is maintained at an appropriate temperature such as 6 ° C. At this time, due to the action of the humidity control means 35 provided on the top of the vegetable room 29, the vegetable room becomes highly humid due to the transpiration moisture of the stored food such as vegetables and fruits, and the freshness of the vegetables and fruits is maintained for a long time. Can be maintained. Further, the damper device 39 sends an appropriate amount of cool air from the cool air inlet 44 to the low temperature chamber 29 through the cool air discharge port 45 to stably maintain the low temperature chamber 29 at a low temperature such as -3 ° C. . For this reason, a decrease in freshness of fish and meat and the activity of bacteria are suppressed, and freshness can be maintained for a long time. In addition,
The cool air that has cooled the inside of the vegetable room 27 and the low-temperature room 29 is returned to the cooler 36 from the cool air return port 48 via the cool air inlets 46 and 47, respectively. Furthermore, since the storage room for storing fresh foods that require particularly freshness management is independent, it is possible to increase the size of the storage room, and particularly to increase the storage capacity of the low-temperature room 29. In addition, the low temperature room 29 and the vegetable room 30 are housed in a drawer type door 3 with good storage properties.
Since it is located at the center of the main body as 1 and 32, it is easy to reach the bottom of the containers 33 and 34 at the height of the frontage, and it can be put in and out without bending down, so the usability as a drawer type is greatly improved. In addition, centralized management of fresh food is facilitated. In addition, the refrigerator 25, which is frequently used, has better usability and storage characteristics, such as opening and closing doors, overlooking food, and making it easier to put in and take out at eye level, compared to a refrigerator having a conventional freezer at the top. It can also have an effect. (Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 49 denotes the refrigerator compartment 25;
Reference numeral 50 denotes a temperature control means (hereinafter referred to as damper devices 49 and 50) for sending a required amount of cold air to the low temperature chamber 29 and the vegetable chamber 30, respectively. Reference numeral 51 denotes a partition wall dividing the low-temperature chamber 29 and the vegetable room 30, and a communication port 52 communicating from the low-temperature room 29 to the vegetable room 30 is formed. 53 is a refrigerator room 25
Is a cold air inlet to the cooler 36, and 54 is a cold air inlet to the cooler 36 for the cool air that has passed through the low temperature chamber 29 and the vegetable chamber 30. With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The cool air cooled by the cooler 36 is forcibly ventilated to each room by the blower 37. Cool air is sent from the cool air inlet 40 to the freezer compartment 27 via the cool air outlet 41, and is maintained at an appropriate temperature such as -18 ° C. on the other hand,
An appropriate amount of cold air is sent into the refrigerator compartment 25 by the damper device 38, the refrigerator compartment 25 is maintained at a suitable temperature such as 4 ° C., and cool air is returned from the cool air inlet 51 to the cooler 36 through the cool air return port 48. Further, the damper device 39 sends an appropriate amount of cool air from the cool air inlet 44 through the cool air discharge port 45 to the low temperature chamber 29 to stably maintain the low temperature chamber 29 at a low temperature such as -3 ° C. . Next, the cool air that has cooled the inside of the low-temperature chamber 29 flows into the vegetable room 30 through the communication port 50 of the partition wall 49, and the vegetable room 30 is cooled to an appropriate temperature such as 6 ° C. At this time, the low-temperature chamber 29 is used for storing foods such as fish and meat that are highly required to maintain freshness. , The temperature of the vegetable compartment 30 is also stabilized, and the respiration and moisture transpiration of fruits are suppressed, so that freshness can be maintained for a long period of time. The cool air that has cooled the low-temperature chamber 29 and the vegetable room 30 is returned to the cooler 36 from the cool air inlet 52 through the cool air return port 48. (Embodiment 3) FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 55 denotes a beam provided at the boundary between the low-temperature chamber 29 and the vegetable chamber 30, and 56 denotes the beam 55.
Is a communication surface formed on the rear side of the vehicle. With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The cool air cooled by the cooler 36 is forcibly ventilated to each room by the blower 37. An appropriate amount of cool air is sent from the cool air introduction port 44 to the low temperature chamber 29 through the cool air discharge port 45 by the damper device 50, and
Is stably maintained at a low temperature such as −3 ° C. Next, the cool air that has cooled the inside of the low temperature chamber 29 flows into the vegetable room 30 through the open communication surface 56, and the vegetable room 30 is cooled to an appropriate temperature such as 6 ° C. Then, the excess humidity in the vegetable compartment 30 flows into the low-temperature compartment 29 through the humidity control means 35 such as a moisture permeable membrane, thereby suppressing the drying of meat and fish, thereby extending the storage period. (Embodiment 4) FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 57 denotes a container 3 of the low-temperature chamber 29.
3 is a communication surface which is a humidity control means such as a moisture permeable film provided on the top surface. With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The transpiration moisture of the food stored in the low temperature chamber 29 is adjusted by the humidity control means 57, and the
3 is kept in a high humidity state to prevent the drying of foods such as fish and meat independently of the action of the vegetable room. On the other hand, in the vegetable compartment 30, the humidity inside the container 34 is kept high by the humidity control means 35, and the drying of vegetables and fruits is also prevented by an independent action. With these, the cold room,
Any vegetable room can maintain an appropriate greenhouse temperature and can guarantee long-term storage. (Embodiment 5) FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 58 denotes a low-temperature chamber 29;
Is a temperature switching means such as a damper device for independently controlling the temperature of the vegetable compartment 30 and switching between a low-temperature compartment temperature (for example, −3 ° C.) and a vegetable compartment temperature (for example, 6 ° C.). Numeral 60 designates the low temperature chamber 2 from the temperature switching means 58.
A cool air inlet 61 leading to 9 and a cool air outlet 61 to the low temperature chamber 29 are provided. Further, reference numeral 62 denotes a cool air inlet which leads to the vegetable room 30 from the temperature switching means 59, and reference numeral 63 denotes a cool air discharge port to the vegetable room 30. With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The cold air introduced into the low temperature chamber 29 through the cold air inlet 60 and the cold air outlet 61 is cooled by the temperature switching operation of the temperature switching means 58 to the low temperature chamber temperature (−).
Either 3 ° C.) or the vegetable room temperature (6 ° C.) is selected, and high humidity can be maintained by the operation of the humidity control means 57. Similarly, the cool air introduced into the vegetable compartment 30 through the cool air inlet 62 and the cool air outlet 63 is supplied to the temperature switching means 5.
By the temperature switching operation 9, either the low temperature room temperature (−3 ° C.) or the vegetable room temperature (6 ° C.) is selected, and the high humidity can be maintained by the operation of the humidity control means 35. Therefore, according to the user's request, vegetables,
When the amount of fruits used is large, the low-temperature room 29 is switched to the vegetable room, and when the amount of fish and meat used is large, the large-sized vegetable room 30 and the small-sized low-temperature room are exchanged to provide flexibility in storage. it can. (Embodiment 6) FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 64 denotes, for example, a manganese oxide-based deodorizing catalyst provided in a path through which the returning cold air from the low temperature chamber 29 and the vegetable chamber 30 communicates with the cooling air return port 48 for cooling. With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The cold air collected from the low temperature chamber 29 through the cold air inlet 47 and the cold air collected from the vegetable room 30 through the cold air inlet 46 may be any of the foods stored in the respective rooms, such as fish, meat, and vegetables. It often contains odor molecules because it easily generates odor.
4, the odor molecules are efficiently adsorbed by the deodorizing means 64 and are decomposed by the catalytic action. Therefore, the odor removing efficiency is high and a reasonable deodorizing function can be provided. As described above, the refrigerator of the present invention has a refrigerator room at the top, a freezer room at the bottom, an independent low-temperature room with a drawer door at the center, and a vegetable room. In recent years, the storage capacity of fresh foods, such as fish, meat, vegetables, etc., which have been consuming a large amount of food, has been increased, storage space has been concentrated, and since it is located in the center of the main body, it is easy to put in and out food without bending down. Get better. At the same time, even for a refrigerator room that is frequently used, practical effects such as providing door opening / closing, easy view of food, and easy access to / from food can be provided at eye level. Further, since the low-temperature room and the vegetable room are cooled and controlled by one temperature control means, the temperature stability of the vegetable room is related to the temperature control of the vegetable room in the low-temperature room where the load fluctuation is small and the temperature accuracy is high. Therefore, freshness of vegetables and fruits can be maintained. A communication surface is provided at the boundary between the low-temperature room and the vegetable room to allow communication between the two rooms, and a humidity control means is provided in the vegetable room, so that the excess humidity of the vegetable room flows into the low-temperature room. It acts to suppress the drying of meat and fish. Further, since humidity control means is provided in both the low temperature room and the vegetable room, not only the vegetable room but also the low temperature room is maintained at a high humidity to prevent drying. Freshness can be maintained for a longer period. Further, at least one of the low-temperature room and the vegetable room is provided with a temperature switching means capable of mutually switching the temperature, so that the user can select the setting of both rooms as needed, so that the vegetable room and the low-temperature room can be selected. It can respond to changes in the required storage capacity of the room. Further, since the deodorizing means is provided in the cold air return passage of the low temperature room and the vegetable room, the fresh food storage room having a large amount of odor can be reasonably concentrated and deodorized.

[Brief description of the drawings] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 1 of a refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 2 of the refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 3 of the refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 4 of the refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 5 of the refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 6 of the refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional refrigerator. [Explanation of symbols] 25 Refrigerator 27 Freezer 29 Low temperature room 30 Vegetable room 31, 32 pull-out door 35 Humidity control means 38, 39 temperature control means 49, 50 temperature control means 56 Communication surface 57 Humidity control means 58, 59 Temperature switching means 64 Deodorizing means

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Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] A freezing room, an independent low-temperature room, and an independent vegetable room are provided, and each of the freezing room, the low-temperature room, and the vegetable room has an independent drawer-type door. Equipped with, the freezing room is arranged at the lower part of the refrigerator main body, the low temperature room and the vegetable room are the upper part of the freezing room and the lower part of the low temperature room at the center part of the refrigerator main body is the vegetable room. And damper devices for controlling the temperature by sending an appropriate amount of cold air into the low-temperature room and the vegetable room, respectively,
The cool air sent by the respective damper devices and cooled in the low-temperature room and the vegetable room is combined into a cool air inlet from each room to the cooler to return the cool air.
To the cooler through the return passage, and to the cool air return passage.
Providing odor means, the raw room housed in the cold room and the vegetable room
A refrigerator that concentrates and deodorizes odors from fresh foods .