JP7261063B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to refrigerators.

Conventionally, refrigerators for aging foods such as meat and fruits have been proposed. However, such refrigerators are large commercial appliances and it is impractical to use them to ripen relatively small amounts of food in the home.

In household refrigerators, various studies have been made to improve the storage performance of foods, but no consideration has been given to the aging of foods.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-6820

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of preserving and aging food.

A refrigerator according to one embodiment includes a refrigerator main body, a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber provided inside the refrigerator main body, a compressor, and a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to cool air. a refrigeration cycle having a cooler, a fan that blows the air cooled by the cooler to the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber, and from the fan to the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber Switching means for controlling the amount of air to be blown, and a control unit for controlling the refrigeration cycle, the fan, and the switching means, wherein the control unit operates the fan while supplying refrigerant to the cooler. A cooling operation for supplying the air cooled by the cooler to the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber, and driving the fan while stopping the supply of the refrigerant to the cooler In a refrigerator that performs a humidification operation in which moisture generated by melting frost adhering to a cooler is supplied to at least one of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber, the control unit controls, during execution of the humidification operation. By controlling the switching means to supply moisture to the first storage chamber preferentially from the second storage chamber to the second storage chamber, the temperature and humidity of the first storage chamber are maintained within a predetermined range, and the first A maturing operation for maturing the food in the storage chamber is executed.

Sectional drawing of the refrigerator of one Embodiment of this invention Enlarged view of main part of Fig. 1 Cross section of sterilization device Block diagram showing the control configuration of the refrigerator in FIG. A diagram showing an example of chromaticity ratios and color differences stored corresponding to food types Flow chart showing control for detecting the degree of ripening of food based on imaging means Sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the refrigerator of the modification 1 of this invention

Hereinafter, refrigerator 1 of one embodiment of the present invention is explained based on a drawing.

(1) Configuration of Refrigerator 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator main body 2 formed of a heat-insulating box body that opens to the front. The refrigerator main body 2 is vertically long with a vacuum insulation panel or a heat insulating material such as urethane foam placed in the gap between the outer box made of steel plate and the inner box made of synthetic resin provided by vacuum forming, the front side being open and the inside being a storage space. It consists of a heat insulating box body of A storage space formed inside the refrigerator main body 2 is divided into an upper refrigerating space and a lower freezing space by a heat insulating partition wall 2a.

The interior of the refrigerating space is further partitioned vertically by a partition plate 2b. A refrigerating chamber 3 is provided above the partition plate 2b with a plurality of shelves 3b, and a drawer-type storage container is provided below the partition plate 2b. A vegetable compartment 4 for placement is provided.

The refrigeration compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are storage compartments that are cooled to a refrigeration temperature range (eg, 0 to 4°C). A front opening of the refrigerating chamber 3 is closed by a pair of left and right double-door type heat-insulating refrigerating chamber doors 3a that divide the opening in the width direction. The refrigerator compartment door 3a is rotatably supported by hinges provided on both left and right sides of the refrigerator body. An operation display unit 7 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 3a for accepting settings of the refrigerator 1 from the user and displaying the setting status of the refrigerator 1 and the like.

The interior of the refrigerating compartment 3 is vertically partitioned into a plurality of stages by a plurality of shelf plates 3b. A chilled room 3c for storing an upper container 40 and a lower container 41, which are stacked vertically, is provided in the space below the lowermost shelf plate 3b, and constitutes a small storage room provided in the refrigerator compartment 3. do. The chilled chamber 3c serves as a maturing space for maturing food during execution of the maturing mode, which will be described later.

A refrigerating temperature sensor 23 for measuring the internal temperature of the refrigerating chamber 3 is provided on the rear surface of the refrigerating chamber 3, and a chilled temperature sensor 23 for measuring the internal temperature of the chilled chamber 3c is provided on the rear surface of the chilled chamber 3c. A sensor 24 is provided. Further, a door sensor 9 for detecting opening/closing of the refrigerator compartment door 3a is provided at the periphery of the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3. As shown in FIG.

A front opening of the vegetable compartment 4 is closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 4a. A pair of left and right support frames for holding the storage container are fixed to the inner side of the vegetable compartment door 4a so that the storage container can be pulled out of the storage when the door is opened.

The freezing space below the heat-insulating partition wall 2a is a space that is cooled and maintained in a freezing temperature range (eg, −18° C. to −20° C.), and includes an ice making compartment, a first freezing compartment 5, and a second freezing compartment 6. Prepare. The ice making compartment and the first freezer compartment 5 are arranged side by side below the vegetable compartment 4 via the heat insulating partition wall 2a. A second freezer compartment 6 having a lower case and an upper case is arranged below the ice making compartment and the first freezer compartment 5 .

Similarly to the vegetable compartment 4, the openings of the ice making compartment, the first freezing compartment 5 and the second freezing compartment 6 are closed by drawer doors 5a and 6a.

A freezer temperature sensor 25 for measuring the temperature inside the second freezer compartment 6 is provided on the back surface of the second freezer compartment 6 .

Behind the chilled compartment 3c and the vegetable compartment 4, a refrigerating cooler compartment 13 partitioned forward and backward by an evaporator cover 12 is provided. The refrigerator cooler chamber 13 houses the refrigerator cooler 10, the refrigerator fan 11, the sterilization device 50, and the like. The refrigerating cooler chamber 13 is connected to a rear duct 14 provided on the rear surface of the refrigerating chamber 3 via a damper 30 whose opening degree can be controlled. The evaporator cover 12 is provided with a blowout port 12a that opens upward from the top opening of the upper container 40 provided in the chilled chamber 3c, and the rear duct 14 has a blowout port 14a that opens at the back of the refrigerator chamber 3 in the vertical direction. are spaced apart.

The refrigerating cooler 10 cools the air in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 to generate cold air at -10 to -20°C, for example.

When the refrigerating fan 11 rotates with the damper 30 as shown in FIGS. The cooling water is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 from the outlet 14 a and to the chilled compartment 3 c from the outlet 12 a provided in the evaporator cover 12 . At this time, the amount of air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the chilled compartment 3c is adjusted by adjusting the opening of the damper 30 .

Further, when the refrigerating fan 11 rotates with the damper 30 blocking the flow path to the rear duct 14, the cool air generated in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 is not supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3 from the outlet 14a. It is supplied only to the chilled chamber 3c from the outlet 12a.

That is, the damper 30 functions as switching means for adjusting the amount of air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the chilled compartment 3c by adjusting the degree of opening of the rear duct 14 .

At the back of the storage compartments (the ice making compartment, the first freezing compartment 5, the second freezing compartment 6) provided in the freezing space, a refrigerating compartment separated from the freezing temperature zone storage compartment by a cover body 17 forming a duct 18 is provided. A chamber 19 is provided.

Inside the freezer-cooler chamber 19, a freezer-cooler 15 that is cooled to a temperature lower than that of the refrigerator-cooler 10, a freezer fan 16, and the like are provided. A freezing fan 16 provided in the freezer-cooler chamber 19 sends the air in the freezer-cooler chamber 19 cooled by the freezer-cooler 15 to the ice making chamber, the first freezer chamber 5 and the second freezer chamber 6 through the duct 18. The supply cools the ice making compartment, the first freezer compartment 5 and the second freezer compartment 6 .

The refrigerating cooler 10 and the freezing cooler 15 constitute a refrigerating cycle together with a compressor 21 and a condenser (not shown) housed in a machine room 20 provided in the lower rear portion of the refrigerator body 2 . In the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 is supplied to one of the refrigerating cooler 10 and the refrigerating cooler 15 by a switching valve 22 (see FIG. 4), thereby switching the refrigerating cooler 10 and the refrigerating cooler 15. Each is alternately cooled to a predetermined temperature. The refrigerator cooler 10 is provided with a refrigerator cooler sensor 26 that detects the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 10, and the freezer cooler 15 is provided with a freezer cooler sensor 27 that detects the temperature of the freezer cooler 15. there is

Outside the refrigerator body 2 , for example, at the rear portion of the upper surface of the ceiling wall of the refrigerator body 2 , a control section 28 consisting of a control board on which a microcomputer or the like for controlling the refrigerator 1 is mounted is provided.

(2) Structure of Chilled Chamber 3c The structure of the chilled chamber 3c will be described with reference to FIG.

In the space defined in the refrigerating compartment 3 by the lowermost shelf plate 3b and the partition plate 2b provided below it, a tank compartment for storing an ice-making tank (not shown) is defined by moving to one side in the width direction. , a chilled chamber 3c for accommodating an upper container 40 and a lower container 41, which are vertically stacked on the other side in the width direction.

The lowermost shelf board 3b constitutes the ceiling wall of the chilled room 3c, and a lid body 42 rotatably provided by a hinge is suspended from the front end of the shelf board 3b.

The upper container 40 is made of a synthetic resin having a substantially rectangular planar shape and an opening on the upper surface. A storage space for storing things is formed. A vent hole 43 that communicates with the lower container 41 is provided in the front portion of the bottom surface of the upper container 40 .

The upper container 40 is housed in the chilled chamber 3c as shown in FIG. The top opening of the upper container 40 is closed by the shelf plate 3b. When the upper container 40 stored in the chilled chamber 3c is pulled out forward, the upper container 40 moves forward of the shelf plate 3b while rotating the lid 42 forward, and the upper opening of the upper container 40 is opened for storage. Be able to put things in and out.

A blowout port 12a provided in the evaporator cover 12 opens to the rear of the upper container 40 . In this example, the blow-out port 12a is provided above the top opening of the upper container 40, and the cold air generated in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 is blown out from the blow-out port 12a to the top opening of the upper container 40. introduced inside.

The lower container 41 is composed of a synthetic resin container having an approximately rectangular planar shape and an opening on the upper surface. A storage space is formed. In this example, the lower container 41 is closed by the bottom surface of the upper container 40 having the upper opening provided upward when stored in the chilled chamber 3c. A top opening is opened to allow storage to be taken in and out.

An exhaust port 44 is opened at the bottom rear portion of the lower container 41 . The exhaust port 44 faces the suction port 2c provided at the rear end of the partition plate 2b.

In the upper container 40 and the lower container 41, cold air blown out from the outlet 12a provided in the evaporator cover 12 into the chilled chamber 3c is introduced from the rear of the top opening of the upper container 40, cools the inside of the upper container 40, and cools the inside of the upper container 40. , and flows into the lower container 41 through the vent 43 . The cool air that has flowed from the upper container 40 into the lower container 41 flows backward while cooling the inside of the lower container 41 and is discharged to the outside through an exhaust port 44 provided at the rear bottom surface of the lower container 41 . It flows into the return duct 31 from the opposing suction port 2c, returns to the refrigerating cooler chamber 13, and is cooled by the refrigerating cooler 10 again.

An imaging means 70 and an odor sensor 80 are provided in such a chilled room 3c. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the imaging means 70 is provided at the widthwise central portion of the lower surface of the lowermost shelf plate 3b and behind the longitudinally central portion. The imaging means 70 is composed of a camera such as a CCD camera, and photographs the stored items (food) stored in the upper container 40 from above. The imaging unit 70 outputs the captured image to the control unit 28 as detection information.
The odor sensor 80 is provided behind the upper container 40 and the lower container 41 housed in the chilled chamber 3c, such as near the exhaust port 44 of the chilled chamber 3c and near the suction port 2c of the return duct 31. The odor sensor 80 is a sensor that detects the strength of the odor in the chilled chamber 3c. Become. The odor sensor 80 detects the concentration of odorous substances contained in the cold air flowing backward in the lower container 41, and controls the information indicating the intensity of the odor in the chilled chamber 3c (odor information) as detection information. Output to unit 28 .

(3) Configuration of Sterilization Device 50 As shown in FIG. It is a device that sterilizes the As shown in FIG. 3, the sterilization device 50 includes a frame 51, a pair of light emitting devices 52 arranged above and below the frame 51, and two light emitting devices 52 arranged between the pair of light emitting devices 52. and a filter 53 . Among them, the filter 53 allows air to flow and carries a visible light responsive photocatalyst 54 .

The visible light responsive photocatalyst 54 is at least one selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, strontium titanate, tungsten oxide and silicon carbide, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper. A photocatalyst obtained by adding at least one impurity element selected from the group as a dopant, or a photocatalyst by containing a platinum halide compound on the surface of the photocatalyst particle, at an ultraviolet wavelength of 1 to 360 nm Conventional photocatalysts exhibiting catalytic activity, such as titanium oxide, which is the most common photocatalyst, are activated by ultraviolet rays of 270 nm, while they are also activated by lower energy light in the visible light region of 360 to 760 nm. Known photocatalysts include, for example, nitrogen-doped titanium oxide visible-light-responsive photocatalysts and platinum-supported titanium oxides.

A pair of upper and lower light emitting devices 52 are formed with a plurality of through holes 55 penetrating in the thickness direction. A plurality of light sources 56 are provided downward on the lower surface of the upper light emitting device 52 , and a plurality of light sources 56 are provided upward on the upper surface of the lower light emitting device 52 . Each of these light sources 56 emits visible light including light in a wavelength band that excites the visible light responsive photocatalyst 54 supported by the filter 53, and is composed of, for example, an LED (light emitting diode). Such a pair of light-emitting devices 52 are arranged above and below a filter 53 carrying a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst 54 with a space therebetween, with the surface on which the light source 56 is provided facing the filter 53 .

The sterilization device 50 turns on the light source 56 provided in the light emitting device 52 to activate the visible light responsive photocatalyst 54 supported by the filter 53, thereby removing the air contained in the air flowing through the refrigerator cooler chamber 13. Decompose and remove bacteria, etc. Thereby, the sterilized air can be supplied from the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 to the refrigerating chamber 3 , the chilled chamber 3 c and the vegetable chamber 4 .

(4) Electrical Configuration of Refrigerator 1 As shown in FIG. 21, refrigerator main body 2 such as switching valve 22, refrigerator temperature sensor 23, chilled temperature sensor 24, freezer temperature sensor 25, refrigerator cooler sensor 26, freezer cooler sensor 27, sterilization device 50, imaging means 70, and odor sensor 80 Electrical components provided inside or outside of the are electrically connected. When the control unit 28 receives a signal input from various sensors, a signal input from the operation display unit 7 by a user's operation, or the like, the control unit 28 controls the refrigeration unit based on a control program stored in advance in the memory. By controlling the operations of the fan 11, the freezing fan 16, the compressor 21, and the switching valve 22, the operation of the compressor 21, the refrigerating fan 11, and the freezing fan 16, and the operation of the refrigerating cooler 10 and the freezing cooler 15 by the switching valve 22 are controlled. It controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 1, such as refrigerant switching, display of the operation display unit 7, and the like.

In addition, the control unit 28 detects the ripening degree of the food in the chilled chamber 3c together with the imaging means 70 that images the inside of the upper container 40 of the chilled chamber 3c and the smell sensor 80 that detects the strength of the smell in the chilled chamber 3c. It constitutes ripening determination means for determination.

(5) Cooling Operation of Refrigerator 1 The refrigerator 1 performs a cooling operation for cooling the interior based on the internal temperature of the refrigerating space and the internal temperature of the freezing space detected by the refrigerating temperature sensor 23 and the freezing temperature sensor 25. , a refrigerating cooling operation for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3, the chilled compartment 3c and the vegetable compartment 4 in the refrigerating temperature zone, and a freezing cooling operation for cooling the ice making compartment, the first freezing compartment 5 and the second freezing compartment 6 in the freezing temperature zone. switch and run.

(5-1) Refrigerating Cooling Operation When the refrigerating cooling start condition is met, the control unit 28 opens the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the refrigerating refrigerant flow path side while driving the compressor 21 at a predetermined frequency. After the refrigerant is supplied, the damper 30 is opened and the refrigerator cooler chamber 13 and the refrigerator chamber 3 are communicated with each other, and the refrigerator fan 11 is rotated to start the refrigerator cooling operation. To give an example of the refrigeration cooling start condition, for example, there is a case where the temperature detected by the refrigeration temperature sensor 23 becomes equal to or higher than the ON temperature Tr1 (for example, 5° C.) set for the refrigeration space.

In the refrigerating cooling operation, cold air is generated in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 by vaporizing the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant that has flowed into the refrigerating cooler 10 . The generated cool air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 through the outlet 14a through the rear duct 14 by the blowing action of the refrigerating fan 11, and is also supplied to the chilled compartment 3c through the outlet 12a provided in the evaporator cover 12.

The cool air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 from the outlet 14a flows through the refrigerator compartment 3, and then returns to the refrigerator cooler compartment 13 through the return duct 31 through the inlet 2c provided in the partition plate 2b. , the other part flows into the vegetable compartment 4 through the introduction port 2d formed in the partition plate 2b. The cool air that has flowed into the vegetable compartment 4 cools the inside of the vegetable compartment 4, and then flows into the return duct 31 from the suction port 4b provided on the back surface of the vegetable compartment 4 and returns to the refrigerator cooler compartment 13. - 特許庁

The cold air supplied from the outlet 12a to the chilled chamber 3c is introduced from the rear of the upper opening of the upper container 40, flows forward while cooling the inside of the upper container 40, and passes through the air vent 43 downward. It flows into container 41 . The cool air that has flowed from the upper container 40 into the lower container 41 flows backward while cooling the inside of the lower container 41 and is discharged to the outside through an exhaust port 44 provided at the rear bottom surface of the lower container 41 . It flows into the return duct 31 from the opposing suction port 2 c and returns to the refrigerator cooler chamber 13 .

The cool air that has returned to the refrigerator cooler compartment 13 is cooled by the refrigerator cooler 10 and then sent to the refrigerator compartment 3, the chilled compartment 3c and the vegetable compartment 4 again.

Then, when the refrigerating cooling end condition is satisfied during execution of the refrigerating cooling operation, the control unit 28 ends the refrigerating cooling operation. Examples of refrigeration cooling end conditions include (1) when the temperature detected by the refrigeration temperature sensor 23 reaches an OFF temperature Tr2 (for example, 2° C.) set for the refrigeration space; When the maximum cooling time (for example, 40 minutes) or more has passed since the start of the cooling operation, (3) the detection temperature of the freezing temperature sensor 25 reaches the ON temperature Tf1 set for the freezing space (eg, -18 ℃) or above.

When the refrigerating/cooling operation is completed, the control unit 28 drives the compressor 21 at a predetermined frequency while opening the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the refrigerant flow path side to allow the refrigerant to flow to the refrigerating cooler 15 , and further the refrigerating fan 16 is turned on. Rotate to start refrigeration cooling operation.

(5-2) Refrigerating Cooling Operation In the refrigerating cooling operation, the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant that has flowed into the refrigerating cooler 15 is vaporized to generate cool air in the refrigerating cooler chamber 19 . The generated cool air circulates in the ice making chamber, the first freezing chamber 5 and the second freezing chamber 6 by the air blowing action of the freezing fan 16, and flows through the ice making chamber, the first freezing chamber 5 and the second freezing chamber 6 so as to reach a predetermined freezing temperature range. The second freezer compartment 6 is cooled.

The cool air that has circulated in the ice making chamber, the first freezer compartment 5 and the second freezer compartment 6 returns to the freezer cooler compartment 19 through the suction port provided on the back surface of the second freezer compartment 6 and is cooled by the freezer cooler 15. After that, the air is blown to the ice making compartment, the first freezing compartment 5 and the second freezing compartment 6 again.

Then, when the freezing/cooling end condition is satisfied during execution of the freezing/cooling operation, the control unit 28 ends the freezing/cooling operation. An example of the freezing and cooling end condition is, for example, (1) when the temperature detected by the freezing temperature sensor 25 reaches a predetermined temperature (eg, −21° C.), and (2) the longest cooling time after starting the freezing operation. (e.g., 90 minutes) or more, or (3) when the temperature detected by the refrigeration temperature sensor 23 becomes equal to or higher than the ON temperature Tr1 (e.g., 5°C) set for the refrigeration space. There are cases.

(6) Humidification operation The refrigerator 1 performs the humidification operation when a predetermined humidification start condition is satisfied while switching between the refrigeration cooling operation and the freeze cooling operation.

The humidification operation is an operation for removing frost adhering to the refrigerating cooler 10 by melting and supplying water from the melted frost to the refrigerating space to humidify the refrigerating space.

Specifically, the control unit 28 stops the refrigerant supply to the refrigerator cooler 10 by closing the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the refrigerator refrigerant flow path side, stopping the compressor 21, or reducing the operating frequency. The refrigerator fan 11 is driven while being stopped or reduced.

As a result of these controls, the air in the refrigerating space having a temperature higher than 0° C. is introduced into the refrigerating cooler chamber 13, exchanges heat with the frosted refrigerating cooler 10, and then returns to the refrigerating space.

As a result, the temperature of the refrigerating cooler 10 is raised to melt the frost adhering to the refrigerating cooler 10, and moisture in the melted frost is vaporized to generate humidified air. The generated humidified air is blown to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the chilled compartment 3c by the blowing action of the refrigerator fan 11, and humidifies the refrigerator compartment 3, the chilled compartment 3c, and the vegetable compartment 4 communicating with the refrigerator compartment 3.

In such a humidification operation, the control unit 28 adjusts the opening degree of the damper 30 within a range from 0% (fully closed) to 100% (fully opened) to supply humidification to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the chilled compartment 3c. The amount of air is controlled, and humidified air is supplied only to the chilled room 3c.

An example of the humidification start condition is, for example: (1) the accumulated time for which the detected temperature Ts of the refrigerator cooler sensor 26 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature (eg, −10° C.) is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (eg, 180 minutes); (2) when the number of openings and closings of the refrigerator compartment door 3a detected by the door sensor 9 reaches a predetermined number (for example, 50 times) or more; (3) when the refrigerator compartment door 3a detected by the door sensor 9 Either when the accumulated open time reaches a predetermined time (for example, two minutes) or more.

An example of a condition for ending the humidification operation is when the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 10 detected by the refrigerator cooler sensor 26 reaches a predetermined temperature (eg, 3° C.).

(7) Ripening Mode In addition, in the refrigerator 1, when predetermined ripening execution conditions are met, the control section 28 sets the ripening mode in which the ripening operation is performed during the above-described humidification operation, and the meat or fruit stored in the chilled chamber 3c is set. Execute the operation to ripen the food such as.

To give an example of the ripening execution condition, for example, there is a time when the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation display section 7 to instruct the ripening mode.

When the aging mode is set, the control unit 28 switches between the refrigerating cooling operation and the freezing cooling operation and sequentially executes them, and executes the aging operation when the humidification start condition is satisfied.

When executing the aging operation, the control unit 28 controls the opening degree of the damper 30 to a predetermined value (for example, the opening degree is 50% or less) during execution of the humidification operation, and humidifies the air generated by the humidification operation. , is preferentially supplied to the chilled compartment 3c rather than the refrigerated compartment 3. In other words, the control unit 28 fully closes the damper 30 during execution of the humidification operation, or changes the opening degree of the damper 30 to be small, so that the humidified air generated by the humidification operation is A large amount is supplied to the chilled room 3c. Thereby, the control unit 28 maintains the temperature and humidity of the chilling chamber 3c within a predetermined range, and ripens foods such as meat and fruits.

The temperature and humidity of the chilling chamber 3c during the aging operation are, for example, 1° C. or higher and 3° C. or lower and the humidity is 60% or higher and 80% or lower, or the temperature (freezing point) at which the food starts to freeze and the humidity is 0° C. or higher. can be 70% or more and 85% or less.

When the humidification operation ends, the control unit 28 increases the opening of the damper 30 from that during the humidification operation (for example, after the opening is increased by more than 50%), and then switches between the refrigerating cooling operation and the freezing cooling operation and sequentially executes them. do. Here, when the refrigerating cooling operation is performed, the opening degree of the damper 30 may be set so that more cool air generated in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3 than to the chilled chamber 3c.

Then, while repeatedly executing the refrigerating cooling operation, the freezing cooling operation, and the humidifying operation, the control unit 28 preferentially supplies the humidified air to the chilled chamber 3c during the humidifying operation until a predetermined aging end condition is met. The operation is executed to prompt the ripening of the food stored in the chilled chamber 3c.

During the ripening mode, the sterilization device 50 provided in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 is operated to decompose and remove bacteria contained in the humidified air flowing through the refrigerating cooler chamber 13, and then supplied to the chilled chamber 3c. preferably.

(8) End of ripening mode When a predetermined ripening end condition is satisfied, the controller 28 sets a large opening degree of the damper 30 during the humidification operation (that is, sets a large opening degree of the flow path to the rear duct 14). ), the amount of humidified air supplied to the chilled chamber 3c during the humidification operation is reduced compared to that during the aging operation, and the aging operation is terminated. The opening of the damper 30 that is set at the end of the aging operation may be set to the same opening as the opening of the damper 30 during the refrigeration cooling operation.

To cite an example of the aging end condition, (1) when the user instructs to end the aging mode by performing a predetermined operation on the operation display section 7, (2) the control section 28, the imaging means 70, and the odor sensor 80 are configured. For example, when the ripening degree detected by the ripening judging means satisfies a predetermined condition.

(9) Judgment of Ripening Degree by Ripening Judging Means The control section 28 determines the degree of ripening in the chilled room based on the image of the contents stored in the upper container 40 captured by the imaging means 70 and the odor information output from the odor sensor 80. The degree of ripening of the food stored in 3c is detected.

(9-1) Detection of Degree of Ripening of Food Based on Imaging Means 70 The control unit 28 stores determination conditions for detecting the degree of maturation corresponding to the type of food in its memory. The control unit 28 specifies the type of food stored in the chilled chamber 3c, calls out the determination conditions corresponding to the specified type of food from the memory, and determines the maturity degree based on the called conditions. In judging the degree of ripening, the control unit 28 determines whether the user inputs the type of food from the operation display unit 7 or the like, or when the user does not input the type of food and determines the degree of maturity based on the image acquired by the imaging unit 70. The determination conditions are different and the processing for detecting the degree of maturity is different depending on whether the type is specified or not.

Specifically, the control unit 28 stores the chromaticity ratio (a ^* /b ^* ) and the color difference (ΔE), which serve as indicators for ending the aging mode, corresponding to the type of food (see FIG. 5). reference).

Then, the control unit 28 determines the maturity degree based on the control shown in FIG.

That is, when the ripening start condition is satisfied and the ripening mode is started, the control unit 28 determines whether or not the type of food stored in the chilled chamber 3c is input from the operation display unit 7 by the user's operation (step S1). As a method of inputting the type of food, a predetermined operation is performed to display the name and illustration of the food on the operation display unit 7, and the user selects the food stored in the chilled chamber 3c from the name and illustration. , the type of food stored in the chilled chamber 3c can be input by a known method. If there is an input from the operation display section 7, the process proceeds to step S10 to execute the first determination mode, and if there is no input, the process proceeds to step S20 to execute the second determination mode.

In the first determination mode, the control unit 28 determines whether or not a predetermined period of time (for example, 6 hours) has elapsed (step S10), and repeats step S10 until the predetermined period of time has elapsed (No in step S10). After a predetermined period of time has passed, the process proceeds to step S11, where the food stored in the upper container 40 is imaged by the imaging means 70 to obtain an image of the food. After that, the control unit 28 detects the chromaticities a ^* and b ^* of the food and the chromaticity ratio (a ^* /b ^* ) from the image acquired in step S11 (step S12).

Then, the control unit 28 retrieves the chromaticity ratio (a _* ^/ b _s ^* ) corresponding to the type of food input by the user from the memory, and reads the chromaticity ratio (a ^* /b*) detected in step S12. ^* ) (step S13). If the detected chromaticity ratio (a ^* /b ^* ) is smaller than the chromaticity ratio (a _* ^/ _b ^* ) stored in the memory (No in step S13), the food in the chilled compartment 3c is ripened. is insufficient, the process returns to step S10, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the image of the food in the chilled compartment 3c is acquired again (step S11), and the chromaticity ratio (a ^* /b ^* ) and the ratio ( _as ^* /b _s ^* ) (steps S12, S13).

Then, steps S10 to S13 are repeated until the detected chromaticity ratio (a ^* /b ^* ) becomes equal to or greater than the chromaticity ratio (a _* ^/ _b ^* ) stored in the memory, and the chromaticity ratio When (a ^* /b ^* ) becomes equal to or greater than the ratio (a _s ^* /b _s ^* ) (Yes in step S13), it is determined that the food in the chilled chamber 3c has matured, the ripening mode ends, and the chilled chamber 3c is displayed on the operation display unit 7 (step S2).

In the second determination mode, first, the food stored in the upper container 40 is imaged by the imaging means 70 to acquire the image (step S20). Then, the control unit 28 detects the type of food stored in the upper container 40 by performing image analysis on the type of food shown in the acquired image, and determines the lightness L of the food in the initial state from the acquired image. ₀ ^* and chromaticities a ₀ ^* and b ₀ ^* are detected (step S20). A known detection method can be employed as a method for detecting the type of food by image analysis. For example, by extracting predetermined information such as outlines and colors from the acquired image and comparing it with food data stored in advance in the memory, it is possible to identify the type of food shown in the acquired image. .

Then, the control unit 28 determines whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 6 hours) has passed (step S22), and repeats this step S22 until the predetermined time has passed (No in step S22). After a predetermined period of time has passed, the process proceeds to step S23, where the food stored in the upper container 40 is imaged by the imaging means 70 to obtain an image of the food. After that, the control unit 28 detects the lightness L ₀ ^* and the chromaticities a ₀ ^* and b ₀ ^* of the food from the image acquired in step S23, and the color difference ΔE based on the color of the food in the initial state (step S24 ).

Then, the controller 28 compares the color difference ΔE detected in step S24 with the color difference ΔE _s stored in the memory (step S25). If the detected color difference ΔE is smaller than the color difference ΔE _s stored in the memory (No in step S25), it is determined that the food in the chilling chamber 3c is not sufficiently ripened, and the process returns to step S22. An image of the food in the chamber 3c is obtained (step S23), and the color difference ΔE and the color difference ΔE _s are compared (steps S24 and S25).

Steps S22 to S25 are repeated until the detected color difference ΔE becomes equal to _or greater than the color difference ΔE _s stored in the memory. Then, the aging mode is terminated, and the fact that the food in the chilled chamber 3c has been aged is displayed on the operation display unit 7 to notify the user (step S2).

In this embodiment, the case where the imaging means 70 acquires images of food at predetermined time intervals has been described. When the chamber door 3a is open, the imaging means 70 may extend acquisition of the image and acquire the image after the refrigerating chamber door 3a is closed. By extending the acquisition of the image by the imaging means 70 when the refrigerating compartment door 3a is opened in this way, the illuminance in the refrigerating compartment 3 becomes constant during imaging, and the degree of ripening of the food can be determined with high accuracy.

Further, when the imaging means 70 acquires an image of food, the imaging means 70 may take an image while the lighting device for illuminating the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is turned on, or the imaging means 70 may take an image after turning off the lighting device. may be performed, but it is more preferable to take an image with the illumination device turned off. By capturing an image when the lighting device is turned off in this way, the food to be imaged is not shadowed, so the ripening degree of the food can be detected with high accuracy.

In the case of judging the degree of ripening of food by the imaging means 70, when the door sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 3a is open, the control section 28 takes an image of the chilled compartment 3c by the imaging means 70, and the stored food is detected. It may be detected whether or not there is a change in the arrangement of

(9-2) Detection of degree of maturation based on odor sensor 80 The control unit 28 stores conditions for detecting the degree of maturity for each predetermined odor component. Here, as a condition for judging the degree of ripening, the control unit 28 stores a threshold that serves as a guideline for ending the ripening mode. Methyl mercaptan is 0.002 ppm.

When the odor information output from the odor sensor 80 is equal to or greater than a pre-stored threshold value, the control unit 28 determines that the food in the chilled chamber 3c has matured, terminates the ripening mode, and closes the chilled chamber 3c. The fact that the food has matured is displayed on the operation display unit 7 to notify the user.

Although the odor sensor 80 can detect the odor information in the chilled compartment 3c at any timing, it is preferable to detect the odor information while the refrigerating compartment door 3a is closed or the refrigerating fan 11 is stopped. . By detecting the odor information at such timing, it is possible to detect the odor information with high accuracy because it is detected when the air flow in the chilled chamber 3c is small.

(10) Effect In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, since the chilled chamber 3c is supplied with priority over the refrigerated chamber 3, the food stored in the chilled chamber 3c can be exposed to humidified air suitable for ripening. It can be aged to increase the umami component.

Moreover, since the humidified air supplied to the chilled chamber 3c during the aging operation is the air generated during the humidification operation for removing the frost adhering to the refrigerator cooler 10, the operation control of the refrigerating cycle is newly performed in order to execute the aging operation. There is no need to add to the food, and the food can be aged without using a dedicated aging storage.

In this embodiment, since the humidified air sterilized by the sterilization device 50 is supplied to the chilled chamber 3c during the aging operation, bacteria attached to the food stored in the chilled chamber 3c and bacteria floating in the refrigerated space are sterilized. It is possible to suppress the spoilage of foods to be aged and suppress the growth of bacteria in the refrigerator.

In this embodiment, the imaging means 70 and the odor sensor 80 are provided as ripening determination means for detecting the ripening degree of the food. Even if there is food, the smell sensor 80 can detect the degree of maturity of the food.

Further, in this embodiment, since the odor sensor 80 is provided on the downstream side (leeward side) of the air flow direction in the chilled chamber 3c from the imaging means 70, the odor sensor is positioned at a position where the air flow tends to stagnate in the chilled chamber 3c. 80 can be arranged, and odor information can be detected by the odor sensor 80 with high accuracy.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the user inputs the type of food stored in the chilling chamber 3c, the first determination mode is executed to determine the degree of maturity of the food, and the image captured by the imaging means 70 is used to determine the degree of chilling. When specifying the type of food stored in the chamber 3c, the second determination mode is executed to determine the degree of ripening of the food. Therefore, it is possible to finish the ripening degree more suitable for the food, and in the second judgment mode, the food can be aged easily without the need for the user to specify the type of food, and the usability can be improved. can.

(Modification 1)
In this embodiment, the case of sterilizing the air supplied to the chilled chamber 3c by the sterilizing device 50 provided in the refrigerator cooler chamber 13 has been described. An irradiation device 90 for irradiating light for sterilizing (sterilizing) 3c may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 7, the irradiation device 90 is arranged, for example, on the back side of the chilled chamber 3c (that is, on the front side of the evaporator cover 12). The irradiation device 90 has, for example, a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) 92 capable of generating ultraviolet rays arranged in a matrix on a substrate 94 .

The irradiation device 90 continuously or intermittently generates ultraviolet rays by receiving driving power from the control unit 28 at least while the ripening mode is being executed, so that the upper container 40 and the lower container 41 of the chilled chamber 3c are irradiated. The food stored in the container 40, the lower container 41, and the inner wall portion of the chilled chamber 3c are irradiated with the ultraviolet rays generated. As a result, it is possible to sterilize these substances, suppress the putrefaction of food to be aged, and suppress the growth of bacteria in the refrigerator.

The irradiation device 90 may be arranged at any position other than the rear surface of the chilled room 3c as described above, such as the lower surface of the lowest shelf board 3b constituting the ceiling wall of the chilled room 3c.

Further, the irradiation device 90 may irradiate the ultraviolet rays when the image of the food in the chilled compartment 3c is acquired by the imaging means 70, or may stop the generation of the ultraviolet rays. It is preferable to stop the generation of ultraviolet rays while the imaging means 70 is imaging, in that the illuminance in the interior becomes constant and the ripening degree of the food can be determined with high accuracy.

(Modification 2)
In the present embodiment, the imaging means 70 and the odor sensor 80 are provided as ripening judging means for judging the degree of ripening of the food in the chilled compartment 3c, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the degree of ripening in the chilled chamber 3c may be determined using only one of the imaging means 70 and the odor sensor 80, or the chilled temperature may be determined based on the execution time of the ripening mode (that is, the time during which the ripening operation can be performed). The ripening degree of the chamber 3c may be determined.

When detecting the ripening degree of the chilled room 3c from the execution time of the ripening mode, the time input by the user from the operation display unit 7 or the like is set as the execution time of the ripening mode, or the user inputs from the operation display unit 7 or the like. The type of food stored in the chilled chamber 3c is specified by the input or the image acquired by the imaging means 70, and the execution time of the ripening mode corresponding to the specified type of food is called from a table stored in advance by the control unit 28, The time of calling may be set as the execution time of the aging mode.

In such a modified example, it is possible to easily determine the degree of ripening stored in the chilled chamber 3c.

(Modification 3)
In the present embodiment described above, a metal tray on which food is placed may be provided on the bottom surface of the aging space (chilled chamber 3c) where the food is aged. By providing a metal tray in the storage space, it is possible to quickly cool the food to be aged, thereby suppressing spoilage of the food.

As the metal tray, a tray made of a metal with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum can be adopted. It is preferable that a through-hole be provided, or that a plurality of protrusions be provided on the surface on which the food is placed.

If the surface of the metal tray is diamond-coated, the thermal conductivity will be improved and food spoilage can be suppressed. In addition, by providing the metal tray with through holes and projections, the lower surface of the food placed on the metal tray can be exposed to humidified air while the aging mode is being executed. The whole can be aged evenly.

(Modification 4)
In the present embodiment, the imaging means 70 acquires an image of the food at predetermined time intervals to detect the ripening degree. good too.

For example, a sensor for detecting a user approaching the refrigerator 1 is provided, and when the sensor detects the user, the imaging means 70 acquires an image, or the odor sensor 80 detects odor information, You may judge the maturity degree.

As a result, before the user opens the refrigerating compartment door 3a to change the internal environment, the imaging means 70 and the odor sensor 80 can acquire the image and the odor information, and the ripening degree can be detected with high accuracy. can.

In detecting a person approaching the refrigerator 1, the refrigerator 1 may be provided with a motion sensor. A person approaching the refrigerator 1 may be detected by a door open sensor for the user to instruct the opening of the door.

(Modification 5)
In the present embodiment, the chilled chamber 3c partitioned by the refrigerating chamber 3 has been described as an aging space in which food is aged during execution of the aging mode. A storage room closed by a door may be used as the aging space.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where both the upper and lower containers 40 and 41 provided in the chilled chamber 3c are used as aging spaces for aging food during execution of the aging mode has been described. In the aging operation, humidified air is introduced only into the upper container 40, and only the upper container 40 is used as the aging space. It can also be used as a maturing space.

In this way, only the upper container 40 located on the upstream side (windward side) in the air flow direction in the chilled chamber 3c is used as the aging space, or the inside of the one-stage container that is not divided vertically is used as the aging space. Humidified air having a humidity and temperature suitable for the food can be sprayed onto the food, and a good ripening space can be formed.

(Modification 6)
In the present embodiment, the ripening mode is terminated when the ripening degree of the food in the chilled chamber 3c detected by the ripening judging means satisfies the predetermined condition. is notified to the user, and the user is allowed to select the end of the aging mode and the extension of the aging mode, and when the user instructs to end the aging mode, the aging mode is terminated, and when the extension is instructed, further Aging mode may continue.

In addition, even if the degree of ripening of the food in the chilled chamber 3c detected by the ripening judging means does not meet the predetermined conditions, the ripening time and the degree of ripening executed so far can be numerically displayed on the operation display unit 7 or illustrated. A display may be provided to inform the user of the progress of the ripening of the food product.

(Modification 7)
In the present embodiment, the imaging means 70 is provided at the center in the width direction of the lower surface of the lowermost shelf plate 3b and behind the center in the front-rear direction. The imaging means 70 can be provided at any position as long as it can be imaged.

For example, the imaging means 70 can be installed at any position in the width direction, such as the left or right side of the bottom shelf 3b, or at any position in the front-rear direction, such as the front side or center in the front-rear direction of the bottom shelf 3b. Means 70 can be installed.

In addition, regarding the installation position of the image pickup means 70, the image pickup means 70 may be installed at a position that overlaps the outlet 12a for blowing cool air into the chilled chamber 3c in the front and rear direction, and is shifted in at least one of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction from the outlet 12a. The imaging means 70 may be installed at the same time.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the case where the imaging means 70 is installed on the lower surface of the lowermost shelf plate 3b is shown, but the bottom plate of the upper container 40 and the rear wall of the chilled chamber 3c are configured. The imaging means 70 may be installed on the front surface of the evaporator cover 12 or on the lid 42 constituting the front wall of the chilled chamber 3c so as to face the inside of the upper container 40. FIG.

(Modification 8)
In this embodiment, the case where the odor sensor 80 is provided at the rear lower portion of the chilled chamber 3c and the odor sensor 80 detects the concentration of the odorant contained in the cool air flowing backward has been described, but the chilled chamber 3c. The odor sensor 80 can be provided at any position as long as it can detect the strength of the odor inside.

For example, the odor sensor 80 may be provided at an arbitrary position in the width direction, such as the left side, the right side, or the central portion inside the upper container 40 or the lower container 41, or the front side, the rear side, or the central portion inside the upper container 40 or the lower container 41. The odor sensor 80 can be provided at any position in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, the odor sensor 80 may detect the concentration of the odorant contained in the cool air flowing forward or the cool air flowing downward.

In addition, regarding the installation position of the odor sensor 80, the odor sensor 80 may be installed at a position vertically overlapping the imaging means 70, and the odor sensor 80 may be installed by being displaced from the imaging means 70 in at least one of the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. may Also, the odor sensor 80 may be installed in the upper part of the chilled room 3 c or in the center in the vertical direction, or the odor sensor 80 may be installed above the imaging means 70 or at the same height as the imaging means 70 .

The installation position of the odor sensor 80 may be set on the downstream side of the imaging means 70 in the air flow direction, or may be set on the upstream side (windward side) of the imaging means 70 in the air flow direction. It is preferable to set the sensor 80 downstream (downwind) in the air flow direction from the imaging means 70 in that the density of the odorant can be detected with high accuracy.

(Modification 9)
In this embodiment, the imaging means 70 is provided on the lower surface of the lowermost shelf plate 3b, the imaging means 70 images the inside of the upper container 40, the odor sensor 80 is provided at the rear lower portion of the chilled chamber 3c, and the upper container 40 and the lower Although the case of detecting the odor intensity of the air after flowing through the container 41 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, the imaging means 70 may be provided at a position where the inside of the lower container 40 can be imaged, such as the bottom surface of the bottom plate of the upper container 40 , and the odor sensor 80 may be provided inside the lower container 40 , such as the top surface of the bottom plate of the lower container 40 . In such a case, the imaging means 70 may be arranged upstream of the odor sensor 80 in the air flow direction (that is, the imaging means 70 may be positioned in front of the odor sensor 80). The odor sensor 80 may be arranged on the upstream side in the direction (that is, on the front side of the imaging means 70).

Alternatively, the imaging means 70 may be provided at a position where the inside of the upper container 40 can be imaged, such as the lower surface of the lowermost shelf plate 3b, and the odor sensor 80 may be provided inside the upper container 40, such as the upper surface of the bottom plate of the upper container 41. good. In such a case, the image pickup means 70 may be arranged upstream of the odor sensor 80 in the air flow direction (that is, the image pickup means 70 may be arranged behind the odor sensor 80), and the odor sensor 80 may be positioned closer to the air flow direction than the image pickup means 70. The odor sensor 80 may be arranged on the upstream side in the direction (that is, on the rear side of the imaging means 70).

(Modification 10)
In this embodiment, the sterilization device 50 is provided downstream of the refrigerating cooler 10 in the air flow direction in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13. A sterilization device 50 may be provided.

For example, the chilled chamber 3c is provided on the downstream side of the sterilization device 50 in the air flow direction, and the odor sensor 80 is provided further downstream, or the refrigerator cooler 10 is provided on the upstream side of the sterilization device 50 in the air flow direction, and further upstream. Alternatively, the chilled chamber 3c may be provided on the side, or the sterilization device 50 may be provided on the downstream side of the imaging means 70 in the air flow direction, and the odor sensor 80 may be provided on the downstream side.

(Other modification examples)
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Refrigerator, 2... Refrigerator main body, 3... Refrigerator compartment, 3a... Refrigerator compartment door, 3c... Chilled compartment, 7... Operation display part, 9... Door sensor, 10... Refrigerator cooler, 11... Refrigerator fan, 12... EVA cover , 12a... Blowout port, 13... Refrigerator cooler chamber, 14... Rear duct, 14a... Blowout outlet, 28... Control unit, 30... Damper, 40... Upper container, 41... Lower container, 50... Sterilization device, 70... Imaging means, 80... Odor sensor

Claims (12)

refrigerator body,
a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber provided inside the refrigerator body;
a refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor and a cooler that is supplied with refrigerant discharged from the compressor and cools air;
a fan that blows the air cooled by the cooler to the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber;
a switching means for controlling the amount of air blown from the fan to the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber;
A control unit that controls the refrigeration cycle, the fan and the switching means,
The control unit drives the fan to supply the air cooled by the cooler to the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber while supplying a refrigerant to the cooler; supplying humidified air generated from moisture adhering to the cooler by driving the fan to at least one of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber while stopping or reducing the supply of the refrigerant to the device. In a refrigerator performing operation,
The control unit controls the switching means to supply humidified air to the first storage chamber preferentially over the second storage chamber during execution of the humidification operation, thereby increasing the temperature of the first storage chamber. and a refrigerator that maintains humidity within a predetermined range and performs a ripening operation to ripen the food in the first storage compartment. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising sterilizing means for sterilizing the air supplied from said fan to said first storage compartment. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an irradiation device for irradiating light for sterilizing the inside of the first storage compartment. 4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising setting means for setting an executable time of said aging operation. Provided with ripening determination means for determining the degree of ripening of the food in the first storage chamber,
5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising notifying means for notifying a user that the degree of ripening detected by said ripening judging means satisfies a predetermined condition. 6. The ripening judging means according to claim 5, further comprising an odor sensor for detecting the strength of odor in the first storage chamber, and detecting the degree of maturity of the food in the first storage chamber from the detection result of the odor sensor. refrigerator. 7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said ripening determining means comprises imaging means for imaging the interior of said first storage chamber, and detects the degree of ripening of food in said first storage chamber from imaging results of said imaging means. The ripening determination means has a first mode in which the user inputs the food stored in the first storage chamber, and a second mode in which the food stored in the first storage chamber is specified from the imaging result of the imaging means. and
8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein processing for detecting the ripening degree of food is different between said first mode and said second mode. The ripening determination means includes an odor sensor that detects the strength of the odor in the first storage chamber, and an imaging device that captures an image of the inside of the first storage chamber,
9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the odor sensor is arranged downstream of the imaging means in the direction of air flow in the first storage compartment. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the control unit repeatedly performs the cooling operation and the aging operation. When the cooling operation is executed after the aging operation is executed, the control unit supplies the air cooled by the cooler preferentially to the second storage chamber rather than the first storage chamber. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which controls the An outlet for supplying the air blown by the fan to the first storage chamber is provided upstream of the switching means in the air flow direction, and supplies the air blown by the fan to the second storage chamber. 12. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the air outlet is provided downstream of the switching means in the air flow direction.

Images