JP5490853B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that discharges cold air generated by a cooler to a storage room via a discharge port.

  A conventional refrigerator is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this refrigerator, a freezer compartment is arranged below the refrigerator compartment, and an ice making compartment and a temperature switching chamber are provided adjacent to each other between the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. The temperature switching chamber can switch the room temperature from the freezing temperature zone to the refrigeration temperature zone. A first cold air passage is provided in the back of the freezer compartment, and a cooler and a blower for generating cold air are arranged in the cold air passage. A second cold air passage communicating with the first cold air passage through a damper is provided on the back of the refrigerator compartment. The temperature switching chamber is connected to a communication passage branched from the first cold air passage downstream of the blower.

  In the first cold air passage, a pressure chamber is formed on the discharge side of the blower, and a plurality of discharge ports facing the ice making chamber are provided in front of the pressure chamber. The pressure chamber is formed such that the width in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the blower is wider than the opening diameter of the blower. For this reason, the cold air generated by the cooler and discharged from the blower to the pressure chamber expands in the pressure chamber and the flow velocity decreases. Thereby, cold air is dispersed from each of the plurality of discharge ports and discharged into the ice making chamber. The cold air discharged to the ice making chamber circulates in the freezing chamber communicating with the ice making chamber.

  The cold air flowing through the communication path branched downstream of the blower is discharged into the temperature switching chamber, and the temperature switching chamber is cooled. When the damper is opened, the cold air cooled by the cooler is guided to the second cold air passage, flows through the second cold air passage, and is discharged into the refrigerator compartment.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-270956 (page 3 to page 8, FIG. 4)

  If the temperature distribution in the storage room becomes uneven, a part of the temperature becomes insufficiently cooled. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to supply a large amount of cold air in the storage chamber so that insufficient cooling does not occur, and there is a problem that cooling efficiency is lowered. In the conventional refrigerator, cold air is discharged relatively uniformly into the ice making chamber by a pressure chamber provided in the first cold air passage. However, when the width of the refrigerator is wide, it becomes difficult to uniformly discharge cold air from each outlet, and there is a problem that cooling efficiency is lowered.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator which can improve the cooling efficiency by making temperature distribution of a storage room uniform.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a first storage chamber for storing stored items, a cooler for generating cold air, a blower for circulating cold air generated by the cooler, and a discharge side of the blower. A first pressure chamber disposed; a second pressure chamber communicating with the first pressure chamber via an opening; and a discharge port that opens to the second pressure chamber and discharges cool air to the first storage chamber. It is characterized by that.

  According to this configuration, the cold air generated by the cooler is sent to the first pressure chamber by the blower. The first pressure chamber has a cross-sectional area wider than the opening area of the blower, and the flow rate of the cool air sent from the blower decreases. The cold air whose flow velocity has decreased in the first pressure chamber flows into the second pressure chamber through the opening. The second pressure chamber has a cross-sectional area wider than the opening area of the opening, and the flow rate of the cold air further decreases. The cool air whose flow velocity is reduced in the second pressure chamber is discharged from the plurality of discharge ports into the first storage chamber.

  Further, the present invention provides the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the second storage chamber disposed above the first storage chamber, the branch from the first pressure chamber, the rear of the second storage chamber, and the cooler. And a cool air passage through which the cool air flows and discharges the cool air to the second storage chamber, and the blower and the cooler are arranged to be biased to one side in the left-right direction.

  According to this configuration, the cold air generated by the cooler arranged to be biased to one side in the left-right direction flows into the first pressure chamber in front by driving the blower biased to the same side as the cooler. The cold air flowing into the first pressure chamber branches into the second pressure chamber and the cold air passage behind the second storage chamber, and the cold air flowing through the cold air passage is discharged to the second storage chamber.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the cold air passage is characterized in that an inflow portion into which cold air flows from the cooler is arranged in the same direction as the cooler. According to this configuration, the cool air generated by the cooler flows into the cool air passage via the inflow portion biased to the same side as the cooler, and flows through the cool air passage and is discharged to the second storage chamber.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the first and second storage chambers may include a freezing room and a refrigerated room, and the refrigerated room passes through a vegetable room disposed below the freezing room and a side of the cooler. And a connecting passage connecting the chamber and the vegetable compartment, wherein the cooler is arranged behind the freezing compartment and a second pressure chamber is arranged in front of the connecting passage.

  According to this configuration, the cool air sent from the blower branches from the first pressure chamber to the second pressure chamber and the cool air passage behind the second storage chamber. The cold air flowing through the cold air passage is discharged into the refrigerator compartment and flows into the vegetable compartment through the connecting path. The cold air that has flowed from the first pressure chamber into the second pressure chamber formed to extend to the front of the connecting path is discharged from the plurality of discharge ports to the freezing chamber.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the present invention provides a temperature switching chamber in which the indoor temperature can be switched between the first storage chamber and the refrigeration chamber, and a return passage through which cool air returning from the temperature switching chamber to the cooler flows. Is arranged behind the connecting path. According to this configuration, the cool air generated by the cooler flows into the temperature switching chamber by driving the blower, and returns to the cooler via the return path behind the connection path.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the ice making chamber that communicates with the freezing chamber is provided on the side of the temperature switching chamber, and the blower and the cooler are arranged to be biased toward the ice making chamber. Yes. According to this configuration, the cold air passing behind the ice making chamber releases cold heat to the ice making chamber and flows into the cold air passage behind the refrigerator compartment.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the first and second pressure chambers are arranged up and down, and first and second storage cases are arranged in the freezing chamber so as to be stacked one above the other. The cool air is discharged to the second storage case, and the cool air is discharged from the upper discharge port opened to the first pressure chamber to the upper first storage case.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator configured as described above, the upper discharge port is provided in the upper protrusion protruding from the first pressure chamber. According to this configuration, the cold air whose flow velocity has been once lowered in the first pressure chamber is gradually increased in flow rate at the upper protrusion, and is discharged from the upper discharge port to the first storage chamber.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the discharge port is provided in a protruding portion protruding from the second pressure chamber. According to this configuration, the cold air whose flow velocity has been once lowered in the first and second pressure chambers is gradually increased in flow rate by the second protrusion, and is discharged from the discharge port to the first storage chamber.

  According to the present invention, the second pressure chamber communicated via the opening is provided in the first pressure chamber disposed on the discharge side of the blower, and the cool air discharge port is provided in the second pressure chamber. The cold air can be uniformly discharged from the discharge port. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency by making the temperature distribution in the first storage chamber uniform.

  Further, according to the present invention, the cooler and the blower are arranged so as to be biased in the left and right directions, so that the passage between the cooler and the blower can be formed without bending. For this reason, pressure loss can be reduced and ventilation efficiency can be improved.

  Since the inflow portion of the cool air passage for supplying the cool air to the second storage chamber is arranged in the same direction as the cooler, the passage between the cooler and the inflow portion can be formed without bending. For this reason, pressure loss can be reduced and ventilation efficiency can be improved more.

  Further, according to the present invention, the second pressure chamber is provided so as to extend to the front of the connecting path that connects the refrigeration room and the vegetable room arranged above and below the freezing room with the cooler disposed behind it. Can be arranged apart in the left-right direction of the freezer compartment. Therefore, the temperature distribution in the freezer compartment (first storage compartment) can be made more uniform.

  Further, according to the present invention, the return passage through which the cool air returning from the temperature switching chamber disposed between the freezer compartment and the refrigeration chamber flows to the cooler is arranged at the rear of the connection path, so that the temperature flowing out of the temperature switching chamber is reduced. Heat transferred from the high air to the second pressure chamber can be reduced. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

  Further, according to the present invention, the ice making chamber is provided on the side of the temperature switching chamber between the freezer compartment and the refrigeration chamber, and the blower and the cooler are biased to the ice making chamber side. It is possible to release the cold energy of the cold air to the ice making room. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator can be improved without chilling the cold air in the temperature switching chamber higher than the ice making chamber.

  According to the present invention, the first and second pressure chambers are arranged one above the other so that the cool air is discharged from the upper discharge port and the discharge port of the first and second pressure chambers to the first and second storage cases, respectively. The temperature in the one storage case can be maintained at a lower temperature than the second storage case to improve convenience, and the temperature distribution in the second storage case can be made uniform.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the upper discharge port is provided in the upper protruding portion protruding from the first pressure chamber, the flow rate of the cold air once lowered can be increased to a desired flow rate. Therefore, cold air can be discharged from the upper discharge port close to the blower and the upper discharge port far from the blower at substantially the same flow rate, and the temperature distribution in the first storage case can be made more uniform.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the discharge port is provided in the projecting portion projecting from the second pressure chamber, the flow rate of the cold air once lowered can be increased to a desired flow rate. Therefore, cold air can be discharged from the discharge port close to the fan and the discharge port far from the blower at substantially the same flow rate, and the temperature distribution in the first storage chamber can be made more uniform.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The right view which shows the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view of the main-body part of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Front sectional drawing which shows the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing on the right side showing a section through the accessory storage chamber of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention The front view which shows the detail of the protrusion part of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing on the right side showing a section through the water tank chamber of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention Sectional drawing on the right side showing a section through the chilled chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Cross section of the right side showing the temperature switching chamber of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention The cold air circuit diagram which shows the flow of the cold air of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment of this invention Cold air circuit diagram showing the flow of cold air when the temperature switching chamber of the refrigerator of the first embodiment of the present invention is set to the high temperature side Sectional drawing on the right side showing a section through the accessory storage compartment of the refrigerator of the second embodiment of the present invention

  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 the refrigerator of the first embodiment. The refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerating room 2 (second storage room) at the top, and below the refrigerating room 2 an ice making room 4 and a temperature switching room 3 are arranged side by side. A freezing room 6 (first storage room) 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 ice making chamber 4 and the freezing chamber 6 communicate with each other and are maintained below the freezing point. The freezer 6 stores the stored items in a frozen state, and the ice making chamber 4 makes ice and stores the ice.

  FIG. 3 shows a front view of the main body of the refrigerator 1. The main body of the refrigerator 1 has a heat insulating box filled with a foam heat insulating material. 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 isolated by a heat insulating wall 35, and the temperature switching chamber 3 and the ice making chamber 4 are isolated by a vertical heat insulating wall 36.

  In the vegetable compartment 5, storage cases 45b and 45c made of resin molded products are provided in two upper and lower stages. The storage cases 45b and 45c are slidably formed. Moreover, the upper surface of the storage case 45b of the vegetable compartment 5 is closed by a slidable lid 45a. In the freezer compartment 6, storage cases 46a and 46b made of resin molded products are provided in two upper and lower stages. The storage cases 46a and 46b are slidable. A metal storage case 43 is provided in the temperature switching chamber 3. The ice making chamber 4 is provided with an ice making device 72 having an ice making tray 73. Below the ice making device 72, there is provided an ice storage case 44 of a resin molded product for storing ice formed in the ice making tray 73.

  The refrigerator compartment 2 is provided with a plurality of partition shelves 41 on which stored items are placed. The lower part of the lower shelf 41 is partitioned by vertically extending partition walls 61 and 62, and a chilled chamber 21, an accessory storage chamber 65, and a water tank chamber 70 serving as isolation chambers are provided side by side.

  The chilled chamber 21 is provided with a storage case 42 made of a resin molded product, and the upper front portion of the storage case 42 is covered with an openable / closable cover 42a. The inside of the chilled chamber 21 is maintained in a chilled temperature zone (about −2 ° C. to 0 ° C.) lower than the other regions of the refrigerator compartment 2.

  The accessory storage chamber 65 is provided with storage cases 47 and 48 each made of a resin molded product. The upper storage case 47 is provided with an egg container 49 having a plurality of circular holes for storing eggs. The water tank chamber 70 stores a water tank 71 that supplies water to the ice making device 72.

  FIG. 4 shows a front sectional view of the refrigerator 1. FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view through the accessory storage chamber 65 of the refrigerator 1. 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.

  Behind the freezer compartment 6 is provided a cold air passage 31 partitioned by a back plate 6a. The cool air passage 31 is partitioned into a front part 31a and a rear part 31b by a partition plate 31c, and the cooler 11 is arranged in the rear part 31b. Further, the cooler 11 is arranged to be biased to the left where the ice making chamber 4 is arranged. 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 (not shown) for heat dissipation are provided in contact with the refrigerant pipe 11a. A gas-liquid separator 11c is connected to the upper part of the refrigerant pipe 11a.

  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. Moreover, since the cooler 11 is arranged on the back side of the freezer compartment 6, the cold heat of the cooler 11 is released to the freezer compartment 6 side through the partition plate 31c, the front part 31a, and the back plate 6a. Thereby, the freezer compartment 6 is efficiently indirectly cooled and the cooling efficiency is improved.

  A partition plate 31d is provided below the front portion 31a, and the cool air discharged to the freezer compartment 6 circulates above the partition plate 31d. A freezer compartment return port 22 that opens to the front surface of the cooler 11 is provided below the partition plate 31d.

  A defrost heater 33 for defrosting the cooler 11 is provided below the cooler 11. Below the defrost heater 33, a drain pan 83 for receiving water by defrost is provided. The drain pan 83 is provided with a drain pipe 84, and defrosted water is guided to the evaporating dish 85 (see FIG. 7) disposed in the machine room 50 via the drain pipe 84.

  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 cold air passage 32 is provided with an inflow portion 32 a on the side where the cold air flows from the cold air passage 31. The inflow portion 32a is arranged behind the accessory storage chamber 65 while being biased to the left. For this reason, the upper part of the cold air passage 31 communicates with the inflow portion 32a from the cooler 11 biased to the left through the ice making chamber 4 behind. Thereby, the cold heat of the cold air flowing through the upper part of the cold air passage 31 is released to the ice making chamber 4 and the ice making chamber 4 is cooled.

  A freezer compartment blower 12 (blower) and a refrigerating compartment blower 23 are respectively disposed in the upper portion of the cold air passage 31 and the inflow portion 32a. 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 cold room 2, the chilled room 21 and the vegetable room 5 through the cold air passage 32 by driving the cold room fan 23 after opening the cold room damper 20.

  The freezer compartment fan 12 is composed of an axial fan and is disposed with the exhaust side facing forward. Further, like the cooler 11, the freezer compartment blower 12 is biased to the left where the ice making chamber 4 is arranged. The front part 31 a of the cold air passage 31 is disposed in front of the freezer compartment fan 12, and the cool air is sent to the front part 31 a by driving the freezer compartment fan 12.

  The refrigerating room blower 23 is composed of an axial fan, and is disposed with the exhaust side obliquely upward. As a result, it is possible to efficiently distribute cool air upward and to reduce noise and save energy. Moreover, the refrigerator compartment fan 23 is arrange | positioned in the same horizontal surface so that a part may overlap with the heat insulation wall 7 in front projection. Thereby, the area | region where the refrigerator compartment fan 23 is arrange | positioned behind the refrigerator compartment 2 with a high usage frequency can be decreased, and the volume of the refrigerator compartment 2 can be ensured widely.

  The inflow portion 32a has a narrow width in the left-right direction, and the cool air passage 32 is provided to extend in the left-right direction on the downstream side of the inflow portion 32a. The cold air passage 32 is branched downstream of the inflow portion 32a, and a first passage 32b arranged on the left side of the refrigerator compartment 2 and a second passage 32c arranged on the right side are provided. The first passage 32b is formed to extend upward from the inflow portion 32a that is biased to the left. The second passage 32c is formed to extend upward from a lateral passage 32d extending in the lateral direction from the inflow portion 32a.

  At the upper ends of the first and second passages 32b and 32c, a discharge port 2a for discharging cold air to the refrigerator compartment 2 toward the side is provided. In addition, a plurality of discharge ports 2b are opened side by side on the side wall of the second passage 32c. A refrigeration chamber return port 2 c through which cold air flows out from the refrigeration chamber 2 opens at the lower right side of the refrigeration chamber 2.

  Since the first passage 32b extends directly upward from the inflow portion 32a, the cool air flows more easily than the second passage 32c. However, by providing a plurality of discharge ports 2b in the second passage 32c and arranging the refrigerator return port 2c on the right side, cold air is led from the inflow portion 32a arranged to the left to the second passage 32c on the right side. It becomes easy. Therefore, it is possible to distribute the cold air uniformly to the first and second passages 32b and 32c. Further, the same effect can be obtained even if a discharge port similar to the discharge port 2b is provided in the first passage 32b so that the opening area of the discharge port 2b on the second passage 32c side is larger than that on the first passage 32b side. Can do.

  A space 32e is provided between the first and second passages 32b and 32c. Thereby, even if the refrigerator compartment 2 is large, the flow path area of the 1st, 2nd channel | paths 32b and 32c can be maintained to a required magnitude | size, and the remarkable fall of the flow rate of cold air can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to keep cool air in the refrigerator compartment 2. Note that the space 32e may be omitted if the refrigerating room blower 23 has a sufficient blowing capacity. At this time, it is preferable to provide a laterally extending guide wall that guides cool air to the discharge port 21 a of the chilled chamber 21.

  A discharge port 21a that discharges cold air to the chilled chamber 21 opens at a lower portion of the horizontal passage 32d. Since the cold air flowing into the cold air passage 32 from the inflow portion 32a is immediately discharged from the discharge port 21a, the chilled chamber 21 can be maintained at a low temperature.

  Further, a heat insulating material 39 is provided on the front side of the inflow portion 32a. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the cold heat flowing into the inflow portion 32a from being taken away by the accessory storage chamber 65 having a temperature higher than that of the chilled chamber 21, and the chilled chamber 21 can be efficiently cooled. Further, it is possible to prevent dew condensation in the accessory storage chamber 65 and freezing of the eggs due to the low temperature cold air immediately after flowing into the inflow portion 32a.

  The inflow portion 32a is widened in the depth direction because the refrigerator compartment fan 23 is arranged. The partition walls 61 and 62 are provided outside the side wall of the inflow portion 32a, and the water tank chamber 70 and the chilled chamber 21 are not disposed in front of the inflow portion 32a. 7 and 8 show side cross-sectional views through the water tank chamber 70 and the chilled chamber 21 of the refrigerator 1, respectively. As shown in these drawings, since the water tank chamber 70 and the chilled chamber 21 are not arranged in front of the inflow portion 32a, there is no protrusion on the back surface and the depth can be widened.

  Thereby, even if the water supply pump 74 for supplying water from the water tank 71 to the ice tray 73 is installed at the rear of the water tank chamber 70, the capacity of the water tank 71 can be increased. Further, the internal volume of the chilled chamber 21 can be increased. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigerator 1 is improved.

  In addition, in the accessory storage chamber 65 in front of the inflow part 32a, a space can be effectively used for storing accessories with a small depth. Moreover, the accessory storage chamber 65 is maintained at a higher temperature than the chilled chamber 21, and the accessory storage chamber 65 and the chilled chamber 21 can be used properly according to the stored items.

  Further, the inflow portion 32a is provided with the refrigerator compartment blower 23, so that the depth of the lower portion is wide, the upper portion has an inclined surface 32f that recedes backward, and the depth of the upper portion is narrow. For example, the depth of the lower part of the inflow part 32a is formed to 80 mm, for example, and the depth of the upper part is formed to 12 mm, for example. The refrigerating room blower 23 is tilted and disposed below the inflow portion 32a having a wide depth. Thereby, while suppressing the protrusion amount of the inflow part 32a in the front-back direction, the space on the intake side and the exhaust side of the refrigerator compartment blower 23 can be easily secured.

  The refrigerator compartment fan 23, the refrigerator compartment damper 20, and the freezer compartment fan 12 are arranged substantially side by side in the vertical direction. That is, the refrigerating room blower 23, the refrigerating room damper 20, and the freezing room blower 12 are arranged so as to overlap in the planar projection. Thereby, while being able to narrow the width of the upper part of cold air passage 31, and inflow part 32a in the horizontal direction, cold air passages 31 and 32 can be shortened and volume efficiency and ventilation efficiency can be improved more.

  The cold air passage 31 has a large width in the lower part where the cooler 11 is arranged, and a narrow width in the upper part where the freezer compartment fan 12 is arranged via the inclined surfaces 31e and 31f. The use of the inclined surfaces 31e and 31f eliminates a useless space in the cool air passage 31, and the cool air can be smoothly guided from the entire cooler 11 without generating turbulent flow. Therefore, the cooling efficiency by the cooler 11 can be improved.

  Protruding portions 31 g and 31 h that protrude partially are formed on the front surface of the front portion 31 a of the cold air passage 31. The protrusion 31g is provided above the storage case 46a, and the protrusion 31h is provided above the storage case 46b.

  A horizontal partition plate 31j is provided between the protruding portion 31g and the protruding portion 31h. The front portion 31a of the cold air passage 31a is further partitioned vertically by a partition plate 31j to form an upper space 31m and a lower space 31n. The sectional area of the vertical section of the upper space 31m is wider than the opening area of the freezer compartment fan 12. The upper space 31m and the lower space 31n communicate with each other through an opening (not shown). The opening is provided near the center in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1. The cross-sectional area of the transverse section of the lower space 31n is wider than the opening area of the opening.

  FIG. 6 is a front view showing details of the protruding portions 31g and 31h. Discharge ports 6b to 6d for discharging cool air to the storage case 46a are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the protruding portion 31g. Discharge ports 6e to 6g for discharging cool air to the storage case 46b are provided side by side on the left and right sides of the protruding portion 31h. Cold air is discharged into the storage cases 46a and 46b through the discharge ports 6b to 6d and the discharge ports 6e to 6g.

  The upper space 31m of the front portion 31a is a space that spreads more rapidly than the discharge area of the freezer blower 12. For this reason, the flow rate of the cold air flowing into the upper space 31m rapidly decreases, and the decrease in the flow rate of the cold air is converted from dynamic pressure to static pressure. Therefore, the upper space 31m of the cold air passage 31 constitutes a first pressure chamber that converts dynamic pressure into static pressure.

  The lower space 31n of the front portion 31a is a space that spreads more rapidly than the opening area of the opening provided in the partition plate 31j. For this reason, the flow rate of the cold air flowing into the lower space 31n rapidly decreases, and the decrease in the flow rate of the cold air is converted from dynamic pressure to static pressure. Therefore, the lower space 31n of the cool air passage 31 further constitutes a second pressure chamber that converts dynamic pressure into static pressure.

  The cool air flowing into the upper space 31m is discharged from the discharge ports 6b to 6d into the freezer compartment 6 after the flow rate of the cool air is reduced and the cool air has spread into the upper space 31m. Further, it flows into the lower space 31n through an opening (not shown). For this reason, cold air is discharged uniformly from the discharge ports 6b to 6d. The cold air flowing into the lower space 31n is discharged into the freezer compartment 6 from the discharge ports 6e to 6g after the flow rate of the cold air is further reduced and the cold air has spread into the lower space 31n. For this reason, cold air is discharged more uniformly from the discharge ports 6e to 6g.

  You may form at least one part (for example, protrusion part 31h and its peripheral part) of the lower space 31n with the back plate 6a which forms the upper space 31m, and another member. Further, the vertical widths of the discharge ports 6b, 6c, 6e, and 6f may be larger than the vertical widths of the discharge ports 6d and 6g of the protruding portions 31g and 31h. Thereby, it becomes easier for cold air to flow into the discharge ports 6d and 6g apart from the freezer blower 12. Moreover, you may narrow the area | region close to the freezer compartment fan 12 of the discharge outlet 6c in an up-down direction.

  The front surfaces of the protruding portions 31g and 31h are closed around the discharge ports 6b to 6g. For this reason, the cool air passes through the protruding portions 31g and 31h of the space narrowed to some extent from the front portion 31a of the wide space. Thereby, the cold air whose flow velocity has been lowered once in the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n is gradually increased in the protruding portions 31g and 31h, and discharged from the discharge portions 6b to 6g to the freezer compartment 6. Therefore, cold air can be uniformly discharged from the discharge ports 6b, 6c, 6e, and 6f close to the freezer compartment fan 12 and the discharge ports 6d and 6g that are far away at a desired substantially the same flow rate.

  Moreover, since the front surface is shielded above the discharge ports 6e and 6f, it is possible to guide the cold air from the discharge port 6e side to the discharge port 6g by the shielding portion. Thereby, it becomes easy for the cool air to flow to the discharge port 6g away from the freezer blower 12, and the amount of cool air discharged from the discharge port 6g can be increased to be closer to the discharge amount of the discharge ports 6e and 6f. In addition, if a filter is provided in the discharge ports 6b to 6g, the cold airflow can be discharged more uniformly. Each of the discharge ports 6b to 6g may be further divided in the left-right direction, and a part (for example, the discharge port 6e and the discharge port 6f) may be connected.

  4 and 5, the refrigeration room return port 2 c at the lower back of the refrigeration room 2 is connected to a vegetable room inlet 5 a provided on the right side of the vegetable room 5 by a connection path 34 passing through the back surface of the temperature switching room 3. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 5 communicate. The connection path 34 is provided on the side of the temperature switching chamber blower 18 via a heat insulating layer. A return passage 19 communicating with the cold air passage 31 is provided at the upper back of the vegetable compartment 5. The return passage 19 is arranged to be deviated to the left of the center of the vegetable compartment 5.

  Since the cooler 11 is biased to the left, the connecting path 34 passing through the side of the cooler 11 should have a sufficient thickness of the side heat insulating layer (not shown) even if the width in the left-right direction is increased. Can do. Furthermore, the width of the connecting path 34 in the front-rear direction can be reduced, and the thickness of the heat insulating layer (not shown) on the inner side can be sufficient. For this reason, the dew condensation which generate | occur | produces in the connection path 34 with the cold heat of the freezer compartment 6 can be reduced. Further, heat conduction from the cold air having a relatively high temperature flowing through the connection path 34 to the freezer compartment 6 can be reduced, and heat loss can be reduced.

  Further, the protruding portion 31 h is formed to extend to the front of the connecting path 34 on the side of the cooler 11, and the discharge port 6 g is formed to extend to the right side of the cold air passage 31. Thereby, the temperature distribution in the left-right direction in the storage case 46b can be made more uniform. The protruding portion 31g may be formed to extend to the front of the connecting path 34.

  In the upper part of the cold air passage 31, an introduction ventilation path 15 that leads the cold air to the temperature switching chamber 3 is branched and provided. A temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 is disposed in the introduction ventilation path 15. The cold air flows into the temperature switching chamber 3 by opening the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37. 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 heater 16 and a temperature switching chamber blower 18 are disposed above the temperature switching chamber 3. A temperature switching chamber return damper 38 having openings 38a and 38b (see FIG. 9) is disposed at the lower part of the temperature switching chamber 3. The temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is connected to the cool air passage 31 by a return passage 17 extending downward.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the return passage 17 is disposed behind the connection path 34. For this reason, the heat transmitted to the protrusion 31h from the high-temperature air flowing out from the temperature switching chamber 3 can be reduced by a heat insulating material or the like surrounding the connection path 34 and its periphery. Therefore, an increase in the temperature of the cool air discharged to the freezer compartment 6 can be suppressed and the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

  The air flowing from the temperature switching chamber 3 through the return passage 17 is returned to the cooler 11 through an outlet 17 a provided in the middle in the vertical direction of the cooler 11. Further, the cold air flowing out from the freezer compartment 6 through the freezer compartment return port 22 returns to the lower part of the cooler 11, and the cold air flowing out from the vegetable compartment 5 and passing through the return passage 19 returns to the lower part of the cooler 11.

  Therefore, the cold air flowing out from each storage chamber is returned to the cooler 11 in a dispersed manner. For this reason, the frost by the cold air containing the water | moisture content which circulated through each store room and returned does not generate | occur | produce intensively, but disperse | distributes and generate | occur | produces to the cooler 11 whole. Thereby, clogging of the cold air flow due to frost is prevented, and a decrease in cooling performance of the cooler 11 can be prevented.

  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 6 through the freezer return port 22 is guided between the end plates 11b on both sides. The cold air flowing out from the vegetable compartment 5 is guided through the return passage 19 to the entire left and right direction inside and outside the end plates 11 b on both sides of the cooler 11.

  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 11 b is provided with a notch (not shown) at a position facing the outlet 17 a of the return passage 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.

  FIG. 9 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 3a. 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. A temperature sensor 24 that detects abnormal heating by the heater 16 is provided above the heater 16. A temperature sensor 25 that detects the temperature in the temperature switching chamber 3 is provided at the air outlet 40b.

  A temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is disposed behind the air outlet 40b. The temperature switching chamber return damper 38 has openings 38a and 38b formed on the back and top surfaces, respectively, and has a baffle 38c that opens one side and closes the other by turning. The opening 38 a faces the return passage 17 extending downward, and the opening 38 b faces the communication passage 30. The communication path 30 connects the intake side of the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the opening 38b. The introduction ventilation path 15 (see FIG. 4) is connected to the communication path 30.

  When the opening 38 a of the temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is opened, the opening 38 b is closed, and the air flowing out from the air outlet 40 b returns to the cooler 11 through the return passage 17. When the opening 38b of the temperature switching chamber return damper 38 is opened, the opening 38a is closed, and the air flowing out from the air outlet 40b is guided to the intake side of the temperature switching chamber blower 18. Therefore, when the opening 38a and the temperature switching chamber discharge damper 37 (see FIG. 4) are closed and the temperature switching chamber blower 18 is driven, the air in the temperature switching chamber 3 can be circulated through the communication passage 30.

  FIG. 10 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 vegetable compartment 5 is arranged in series with the refrigerator compartment 2. The cold air generated by the cooler 11 flows through the cold air passage 31 by driving the freezer compartment fan 12 and is sent to the freezer compartment 6 communicating with the ice making chamber 4 through the discharge ports 6 b to 6 g. The ice tray 73 may be cooled by discharging a part of the cold air flowing through the upper portion of the cold air passage 31 toward the ice tray 73 in the ice making chamber 4. The cold air flowing through the ice making chamber 4 and the freezer compartment 6 flows out from the freezer return port 22 and returns to the cooler 11. 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 including the chilled compartment 21 through the refrigerating compartment damper 20 by driving the refrigerating compartment blower 23. The cold air discharged into the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the partition shelf 41 and flows down, and the cold air discharged into the chilled chamber 21 flows through the storage case 42. And it distribute | circulates the downward direction of the storage case 42, and flows out from the refrigerator compartment return port 2c of the chilled room 21 back.

  Cold air that has flowed out of the refrigerator compartment 2 through the refrigerator compartment return port 2c flows through the connecting path 34 and flows into the vegetable compartment 5 through the vegetable compartment inlet 5a (see FIG. 4) arranged on the right side. The cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 5 flows under the storage case 45 and rises in front of the storage case 45, and flows backward between the lid 45 a of the storage case 45 and the heat insulating wall 8. Thereby, the inside of the storage case 45 is indirectly cooled. The cold air that has circulated through the vegetable compartment 5 returns to the cooler 11 via a return passage 19 that is provided to the left of the center. 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 passage 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 mode of the temperature switching chamber 3 is wine (8 ° C.), refrigerated (3 ° C.), chilled (0 ° C. to −2 ° C.), soft frozen (−8 ° C.), and frozen (−15 ° C.). Each cooling mode is 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 may be energized to switch the temperature from the refrigerated room temperature to the refrigerated room temperature. Thereby, it can switch to desired room temperature rapidly.

  Further, by energizing the heater 16, the room temperature of the temperature switching chamber 3 can be switched from a low temperature side where the stored items are cooled and stored to a high temperature side higher than 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 as shown in FIG. Then, the temperature switching chamber blower 18 and the heater 16 are driven, and the temperature in the temperature switching chamber 3 is raised by circulating hot air.

  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, the lower space 31n (second pressure chamber) communicating with the upper space 31m (first pressure chamber) disposed on the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan 12 (blower) via the opening is provided. For this reason, the flow velocity of the cold air is reduced by the double pressure chamber composed of the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n. As a result, the cold air spreads into the lower space 31n and can be uniformly discharged from the discharge ports 6e, 6f, 6g provided in the lower space 31n. Accordingly, the temperature distribution of the storage case 46b of the freezer compartment 6 (first storage compartment) can be made uniform to improve the cooling efficiency.

  Moreover, since the cooler 11 and the freezer compartment blower 12 are arranged in one direction left and right, the passage between the cooler 11 and the freezer compartment blower 12 can be formed without bending. For this reason, pressure loss can be reduced and ventilation efficiency can be improved.

  Further, the cooler 11 is disposed behind the freezer compartment 6, and the inflow portion 32 a of the cool air passage 32 that supplies the cool air to the refrigerator compartment 2 (second storage chamber) disposed above the freezer compartment 6 is the same as the cooler 11. Since they are arranged so as to be biased in the direction, the passage between the cooler 11 and the inflow portion 32a can be formed without bending. For this reason, pressure loss can be reduced and ventilation efficiency can be improved more.

  Further, an ice making chamber 4 and a temperature switching chamber 3 are provided adjacent to the left and right between the freezer compartment 6 and the refrigerator compartment 2, and the ice making chamber 4 is disposed on the side where the cooler 11 is biased and is located more than the temperature switching chamber 3. Since it can be maintained at a low temperature, the cold heat of the cold air guided to the inflow portion 32 a can be discharged to the ice making chamber 4. Therefore, the cooling energy of the cold air is not deprived to the temperature switching chamber 3 higher than the ice making chamber 4, and the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  Next, FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing the refrigerator of the second embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n of the cold air passage 31. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The upper space 31m and the lower space 31n are partitioned by a partition plate 31j attached to the back plate 6a. The partition plate 31j has an inclined surface extending obliquely rearward from the lower portion of the projecting portion 31g, and is formed in an L-shape that is bent downward at the rear end of the inclined surface 31p and extends behind the projecting portion 31h. The inclined surface of the partition plate 31j is formed to be flush with the freezer compartment side of the heat insulating wall below the temperature switching chamber damper 38 (see FIG. 9).

  An opening (not shown) that connects the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n is provided in a part of the partition plate 31j. The opening may be provided on the inclined surface 31p or may be provided on a surface extending vertically. When the opening is provided in the protrusion 31g or on the surface extending vertically, the flowing cold air current collides with the inclined surface 31p and spreads in the lateral direction. For this reason, cold air can be more uniformly discharged from the discharge ports 6b, 6c, and 6d. A filter may be provided in the opening.

  According to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, since the lower space 31n communicating with the opening is provided in the upper space 31m disposed on the discharge side of the freezer blower 12, the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n are provided. Due to the double pressure chamber consisting of As a result, the cold air spreads into the lower space 31n and can be uniformly discharged from the discharge ports 6e, 6f, 6g provided in the lower space 31n. Therefore, the temperature distribution of the storage case 46b of the freezer compartment 6 can be made uniform to improve the cooling efficiency.

  Further, when the temperature switching chamber damper 38 is disposed further upward, the lower space 31n can be formed wider and the function as a pressure chamber can be more reliably exhibited. Thereby, cold air can be discharged more uniformly into the freezer compartment 6.

  Moreover, you may arrange | position the inclined surface 31p above the discharge outlets 6b, 6c, and 6d of the protrusion part 31g. As a result, the cold air flowing through the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n (first and second pressure chambers) can be discharged more uniformly from the discharge ports 6b, 6c, and 6d in the same manner as the discharge ports 6e, 6f, and 6g. . Therefore, the temperature distribution of the storage case 46a of the freezer compartment 6 can be made more uniform.

  If the inclined surface 31p of the partition plate 31j is disposed above the upper end of the protruding portion 31g, the above effect is greater. In addition, since the moldability is further facilitated and the sealing property can be easily secured, the refrigerator 1 excellent in mass productivity can be obtained.

  Further, the back plate 6a may be bent to form the partition plate 31j, and the protruding portion 31g and the protruding portion 31h in front of the partition plate 31j may be formed by separate members. The partition plate 31j may be formed by a curved surface. Further, the partition plate 31j may be formed in another shape as long as the lower space 31n has a large volume and is isolated from the upper space 31m. Moreover, you may make the width | variety of the up-down direction of discharge port 6b, 6c, 6e, 6f close | similar to the freezer compartment fan 12 larger than the width | variety of the discharge port 6d, 6g away from the freezer compartment fan 12. FIG.

  In the first and second embodiments, the case where the storage chamber from which the cold air is discharged from the upper space 31m and the lower space 31n forming the pressure chamber is a freezing chamber has been described. However, the same effect can be obtained. Further, the refrigerator compartment 2 may be disposed below the freezer compartment 6, and the ice making chamber 4 and the temperature switching chamber 3 may be disposed between the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 6.

  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, a passage opening / closing mechanism (for example, a damper) is provided so that the freezer compartment return port 22 is closed. Also good. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the hot air from flowing backward from the freezer return port 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 discharges the cold air | gas produced | generated with the cooler to a store room via a discharge outlet.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerated room 3 Temperature switching room 4 Ice making room 5 Vegetable room 6 Freezer room 6b-6g Discharge port 7, 8, 35 Heat insulation wall 9 Door 11 Cooler 12 Freezer room blower 15 Introduction ventilation path 16 Heater 17, 19 Return path 18 Temperature switching room blower 20 Refrigeration room damper 21 Chilled room 22 Freezing room return port 23 Refrigeration room blower 31, 32 Cold air passage 31a Front part 31g, 31h Projection part 31m Upper space 31n Lower space 31j Partition plate 32a Inflow part 32b First passage 32c Second passage 32d Horizontal passage 36 Vertical heat insulating wall 37 Temperature switching chamber discharge damper 38 Temperature switching chamber return damper 38a, 38b Opening 38c Baffle 39 Heat insulating material 41 Partition shelf 50 Machine room 57 Compressor 61, 62 Partition wall 65 Small item storage Chamber 70 Water tank chamber 71 Water tank 72 Ice making device 74 Water supply pump

Claims (3)

A freezer room,
A refrigerator compartment disposed above the freezer compartment;
An ice making chamber disposed adjacent to the freezer compartment and above the freezer compartment and communicating with the freezer compartment;
A cooler that produces cold air;
A blower for circulating cold air generated by the cooler;
A first pressure chamber disposed on the discharge side of the blower;
A second pressure chamber communicating with the first pressure chamber through the opening;
A plurality of discharge ports that open to the second pressure chamber and discharge cold air to the freezer chamber;
A cold air passage branched from the first pressure chamber and arranged behind the refrigerating chamber and through which the cold air generated by the cooler flows and discharges the cold air to the refrigerating chamber;
A storage unit provided in the freezer compartment for storing stored items;
Wherein the air blower, the condenser and the ice making chamber is disposed biased to one of the left and right directions Rutotomoni,
The width in the vertical direction of one of the discharge ports away from the blower is larger than the width in the vertical direction of the other discharge ports close to the blower,
The blower is disposed behind the ice making chamber, and a lower end of the blower is positioned above an upper surface of the storage unit.
  The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the opening is provided near the center in the left-right direction.   A vegetable room arranged below the freezer room, and a connecting path connecting the refrigerator room and the vegetable room through a side of the cooler, the cooler being arranged behind the freezer room The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second pressure chamber is disposed in front of the connection path.

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