JP5487224B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

  There is known a refrigerator that includes a plurality of storage chambers of different temperature zones and that blows cold air generated by heat exchange with a single cooler by a plurality of air blowing means corresponding to the plurality of storage chambers.

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a refrigerator compartment fan and a freezer compartment fan are provided, the temperature of the storage compartment is detected by a temperature sensor provided in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, and the set temperature of the storage compartment is obtained in conjunction with the temperature sensor. As described above, the rotational speeds of the refrigerator compartment fan and the freezer compartment fan are controlled to adjust the amount of air blown to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2, a damper is provided in the middle of the air path of the refrigerator compartment, and the operation of cooling the freezer compartment alone is performed. Further, it is described that the temperature of each storage room is finely and independently controlled by controlling the refrigerator compartment fan and the freezer compartment fan in accordance with the temperature detected in the refrigerator.

Japanese Patent No. 3494874 Japanese Patent No. 3073636

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, when a large amount of food is put into the refrigerator compartment, the number of rotations of the freezer compartment fan is adjusted so that the refrigerator compartment is not cooled too much at the same time as the refrigerator compartment. Also, when one fan is driving, the other fan is driven at the minimum fan speed to act like a valve, and the reverse flow of the cold air flow that occurs when the other fan is stopped It is described to prevent.

  However, since there are no dampers (cold air flaps) in the middle of the air passages for sending cool air to the refrigerating room and freezer room, the operation is to cool the refrigerating room and freezer room at the same time. Even if it is attempted to perform a cooling operation in which either the fan or the freezer compartment fan is stopped, it is difficult to suppress the backflow to the side where the fan is stopped.

  In a refrigerator equipped with a single cooler, it is important to operate the refrigeration cycle at an evaporation temperature (cooler temperature) that matches the temperature in the refrigerator in order to enhance energy saving. In particular, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be increased by providing an operation mode (cooling room single cooling operation) for cooling the refrigerating chamber alone to increase the evaporation temperature.

  However, there is no description regarding such energy saving operation in Patent Document 1. In the case of cooling room independent cooling operation with improved energy saving, the refrigerator compartment fan is operated and the freezer compartment fan is stopped. At this time, if the freezer compartment fan is completely stopped, a flow is generated that flows backward in the blowing direction of the freezer compartment fan. That is, a part of the cold air circulating in the freezer compartment flows into the freezer compartment from the freezer compartment cooler return port, and the suction side (freezer compartment) from the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan (downstream of the cold air flow during the freezer compartment cooling operation). There is a backflow phenomenon that flows toward the upstream side of the cold air flow during the cooling operation. For this reason, it is described that the freezer compartment fan is rotated at a minimum number of rotations to act like a valve to prevent a backflow phenomenon.

  However, when a freezer compartment fan having a size equivalent to that of the refrigerator compartment fan is used, it is necessary to operate the freezer compartment fan at a rotation speed as low as about 1/100 of the conventional one in order to prevent backflow. For this reason, it is difficult to operate the fan rotational speed during the normal freezer compartment cooling operation and the fan rotational speed at the time of preventing backflow using the same drive source (motor).

  In addition, a configuration in which a low air volume is realized by using a smaller freezer compartment fan than the refrigerator compartment fan is conceivable. However, a high speed operation is required to obtain a necessary air volume during a normal freezer compartment cooling operation, which causes a problem of noise.

  In addition, in order to prevent the reverse flow phenomenon to the freezer compartment, a temperature range that is suitable for cooling the refrigerator compartment but not for cooling the freezer compartment when the freezer compartment fan cannot be operated at a sufficiently low speed. The cold air is blown to the freezer compartment by the freezer compartment fan, which may cause an increase in the temperature of the freezer compartment.

  The refrigerator described in Patent Document 2 includes a damper that blocks air flow in the air path of the refrigeration room. Therefore, an operation for cooling the freezing room and the refrigeration room at the same time and an operation for cooling the freezing room independently are performed. ing.

  However, there is no description about the cooling room single cooling operation for improving the energy saving performance, and there is no description about the flow of cold air in the freezing room and the freezing room when the cooling room single cooling operation is performed.

  As described above, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment fan for cooling the refrigerator compartment and a refrigerator compartment fan for cooling the refrigerator compartment. However, it does not describe the operation that improves energy saving. Moreover, it is the same cold air circulation as the case of the refrigerator compartment independent cooling operation, and there is no description about the refrigerator compartment rapid cooling operation which cools the refrigerator compartment rapidly in a short time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is capable of saving energy and preserving food by suppressing the inflow of cold air into the freezer compartment when performing the operation of cooling the refrigerator compartment alone. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with improved quality.

  In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configuration described in the claims is adopted. The present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above-described problems. To give an example, a plurality of storage chambers, and a first blower and a second blower for blowing cool air to each of the plurality of storage chambers, The air passage in which the first blower is provided and the air passage in which the second blower is provided are provided partially adjacent to each other with a boundary portion therebetween, A mutual air path is formed in the boundary portion where the discharge side of the first fan of the air path provided with the blower and the discharge side of the second fan of the air path provided with the second fan are adjacent to each other. It is characterized in that a connecting air volume control unit is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the refrigerator which improved energy saving property and food preservability can be provided by suppressing the cold air | flow inflow to the freezer compartment at the time of implementing the driving | operation which cools a refrigerator compartment independently.

It is a front view of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front perspective view explaining a cold air circulation path except the door of the refrigerator concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 2, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the cold-air circulation path | route of a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment. It is the figure which showed typically operation | movement of each part at the time of a refrigerator compartment independent cooling operation. It is the figure which showed typically the operation | movement of each part at the time of the frost utilization cooling operation which uses frost as a cold heat source. It is the figure which showed typically the backflow phenomenon to the freezer compartment in the conventional refrigerator. It is the figure which showed the relationship between the refrigerator temperature of the refrigerator compartment in the conventional refrigerator, and the air volume of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. It is a front view of the fan support member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. 6a. It is a rear view of the partition part which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. 7a. It is sectional drawing of the state which combined the fan support member of FIG. 6b, and the partition part of FIG. 7b. It is the figure which showed typically the cold air flow of the state which suppressed the cold air inflow to the freezer compartment at the time of the single cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the magnitude | size of the air volume control part which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the air volume of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. It is a figure which shows the temperature aging of the refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6c is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C of FIG. 6a, according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows embodiment different from FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a front view showing an open state of a door. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view illustrating a cold air circulation path except for a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 and shows a cold air circulation path between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

  In addition, when it only describes as a refrigerator in a present Example, the refrigerator refrigerator provided with the refrigerator temperature zone room and the freezing temperature zone room shall be included.

  The refrigerator main body 1 is a large refrigerator having an internal volume of 600L to 700L, the width of the refrigerator main body 1 is 750 to 800 mm, and the width of the cooler 16 that cools the circulating cold air in the refrigerator accordingly exceeds 500 mm. Further, a defrost heater 41 as a heating means is provided at the lower part of the cooler 16 in order to defrost the frost that has grown on the cooler 16. The defrosting water generated during the defrosting operation in which the frost attached to the cooler 16 is heated by the defrosting heater 41 is configured to be discharged to the outside from the eaves 28 that are water receiving portions provided below the cooler 16. .

  A freezer compartment 3 (freezer temperature zone room, storage room) on the upper side with a heat insulating partition wall 9 in the interior, and a refrigeration room 4 (refrigeration temperature zone room, storage room) in the refrigeration temperature zone on the lower side. Has been placed. That is, a plurality of storage rooms are provided.

  The freezer compartment 3 is provided with a shelf 19 that divides the storage space vertically. Similarly, the refrigerator compartment 4 has a plurality of shelves 19 that vertically divide the storage space.

  A storage case 20 suitable for storing fruits and vegetables such as vegetables and fruits is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 4. The cool air is not blown directly into the storage case 20 but is indirectly cooled so that the cool air wraps around the storage case 20. Thereby, since cold air is not sprayed directly on fruits and vegetables, drying can be suppressed. Note that the storage case 20 does not necessarily have a completely sealed structure, and may have a structure in which cold air flows to some extent from the gap between the storage cases 20.

  Openings are respectively formed on the front surfaces of the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4 (the front side when the refrigerator main body 1 is viewed from the front). This opening can be opened and closed by a freezer compartment door 7 and a refrigerator compartment door 8, respectively. On the storage space side of the refrigerator compartment door 8, a plurality of stages of refrigerator compartment door storage portions 10 are provided in the vertical direction. The refrigerator compartment door storage unit 10 has a pocket shape with an open top, and is suitable for storing beverage containers 11 such as plastic bottles and cans filled with soft drinks or mineral water. The container 11 can be easily taken in and out.

  The partition 12 on the back side of the freezer compartment 3 (the rear side in the freezer compartment 3 when the refrigerator main body 1 is viewed from the front) has a freezer compartment cool air discharge port 2 at the top and a freezer compartment cool air return port 5 at the bottom. Provided. In addition, the freezer compartment cold air discharge port 2 is provided with two or more up and down directions so that cold air may be blown off corresponding to each of the some storage space divided by the shelf 19. FIG.

  The refrigerator compartment partition 39 on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 4 (the rear side in the refrigerator compartment 4 when the refrigerator main body 1 is viewed from the front) is arranged so as to blow cool air into each storage space partitioned by the shelf 19. A plurality of first refrigerator compartment cold air discharge ports 6 are provided in the direction. A plurality of the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 6 are provided in communication with the first refrigerator compartment air passage 15 provided in pairs at predetermined intervals on the left and right sides, and cold air is supplied to the left and right corners of the wide storage space. I can do it.

  Further, the heat insulating partition wall 9 is provided with a second refrigerator compartment air passage 17 in the front-rear direction. At the front end of the second refrigerator compartment air passage 17, a second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 26 communicating with the refrigerator compartment 4 is formed. The second refrigerating room cold air discharge port 26 is formed in the vicinity of the upper side of the refrigerating room door storage unit 10, and is configured such that the cold air is directly supplied to the refrigerating room door storage unit 10.

  The first refrigerator compartment air passage 15 and the second refrigerator compartment air passage 17 communicate with the air passage 21. The air passage 21 passes through the right side of the cooler 16 provided behind the freezer compartment 3 and extends in the width direction of the refrigerator main body 1 near the heat insulating partition wall 9. In the vicinity of the heat insulating partition wall 9 extending in the width direction, the air passage 21 is branched into a first refrigerator compartment air passage 15 and a second refrigerator compartment air passage 17.

  In the air passage 21 before branching into the first refrigerator compartment air passage 15 and the second refrigerator compartment air passage 17, a refrigerator compartment damper 40, which is a refrigerator compartment cold air control means for controlling the amount of cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 4, is provided. Is provided.

  Further, at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment partition 39 and behind the storage case 20, a refrigerator compartment cold air return port 25 is provided. The refrigerating room return air passage 27 communicating with the refrigerating room cold air return port 25 is between the left and right first refrigerating room air passages 15, and the center of the back surface of the refrigerating room 4 is provided vertically.

  Above the cooler 16 on the far side of the partition 12 in the freezer compartment 3, a freezer compartment fan 13 (freezing temperature zone air blower, second blower) that blows cool air into the freezer compartment 3, and cool air into the refrigerator compartment 4. The refrigerator compartment fan 14 (refrigeration temperature zone chamber blowing means, first blower) for blowing air is provided side by side. The freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 are fixed and supported at predetermined positions by a fan support member 18 and are not exposed to the storage space in front of the partition portion 12.

  In addition, fan front portions 13 a and 14 a are provided in the partition portion 12 in front of the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 (on the freezer compartment 3 side), respectively. The fan front face portions 13a and 14a are transparent or semi-transparent window-like members, and the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 can be viewed from the freezer compartment 3 side with the fan front face portions 13a and 14a interposed therebetween.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the freezer compartment 3 is cooled, by operating the freezer compartment fan 13, the cold air cooled by the cooler 16 is blown from the freezer compartment cold air outlet 2 to the freezer compartment 3. The cold air blown into the freezer compartment 3 is returned from the freezer compartment cold air return port 5 to the cooler 16 and is again cooled by heat exchange. At this time, by closing the refrigerator compartment damper 40, only the freezer compartment 3 can be cooled without supplying cold air to the refrigerator compartment 4.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the refrigerator compartment 4 is cooled, the cold air cooled by the cooler 16 passes through the air passage 21 and the refrigerator compartment damper 40 by operating the refrigerator compartment fan 14. Then, it distributes to the 1st refrigerator compartment air path 15 and the 2nd refrigerator compartment air path 17, and it ventilates to the refrigerator compartment 4 from the 1st refrigerator compartment cold air discharge port 6 and the 2nd refrigerator compartment cold air discharge port 26, respectively. The cool air discharged from the first refrigerator compartment cool air outlet 6 mainly cools the stored items placed on the shelf 19. The cool air discharged from the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 26 mainly cools the stored items in the refrigerator compartment door storage unit 10.

  The refrigerating room cold air return port 25 is provided on the back side of the storage case 20, and is returned to the cooler 16 from below via a refrigerating room return air passage 27 provided in the center on the back side of the refrigerating room 4.

  When the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4 are cooled simultaneously, the refrigerator compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 can be operated, and the refrigerator compartment damper 40 can be opened to cool the inside of the refrigerator.

  Considering the energy saving property of the refrigerator, the cooler 16 that is in the freezing temperature zone is preferably installed on the back side of the freezer compartment 3. The cold air discharged by the freezer fan 13 is discharged from the freezer cold air outlet 2 provided in the partition 12 in front of the freezer fan 13 to the freezer room 3 and returned from the freezer cold air return port 5 through a cold air circulation air path. Therefore, the ventilation resistance on the freezer compartment 3 side tends to be relatively small.

  On the other hand, the cold air circulation air path on the refrigerator compartment 4 side is longer than the freezer compartment 3 side. Moreover, if the food storage space (internal volume) of the refrigerator compartment 4 is expanded, the ventilation resistance of the cold air passage tends to increase.

  The internal temperature is controlled by a program stored in the control device 50 based on the outputs of the freezer temperature detector and the refrigerator temperature detector (both not shown). The internal temperature is controlled by performing a cooling operation in which the control unit 50 controls the freezer compartment fan 13, the refrigerator compartment fan 14, the refrigerator compartment damper 40, and the compressor 22 respectively.

  Here, in the case of a refrigerator that cools the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4 with a single cooler 16, if the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation for cooling the refrigerator compartment 4 alone is provided, it matches the storage compartment temperature in the refrigerator compartment. Depending on the evaporation temperature, the refrigeration cycle can be operated efficiently.

  In this case, in order to carry out the independent cooling operation of the freezer compartment, a freezer compartment damper for blocking air flow to the freezer compartment 3 side may be provided on the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan 13 (the cool air downstream side of the freezer compartment fan 13). Conceivable. However, in a large refrigerator with a wide width, in order to suppress an increase in ventilation resistance, it is necessary to install a freezer damper with a larger size, so in consideration of securing the installation space and improving the sealing performance of the damper, Not appropriate.

  Next, in the airflow configuration of the refrigerator of the embodiment provided with the freezer fan 13, the refrigerator compartment fan 14, and the refrigerator compartment damper 40 which is the refrigerator compartment cold air adjusting means, the operation of each part when cooling the refrigerator compartment side is performed. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4b. Here, a cold air flow is shown when the air flow control unit 37 suppresses a reverse flow phenomenon (details will be described later) that occur in the cooling room single cooling operation that occurs in the air path configuration of the conventional refrigerator.

  FIG. 4 a is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part during the cooling room single cooling operation. The discharge side air passages of the freezer compartment fan 13 for cooling the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerating compartment fan 14 for cooling the refrigerating compartment 4, that is, a part of the air passage from the cooler 16 to the refrigerating compartment 4, and the cooler A part of the air path from 16 to the freezer compartment 3 is arranged so as to be adjacent to each other with the boundary portion L therebetween (see FIG. 8). The adjacent discharge air passage 3f (air passage) on the side of the freezer compartment 3 and the discharge air passage 4f (air passage) on the side of the refrigerating compartment 4 are provided with projecting portions 23 and 24 that face each other as boundary portions, Disposing the projecting portions 23 and 24 so as to contact each other partitions the discharge air passages 3f and 4f (see FIGS. 6b, 7b, and 8). Further, an air volume control unit 37 that connects the discharge air passage 3f on the freezer compartment 3 side and the discharge air passage 4f on the refrigerator compartment 4 side to each other is provided at the boundary portion L where the projecting portions 23 and 24 face each other.

  A refrigeration cycle is formed in which the compressor 22, the radiator 29, the throttle 30 (decompression unit), and the cooler 16 are sequentially connected by a pipe 31 through which the refrigerant flows. The heat radiator 29 is provided with a heat radiating fan 32 in order to promote heat radiation. In FIG. 4a, since the refrigerator compartment 4 is cooled independently, the compressor 22 is ON (operation), the freezer fan 13 is OFF (stopped), the refrigerator fan 14 is ON (operation), and the refrigerator damper 40 is OPEN ( As open), the cold air 33 passes through the refrigerator compartment damper 40 to cool the refrigerator compartment 4.

  In order to increase the evaporation temperature of the cooler 16 and perform the energy saving operation, the compressor 22 operates at a low speed. That is, the refrigerator compartment 4 is generally maintained at about 5 ° C. and the freezer compartment 3 is maintained at about −18 ° C. However, when the refrigerator compartment 4 is cooled alone, the freezing temperature zone is not considered. Therefore, the compressor 22 can be operated at a low speed to increase the evaporation temperature, and an energy saving operation can be performed.

  In addition to the low-speed operation of the compressor 22 for the purpose of energy-saving operation, the rapid operation of the refrigerating room is carried out when a large amount of food is put into the refrigerating room 4 or when the door opening time becomes long within a predetermined time. The cooling operation is also the flow of cold air shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. However, in this case, the compressor 22 is operated at a high speed. These cooling operations are controlled by a control device 50 provided in the refrigerator main body 1.

  FIG. 4b is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part during the frost cooling operation using frost as a cold heat source. The air path configuration is the same as in FIG. 4a. Since frost is used as a cold heat source, only the refrigerated temperature zone can be cooled (in the case of a refrigerator equipped with a vegetable storage room, the vegetable storage room is also included). Similar to FIG. 4a, the refrigerator compartment fan 14 is turned on (running), the refrigerator compartment damper 40 is opened (OPEN), but the compressor 22 is turned off (stopped).

  By operating the refrigerator compartment fan 14, the temperature of the cooler 16 is raised with the temperature rise of the frost layer attached to the cooler 16. If the compressor 22 is turned on after the temperature of the cooler 16 is raised and the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation is performed, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is increased, so that an energy saving effect is obtained.

  The frost-based cooling operation is performed according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor provided in the cooler 16, the temperature sensor provided in the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4, and the temperature sensor provided outside the compartment (all not shown). The rotational speed of the fan 14 is controlled. The defrosting cooling operation includes a defrosting operation for controlling energization of the defrosting heater 41 provided at the lower part of the cooler 16 while operating the refrigerator compartment fan 14. That is, the frost utilization cooling operation is controlled by controlling the heating amount, heating time, energization amount, and the like of the heating means. However, since the defrosting operation is being performed, the compressor 22 is turned off. By operating the refrigerator compartment fan 14 while energizing the defrost heater 41, the refrigerator compartment 4 can also be cooled using the frost as a source of refrigeration. Energy saving during frost can be achieved. Moreover, both the frost utilization cooling operation | movement which stopped the compressor 22 and operated the refrigerator compartment fan 14, and the defrosting operation | movement which operate | moves the refrigerator compartment fan 14 while supplying with electricity to the defrost heater 41 are using frost as a cold source. In addition to the energy saving operation, cooling suitable for the preservation of vegetables provided in the refrigerator compartment 4 can be carried out.

  In summary, even with a single cooler 16, a refrigerator compartment in which the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is improved by combining the operations of the refrigerator compartment fan 13, refrigerator compartment fan 14, refrigerator compartment damper 40, and compressor 22. A single cooling operation can be performed. It has an air passage structure that can also perform a frost-utilizing cooling operation in which the cooling air flow is the same as that in the refrigerator-only cooling operation and a defrosting operation in which the defrost heater 41 is energized while operating the refrigerator fan 14. Furthermore, the rapid cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber 4 that performs high-speed operation of the compressor 22 can be performed with a similar cold air flow.

  In addition to the cooling operation shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the freezer compartment fan 13 is operated to cool the freezer compartment 3 (the refrigerator compartment damper 40 is CLOSE), and the freezer compartment fan 13 is operated. And the refrigerator compartment fan 14 are operated to cool the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4 at the same time (refrigeration compartment damper 40 is OPEN (open)), the set temperature inside the compartment or the heat inside the compartment Implemented according to load.

  Next, the backflow phenomenon that occurs when the refrigerator compartment 4 side is cooled in the conventional refrigerator air passage configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5a and 5b.

  FIG. 5a is a diagram schematically showing a reverse flow phenomenon to a freezer compartment in a conventional refrigerator. For simplification, the configuration diagram of the refrigeration cycle is omitted. FIG. 5b is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of rotations of the refrigerator compartment fan in the conventional refrigerator and the air volume of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. In addition, the freezer compartment fan 13 is in a stopped state.

  The cold air passage in the refrigerator compartment 104 has a larger ventilation resistance than the cold air passage in the freezer compartment 103, and thus the cold air flow shown in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b does not become the same as the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 104 side. A part of 133 does not flow into the cooler 116 from the refrigerating room cool air return port 125, and flows into the freezer chamber 103 from the freezer cold air return port 105 without passing through the cooler 116. ) Occurs. The backflow cold air 135 that has flowed into the freezer compartment 103 flows from the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan 113 (downstream side of the normal cold air flow) to the suction side of the cold compartment fan 114 (upstream side of the normal cold air flow). The air is again blown into the refrigerator compartment 104 via the damper 140 and the refrigerator outlet 106. When frost grows in the cooler 116, the reverse flow phenomenon becomes more prominent.

  As shown in FIG. 5b, the number of rotations of the refrigerating room fan 114 in each of the refrigerating room independent cooling operation, the frost cooling using operation, the defrosting operation in which the refrigerating room fan 14 is operated, and the refrigerating room rapid cooling operation are expressed as N1. When it is increased from N2 to N2, the refrigerator air volume 55 on the refrigerator compartment 104 side increases linearly (in the positive flow direction). However, since a part of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 104 flows back from the freezer compartment cold air return port 105 of the freezer compartment 103 and flows backward, the amount of freezer compartment air flowing into the freezer compartment 103 even when the freezer compartment fan 113 is stopped. 56 increases linearly, but the flow becomes a reverse flow flowing in from the freezer compartment cool air return port 105.

  In the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation that emphasizes energy saving, the compressor is operated at a low speed, so the temperature of the circulating cold air is higher than that in the freezer compartment cooling operation, and the freezer compartment temperature is increased during the refrigerator compartment cooling operation by the backflow cold air 135. There is a risk of rising.

  Further, since the cold air on the side of the refrigerator compartment 104 containing a large amount of water flows into the freezer compartment 103 as the backflow cold air 135, frost is likely to be generated near the freezer compartment cold air return port 105, and frost is also formed on the wall surface of the freezer compartment 103. May grow.

  In this case, although the frost generated in the cooler 116 can be defrosted by the defrost heater, there is no means for defrosting the frost that has grown on the wall surface in the freezer compartment 103, and usability is reduced. Furthermore, frost may grow on the surface of the frozen food, and the storage stability of the food deteriorates.

  Since a part of the cool air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 104 does not pass through the cooler 116, the cooling performance of the refrigerator compartment 104 is also deteriorated. Similarly, in the case of frost-based cooling operation in which the compressor operation is stopped and cold air is blown into the refrigerator compartment 104 (FIG. 4b), the cold air temperature circulating on the refrigerator compartment 104 side than when the compressor 122 is operated. Therefore, the influence of the temperature rise due to the backflow to the freezer compartment 103 is further increased.

  Next, the structure of the air volume control unit 37 provided in each discharge side air passage of the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 6 a is a front view of the fan support member according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 6a. FIG. 7 a is a rear view of the partition portion according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 7a. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the fan support member of FIG. 6B and the partition portion of FIG. 7B are combined.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the partition 12 is combined with the front side of the fan support member 18, and the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerating compartment fan 14 (cooler air than the fan) so that air can be sent to the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerating compartment 4. A cold air passage on the downstream side of the flow is formed so as to be adjacent. The freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 support the fan in order to partition the air passages on the suction side (upstream side of the cool air flow from the fan) and the discharge side (downstream side of the cool air flow from the fan). It is installed side by side with the member 18. Projections 23 are provided on the outer peripheral portions of the refrigerator compartment fan 14 and the air passage 21 (see FIGS. 6a and 6b). The air passage 21 has a second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 26 and a first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet. 6 is connected. On the other hand, the partition part 12 is also provided with a protrusion 24, and the fan support member 18 and the partition part 12 are combined so that the protrusion 23 provided on the fan support member 18 and a part of the protrusion 24 are brought into contact with each other. The air passage abcd through which the cold air generated by the freezer compartment fan 13 passes and the air passage befc through which the cold air produced by the refrigerator compartment fan 14 pass are formed so as to be adjacent to each other with a boundary portion L therebetween. (See FIG. 8).

  That is, the cold air blown to the freezer compartment 3 in the air path abcd by the freezer compartment fan 13 is sent to the freezer compartment 3 from the freezer compartment cold air discharge port 2 provided in the partition part 12. Since the projecting portion 24 and the projecting portion 23 are only required to be able to partition the air path abcd and the air path befc by contacting a portion facing each other, for example, the projecting section 23 is a resin member, and the projecting section 24 is a seal such as a sponge. The structure made to contact as a material may be sufficient.

  The fan support member 18 provided with the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 and the partition portion 12 provided on each fan discharge side take into consideration the ease of assembly and maintainability of the cooler 16, the fans 13, 14 and the like. In many cases, the design is divided and the fan support member 18 and the partition portion 12 are generally fixed by screws or the like provided at predetermined positions.

  When the bonding portion of the protruding portion 24 and the protruding portion 23 provided facing the partition portion 12 and the fan support member 18 is bonded and fixed by an adhesive or welding (for example, hot plate welding, vibration welding, ultrasonic welding). Since it aims at not forming a clearance gap in a junction part, it is a premise that there is no clearance gap.

  On the other hand, when the protruding portion 23 and the protruding portion 24 are made to face each other with a divided member without using adhesion or welding (for example, hot plate welding, vibration welding, ultrasonic welding), a gap is formed in the bonding portion. It can be regarded as forming. Therefore, a gap is formed on the contact surface when the projecting portions 23 and 24 are brought into contact with each other by the divided members. That is, the air volume control unit 37 is formed in the discharge side air passage adjacent to the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14, and the reverse flow phenomenon that occurs when the refrigerator compartment 4 side is cooled can be suppressed.

  Cold air blown into the refrigerator compartment 4 is discharged to the air passage befc by the refrigerator compartment fan 14, and the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 6 and the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 26 are transferred to the refrigerator compartment 4 through the air passage 21. Be blown. Further, a sealing material 42 having flexibility is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the partition portion 12 to enhance the sealing performance.

  Note that the air volume control unit 37 only needs to be at least between the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14. For example, the outer circumferences of the other air passages abcd and befc may be bonded or welded. .

  Further, in the case where the protrusions 23 and 24 are provided in both the fan support member 18 and the partition part 12, the configuration in which the air volume control part 37 is provided between the protrusions 23 and 24 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. . For example, when the protrusion 23 that protrudes from the fan support member 18 toward the partition portion 12 is provided, the air volume control unit 37 may be provided between the protrusion 23 and the partition portion 12, and the fan support member from the partition portion 12. When the protruding portion 24 protruding to the 18 side is provided, the air volume control portion 37 may be provided between the protruding portion 24 and the fan support member 18.

  Next, FIG. 9a is a diagram schematically showing a cold air flow in a state where the inflow of cold air to the freezer compartment is suppressed during the single cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The discharge side air passages of the freezer compartment fan 13 for cooling the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerating compartment fan 14 for cooling the refrigerating compartment 4 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other, and the projecting portions 23 and 24 are in contact with each other. Thus, the discharge side air passage is partitioned. Here, an air volume control unit 37 is provided in a part of the fan discharge side partition constituted by the protrusion 23 and the protrusion 24 to generate an air volume control flow 38. The air volume control flow 38 that is a part of the discharge air of the refrigerator compartment fan 14 is caused to flow from the freezer compartment cold air outlet 2 to the freezer compartment 3 through the air quantity controller 37 and downstream of the freezer compartment fan 13.

  It can be seen that the air flow control flow 38 flows in the opposite direction to the flow of the backflow cold air 35 that flows back to the freezer compartment 3 from the freezer compartment cool air return port 5, so that the effect of suppressing the occurrence of backflow is obtained. As shown in FIG. 8, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the fan support member 18 and the partition portion 12 provided as separate members are arranged on the back side of the freezer compartment 3 (rear side when the refrigerator main body 1 is viewed from the front). The rib-like projecting portion 23 provided on the fan support member 18 and the rib-like projecting portion 24 provided on the partition portion 12 cause the cold air flow path abcd by the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 to be arranged. The cold air passages befc are formed so as to be adjacent to each other on the left and right (the width direction of the refrigerator main body 1). Since the discharge-side partition part of the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 formed by making the projecting part 23 and the projecting part 24 face each other, the fan support member 18 and the partition part 12 are configured as separate members. A gap is formed at a portion where the protrusion 23 and the protrusion 24 come into contact with each other, and the air volume control unit 37 can be formed. In addition, the structure which gives the function of the air volume control part 37 by producing | generating the clearance gap of several places in the part which the protrusion part 23 or the protrusion part 24 mutually contacts, and adding them may be sufficient.

  As described above, if the projecting portions 23 and 24 including the fan support member 18 and the partitioning portion 12 are configured as separate members, the air volume control unit 37 can be easily provided, and the freezer compartment cool air return port when the refrigerator is cooled alone. Thus, adverse effects such as a temperature rise in the freezer compartment 3 caused by the backflow cold air 35 flowing in from 5 can be mitigated.

  In addition, when providing the air volume control part 37, the partition part 12 and the fan support member 18 are not separated, and the partition part 12 and the fan support member 18 may be integrated.

Next, the size of the air volume control unit 37 and the backflow suppression effect will be described.
FIG. 9b is a diagram showing the relationship between the size of the air volume control unit according to the embodiment of the present invention and the air volumes of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.

  FIG. 9 b shows the measurement of the air volume at that time by changing the size of the air volume control unit 37. It is shown that the air volume increases in the normal cold air flow direction toward the upper side of the figure, and increases in the reverse direction of the normal cold air flow toward the lower side.

  As shown in FIG. 9b, when the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation (refrigerator compartment fan 14 operation, freezer compartment fan 13 stop) is performed, when there is no air volume control unit 37 (size D1), that is, the fan support member 18 and the partition When the contact part of the protrusion part 23 and the protrusion part 24 which were provided in each of the part 12 is adhere | attached, or the fan support member 18 and the partition part 12 are integrated, adjacent cold air path abcd and cold air path When the befc is formed, the freezing chamber air volume 56 in the reverse flow region becomes the largest. When the air volume control unit 37 is increased to D2, D3, and D0, the freezer compartment air volume 56 in the reverse flow region is suppressed. Although the size of the air volume control unit 37 differs depending on the operation of the target refrigerator, for example, in a refrigerator with an internal volume of 600 L used for examination, the size of the air volume control unit 37 is a hole corresponding to φ25 mm (size D0). The backflow can be almost suppressed.

  When a plurality of gaps are formed in the portion where the protrusion 23 or the protrusion 24 contacts each other, they may be added to correspond to a hole having a size of about φ25 mm. Note that the flow rate of the refrigerator air volume 55 slightly decreases as the air volume control unit 37 increases due to the influence of the air volume control flow 38 that flows through the air volume control unit 37. Since the air volume control flow 38 that passes through the air volume control unit 37 is generated using a part of the air volume that is blown into the refrigerator compartment 4, the upper limit value of the size of the air volume controller 37 is at least the wind that is blown into the refrigerator compartment 4. The cross-sectional area of the path befc is made smaller.

  FIG. 9c is a diagram showing a temperature change of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment according to the embodiment of the present invention. The internal temperature of the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4 is a value measured by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in each of the internal compartments, and is a control device based on the internal set value and the detection value of the internal temperature sensor. The operation is performed according to the control method stored in 50. In the freezer compartment cooling operation, the freezer compartment temperature 47 is cooled from the upper limit temperature TF1 (time t1) to the lower limit temperature TF2 (time t2). At this time, the refrigerator compartment damper 40 is CLOSE, the freezer compartment fan 13 is ON, and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 is OFF.

  During the freezer compartment cooling operation, when the refrigerator compartment temperature reaches the upper limit temperature TR2 from the temperature TR1, the refrigerator compartment is operated alone. At this time, the refrigerator compartment damper 40 is OPEN, the refrigerator compartment fan 14 is ON, and the freezer compartment fan 13 is OFF. Although the refrigerator compartment temperature 43 decreases with the passage of time, the freezer compartment temperature rises due to the influence of the backflow cold air 35. Thus, when the air volume control part 37 is not provided, the freezer compartment temperature 45 during the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation rises. On the other hand, if the magnitude | size of the air volume control part 37 is set to D2 and D3 (refer FIG. 9b), the freezer compartment temperature 46 and the freezer compartment temperature 44 and temperature rise which are each shown with a broken line will be relieve | moderated.

  Next, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 6A, and is a diagram according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a notch 51 is provided in advance in a part of the projecting portion 23, and the function of the air volume control unit 37 is provided. In the present embodiment, since the size of the air volume control unit 37 can be uniquely determined, the effect of suppressing the backflow is further enhanced. In FIG. 10, a notch 51 is provided in a part of the protrusion 23 so as to be lower than the other part. However, the notch 51 may be provided in the protrusion 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the partition 12 and the fan support member 18 are separate members. However, if the notch 51 is provided in advance in at least one or both of the protrusions 23 and 24, the partition 12 and the fan support member 18 may be integrated.

  Next, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an embodiment different from FIG. A partition member 53 is provided in the discharge side space of each of the freezer compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment fan 14 inside the partition space member 52 in which the fan support member 18 and the partition portion 12 are integrated, and the discharge side cool air of the freezer compartment fan 13 is provided. The air path abcd and the discharge-side cold air path befc of the refrigerator compartment fan 14 are provided adjacent to each other. The partition member 53 is provided with a variable air volume control unit 54 having a mechanism for changing the air volume. Examples of the variable air volume control unit 54 include a damper that can electrically move the flap 57. Since the size of the air volume control section provided in the partition member 53 is assumed to be a hole having a size of about several tens of millimeters, the variable air volume control section 54 is small. In FIG. 11, an electric damper using a flap is cited as the variable air volume control unit 54. Also good.

  Here, it is also conceivable to provide a damper dedicated to the freezer compartment in the middle of the air path on the freezer compartment side, and to close the freezer compartment damper at the time of the independent cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment, thereby directly suppressing the backflow cold air 35 to the freezer compartment side. . However, in order to provide the freezer compartment damper in the freezer compartment so that the ventilation resistance on the freezer compartment side does not increase, the freezer compartment damper becomes large. Considering the installation space, it is better to provide the variable air volume control unit 54 in the partition member 53 to suppress the backflow to the freezer compartment 3. Further, since frost grows in the cooler 16, the amount of air passing through the cooler 16 during the refrigerating chamber independent cooling operation changes, and the amount of air flowing backward from the freezer compartment cold air return port 5 to the freezer compartment 3 also changes.

  When the refrigerating room independent cooling operation is started, the variable air volume control unit 54 opens a flap at a predetermined opening assuming a temperature change of the freezing room temperature 44 shown in the graph of FIG. 9c. As the cooling operation time becomes longer, frost grows in the cooler 16, so that a phenomenon in which the airflow of the backflow cold air 35 increases and the temperature of the freezer compartment 46 rises can be seen. In that case, the flap opening degree of the variable air volume control unit 54 may be increased to increase the air volume control flow, and the temperature may be adjusted so that the temperature rise rate of the freezer compartment is assumed in advance. However, as described with reference to FIG. 9B, the size of the maximum opening of the variable air volume control unit 54 is set to be at least smaller than the cross-sectional area of the air passage becf that blows air to the refrigerator compartment 4. .

  In addition, the frost-utilizing cooling operation shown in FIG. 4b also causes a phenomenon in which a part of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 4 flows back from the freezer compartment cold air return port 5 to the freezer compartment 3 because of the cooling circulating in the refrigerator compartment 4. Occur. In order to suppress the reverse flow phenomenon, the air volume control unit 37 is provided, but when the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor due to the reverse flow during the frost-based cooling operation exceeds a predetermined value, the frost-based cooling operation is stopped and compressed. Control means for operating the machine 22 may be further provided.

  In the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation, the frost utilization cooling operation, and the defrosting operation that operates the refrigerator compartment fan 14, the air volume control unit 37, or for the purpose of suppressing a part of the cold air 35 that circulates in the refrigerator compartment 4, or A variable air volume control unit 54 is provided. Furthermore, in addition to the suppression of the backflow cold air 35, the amount of air blown to the freezer compartment 3 during the freezing operation can be increased. For example, in the case of quick freezing operation, when the refrigerator compartment fan 14 is operated in addition to the refrigerator compartment fan 13 and the refrigerator compartment damper 40 is closed, the air volume is obtained in addition to the air volume obtained when only the refrigerator compartment fan 13 is operated. The amount of air passing through the control unit 37 or the variable air volume control unit 54 can be increased, and the cooling performance during the quick freezing operation is enhanced.

  As mentioned above, according to each composition explained as an example of the present invention, in a refrigerator provided with a single cooler, a refrigerating room fan, a freezing room fan, a refrigerating room damper, when carrying out a refrigerating room independent cooling operation An object of the present invention is to carry out a cooling room single cooling operation that suppresses the backflow phenomenon from the freezer return port to the freezing room and enhances energy saving. In addition, by suppressing the backflow to the freezer compartment that occurs when the refrigerator is cooled alone, frost generated on the surface of the freezer compartment and frozen food is suppressed, and energy conservation and storage stability of frozen food are combined. Can be improved.

  Moreover, not only the refrigerator compartment single cooling operation in consideration of energy saving property but also the refrigerator compartment rapid cooling operation with the same cool air circulation path is possible.

1 Refrigerator body 2 Freezer compartment cold air outlet 3 Freezer compartment (freezing temperature zone room, storage room)
3f Freezer compartment discharge air passage (freezer compartment air passage, air passage)
4 Refrigerated room (refrigerated temperature zone, storage room)
4f Discharge air passage on the refrigerator compartment side (refrigerator compartment air passage, air passage)
5 Freezer compartment cold air return port 6 First refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 7 Freezer compartment door 8 Refrigerator compartment door 9 Insulating partition wall 10 Refrigerator compartment door storage part 11 Beverage container 12 Partition part 13 Freezer compartment fan (freezing temperature zone air blowing means, Second blower)
13a, 14a Fan front face part 14 Refrigeration room fan (refrigeration temperature zone chamber blowing means, first blower)
15 First refrigerator compartment air passage 16 Cooler 17 Second refrigerator compartment air passage 18 Fan support member 19 Shelf 20 Storage case 21 Air passage 22 Compressors 23 and 24 Projection (boundary portion)
25 Cold room cold air return port 26 Second cold room cold air discharge port 27 Cold room return air passage 28 樋 (water receiving part)
29 Radiator 30 Restriction (pressure reduction means)
31 Pipe 33 Cold air 35 Backflow cold air 37 Air volume control part 38 Air quantity control flow 40 Cold room damper (refrigeration room cold air adjustment means)
41 Defrost heater (heating means)
42 Sealing material 43 Refrigerating room temperature 44, 45, 46, 47 Freezing room temperature 50 Control device 51 Notch part 52 Partition space member 53 Partition member 54 Variable air volume control part 55 Refrigerating room air quantity 56 Freezing room air quantity 57 Flap

Claims (4)

In a refrigerator comprising a plurality of storage chambers, and a first blower and a second blower that blow cool air to each of the plurality of storage chambers,
The air passage in which the first blower is provided and the air passage in which the second blower is provided are provided adjacent to each other across a boundary portion, and the air passage in which the first blower is provided. An air volume control unit for connecting the air paths to each other is provided at the boundary between the discharge side of the first fan and the discharge side of the second fan of the air path in which the second fan is provided. A refrigerator characterized by that. A refrigeration room having a refrigeration temperature zone, a freezing room having a refrigeration temperature zone, a refrigeration room fan for blowing cold air to the refrigeration room, a freezer room fan for blowing cold air to the freezer room, and the refrigeration room fan are provided A refrigerator compartment air passage, a freezer compartment air passage provided with the freezer compartment fan, a fan support member for supporting the refrigerator compartment fan and the freezer compartment fan, and a front portion of the refrigerator compartment fan and the freezer compartment fan. A refrigerator provided with a partition part,
At least a part of the discharge side of the refrigerator compartment fan in the refrigerator compartment air passage and the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan in the freezer compartment fan passage are between the fan support member and the partition portion. Arranged adjacent to each other,
The boundary portion where the refrigerator compartment air passage and the freezer compartment air passage are adjacent is a protrusion that protrudes from the fan support member toward the partition portion, or a protrusion that protrudes from the partition portion toward the fan support member. Either or both are provided, The refrigerator which characterized by providing the air volume control part which connects the said refrigerator compartment ventilation path and the said freezer compartment ventilation path in a part of said boundary part. The air volume control unit
When providing a protruding portion that protrudes from the fan support member toward the partition portion, between the protruding portion and the partition portion,
When providing a protrusion that protrudes from the partition to the fan support member side, between the protrusion and the fan support member,
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein when both the fan support member and the partition portion are provided with protrusions, the refrigerator is provided between the protrusions.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air flow control unit includes a variable air flow control unit configured to vary the amount of cool air passing through the air flow control unit.