JP7046023B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a device that cools a storage chamber to a desired temperature by exchanging heat between a cooler below freezing point and the air in the refrigerator, and frost grows on the surface of the cooler. Since the growth of frost causes an increase in thermal resistance and ventilation resistance, the heat exchange performance deteriorates as the frost grows. Therefore, in order to restore the heat exchange performance, a defrosting operation for melting and removing frost is performed.

The refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a switching chamber capable of switching to a set temperature of a plurality of stages including a freezing temperature zone and a refrigerating temperature zone in addition to the freezing chamber, and supplies cold air to the freezing chamber and the switching chamber. In a refrigerator in which the forced defrosting operation of the cooler is performed at a predetermined cycle, the defrosting operation cycle is extended when the set temperature of the switching chamber is switched to the refrigerating temperature zone. A refrigerator provided with a control means for controlling the defrosting cycle change ”is described (claim 1 of Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-146411

However, in the defrosting control of Patent Document 1, since the defrosting operation is not started unless a fixed predetermined time elapses after the defrosting operation is performed, the opening time of the refrigerator door is long and the operating time of the compressor is long. Even if there is a lot of frost adhering to the cooler, such as for a long time, the operation is continued with a large amount of frost adhering to the cooler, and there is a problem that sufficient cooling performance cannot be exhibited.

In addition, since the defrosting operation is always executed when the predetermined defrosting operation cycle has elapsed, the opening time of the refrigerator door is short, the operating time of the compressor is short, and the adhesion of frost to the cooler is small. Even when the frost operation is unnecessary, the defrosting operation is carried out, so that the frequency of defrosting increases. As the frequency of defrosting increases, the energizing time of the defrosting heater also increases, which causes a problem that the power consumption increases.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and provides a refrigerator capable of suppressing a decrease in cooling performance and an increase in power consumption by appropriately controlling the frequency of defrosting operation. The purpose.

The present invention made in view of the above circumstances includes a switching chamber that can be set to a refrigerating temperature zone and a refrigerating temperature zone, a door provided in front of the switching chamber, a refrigerating cycle having a compressor and a cooler, and the above. It is equipped with a control board that controls defrosting to melt the frost adhering to the cooler, and automatically adjusts the defrosting interval in the range from the shortest defrosting interval to the longest defrosting interval according to the variables of the operating conditions of the refrigerator. When the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, the shortest defrosting interval or the longest defrosting interval is shortened as compared with the case where the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator in which a decrease in cooling performance is suppressed and an increase in power consumption is suppressed by appropriately controlling the frequency of defrosting operation.

Front view of the refrigerator according to the embodiment AA sectional view of FIG. (A) is a front view with the door, container, and discharge port of FIG. 1 removed, and (b) is a front view with the door, container, and container of FIG. 1 removed. Schematic diagram of the air passage structure showing the flow of cold air in the ice making chamber, the freezing chamber, the first switching chamber, and the second switching chamber according to the embodiment. Enlarged view below the heat insulating partition wall in FIG. Enlarged view below the heat insulating partition wall of FIG. 3 (b) Damper and damper heater installed in the damper Configuration diagram of the refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator according to the embodiment (A) is a large diagram of the operation panel, and (b) is each large diagram of the display panel. Basic temperature control flowchart of the refrigerator according to the embodiment Basic temperature control flowchart of the refrigerator according to the embodiment Example of temperature change over time showing the basic cooling control of this example Refrigerator defrosting operation control flowchart according to the embodiment Mode switching control flowchart of the first switching room in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment Block diagram of the refrigerator according to this embodiment Time chart showing whether to perform defrosting operation is determined based on whether the integrated value calculated from the compressor operation time and door opening time reaches a predetermined threshold value. A time chart showing an example of performing defrosting operation at the timing when the accumulated value reaches a predetermined threshold value due to a large amount of frost adhering. Time chart showing an example of defrosting operation at the timing of the shortest defrosting interval Time chart showing an example of defrosting operation at the timing of the longest defrosting interval Flow chart showing execution judgment of defrosting operation Front view of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment Operation display panel according to the second embodiment Operation display panel of another embodiment according to the second embodiment

The following is an embodiment of the present invention. Examples of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described.
In the embodiment (Example) of the present invention, in a refrigerator that automatically adjusts the defrosting interval in the range from the shortest defrosting interval to the longest defrosting interval, the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone. Is to shorten the shortest defrosting interval or the longest defrosting interval as compared with the case where it is set in the freezing temperature zone.

(Example 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the box body 10 of the refrigerator 1 has a storage chamber in the order of a refrigerating chamber 2, an ice making chamber 3 and a freezing chamber 4 arranged on the left and right, a first switching chamber 5, and a second switching chamber 6 from above. have. Refrigerator 1 is provided with a door that opens and closes the opening of each storage room. These doors are a rotary refrigerating room door 2a and 2b divided into left and right, which opens and closes the opening of the refrigerating room 2, and an ice making room 3, a freezing room 4, a first switching room 5, and a second switching room 6. A pull-out type ice making chamber door 3a, a freezing chamber door 4a, a first switching chamber door 5a, and a second switching chamber door 6a that open and close the openings, respectively. The internal material of these multiple doors is mainly composed of urethane.

The door 2a is provided with a display board 201, which will be described later in FIG. 8B. In order to fix the doors 2a and 2b to the refrigerator 1, door hinges (not shown) are provided at the upper and lower parts of the refrigerator compartment 2, and the upper door hinges are covered with the door hinge cover 16.

The ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 are freezing storage chambers in which the inside of the refrigerator is set to a freezing temperature zone (less than 0 ° C.), for example, about -18 ° C on average, and the refrigerating chamber 2 is a refrigerating temperature zone (0 ° C.). The above), for example, is a refrigerated storage room whose average temperature is about 4 ° C. The first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are switching storage chambers that can be set in the freezing temperature zone or the refrigerating temperature zone. You can switch between the freezing mode and the freezing mode. In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, there are a strong refrigerating mode and a weak freezing mode in which the temperature is between the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode, a weak refrigerating mode in which the temperature is higher than the refrigerating mode, and a strong freezing mode in which the temperature is lower than the freezing mode. A plurality of operation modes are provided, and these operation modes can be selected by operating the operation unit 200 provided in the refrigerating chamber 2. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 have two-star performance (-12 ° C or lower), and the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 in the freezing mode have Forster performance (-18 ° C). The temperature is lower in the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 in the freezing mode than in the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4. Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the use as a vegetable room (cellar room) is substituted by the weak refrigeration mode, but the vegetable mode may be provided independently of the refrigeration mode.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 is housed in a box body 10 formed by filling a foam insulating material (for example, urethane foam) between an outer box 10a made of a steel plate and an inner box 10b made of a synthetic resin. The outside and the inside of the refrigerator are separated from each other. In addition to the foam heat insulating material, the vacuum heat insulating material 25 having a relatively low thermal conductivity is mounted on the box body 10 between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b, so that the heat insulating performance is not reduced without reducing the food storage volume. Is increasing. Here, the vacuum heat insulating material is configured by wrapping a core material such as glass wool or urethane with an outer packaging material. The outer packaging material contains a metal layer (for example, aluminum) to ensure gas barrier properties. Further, in the vacuum heat insulating material, each surface shape is generally formed as a flat surface due to manufacturability.

In this embodiment, the vacuum heat insulating materials 25e and 25f are provided on the back surface and the lower portion of the box body 10, and the vacuum heat insulating materials 25 g (not shown) are provided on both sides of the box body 10 to improve the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator 1. There is.

Similarly, in this embodiment, the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator 1 is enhanced by providing the vacuum heat insulating materials 25c and 25d on the first switching chamber door 5a and the second switching chamber door 6a. In the above heat insulating configuration, especially when each switching chamber 5 or 6 is set to a freezing mode, the temperature difference between the outside of the refrigerator and the switching chambers 5 and 6 is large, and the amount of heat invading from the outside air is large, the energy saving performance can be greatly improved.

The refrigerating chamber 2, the ice making chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 4 are separated by a heat insulating partition wall 28. Further, the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 and the first switching chamber 5 are separated by a heat insulating partition wall 29, and the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are separated by a heat insulating partition wall 30. Further, behind the first switching chamber 5, an F evaporator 14b and its peripheral air passages (F evaporator chamber 8b, a freezing chamber air passage 12, and a freezing chamber return air passage 12d), which will be described later, are provided, and the first switching is performed. A heat insulating partition wall 27 is provided between the chamber 5 and the F evaporator 14b and the surrounding air passage.

By providing a plurality of door pockets 33a, 33b, 33c inside the refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b, and by providing shelves 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2 is divided into a plurality of storage spaces. There is. The ice making chamber door 3a, the freezing chamber door 4a, the first switching chamber door 5a, and the second switching chamber door 6a are integrally pulled out from the ice making chamber container 3b, the freezing chamber container 4b, the first switching chamber container 5b, and the second switching chamber. It is provided with a chamber container 6b.

A refrigerating room temperature sensor 41, a freezing room temperature sensor 42, and a first switching room temperature sensor 43 (FIG. 3) are located on the rear side of the refrigerator chamber 2, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6, respectively. A second switching chamber temperature sensor 44 (shown in FIG. 3B) is provided (shown in (b)), an R evaporator temperature sensor 40a is provided above the R evaporator 14a, and an F is provided above the F evaporator 14b. An evaporator temperature sensor 40b is provided, and the temperatures of the refrigerating chamber 2, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, the second switching chamber 6, the R evaporator 14a, and the F evaporator 14b are detected by these sensors. .. Further, an outside air temperature sensor 46 and an outside air humidity sensor 47 are provided inside the door hinge cover 16 on the ceiling of the refrigerator 1 to detect the temperature and humidity of the outside air (outside air). In addition, by providing a door sensor (not shown), the open / closed state of the doors 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a is detected, respectively.

A control board 31 on which a CPU, a memory such as a ROM or RAM, an interface circuit, or the like, which is a part of the control device, is mounted is arranged on the upper part of the refrigerator 1. Further, the control board 31 includes an outside air temperature sensor 46, an outside air humidity sensor 47, a refrigerating room temperature sensor 41, a freezing room temperature sensor 42, a first switching room temperature sensor 43, a second switching room temperature sensor 44, and an R evaporator temperature sensor. It is connected to 40a, the F evaporator temperature sensor 40b, etc. by electrical wiring (not shown).

In the control board 31, the compressor 58, the R fan 9a, the F fan 9b, the damper 101a, 101b, 102a, which will be described later, are based on the output value of each sensor, the setting of the operation panel 200, the program recorded in advance in the ROM, and the like. The 102b, the refrigerant control valve 52, and the display panel 201 are controlled.

In addition, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a communication platform (not shown) that can be connected to an external device so that the information of the refrigerator 1 can be provided to a mobile device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like. In the following, this function will be referred to as an external communication function.

FIG. 3A is a front view showing a state in which the door, the container, and the discharge port described later of FIG. 1 are removed (omitted). FIG. 3B is a front view of FIG. 1 with the door and the container removed.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the R evaporator 14a, which is a refrigerating evaporator, is provided inside the R evaporator chamber 8a on the back of the refrigerating chamber 2. The air (cold air) that has become cold due to heat exchange with the R evaporator 14a is subjected to the refrigerating chamber air passage 11 and the refrigerating chamber discharge port 11a by the R fan 9a, which is a refrigerating fan provided above the R evaporator 14a. The air is blown to the refrigerating chamber 2 through the refrigerator to cool the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2. Here, the form of the R fan 9a is a turbo fan which is a centrifugal fan. The air blown to the refrigerating chamber 2 returns to the R evaporator chamber 8a from the refrigerating chamber return port 15a (see FIG. 2) and the refrigerating chamber return port 15b (see FIG. 3A), and is cooled again by the R evaporator 14a. Will be done.

The refrigerating chamber discharge port 11a of the refrigerating chamber 2 is provided in the upper part of the refrigerating chamber 2, and in this embodiment, it is provided so that air is discharged above the uppermost shelf 34a and the second stage shelf 34b. Further, the refrigerating room return ports 15a and 15b are provided at the lower part of the refrigerating room 2, and in this embodiment, the refrigerating room return port 15b is provided at the second stage from the bottom of the refrigerating room 2 (between the shelves 34c and the shelves 34d). The refrigerating chamber return port 15a is provided at the lowermost stage of the refrigerating chamber 2 (between the shelf 34d and the heat insulating partition wall 28) at substantially the back of the second indirect cooling chamber 36, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3B, a first indirect cooling chamber 35 is provided above the shelf 34d in the refrigerating chamber 2. The first indirect cooling chamber 35 is provided with a case 35a, and the first indirect cooling chamber 35 is not provided with a discharge port for directly blowing cold air. That is, the first indirect cooling chamber 35 has an indirect cooling structure that prevents the low-temperature, low-humidity cold air generated by the R evaporator 14a from directly entering, and the food provided in the first indirect cooling chamber 35 can be dried. It is suppressed and can improve the preservability of foods that are vulnerable to drying such as vegetables.

Further, a second indirect cooling chamber 36 is provided above the heat insulating partition wall 28 inside the refrigerating chamber 2. The second indirect cooling chamber 36 has a substantially sealed structure in which the door 36a and the storage portion 36b are in contact with each other. As a result, low-temperature and low-humidity air is prevented from directly entering the food in the second indirect cooling chamber 36, and the drying of the food in the second indirect cooling chamber 36 is suppressed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an air passage structure showing the flow of cold air in the ice making chamber 3, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 according to the embodiment. The composition of the air passage in the refrigerator other than the refrigerator compartment 2 and the flow of cold air will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 (a), and 4A.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the F evaporator 14b, which is a freezing evaporator, is provided in the F evaporator chamber 8b at the back of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6. The air (cold air) that has become cold due to heat exchange with the F evaporator 14b is collected by the F fan 9b, which is a refrigerating fan provided above the F evaporator 14b, in the freezer chamber air passage 12, the freezer chamber discharge port 12a, and so on. It is blown to the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 through 12b to cool the water in the ice making tray 3c of the ice making chamber 3, the ice in the container 3b, the food in the container 4b of the freezing chamber 4, and the like. The water to the ice tray 3c is supplied from the ice making tank 37 shown in FIG. 3 (b) by an ice making pump (not shown). Here, the form of the F fan 9b is also a turbo fan, which is a centrifugal fan, in order to save space. The air that has cooled the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 returns to the F evaporator chamber 8b from the freezing chamber return port 12c via the freezing chamber return air passage 12d, and is cooled again by the F evaporator 14b.

In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are also cooled by the air (cold air) cooled by the F evaporator 14b. The blowing of cold air to the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 is controlled by the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, and 102b, which are blower control units.

First, the flow of cold air to the first switching chamber 5 will be described. The flow of cold air in the first switching chamber 5 differs between the freezing mode and the refrigerating mode. When the first switching chamber 5 is in the freezing mode, the damper 101a is opened and the damper 101b is closed. The air cooled by the F evaporator 14b passes through the F fan 9b, the freezer chamber air passage 12, the damper 101a, and the first switching chamber discharge port 111a, which is the direct cooling discharge port of the first switching chamber 5. Air is blown into the first switching chamber container 5b provided in the first switching chamber 5 to cool the food in the first switching chamber container 5b. Since the cold air directly cools the food in the first switching chamber container 5b, the food in the first switching chamber container 5b can be cooled in a relatively short time.

When the first switching chamber 5 is in the refrigerating mode, the damper 101a is closed and the damper 101b is opened. The air cooled by the F evaporator 14b passes through the F fan 9b, the freezing chamber air passage 12, the damper 101b, and the first switching chamber discharge port 111b, which is the indirect cooling discharge port of the first switching chamber 5. (1) Air is blown to the outside (outer circumference) of the switching chamber container 5b. It becomes difficult for the cold air to reach the food in the first switching chamber container 5b directly, that is, the food is indirectly cooled through the first switching chamber container 5b, so that the food can be cooled while suppressing the drying of the food. The air discharged from the first switching chamber discharge port 111a or the first switching chamber discharge port 111b and cooled in the first switching chamber 5 is F from the first switching chamber return port 111c through the freezing chamber return air passage 12d. It returns to the evaporator chamber 8b and is cooled again by the F evaporator 14b.

Next, the flow of cold air to the second switching chamber 6 will be described. The configuration of the second switching chamber 6 is the same as that of the first switching chamber 5, and the opening and closing of the damper is changed depending on the operation mode. When the second switching chamber 6 is in the freezing mode, the damper 102a is opened and the damper 102b is closed. The air (cold air) cooled by the F evaporator 14b passes through the F fan 9b, the freezing chamber air passage 12, the damper 102a, and the second switching chamber discharge port 112a, which is the direct cooling discharge port of the second switching chamber 6. Then, air is blown into the second switching chamber container 6b to cool the food on the second switching chamber container 6b. Since the cold air directly cools the food in the second switching chamber container 5b, the food in the second switching chamber container 6b can be cooled in a relatively short time.

When the second switching chamber 6 is in the refrigerating mode, the damper 102b is opened and the damper 102a is closed. The air cooled by the F evaporator 14b passes through the F fan 9b, the freezing chamber air passage 12, the damper 102b, and the second switching chamber discharge port 111b, which is the indirect cooling discharge port of the second switching chamber 6. (Ii) Air is blown to the outside (outer circumference) of the switching chamber container 6b to cool the food while suppressing the drying of the food as indirect cooling. The air cooled in the second switching chamber 6 returns from the second switching chamber return port 112c to the F evaporator chamber 8b via the freezing chamber return air passage 12d, and is cooled again by the F evaporator 14b.

In the refrigerator of this embodiment, even in the refrigerating mode, the dampers 101a and 102a are opened when the temperature inside the refrigerator is higher than a predetermined value (for example, when the temperature is higher than the reference temperature by 10 ° C. or more). As a result, the food in the container can be cooled in a short time by direct cooling, the time when the food is hot can be suppressed, and the freshness retention performance of the food can be improved.

Further, among the refrigerating modes, the dampers 101b and 102b are used in the weak refrigerating mode (set to "weak" in the operation panel 200 shown in FIG. 8) assuming the use as a vegetable room, and the normal refrigerating mode (see FIG. 8). The dampers 101a and 102a may be used in the operation panel 200 shown ("medium" setting) or in the strong refrigerating mode ("strong" setting in the operation panel 200 shown in FIG. 8). As a result, when assuming vegetables, indirect cooling suppresses the drying of food, and when storing foods in bags, cans, beverages in PET bottles, etc., which are relatively less likely to dry, cool quickly. Can be prioritized.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration for realizing the refrigerating temperature of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5A is a diagram below the heat insulating partition wall 28 of FIG. 5 (b) is an enlarged view below the heat insulating partition wall 28 of FIG. 3 (b).

In this refrigerator 1, in order to heat the first switching chamber 5, the rear heater 60 of the first switching chamber is on the back side (in front of the heat insulating partition wall 27) of the first switching chamber 5, and the bottom side (upper part of the heat insulating partition wall 29). Is provided with a heater 61 on the lower surface of the first switching chamber. Similarly, in order to heat the second switching chamber 6, a second switching chamber upper surface heater 62 is provided on the upper surface side (lower part of the heat insulating partition wall 29) of the second switching chamber 6, and a second switching chamber rear heater 63 is provided on the rear surface side. ing.

Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the vacuum heat insulating material 25a is provided inside the heat insulating partition wall 29, the vacuum heat insulating material 25b is also provided inside the heat insulating partition wall 30, and the heat insulating partition wall 27 is provided with, for example, a foamed polystyrene foam heat insulating material. 24 is provided. As a result, heat transfer between each storage chamber of the refrigerator 1 and the F evaporator 14b and its surrounding air passages (F evaporator chamber 8b, freezing chamber air passage 12, and freezing chamber return air passage 12d) and the first switching chamber The heat transfer between 5 and 5 is suppressed.

With the above configuration, the energy saving performance of the refrigerator 1 can be improved especially when the first switching chamber 5 is set to the refrigerating mode and the second switching chamber 6 is set to the freezing mode. In the first switching chamber 5 of the refrigerating temperature zone, heat is absorbed from the upper surface (heat insulating partition wall 29), the back surface (heat insulating partition wall 27), and the bottom surface (heat insulating partition wall 30) in which the adjacent room is the freezing temperature zone, and the first The temperature of the switching chamber 5 tends to be low, but by providing the foam heat insulating material 24 or the vacuum heat insulating material 25 on the heat insulating partition walls 27, 29, 30, heat absorption from the top surface, the back surface, and the bottom surface is suppressed, and a heater is not used, or The power of the heater is suppressed so that the temperature can be maintained at a predetermined temperature pair. Since the power used for the heater can be reduced, the energy saving performance is improved. On the other hand, when the outside air is at a low temperature, heating by the outside air may be suppressed or cooled from the outside air, and it is not enough to suppress the endotherm between the refrigerators as described above. The first switching chamber rear heater 60 and the first switching chamber lower surface heater 61 for heating the chamber 5, and the second switching chamber upper surface heater 62 and the second switching chamber rear heater 63 for heating the second switching chamber 6 are provided. By providing them and heating them appropriately, the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 set in the refrigerating temperature zone can be maintained at a predetermined temperature. Further, these heaters may be used to perform mode switching control in a short time. That is, when switching from the freezing mode to the refrigerating mode, it may be controlled to heat with these heaters and bring the refrigerating temperature to the refrigerating temperature in a short time.

In addition, the foam heat insulating material 24 instead of the vacuum heat insulating material 25 inside the heat insulating partition wall 27 has a higher degree of freedom in designing the shape than the vacuum heat insulating material 25, and can be made into a complicated shape, and also by itself. This is because the air passage can be formed. That is, the heat insulating partition wall 27 forms an F evaporator chamber 8b, a freezing chamber air passage 12, and a freezing chamber return air passage 12d, and also has an F evaporator 14b, an F fan 9b, dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b, etc. However, by using the foamed heat insulating material 24, it is possible to improve the heat insulating performance and form an air passage having relatively low ventilation resistance while arranging them.

On the other hand, since the heat insulating partition walls 29 and 30 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a relatively simple shape, high heat insulating performance can be obtained with a relatively thin thickness by using the vacuum heat insulating material 25, and heat transfer between storage chambers can be obtained. It is effective in increasing the internal volume of each storage chamber that stores food while suppressing it.

In the first switching chamber 5, the upper part tends to be high temperature and the lower part tends to be low temperature due to natural convection, and the lower surface is also cooled when the second switching chamber 6 is in the freezing mode, so that the first switching chamber 5 has a low temperature. A heater is provided on the lower surface where it is easy to become. On the other hand, the second switching chamber 6 is heated because the lower surface is in contact with the outside air, and the upper surface is provided with a heater on the upper surface side because the first switching chamber 5 is cooled in the freezing mode.

Further, the second switching chamber 6 is the maximum (when the first switching chamber 5 is in the freezing mode and the second switching chamber 6 is in the freezing mode), and the upper surface and the upper part of the back surface are separated from other chambers in the freezing temperature zone via a heat insulating partition wall. The first switching chamber 5 is cooled at the maximum (when the first switching chamber 5 is in the freezing mode and the second switching chamber 6 is in the freezing mode), and the upper surface, the back surface, and the lower surface are in the freezing temperature zone and others. Since the room is cooled through the heat insulating partition wall, the maximum heating amount of the heater is larger in the first switching room 5 having a larger cooling area. That is, the total maximum power consumption of the first switching chamber rear heater 60 for heating the first switching chamber 5 and the first switching chamber lower surface heater 61 is the upper surface of the second switching chamber for heating the second switching chamber 6. The maximum power consumption is larger than the total maximum power consumption of the heater 62 and the rear heater 63 of the second switching chamber, and the first switching chamber 5, which tends to be cooled to a low temperature, can also be controlled to an appropriate temperature.

FIG. 6 shows dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b and a damper heater 64 provided on the damper. Each damper In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the damper 101a is housed in the damper component 111, the damper 102a is housed in the damper component 112, and the dampers 101b and 102b are housed in the damper component 113, respectively. The dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b are driven by a motor (not shown) also installed in the same. The damper component 113 is a twin damper that drives two dampers 101b and 102b with one motor, thereby reducing the number of motors, saving space and reducing costs.

Damper heaters 64 are provided on the outer peripheral portions of the damper components 111, 112, and 113, respectively. As a result, even if frost / ice adheres to each damper and freezes, the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b are prevented from operating by heating with a heater and melting the frost / ice. is doing. In this embodiment, heaters are provided on the outer peripheral portions of the damper components 111, 112, 113 because they are easy to dispose of, but heaters are provided on the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b (driving units that open and close). You may. In this case, since the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, and 102b can be directly heated, the frost and ice adhering to each damper can be easily melted, and it is possible to suppress that each damper does not operate with less energy.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, dew condensation prevention that suppresses dew condensation on the front portions of the compressor 58, the external radiator 50a that is a heat radiating means for radiating the refrigerant, the wall surface radiating pipe 50b, and the partition walls 28, 29, 30 is suppressed. The pipe 50c, the cooling capillary tube 53a and the refrigerating capillary tube 53b, which are depressurizing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, the R evaporator 14a and the F evaporator that exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air inside the refrigerator to absorb the heat inside the refrigerator. 14b is provided, and the inside of the refrigerator is cooled by these. Further, a dryer 51 for removing water during the refrigeration cycle, gas-liquid separators 54a and 54b for preventing the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 58, a three-way valve 52 for controlling the refrigerant flow path, and a check valve are provided. A valve 56 and a refrigerant merging portion 55 for connecting the refrigerant flow are also provided, and these are connected by a refrigerant pipe 59 to form a refrigerating cycle.

The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment uses isobutane as a refrigerant. Further, the compressor 58 of this embodiment is provided with an inverter and can change the rotation speed.

The three-way valve 52 has two outlets shown by 52a and 52b, and has a refrigerating mode in which the refrigerant flows on the outlet 52a side and a refrigerating mode in which the refrigerant flows on the outlet 52b side, and these can be switched. be. Further, the three-way valve 52 of the present embodiment has a fully closed mode in which both the outlet 52a and the outlet 52b prevent the refrigerant from flowing, and a fully open mode in which the refrigerant flows in both of them. It is possible.

In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the refrigerant flows as follows. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 58 flows in the order of the outside radiator 50a, the outside radiator 50b, the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c, and the dryer 51, and reaches the three-way valve 52. The outlet 52a of the three-way valve 52 is connected to the refrigerating capillary tube 53a via the refrigerant pipe, and the outlet 52b is connected to the freezing capillary tube 53b via the refrigerant pipe.

When cooling the refrigerating chamber 2, the refrigerant flows from the three-way valve 52 to the outlet 52a side. The refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 52a flows in the order of the refrigerating capillary tube 53a, the R evaporator 14a, the gas-liquid separator 54a, and the refrigerant confluence portion 55, and then returns to the compressor 58. The low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant in the refrigerating capillary tube 53a flows through the R evaporator 14a, so that the R evaporator 14a becomes cold, and the air cooled by the R evaporator 14b is blown by the R fan 9a (see FIG. 2). By doing so, the refrigerating chamber 2 is cooled.

When cooling the ice making chamber 3, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6, the refrigerant flows from the three-way valve 52 to the outlet 52b side. The refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 52b flows in the order of the refrigerating capillary tube 53b, the F evaporator 14b, the gas-liquid separator 54b, the check valve 56, and the refrigerant merging portion 55, and then returns to the compressor 58. The check valve 56 is arranged so that the refrigerant flows from the gas-liquid separator 54b to the refrigerant merging portion 55 side and does not flow from the refrigerant merging portion 55 to the gas-liquid separator 54b side. The low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant in the refrigerating capillary tube 53b flows through the F-evaporator 14b, so that the F-evaporator 14b becomes low-temperature, and the air cooled by the F-evaporator 14b is blown by the F fan 9b (see FIG. 2). This cools the ice making chamber 3, the refrigerating chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6. As described above, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the refrigerating chamber 2 is cooled by using the R evaporator 14a, and the ice making chamber 3, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 use the F evaporator 14b. It is configured to be used for cooling.

Here, when the refrigerant is passed through the F evaporator 14b that cools the ice making chamber 3, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 which are in the freezing temperature zone or can be set in the freezing temperature zone, The temperature of the evaporator is lower than those of these storage chambers (for example, -25 ° C). On the other hand, when the refrigerant is passed through the R evaporator 14a that cools the refrigerating chamber 2 in the refrigerating temperature zone, the evaporator temperature of the refrigerant is relatively high (for example, −10 ° C.). Generally, the higher the temperature of the evaporator, the higher the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration cycle, which is effective in improving the energy saving performance. Further, the higher the temperature of the evaporator, the more the frost formation of the moisture in the air when the air passes through the evaporator is suppressed, that is, the dehumidification of the air is suppressed, and the inside of the refrigerator can be kept at a high humidity. Therefore, by cooling the refrigerating chamber 2 in a state where the temperature of the R evaporator 14a is high, the energy saving performance at the time of cooling the refrigerating chamber 2 can be improved as compared with the case of cooling with the same evaporator as the storage chamber in the freezing temperature zone. At the same time, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2 can be kept at a high humidity.

Further, by separating the R evaporator 14a that cools only the refrigerating chamber 2 and the F evaporator 14b that cools the other storage chambers, the defrosting method of the R evaporator 14a is set to off-cycle defrosting, and further energy saving performance is achieved. We are trying to improve and increase the humidity of the refrigerating room 2.

First, the main defrosting method of the F evaporator 14b will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. A defrost heater 21 for heating the F evaporator 14b is provided below the F evaporator 14b. The defrost heater 21 is, for example, an electric heater of 50 W to 200 W, and in this embodiment, it is a radiant heater of 150 W. The defrosted water (melted water) generated during the defrosting of the F evaporator 14b is transferred from the F toy 23b at the lower part of the F evaporator chamber 8b to the F evaporating dish 32 provided at the upper part of the compressor 58 via the F drain pipe 26. It is discharged.

On the other hand, an off-cycle defrosting method is adopted for defrosting the R evaporator 14a, and the R fan 9a is driven in a state where the refrigerant does not flow through the R evaporator 14a. The R fan 9a causes the air in the refrigerating chamber 2 to flow to the R evaporator 14a via the refrigerating chamber return ports 15a and 15b (see FIGS. 2 and 3A), and the refrigerating temperature (0) higher than the melting point of frost. The frost in the R evaporator 14a is heated and defrosted by the air in the refrigerating chamber 2 (° C. or higher). The defrosted water generated during the defrosting of the R evaporator 14a is shown in the machine room 39 from the R toy 23a (see FIG. 2) provided in the lower part of the R evaporator chamber 8a via an R drain pipe (not shown). Not discharged into the R evaporating dish.

When the off-cycle defrosting method is used, the R evaporator 14a can be defrosted only with a fan (0.5 to 3W) without using an electric heater (about 150W), so it consumes more than the defrosting method using an electric heater. Power can be suppressed. Further, since the air (about 4 ° C.) passing during the off-cycle defrosting is cooled by the frost (about 0 ° C.) adhering to the low-temperature R evaporator 14a and the R evaporator 14a, the R evaporator 14a is removed. At the same time as frosting, the refrigerator compartment 2 can be cooled. Therefore, it is a defrosting method with high energy saving performance. Further, since the temperature of the R evaporator 14a is high during the off-cycle dehumidification, the dehumidification of the air passing through the R evaporator 14a is suppressed or humidified, so that the effect of keeping the refrigerating chamber 2 at a high humidity is further enhanced. be able to.

FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of the operation panel 200, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the display panel 201. In the operation panel 200 shown in FIG. 8A provided in the refrigerating chamber 2, by pressing each operation unit, additional functions such as automatic ice making, power saving function, and external communication function can be turned on and off, and the refrigerating chamber 2 and 2 The temperature of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 can be adjusted. The temperature adjustment is the change to the above-mentioned weak refrigeration mode and strong refrigeration mode, and the first switching chamber 5 and second switching of the freezing mode in the refrigerating room 2 and the first switching room 5 and the second switching room 6 of the refrigerating mode. In the chamber 6, the above-mentioned weak refrigeration mode and strong refrigeration mode are changed, and the target temperature is changed by, for example, about 2 ° C. In addition to this temperature adjustment, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, apart from the temperature adjustment operation unit, the mode switching operation unit 200a for switching between the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 A mode switching operation unit 200b for switching between the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode is provided. The settings of the other operation units are changed immediately after they are pressed, but the settings of the mode switching operation units 200a and 200b are changed by pressing and holding for 3 seconds, for example. Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when any operation unit is operated, the buzzer provided on the operation panel 200 notifies the acceptance of the operation by sound, but the mode switching operation units 200a and 200b are pressed and held. However, when the mode switching execution is accepted, the acceptance is notified with a different sound than when other operations are accepted.

Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment, since the operation panel 200 is provided in the refrigerating chamber 2, the information from the refrigerator 1 can be grasped without opening the refrigerating chamber doors 2a and 2b. ) Is provided with a display panel 201 on the refrigerator compartment door 2a. In the display board 201, in addition to the "eco" sign indicating that the user's usage state is excellent in energy saving and the "water supply" sign indicating the state of the ice making tank 37, the first switching room 5 is switching modes. A mode switching display 201a for displaying that the mode is being switched and a mode switching display 201b for displaying that the second switching chamber 6 is switching the mode are provided.

This configuration shown above takes into consideration the malfunction of the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode by the user. If the refrigerated mode and the frozen mode are mistakenly switched, for example, the vegetables stored in the refrigerated mode may be frozen, or the frozen food stored in the frozen mode may be thawed. Therefore, care should be taken to prevent the temperature zone from changing unintentionally with the intention of performing operations such as temperature adjustment, or by unintentional operation (such as unintentionally touching the operation unit). There is a need to.

On the other hand, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the operation unit for temperature adjustment and the mode switching operation units 200a and 200b are made independent to suppress erroneous mode change. Further, an operation panel 200 provided with mode switching operation units 200a and 200b is provided in the refrigerating chamber 2, whereby the operation unit is not unintentionally touched when the refrigerating chamber doors 2a and 2b are closed. I am doing it.

Furthermore, by pressing and holding the operation for switching between the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode, malfunctions caused by unintentionally touching the operation unit are suppressed more reliably. In this embodiment, long press is used as a method of suppressing malfunction, but for example, the mode may be changed when a plurality of operation units are pressed at the same time. In this case, it is not necessary to press and hold it for a long time, so it is possible to send a mode switching instruction as soon as possible. On the other hand, although it is one operation as in the first embodiment, it can be relatively easy to operate by pressing and holding it for a long time.

In addition, when the mode switching execution is accepted, a buzzer sounds different from that when other operations are accepted, making it easier to notice if the operation is mistaken. Further, on the display panel 201, a mode switching display 201a indicating that the first switching chamber 5 is switching modes and a mode switching displaying 201b indicating that the second switching chamber 6 is switching modes are displayed. By providing it, it is possible to confirm that the mode switching is being executed without opening the door, making it easier to notice if the operation is mistaken. As a result, the user can immediately stop the mode switching (return the mode to the original mode) and suppress unintended freezing and thawing. By providing the mode switching displays 201a and 201b in the display 201 that can be confirmed without opening the door, it becomes easier to notice that the mode has been switched by another user in a home with multiple users, which is necessary. Mode switching can be stopped early accordingly. This function is effective especially in households with small children, because there is a risk that the mode will be switched due to mischief by the children.

Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the mode switching is started to be displayed in a pop-up on the mobile device or the like specified by the user by the external communication function, whereby the mode is switched by another user. It makes it easier to notice what was done.

In addition, for example, by setting restrictions on mode switching operations such as fingerprint authentication and passwords, and by using an external communication function, mode switching can be performed only from mobile devices that are not normally used by anyone other than the main user. The mode may not be switched by anyone other than the user.

The above is the basic configuration of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. The specific control of the refrigerator 1 will be described below.

9 and 10 are basic cooling control flowcharts of this embodiment. The description starts from the control S1-1 in the OFF (stopped) state of the compressor 58. In this embodiment, it is determined whether cooling is necessary for the storage chamber cooled by the F evaporator 14b provided with the storage chamber in the freezing temperature zone. First, in the control S1-2, it is determined whether or not the temperature T_F of the freezing chamber 4 detected by the freezing chamber temperature sensor 42 is lower than the predetermined temperature T_F-ON of, for example, −15 ° C., that is, whether the freezing chamber 4 needs to be cooled. .. When T_F is T_F-ON or more (S1-2: No), the process shifts to controls S1-12 and S1-13, and the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b, that is, the refrigerant is passed through the F evaporator 14b to lower the temperature. The operation is such that the air around the F evaporator 14b has been blown to each storage chamber by the F fan 9b. When the temperature T_F of the freezing chamber 4 is lower than the predetermined temperature T_F-ON (for example, −15 ° C.) (S1-2: Yes), it is determined whether the first switching chamber 5 needs to be cooled. At this time, the temperature for determining whether cooling is necessary differs depending on whether the first switching chamber 5 is in the refrigerating mode or the freezing mode. In the freezing mode (control S1-3: Yes), for example, T_S1F-ON at -18 ° C. In the refrigerating mode (control S1-3: No), for example, T_S1R-ON at 6 ° C. is used as a reference. If the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 detected by the first switching chamber temperature sensor 43 is T_S1F-ON or T_S1R-ON or higher (control S1-4 or S1-5: No), control S1-12, The cooling operation is performed using the F evaporator 14b of S1-13. Similarly, for the second switching chamber 6, for example, T_S2F-ON at -19 ° C. in the freezing mode (control S1-6: Yes) and T_S2R at 7 ° C. in the refrigerating mode (control S1-6: No). If the temperature T_S2 of the first switching chamber 6 detected by the second switching chamber temperature sensor 44 is equal to or higher than these temperatures (control S1-7 or S1-8: No) with -ON as a reference, control S1-12, The cooling operation is performed using the F evaporator 14b of S1-13. The conditions for ending this operation will be described later with reference to FIG.

When it was determined that cooling of the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 was unnecessary based on the judgments of the controls S1-2 to S1-8, the F evaporator 14b shown in FIG. 10 was used. When the cooling operation is completed (control S1-14), it is determined whether the cooling chamber 2 needs to be cooled. When the temperature T_R of the refrigerating chamber 2 detected by the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 41 is, for example, a predetermined temperature T_R-ON of 6 ° C. or higher (control S1-9: No), the cooling operation using the R evaporator 14a (control S1). -10). In the cooling operation using the R evaporator 14a, when the temperature T_R of the refrigerating chamber 2 becomes T_R-OFF or less of, for example, 2 ° C. (control S1-11: Yes), the cooling operation using the R evaporator 14a is terminated. , Return to the control S1-2 for determining the necessity of the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b again. Further, when the temperature T_R of the refrigerating chamber 2 is lower than T_R-ON while reaching the control S1-9 (control S1-9: Yes), it is determined that no cooling is necessary, and the compressor 58 is determined. Is stopped (control S1-1).

Next, control during the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b will be described with reference to FIG. The control S1-13 in FIG. 9 is the same as the control S2-1 in FIG. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the control regarding the first switching chamber 5, the control regarding the second switching chamber 6, and the control regarding the freezing chamber 4 are performed in parallel.

First, the control related to the first switching chamber 5 will be described. When the first switching chamber 5 is set to the freezing mode (control S2-3: Yes), when the damper 101a for direct cooling is opened (control S2-4), the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 is, for example, -22. Cool until the temperature becomes T_S1F-OFF or less (control S2-5). When the first switching chamber 5 is set to the refrigerating mode (control S2-3: No), the damper 101b for indirect cooling is opened (control S2-6), and the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 is, for example, 2. Cool until the temperature becomes T_S1R-OFF or less (control S2-7). When these controls are completed, the dampers 101a and 101b are closed (control S2-8) to prevent an increase in power consumption due to overcooling and food freezing in the refrigerating mode, and the first switching chamber 5 is being cooled. Check_S1 which was set to 1 in the control S2-2 indicating the existence is set to 0 (control S2-9).

The first switching chamber 5 is to prevent the temperature of the first switching chamber 5 from becoming too high until the cooling control of the other freezing chambers 4 and 2 is completed (control S2-25 is reached). When 5 is set to the refrigerating mode (control S2-10: Yes), the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 is set to the refrigerating mode, for example, T_S1F-ON2 or higher at -20 ° C (control S2-11: Yes). When this is done (control S2-10: No), when the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 becomes, for example, T_S1R-ON2 or higher at 4 ° C. (control S2-12: Yes), the damper is opened again (control S2-). 4, S2-6). After that, when the temperature of T_S1 becomes lower than T_S1F-OFF or T_S1R-OFF again, the damper is closed again (controls S2-5, S2-7, S2-8).

Next, the control regarding the second switching chamber 6 will be described, but it is basically the same as that of the first switching chamber 5. When the second switching chamber 6 is set to the freezing mode (control S2-13: Yes), when the damper 102a for direct cooling is opened (control S2-14), the temperature T_S2 of the second switching chamber 6 is, for example, -23. Cool until the temperature becomes T_S2F-OFF or less (control S2-15). When the second switching chamber 6 is set to the refrigerating mode (control S2-13: No), the damper 102b for indirect cooling is opened (control S2-16), and the temperature T_S2 of the second switching chamber 6 is, for example, 3. Cool until the temperature becomes T_S2R-OFF or less (control S2-17). When these controls are completed, the dampers 102a and 102b are closed (control S2-18), and Check_S2, which was set to 1 in the control S2-2 indicating that the second switching chamber 6 is being cooled, is set to 0 (control S2-). 19). After that, when the second switching chamber 6 is set to the freezing mode (control S2-20: Yes) until the cooling control of the freezing chamber 4 and the first switching chamber 5 is completed (control S2-25 is reached). When the temperature T_S2 of the second switching chamber 6 is, for example, T_S2F-ON2 or higher at -21 ° C. (control S2-21) and the refrigerating mode is set (control S2-20: No), the temperature T_S2 of the second switching chamber 5 For example, when the temperature becomes T_S1R-ON2 or higher at 5 ° C. (control S2-22), the damper is opened again (controls S2-14, S2-16), and when T_S2 becomes T_S2F-OFF or T_S2R-OFF or lower, the damper is closed again. (Controls S2-15, S2-17, S2-18).

Finally, the control regarding the freezing chamber 4 will be described. Since the freezing chamber 4 does not have a damper for controlling the temperature, it is determined that the temperature T_F of the freezing chamber 4 is, for example, T_F-OFF or less at −20 ° C. (control S2-23: Yes), and the freezing chamber 4 is determined. Cooling control is finished.

It is determined that the cooling of the freezing chamber 4 is completed (control S2-23: Yes), and the cooling control of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 is completed by Check_S1 and S2 (control S2-24: Yes). ), The F fan 9b is turned off (control S2-25), and the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b ends (control S2-26).

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when any of the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 has a predetermined temperature or higher, the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b is performed. (Controls S1-2 to S1-8 in FIG. 9), and during the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b, at least any of the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 is performed. It is always cooled once until it falls below a predetermined temperature (Fig. 10). As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature of any of the storage chambers from becoming too high and too low as compared with the case of controlling only by the temperature of any one storage chamber, and the food can be improved in energy saving performance. Can improve the storage performance of.

Further, in the cooling control of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6, when the predetermined temperature is reached, the damper is closed (controls S2-8, S2-18) to prevent overcooling, and the cooling state is released. (Control S2-9, S2-19) If the temperature rises (controls S2-10 to S2-12, or S2-20 to S2-22), open the damper again to cool. This prevents the temperature from becoming too high while preventing overcooling, and improves the storage performance of food while improving the energy saving performance.

While the controls S2-10 to S2-12 or S2-20 to S2-22 are used to control the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, and 102b to be reopened, Check_S1 and Check_S2 remain 0. As a result, Check_S1 and Check_S2 are alternately in the state of 1, and it is suppressed that the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b is not completed. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of evaporators, and cooling using the F evaporator 14b is performed in order to switch between the cooling operation using the R evaporator 14a and the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b. When the operation is completed and the operation is shifted to the cooling operation using the R evaporator 14a, the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b cannot be shifted to for a while. Therefore, T_S1F-ON2 used for the control of opening the damper again is lower temperature than T_S1F-ON shown in FIG. 9, similarly, T_S1R-ON2 is lower temperature than T_S1R-ON, T_S2F-ON2 is lower temperature than T_S2F-ON, and T_S2R. -ON2 is kept at a lower temperature than T_S2R-ON so that the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b is completed in a relatively low temperature state.

FIG. 11 is an example of a temperature change over time showing the basic cooling control of this embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a case where both the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are in the freezing mode. Each control number corresponds to FIGS. 9 and 10.

The case where both the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 of FIG. 11 are in the freezing mode will be described from time t0. After the compressor 58 is stopped at time t0 (control S1-1), each determination of controls S1-2 to S1-9 is performed. At time t1, the temperature T_S2 of the second switching chamber 6 becomes T_S2F-ON or higher (control S1-7: No), and the cooling operation by the F evaporator 14b is started (controls S1-12, S1-13 and). S2-1). In FIG. 11, since both the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are in the freezing mode, the dampers 101a and 102a for direct cooling are opened. When the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 becomes T_S1F-OFF or less at time t2 (control S2-5: Yes), the damper 101a is closed (control S2-8), and the first switching chamber 5 is being cooled. Check_S1 indicating that is 0 (cleared) (control S2-9). Similarly, at time t3, when the temperature T_S2 of the second switching chamber 6 becomes T_S2F-OFF or less (control S2-15: Yes), the damper 102a closes (control S2-18), and the second switching chamber 6 Check_S2 indicating that is being cooled is 0 (cleared) (control S2-19). After that, at time t4, the temperature T_F of the freezing chamber 4 became T_F-OFF or less, and it was determined that cooling of all of the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 was completed (control S2-). 23, S2-24), the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b is terminated (controls S2-25, S2-26 and S1-14). Since the temperature of the first switching chamber 5 became higher than that of T_S1F-ON2 at the time t6 during this period, the damper 101a was opened again (control S2-11: Yes → control S2-5), and the first switching chamber was opened. The temperature rise of 5 is suppressed.

At the time t4 when the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b was completed, the temperature T_R of the refrigerating chamber 2 was T_R-ON or higher (control S1-9: No), so that the R evaporator 14a was used. Shift to cooling operation (control S1-10). After that, at time t5, when the temperature T_R of the refrigerating chamber 2 becomes T_R-OFF or less (control S1-11: Yes), the cooling operation using the R evaporator 14a is terminated, and the F evaporator 14b is used again. It is determined whether or not the cooling operation is necessary (controls S1-2 to S2-8). At time t5 in FIG. 11, it was determined that the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b was not necessary, and the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 2 was less than T_R-ON (control S1-9: Yes), so the compressor 58 was turned off. (Control S1-1). By fully closing the three-way valve 52 at this time, the refrigerant on the high pressure side of the refrigeration cycle flows into the R evaporator 14a and the F evaporator 14b, and the temperature of the R evaporator 14a and the F evaporator 14b rises. This is to prevent it from happening.

After that, the same operation is repeated.

FIG. 12 is a basic defrost control flowchart of this embodiment. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment performs a defrosting operation in which the frost attached to the F evaporator 14b is defrosted by the defrosting heater 21.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, during the cooling operation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the time since the previous defrosting operation, the ambient temperature and humidity detected by the outside air temperature sensor 46 and the outside air humidity sensor 47, and the compressor. The frost formation state is predicted based on the operation state (rotation speed, operation time) of 58, the time when each door is open, etc., and it is determined that defrosting is necessary when a predetermined condition is satisfied (control S3-1: Yes). And start the defrosting operation (control S3-2). After satisfying the start condition of the defrosting operation (control S3-1: Yes) and before starting the defrosting operation (control S3-2), the temperature rise in the defrosting operation is predicted and the inside of the refrigerator is stored in advance. You may perform a pre-cool operation in which the temperature is cooled to a lower temperature than usual.

During the defrosting operation (control S3-2), the compressor 58 and the fan 9b are turned off, the defrosting heater 21 is turned on, and the damper heater 64 is also turned on. The dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b are cooled by the air at the freezing temperature during the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b, but the first switching chamber 5 or the second switching chamber 6 is in the refrigerating mode. Especially when storing vegetables, etc., the humid air from the inside of the refrigerator may reach the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b and frost, so turn on the damper heater 64 during the defrosting operation. Defrosting of the dampers 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b is also performed. The dampers 101a and 101b for the first switching chamber 5 and the dampers 102a and 102b for the second switching chamber 6 are separately provided, and only the heater on the damper side related to the switching chamber in the refrigerating mode is turned on. ， The heater power may be suppressed to improve the energy saving performance.

The defrosting operation is performed, and when the temperature T_e of the F evaporator 14b detected by the F evaporator temperature sensor 44b becomes, for example, T_e-def or higher at 8 ° C. (control S3-3), the defrosting operation is terminated (control S3-4). , S3-5), and return to the cooling control in FIG. 9 (control S1-15 in FIG. 9).

FIG. 13 is a mode switching control flowchart of the first switching chamber 5 in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. Since the mode switching control of the second switching chamber 6 is the same as that of the first switching chamber 5, it is omitted. In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the mode of the first switching chamber 5 is switched, three controls of "temperature control", "damper heater control", and "switching in progress display" are performed in parallel.

First, temperature control will be described. When the mode is switched, each reference temperature set value for the first switching chamber 5 is changed (for example, control S1-4 (reference temperature T_S2F-ON) in FIG. 9 is controlled S1-5 (reference temperature T_S2R-ON). )change to). Further, in order to reach a predetermined temperature in a short time, particularly to reach the refrigerating temperature when switching from the refrigerating mode to the refrigerating mode, the rotation speed of the compressor 58 and the rotation speed of the F fan 9b are increased. After that, the cooling control shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is performed in that state (control S4-2), but when the compressor 58 is turned off (control S4-3), the operation shifts to the defrosting operation (control S4). -5). When the defrosting operation is completed (control S4-6), the normal cooling control shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is restored, and the temperature control peculiar to the mode switching is terminated. The control during the defrosting operation is the same as that shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the compressor 58 and the rotation speed of the F fan 9b are increased even when switching from the freezing mode to the refrigerating mode, which causes the defrosting operation described later to start early. This is to simplify the control program by reducing the number of cases of control (control S4-3: Yes → control S4-5).

Here, the reason for shifting to the defrosting operation in the control S4-3 will be described.

First, by performing this defrosting operation, heating from the freezing mode to the refrigerating mode can be promoted. Since the defrost heater has a calorific value of about 150 W, which is the largest in the refrigerator of this embodiment, the F evaporator 14b and its surrounding air passages are heated by this to heat the first switching chamber 5 and the first. (2) The switching chamber 6 is also heated via the heat insulating partition wall 27, and can switch from the freezing temperature zone to the refrigerating temperature zone in a relatively short time. For example, when the first switching chamber 5 is changed from the freezing mode to the refrigerating mode, the damper 101a or 101b on the first switching chamber 5 side is opened during this defrosting operation, and the air passage around the F evaporator 14b flows. By allowing the warm air to flow to the first switching chamber 5, the first switching chamber 5 may be heated by this warm air, and the speed of switching to the refrigerating temperature zone may be further increased.

The second is to prevent the occurrence of frost formation that is difficult to consider due to frost formation that differs for each mode. For example, when both the damper 101a for the first switching chamber 5 and the damper 102a for the second switching chamber 6 are opened in the F evaporator 14b, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 are opened. When only the damper 101a is open, the air in the freezing chamber 4 and the first switching chamber 5 flows, and when only the damper 102a is open, the air in the freezing chamber 4 and the first switching chamber 5 flows. ， Also, when both are closed, the air in the freezer chamber 4 flows. That is, the air flow around the F evaporator 14b changes depending on the open / closed state of the damper. Therefore, if the opening / closing time of the dampers 101a and 101b changes between the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode, the influence on the air flow around the F evaporator 14b changes. Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, since the dampers different from the dampers 101a and 101b are opened in the freezing mode and the refrigerating mode, the air flow around the F evaporator 14b changes in a complicated manner in the freezing mode and the refrigerating mode. .. When the air flow changes, the frost distribution generated in the F evaporator 14b also changes. In addition, the air coming from the storage room in the refrigerated mode is basically hotter and more humid (absolute humidity is higher), so it is easier to frost, and the frost distribution changes depending on the mode. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the frost formation state in consideration of the case where both the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode are mixed in the switching chamber. When evaluating in the test, it is necessary to evaluate the frost formation distribution at each ratio by changing the time ratio between the refrigerating mode and the freezing mode, which is difficult because a huge test time is required. This has a refrigerator having a relatively large capacity of the switching chamber (for example, the length in the width direction of the switching chamber is the same as the width direction of the entire refrigerator 1) as in the first embodiment, or a plurality of switching chambers. It has a big effect on the refrigerator. When an unintended frost distribution occurs, it is conceivable that air will flow to unintended locations and frost will grow to unintended locations. As a result, frost grows in places where heat is difficult to transfer, such as the defrost heater 21, and defrost cannot be performed properly, and frost grows around the F fan 9b that blows cold air from the F evaporator 14b. , F fan 9b may lock and cause problems such as inability to blow air.

Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, after switching the mode, the defrosting operation is performed in a relatively early time. As a result, the influence of frost that occurred before switching the mode is suppressed, and such problems are suppressed. That is, it is a highly reliable refrigerator.

However, if the time elapsed from the end of the previous defrosting operation (measured by timer A from control S3-4 in FIG. 13) is as short as 6 hours or less (control S4-4: No), in the previous mode state. Considering that the influence of frost formation is small, this defrosting control is omitted, the normal cooling control shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is restored, and the temperature control peculiar to the mode switching is terminated. As a result, while maintaining high reliability, the increase in power consumption due to defrosting operation is suppressed and energy saving performance is improved.

Next, damper heater control will be described. This control is performed when the refrigerating mode is switched to the freezing mode (control S4-8: Yes). As shown in the defrosting operation control of FIG. 12, the dampers 101a and 101b are cooled by the air at the freezing temperature while the cooling operation using the F evaporator 14b is performed, but the first switching chamber 5 is in the refrigerating mode. In particular, when vegetables and the like are stored, high-humidity air from the refrigerator may reach the dampers 101a and 101b and cause frost formation. Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the refrigerating mode is switched to the freezing mode, the damper heater 64 is turned on until the timer B reaches 20 minutes or more (controls S4-9 to S4-11). As a result, even if the dampers 101a and 101b freeze during the refrigerating mode, the dampers 101a and 101b can be reliably operated normally in the freezing mode. In particular, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of dampers of the first switching chamber 5, and the damper 101a is basically not opened in the refrigerating mode, so that this control is important. If the damper 101a does not operate for a long time in the refrigerated mode, even if the frost is melted during the normal defrosting operation, the defrosted water remains on the damper 101a and freezes, and it cannot operate normally. There is a possibility that it will become. On the other hand, since the damper 101a is mainly opened and closed in the freezing mode, the damper 101a is heated by the damper heater 64 when the refrigerating mode is switched to the freezing mode, so that the damper 101a operates reliably.

Next, the display control during switching will be described. In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the mode of the first switching chamber 5 is switched, the mode switching display 201a (see FIG. 8B) is turned ON (lights up) (control S4-13). This mode switching display 201a is OFF when the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 reaches, for example, -15 ° C., when the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 reaches the F switching completion determination temperature when switching from the refrigerating mode to the freezing mode (control S4-14: Yes). (Control S4-17) When switching from the freezing mode to the refrigerating mode (control S4-14: No), the temperature T_S1 of the first switching chamber 5 becomes OFF when, for example, the R switching completion determination temperature of 0 ° C. or higher is reached. (Control S4-17). This prevents the frozen food from being accidentally thawed when switching from the refrigerated mode to the frozen mode by putting the food in after the lights are turned off, and switching from the frozen mode to the refrigerated mode. At that time, we try to prevent food from accidentally freezing. When switching to the refrigerating mode, the temperature is near the melting point temperature (0 ° C) of water, while when switching to the freezing mode, the temperature is -15 ° C, which is 10 ° C or more lower than the melting point temperature, for example, ice cream. In addition to considering the ones with a low melting point, the temperature rise due to opening and closing the door when putting food is taken into consideration. When switching from the freezing mode to the refrigerating mode, an upper limit is set in addition to the lower limit as a temperature condition for turning off the display of the mode switching display 201a. The display may be turned off. By doing so, it is possible not only to suppress the freezing of food, but also to inform the user that the temperature inside the refrigerator has reached an appropriate temperature. This is especially effective when the mode is switched when the temperature inside the refrigerator is high, such as immediately after the refrigerator is turned on.

In addition, in accordance with the above-mentioned OFF of the switching display, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment sounds a dedicated buzzer sound for a predetermined time, and when the user has registered a mobile device or a personal computer, the external communication function is used. ， The device is notified of the completion of switching by a pop-up (control S4-17). As a result, even if the mode is switched, food can be added at a relatively early timing while suppressing unintended freezing and thawing of food.

As described above in FIG. 8B, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the device is registered, the mode switching is also started by pop-up display (control S4-13). ， This makes it easier to notice that the mode has been switched by another user.

FIG. 14 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerating room door sensor 201 for detecting the open / closed state of the refrigerating room doors 2a and 2b, the ice making room door sensor 202 for detecting the open / closed state of the ice making room door 3a, the freezing room door sensor 203 for detecting the open / closed state of the freezing room door 4a, and the first switching. The first switching chamber door sensor 204 that detects the open / closed state of the chamber door 5a, the second switching chamber door sensor 205 that detects the open / closed state of the second switching chamber door 6a, the R evaporator temperature sensor 40a, the F evaporator temperature sensor 40b, and the outside air. It includes a temperature sensor 37, an outside air humidity sensor 38, a control unit 206, a microcomputer 207, and a memory 208. The microcomputer 207 controls the entire refrigerator 1, and the microcomputer 207 controls the opening time of the doors 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, the operating time of the compressor 24, the ambient temperature of the refrigerator, the ambient humidity of the refrigerator, and the like. Are grasped and stored in the built-in memory 208.

These are collected at predetermined time intervals and stored in the memory 208 as the compressor operating time and the door opening time. Further, the microcomputer 207 is obtained by multiplying the integrated value calculated from the compressor operating time and the door opening time by a predetermined coefficient, and using the integrated value calculated from the compressor operating time shown in FIGS. 15 (a) and 15 (b). It is stored in the memory 208 as an integrated value calculated from the door opening time. The integrated value calculated from the compressor operating time shown in FIG. 15A increases as the compressor operating time within a predetermined time becomes longer. The integrated value calculated from the door opening time shown in FIG. 15B increases as the door opening time within a predetermined time becomes longer. Further, the total of these integrated values is stored in the memory 208 as the total integrated value shown in FIG. 15 (c).

The coefficient to be applied to the integrated value may be changed according to the conditions such as the outside air temperature, the outside air humidity, the size of the door, and the rotation speed of the compressor. For example, when the outside air temperature obtained from the outside air temperature sensor 37 is high, the coefficient applied to the integrated value calculated from the door opening time is increased, and when the outside air temperature is low, the coefficient applied to the integrated value calculated from the door opening time is decreased. , And so on.

In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a predetermined defrosting cycle such as a 24-hour interval is prepared. Hereinafter, the first defrosting cycle is referred to as "first period", and the subsequent defrosting cycle is referred to as "second period", "third period", "fourth period" and the like.

The timing of the basic defrosting operation is either when the total integrated value reaches the first threshold value or the final time zone of the defrosting cycle when the total integrated value reaches the second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value. Is. That is, basically, the timing of defrosting is determined by the total integrated value.

However, as an exception, a period during which defrosting control is not performed even when the total integrated value reaches the threshold value is provided, and this period is referred to as "shortest defrosting interval". Further, a period for performing defrost control is provided even if the total integrated value does not reach the threshold value, and this period is referred to as "longest defrost interval".

In the example of FIG. 15, since the total integrated value has not reached the first threshold value during the first period and has not reached the second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value in the final time zone, the total integrated value has not reached the second threshold value during the first period. Defrosting operation is not carried out. In FIG. 15D, “x” indicates that the defrosting operation was not performed during the period. In the second period following the first period, the defrosting operation is not performed during the second period because the total accumulated value does not reach the second threshold value in the final time zone of the second period. On the other hand, since the total integrated value reaches the second threshold value in the final time zone of the third period, the defrosting operation is carried out in the final time zone of the third period.

When the defrosting operation is carried out, the next period becomes the first period, and each integrated value is reset to zero.

The defrosting operation performed here is not limited to simply stopping the compressor 24 and energizing the radiant heater 21, and may include a precooling operation before defrosting.

According to the defrosting operation control shown in FIG. 15 described above, when it can be determined that the defrosting operation is not necessary due to less frost adhesion, such as when the compressor operating time is short or when the door opening time is short. By skipping the defrosting operation at each predetermined defrosting interval, the energy consumption in the defrosting operation is avoided, the energy consumption of the refrigerator 1 is suppressed, and the subsequent defrosting cycle is defrosted using a smaller threshold value. By determining the necessity of frost, it is possible to avoid the problem that the defrost control is not performed for a long time.

Next, other defrosting operation controls will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18. The description that overlaps with FIG. 15 will be omitted. Also in FIG. 16, since the total integrated value during the second defrosting period does not exceed the second threshold value, the defrosting operation is not performed in the final time zone of the second period. On the other hand, the total integrated value exceeds the second threshold value from the middle of the third period, but since the second threshold value is used to determine whether to carry out the defrosting operation in the final time zone of the defrosting cycle, at this point in time. No defrosting operation is carried out. After that, when the total accumulated value exceeds the first threshold value as a result of the door being opened for a long time, the defrosting operation is started, and after the defrosting operation is completed, each integrated value is reset to zero and newly. Start the first period.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 16, when the total integrated value exceeds the first threshold value and it is determined that frost is rapidly adhering, the defrosting operation is immediately performed to improve the cooling performance of the evaporator 14. It can be recovered as appropriate.

In FIG. 17, as a result of the door being opened for a long time before the shortest defrosting interval during the first defrosting period elapses, the total integrated value exceeds the first threshold value during the shortest defrosting interval. However, after the defrosting operation is carried out, the next defrosting operation is not carried out until the shortest defrosting interval elapses. Therefore, in this case, the defrosting operation is carried out at the timing when the shortest defrosting interval is exceeded.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 17, the defrosting operation is not performed for a certain period of time from the previous defrosting operation even if the total integrated value exceeds the first threshold value. This is to prevent the storage room from being unable to secure sufficient time for cooling due to the defrosting operation being performed again during the period when the storage room temperature is rising immediately after the defrosting operation. .. On the other hand, if the shortest defrosting interval is set too long, even if frost adheres to the evaporator and the cooling performance deteriorates, the defrosting operation will not be performed, so there is a risk that the storage room cannot be sufficiently cooled. There is sex. Therefore, it is necessary to set the time to ensure sufficient reliability in consideration of the frost resistance performance of the evaporator.

In FIG. 18, the total accumulated value during the fourth defrosting period does not exceed the second integrated value, but the longest defrosting interval is reached because the time from the start of integration has reached the longest defrosting interval during the fourth period. The defrosting operation is performed when the interval is reached.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 18, even when it is determined that the total integrated value does not exceed the second threshold value and frost does not adhere much, the defrosting operation is performed after the longest defrosting interval has elapsed. .. This is because it is considered that frost adheres to the evaporator due to the moisture generated from the food stored in the storage chamber. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the integrated value is calculated based on the compressor operating time and the door opening time. Therefore, when food containing a large amount of water such as vegetables is stored in the storage room, the door is opened. Even if the product is operated without being opened, the air containing water generated from the food circulates in the refrigerator, so that frost adheres to the evaporator. Therefore, by providing the longest defrosting interval, the cooling performance of the evaporator can be restored by performing the defrosting operation in consideration of the adhesion of frost that cannot be detected only by the integrated value. On the other hand, if the longest defrosting interval is set too short, the defrosting operation will be performed when there is little frost adhering to the evaporator, and energy will be consumed by the defrosting operation. It is necessary to improve the energy saving performance by setting a longer period while ensuring sufficient reliability in consideration of the frost resistance performance of.

In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the shortest defrosting interval and the longest defrosting interval are changed depending on the set temperature zone of the switching chamber. This is because the food to be stored differs depending on the temperature range of the storage chamber, so it is assumed that the amount of water generated from the food differs and the humidity of the air circulating in the refrigerator differs. For example, assuming that the food is stored when the set temperature zone is the refrigerated temperature zone, the humidity of the air returning from the switching chamber to the evaporator becomes high because the vegetables contain a large amount of water. On the other hand, when the set temperature zone is the freezing temperature zone, the humidity of the air returning from the switching chamber to the evaporator is low because the frozen food is mainly stored.

The higher the humidity of the air returning to the evaporator, the greater the amount of frost that adheres during the cooling operation. In addition, when the storage chamber door is opened and closed, the temperature inside the storage chamber rises, and cold air is actively blown to the storage chamber, so that high-humidity air is positively returned to the evaporator. The amount of frost attached will increase further.

Further, when the storage room door is opened and closed, the air around the refrigerator invades the storage room. At that time, the higher the temperature in the original storage chamber, the smaller the temperature difference from the invading air, so that dew condensation is less likely to occur on the wall surface of the storage chamber or the storage container. Therefore, the higher the temperature in the original storage chamber, the easier it is for the moisture contained in the air that invades from the surroundings when the door is opened and closed to reach the cooler, and the more the amount of frost adhered.

Therefore, when the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, it is expected that the amount of frost adhered will be larger than when the switching chamber is set to the freezing temperature zone.

Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the RR mode and the FF mode are compared, the RR mode, which is assumed to have a high humidity of the air circulating in the refrigerator and the frequency of opening the door, is the shortest. The frost interval and the longest defrost interval are set short.

Further, since the amount of frost adhering to the evaporator differs depending on the set temperature zone of the switching chamber, the respective coefficients applied to the compressor operation time and the door opening time are changed according to the set temperature zone of the switching chamber.

When the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, it is expected that the amount of frost adhered will be larger than when the switching chamber is set to the freezing temperature zone.

Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the RR mode and the FF mode are compared, the RR mode is multiplied by the coefficient to be applied to the integrated value calculated from the compressor operating time and the integrated value calculated from the door opening time. The coefficient is increased.

As a result, in the RR mode, in which the amount of frost adhering is expected to increase, the integrated value is more likely to exceed the first threshold value and the second threshold value, and the defrosting operation is more likely to be carried out.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the respective coefficients for the compressor operation time and the door opening time are changed, but the first threshold value is determined by the set temperature range of the switching chamber without changing these coefficients. And the second threshold may be changed. For example, when compared in the RR mode and the FF mode, the first threshold value and the second threshold value in the RR mode in which the amount of frost adhered is large can be made smaller than the first threshold value and the second threshold value in the FF mode. It is also effective to facilitate the defrosting operation.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an execution determination of the defrosting operation.

The integration of the compressor operation time and the door opening time is started (S2), and the operation mode of the switching chamber is determined (S3, S4, S5, S6). Next, the cooling operation is continued until the shortest defrosting interval elapses for the time from the start of integration in the operating mode (S7, S8, S9, S10). After the shortest defrosting interval has elapsed, it is determined whether the integrated value exceeds the first threshold value, and if it exceeds the first threshold value, it can be expected that the amount of frost adhered is large, so the defrosting operation is executed (S11). , S12, S13, S14 in the operating mode Yes).

On the other hand, if the integrated value does not exceed the first threshold value, it can be determined that the necessity of executing the defrosting operation is low, so that the cooling operation is continued.

However, if the stored food contains a large amount of water, even if the door opening time is short and the integrated value is small, the humidity of the air circulating in the refrigerator is high and the amount of frost may be large. There is. Therefore, even if the integrated value does not exceed the first threshold value, the defrosting operation is executed after the longest defrosting interval has elapsed from the start of integration (in the operating mode of S15, S16, S17, S18). Yes).

If the integrated value does not exceed the first threshold value and the longest defrosting interval has not elapsed, the defrosting operation is performed based on whether the integrated value exceeds the second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value. It is determined whether or not to do so (S19, S20, S21, S22). If the integrated value exceeds the second threshold value, it can be predicted that the amount of frost adhered is large, so the defrosting operation is performed during the final time zone of the defrosting cycle (S23, S24, S25, S26).

In addition, if the integrated value exceeds the first threshold value between the time when the integrated value exceeds the second threshold value and the time when the final time zone of the defrosting cycle is reached, the amount of frost adhered is said to have increased sharply. Since it can be predicted, a defrosting operation will be carried out.

At the end of the defrosting operation, the integrated value is reset to zero and the integrated value is started again.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 19 is for a case where the set temperature zone of the switching chamber is not changed between the end of the defrosting operation of the refrigerator 1 and the start of the next defrosting operation. When the set temperature zone of the switching chamber is changed, the control shifts to the special control when the temperature zone of the switching chamber is changed. During this special control, the first threshold value, the second threshold value, the shortest defrosting interval, and the longest defrosting interval are not provided, and the defrosting control is performed by the threshold value dedicated to the special control and the defrosting cycle. This is because the temperature in the storage room changes significantly and the amount of frost attached to the evaporator changes. Therefore, the integrated value calculation method adjusted to be appropriate for each mode predicts the amount of frost attached. This is because it becomes difficult. Therefore, in order to improve reliability when the temperature zone of the switching chamber is changed, the process shifts to special control, defrost control is performed after the temperature zone change is completed, and then the process returns to S1 in FIG.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment described above, since the defrosting operation is performed according to the usage condition of the refrigerator 1, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the cooling performance due to the excessive amount of frost adhering to the evaporator. .. In addition, when the amount of frost deposited on the evaporator is too small, it is possible to suppress deterioration of power consumption due to unnecessary defrosting operation.

(Example 2)
This embodiment is an example of a form including an operation display panel 202 that also serves as an operation panel and a display panel. The same applies to the first embodiment except for the operation panel 200 and the display panel 201.

FIG. 20 is a front view of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 21 is an operation display panel 202 according to the second embodiment.

In this embodiment, the refrigerating room door 2a is provided with an operation display panel 202 so that the operation can be performed without opening any of the doors. This improves operability. On the other hand, in the operation display panel 202, as in the operation panel 201 of the first embodiment, the mode switching operation unit 202a is used when switching the mode of the first switching chamber 5, and the mode switching operation unit is used when switching the mode of the second switching chamber 6. Press and hold 202b for, for example, 3 seconds. In this embodiment, there is a risk of touching the mode switching operation units 202a and 202b during normal kitchen work without opening any of the doors. It can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the mode switching display 201a and 201b shown in FIG. 8B of the first embodiment are also used by the display units 202c and 202d indicating whether the refrigerating mode or the freezing mode is used. However, under the condition that the mode switching display is lit in the first embodiment (see FIG. 13), the display units 202c and 202d are substituted by blinking in the present embodiment. Specifically, for example, when the mode switching operation unit 202a is pressed and held to instruct to switch the first switching chamber 5 in the refrigerating mode to the freezing mode, the display unit 202c is frozen until the temperature of the first switching chamber 5 becomes low. Blink the side lights. As a result, it is possible to show the mode status display and switching display with less lighting, and it is possible to reduce the cost, and at the same time, it is possible to combine the fact that switching is in progress without opening the door and what the mode will be after switching. Can be confirmed.

Next, other morphological examples that can obtain similar effects are shown.

FIG. 22 is an operation display panel 203 of another embodiment. (A) is a state in which all the lights are turned on, (b) is an example of a display during operation, (c) is an example of a display when no operation is performed, and (d) is a display during mode switching. This is just one example.

Similar to the second embodiment, the operation display panel 203 is provided on the refrigerating room door 2a, and can be operated without opening any of the doors. The operation display panel 203 of this embodiment has a diagram imitating the shape of a refrigerator, and the temperature setting of each storage chamber (low, standard, high in the figure) and the mode state of each switching chamber 5 and 6 are set. (Frozen, refrigerated) is displayed in the imitated storage room. Next to each storage chamber, an operation unit for temperature adjustment and mode switching operation units 203a and 203b are provided. This makes it easy for users who do not know the name of each storage room to check the status and operate it.

In this embodiment, when any operation unit is touched, each state of each storage chamber at that time is displayed as shown in (b), but if the operation is not performed for several seconds, as shown in (c). , Only the states of the freezing mode and the refrigerating mode of the switching chambers 5 and 6, that is, only the display units 203c and 204d are displayed. This also applies to the example shown in FIG. By constantly lighting and displaying the states of the freezing mode and the refrigerating mode of the switching chambers 5 and 6 in this way, it is possible to prevent the user from mistakenly inserting the frozen food and the refrigerated food. It should be noted that this effect is not limited to the one that also serves as the operation unit 200 and the display unit 201, and the same effect can be obtained even if the display unit 202 is provided with a display indicating the state of each mode, for example. Will be.

In the example of FIG. 22, under the condition that the mode switching display is lit (see FIG. 20), the display units 203c and 203d are blinked. For example, when the mode switching operation unit 202a is pressed and held to instruct to switch the first switching chamber 5 in the refrigerating mode to the freezing mode, the freezing characters on the display unit 203c blink until the temperature of the first switching chamber 5 becomes low. Let me. As a result, as in the example shown in FIG. 21, the mode status display and the switching display can be shown with less lighting, the cost can be reduced, the switching is being performed without opening the door, and the switching is performed. You can also check what the mode will be.

The above is an example showing the embodiment of the present embodiment. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-mentioned examples have been 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 described configurations. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration.

1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerator room 2a, 2b Refrigerator room door 3 Ice making room 3a Ice making room door 3b Ice making room container 3c Ice tray 4 Freezing room 4a Freezing room door 4b Freezing room container 5 First switching room 5a First switching room door 5b First Switching room container 6 Second switching room 6a Second switching room door 6b Second switching room container 8a R Evaporator room (refrigerator room)
8b F Evaporator room (freezing evaporator room)
9a R fan (refrigerator fan)
9b F fan (freezing fan)
10 Insulation box body 10a Outer box 10b Inner box 11 Refrigerator room air passage 11a Refrigerator room air passage 12 Freezer room air passage 12a Ice making room discharge port 12b Freezer room discharge port 12c Freezer room return port 12d Freezer room return air passage 14a R Evaporator (Evaporator for refrigeration)
14b F evaporator (freezing evaporator)
15a, b Refrigerator return port 16 Hinge cover 21 Radiant heater 23a R toy 23b F toy 24 Foam insulation 25, 25a, 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e, 25f, 25g Vacuum insulation 26 F Drain pipe 27, 28 , 29, 30 Insulation partition wall 31 Control board 32a R Evaporation tray 32b F Evaporation tray 34a R Shelf top 34b R Shelf 2nd 34c R Shelf 3rd 34d R Shelf bottom 35 1st indirect cooling room 36 2nd indirect Cooling room 37 Ice making tank 39 Machine room 40a R Evaporator temperature sensor 40b F Evaporator temperature sensor 41 Refrigerator room temperature sensor 42 Freezing room temperature sensor 43 First switching room temperature sensor 44 Second switching room temperature sensor 45 Toy temperature sensor 46 Outside air Temperature sensor 47 Outside air humidity sensor 50a, 50b Radiator 51 Dryer 52 Three-way valve (refrigerant control means)
53a Capillary tube for refrigeration (decompression means)
53b Capillary tube for freezing (decompression means)
54b Air-liquid separator for refrigeration 54b Air-liquid separator for refrigeration 55 Refrigerant confluence 56 Check valve 57a, 57b Heat exchange 58 Compressor 60 First switching chamber rear heater 61 First switching chamber bottom heater 62 First switching chamber Top heater 63 First switching chamber rear heater 64 Damper heaters 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b Damper (blower control unit)
111a, 111b First switching chamber discharge port 111c First switching chamber return port 112a, 112b Second switching chamber discharge port 112c Second switching chamber return port 200 Operation unit

Claims (1)

A switching room that can be set to the refrigerating temperature zone and the freezing temperature zone,
The door provided in front of the switching room and
With a refrigeration cycle with a compressor and a cooler,
A control board that controls defrosting to melt the frost adhering to the cooler,
In a refrigerator that automatically adjusts the defrosting interval in the range from the shortest defrosting interval to the longest defrosting interval according to the variable of the operating condition of the refrigerator.
When the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, the refrigerator is characterized in that the shortest defrosting interval or the longest defrosting interval is shortened as compared with the case where the switching chamber is set to the refrigerating temperature zone. ..

Images