JP6527811B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator for storing food, drinking water and the like in a refrigerated or frozen state, and more particularly to a refrigerator provided with a vegetable room.

  In recent refrigerators, a refrigerator compartment is arranged at the upper part inside the box constituting the refrigerator, a freezer compartment at the middle part, and a vegetable compartment at the lower part, and the storage compartments are divided by heat insulation partition walls so that heat transfer is small. It is done. That is, in order to prevent cold energy of the freezing room from flowing into the refrigerating room and the vegetable room adjacent to the freezing room, the refrigerating room and the vegetable room adjacent to the freezing room are partitioned by the heat insulating partition wall in which the vacuum heat insulating material and the polyurethane foam are disposed. ing.

  While a refrigerator is generally mainstream as a refrigerator, a cold refrigerator (a refrigerator with a cold air forced circulation system that blows cold air cooled by a cooler into a freezer room, a refrigerator room, a vegetable room with a blower fan) generates cold air inside the refrigerator The storage material is cooled by circulating the cold air generated by the cooler of the refrigeration cycle to each storage chamber by a blower.

  In such a refrigerator, generally, the refrigeration temperature of the vegetable room is often set to about + 6 ° C., but there is an optimum storage temperature of vegetables, and root vegetables such as lotus root and potatoes, green peppers, okra The optimum storage temperatures are different for leafy vegetables such as cucumber, eggplant and the like, spinach, chrysanthemum, komatsuna and Chinese cabbage. Therefore, if the refrigeration temperature is uniformly set to about + 6 ° C., as in the case of the vegetable room of the conventional refrigerator, the optimal storage temperature of each vegetable is different, so the refrigeration temperature is about + 6 ° C. In the case of non-adapted vegetables, quality deterioration such as reduction of vitamins or shape change such as atrophy may be promoted.

  In order to solve such a subject, it is proposed to divide a vegetable compartment into multiple and to control refrigeration temperature of each divided vegetable compartment to differ. For example, in JP 2007-101084 A (patent document 1), in order to protect summer vegetables, such as cucumbers and eggplants, which are weak to low temperatures, from low temperature damage, low temperatures of +1 to + 3 ° C. A refrigerator has been proposed in which a low temperature storage space for cooling and storage and a high temperature storage space for cooling and storing at a temperature of + 4 ° C. or more are provided, and summer vegetables are stored in the high temperature storage space.

JP 2007-101084 A

  By the way, recently, facilities such as "Michi-no-Eki" have been constructed, and agricultural and marine products, souvenirs, etc. have been sold. This "roadside station" is visited by many customers using passenger cars, but one of its purposes is to purchase fresh produce. Recently, there is a demand to buy many seasonal vegetables and keep them for a long time in the refrigerator. In particular, seasonal vegetables include leafy vegetables, and also seasonal vegetables. For example, leafy vegetables include leafy vegetables such as chrysanthemum, spinach, komatsuna and Chinese cabbage, and vegetables specific to the season include fruits such as peppers, okra, cucumber and eggplant. Therefore, in a refrigerator, it is necessary to suppress quality deterioration of these vegetables and to be able to be stored for a long time.

  However, in the vegetable room of the conventional refrigerator including the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, the concept of storing leafy vegetables is not adopted, and a low temperature storage space and a high temperature storage space are simply provided. Storage of vegetables. That is, no special consideration was given to the fact that leafy vegetables also have a specific optimum storage temperature, and furthermore, the space for accommodating leafy vegetables is required.

  In particular, leafy vegetables that extend upward (heavenly direction) tend to grow upward when they are laid sideways and stored, so there is a high possibility that the quality is degraded using unnecessary nutrients and sugars. For this reason, it is important to stand and store leafy vegetables, and a space having a volume that can be stored with the leafy vegetables standing is required. As such, there is a need for a vegetable room that can store leafy vegetables for a long time. In addition, it is desirable to store leafy vegetables at a low temperature, and it is desirable to store vegetables other than leafy vegetables (especially, season-specific summer vegetables) at a higher temperature than this.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a novel refrigerator which can store leafy vegetables and other vegetables for a long time while suppressing deterioration in quality of leafy vegetables and the other vegetables.

  The feature of the present invention is a leafy vegetable having a first storage space having a volume capable of storing leafy vegetables in a standing state in a vegetable room for storing vegetables, and a volume having a volume smaller than the first storage space. A second storage space for storing vegetables other than the above is formed, and further, the temperature of the first storage space is adjusted to a first temperature suitable for storing leafy vegetables, and the temperature of the second storage space is other than leafy vegetables The second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature suitable for storing vegetables, is to be adjusted.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to store leafy vegetables and other vegetables for a long time while suppressing deterioration in quality of leafy vegetables and other vegetables.

It is a front view of a refrigerator to which the present invention is applied. It is a perspective view of the vegetable compartment which becomes an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of a vegetable compartment which has arranged a vegetable container cover which becomes an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the vegetable compartment of FIG. 3 by the AA. It is a perspective view from the front side of an upper stage container. It is a perspective view from the back side of an upper part container. It is a perspective view from the lower side of an upper stage container. It is a perspective view from the front side of a lower part container. It is a perspective view from the back side of a lower part container. It is a perspective view of the lower end container cover attached to the side wall on the back side of the lower end container. It is a perspective view of the case attached to the side wall by the side of the back of a bottom container. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state which attached the transpiration board of the transpiration cassette attached to the outer surface back of a lower stage container. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state which removed the transpiration board of the transpiration cassette attached to the outer surface of a lower-stage container. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode when making the water | moisture content inside the back side lower stage space dew condensation, and transpiration | evaporating the water which carried out the condensation to the exterior of a vegetable compartment. It is sectional drawing of a lower stage container when the lower stage container is accommodated in a refrigerator. It is a graph showing change of vitamin C content after preservation at the time of storing spinach (leafy vegetables) and cucumber (summer vegetables) in different storage temperature zones.

  Hereinafter, although the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications and applications can be made within the technical concept of the present invention. Is also included in that range. Here, the concept of the present invention will be described, and then specific embodiments will be described.

  When storing vegetables after harvest, it is considered desirable to store them as cold as possible. When stored at low temperature, the life activity of vegetables decreases, and furthermore, the activity of microorganisms such as rot bacteria weakens. However, when the storage temperature is too low and the vegetables are frozen, the cell walls of the vegetables are destroyed, which is one of the factors causing quality deterioration. For this reason, it is desirable to store at such low temperature that vegetables do not freeze.

  On the other hand, vegetables originating in the tropics are weak at low temperatures, and when stored at low temperatures, appearance deterioration such as discoloration or spots occurs, causing "low temperature damage". It is desirable to store these vegetables at storage temperatures that do not cause "cold injury".

  Therefore, it is desirable to store vegetables that cause “low temperature injury” (especially season-specific vegetables) in a high temperature vegetable storage space, and other vegetables in a low temperature vegetable storage space that does not freeze.

  However, in the vegetable room of the conventional refrigerator, the concept of specifically storing leafy vegetables is not adopted. For example, in Patent Document 1, a low temperature storage space and a high temperature storage space are simply provided, It is a thing of storing vegetables together. That is, no special consideration is given to the fact that leafy vegetables have a specific optimum storage temperature, and further, the space for accommodating leafy vegetables is required.

  The optimum storage temperature specific to leafy vegetables is, for example, around + 1 ° C. for spinach, chrysanthemum, komatsuna, Chinese cabbage and the like. The optimum storage temperature specific to summer vegetables, which are seasonal vegetables, is, for example, around + 10 ° C. for peppers, okra, cucumbers, eggplants, and the like. Therefore, in order to be able to store these leafy vegetables and summer vegetables long while suppressing deterioration in quality, it is important to adjust to the storage temperature described above.

  FIG. 14 is a graph showing the vitamin C content after storage of spinach which is a leafy vegetable and cucumber which is a summer vegetable when stored under refrigeration. The solid line shows the change in vitamin C content of spinach, and the broken line shows the change in vitamin C content of cucumber.

  As can be understood from the solid line in FIG. 14, it is understood that the content of vitamin C increases at 0 ° C. in spinach, and the content of vitamin C after storage decreases as the temperature increases. In other words, it can be seen that in spinach, the decrease in vitamin C during storage accelerates as the temperature rises. In particular, when the temperature is + 3 ° C. or more, the content of vitamin C after storage sharply decreases. Furthermore, since freezing of vegetables leads to appearance deterioration, it turns out that storage in a temperature range A around + 1 ° C. where there is no risk of freezing of vegetables is most desirable.

  On the other hand, as can be understood from the broken line in FIG. 14, it can be seen that vitamin C content increases at + 10 ° C. in cucumber, and the vitamin C content after storage decreases as the temperature decreases. In other words, it is understood that the decrease in vitamin C during storage accelerates as the temperature decreases in cucumber. In particular, when the temperature is + 3 ° C. or less, the content of vitamin C after storage sharply decreases. Therefore, the temperature is preferably at least + 3 ° C. or more.

  Furthermore, cucumbers are considered to be weak at low temperatures, and at + 3 ° C., shape deterioration such as wrinkles and spots appear on the food surface. It is desirable from the viewpoint of nutrients and appearance quality that the temperature is as high as possible, but if it becomes too high, there is a concern about the growth of microorganisms such as rot bacteria, so around + 10 ° C lower than around + 12 ° C where microorganisms grow. A temperature range B is desirable.

  Furthermore, leafy vegetables that extend upward tend to grow upward when stored sideways, so there is a high possibility that the quality is degraded using unnecessary nutrients and sugars. For this reason, it is important to stand and store leafy vegetables, and a space having a volume that can be stored with the leafy vegetables standing is required.

  Based on the above findings, according to the present invention, the first storage space has a volume capable of storing leaf vegetables in a standing state in a vegetable room storing vegetables, and the volume is smaller than the first storage space. The second storage space is provided with a volume for storing vegetables other than vegetable, and the temperature of the first storage space is adjusted to a first temperature suitable for storing leafy vegetables, and the second storage space The temperature is adjusted to a second temperature higher than the first temperature suitable for storing vegetables other than leafy vegetables.

  And in this embodiment, the refrigerator provided with the vegetable room of composition as shown below is proposed. Hereinafter, the refrigerator of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment. The refrigerator 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a heat insulation box forming a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a vegetable compartment, a refrigeration cycle for producing cold air, and a refrigerator from the refrigeration cycle using a blower. And a cold air supply path for

  And, in the front of the refrigerator main body 1, the refrigerator room left door 2, the refrigerator room right door 3, the ice making room door 4a, the rapid freezing room door 4b, the freezing room door 5 and the vegetable room door 6 There is. The cold storage room left door 2 is rotatable in the front side of the drawing by the upper hinge 7a and the lower hinge 8a. Furthermore, the refrigerator compartment right door 3 is rotatable in the front side of the drawing by the upper hinge 7b and the lower hinge 8b. That is, the cold storage room left door 2 and the cold storage room right door 3 are provided so as to be capable of double opening, and in the space formed by these and the refrigerator main body 1, the cold storage room is formed.

  In addition, the ice making room door 4a, the rapid freezing room door 4b and the freezing room door 5 can be pulled out in the front side of the drawing. And, in the space formed by these and the refrigerator main body 1, an ice making room, a quick freezing room and a freezing room are respectively formed. Similarly, the vegetable compartment door 6 can be pulled out in the front direction of the drawing. Furthermore, a vegetable room is formed in the space constituted by this and the refrigerator main body 1.

  2 to 4 show the configuration of the vegetable room. In the vegetable compartment 100, the inner box 124 of the refrigerator main body 1 constitutes the wall (left wall, right wall and bottom wall) of the vegetable compartment 100. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a vegetable container cover 105 disposed above the vegetable compartment 100 constitutes the upper wall of the vegetable compartment 100. Therefore, in the vegetable compartment 100, the sealing property of the inside of each of the lower vessel 101 and the upper vessel 102 is secured to some extent.

  In the vegetable compartment 100, the lower stage container 101 and the upper stage container 102 are accommodated so as to be freely extractable in the front-rear direction and the front-rear direction. However, in the present embodiment, even if the lower container 101 is moved in the front-rear direction, the position of the upper container 102 in the lower container 101 does not change. However, when the user operates the lock handle 106, the upper container 102 can also be pulled out to the front side.

  On the rear side of the vegetable compartment 100, a machine compartment for forming a compressor or the like outside the storage compartment is formed. Therefore, the bottom wall is higher on the back side than on the front side. In addition, the lower container 101 is provided with a glass partition 103. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower container 101 is divided into the front space 101B on the front side and the rear lower space 101A on the rear side. The upper container 102 is disposed so as to cover the rear lower space 101A on the back side of the two sections of the lower container 101. Here, a rear upper stage space 101C is formed in the upper stage container 102.

  And back side lower stage space 101A is used as the 1st storage space provided with the capacity which can be stored in the state which stood up leafy vegetables. In addition, the rear upper stage space 101C is used as a second storage space having a volume smaller than the rear lower stage space 101A and having a volume for storing vegetables (summer vegetables) other than leafy vegetables.

  The vegetable container cover 105 is arranged to cover the upper openings of the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 as shown in FIG. The vegetable container cover 105 is arranged above the lower container 101 when the lower container 101 is accommodated in the refrigerator 10. Therefore, when the lower container 101 is completely pulled out of the refrigerator 10, the vegetable container cover 105 remains inside the refrigerator 10, and the inside of the lower container 101 is opened to the outside.

  A transpiration board 105 b is disposed on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105 (that is, the surface facing the inside of the vegetable compartment 100). The transpiration board 105b is a flat plate-like member formed by knitting resin fibers such as PET fibers, and is a material that allows air to pass but absorbs liquid moisture. And the moisture absorbed is transpirationable (released) with respect to the air. Furthermore, on the upper surface of the vegetable container cover 105, a plurality of communication holes 105c that communicate the inside and the outside of the vegetable chamber 100 are formed.

  A cold air outlet is formed on the wall of the vegetable compartment 100 or on the heat insulating partition wall located between the vegetable compartment 100 and the freezing compartment. And the cold air supply adjustment means 141 which can control supply of the cold air which cools the vegetable compartment 100 is provided in this blower outlet. As a result, the cold air blown into the vegetable room 100 somewhat enters the back side space 101A and comes out of the front side. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the humidity in the rear space 101A from excessively rising.

  FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the vegetable compartment of FIG. 3 taken along the line A-A. In addition, in FIG. 4, the vegetable compartment door 6 shown in FIG. 1 is also shown collectively. The lower container 101 is divided into two spaces of a rear lower space 101A and a front space 101B. Among these, the lower rear space 101A is formed by dividing the lower vessel 101 by the partition 103 disposed inside the lower vessel 101 and the lower surface of the upper vessel 102. Further, the front space 101B is formed by dividing the lower container 101 by the side surface on the front side of the upper container 102, the partition 103, and the vegetable container cover 105, and erects a long plastic bottle for beverage There is a compartment to store in the state.

  The lower rear space 101A is a compartment for storing leafy vegetables, and is formed in a space where leafy vegetables such as spinach, spring chrysanthemum, komatsuna, Chinese cabbage and the like can be stored in an upright state. Leaf vegetables that extend upward, such as spinach, spring chrysanthemum, komatsuna, Chinese cabbage, etc., tend to grow upward when they are laid sideways and stored, so quality is degraded using wasteful nutrients and sugars There is great fear. Therefore, it is important to stand and store leafy vegetables, and the lower rear space 101A is a space having a volume that can be stored with the leafy vegetables erected. Here, the height of the lower rear space 101A is determined to be the length (length) of the average longitudinal direction (growth direction) of leafy vegetables such as spinach, spring chrysanthemum, komatsuna, and Chinese cabbage.

  In addition, the rear upper stage space 101C is a space for storing summer vegetables and the like which are seasonal vegetables, and includes green pepper, okra, cucumber, eggplant and the like. Unlike leafy vegetables, these do not grow because they are fruits and vegetables, and they can be stored sideways without any problem. Therefore, compared to the rear lower space 101A for storing leafy vegetables, it does not require much height.

  A transpiration cassette 112 for controlling the humidity of each space inside the lower vessel 101 (that is, the lower lower space 101A and the front space 101B) is disposed on the back side of the lower rear space 101A. Further, in the bottom surface of the upper container 102, a communication hole 102a that communicates the rear lower space 101A and the rear upper space 101C is formed. Thereby, dehumidification of both the back side lower stage space 101A and the back side upper stage space 101C becomes possible.

  FIG. 5 is an oblique view of the upper container 102 from the front side. The lock handle 106 disposed on the front side of the upper container 102 normally allows the upper container 102 to move in the front-rear direction by the user operating the upper container 102 supported and fixed inside the lower container 101. It is a thing. The lock handle 106 is configured to include a pressing portion 106 a that allows the upper container 102 to move to the front side by being pressed, and a recessed portion 106 b that is slightly recessed on the front upper end of the upper container 102. Be done. Then, the user holds the depressed portion 106 b and presses the holding portion 106 a with the thumb or the like of the hand holding the pressed portion 106 a, thereby releasing the support and fixation of the upper container 102 in the lower container 101. And thereby, the upper stage container 102 becomes movable in the front-back direction.

  Further, on the lower side of the front side of the lock handle 106, a communication hole 106c that connects the three spaces of the rear lower lower space 101A, the front space 101B, and the rear upper upper space 101C via the inside of the lock handle 106. Is formed. Furthermore, inside the lock handle 106, a platinum catalyst is accommodated at a position where it can contact air in each space. Therefore, the air taken into the lock handle 106 through the communication hole 106c comes in contact with the platinum catalyst, and then the air in contact with the platinum catalyst is supplied to each space. Thus, the air in the front space 101B can reach the transpiration board 105b in the rear upper stage space 101C and the dew condensation surface formed on the rear side in the rear lower stage space 101A. Therefore, control of the humidity of the air in front side space 101B is attained.

  FIG. 6 is an oblique view of the upper vessel 102 from the back side. A communication hole 106 d is formed in the lower part of the back side of the lock handle 106 to connect the spaces with each other through the inside of the lock handle 106. Then, similarly to the communication hole 106c, the air taken into the lock handle 106 through the communication hole 106d contacts the platinum catalyst, and thereafter, the air in contact with the platinum catalyst is supplied to each space. The communication hole 106 d faces the rear upper stage space 101 C through a hole 102 b formed on the front side surface of the upper vessel 102.

  FIG. 7 is an oblique view of the upper container 102 from the lower side. Below the lock handle 106, there are also formed communication holes 106e that communicate three spaces of the rear lower lower space 101A, the front space 101B, and the rear upper upper space 101C via the inside of the lock handle 106. . Then, as in the case of the communication holes 106c and 106d, the air taken into the lock handle 106 through the communication hole 106e contacts the platinum catalyst, and thereafter, the air in contact with the platinum catalyst is supplied to each space. The communication hole 106 e faces the rear lower space 101 A through a hole 102 c formed in the bottom surface of the upper container 102.

  Here, the platinum catalyst will be described. The platinum catalyst is a catalyst that reacts without giving energy from others, and has a feature that the catalytic reaction proceeds even at low temperature. The platinum catalyst is a catalyst that decomposes ethylene and the like contained in the air in each space. The gas such as ethylene is decomposed by the platinum catalyst to generate carbon dioxide and water vapor. And, since the generated carbon dioxide is supplied to the spaces 101A and 101C through the communication holes, the pores of the vegetables stored in each space are closed to suppress the respiration of the vegetables, thereby reducing the nutrient components by respiration. And because the drying is suppressed, the freshness of vegetables is maintained for a long time.

  The installation place of the platinum catalyst is not limited to the inside of the lock handle 106, and a catalyst storage portion may be provided on at least one wall that divides each space, and the platinum catalyst may be stored in the catalyst storage portion. In this case, communication holes communicating with the respective spaces are also formed in the catalyst storage portion. Moreover, while providing a catalyst accommodating part in the wall surface in any one of each space, the structure which forms a communicating hole in the wall surface which divides each space may be sufficient.

  In addition, when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water present on the surface of vegetables stored in the vegetable room 100, the pH of the surface of the vegetables etc. slightly decreases and the pH decreases, so that the growth of microorganisms on the surface of the vegetables is Be suppressed.

  The platinum catalyst in the refrigerator 10 is in the form of pellets, and is packed in a bag and accommodated in the lock handle 106. As a result, the pellet-like platinum catalyst is appropriately mixed in the bag when the upper vessel 102 is drawn out and stored. Therefore, air can be prevented from contacting the pellets from one direction only, and the catalytic function is continuously maintained. In addition, you may use not only a platinum catalyst but another transition metal catalyst. In the refrigerator 10, silica (mesoporous silica) having pores is used as the transition metal catalyst, and fine particles of transition metals such as platinum and ruthenium are supported inside the pores.

  FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the lower container 101 from the front side. The inside of the lower container 101 is divided by the partition 103 into a front side and a back side. Then, a rear side lower space 101A is formed inside the back side of the lower vessel 101, and a front space 101B is formed inside the front side of the lower vessel 101. A lower container cover 110 is attached to the back side of the lower container 101 so as to cover the surface to which the condensed water adheres.

  FIG. 9 is an oblique view of the lower container 101 from the back side. The partitions 103 for dividing the inside of the lower container 101 are supported by guide portions 104 provided in pairs on the left and right inner walls of the lower container 101. In addition, on the opposite surface (that is, the outer surface) of the lower container 101 to which the lower container cover 110 is attached, the spray surface 113 of cold air from the cold air supply adjusting means 141 (see FIG. 3) and dew condensation water adhere And a transpiration cassette 112 for transpiration the condensed water in the cold air.

  10A and 10B are perspective views of a member for attaching the lower container 101 to the side wall on the back side, FIG. 10A is a lower container cover 110 attached to the inner side, and FIG. 10B is a case 112 attached to the outer side. It is. As shown in FIG. 10A, the lower container cover 110 is formed with a plurality of slits 110a. The direction of the formed slit 110 a is formed to be directed downward when flowing from the front side to the back side. Even when dew condensation water is generated on the surface of the lower container cover 110 by forming the slits 110 a in such a direction, the dew condensation water is disposed on the back side through the slits 110 a, the transpiration board shown in FIG. It can be made to reach 112e, and the falling of the condensed water to the lower rear space 101A is prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, the transpiration cassette 112 includes a case 112a for accommodating a cover 112c fitted so as to cover the transpiration board, and a lower case 112b for fixing the fitted cover 112c. Be done.

  11A and 11B show the transpiration cassette 112 attached to the outer back of the lower vessel 101 disassembled and viewed from an oblique direction, and FIG. 11A is a state where the transpiration board 112 d is attached, and FIG. 11B is the transpiration board It is in the state where 112d was removed. The state shown in FIG. 11A also shows a state in which the cover 112c is pivoted to the front side to be removed from the state shown in FIG. 10B and the transpiration board 112d is exposed. To explain this point, the lower end of the case 112 a and the lower end of the cover 112 c are rotatably engaged. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the cover 112c is removed from the case 112a, the cover 112c pivots about the locked portion to move downward. Thereby, the plate-like transpiration board 112d is exposed to the front side.

  Further, a transpiration board 112e extending from the front side to the back side is connected to the lower end of the plate-like transpiration board 112d integrally with the transpiration board 112d. Therefore, the integral product consisting of the transpiration board 112d and the transpiration board 112e disposed inside the transpiration cassette 112 is an L-shaped one made of resin fibers.

  Since these transpiration boards 112d and 112e are made of the same material as the above-mentioned transpiration board 105b, the detailed description thereof is omitted. And although the details will be described later, the water condensed on the inner side surface of the lower vessel 101 drops on the inner side surface and is absorbed by the transpiration board 112 e. Then, the absorbed water diffuses the transpiration board 112 e and the transpiration board 112 d in this order to reach the transpiration board 112 d.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, on the back side of the transpiration board 112d, a protective material 112f having ventilating holes 112g through which air can pass is formed. Cold air flowing through the back side of the transpiration cassette 112 contacts the back side of the transpiration board 112 d through the vent holes 112 g. As a result, the water that has reached the transpiration board 112 d is transpirated in the cold air that has come into contact.

  FIG. 12 shows a state when water in the rear lower space 101A is condensed to evaporate the condensed water to the outside of the vegetable room 100. As shown in FIG. Cold air from the cold air supply adjusting means 141 is blown on the cold air blowing surface 113 integrally formed on the rear side wall of the lower case 101. As a result, the wall temperature in the vicinity of the spray surface 113 is lower than the wall temperature of the other portions. Therefore, the moisture in the air in contact with the inner wall surface of that portion of the lower vessel 101 condenses to generate dew condensation water 117. Condensed water 117 generated flows down from the gap portion 114 formed in the lower portion of the rear sidewall of the lower vessel 101 to the outside of the lower vessel 101 by its own weight and further to the transpiration board 112e through the slit 112c1 formed in the cover 112c. . The gap portion 114 may be formed at another place under the lower container 101, for example, may be formed on the bottom surface and the back side of the lower container 101.

  The moisture absorbed by the transpiration board 112e diffuses inside the transpiration board 112e, 112d. At this time, the absorbed moisture diffuses upward in the inside of the transpiration board 112 d disposed in the vertical direction. Then, the moisture diffused in the transpiration board 112 d is evaporated in the cold air contacting the transpiration board 112 d as described above, whereby the moisture of the air inside the vegetable compartment 100 is discharged to the outside of the vegetable compartment 100. As described above, the transpiration boards 112 e and 112 d suck the condensed water which has fallen down on the inner surface of the rear side wall from the gap portion 114 formed on the rear side wall to the outside of the lower vessel 101 and discharge it to the cold air. At this time, cold air is brought into direct contact with the rear side wall of the lower vessel 101, and the rear side wall itself is made a dew condensation surface, so that a simple structure without the metal high thermal conductivity member as in the prior art is provided. It is possible to control the humidity of the

  FIG. 13 shows a cross section of the lower container 101 when the lower container 101 is completely accommodated in the vegetable compartment 100 of the refrigerator 10 main body. The lower container 101 is completely accommodated in the vegetable compartment 100 of the refrigerator 10 main body. When the lower container 101 is accommodated in the refrigerator 10, the vegetable container cover 105 is the lower container 101 and the upper container which are openings of the lower container 101. It covers the whole of 102. Thereby, the airtightness inside these spaces is enhanced. Therefore, the carbon dioxide concentration inside can be maintained at 1000 ppm or more for all the spaces in the storage container 101, that is, not only for the lower rear space 101A but also for the front space 101B and the rear upper space 101C.

  Here, the physiological activity of vegetables is demonstrated. Vegetables continue various physiological actions including respiration and transpiration to maintain life after harvest. Such physiological actions are important actions for growing vegetables, but conversely cause quality deterioration for harvested vegetables. In particular, transpiration, which is one of the postharvest physiological functions, causes water to be gradually lost from vegetables. Usually, the most important factor that affects the quality of vegetables is moisture, and if the moisture is reduced by 5% or more with respect to the weight at harvest, the majority loses its commercial value. Although transpiration is carried out from the epidermis and the pores, the surface of the vegetables is generally covered with the cuticular layer, so the transpiration from the epidermis is slight and most of the transpiration is conducted through the pores.

  However, when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the ambient reaches 1000 ppm or more, the pores begin to close, and the amount of transpiration of water decreases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, not only is the resin fiber member that absorbs and releases the water to adjust the humidity, but also a transition metal catalyst that decomposes ethylene and the like is arranged to increase carbon dioxide. For this reason, drying of vegetables is suppressed, and it becomes possible to reduce nutrients consumed by physiological action.

  In addition, if the vegetable room is completely sealed, the vegetables may not be able to breathe and may deteriorate in quality, or a large amount of dew condensation may touch the arrow and deteriorate in quality. However, in the present embodiment, since the moisture in the storage chamber can be released to the outside of the storage chamber through the gap portion and the communication hole, such quality deterioration can be prevented.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the lower rear space 101A of the lower container 101 has a volume that can be stored in a state where leafy vegetables are erected. Leafy vegetables that are stretched upward tend to grow upward when they are laid sideways and stored, so there is a high possibility that the quality will be degraded using unnecessary nutrients and sugars. For this reason, it is important to stand and store leafy vegetables, and in the present embodiment, the lower rear space 101A is a space having a volume that can be stored with the leafy vegetables erected.

  The rear upper space 101C of the upper container 102 has a smaller volume than the rear lower space 101A, and accommodates summer vegetables such as peppers, okra, cucumber, eggplants and other fruits and vegetables. Unlike leafy vegetables, these summer vegetables do not grow because they are fruits and vegetables, and there is no problem in storing them sideways for storage. As described above, the height is not required so much as compared with the lower rear space 101A for storing leafy vegetables. Therefore, the height from the bottom of the lower container 101 to the upper container 102 is higher than the height from the bottom of the upper container 102 to the vegetable container cover 105.

  Here, as described in FIG. 14, in leafy vegetables, storage at around + 1 ° C. is most desirable, and the rear lower space 101 A of the lower vessel 101 is adjusted to a temperature near this + 1 ° C. In the case of summer vegetables, the vicinity of + 10 ° C. is desirable, and the upper rear space 101C of the upper container 101 is adjusted to a temperature near this + 10 ° C. The temperature can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of introduced cold air by a damper mechanism (not shown). Furthermore, the temperature can be adjusted using an electric heater and a damper mechanism.

  Further, since there is a temperature difference of about 9 ° C. between the upper container 102 and the lower container 101, it is effective to provide a heat insulating material on the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface of the upper container 102. In this case, at least the bottom surface of the upper container 102 needs to be provided.

  The heat insulation partition wall located between the vegetable compartment 100 and the freezing compartment is provided with an electric heater. This is to prevent cold air in the freezing room from flowing into the vegetable room and the vegetable room becoming too cold. By controlling the heat transfer heater, the upper rear space 101C is used as a high-temperature hot space. Is possible.

  In addition, by providing cold air supply adjusting means 141 capable of controlling the supply of cold air for cooling the cold air outlet and the vegetable room 100 on the wall surface of the vegetable room 100 and the back of the lower rear side space 101A, the cold air is positioned below. It becomes possible to cool the back side lower stage space 101A positively and to make temperature difference with the back side upper stage space 101C. Further, this configuration is advantageous because the structure can be simplified.

  Furthermore, a temperature difference occurs between the lower rear space 101A and the upper rear space 101C, and the difference becomes larger as it goes to the bottom of the vegetable compartment 100. It is desirable to be attached to the lower side wall.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the first storage space has a volume capable of storing leaf vegetables in a standing state in the vegetable room for storing vegetables, and the volume is smaller than the first storage space. A second storage space having a volume for storing vegetables other than vegetables is formed, and the temperature of the first storage space is adjusted to a first temperature suitable for storing leafy vegetables, and the temperature of the second storage space Is adjusted to a second temperature higher than the first temperature suitable for storing vegetables other than leafy vegetables.

  According to this, it is possible to store leafy vegetables and other vegetables, particularly fruits and vegetables, for a long time, while suppressing deterioration in quality of leafy vegetables and other vegetables, particularly fruits and vegetables.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, with respect to a part of the configuration of each embodiment, it is possible to add, delete, and replace other configurations.

  10: refrigerator, 100: vegetable room, 101: lower container, 101A: lower rear space, 101B: front space, 101C: upper rear space, 102: upper container, 102a: communication hole, 103: partition, 105: vegetables Container cover, 105b: Transpiration board, 105c: Communication hole, 106: Lock handle, 110: Lower container cover, 112: Transpiration cassette.

Claims (3)

Cold air supply for supplying cold air from the refrigeration cycle to the cold storage room, the freezing room, and the vegetable room by a blower using a heat insulation box forming at least the cold room, the freezing room, and the vegetable room, the freezing cycle for generating cold air In the refrigerator equipped with the road,
A first storage space having a volume capable of storing leaf vegetables in a standing state, and a volume having a smaller volume than the first storage space in the vegetable room for storing vegetables, and vegetables other than the leaf vegetables Forming a second storage space for storing the temperature of the first storage space, and adjusting the temperature of the first storage space to a first temperature suitable for storing the leaf vegetable, and the temperature of the second storage space being the leaf vegetable Rutotomoni comprising a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the second higher temperature than the first temperature suitable for storing other vegetables,
The vegetable room includes a lower container forming the first storage space, an upper container forming the second storage space and arranged to cover the lower container, and a vegetable container cover covering the upper container. The height from the bottom of the lower container to the upper container is higher than the height from the bottom of the upper container to the vegetable container cover,
A transition metal catalyst that decomposes ethylene is disposed on at least one wall dividing the spaces.
In a state in which the lower container is covered with the upper container, a communication hole communicating with the lower container is formed on the bottom surface of the upper container,
A carbon dioxide produced by decomposing ethylene with the transition metal catalyst is supplied to the lower vessel through the upper vessel and the communication hole. In the refrigerator according to claim 1,
A refrigerator, wherein the lower container is adjusted to around 1 ° C. and the upper container is adjusted to around 10 ° C. by the temperature adjusting means. In the refrigerator according to claim 2,
The lower container is provided with a resin fiber member which absorbs moisture contained in the cold air of the lower container and releases the absorbed moisture through the cold air flowing outside the lower container. .

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