JP6523000B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  As a deterioration factor of stored products such as food stored in a refrigerator, there is oxidation by oxygen present in the air. Then, the refrigerator which can control the oxidation of stored goods and maintain the freshness of stored goods is known by reducing the oxygen of the space which stores food.

  As a method for reducing oxygen, a vacuum method for reducing the pressure in the storage container, an oxygen adsorption method for absorbing oxygen in the storage container with an oxygen adsorbent, a method for reducing oxygen in the storage container using a polymer electrolyte membrane Various methods such as a molecular electrolyte membrane method are known.

  The vacuum method is a method of reducing the pressure as a method of reducing oxygen in order to prevent the oxidation of food, and since the performance is correlated with the degree of vacuum, the strength of the storage container and the ability of the vacuum pump are required, and it becomes a relatively large device.

  A method using an oxygen adsorbent is also widely used in the distribution process of confectionery products as in the gas replacement method, but the adsorption failure of the adsorbent loses its effect and the life is short.

  In the polymer electrolyte membrane method, water is electrolyzed at the anode to form hydrogen ions, and the hydrogen ions move through the polymer electrolyte membrane to reach the cathode and react with oxygen in the storage container to produce water. In doing so, you consume oxygen. Therefore, there is an advantage that the pressure change is small and the strength of the storage container is not necessary (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  However, in the polymer electrolyte membrane method, since it is necessary to supply water to be electrolyzed at the anode, it is necessary to arrange the water in the refrigerator at a position where it can be easily supplied, which restricts the arrangement of the storage container. is there.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2010-20171 Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2010-233072 Patent No. 3056578

  Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a refrigerator that reduces the oxygen in the storage container by a polymer electrolyte membrane method, in which the arrangement of the storage container is unlikely to be restricted, and which is excellent in usability.

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of storage chambers closed with different doors provided inside a cabinet, a first oxygen reduction chamber and a second oxygen reduction chamber provided in the plurality of storage chambers, and a pair of electrodes An oxygen reduction apparatus having a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber , the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber, and The system includes: a duct connecting to the oxygen reducing device; and a water supply mechanism for supplying defrosting water of an evaporator provided in the cabinet to the oxygen reducing device, the oxygen reducing device electrolyzing water and produced hydrogen ions, wherein said supplied through the duct first down oxygen chamber and the oxygen of the second decrease in the oxygen chamber to produce water first down oxygen chamber and the second down oxygen chamber It intended to reduce the oxygen of the inner, the first decrease oxygen chamber and the second down oxygen An oxygen concentration in the first oxygen reduction chamber having a first path to the oxygen reduction apparatus, the oxygen concentration in the first oxygen reduction chamber having a first path to the oxygen reduction device; The first path is shorter than the second path, with a lower oxygen concentration in the second oxygen-depleted chamber with a second path to the device .

The refrigerator according to another embodiment includes a plurality of storage chambers closed with different doors provided inside a cabinet, a first oxygen reduction chamber and a second oxygen reduction chamber provided in the plurality of storage chambers, and a pair of electrodes An oxygen reduction apparatus having a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber, the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber, and A duct connecting to the oxygen reducing device is provided, and the oxygen reducing device includes hydrogen ions generated by electrolyzing water, the first oxygen reducing chamber supplied via the duct, and the second oxygen reducing device. The water is generated from the oxygen in the room to reduce the oxygen in the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber, and the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber take in and take out stored items. Opening and a lid that closes the opening so as to open and close. The oxygen concentration of the first oxygen reduction chamber having the first path to the oxygen reduction device is lower than the oxygen concentration of the second oxygen reduction chamber having the second path to the oxygen reduction device, and the first path Is shorter than the second path.

It is a sectional view of a refrigerator concerning a 1st embodiment. It is the front view which abbreviate | omitted the door and storage container of the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the oxygen reduction apparatus provided in the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator which concerns on the example of a change of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the oxygen reduction apparatus provided in the refrigerator which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a front view which shows the principal part of the refrigerator compartment concerning 3rd Embodiment. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of a refrigerator concerning a 3rd embodiment showing the state where a vegetable compartment door was opened. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the refrigerator which concerns on the example 1 of a change of 4th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the refrigerator which concerns on the example 2 of a change of 4th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The refrigerator 10 which concerns on this embodiment is provided with the cabinet 11 opened to the front which arrange | positioned the heat insulating material between the outer case which forms an outer shell, and the inner case which forms storage space, as shown in FIG. The space is divided by the heat insulating partition wall 12 into an upper refrigeration space 20 and a lower refrigeration space 40.

  The refrigerated space 20 is a space cooled to a refrigerated temperature (for example, 2 to 3 ° C.), and the inside is further divided up and down by the partition plate 21, and a refrigerated room provided with a plurality of stages of mounting shelves 22 is provided, and a vegetable room 24 is provided in the lower space, in which a drawer-type storage container 25 is disposed.

  The opening of the refrigerator compartment 22 is closed by a refrigerator compartment door 22a pivotally supported by hinges provided on the upper and lower sides of one side of the cabinet 11.

  The opening of the vegetable compartment 24 is closed by a drawer type vegetable compartment door 24a. A pair of left and right support frames holding the storage container 25 is fixed to the back surface side of the vegetable compartment door 24a, and the storage container 25 is configured to be pulled out of the storage with the opening operation.

  An ice making room 42 equipped with an automatic ice making apparatus and a first freezing room 44 are juxtaposed left and right in the freezing space 40 disposed below the vegetable room 24 via the heat insulation partition wall 12, and 2 Freezer room 46 is provided.

  The openings of the ice making chamber 42, the first freezing chamber 44, and the second freezing chamber 46 are closed by drawer doors 44a, 46a. The storage container 47 is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of the door 46a for closing the opening of the ice making chamber 42 and the first freezing chamber 44, and the storage container is out of storage with the opening operation. It is configured to be pulled out. In the first freezing chamber 44, an oxygen reducing chamber 100 made of a closed container is disposed. In the present embodiment, the oxygen reducing chamber 100 is not connected to the door 44 a and remains in the first freezing chamber 44 even if the door 44 a is opened.

  A machine room 30 is provided at the bottom of the rear face of the cabinet 11, and a compressor 51 and the like that constitute a refrigeration cycle are mounted.

  An evaporator chamber 26 is defined between the evaporator cover 14 and the rear surface of the cabinet 11 on the back of the refrigerated space 20, and the evaporator 52 for refrigeration and the fan 53 for refrigeration are disposed in the evaporator chamber 26. It is set up. The refrigeration evaporator 52 exchanges heat with the air in the evaporator chamber 26 to cool it, and the cold air generated by the refrigeration evaporator 52 is driven by the rotation of the refrigeration fan 53 into the refrigeration chamber 22 and vegetables from the outlet. The refrigerated space 20 is cooled to a predetermined temperature by being introduced into the chamber 24. The cool air having finished cooling the refrigerated space 20 is returned from the suction port back to the evaporator room 26 and exchanges heat with the refrigerating evaporator 52 to be cooled.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a drain pan 27 is provided in the evaporator chamber 26 below the refrigeration evaporator 52 so as to be lower toward one side in the width direction. . The drain pan 27 receives condensed water (defrosted water) generated from the refrigerating evaporator 52 at the time of defrosting operation and flows it to one side in the width direction, and the machine room 30 via the drainage path 29 connected to one end. It supplies to the evaporating dish 32 provided inside (refer FIG. 1).

  An evaporator chamber 34 is defined between the evaporator cover 33 and the rear surface of the cabinet 11 on the back of the freezing space 40, and the evaporator 54 and the blower fan 55 are disposed in the evaporator chamber 34. It is done. The freezing evaporator 54 exchanges heat with the air in the evaporator chamber 34 to cool it, and the cold air generated by the freezing evaporator 54 by the rotational drive of the blower fan 55 is made into an ice making chamber 42, the first freezing chamber The refrigeration space 40 is cooled to a predetermined temperature by being introduced into the refrigeration chamber 44 and the freezer compartment 46. The cold air which has finished cooling the freezing space 40 is returned to the evaporator chamber 34 again from the suction port and exchanges heat with the freezing evaporator 54 to be cooled.

  The refrigeration evaporator 52 and the refrigeration evaporator 54 constitute a refrigeration cycle together with a compressor 51, a condenser (not shown) and a switching valve (not shown) provided in the machine room 30, and are discharged from the compressor 51. It is cooled by the refrigerant.

  In the refrigerator 10 having such a configuration, the first freezing chamber 44 is provided with the oxygen-depleting chamber 100 provided with the container storage portion 102 and the storage container 104, and the back of the vegetable chamber 24 is provided with the inside of the oxygen-reducing chamber 100. An oxygen reducing device 106 is provided to reduce oxygen.

  Specifically, the container storage portion 102 has a box shape having an opening on the front surface, and is fixed to the lower surface of the heat insulation partition wall 12 in a suspended state. A storage container 104 is stored in the container storage portion 102 so as to be able to be pulled out from the front opening.

  The storage container 104 is a container body in which a storage part such as food is accommodated inside from the upper opening. The front surface of the storage container 104 forms a lid 105 for closing the front opening of the container storage portion 102, and in a state where the storage container 104 is stored in the container storage portion 102, the periphery of the front opening via a gasket. It abuts on the part and closes the container storage part 102 in an airtight state.

  The suction duct 101 and the blowout duct 103 are connected to the back surface of the container housing portion 102, and the container housing portion 102 communicates with the cathode side space 126 of the oxygen reducing device 106 via the suction duct 101 and the blowout duct 103.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 includes an oxygen reducing unit 107 that reduces oxygen in the container storage unit 102, and a cathode side space 126 in communication with the container storage unit 102, and forms a water supply mechanism. Water stored in the water storage unit 111 is supplied. In the present embodiment, the deoxygenation device 106 is disposed below the refrigeration evaporator 52 and to the side of the evaporator chamber 26.

  The oxygen reducing unit 107 includes a polymer electrolyte membrane 116, an anode catalyst layer 112 stacked on one side of the polymer electrolyte membrane 116, a cathode catalyst layer 114 stacked on the other side of the polymer electrolyte membrane 116, and an anode. An anode electrode 118 laminated on the outside of the catalyst layer 112, a cathode electrode 120 laminated on the outside of the cathode catalyst layer 114, a vaporization layer 122 laminated on the outside of the anode electrode 118, and a lamination on the outside of the vaporization layer 122 And the supplied water supply unit 130. Although each layer constituting the oxygen reducing unit 107 is thin, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, the thickness is enlarged and shown in FIG.

  The polymer electrolyte membrane 116 is a thin film made of a polymer in which only cations move inside, and anions and electrons do not move inside, for example, a thin film made of an organic polymer material having a sulfonic acid group, proton A thin film made of perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid polymer is preferred in view of conductivity. Specifically, as a polymer constituting the polymer electrolyte membrane 116, Nafion (registered trademark: manufactured by DuPont), Flemion (registered trademark: manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation), Aciplex (registered trademark: manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.), etc. The fluorine resin etc. which have a sulfonic acid group can be mentioned. The film thickness of the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 is preferably 10 μm to 150 μm in consideration of the membrane resistance. A more preferable film thickness is 30 μm to 100 μm.

  The anode catalyst layer 112 has the ability to oxidize water and contains a catalyst (anode catalyst) that reduces the electrolysis voltage of water, and electrolyzes the water supplied from the water supply unit 130 to generate hydrogen ions. Generate The anode catalyst is preferably supported on a substrate. For example, the anode catalyst can be supported using the polymer constituting the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 as a substrate.

  Thus, the adhesion between the anode catalyst layer 112 and the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 can be improved by adopting the polymer constituting the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 as a substrate for supporting the anode catalyst in the anode catalyst layer 112 as described above. it can.

As the anode catalyst, for example, a composite oxide of a conductive metal oxide and a matrix oxide can be used. Examples of the conductive metal oxide include ruthenium oxide (RuO ₂ ) and iridium oxide (IrO ₂ ). Examples of the composite oxide with the matrix oxide include titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ), tin oxide (SnO ₂ ), tantalum oxide (Ta ₂ O) and the like. The anode catalyst may be selected in consideration of its activity, durability, cost and the like. Other than the above, for example, RuO ₂ -Ta ₂ O, RuO ₂ -IrO ₂ , RuO ₂ -IrO ₂ -TO ₂ , RuO ₂ -SnO ₂ , RuO ₂ -Ta ₂ O, IrO ₂ can be used as the complex oxide forming the catalyst. -Ta ₂ O, and the like can be given.

  A side of the anode catalyst layer 112 not in contact with the polymer electrolyte membrane 116, that is, between the anode catalyst layer 112 and the anode electrode 118, is a mesh of metal such as titanium as shown in FIG. A dimensionally stable electrode (DSA) 113 in which an anode catalyst is supported on a substrate may be provided. The supported amount of the anode catalyst supported by the dimensionally stable electrode 113 is preferably smaller than the supported amount of the anode catalyst in the anode catalyst layer 112.

  Further, the anode catalyst layer 112 may contain fine particles of metal (for example, gold (Au)) having a smaller electric resistivity than the anode catalyst, in addition to the above-described anode catalyst. By adding such metal fine particles, the electrical resistance of the anode catalyst layer 112 can be reduced, and the efficiency of the oxygen reducing unit 107 can be increased.

  The cathode catalyst layer 114 contains a catalyst (cathode catalyst) having an ability to reduce oxygen. The cathode catalyst layer 114 is preferably a porous layer formed of a cathode catalyst and a proton conductive binder. As a cathode catalyst, it is preferable that at least one of noble metal particles and noble metal alloy particles be supported on a conductive support.

  The noble metal particles are preferably made of at least one noble metal selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd) and iridium (Ir).

  When noble metal alloy particles are used as the cathode catalyst, it is possible to improve the dissolution resistance, the activity and the like of the cathode catalyst. Such noble metal alloy particles are not particularly limited to the following description, and examples thereof include an alloy consisting of only two or more kinds of noble metal elements, an alloy containing a noble metal element and another metal element, and the like.

  The noble metal alloy particles can obtain a high catalytic activity effect. Therefore, it is preferable to use precious metal alloy particles based on platinum Pt, and specifically, an alloy of one or more precious metal elements and platinum Pt is preferable. The one or more noble metal elements are noble metals other than platinum (Pt) such as ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir) and the like, such as titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium It is selected from the group consisting of Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni).

  The conductive support of the cathode catalyst layer 114 supports noble metal particles and / or noble metal alloy particles (that is, at least one of these particles). The conductive support is selected in consideration of electron conductivity, gas diffusivity, adhesion to a cathode catalyst, and the like. For example, carbon black, activated carbon, graphite and the like can be used, and nanocarbon materials can also be used. As carbon black, furnace black, channel black, acetylene black, Vulcan (registered trademark; Cabot Co., Ltd.), ketjen black and the like can be mentioned. The nanocarbon material may be, for example, any of fiber, tube, coil and sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the side surface of the cathode catalyst layer 114 not in contact with the polymer electrolyte membrane 116, that is, between the cathode catalyst layer 114 and the cathode electrode 120, is a porous material composed of a water repellent and carbon particles. Layer 117 and a gas diffusion layer (GDL: Gas Diffusion Layer) 119 made of a conductive sheet material having moisture permeability and water resistance obtained by subjecting a carbon porous body such as carbon paper to a water repellent treatment .

The anode electrode 118 is composed of a mesh-like substrate 118 a and a covering layer 118 b covering the surface of the substrate 118 a.
The substrate 118a constituting the anode electrode 118 is preferably formed of a material that does not elute during the electrolysis of water. For example, an oxide film of titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe) or the like is formed It can be formed of an insulating material such as metal, ceramics, resin, glass or the like.

  The covering layer 118 b is made of a metal such as gold (Au) having a lower electrical resistivity than the anode catalyst of the anode catalyst layer 112. The covering layer 118 b may be provided on both the surface of the substrate 118 a facing the vaporization layer 122 and the surface facing the anode catalyst layer 112, and without providing the covering layer 118 b on the surface facing the vaporization layer 122. It may be provided only on the surface facing the anode catalyst layer 112.

  Similar to the anode electrode 118, the cathode electrode 120 is a mesh-like substrate 120a formed of an insulator such as metal or ceramic for forming an oxide film such as titanium (Ti), and platinum (Pt) covering the surface of the substrate 120a. And a covering layer 120b made of a metal such as gold (Au).

  The anode electrode 118 and the cathode electrode 120 are connected to an external power supply device, the anode electrode 118 positively applies current to the anode catalyst layer 112, and the cathode electrode 120 negatively applies current to the cathode catalyst layer 114. A voltage is applied between the cathode catalyst layer 114 and the cathode catalyst layer 114.

  In order to prevent a short circuit due to contact between the anode electrode 118 and the cathode electrode 120, an insulator 125 is provided between the two electrodes 118 and 120. The insulator 125 is provided in a frame shape surrounding the periphery of the anode catalyst layer 112 and the cathode catalyst layer 114 sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane 116.

  The vaporization layer 122 is a material having excellent thermal conductivity, in other words, a material having high thermal responsiveness, for example, a carbon paper, carbon cloth, carbon felt or other carbon porous body that is treated by a water repellent treatment to be moisture permeable and waterproof. Among the water supplied from the water supply unit 130, only the vaporized water vapor is supplied to the anode electrode 118 side.

  The water supply unit 130 is made of a fabric such as woven fabric or non-woven fabric having water absorbability, and one end (in the present embodiment, the lower end) is immersed in the water stored in the water storage unit 111. The water sucked and held outside the vaporized layer 122 on the anode catalyst layer 112 side is held.

  In the pair of fixing members 132 and 134, the water supply unit 130, the vaporization layer 122, the anode electrode 118, the anode catalyst layer 112, the polymer electrolyte membrane 116, the cathode catalyst layer 114, and the cathode electrode 120 are sequentially stacked Fix it. As shown in FIG. 3, the fixing member 134 disposed on the cathode electrode 120 side is provided with a through hole 128 opening to the cathode side space 126 at a position facing the cathode electrode 120 of the oxygen reducing unit 107. .

  The water storage section 111 has a concave shape for storing defrost water generated inside the cabinet 11 below the oxygen reducing unit 107. The water storage section 111 includes a water supply path 35 for supplying defrost water generated by the refrigeration evaporator 52 during the defrosting operation, and an evaporation tray 32 provided in the machine room 30 with the defrost water overflowing from the water storage section 111. It is connected with the overflow route 36 which discharges into the The water supply path 35 extends from the drainage path 29 to one side in the width direction in the vicinity of the drain pan 27 and is drawn to the side of the evaporator chamber 26 and is connected to the water storage portion 111 through the side of the evaporator chamber 26 There is. In the present embodiment, since the water storage section 111 is disposed below the refrigeration evaporator 52 and the drain pan 27, the defrost water generated by the refrigeration evaporator 52 passes through the water supply path 35 by its own weight and the water storage section 111 Flow into

  In the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 having such a configuration, when the defrost water generated by the refrigeration evaporator 52 is stored in the water storage unit 111 via the water supply path 35, the water supply unit 130 removes the defrost water of the water storage unit 111. To be held outside the vaporization layer 122.

  Then, when a voltage is applied between the anode electrode 118 and the cathode electrode 120 in a state where water is held outside the vaporization layer 122, the water vapor which has passed through the vaporization layer 122 is electrolyzed in the anode catalyst layer 112 and hydrogen Ions are generated. The hydrogen ions generated in the anode catalyst layer 112 move through the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 to the cathode catalyst layer 114 and react with oxygen contained in the air in the oxygen reducing chamber 100 to generate water. As a result, the oxygen concentration in the cathode side space 126 decreases, and the oxygen concentration in the oxygen reducing chamber 100 communicating with the cathode side space 126 via the suction duct 101 and the blowout duct 103 also decreases. A blower pump that forcibly circulates the internal air of the container housing portion 102 and the cathode side space 126 of the oxygen reducing device 106 may be provided in the middle of the suction duct 101 or the blowout duct 103.

  According to the refrigerator of the present embodiment having the above configuration, the cathode side space 126 of the oxygen reducing device 106 and the oxygen reducing device 106 disposed apart from the oxygen reducing chamber 100 are the suction duct 101 and the blowout duct 103. The deoxygenation device 106 can be disposed in the refrigerator without considering the position of the deoxygenation chamber 100, and the deoxygenation chamber 100 is disposed at a convenient position for the user. The deoxygenation device 106 can be placed at any position, and the degree of freedom in design is expanded.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the defrost water of the refrigeration evaporator 52 generated inside the cabinet 11 is supplied to the oxygen reducing apparatus 106, the user can drive the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 without supplying water. it can. Moreover, since the defrosted water generated in the refrigeration evaporator 52 is stored in the water storage section 111, the deoxygenation device 106 can be operated at any timing without depending on the timing of the defrosting operation of the refrigeration evaporator 52. Water can be supplied to reduce the oxygen concentration in the oxygen reducing chamber 100.

(Modification 1)
In the first embodiment described above, the case of supplying the outside of the vaporized layer 122 on the anode catalyst layer 112 side of the oxygen reduction device 106 using the capillary phenomenon of the water stored in the water storage portion 111 has been described. As shown in FIG. 4, the defrost water generated by the evaporator 141 and stored in the water storage unit 142 may be supplied to the oxygen reducing device 106 by the pump 140. Thereby, the water storage part 142 can be arrange | positioned in the position which is easy to supply water in a refrigerator, without considering the position of the oxygen reduction apparatus 106. FIG.

  In this modification, the heater 140 may be provided to heat the passage 144 through which the pump 140 sends defrost water from the water reservoir 142 to the oxygen reducing device 106, thereby preventing freezing of the defrost water flowing through the passage 144. be able to.

In addition, the other structure and the effect are the same as that of 1st Embodiment, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

(Modification 2)
In the first embodiment described above, the defrosting water generated by the refrigeration evaporator 52 is supplied to the oxygen reducing apparatus 106, but the defrosting water generated by the refrigeration evaporator 54 or the water stored in the ice making tank is described. The water for ice making may be supplied to the deoxygenation device 106. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the detailed description will be omitted.

(Modification 3)
Although the above-described first embodiment describes the case where the oxygen reducing chamber 100 is disposed in the first freezing chamber 44 that stores food at freezing temperature (for example, -18 ° C.), the first freezing chamber 44 is determined at freezing temperature Instead of a fixed storage room, it may be a switching room where the set temperature can be switched. That is, the temperature of the switching chamber can be arbitrarily changed by the user to a preset temperature such as a freezing temperature (for example -18 ° C), a chilled temperature (for example 0 ° C to 1 ° C) or a refrigeration temperature (for example 2 to 3 ° C) .

  Furthermore, the user may select whether or not the oxygen reducing device 106 is operating. That is, if the set temperature is a refrigeration temperature, the deoxygenation device 106 is operated as normal, and if it is a freezing temperature, the deoxygenation device 106 is set to stop and operate, etc. The operation of the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 can be changed according to the type of stored product. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the detailed description will be omitted.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the case has been described where the defrost water generated by the refrigeration evaporator 52 is supplied to the oxygen reducing device 106, but in the present embodiment, the water contained in the air inside the cabinet 11 is recovered. And a water supply mechanism for supplying the oxygen reducing device 106.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the anode side space 136 is provided outside the fixing member 132 disposed on the anode electrode 118 side. The anode side space 136 communicates with the anode electrode 118 of the oxygen reduction unit 107 via the through hole 138 provided in the fixing member 132 and the vaporization layer 122, and the air of the refrigerated space 20 is introduced from a vent (not shown). Ru.

A water absorbing agent 140 composed of a deliquescent substance constituting a water supply mechanism is accommodated in the anode side space 136, and the water absorbing agent 140 absorbs water from the air of the refrigerated space 20 introduced into the anode side space 136. . As the deliquescent substance, for example, citric acid (C ₆ H ₈ O ₇ ), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium carbonate (K ₂ CO 3), magnesium chloride (MgCl ₂ ), calcium chloride (CaCl ₂ ) or the like is used. be able to. The water absorbed by the water absorbing agent 140 is vaporized by heat generated by applying a voltage between the anode electrode 118 and the cathode electrode 120 of the oxygen reducing unit 107 to become water vapor, and passes through the through holes 138 and the vaporization layer 122 to form the anode electrode. It is supplied to the 118 side.

  According to the present embodiment, the water absorbing agent 140 constituting the water supply mechanism recovers the water contained in the air inside the cabinet 11 and supplies the recovered water to the oxygen reducing device 106 as steam. The deoxygenation device 106 can be driven without water supply. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the water absorbing agent 140 recovers the water contained in the air inside the cabinet 11, so the water absorbing agent 140 can be provided at any position inside the cabinet 11 together with the oxygen reducing device 106. Will expand.

  In the present embodiment, the water absorbing agent 140 can be disposed at any position as long as the air in the cabinet 11 circulates, but the flow of air from the refrigerator evaporator 52 provided in the cabinet 11 is possible. It is preferable to be disposed on the upstream side of the direction, that is, in the flow path from the intake into the evaporator chamber 34 to the evaporator 52 after circulating in the refrigeration space 20. By arranging the water absorbing agent 140 at such a position, it is possible to supply the high humidity air circulated in the refrigerated space 20 to the water absorbing agent 140, and water is efficiently recovered from the air in the cabinet 11. can do.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the case where the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 reduces oxygen in one oxygen reducing chamber 100 has been described. However, in the present embodiment, the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 is a cabinet 11 A plurality of oxygen reducing chambers provided in a plurality of storage chambers provided inside and closed with different doors, for example, a first oxygen reducing chamber 100A provided in a vegetable chamber 24 and a second provided in a refrigerating chamber 22 The difference is that oxygen in the oxygen reducing chamber 100B is reduced. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure which is the same as that of above-described 1st Embodiment or 2nd Embodiment mentioned above, or respond | corresponds, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the evaporator cover 14 provided on the back of the refrigerated space 20 has the boundary between the refrigerated compartment 22 and the vegetable compartment 24 bulging forward so that the evaporator compartment 26 is A communicating portion 150 is formed. The storage unit 150 stores the oxygen reducing unit 107 that constitutes the oxygen reducing device 106.

  The storage portion 150 has a suction port 152 opened at the bottom rear of the refrigerator compartment 22, and sucks the air in the refrigerator compartment 22 from the suction port 152 and supplies it to the evaporator chamber 26 and also sucks in from the suction port 152 A part of the air is supplied to the oxygen reducing unit 107. That is, the storage unit 150 functions as an anode side space 136 which supplies the air in the refrigerating chamber 22 to the oxygen reducing unit 107.

  In the oxygen reducing unit 107, a storage recess 154 for storing a water absorbing agent 140 made of a deliquescent substance constituting a water supply mechanism is formed on the outer side (storage portion 150 side) of the fixing member 132 disposed on the anode electrode 118 side. The opening of the storage recess 154 is covered with the moisture-permeable film 156, and the water absorbing agent 140 is held between the storage recess 154 and the moisture-permeable film 156.

  In addition, the storage unit 150 is opened at the rear of the upper surface of the vegetable compartment 24, and the opening is covered by a fixing member 134 disposed on the cathode electrode 120 side of the oxygen reducing unit 107. The first oxygen reducing chamber 100A is disposed below the fixing member 134, and the lower surface of the fixing member 134 and the upper surface of the first oxygen reducing chamber 100A are connected via the cathode side space 126.

  The storage container 25 disposed inside the vegetable compartment 24 is, as shown in FIG. 8, a lower storage receptacle 25A provided over almost the entire width of the vegetable compartment and a second storage receptacle provided above the lower storage receptacle 53. It has a 1 oxygen-depleting chamber 100A, and has a structure in which two upper and lower stages overlap.

  The lower storage container 25A is in the form of a box with a bottom open upward and surrounded by the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right side walls, and the storage depth of the lower storage container 25A is smaller than that of the first oxygen reduction chamber 100A. It is located deep.

  The lower storage container 25A is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of the vegetable compartment door 24a, and is configured to be pulled out of the storage with the opening operation of the vegetable compartment door 24a.

  The first oxygen-depleting chamber 100A provided above the lower storage container 25A includes a box-shaped first storage container 104A with a bottom, which opens upward and is surrounded by the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right side walls. . The upper surface opening of the first storage container 104A is an opening for loading and unloading stored products in and out of the first oxygen reduction chamber 100A, and is closed by the fixed cover 105A1 and the sliding cover 105A2.

  The first storage container 104A is disposed in the vicinity of the lower side of the partition plate 21 which divides the cold storage room 22 and the vegetable room 24 and slides on rails 24b formed on the left and right side wall surfaces of the vegetable room 24 in the front and rear direction. By moving, it is provided in the vegetable compartment 24 so that it can be drawn out of the storage independently of the lower storage container 25A.

  The rear end portion of the upper surface opening of the first storage container 104A forms an oxygen reduction facing portion 104A1, and the vegetable compartment door 24a as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is closed, and the first storage container 104A is placed in the vegetable compartment 24. In the accommodated state, the fixed member 134 on the cathode electrode 120 side of the oxygen reducing unit 107 is vertically opposed and connected via the cathode side space 126.

  The fixed lid 105A1 is a region of the first storage container 104A in a region from the substantially central portion to the rear in the front-rear direction of the first storage container 104A except for the oxygen-reduced facing portion 104A1 provided at the rear end of the first storage container 104A. Covers the top opening. The fixed lid 105A1 is fixed to the partition plate 21 and does not move even if the first storage container 104A slides on the rail 24b and moves in the front-rear direction.

  The sliding lid 105A2 covers the top opening of the first storage container 104A in the area from the front wall to the rear of the first storage container 104A, and the rear of the sliding lid 105A2 vertically overlaps with the fixed lid 105A1. The sliding lid 105A2 is slidably supported in the front-rear direction on the upper end portion of the first storage container 104A.

  Such a first oxygen-reducing chamber 100A is disposed in the vegetable chamber 24 in the closed state of the vegetable chamber door 24a as shown in FIG. 6, and the fixed lid 105A1 and the sliding lid remain with the oxygen-reduced facing portion 104A1 remaining. The top opening is covered by 105A2. In addition, when the vegetable compartment door 24a is closed, the bottom of the first storage container 104A constituting the first oxygen reduction chamber 100A is provided on the upper end of the left and right side walls of the lower storage container 25A (see FIG. 9) In engagement with

  Then, when the vegetable compartment door 24a is pulled out and opened, the lower storage container 25A is pulled out of the storage and the first storage container 104A and the first storage container 104A engaged with the convex portion 162 of the lower storage container 25A. The sliding lid 105A2 supported by is pulled forward.

  When the front wall of the first storage container 104A is pulled out near the front end of the cabinet 11, the first storage container 104A and the sliding lid 105A2 pulled out with the lower storage container 25A are provided with the sliding lid 105A2 The projection is engaged with the projection to block the forward movement of the sliding lid 105A2. Since the sliding lid 105A2 engages with the projections provided on the left and right side walls of the first storage container 104A, the movement of the first storage container 104A as well as the sliding lid 105A2 is blocked in the forward direction. As a result, the engagement between the convex portion 162 of the lower storage container 25A and the first storage container 104A is released, and only the lower storage container 25A is pulled forward as shown in FIG. 1) The storage container 104A stops near the front end of the cabinet 11. In this state, the portion other than the rear end portion of the first storage container 104A is closed by the sliding lid 105A2.

  Then, when the first storage container 104A is pulled forward from the open state of the vegetable room door 24a as shown in FIG. 9, the sliding lid 105A2 engages with the projection provided on the cabinet to slide the sliding lid 105A2 Of the first storage container 104A and the sliding lid 105A2 is released. In the first storage container 104A, the rear wall is provided lower than the left and right side walls, and a gap through which the sliding lid 105A2 passes is formed between the rear wall and the fixed lid 105A1. And the top opening of the first storage container 104A is opened.

  The second oxygen reducing chamber 100 B is provided in a space partitioned by the lowermost placement shelf 23 provided in the refrigerating chamber 22 and the partition plate 21 up and down, and is fixed to the upper surface of the partition plate 21. A two-container storage unit 102B and a second storage container 104B stored in the second container storage unit 102B.

  The second container storage portion 102B is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped box whose front surface is open. The front opening of the second container storage part 102B is an opening for loading and unloading stored products in and out of the second oxygen reduction chamber 100B, and is closed by a lid 105B which also serves as the front plate of the second storage container 104B. There is.

  In the second storage container 104B, the rollers 168 provided at the rear of the left and right side surfaces slide on the rails 170 provided inside the oxygen reduction container 62, whereby the second storage container 104B moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the second container storage portion 102B. It is possible to withdraw.

  The suction duct 101B and the blowout duct 103B are connected to the back surface of the second container storage part 102B, and are in communication with the cathode side space 126 of the oxygen reducing device 106 via the suction duct 101B and the blowout duct 103B.

  In this example, the suction duct 101B and the blowout duct 103B are connected to the cathode side space 126, and the second container storage portion 102B is connected to the oxygen reduction unit 107 via the cathode side space 126, the suction duct 101B and the blowout duct 103B. Although the case where it connects is demonstrated, the suction duct 101B and the blowing duct 103b are connected to the 1st oxygen reduction chamber 100A, the 2nd container storage part 102B is made into the cathode side space 126, the 1st oxygen reduction chamber 100A, the suction duct 101, The oxygen reduction unit 107 and the second container storage unit 102B may be connected via the blowout duct 103.

  In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the cold air generated by the refrigerator 52 is blown out from the outlet into the refrigerator compartment 22 to cool the inside of the refrigerator compartment 22, and then stored from the suction port 152 opened at the rear bottom of the refrigerator compartment 22. The water absorbing agent 140 sucked into the portion 150 and stored in the storage recess 154 of the oxygen reducing unit 107 absorbs water from the cold air sucked into the storage portion 150.

  Then, when a voltage is applied between the anode electrode 118 and the cathode electrode 120 of the oxygen reducing unit 107, the water absorbed by the water absorbing agent 140 is vaporized by the heat generated at the time of voltage application to become water vapor and provided to the fixing member 132. The through holes 138 and the vaporizing layer 122 are supplied to the anode electrode 118 side. At this time, the water vapor is electrolyzed in the anode catalyst layer 112 to generate hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions generated in the anode catalyst layer 112 move through the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 to the cathode catalyst layer 114 and react with oxygen contained in air in the cathode side space 126 to generate water. As a result, the oxygen concentration in the cathode side space 126 is reduced, so that it is connected to the cathode side space 126 via the first oxygen-deficient chamber 100A connected to the cathode side space 126 and the suction duct 101B or the blowout duct 103B. The oxygen concentration in the second oxygen reducing chamber 100B also decreases.

  According to the refrigerator of the present embodiment having the above configuration, the common oxygen reduction device 106 includes the oxygen of the first oxygen reduction chamber 100A provided in the vegetable compartment 24 and the second reduction provided in the cold storage compartment 22. In order to reduce the oxygen in the oxygen chamber 100B, the deoxidizer 106 can be easily laid out in the cabinet 11, and the number of parts can be reduced to reduce the manufacturing cost.

  In the present embodiment, the first oxygen reduction chamber 100A is connected to the oxygen reduction unit 107 via the cathode side space 126, and the second oxygen reduction chamber 100B is connected to the cathode side space 126, the suction duct 101 and the blowoff duct 103. The first oxygen reducing chamber 100A has a shorter path to the oxygen reducing unit 107 than the second oxygen reducing chamber 100B. As described above, when the lengths of the paths to the oxygen reducing unit 107 are different between the plurality of oxygen reducing chambers 100A and 100B, the oxygen reducing chamber having a short path to the oxygen reducing unit 107 (in the present embodiment, the first oxygen reducing chamber The area of the opening for taking in and out the stored item provided in the chamber 100A), the stored item provided in the oxygen reducing chamber (in the present embodiment, the second oxygen reducing chamber 100B) having a long path to the oxygen reducing unit 107 It is preferable to make the sealing performance of the opening higher by making the area smaller than the area of the opening to be taken in and out.

  As described above, by enhancing the sealing performance of the opening provided in the oxygen reducing chamber where the path to the oxygen reducing unit 107 is short, the amount of oxygen flowing into the oxygen reducing chamber from the opening decreases and a plurality of efficient The oxygen concentration in the oxygen reducing chamber can be reduced.

  That is, the oxygen reducing chamber 107 with a short path to the oxygen reducing unit 107 consumes more oxygen inside by the oxygen reducing unit 107 than the oxygen absorbing chamber with a long path to the oxygen reducing unit 107. If the seal performance is low, much oxygen will flow into the deoxygenated chamber due to the large oxygen concentration gradient that occurs during the Since the oxygen concentration gradient generated during the period is small, even if the sealing performance is low, oxygen does not easily flow into the oxygen reducing chamber. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of oxygen flowing into the deoxygenated chamber when seen in the plurality of deoxygenated chambers as a whole, and it is possible to efficiently reduce the oxygen concentration in the plurality of deoxygenated chambers.

(Modification 1)
In the third embodiment described above, the water absorbing agent 140 constituting the water supply mechanism recovers the water contained in the air inside the cabinet 11 and supplies the recovered water to the oxygen reducing device 106 as steam. As shown in FIG. 2, the defrosting water generated in the refrigeration evaporator 52 or the ice making water stored in the ice making tank is deoxidized using the capillary phenomenon of the water stored in the water storage unit 111. Water may be supplied to 106, or, as shown in FIG. 4, the defrost water generated by the evaporator 141 stored in the water storage section 142 may be supplied to the oxygen reducing device 106 by the pump 140. In addition, the other structure and the effect are the same as that of 3rd Embodiment, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

(Modification 2)
Although the above-described third embodiment describes the case where the oxygen storage compartments 100A and 100B are provided in the vegetable compartment 24 and the refrigeration compartment 22 at a refrigeration temperature (for example, 2 to 3 ° C), the refrigeration temperature (for example -18 ° C) An oxygen reducing room is provided in the first freezing room 44 for storing food and in a switching room where the set temperature can be arbitrarily switched by the user, or the oxygen decreasing room for the vegetable room 24, the refrigerating room 22 and the first freezing room 44 An oxygen reducing chamber may be provided in three or more storage chambers such as providing a chamber.

  In the above-described third embodiment, a part of the cold storage room 22 and the vegetable room 24 is divided to form an oxygen reduction room, but the whole storage room such as the vegetable room 24 and the first freezing room 44 is reduced in oxygen by one. As a chamber, the oxygen reduction device 106 may reduce oxygen throughout the storage chamber.

Fourth Embodiment
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure which is the same as that of above-described 1st Embodiment-3rd embodiment above, or respond | corresponds, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In order to maintain the freshness of stored products such as food stored in the refrigerator, the photocatalyst provided in the refrigerator is irradiated with ultraviolet light or visible light to be exposed to suspended bacteria or degradation hormones such as ethylene gas and odor components. Although a refrigerator for decomposing decomposition substances is known, conventionally, when the photocatalyst as described above is used in a plurality of containers provided in a plurality of storage chambers, a photocatalyst and a light source are provided corresponding to each container. There is a problem of cost of manufacturing.

  Therefore, in the refrigerator 200 of the present embodiment, a plurality of containers provided in different storage rooms, for example, the first processing room 201 provided in the vegetable room 24 and the second processing room 202 provided in the cold room 22. , And the photocatalyst unit 204 decomposes the suspended matter contained in the air in the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 and the decomposition target substance such as ethylene gas and odor component by the photocatalytic action. .

  Specifically, the storage container 25 provided inside the vegetable compartment 24 of the refrigerator 200 is provided above the lower storage receptacle 25A provided over substantially the entire width of the vegetable compartment 24 and the lower storage receptacle 25A. It comprises a first processing chamber 201 and has a structure in which two upper and lower stages overlap.

  The lower storage container 25A has a bottomed box shape that opens upward surrounded by the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right side walls, and the storage depth of the lower storage container 25A compared to the first processing chamber 201. Are provided deep.

  The lower storage container 25A is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of the vegetable compartment door 24a, and is configured to be pulled out of the storage with the opening operation of the vegetable compartment door 24a.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the first processing chamber 201 provided above the lower storage container 25A is a rectangular parallelepiped box whose front surface is opened, and is fixed to the lower surface of the partition plate 21. A drawer container 205 is accommodated inside the first processing chamber 201, and an opening at the front of the first processing chamber 201 is closed by a door 206 which also serves as a front plate of the drawer container 205.

  In addition, a photocatalytic unit 204 including a light transmitting portion 207, a photocatalytic layer 208, and a light source 209 is provided on a wall surface which divides the first processing chamber 201, and in this example, a ceiling wall 201a which divides the first processing chamber 201 above. It is done.

  The light transmitting portion 207 is a member on a transparent flat plate, and is provided to close the opening 201 b provided in the ceiling wall 201 a. The photocatalyst layer 208 is provided so as to cover the inside (the lower surface in this example) of the light transmitting portion 207, and is provided in the first processing chamber 201.

  The photocatalyst layer 208 in the present embodiment is made of a visible light responsive photocatalyst, and for example, 5 to 20 mass% of platinum having a particle diameter of 5 nm is supported on the surface of rutile type titanium oxide fine particles having a primary particle diameter of 20 to 30 μm. A silica-based binder is mixed into photocatalyst fine particles to form a film with a film thickness of about 0.5 to 5.0 μm.

  The outside of the opening 201 b provided in the ceiling wall 201 a of the first processing chamber 201 is covered with a recessed portion 217 which is depressed upward. Inside the recessed portion 217, a light source 209 composed of a plurality of LEDs is provided. The light source 209 includes, for example, a plurality of LEDs emitting light in the wavelength range of 400 to 420 nm, and is molded and integrated by a transparent resin in a state of being disposed on the control substrate 210. The light source 209 emits light toward the light transmission unit 207, and irradiates light to the photocatalyst layer 208 provided in the first processing chamber 201 through the light transmission unit 207.

  The drawer container 205 is drawn out in the front-rear direction with respect to the first processing chamber 201 by the rollers 211 provided at the rear of the left and right side surfaces sliding on the rails 212 provided inside the first processing chamber 201. It is possible.

  The second processing chamber 202 is provided in a space vertically divided by the lowermost placement shelf 23 provided in the refrigerating chamber 22 and the partition plate 21, and is fixed to the upper surface of the partition plate 21. Similar to the first processing chamber 201, the withdrawal container 213 is accommodated in the second processing chamber 202, and the opening at the front of the second processing chamber 202 is closed by the door 214 which also serves as the front plate of the withdrawal container 213. ing. In the drawer container 213, the rollers 215 provided at the rear of the left and right side surfaces slide the rails 216 provided inside the second processing chamber 202, thereby drawing the drawer container 213 in the front-rear direction with respect to the second processing chamber 202. It is possible.

  The communication path 203 is a pipe connected to the back surfaces of the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 to connect the processing chambers 201 and 202, and in this example, from the first processing chamber 201 to the second processing chamber 202 A duct through which the internal air flows and a duct through which the internal air flows from the second processing chamber 202 to the first processing chamber 201 are configured.

  In the refrigerator 200 according to the present embodiment, the light source 209 irradiates light to the photocatalyst layer 208 provided in the first processing chamber 201 through the light transmitting unit 207, whereby water in the first processing chamber 201 such as a hydroxy radical While generating active species and decomposing substances to be decomposed such as airborne bacteria, ethylene gas and odorous components contained in air in the first processing chamber 201, the internal air of the second processing chamber 202 is also communicated via the communication passage 203. To decompose the substance contained in

  In the refrigerator 200 of the present embodiment having the above configuration, since the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 communicate with each other through the communication passage 203, the first catalytic chamber 204 provided in the first processing chamber 201 performs the first process. The substance to be decomposed contained in the internal air of the second processing chamber 202 together with the first processing chamber 201 can be decomposed. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of photocatalyst units 204 corresponding to the plurality of processing chambers 201 and 202 in order to decompose the substance to be decomposed into the plurality of processing chambers 201 and 202, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the photocatalyst unit 204 is provided in the first processing chamber 201 provided in the vegetable chamber 24 which is the storage chamber having the highest temperature in the refrigerator 200, the substance to be decomposed by the active species generated in the photocatalyst layer 208 Can be decomposed easily, and sterilization and removal of degradation hormone inside the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 can be performed efficiently and deodorization can be performed.

  In the present embodiment, although the case where the photocatalyst unit 204 is provided on the ceiling wall 201 a of the first processing chamber 201 has been described, the photocatalyst unit 204 may be provided on the left and right side walls and the front and rear walls of the first processing chamber 201. The photocatalyst unit 204 may be provided in the second processing chamber 202 or the communication path 203.

(Modification 1)
A first modification of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the fourth embodiment described above, the light transmitting unit 207, the photocatalyst layer 208, and the light source 209 that constitute the photocatalyst unit 204 are provided in the first processing chamber 201, but in the present modification, the light transmitting unit 207 and the photocatalyst layer 208. Is provided in the first processing chamber 201, and the light source 209 is provided on the wall surface which divides the vegetable chamber 24 in which the first processing chamber 201 is provided.

  In detail, as shown in FIG. 12, the light transmitting portion 207 is a member on a transparent flat plate, and is provided to close the opening 201b provided in the ceiling wall 201a. The photocatalyst layer 208 is provided so as to cover the inside of the light transmitting portion 207, and is provided in the first processing chamber 201.

  Among the wall surfaces partitioning the vegetable chamber 24 provided with the first processing chamber 201, the wall surface facing the light transmitting portion 207 provided in the first processing chamber 201, in this example, a partition partitioning the upper side of the vegetable chamber 24 A light source 209 is provided on the plate 21.

  In the partition plate 21, a recessed portion 218 which is depressed upward is formed at a position facing the light transmitting portion 207 provided in the first processing chamber 201, and a light source 209 composed of a plurality of LEDs is provided in the recessed portion 218. It is done. The light source 209 emits light toward the light transmission unit 207 and irradiates light to the photocatalyst layer 208 provided in the first processing chamber 201 through the light transmission unit 207, whereby water in the first processing chamber 201 is generated. And active substances such as hydroxy radicals are generated to decompose suspended matter and substances to be decomposed such as ethylene gas and odorous components contained in the air in the first processing chamber 201, and the communication path 203 in the second processing chamber 202 is also communicated. Decomposes the substance contained in the internal air via

  In this modified example, the light source 209 can be disposed to face the light transmitting portion 207 provided in the first processing chamber 201 without providing a concave portion protruding outward from the first processing chamber 201, and the vegetable chamber 24 It is difficult to make an unnecessary space between the first processing chamber 201 and the first processing chamber 201, and even if the photocatalyst unit 204 is provided, the reduction of the storage volume can be suppressed.

  In this modified example, the light transmission part 207 and the photocatalyst layer 208 are provided on the ceiling wall 201a of the first processing chamber 201, and the light source 209 is provided on the partition plate 21 partitioning the upper side of the vegetable compartment 24. The light transmitting portion 207 and the photocatalyst layer 208 are provided on the left and right side walls and the front and rear walls of the first processing chamber 201, and the light source 209 is provided on the wall that divides the vegetable compartment 24 to face the light transmitting portion 207 and the photocatalyst layer 208. Good.

(Modification 2)
A second modification of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the fourth embodiment described above, the first processing chamber 201 provided in the vegetable compartment 24 and the second processing chamber 202 provided in the refrigerator compartment 22 are connected by the communication passage 203 and provided in the first processing chamber 201. In the refrigerator 200 according to the present modification, the first photocatalyst unit 204 decomposes the substance to be decomposed contained in the air in the second processing chamber 202 together with the first processing chamber 201. A decompression device 230 such as a vacuum pump that decompresses the inside of one of the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 is provided.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the pressure reducing device 230 is disposed behind the second processing chamber 202, and exhausts the air in the second processing chamber 202 to reduce the pressure inside. In this example, it is disposed and connected to the back of the second processing chamber 202 by piping. The pressure reducing device 230 reduces the pressure in the second processing chamber 202 by exhausting the air in the second processing chamber 202, and also reduces the pressure in the first container 201 via the communication path 203.

  In this modification, in addition to the decomposition of the substance to be decomposed contained in the air in the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 by the photocatalyst unit 204, the inside of the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 by the decompression device 203. The amount of oxygen can be reduced, and oxidation of stored products stored in the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 can be suppressed to maintain the freshness of stored products.

  In addition, the pressure in the first processing chamber 201 can be reduced together with the second processing chamber 202 by the pressure reducing device 230 provided in the second processing chamber 202, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  Further, in this modification, the pressure in the second processing chamber 202 is reduced by operating the pressure reducing device 230 so that the air in the first processing chamber 201 in which the substance to be decomposed is decomposed by the photocatalyst unit 204 via the communication passage 203 is the first. In order to move to the second processing chamber 202, the substance to be decomposed contained in the air in the second processing chamber 202 can be decomposed in a short time.

  In this modification, the pressure reducing device 230 is connected to the second processing chamber 202 and the pressure in the second processing chamber 202 is reduced. However, the pressure reducing device 230 may be connected to the first processing chamber 201. .

(Modification 3)
In the fourth embodiment described above, a damper may be provided to open and close the duct that constitutes the communication passage 203. In such a case, there is no movement of the internal air between the first process chamber 201 and the second process chamber 202, so even when the door of one process chamber is opened, external air flows into the other process chamber. I have not. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the fourth embodiment, and the detailed description will be omitted.

(Modification 4)
In the fourth embodiment described above, a fan may be provided in any of the first processing chamber 201, the second processing chamber 202, and the communication passage 203, and air may be blown to the communication passage 203.
In such a case, by driving the fan, the internal air of the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 is forcibly circulated through the communication path 203, and the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 Substances contained in the inner air can be decomposed in a short time.

(Modification 5)
In the fourth embodiment described above, in any of the first processing chamber 201, the second processing chamber 202, and the communication path 203, the inside of the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 is in the internal air when the humidity is high. A humidity control agent such as silica gel that absorbs water and releases the absorbed water at low humidity may be provided. In such a case, the decrease in internal humidity of the first processing chamber 201 and the second processing chamber 202 can be suppressed, so that the water required for generating active species in the photocatalyst layer 208 may be insufficient. Instead, decomposition of the substance to be decomposed by the photocatalyst unit 308 can be efficiently performed.

Fifth Embodiment
The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16.

  The refrigerator 300 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of containers provided in a plurality of storage rooms provided inside the cabinet 11 and closed by different doors, for example, a first processing room 301 provided in a vegetable room 24, and a refrigeration room The photocatalyst unit 304 decomposes the to-be-degraded substance such as suspended bacteria, ethylene gas, odor component, etc. contained in the internal air of the second processing chamber 302 provided in 22 and the oxygen reducing apparatus 106 is the first processing chamber. Oxygen in the interior of the processing chamber 301 and the second processing chamber 302 is reduced. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure which is the same as that of above-described 1st Embodiment-4th embodiment above, or respond | corresponds, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 14-16, the evaporator cover 14 provided on the back of the refrigerated space 20 communicates with the evaporator chamber 26 because the boundary between the refrigerator compartment 22 and the vegetable compartment 24 bulges forward. Forming the storage portion 150. The storage unit 150 stores the oxygen reducing unit 107 and the photocatalyst unit 304 that constitute the oxygen reducing device 106.

  The storage portion 150 has a suction port 152 opened at the bottom rear of the refrigerator compartment 22, and sucks the air in the refrigerator compartment 22 from the suction port 152 and supplies it to the evaporator chamber 26 and also sucks in from the suction port 152 A part of the air is supplied to the oxygen reducing unit 107. That is, the storage unit 150 functions as an anode side space 136 which supplies the air in the refrigerating chamber 22 to the oxygen reducing unit 107.

  In the oxygen reducing unit 107, a storage recess 154 for storing a water absorbing agent 140 made of a deliquescent substance constituting a water supply mechanism is formed on the outer side (storage portion 150 side) of the fixing member 132 disposed on the anode electrode 118 side. The opening of the storage recess 154 is covered with the moisture-permeable film 156, and the water absorbing agent 140 is held between the storage recess 154 and the moisture-permeable film 156.

  In addition, the storage unit 150 is opened at the rear of the upper surface of the vegetable compartment 24, and the opening is covered by a fixing member 134 disposed on the cathode electrode 120 side of the oxygen reducing unit 107. The first processing chamber 301 is disposed below the fixing member 134, and the lower surface of the fixing member 134 and the upper surface of the first processing chamber 301 are connected via the cathode side space 126.

  As shown in FIG. 16, a photocatalyst unit 304 provided with a light transmission unit 307, a photocatalyst layer 308, and a light source 309 is provided along with the oxygen reducing unit 107 on the storage unit 150 side (the upper side in this example) of the fixing member 134. It is done.

  The light transmitting portion 307 is a member on a transparent flat plate, and is provided to close the opening 319 provided in the fixing member 134. The photocatalyst layer 308 is provided so as to cover the cathode side space 126 side (the lower surface in this example) of the light transmitting portion 307, and is provided in the cathode side space 126 communicating with the first processing chamber 201.

  The outside of the opening 319 provided in the fixing member 134 is covered with a recess 317 which is recessed upward. Inside the recessed portion 317, a light source 309 composed of a plurality of LEDs is provided. The light source 309 includes, for example, a plurality of LEDs emitting light in a wavelength range of 400 to 420 nm, and is molded and integrated by a transparent resin in a state of being disposed on the control substrate 310. The light source 309 emits light toward the light transmitting portion 307, and irradiates light to the photocatalyst layer 208 provided in the cathode side space 126 through the light transmitting portion 207.

  The storage container 25 disposed inside the vegetable compartment 24 includes a lower storage receptacle 25A provided over substantially the entire width of the vegetable compartment 24 and a first processing chamber 301 provided above the lower storage receptacle 53. It has a structure that overlaps the upper and lower two stages.

  The lower storage container 25A is in the form of a box with a bottom open in the upper side surrounded by the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right side walls, and the storage depth of the lower storage container 25A compared to the first processing chamber 301. Are provided deep.

  The lower storage container 25A is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of the vegetable compartment door 24a, and is configured to be pulled out of the storage with the opening operation of the vegetable compartment door 24a.

  The first processing chamber 301 provided above the lower storage container 25A has a bottomed box shape that opens upward and is surrounded by the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right side walls. The top opening of the first processing chamber 301 is an opening for loading and unloading stored products in the first processing chamber 301, and is closed by the fixed cover 305 and the sliding cover 306.

  The first processing chamber 301 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower side of the partition plate 21 which divides the refrigerating chamber 22 and the vegetable chamber 24 and slides on rails 24 b formed on the left and right side wall surfaces of the vegetable chamber 24 in the front-rear direction. By moving, it is provided in the vegetable compartment 24 so that it can be drawn out of the storage independently of the lower storage container 25A.

  The rear end of the upper surface opening of the first processing chamber 301 forms an oxygen reduction facing portion 301A, and the vegetable chamber door 24a as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is closed to make the vegetable chamber 24 the first processing chamber 301. In the accommodated state, the fixed member 134 on the cathode electrode 120 side of the oxygen reducing unit 107 is vertically opposed, and the oxygen reduced facing portion 301 A is connected to the fixed member 134 via the cathode side space 126.

  The fixed lid 305 leaves the oxygen reduction facing portion 301A provided at the rear end of the first processing chamber 301, and the region of the first processing chamber 301 in the region from the substantially central portion to the rear in the front-rear direction of the first processing chamber 301. Covers the top opening. The fixed lid 305 is fixed to the partition plate 21 and does not move even if the first processing chamber 301 slides on the rail 24 b and moves in the front-rear direction.

  The sliding lid 306 covers the top opening of the first processing chamber 301 in the area from the front wall to the rear of the first processing chamber 301, and the rear of the sliding lid 306 is vertically overlapped with the fixed lid 305. The sliding lid 306 is slidably supported by the upper end portion of the first processing chamber 301 in the front-rear direction.

  Such a first processing chamber 301 is disposed in the vegetable compartment 24 in the closing state of the vegetable compartment door 24a as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, and the fixed lid 305 and the sliding lid are left except the oxygen reducing facing portion 301A. The movable lid 306 covers the top opening.

  The second processing chamber 302 is provided in a space vertically divided by the lowermost placement shelf 23 provided in the refrigerating chamber 22 and the partition plate 21, and is fixed to the upper surface of the partition plate 21. Similar to the first processing chamber 301, the withdrawal container 313 is housed inside the second processing chamber 302, and the opening at the front of the second processing chamber 302 is closed by the door 314 which also serves as the front plate of the withdrawal container 313. ing. In the drawer container 313, the rollers 315 provided at the rear of the left and right side surfaces slide the rails 316 provided inside the second treatment chamber 302, thereby drawing the drawer container 313 in the front-rear direction with respect to the second treatment chamber 302. It is possible.

  The suction duct 101B and the blowout duct 103B connected to the cathode side space 126 of the oxygen reduction device 106 are connected to the back surface of the second processing chamber 302. Thus, the suction duct 101B, the blowout duct 103B, and the cathode side space 126 constitute a communication passage 303 for connecting the first processing chamber 301 and the second processing chamber 320, and the first processing chamber 301 and the second processing chamber 302. Allow the movement of internal air between them.

  In this example, the second processing chamber 302 is connected to the cathode side space 126 by the suction duct 101B and the blowing duct 103B, and the second processing chamber 302 is connected to the cathode side space 126, the suction duct 101, and the blowing duct 103. The first processing chamber 301 and the second processing chamber 302 may be connected to each other by the suction duct 101 and the blowing duct 103.

  In the refrigerator 300 of the present embodiment, the cold air generated by the refrigerator 52 is blown out from the outlet into the refrigerator compartment 22 to cool the inside of the refrigerator compartment 22 and then stored from the suction port 152 opened at the rear bottom of the refrigerator compartment 22 The water absorbing agent 140 sucked into the portion 150 and stored in the storage recess 154 of the oxygen reducing unit 107 absorbs water from the cold air sucked into the storage portion 150.

  Then, when a voltage is applied between the anode electrode 118 and the cathode electrode 120 of the oxygen reducing unit 107, the water absorbed by the water absorbing agent 140 is vaporized by the heat generated at the time of voltage application to become water vapor and provided to the fixing member 132. The through holes 138 and the vaporizing layer 122 are supplied to the anode electrode 118 side. At this time, the water vapor is electrolyzed in the anode catalyst layer 112 to generate hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions generated in the anode catalyst layer 112 move through the polymer electrolyte membrane 116 to the cathode catalyst layer 114 and react with oxygen contained in air in the cathode side space 126 to generate water. As a result, the oxygen concentration in the cathode side space 126 is reduced, so the first processing chamber 301 connected to the cathode side space 126 and the cathode side space 126 connected via the suction duct 101B or the blowout duct 103B. The oxygen concentration in the second processing chamber 302 also decreases.

  In addition, the light source 309 of the photocatalyst unit 304 provided in the storage unit 150 irradiates light to the photocatalyst layer 308 provided in the cathode side space 126 through the light transmission part 307, thereby the water in the cathode side space 126 is generated. Generate active species such as hydroxy radicals. As a result, suspended matter contained in the air in the cathode side space 126 and decomposition substances such as ethylene gas and odor components are decomposed, so the first processing chamber 301 connected to the cathode side space 126 and the suction duct 101B Alternatively, the substance to be decomposed included in the internal air of the second processing chamber 302 connected to the cathode side space 126 via the blowout duct 103B can be decomposed.

  As described above, in the refrigerator 300 of the present embodiment, in addition to the decomposition of the substance to be decomposed contained in the air in the first processing chamber 301 and the second processing chamber 302 by the photocatalyst unit 304, the first processing chamber is Oxygen in the first and second processing chambers 302 can be reduced, and oxidation of stored products stored in the first processing chamber 301 and the second processing chamber 302 can be suppressed to maintain freshness of stored products.

  In the refrigerator 300 according to the present embodiment as described above, the photocatalyst unit is made to correspond to the plurality of processing chambers 301 and 302 in order to reduce the oxygen concentration to the plurality of processing chambers 301 and 302 and to decompose the substance to be decomposed. It is not necessary to provide a plurality of units 304 and the oxygen reducing device 106, and the number of parts can be reduced to reduce the manufacturing cost.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator 300 of the present embodiment, the oxygen contained in the air in the cathode side space 126 reacts with hydrogen ions when the oxygen reduction device 106 is driven to generate water in the cathode side space 126. 106 and the photocatalyst unit 304 are provided in the housing portion 150 and arranged close to each other, and the oxygen reducing device 106 generates water in the vicinity of the photocatalyst layer 308. Therefore, water necessary for generating the active species can be reliably supplied to the photocatalyst layer 308, and decomposition of the substance to be decomposed by the photocatalyst unit 308 can be efficiently performed.

(Other embodiments)
While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof as well as included in the scope and the gist of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Refrigerator, 11 ... Cabinet, 20 ... Refrigerated space, 22 ... Refrigerated room, 26 ... Evaporator room, 27 ... Drain pan, 29 ... Drainage path, 33 ... Evaporator cover, 34 ... Evaporator room, 40 ... Frozen space , 42: ice making chamber, 44: first freezing chamber, 46: second freezing chamber, 52: refrigeration evaporator, 54: freezing evaporator, 100: oxygen reducing chamber, 101: suction duct, 102: container storage portion , 103: outlet duct, 104: storage container, 105: lid, 106: oxygen reducing device, 107: oxygen reducing unit, 110: vent, 111: water reservoir, 116: polymer electrolyte membrane, 118: anode electrode, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 120 ... Cathode electrode, 122 ... Vaporization layer, 125 ... Insulator, 126 ... Cathode side space, 128 ... Through-hole, 130 ... Water supply part, 132 ... Fixing member, 134 ... Fixing member, 136 ... Anode side space, 138 Through-hole, 140 ... water-absorbing agent

Claims (16)

A polymer electrolyte sandwiched between a plurality of storage chambers closed by different doors provided inside a cabinet, a first oxygen reduction chamber and a second oxygen reduction chamber provided in the plurality of storage chambers, and a pair of electrodes An oxygen reduction device having a membrane and disposed apart from the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber, and the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber are connected to the oxygen reduction device. A water supply mechanism for supplying defrosting water of an evaporator provided inside the cabinet to the oxygen reducing apparatus ;
The reduced oxygen apparatus, and hydrogen ions produced by electrolysis of water generates water from oxygen in said supplied through the duct first down oxygen chamber and the second down oxygen chamber wherein intended to reduce the oxygen in the first decrease oxygen chamber and the second down in the oxygen chamber,
Each of the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber has an opening for taking in and out the stored product and a lid for closing the opening so as to open and close the opening, and the first oxygen reduction device has the first path to the oxygen reduction device. A refrigerator , wherein the oxygen concentration in the first oxygen reduction chamber is lower than the oxygen concentration in the second oxygen reduction chamber having the second path to the oxygen reduction device, and the first path is shorter than the second path . A polymer electrolyte sandwiched between a plurality of storage chambers closed by different doors provided inside a cabinet, a first oxygen reduction chamber and a second oxygen reduction chamber provided in the plurality of storage chambers, and a pair of electrodes An oxygen reduction device having a membrane and disposed apart from the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber, and the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber are connected to the oxygen reduction device. Equipped with a duct to
The oxygen reducing apparatus generates water from hydrogen ions generated by electrolyzing water, and oxygen in the first oxygen reducing chamber and the second oxygen reducing chamber supplied through the duct. (1) to reduce oxygen in the oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber,
Each of the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber has an opening for taking in and out the stored product and a lid for closing the opening so as to open and close the opening, and the first oxygen reduction device has the first path to the oxygen reduction device. A refrigerator , wherein the oxygen concentration in the first oxygen reduction chamber is lower than the oxygen concentration in the second oxygen reduction chamber having the second path to the oxygen reduction device, and the first path is shorter than the second path . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the water supply mechanism includes a water storage unit that stores the defrost water. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the water supply mechanism is disposed below the evaporator.   The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the water supply mechanism includes a pump that sends the defrost water stored in the water storage unit to the oxygen reducing device.   The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the pump comprises a heater for heating a path for sending defrost water from the water storage section to the oxygen reducing device. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , further comprising a water supply mechanism that recovers water contained in air inside the cabinet and supplies the water to the oxygen reducing device.   The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the water supply mechanism is disposed upstream of the evaporator provided in the cabinet in the air flow direction. The first oxygen reduction chamber faces the cathode electrode side of the oxygen reduction device via the cathode side space, and the second oxygen reduction chamber is via the first oxygen reduction chamber or the cathode side space and a duct connection,
The reduced oxygen device, water from the hydrogen ions produced by electrolysis of water, and oxygen of the cathode space and the said supplied through the duct first down oxygen chamber and the second down in the oxygen chamber The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the oxygen in the first oxygen reduction chamber and the second oxygen reduction chamber is reduced. The first decrease oxygen chamber and the second down oxygen chamber, the refrigerating chamber, a vegetable compartment, and claims provided in any two or more of the storage chamber of the coolable temperature switchable compartment in freezing temperature zone 1-9 The refrigerator according to any one of the above. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a photocatalyst unit that decomposes a substance to be decomposed contained in air in the plurality of storage chambers by photocatalytic action . The refrigerator according to claim 11 comprising a pressure reducing device for reducing the pressure of at least 1 of said storage compartment. The photocatalytic unit includes a light transmitting portion provided on a wall surface partitioning the one storage chamber , a photocatalyst provided on the inner side of the light transmitting portion, and the light transmitting portion provided on the outer side of the light transmitting portion The refrigerator according to claim 11, further comprising: a light source that emits light to the photocatalyst. The photocatalyst unit is opposed to the light transmitting portion provided on the wall surface which divides the storage chamber of 1, the photocatalyst provided on the inner side of the light transmitting portion, and the light transmitting portion of the wall surface which divides the storage chamber The refrigerator according to claim 11, further comprising: a light source provided at a position where the photocatalyst is irradiated with light through the light transmitting portion. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the light transmitting unit and the photocatalyst are provided in the processing chamber provided in the storage chamber having the highest temperature. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 11 to 15 , wherein the storage room is provided in a vegetable room.

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