JP6131116B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that stores food and the like in a storage room, and particularly relates to a refrigerator having an air curtain function.

  Conventionally, it is known that an air curtain is formed in a front opening of a refrigerator compartment in order to prevent cold air in the refrigerator from leaking outside when the refrigerator door is opened (for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the refrigerator compartment 102 of the domestic refrigerator 100 with an air curtain function disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the household refrigerator 100 includes an upper surface duct 111 that allows the air cooled by the cooler 104 and sent out by the blower fan 105 to flow into the refrigerating chamber 102 on the upper surface of the refrigerating chamber 102. And the cross flow fan 112 which blows off cool air below is arrange | positioned at the cool air blower outlet 107 formed in the front part of the upper surface duct 111. As shown in FIG.

  When the door 101 is opened by the user, the household refrigerator 100 activates the blower fan 105 and the cross flow fan 112. Thereby, cold air is blown out downward from the cold air outlet 107, and an air curtain 108 is formed in the front opening 103 of the refrigerator compartment 102. The air curtain 108 can prevent the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 102 from leaking out of the refrigerator.

  Moreover, in the state where the door 101 is closed, the household refrigerator 100 performs a cooling operation similarly to a conventional general refrigerator. That is, when the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 102 rises, the blower fan 105 and a compressor (not shown) are operated. Thereby, the cold air cooled by the cooler 104 is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 102 through the upper surface duct 111 and the cold air outlet 107 and through the cold air outlet 109 formed in the rear duct 110 and the rear duct 110. Then, cooling in the refrigerator compartment 102 is performed. If the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 102 falls to a predetermined value, the household refrigerator 100 stops the operation of the blower fan 105 and a compressor (not shown).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-77008 (page 4-5, FIG. 3)

  However, the configuration for forming the air curtain in the refrigerator of the prior art has a problem that an efficient air flow suitable for cooling and cooling cannot be formed at the time of normal cooling when the door is closed.

  That is, in order to obtain a suitable air curtain effect, it is necessary to appropriately set the air blowing speed (speed and direction of the blowing air flow). It does not necessarily match the air flow suitable for formation.

  Specifically, in a state where the door is opened, air is blown out from the front part of the upper surface of the refrigerating room to the lower side so as to reach a bottom surface of the refrigerating room while maintaining a suitable flow rate, and an air curtain is formed. Yes. Thereby, as above-mentioned, it can prevent that the cool air in a refrigerator compartment leaks out of a warehouse. However, when the door is opened, the storage pocket inside the door positioned outside the air curtain is directly exposed to the outside air, so that the cold air escapes and is warmed. For this reason, immediately after closing the door, it is necessary to cool the storage pocket portion inside the door with priority given to efficient cooling. However, in the conventional air blowing for forming an air curtain, it is difficult to efficiently apply cool air to the storage pocket portion, particularly the storage pocket located at the uppermost stage.

  Conversely, if the air curtain air blowout is directed forward so as to form an air flow suitable for cooling, a suitable air curtain cannot be formed with the door open, and the cold air in the cabinet is Leaking and reducing the efficiency of the refrigerator.

  In general, even when the door is closed, heat enters from the outside of the refrigerator to the inside of the refrigerator via the heat insulating wall of the refrigerator, so that the temperature in the refrigerator gradually rises and the temperature difference ( The upper part is hot and the lower part is cold). If the temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment becomes excessive, the quality of the food stored in the refrigerator is deteriorated. Therefore, a method of circulating the air in the refrigerator compartment to reduce the temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment can be considered. However, in the conventional refrigerator, depending on the air flow for the air curtain, it is difficult to efficiently circulate the air in the refrigerator compartment. That is, since the cool air is blown out so as to form a concentrated flow only downward from one outlet formed in the upper front portion of the refrigerator compartment, the entire refrigerator compartment cannot be efficiently stirred.

  In addition, in order to eliminate the temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment, as in normal cooling operation, the entire refrigerator, that is, the cooler supply air passage from the cooler to the refrigerator compartment, the vegetable compartment, etc. A method is also conceivable in which air is circulated through the entire path from the air to the cooler. However, if air is circulated through the entire cooling path, the air in each air passage and each storage room is mixed, heat loss increases, and the number of start / stop times of the compressor increases, causing power consumption to increase. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and forms a suitable air curtain to prevent leakage of cold air from the refrigerator compartment, and efficiently cools the refrigerator compartment at a uniform temperature. An object is to provide a refrigerator that can.

The refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerating room having a door on the front surface, a supply air passage for supplying air cooled by a cooler to the refrigerating room, and a circulating air disposed on the upper surface side and the back surface side of the refrigerating room. A fan that is provided inside the circulation air passage and sends air in the circulation air passage from the back side to the upper surface side, and is formed at a front portion of the circulation air passage on the upper surface side. A blowout port for flowing air from a passage to the refrigerating chamber, a return port formed in the circulating air passage on the back side for flowing air from the refrigerating chamber to the circulating air passage, and the refrigerating port provided in the air outlet Wind direction control means capable of adjusting the direction of the air blown into the chamber, and when the door is open, the air blower is operated and the air blown out from the outlet by the wind direction control means. An air curtain is formed downward, and the door In the state Flip was, the air circulation of the refrigerating compartment toward the direction different from the state of the air blown from the air outlet the door is opened by the air-direction control means as well as driving the fan, the door after a lapse of a predetermined time after closing, closing the blower the air outlet by the wind direction control means stops the characterized that you supplying air to the refrigerating chamber from the supply air passage.

  According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the air direction control means is provided at the outlet formed in the front portion of the circulation air passage located on the upper surface side of the refrigerating room, and the air direction control is performed when the door of the refrigerating room is opened. The air curtain is formed by directing the air blown out from the blowout port downward by the means. That is, the air flow control means controls the air flow to be suitable for forming the air curtain. Thereby, a suitable air curtain is formed and it can prevent that the cool air in a refrigerator compartment leaks outside.

  Further, when the door is closed, the air blown from the air outlet by the wind direction control means is directed in a direction different from the state in which the door is opened. That is, it is possible to control the air flow blown from the air outlet by the wind direction control means to a flow suitable for cooling and cold insulation. Specifically, the air flow may be directed forward by the wind direction control means so that cool air hits a storage pocket provided inside the door. Alternatively, the blowing direction may be directed to the rear of the refrigerator compartment. Thus, the air that is blown out from the outlet of the circulation air passage can efficiently cool or stir the refrigerator compartment, and the temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment can be reduced to perform highly efficient cold storage. it can.

  Moreover, the said circulation air path is comprised as an independent path | route different from the supply air path for supplying the air cooled with the cooler to the said refrigerator compartment. And the inside of the said circulation air path is equipped with the independent air blower different from the air supply fan for circulating the air cooled with the cooler. Thereby, an air curtain can be formed regardless of the cooling operation in which the air cooled by the cooler is sent to the refrigerating chamber, and the cool air cooled by the cooler can be prevented from leaking directly outside the refrigerator.

  Even when the door is closed, the air in the refrigerator compartment can be circulated regardless of the cooling operation. Therefore, you may drive the said air blower in the state which stopped supply of the air from the said supply air path to the said refrigerator compartment. Thereby, the vertical temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment can be reduced without performing the cooling operation, and quality deterioration of foods and the like can be prevented.

  In addition, a return port through which air flows from the refrigerator compartment to the circulation air passage is formed in the circulation air passage disposed on the back side of the refrigerator compartment. Thereby, formation of an air curtain and agitation in a refrigerator compartment can be performed, without circulating air through the whole cooling system which passes through a cooler, a vegetable compartment, etc.

  In the state where the door is closed, the air blower may be operated and the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet may be changed by the wind direction control means. For example, the airflow direction may be gradually changed periodically from the front to the rear or vice versa. Thereby, the air in a refrigerator compartment can be stirred and temperature can be equalized efficiently.

  Further, the two temperature detection means includes an upper temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment and a lower temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment, and the door is closed. The fan may be operated when the temperature difference detected by the means exceeds a predetermined threshold. As a result, it is possible to prevent the quality of foods and the like from deteriorating due to an increase in the vertical temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment.

  Further, in a state where the door is closed, the blower may be operated when a predetermined time has elapsed after the supply of air from the supply air passage to the refrigerator compartment is stopped. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment from becoming excessive without providing temperature detecting means above and below the refrigerator compartment as described above.

  Further, in a state where the door is closed, after the cooling by the cooler is stopped, that is, after the operation of the compressor is stopped, the blower may be operated when a predetermined time has elapsed. Such a method can also prevent the quality of foods from deteriorating.

It is a front external view of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the (A) front schematic diagram which shows the supply air path to the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (B) AA sectional view taken on the line. 1 is a schematic front view showing an outline of a circulation air path of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic of the flap which shows the state which closed the (A) flap of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the state which opened the (B) flap. It is side surface sectional drawing of the refrigerator compartment vicinity explaining the air curtain formation of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the refrigerator compartment vicinity which shows the example which blows out forward (A) explaining the air circulation in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the example which blows out (B) back. It is side surface sectional drawing of the refrigerator compartment vicinity which shows the example of the refrigerator of a prior art.

  Hereinafter, the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated in detail based on drawing.

  FIG. 1 is a front external view showing a schematic structure of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right side sectional view of the refrigerator 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a heat insulating box 2 as a main body, and forms a storage room for storing food and the like inside the heat insulating box 2. The interior of the storage room is divided into a plurality of storage rooms 3 to 7 according to storage temperature and usage. The uppermost stage is the refrigerator compartment 3, the lower left side is the ice making room 4, the right side is the upper freezer room 5, the lower stage is the lower stage freezer room 6, and the lowermost stage is the vegetable room 7.

  The front surface of the heat insulation box 2 is opened, and heat insulation doors 8 to 12 are provided in the opening portions corresponding to the storage chambers 3 to 7 so as to be freely opened and closed. The heat insulating doors 8a and 8b are doors that divide and block the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the left upper and lower portions of the heat insulating door 8a and the upper right lower portion of the heat insulating door 8b are rotatably supported by the heat insulating box 2. Moreover, the heat insulation doors 9-12 are supported by the heat insulation box 2 so that it can be pulled out to the front of the refrigerator 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat insulation box 2 which is the main body of the refrigerator 2 is disposed with a steel plate outer box 2a having an opening on the front surface and a gap inside the outer box 2a. And an inner box 2b made of synthetic resin having an opening and a heat insulating material 2c made of polyurethane foam filled and foamed in a gap between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b. Each of the heat insulating doors 8 to 12 adopts the same heat insulating structure as that of the heat insulating box 2.

  The refrigerator compartment 3 and the ice making chamber 4 and the upper freezer compartment 5 located at the lower stage are partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 36. The heat insulating partition wall 36 is a synthetic resin molded product, and the inside thereof is filled with a heat insulating material.

  Further, the ice making chamber 4 and the upper freezing chamber 5 are partitioned by a partition wall (not shown in the drawing). The ice making chamber 4 and the upper freezing chamber 5 and the lower freezing chamber 6 provided in the lower stage communicate with each other so that cold air can flow freely. The lower freezer compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 7 are partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 37.

  In addition, a circulation air passage 20 is formed on the upper surface and the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 3 inside the inner box 2b and is partitioned by a partition member 28 made of synthetic resin. Inside the circulation air passage 20, a blower 27 is disposed to send air from the circulation air passage 20b on the back side to the circulation air passage 20a on the upper surface side.

  The blower 27 is, for example, a centrifugal type blower. Further, the blower 27 is disposed on the upper back side of the refrigerator compartment 3. Specifically, the blower 27 is disposed in an air passage that connects the rear-side circulation air passage 20b and the upper-surface-side circulation air passage 20a with the suction port inclined obliquely downward. Thus, the convenience of food storage can be ensured by adopting a centrifugal blower as the blower 27 and arranging it at the upper back corner of the refrigerator compartment 3 where it is difficult to take out food.

  Further, by installing the blower 27 so as to blow air obliquely upward, the blown air flows in the circulation air passage 20a on the upper surface side along the inner box 2b constituting the upper surface of the air passage. Thereby, a wind direction can be adjusted with the opening / closing operation | movement of the flap 24 mentioned later.

  At the front part of the circulation air passage 20a on the upper surface side, an air outlet 21 for allowing air to flow from the inside of the circulation air passage 20 to the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is formed. Specifically, the air outlet 21 is an opening formed in the front portion of the partition member 28 on the upper surface side, and communicates the circulation air passage 20 and the refrigerator compartment 3.

  Further, a return port 22 through which air flows from the inside of the refrigerating chamber 3 to the inside of the circulation air passage 20 is formed in the lower part of the circulation air passage 20b on the back side. Specifically, the return port 22 is an opening formed in the lower portion of the partition member 28 on the back side, and communicates the refrigerator compartment 3 and the circulation air passage 20.

  The air outlet 21 is provided with a flap 24 which is a wind direction control means capable of adjusting the direction of air blown from the circulation air passage 20 to the refrigerator compartment 3. The flap 24 is substantially plate-shaped, and the direction of the air blown out from the outlet 21 can be suitably controlled by changing the direction of the flap 24.

  Further, a supply air passage 15 partitioned by a synthetic resin partition member 29 is formed on the back surface of the refrigerating chamber 3 and on the further back side of the circulation air passage 20. The partition member 29 is made of, for example, expanded polystyrene or the like, and also has a function of insulating between the circulation air passage 20 and the supply air passage 15.

  On the back side of the ice making chamber 4, the upper freezing chamber 5, and the lower freezing chamber 6, a supply air passage 14 partitioned by a synthetic resin partition member 38 is formed. The supply air passage 14 and the supply air passage 15 communicate with each other via a damper 18 (air passage switch). The damper 18 is for controlling the flow rate of the cool air supplied to the refrigerating room 3 and maintaining the temperature inside the refrigerating room 3 appropriately.

  On the further back side of the supply air passage 14 inside the inner box 2b, there is provided a cooling chamber 13 that is divided and formed by a partition member 39. An opening 13a that connects the cooling chamber 13 and the supply air passage 14 is formed in the partition member 39 above the cooling chamber 13, and a blower 32 for supplying cold air to the storage chambers 3 to 7 is formed in the opening 13a. Is arranged. On the other hand, below the cooling chamber 13, an opening 13 b is formed for sucking the return cold air from the storage chamber into the cooling chamber 13.

  A cooler 33 (evaporator) for cooling the circulating air is disposed inside the cooling chamber 13. The cooler 33 is connected to the compressor 31, a radiator (not shown), and an expansion valve (capillary tube) (not shown) via a refrigerant pipe, and constitutes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle circuit. It is. In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, isobutane (R600a) is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle.

  The refrigerator 1 also includes an upper temperature sensor 42 and a lower temperature sensor 43 that detect the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 3. The upper temperature sensor 42 is an upper temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the upper part of the refrigerating chamber 3 and is provided on the upper surface, the back surface, or the upper portion of the side surface of the refrigerating chamber 3. The lower temperature sensor 43 is a lower temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the lower part of the refrigerating chamber 3 and is provided on the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 3, the back surface, or the lower part of the side surface (below the upper temperature sensor 42). By providing the upper temperature sensor 42 and the lower temperature sensor 43, it is possible to detect the upper and lower temperature difference inside the refrigerator compartment 3.

  The refrigerator 1 includes a door opening / closing sensor 41 that detects opening / closing of the heat insulating door 8 at a hinge portion that supports the heat insulating door 8. As the door opening / closing sensor 41, for example, various switches that are pressed by a part of the heat insulating door 8 to open and close the contacts can be adopted. In the vicinity of the hinge portion, an outside air temperature sensor 44 for detecting the temperature around the refrigerator 1 is disposed integrally with the substrate of the door opening / closing sensor 41.

  3A is a schematic front view showing an outline of the supply air passage 15, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the supply air passage 15 is configured to pass through a substantially central portion on the back side of the refrigerating chamber 3, branch left and right at the upper portion of the refrigerating chamber 3, and then downward. Further, the supply air passage 15 is formed with a cold air outlet 17 through which cold air flows into the refrigerator compartment 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), the cold air outlets 17 formed in the left and right air passages directed downward of the supply air passage 15 are configured to blow out the cold air obliquely forward to the left and right. Yes. That is, the supply air passage 15 is partitioned by the partition member 29 having heat insulation, and the cold air outlet 17 is formed to open on the left and right side surfaces of the partition member 28.

  Thus, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be cooled uniformly by blowing air from the cold air outlet 17 diagonally forward to the left and right. Moreover, since the opening of the cold air outlet 17 cannot be visually recognized from the front of the refrigerator 1, it is preferable also aesthetically.

As shown in FIG. 3B, a circulating air passage 20b on the back side is formed in front of the supply air passage 15 by a partition member 29 so as to be insulated. The circulation air passage 20b has a portion that partially overlaps with the supply air passage 15 when viewed from the front. However, the cold air outlet 17 is formed so as not to overlap the circulating air passage 20b in front view.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing an outline of the circulation air passage 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the circulation air passage 20 is formed with an air outlet 21 through which air flows to the refrigerator compartment 3, and the flap 24 is provided at the air outlet 21 as described above. Further, a return port 22 through which air flows from the inside of the refrigerating chamber 3 to the inside of the circulating air passage 20 is formed at the lower part of the circulating air passage 20.

  The air outlet 21 extends in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment 3 so that an air curtain can be effectively formed on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and has a horizontally long width wider than the circulation air passage 20b on the rear side. Forms. The flap 24 also has a long shape extending in the lateral direction corresponding to the air outlet 21.

  5A and 5B are schematic views showing a flap 24 and a mechanism for opening and closing the flap 24 of the refrigerator 1, FIG. 5A is a state in which the flap 24 is closed, and FIG. The flap 24 is shown open.

  The flap 24 is a substantially plate-like member made of a synthetic resin material, has a cross-sectional shape shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, and extends in the lateral direction of the refrigerator 1 (perpendicular to the paper surface). .

  Support portions 24c are projected and formed at a plurality of locations on the side of the circulation air passage 20 of the flap 24, and a support shaft 24d formed on the support portion 24c is rotatably supported by the partition member 28. A motor 25 that opens and closes the flap 24 is connected to a connecting shaft 24e formed on the end side of the support portion 24c via a connecting member 26 (link mechanism).

  Thereby, the flap 24 can be opened and closed by rotating the motor 25. That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, the air outlet 21 can be closed by the flap 24, and as shown in FIG. 5B, a flow path through which the air is blown by opening the air outlet 21 can be formed. The motor 25 is a stepping motor, for example, and can be stopped at an arbitrary angle. Thereby, while being able to direct the flow of the air which blows off from the blower outlet 21 to the direction suitable for air curtain formation, it can control to the direction suitable for cooling and cold preservation.

  The power transmission mechanism such as the connecting member 26 and the driving parts such as the motor 25 are arranged so that a part thereof is embedded in the heat insulating box 2. That is, a part of the inner box 2b bulges outside the box and forms a recess inside the box, thereby securing a space for arranging a mechanism for opening and closing the flap 24. By adopting such a configuration, the storage space of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be secured widely.

  Further, the flap 24 has a shape such that the front edge side 24b and the rear edge side 24a are bent. That is, the substantially plate-shaped flap 24 forms a concave surface on the circulating air passage 20 side (surface on which the air flow collides). Thereby, the air which flows through the inside of the circulation wind path 20 can be turned with a small flow loss, and a suitable blowing flow can be formed. Note that the surface of the flap 24 is not limited to a flat shape, and may be formed in a curved shape, for example.

  Moreover, the front part 28d of the partition member 28 in which the blower outlet 21 is formed is not vertical but is inclined. Specifically, the front part 28d of the partition member 28 is an inclined surface such that the upper part is the front and the lower part is the rear. Thereby, it becomes possible to ensure a large width dimension of the flap 24. That is, even if the wide flap 24 is employed, the flap 24 protrudes into the refrigerator 3 so that it does not get in the way so that the flap 24 follows the front portion 28d when the flap 24 is closed. By adopting such a wide flap 24, the function of controlling the wind direction of the flap 24 can be enhanced, and a suitable blowing flow can be formed.

  In addition, the front portion 28d of the partition member 28 is inclined so that the upper portion is forward and the lower portion is rearward, and the blowout port 21 and the flap 24 are disposed on the inclined surface, thereby blowing the blown air to the rear of the refrigerator compartment 3. It is possible to guide efficiently. Thereby, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be stirred effectively.

  A recess 28 c having a depth corresponding to the thickness of the flap 24 and corresponding to the shape of the flap 24 is formed around the outlet 21 of the partition member 28. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the flap 24 is fully closed, the level difference between the flap 24 and the partition member 28 (the flap 24 protrudes toward the refrigerator compartment 3) is reduced, thereby improving the design. Can be increased.

  Next, referring to FIG. 2 again, a basic cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 having the above-described configuration (a normal cooling operation for cooling the storage chambers 3 to 7 by the cooler 33) will be described. In FIG. 2, the air flow during the cooling operation is indicated by a broken line arrow, and the air flow during the circulation operation described later is indicated by a solid arrow.

  First, the air in the cooling chamber 13 is cooled by the cooler 33 of the above-described vapor compression refrigeration cycle circuit. The air cooled by the cooler 33 is discharged by the blower 32 from the opening 13 a of the cooling chamber 13 to the supply air passage 14.

  A part of the cooling air discharged to the supply air passage 14 is adjusted to an appropriate flow rate by the damper 18, flows to the supply air passage 15, and is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3. Thereby, the food etc. which were stored in the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be cooled and preserve | saved at appropriate temperature.

  The cold air supplied to the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is supplied to the vegetable compartment 7 through a connection air passage (not shown). And the cold air which circulated through the vegetable compartment 7 returns to the inside of the cooling chamber 13 through the return air passage 16 and the opening 13 b of the cooling chamber 13. Therefore, it is cooled again by the cooler 33.

  On the other hand, a part of the cooling air discharged to the supply air passage 14 is supplied to the ice making chamber 4, the upper freezing chamber 5 and the lower freezing chamber 6. The air inside the ice making chamber 4 and the upper freezing chamber 5 flows to the communicating lower freezing chamber 6, and the air inside the lower freezing chamber 6 flows through the lower portion of the lower freezing chamber 6 and through the opening 13 b of the cooling chamber 13. , Flows into the cooling chamber 13.

  As described above, the air cooled by the cooler 33 circulates in the storage chamber, and freezing and refrigeration storage of foods and the like are performed.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the operation | movement which forms an air curtain when a user opens the heat insulation door 8 is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the refrigerator compartment 3 for explaining the air curtain formation of the refrigerator 1. In FIG. 6, the solid line arrow shows the flow of air.

  First, when the user opens the heat insulating door 8, the door opening / closing sensor 41 detects that the heat insulating door 8 has been opened. When the door opening / closing sensor 41 detects the open state of the heat insulating door 8, the refrigerator 1 operates the blower 27 and opens the flap 24. As a result, the air in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3 is sucked into the circulation air passage 20 through the return port 22, and from the air outlet 21 formed in the upper front part of the refrigerator compartment 3 to the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3. Blown out.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the angle (opening degree) of the flap 24 is adjusted so that the air (air curtain AC) blown out from the air outlet 21 faces downward. Thereby, the suitable air curtain AC for preventing that cool air leaks out of the refrigerator from the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is formed.

  As described above, the refrigerator 1 has an air curtain separately from the supply air passage 15 and the blower 32 (see FIG. 2) for supplying the cold air cooled by the cooler 33 (see FIG. 2) to the refrigerator compartment 3. It has the independent circulation air path 20 and the air blower 27 for forming AC. Therefore, the operation of forming the air curtain AC can be executed regardless of whether or not the refrigerator 1 is performing the normal cooling operation described above.

  Thereafter, when the user closes the heat insulating door 8, the door opening / closing sensor 41 detects that the heat insulating door 8 is closed. When the closed state of the heat insulating door 8 is detected by the door opening / closing sensor 41, the refrigerator 1 stops the blower 27 and closes the flap 24. Thereby, formation of air curtain AC is completed.

  In addition, you may perform the stop operation | movement of the air blower 27, and the closing operation of the flap 24, after predetermined time passes since the heat insulation door 8 closed. Further, when the blower 27 is operated until a predetermined time has elapsed after the heat insulating door 8 is closed, the flap 24 may be swung as described later with reference to FIGS. 7 (A) and 7 (B). Thereby, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 heated by opening the heat insulation door 8, especially the storage pocket 19 part inside the heat insulation door 8, can be efficiently cooled.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7 (A) and (B), the operation | movement which circulates the air in the refrigerator compartment 3 in the state which closed the heat insulation door 8 is demonstrated. Here, the circulation of the air in the state in which the heat insulating door 8 is closed means that the fan 27 is continuously operated for a predetermined time after the heat insulating door 8 is opened once and then closed, and the state in which the heat insulating door 8 is closed is maintained. In this case, it is necessary to include both cases where the air in the refrigerator compartment 3 is circulated under predetermined conditions.

  7 (A) and 7 (B) are diagrams for explaining the air circulation inside the refrigerator compartment 3 of the refrigerator 1. FIG. 7 (A) is an example in which air is blown forward, and FIG. The example which blows off air toward back is shown.

  While operating the air blower 27, as shown to FIG. 7 (A), by opening the lower part of the flap 24 toward the front, air can be blown out from the blower outlet 21 toward the front. Accordingly, for example, as described above, it is possible to cool the portion efficiently by directly applying cool air to the storage pocket 19 heated by opening the heat insulating door 8. Thus, since the refrigerator 1 is provided with the flap 24, the inside of the uppermost storage pocket 19 that has been difficult to cool with the air flow for forming the air curtain AC (see FIG. 6), It can be cooled rapidly with high efficiency.

  Moreover, while operating the air blower 27, as shown in FIG.7 (B), air can be blown out back from the blower outlet 21 by opening the lower part of the flap 24 back. As a result, the air in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3 is sucked into the circulation air passage 20 from the return port 22 (see FIG. 7A), sent out from the outlet 21 to the upper rear of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the air inside the refrigerator compartment 3 is discharged. It can be circulated and stirred. As a result, it is possible to reduce the upper and lower temperature difference inside the refrigerator compartment 3 caused by heat intrusion from the outside.

  As described above, since the flap 24 can be adjusted to an arbitrary angle (opening), the direction of the flap 24 may be changed with time. That is, the lower end portion of the flap 24 is swung back and forth, and the state of blowing out forward as shown in FIG. 7A and the state of blowing out backward as shown in FIG. It may be changed. Thereby, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be stirred more effectively.

Further, when the difference in temperature detected by the upper temperature sensor 42 that detects the temperature of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the lower temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the blower 27 is operated. You may control as follows. Thereby, deterioration of the quality of food etc. by the large temperature difference of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be prevented reliably.
At this time, the cooler 33 (see FIG. 2) is operated by operating the compressor 31 (see FIG. 2) without circulating the cold air to the vegetable compartment 7 (see FIG. 2) or the cooling chamber 13 (see FIG. 2). The temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 can be circulated without the cooling by the above, so that the temperature can be made uniform. Thereby, heat loss can be reduced, and the number of start / stops of the compressor 31 can be suppressed to reduce power consumption.

  Further, in a state where the heat insulating door 8 is closed, the blower 27 may be controlled to operate when a predetermined time elapses after the supply of air from the supply air passage 15 to the refrigerator compartment 3 is stopped. Thereby, without providing the two temperature sensors 42 and 43 in the refrigerator compartment 3 as mentioned above, it can prevent that the temperature difference in the refrigerator compartment 3 becomes excessive.

  Further, in a state where the heat insulating door 8 is closed, after the cooling by the cooler 33 is stopped, that is, after the operation of the compressor 31 is stopped, the blower 27 may be operated when a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time may be set so as to be within an allowable temperature rise range by estimating the rise time of the internal temperature due to heat penetration from the outside in consideration of the heat insulation performance of the refrigerator 1. Even by such a method, it is possible to prevent an increase in the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides in the refrigerator compartment 3 and to prevent deterioration of the quality of food or the like.

  In this case, the predetermined time is determined based on the ambient temperature outside the chamber detected by the outside air temperature sensor 44, and the time until the circulation operation is started may be changed according to the surrounding environment. good. Thereby, the efficiency of the refrigerator 1 can further be improved.

  As mentioned above, although the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to this, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Heat insulation box 3 Refrigerating room 4 Ice making room 5 Upper freezing room 6 Lower freezing room 7 Vegetable room 8 Thermal insulation door 13 Cooling room 15 Supply air path (for refrigerating room)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Circulation air path 20a Circulation air path on the upper surface side 20b Circulation air path on the back side 21 Outlet 22 Return port 24 Flap 27 Blower 33 Cooler 42 Upper temperature sensor 43 Lower temperature sensor AC Air curtain

Claims (6)

A refrigerator compartment with a door on the front,
A supply air passage for supplying air cooled by a cooler to the refrigerator compartment;
A circulation air passage disposed on the upper surface side and the rear surface side of the refrigerator compartment;
A blower that is provided inside the circulation air passage and sends air in the circulation air passage from the back surface side to the top surface side;
An air outlet that is formed at a front portion of the circulation air passage on the upper surface side and flows air from the circulation air passage to the refrigerator compartment;
A return port that is formed in the circulation air passage on the back side and flows air from the refrigerator compartment to the circulation air passage;
An air direction control means provided at the air outlet and capable of adjusting a direction of air blown out to the refrigerator compartment;
In the state where the door is open, the air curtain is formed by operating the blower and directing the air blown out from the air outlet by the wind direction control means downward,
When the door is closed, the blower is operated and the air in the refrigerator compartment is circulated in a direction different from the state in which the door is opened by the air direction control means. ,
After the door a predetermined time has elapsed from closing, closing the air outlet by the wind direction control means to stop the blower, characterized that you supplying air to the refrigerating chamber from the supply air passage refrigerator. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein in the state where the door is closed, the air blower is operated and the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet is changed by the wind direction control unit .   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower is operated in a state where supply of air from the supply air passage to the refrigerator compartment is stopped in a state where the door is closed. Upper temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment;
A lower temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment,
The blower is operated when a difference between a temperature detected by the upper temperature detecting means and a temperature detected by the lower temperature detecting means exceeds a predetermined threshold in a state where the door is closed. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The air blower is operated when a predetermined time has elapsed after the supply of air from the supply air passage to the refrigerator compartment is stopped in a state where the door is closed. The refrigerator of any one.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in a state where the door is closed, the blower is operated when a predetermined time elapses after the cooling by the cooler is stopped. .

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