JP4799288B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator including a temperature switching chamber that can be switched to a desired room temperature by a user.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator that includes a temperature switching chamber in addition to a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment. This refrigerator includes a damper device that opens and closes a passage of cool air sent to the temperature switching chamber, and a heater that raises the temperature of the temperature switching chamber. Thereby, the room temperature of the temperature switching chamber can be switched to a desired low temperature range such as freezing, refrigeration, partial, chilled, etc. according to the user's application.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator in which a heater is provided in a temperature switching chamber and the temperature switching chamber can be maintained at a temperature higher than room temperature by driving the heater.

  This refrigerator is provided with a refrigeration room at the top, and a temperature switching room and an ice making room are provided side by side on the lower side of the refrigeration room. A vegetable room is arranged below the temperature switching room, and a freezer room is arranged below the ice making room. A cooler is provided behind the freezer compartment, and the cold air generated by the cooler is discharged to the ice making chamber through the cold air passage. The cold air discharged into the ice making chamber flows through the ice making chamber, is guided to the freezing chamber, and returns to the cooler from a return port opened at the lower portion of the cooler. Thereby, the ice making room and the freezing room are cooled.

  The cold air passage is branched and the cold air is discharged into the refrigerator compartment. The cold air discharged into the refrigerator compartment is circulated through the refrigerator compartment, led to the vegetable compartment, and returned to the lower side of the cooler via the first return ventilation path. Thereby, a refrigerator compartment and a vegetable compartment are cooled. Further, the cold air generated by the cooler is discharged into the temperature switching chamber via the introduction ventilation path branched from the cold air passage. The cool air discharged to the temperature switching chamber flows through the temperature switching chamber and returns to the lower side of the cooler through the second return ventilation path. Thereby, the temperature switching chamber is cooled.

When the introduction ventilation path and the second return ventilation path are closed by the damper, the temperature switching chamber is hermetically sealed and maintained at a temperature higher than normal temperature by driving the heater. Thereby, heat insulation of a heating thing, warm cooking, etc. can be performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-288440 JP 2006-125705 A

  According to the conventional refrigerator, the cool air returned to the lower part of the cooler is cooled by exchanging heat with the cooler and sent out to each storage room. For this reason, when cold air containing water circulates, frost is concentrated in the lower part of the cooler and clogging occurs. Thereby, there existed a problem which the cooling performance of a cooler fell.

  In addition, since the temperature switching chamber is used for a dedicated purpose, the temperature switching chamber is formed to have a smaller volume than a refrigeration chamber including a communicating vegetable chamber and a freezing chamber including a communicating ice making chamber. For this reason, if the cold air returning from the temperature switching chamber is heat-exchanged with the whole cooler, it is cooled more than necessary, and the amount of cold heat exchanged with the cold air returning from the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment is reduced. Therefore, there has been a problem that the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler is lowered.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator which can improve the heat exchange efficiency while preventing the fall of the cooling performance of a cooler.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a cooler that generates cold air, and cools vegetables at a room temperature higher than that of the refrigerating room, which is in communication with the refrigerating room for storing stored items in a refrigerator. In a refrigerator having a vegetable room to be stored, a freezer room to store stored items in a frozen state, and a temperature switching room capable of switching the room temperature, the cold air flowing out from the vegetable room and the freezer room returns to the lower side of the cooler. At the same time, the cool air that has flowed out of the temperature switching chamber returns to the middle in the vertical direction of the cooler via the return ventilation path.

  According to this configuration, the cold air generated by the cooler is branched and discharged to the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment, and the temperature switching compartment. The cold air discharged into the freezer compartment flows out after passing through the freezer compartment and returns to the lower side of the cooler. The cold air discharged into the refrigerator compartment flows out after flowing through the refrigerator compartment, flows into the vegetable compartment, flows out after passing through the vegetable compartment, and returns below the cooler. The cold air returning to the lower side of the cooler is heat-exchanged with the entire vertical direction of the cooler. The cold air discharged into the temperature switching chamber flows out after passing through the temperature switching chamber, returns to the middle in the vertical direction of the cooler, and exchanges heat with the upper portion of the cooler. The temperature switching chamber may stop the supply of cold air to keep the stored items warm.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the temperature switching chamber can be switched between a low temperature side where the stored items are cooled and stored by cooling with the cooler and a heating device and a high temperature side which is higher than normal temperature. It is said.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the cooler includes a meandering refrigerant pipe, a plurality of fins arranged in contact with the refrigerant pipe, and end plates that support both side portions of the refrigerant pipe, The end plate is provided with a notch facing the outflow end of the return air passage. According to this configuration, the cool air returning from the temperature switching chamber to the cooler is guided and dispersed inside the both end plates through the notches.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the refrigerant pipe is characterized in that the fin is not arranged in a region facing the notch.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the cooler includes a meandering refrigerant pipe and a plurality of arranged fins in contact with the refrigerant pipe, and the refrigerant pipe faces an outflow end of the return ventilation path. The fin is not arranged in the region.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the present invention provides a defrosting unit that defrosts the cooler, an accumulator provided at a tip of the refrigerant pipe, and a temperature detection that is disposed near the accumulator and detects a temperature near the accumulator. And the fin is disposed in the vicinity of the temperature detection means, and the defrosting means is stopped based on the detection of the temperature detection means. According to this configuration, defrosting by the defrosting means is stopped when the vicinity of the accumulator rises to a predetermined temperature due to detection by the temperature detecting means.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator configured as described above, an ice making chamber for making ice is provided on the side of the temperature switching chamber.

  According to the present invention, the cold air flowing out from the vegetable compartment and the freezer compartment returns to the lower side of the cooler, and the cold air flowing out from the temperature switching chamber returns to the middle in the vertical direction of the cooler. Frost is generated throughout the cooler and clogging can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the cooling performance of the cooler from being lowered.

  In addition, the cold air that has flowed through the temperature switching chamber having a small volume is cooled at the upper part of the cooler, and the cold air that has flowed through the cold storage room, the vegetable room, and the freezer room having a large volume is cooled in the entire vertical direction of the cooler. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler can be improved.

  Further, according to the present invention, the temperature switching chamber can be switched between a low temperature side where the stored product is cooled and stored and a high temperature side which is higher than the normal temperature, so that the heated object can be kept warm.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the notch facing the outflow end of the return air passage is provided in the end plate, the cold air flowing out of the temperature switching chamber can be easily guided between the end plates on both sides to disperse the cold air. it can. Therefore, condensation can be dispersed and clogging can be further prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the fins are not arranged in the region facing the notch in the refrigerant pipe, it is possible to reduce the collision between the cold air and the fins and further disperse the cold air. Therefore, condensation can be dispersed and clogging can be further prevented.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the fin is not disposed in the region facing the outflow end of the return ventilation path, the collision between the cold air and the fin can be reduced and the cold air can be further dispersed. Therefore, condensation can be dispersed and clogging can be further prevented.

  According to the present invention, since the fins are arranged in the vicinity of the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the accumulator and stopping the defrosting means, the frosting in the vicinity of the accumulator becomes uniform. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the end time of defrosting.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the ice making chamber is provided on the side of the temperature switching chamber, the cold air flowing through the temperature switching chamber having a small volume can be cooled at the upper part of the cooler.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a front view and a right side view showing a refrigerator according to one embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerator compartment 2 at the top, and below the refrigerator compartment 2, a temperature switching chamber 3 and an ice making chamber 4 are arranged side by side. A freezing room 6 is arranged below the temperature switching room 3 and the ice making room 4, and a vegetable room 5 is arranged below the freezing room 6.

  The refrigerator compartment 2 stores stored items in a refrigerator, and the vegetable compartment 5 cools and preserves vegetables at a room temperature (about 8 ° C.) higher than the refrigerator compartment 2. As will be described later in detail, the temperature switching chamber 3 can be switched by the user at room temperature. The freezer 6 stores the stored items in a frozen state, and the ice making chamber 4 communicates with the freezer 6 to make ice.

  FIG. 3 is a right side sectional view of the refrigerator 1. The main body of the refrigerator 1 is filled with a foam heat insulating material 1c between the outer box 1a and the inner box 1b. The ice making chamber 4 and the temperature switching chamber 3 are separated from the refrigerator compartment 2 by a heat insulating wall 7, and the freezer compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 5 are separated from each other by a heat insulating wall 8. Further, the temperature switching chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 6 are separated by a heat insulating wall 35 (see FIG. 5), and the temperature switching chamber 3 and the ice making chamber 4 are separated by a vertical heat insulating wall 36 (see FIG. 5). ing.

  When the foam heat insulating material 1c is filled between the outer box 1a and the inner box 1b, the heat insulating walls 7 and 8 are filled simultaneously. That is, the stock solution of the foam heat insulating material 1c is injected simultaneously between the outer box 1a and the inner box 1b and into the heat insulating walls 7 and 8 communicating with the outer box 1a, and is foamed integrally. Thereby, the heat insulation walls 7 and 8 can be easily formed thinly, and the volume of the refrigerator compartment 2 can be ensured widely.

  The ice making room 4, the freezing room 6, the vegetable room 5 and the temperature switching room 3 are provided with a storage case 43 for storing stored items. The refrigerator compartment 2 is provided with a plurality of storage shelves 41 on which stored items are placed. A plurality of storage pockets 42 are provided on the door of the refrigerator compartment 2. Thereby, the usability of the refrigerator 1 is improved. A chilled chamber 21 maintained at a chilled temperature zone (about 0 ° C.) is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 2.

  A machine room 50 is provided behind the vegetable room 5, and a compressor 57 is disposed in the machine room 50. The compressor 57 is connected to a condenser, an expander (not shown), and a cooler 11, and a refrigerant such as isobutane is circulated by driving the compressor 57 to operate a refrigeration cycle. Thereby, the cooler 11 becomes the low temperature side of the refrigeration cycle.

  6 to 8 show a side view, a rear view, and a plan view in the machine room 50. An electrical box 52 attached to the main body of the refrigerator 1 is installed at the rear of the machine room 50. The back surface of the machine room 50 is covered with a back cover 50a made of metal. The electrical box 52 is open at the back and is sealed by the back cover 50a. Thereby, the electrical component 51 covered with the back cover 50a and the electrical box 52 is provided.

  The electrical component 51 includes electrical components including a control board 53 having a control circuit for controlling the compressor 57 and each blower. Since the electrical unit 51 is installed in the machine room 50, the volume of the refrigerator room 2, which is frequently used, is increased as compared with the case where it is installed behind the refrigerator room 2, and the volume efficiency of the refrigerator 1 is improved. Can be improved.

  A hole 52 a is provided on the side surface of the electrical box 52. A lead wire holding portion 54 made of a resin molded product is fitted into the hole 52a. The lead wire holding unit 54 relays a lead wire (not shown) connected to the electrical component in the electrical component unit 51. Thereby, it is possible to easily connect the lead wires to the control board 53 in a state in which the interior of the electrical component 51 is sealed.

  The back cover 50a and the electrical equipment box 52 are closely attached by an annular seal member 58, and the lead wire holding portion 54 and the hole portion 52a are sealed by a seal member (not shown). Thereby, while the inside of the electrical equipment part 51 is sealed and waterproofed, when the combustible refrigerant leaks, it is possible to prevent ignition due to the intrusion of the combustible refrigerant into the electrical equipment part 51.

  The electrical box 52 is formed by drawing a metal plate, has a large heat radiation area, can easily dissipate heat generated by the electrical components, and can easily seal the interior of the electrical component 51. Also, a resin support base 55 that supports the control board 53 is in close contact with the electrical box 52 so that heat generated by the control board 53 can be easily transmitted to the electrical box 52.

  A condenser (not shown) is disposed on the bottom surface of the main body portion in front of the machine room 50, and a condenser fan 60 that cools the condenser is provided on the front surface of the machine room 50. When the condenser fan 60 is driven, outside air is taken in from an intake port 56 provided on the bottom surface of the main body, and the air exchanged heat with the condenser flows into the machine chamber 50 via the condenser fan 60. The condenser fan 60 sends air toward the electrical box 52, exchanges heat with the electrical box 52, cools the compressor 57, and flows out to the outside.

  Since air is sent out toward the electrical equipment box 52 by the condenser fan 60, the amount of heat radiation increases, and the heat generated by the electrical equipment components can be radiated more efficiently. Alternatively, the electrical box 52 may be formed of a resin molded product having a frame part on the front side, and a metal plate may be fitted to the frame part.

  In FIG. 3, a cold air passage 31 is provided behind the freezer compartment 6, and a cooler 11 is disposed in the cold air passage 31. Behind the refrigerator compartment 2 is provided a cold air passage 32 communicating with the cold air passage 31 via the refrigerator compartment damper 20. The cooler 11 on the low temperature side of the refrigeration cycle exchanges heat with the air flowing through the cold air passage 31 to generate cold air. A defrost heater 33 for defrosting the cooler 11 is provided below the cooler 11.

  In the cold air passages 31 and 32, the freezer compartment fan 12 and the refrigerator compartment fan 23 are respectively arranged. As will be described in detail later, the cold air generated by the cooler 11 flows through the front portion 31 a of the cold air passage 31 by driving the freezer compartment fan 12, and is supplied to the freezer compartment 6, the ice making chamber 4, and the temperature switching chamber 3. . The cold air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 2, the chilled compartment 21 and the vegetable compartment 5 through the cold passage 32 by driving the refrigerator compartment fan 23.

  The refrigerating room blower 23 is composed of an axial fan, and is arranged with the axial direction directed up and down. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment fan 23 becomes low in a height direction, and the refrigerator compartment fan 23 and the heat insulation wall 7 can be arrange | positioned in the same horizontal surface so that it may overlap in a front projection. Therefore, the volume of the refrigerator compartment 2 with high use frequency can be secured widely. Further, the cold air can be guided to the cold air passage 32 with a low pressure loss. The refrigerator compartment fan 23 may be formed by a centrifugal fan.

  FIG. 4 shows a front sectional view of the refrigerator 1. The cold air passage 31 behind the freezer compartment 6 opens the front of the freezer compartment fan 12, and air is sent out to the ice making chamber 4 by the freezer compartment fan 12. A freezer return damper 22 is provided at the lower part of the freezer compartment 6 communicating with the ice making chamber 4. The air volume of the air flowing out of the freezer compartment 6 is adjusted by opening and closing the freezer return damper 22. Further, an introduction ventilation path 15 that branches from the cold air passage 31 and guides the cold air to the temperature switching chamber 3 is provided.

  The upper part of the cold air passage 31 communicates with the cold air passage 32 via the refrigerator compartment damper 20. When the refrigerator compartment damper 20 is opened and the freezer compartment fan 12 is driven, cold air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 2 and the chilled compartment 21. The refrigerator compartment damper 20 is arranged behind the vertical heat insulation wall 36 so as to overlap the vertical heat insulation wall 36 in front projection.

  A refrigerator compartment outlet 2 a is opened at the lower back of the refrigerator compartment 2, and a vegetable compartment inlet (not shown) is provided in the vegetable compartment 5. The refrigerator compartment outlet 2 a and the vegetable compartment inlet are connected by a connection path 34 that passes through the back surface of the temperature switching chamber 3, and the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 5 communicate with each other. A return ventilation path 46 (see FIG. 3) communicating with the cold air passage 31 is provided at the upper back of the vegetable compartment 5.

  A temperature switching chamber blower 18 and a heater 16 are disposed on the upper portion of the temperature switching chamber 3. A temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 is provided at the lower right of the temperature switching chamber 3. The temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 is disposed on the introduction ventilation path 15, and the temperature switching chamber blower 18 is disposed above the introduction ventilation path 15. When the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 is opened and the temperature switching chamber blower 18 is driven, cold air flows from the cooler 11 into the temperature switching chamber 3 through the introduction ventilation path 15. The amount of air flowing into the temperature switching chamber 3 from the introduction ventilation path 15 is adjusted by the opening / closing amount of the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37.

  A temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is provided at the lower left portion of the temperature switching chamber 3. The temperature switching chamber return damper 38 opens and closes the return ventilation path 17 extending downward, and the air in the temperature switching chamber 3 returns to the cool air passage 31 via the return ventilation path 17.

  9 and 10 are a front view and a left side view showing the cooler 11. The cooler 11 is formed by meandering refrigerant pipes 11a through which refrigerant flows, and left and right ends of the refrigerant pipes 11a are supported by end plates 11b. A large number of fins 11d for heat dissipation are provided in contact with the refrigerant pipe 11a.

  The air flowing through the return air passage 17 is returned to the cooler 11 from an outlet 17 a provided in the middle of the cooler 11 in the vertical direction. Further, the cold air flowing out from the vegetable compartment 5 and the freezer compartment 6 is returned to the lower side of the cooler 11 via the return ventilation path 46 (see FIG. 3) and the freezer compartment return damper 22. For this reason, when cold air containing water circulates, frost does not intensively generate in part but is dispersed and generated throughout the cooler 11, and clogging of the cold air flow due to frost can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the cooling performance of the cooler 11 from being lowered.

  In addition, the cold air that has flowed through the temperature switching chamber 3 with a small volume is cooled at the upper part of the cooler 11, and the cold air that has flowed through the large-sized refrigerating chamber 3, the vegetable room 5, and the freezer room 6 Cooled by. Therefore, the cold air flowing out from the temperature switching chamber 3 is not heat exchanged with the cooler 11 more than necessary, and the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler 11 can be improved.

  Further, the cold air flowing out from the freezer compartment 3 through the freezer return damper 22 is guided between the end plates 11b on both sides. The cold air flowing out from the vegetable compartment 5 is guided to the entire left and right direction inside and outside the end plates 11b on both sides of the cooler 11 via a return ventilation path 46 (see FIG. 3).

  Thereby, the heat exchange area of the cold air flowing out from the vegetable compartment 5 becomes larger than the heat exchange area of the cold air flowing out from the freezer compartment 6. Therefore, the low temperature cold air returning from the freezer compartment 6 is not cooled more than necessary, and the high temperature cold air returning from the vegetable compartment 5 is cooled by the entire cooler 11 so that the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler 11 can be further improved.

  Since the temperature switching chamber 3 may be maintained at the freezing temperature, the end plate 11b is provided with a notch 11c (see FIG. 10) at a position facing the outlet 17a of the return ventilation path 17. Thereby, the cold air that has flowed out of the temperature switching chamber 3 can be guided between the end plates 11b on both sides to disperse the cold air. Therefore, the condensation of the cooler 11 can be dispersed and clogging can be further prevented.

  An accumulator 45 is connected to the upper part of the refrigerant pipe 11a. The accumulator 45 is disposed at the end of the ice making chamber 4 away from the temperature switching chamber 3. Thereby, even if the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 is disposed below the temperature switching chamber 3, it does not interfere with the accumulator 45. As a result, it is possible to avoid the interference between the refrigerator compartment damper 20 and the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 and arrange the refrigerator compartment damper 20 behind the vertical heat insulating wall 36.

  A temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature in the vicinity of the accumulator 45 is provided in the vicinity of the accumulator 45. When the defrost heater 33 is driven to defrost the cooler 11, when the accumulator 45 reaches a predetermined temperature by the detection of the temperature sensor, the defrost heater 33 is stopped and the defrost is completed.

  In FIG. 9, the fin 11 d is not provided in the region E in the vicinity of the accumulator 45 and the temperature sensor, but it is more desirable to provide the fin 11 d in the region E. That is, in the portion where the fins 11d are not provided, the frost formation is uneven, and the defrosting may end at an early stage where the frost of the accumulator 45 is not completely melted. If the fins 11d are arranged in the vicinity of the temperature sensor, the frosting in the vicinity of the accumulator 45 becomes uniform, and the defrosting end timing can be accurately detected.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, it is more desirable to omit the fin 11d in the region D that faces the notch 11c. If the fins 11d in the region D are omitted, the collision between the cold air from the outlet 17a (see FIG. 4) and the fins 11d is avoided, and the cold air can be further dispersed. Therefore, condensation can be dispersed and clogging can be further prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the end plate 11b (see FIG. 9) may be omitted. The cold air that has flowed out of the temperature switching chamber 3 returns to the cooler 11 through an outlet 17 a provided in the middle of the cooler 11 in the vertical direction. Therefore, clogging of the cold air flow due to frost can be prevented to prevent the cooling performance of the cooler 11 from being lowered, and the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler 11 can be improved.

  At this time, the fin 11d in the region D facing the outlet 17a (see FIG. 4) of the return ventilation path 17 may be omitted. Thereby, the collision with the cold air from the outflow port 17a and the fin 11d is avoided like the above, and cold air can be disperse | distributed more. Therefore, condensation can be dispersed and clogging can be further prevented.

  FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view of the temperature switching chamber 3. The upper and lower surfaces of the temperature switching chamber 3 are insulated from the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 6 by heat insulation walls 7 and 35. The front surface of the temperature switching chamber 3 can be opened and closed by a pivotable door 9. The back surface of the temperature switching chamber 3 is covered with a back plate 40. An air inlet 40 a through which air flows into the temperature switching chamber 3 is provided at the upper part of the back plate 40. An air outlet 40 b through which air flows out from the temperature switching chamber 3 is provided at the lower part of the back plate 40.

  The temperature switching chamber blower 18 is provided facing the air inlet 40a, and the heater 16 is disposed between the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the air inlet 40a. The heater 16 is formed of a heat radiation type glass tube heater, and raises the temperature of the temperature switching chamber 3 by radiant heat released through the back plate 40. The temperature switching chamber blower 18 is disposed so as to blow toward the surface of the heater 16. Thereby, the surface temperature of the heater 16 can be lowered and safety can be improved. Above the heater 16, a temperature sensor 24 for detecting the temperature in the temperature switching chamber 3 is provided.

  A panel heater 44 that uniformly dissipates heat from the entire surface is provided below the temperature switching chamber 3. The panel heater 44 is disposed between the heat insulating wall 35 via a gap d, and uniformly heats from the upper and lower surfaces to raise the temperature in the temperature switching chamber 3. Heat dissipation can be improved by dissipating heat from both sides. The gap d is preferably 10 to 20 mm. Thereby, while ensuring the volume in the temperature switching chamber 3, the raise of the surface temperature of the heat insulation wall 35 can be suppressed, and the heat leak to the freezer compartment 6 can be prevented.

  The storage case 43 in the temperature switching chamber 3 is made of metal and placed on the panel heater 44. Thereby, the stored item in the storage case 43 can be efficiently heated. The panel heater 44 may be pivotally supported at the rear end. Thereby, the front part of the panel heater 44 can be lifted and the lower part of the panel heater 44 can be easily cleaned.

  A temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is disposed behind the air outlet 40b. The temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is formed with an opening 38a that opens downward and a 38b that opens backward, and has a baffle 38c that opens one side and closes the other by turning. The opening 38a faces the return ventilation path 17 extending downward, and the opening 38b faces the communication path 30 arranged rearward.

  The communication path 30 extends rearward and bends upward to connect the intake side of the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the opening 38b. Since the communication path 30 is arranged behind the temperature switching chamber return damper 38, the intake side of the temperature switching chamber blower 18 can be arranged behind the temperature switching chamber return damper 38. Thereby, the depth of the temperature switching chamber 3 can be widened.

  When the opening 38b of the temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is opened, the air flowing out from the air outlet 40b is guided to the intake side of the temperature switching chamber blower 18, and the return ventilation path 17 is closed. Therefore, when the opening 38 a and the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 (see FIG. 4) are closed, the air in the temperature switching chamber 3 can be circulated by driving the temperature switching chamber blower 18. In the following description, when the opening 38a is opened and the opening 38b is closed, the temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is open, and when the opening 38a is closed and the opening 38b is opened, the temperature is switched. The chamber return damper 38 is in a closed state.

  FIG. 15 is a cold air circuit diagram showing the flow of cold air in the refrigerator 1. The freezer compartment 6, the refrigerator compartment 2, and the temperature switching chamber 3 are each arranged in parallel. The ice making room 4 is arranged in series with the freezer room 6, and the vegetable room 5 is arranged in series with the refrigerator room 2. The cold air generated by the cooler 11 is sent to the ice making chamber 4 by driving the freezer blower 12. The cold air sent to the ice making room 4 flows through the ice making room 4 and the freezing room 6, flows out from the freezing room return damper 22, and returns to the cooler 17. As a result, the ice making chamber 4 and the freezing chamber 6 are cooled.

  The cold air branched on the exhaust side of the freezer compartment fan 12 is sent to the refrigerating compartment 2 and the chilled compartment 21 through the refrigerating compartment damper 20 by driving the refrigerating compartment blower 23. The cold air that has flowed through the refrigerator compartment 2 and the chilled compartment 21 and exchanged heat with the stored material flows into the vegetable compartment 5 through the connection path 34. The cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 5 circulates in the vegetable compartment 5 and returns to the cooler 11 through the return ventilation path 46. Thereby, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 5 is cooled, and when it becomes preset temperature, the refrigerator compartment damper 20 will be closed.

  Further, the cold air branched on the exhaust side of the freezer compartment fan 12 flows into the temperature switching chamber 3 through the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 by driving the temperature switching chamber blower 18. The cold air that has flowed into the temperature switching chamber 3 flows through the temperature switching chamber 3, flows out of the temperature switching chamber return damper 38, and returns to the cooler 11 through the return ventilation path 17. Thereby, the inside of the temperature switching chamber 3 is cooled.

  As described above, the temperature switching chamber 3 can switch the room temperature by a user's operation. The operation modes of the temperature switching chamber 3 are wine (8 ° C.), refrigeration (3 ° C.), chilled (0 ° C.), soft freezing (−8 ° C.), and freezing (−15 ° C.) depending on the temperature zone. Provided.

  Thus, the user can store the refrigerated product at a desired temperature by refrigeration or refrigeration. The room temperature can be switched by varying the amount of opening of the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37. For example, the heater 16 or the panel heater 44 may be energized to switch the temperature from the frozen room temperature to the refrigerated room temperature. Thereby, it can switch to desired room temperature rapidly.

  Further, by energizing the heater 16 and the panel heater 44, the room temperature of the temperature switching chamber 3 can be switched from the low temperature side where the stored items are cooled and stored to the high temperature side higher than the normal temperature. Thereby, temporary heat insulation, warm cooking, etc. of the cooked heated food can be performed.

  When the temperature switching chamber 3 is switched to the high temperature side, the opening 38a of the temperature switching chamber return damper 38 and the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 are closed. Then, the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the heater 16 are driven to shift to a temperature raising period in which the temperature in the temperature switching chamber 3 is raised.

  When the temperature switching chamber 3 is heated to a predetermined temperature, the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the heater 16 are stopped, and the panel heater 44 is driven. Thereby, it transfers to the heat retention period which maintains the temperature switching chamber 3 at predetermined temperature, and heats a stored thing. During the heat retention period, the panel heater 44 is turned on and off in the vicinity of the set temperature to maintain the set temperature.

  By driving the heater 16 and the panel heater 44 having a large capacity during the temperature raising period, the temperature can be quickly raised to a desired room temperature. Further, since the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the heater 16 are stopped and the panel heater 44 having a small capacity is driven during the heat retention period, the power can be saved and the room can be easily maintained at a uniform temperature. Moreover, since the temperature switching chamber blower 18 is stopped, the stored product can be prevented from drying.

  Since the growth temperature of the main food poisoning bacteria is 30 ° C. to 45 ° C., the indoor temperature on the high temperature side is preferably set to 50 ° C. or more in consideration of the tolerance of the heater capacity, the temperature distribution in the temperature switching chamber 3, and the like. Thereby, propagation of food poisoning bacteria can be prevented.

  Moreover, since the heat-resistant temperature of the general resin parts used for a refrigerator is 80 degreeC, when the room temperature of a high temperature side shall be 80 degrees C or less, it can implement | achieve cheaply. In addition, in order to sterilize food poisoning bacteria, for example, in the case of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (pathogenic E. coli O157), heating at 75 ° C. for 1 minute is required. Therefore, it is more desirable to set the indoor temperature on the high temperature side to 75 ° C to 80 ° C.

The following are the test results on the sterilization of food poisoning bacteria at 55 ° C. In the initial state, E. coli 2.4 × 10 ³ CFU / mL, Staphylococcus aureus 2.0 × 10 ³ CFU / mL, Salmonella 2.1 × 10 ³ CFU / mL, Vibrio parahaemolyticus 1.5 × 10 ³ CFU / ML, Cereus 4.0 × 10 ³ CFU / mL. This test sample was heated from 3 ° C. to 55 ° C. over 40 minutes, kept at 55 ° C. for 3.5 hours, then returned from 55 ° C. to 3 ° C. over 80 minutes, and the amount of each bacterium was examined again. As a result, all the bacteria were reduced to a level of 10 CFU / mL or less (not detected). Therefore, even if the set temperature on the high temperature side of the temperature switching chamber 3 is 55 ° C., there is a sufficient sterilization effect.

  According to the present embodiment, since the refrigerator compartment 2, the temperature switching chamber 3, the freezer compartment 6, and the vegetable compartment 5 are arranged in this order from the top, the width of the freezer compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 5 is widened, and the convenience of the refrigerator 1 is improved. To do. In addition, since the temperature switching chamber 3 and the freezer compartment 6 are adjacent to each other, the cool air path from the cooler 11 provided close to the freezer compartment 6 to the temperature switching chamber 3 is shortened. For this reason, the temperature rise of the cold air supplied to the temperature switching chamber 3 maintained at the freezing temperature can be prevented, and the cooling efficiency can be improved.

  Moreover, the convenience of the refrigerator 1 improves by arrange | positioning the refrigerator compartment 2 with a high usage frequency in the uppermost stage. In addition, since the vegetable compartment 5 is disposed below the refrigerator compartment 2, the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 2 can be easily guided to the vegetable compartment 5 by its own weight, and a reduction in blowing efficiency can be prevented. Furthermore, since the temperature switching chamber 3 is disposed above the freezer compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 3, it is possible to easily put in and out a heavy and hot pan or the like while the user is standing. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigerator 1 can be further improved, and the risk of turning over the pan or the like can be reduced, thereby improving safety.

  Moreover, since the cold air | gas which flowed out from the vegetable compartment 5 and the freezer compartment 6 returned to the downward direction of the cooler 11, and the cold air which flowed out from the temperature switching chamber 3 returns to the intermediate | middle of the up-down direction of the cooler 11, the cold air | moisture containing water circulated. At this time, frost is not generated in a part of the chiller but dispersed throughout the cooler 11, and the clogging of the cold air flow due to the frost can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the cooling performance of the cooler 11 from being lowered.

  In addition, the cold air flowing through the temperature switching chamber 3 having a small volume is cooled at the upper part of the cooler 11, and the cold air flowing through the cold storage room 2, the vegetable room 5, and the freezer room 6 having a large volume is moved in the vertical direction of the cooler 11. Cooled by. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler 11 can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, a damper may be provided at the outlet of the vegetable compartment 5. Thereby, when the temperature switching chamber 3 is switched from the high temperature side to the low temperature side, it is possible to prevent the hot air from the temperature switching chamber 3 from flowing backward into the vegetable chamber 5 by closing the damper. In addition, when the freezer compartment fan 12 is stopped when the temperature switching chamber 3 is switched from the high temperature side to the low temperature side, the freezer compartment return damper 22 is closed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent hot air from flowing backward from the freezer return damper 22 into the freezer compartment 6 by driving the temperature switching chamber blower 18.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can utilize for the refrigerator which has the temperature switching chamber which can switch room temperature.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The right view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing of right side which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Front sectional drawing which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Cross section of the right side showing the temperature switching chamber of the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention The side view which shows the machine room of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The rear view which shows the machine room of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows the machine room of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the refrigerator cooler of embodiment of this invention The left view which shows the cooler of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the other cooler of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The left view which shows the other cooler of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the further another cooler of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention. The left view which shows the other cooler of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention. Cold air circuit diagram showing the flow of cold air in the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerating room 3 Temperature switching room 4 Ice making room 5 Vegetable room 6 Freezer room 7, 8, 35 Insulating wall 9 Door 11 Cooler 11a Refrigerant pipe 11b End plate 11c Notch 11d Fin 12 Freezer room blower 15 Introducing ventilation path 16 Heater 17 Return ventilation path 18 Temperature switching chamber blower 20 Refrigeration chamber damper 22 Freezing chamber return damper 23 Refrigeration chamber blower 24 Temperature sensor 36 Vertical heat insulation wall 37 Temperature switching chamber discharge damper 38 Temperature switching chamber return damper 38a, 38b Opening 38c Baffle 44 Panel heater 45 Accumulator 50 Machine room 50a Back cover 51 Electrical part 52 Electrical box 53 Control board 54 Lead wire holding part 57 Compressor 60 Condenser fan

Claims (3)

Having a cooler to produce cold air;
A refrigerator room for storing stored items in a refrigerator;
A vegetable compartment that communicates with the refrigeration compartment and that cools and preserves vegetables at a higher room temperature than the refrigeration compartment;
A freezer room for freezing and storing stored items;
A temperature switching room that can switch the room temperature;
In the refrigerator with
While the cold air that has flowed out of the vegetable compartment and the freezer compartment returns to the lower side of the cooler,
The cool air that has flowed out of the temperature switching chamber passes through the return ventilation path that is disposed in the vicinity of the cooler and only on one side of the cooler, and from the one side on the return ventilation path side of the cooler, A refrigerator that returns to the middle in the vertical direction.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the temperature switching chamber can be switched between a low temperature side that cools and preserves stored items and a high temperature side that is higher than normal temperature by cooling by the cooler and heating by a heating device. The cooler includes a meandering refrigerant pipe, a plurality of arranged fins in contact with the refrigerant pipe, and end plates that support both sides of the refrigerant pipe,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cutout facing the outflow end of the return ventilation path is provided in the end plate.

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