JP7293817B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to refrigerators.

An openable and closable below-freezing space, a conductive arrangement means arranged in the frozen space for food and drink to be arranged, an insulator for insulating the arrangement means from a space forming surface forming the frozen space, and a connection to the arrangement means. a power supply terminal that applies a voltage to the food and drink via the power supply terminal; a dehumidifying mechanism that has a housing through which the air in the frozen space passes and dehumidifies the air by applying a voltage to the housing; , and maintains the food in a supercooled state by applying a voltage to the food in a closed frozen space (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-081704 A

Thus, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 attempts to suppress quality deterioration of the object due to freezing by applying an electric field to the food (object to be frozen) placed in the freezing space (storage chamber). . Then, by providing a dehumidifying mechanism, it is intended to prevent the occurrence of frost caused by the outside air.

However, the temperature in the storage chamber when freezing the object is below freezing, the absolute humidity of the air in the storage chamber is low, and the amount of water contained in the air is small. Therefore, the effect of the dehumidifying mechanism in suppressing frost formation is limited, and frost formation may also occur on the conductive arrangement means (electrodes). In particular, if frost forms on the electrode to which a high voltage is applied, the insulation between the frost adhering to the electrode and the surface of the object is broken, increasing the possibility of electrical discharge. If an electric discharge occurs between the frosted electrode and the surface of the object, a large amount of current will flow and the object will be locally heated and discolored, or a large amount of ozone will be generated, causing damage to the object. It can spoil some foods. Moreover, a great load is applied to the control device of the refrigerator.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems. The purpose is to be able to remove the frost attached to the electrode when freezing the object, and to apply an electric field to the object while suppressing the occurrence of electric discharge between the electrode and the surface of the object. It is to provide a refrigerator that can

A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage chamber for storing an object to be frozen, a pair of electrodes provided on the walls facing each other in the storage chamber, a power supply section for applying a voltage between the electrodes, and a surface of the electrode. and a heating means for heating the electrode, wherein the heating means heats the electrode according to the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode. , the power supply unit applies a voltage between the electrodes according to the amount of water adhering to the surfaces of the electrodes .

According to the refrigerator according to the present invention, it is possible to remove frost adhering to the electrode when freezing the object, and to suppress the occurrence of electric discharge between the electrode and the surface of the object while suppressing the electric field. can be applied to the object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a sectional side view of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Embodiment 1.
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the refrigerator. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator.

In each drawing, the dimensional relationship, shape, etc. of each component may differ from the actual one. In principle, the positional relationship (for example, vertical relationship, etc.) between the constituent members is that when the refrigerator is installed in a usable state.

Refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention has heat insulating box body 30 as shown in FIG. The heat-insulating box 30 has an open front surface (front) to form a storage space inside. The heat insulating box body 30 has an outer box, an inner box and a heat insulating material. The outer box is made of steel. The inner box is made of resin. The inner box is placed inside the outer box. The heat insulating material is, for example, urethane foam, vacuum heat insulating material, etc., and is filled in the space between the outer box and the inner box. A storage space formed inside the heat-insulating box 30 is partitioned into a plurality of storage chambers for storing and storing food by one or more partition members.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a refrigerator compartment 7, a switching compartment 9, an ice making compartment 10, a freezer compartment 11, and a vegetable compartment 12 as a plurality of storage compartments. These storage chambers are arranged in four stages in the vertical direction in the heat insulating box body 30 .

The refrigerator compartment 7 is arranged on the uppermost level of the heat insulating box body 30 . A plurality of shelf boards are provided inside the refrigerator compartment 7 . The inside of the refrigerating compartment 7 is vertically partitioned into a plurality of spaces (shelves) by these shelf boards. The space below the bottom shelf plate is a chilled room 8. - 特許庁

The switchable compartment 9 is arranged on one of the left and right sides below the refrigerating compartment 7 . The cold insulation temperature zone of the switchable chamber 9 can be switched by selecting one of a plurality of temperature zones. A plurality of temperature zones that can be selected as the cold insulation temperature zone of the switchable compartment 9 are, for example, a freezing temperature zone (eg, about -18°C), a refrigerating temperature zone (eg, about 3°C), a chilled temperature zone (eg, about 0°C), and A soft freezing temperature range (for example, about -7°C) or the like. The predetermined set temperature of the switchable compartment 9 is, for example, −7° C. in the soft freezing temperature range. The ice making compartment 10 is arranged laterally adjacent to the switching compartment 9 and in parallel with the switching compartment 9 , that is, on the other left and right sides below the refrigerating compartment 7 .

The vegetable compartment 12 is arranged below the switching compartment 9 and the ice making compartment 10 . The vegetable compartment 12 is mainly used to store vegetables and large plastic bottles with a large capacity (for example, 2 L). The freezer compartment 11 is arranged at the lowest stage below the vegetable compartment 12 . The freezer compartment 11 is mainly used for freezing storage objects over a relatively long period of time.

An opening formed in the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 7 is provided with a rotary refrigerator compartment door 31 for opening and closing the opening. Here, the refrigerating compartment door 31 is of a double-opening type (double-opening type) and is composed of a right door and a left door. An operation panel 5 is provided on the outer surface of a refrigerating compartment door 31 (for example, a left door) on the front side of the refrigerator 1 .

Each storage compartment (switching compartment 9, ice making compartment 10, freezing compartment 11, and vegetable compartment 12) other than the refrigerator compartment 7 is opened and closed by a drawer-type door. These drawer-type doors can be moved in the depth direction (front-rear direction) of the refrigerator 1 by sliding frames fixed to the doors on rails horizontally formed on the left and right inner wall surfaces of the storage compartments. can be opened and closed at any time.

In the switchable compartment 9, a switchable compartment storage case 14 capable of storing food and the like is stored so as to be pulled out. Similarly, inside the freezer compartment 11 and inside the vegetable compartment 12, a freezer compartment storage case and a vegetable compartment storage case, which can store foods and the like, are stored so as to be pulled out.

The refrigerator 1 includes a refrigeration cycle circuit that cools the air supplied to each storage compartment. A refrigerating cycle circuit includes a compressor 2, a condenser (not shown), an expansion device (not shown), a cooler 3, and the like. The compressor 2 compresses and discharges the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit. The condenser condenses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 . The expansion device expands the refrigerant that has flowed out of the condenser. The cooler 3 cools the air supplied to each storage compartment with the refrigerant expanded by the expansion device. Compressor 2 is arranged in the lower part of the back side of refrigerator 1, for example.

The refrigerator 1 is formed with an air passage for supplying air cooled by a refrigerating cycle circuit to each storage compartment. This air passage is mainly arranged on the back side inside the refrigerator 1 . The cooler 3 of the refrigeration cycle circuit is installed in this air passage. A fan 4 for sending the air cooled by the cooler 3 to each storage room is also installed in the air passage. When the blower 4 operates, the air (cold air) cooled by the cooler 3 is sent to the freezer compartment 11, the switchable compartment 9, the ice making compartment 10, and the refrigerator compartment 7 through the air passage to cool the inside of these storage compartments. .

The interior of the refrigerator compartment 7 and the interior of the vegetable compartment 12 are communicated with each other through a duct. The vegetable compartment 12 is cooled by introducing the return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 7 into the vegetable compartment 12 through the duct. The cool air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 12 is returned to the air path where the cooler 3 is located through the vegetable compartment return air path (not shown). Then, it is cooled again by the cooler 3 and cold air is circulated inside the refrigerator 1 .

A damper (not shown) is provided at a midpoint between the air passage provided with the cooler 3 and the blower 4 and the storage compartments of the freezer compartment 11, the switching compartment 9, the ice making compartment 10, and the refrigerator compartment 7. Each damper opens and closes a portion of the air passage leading to each storage chamber. By changing the open/closed state of the damper, it is possible to adjust the amount of cool air to be supplied to each storage compartment. Also, the temperature of the cool air can be adjusted by controlling the operation of the compressor 2 .

The refrigerating cycle circuit composed of the compressor 2 and the cooler 3, the blower 4, the air passage and the damper provided as described above constitute cooling means for cooling the inside of the storage compartment.

A control device 6 is accommodated, for example, in the upper part of the back side of the refrigerator 1 . The control device 6 includes a control circuit and the like for performing various controls required for the operation of the refrigerator 1 . As a control circuit provided in the control device 6, for example, there is a circuit for controlling the operation of the compressor 2 and the blower 4 and the opening degree of the damper based on the temperature in each storage room and the information input to the operation panel 5. be done. That is, the control device 6 controls the operation of the refrigerator 1 by controlling the above-described cooling means and the like. The temperature in each storage chamber can be detected by a thermistor or the like (not shown) installed in each storage chamber. Control device 6 also controls communication between refrigerator 1 and external devices. Specifically, communication with an external device is, for example, reception of an instruction to change the set temperature from a smartphone, transmission of information regarding the conditions inside the refrigerator to the smartphone, and the like.

By operating the operation portion 5a of the operation panel 5, the temperature zone inside the switching chamber 9 can be switched. For example, the food 20 to be frozen can be frozen by placing the food 20 to be frozen in the switchable chamber 9 and setting the inside of the switchable chamber 9 to a freezing temperature range (eg, −18° C.). In addition, the frozen food 20 can be thawed by placing the food 20 to be thawed in the switchable compartment 9 in a chilled temperature range (for example, 0° C.).

The switching chamber 9 of this embodiment is an example of a storage chamber for storing an object to be thawed or frozen. That is, the storage chamber of this embodiment is a switchable chamber 9 capable of switching the set internal temperature within the range from the freezing temperature range to the refrigerating temperature range. The storage chamber may be capable of either thawing or freezing, or may be capable of both thawing and freezing like the switching chamber 9 of this embodiment.

The switching chamber door 32 is a door capable of opening and closing the switching chamber 9, which is a storage chamber. The refrigerator 1 has a door open/close detection sensor 13 . The door open/close detection sensor 13 is for detecting the open/close state of the switching chamber door 32 . The door opening/closing detection sensor 13 is provided at a position facing the switching chamber door 32 at the edge of the front opening of the switching chamber 9 . The door open/close detection sensor 13 is, for example, a general magnet type switch. That is, for example, the proximity of the magnet embedded in the switchable chamber door 32 is detected by a pair of reed switches installed in the heat insulation box 30 on the main body side of the refrigerator 1 .

Using the detection result of the door opening/closing detection sensor 13, the control device 6 measures the opening time or closing time of the switching chamber door 32 as necessary and utilizes it for various controls. The control device 6 can also sound a buzzer or the like to alert the user when the switchable chamber door 32 remains open for a certain period of time or longer. Although illustration other than the switching chamber 9 is omitted this time, each of the other storage chambers is similarly provided with a sensor capable of detecting opening and closing of the door.

The refrigerator 1 has a pair of electrodes 15 . In the configuration example described here, the pair of electrodes 15 is a ceiling electrode 15a and a bottom electrode 15b. In the description of this embodiment, "electrode 15" is used as a generic term for the ceiling electrode 15a and the bottom electrode 15b. The ceiling surface electrode 15 a is provided on the ceiling surface of the switching chamber 9 . The bottom electrode 15 b is provided on the bottom of the switching chamber 9 . Therefore, the pair of electrodes 15 are provided on the opposite wall surfaces of the switching chamber 9, which is a storage chamber. The bottom electrode 15b is on the ground side, and the ceiling electrode 15a is on the high voltage side.

Each electrode 15 comprises a conductive metal plate, for example copper. The surface of the metal plate of the electrode 15 may be covered with an insulating material such as plastic so that the user of the refrigerator 1 does not touch the metal plate of the electrode 15 directly. Note that the shape of the electrode 15 is not limited to a plate shape. Alternatively, for example, it may be comb-shaped, or it may be plate-shaped with convex portions formed all over.

The refrigerator 1 includes an electrode defrosting heater 16 . In the configuration example described here, a ceiling surface heater 16a and a bottom surface heater 16b are provided as the heaters 16 for defrosting the electrodes. In the description of this embodiment, the ceiling surface heater 16a and the bottom surface heater 16b are collectively referred to as "electrode defrosting heater 16".

The ceiling heater 16a is provided on the back surface of the ceiling electrode 15a. The bottom heater 16b is provided on the back surface of the bottom electrode 15b. Here, the surface of each electrode 15 facing the inside of the switching chamber 9 is called the front surface, and the surface opposite to the front surface is called the back surface. The electrode defrosting heater 16 is heating means for heating the electrode 15 . That is, the ceiling surface heater 16a can heat the ceiling surface electrode 15a. The bottom heater 16b can heat the bottom electrode 15b.

The refrigerator 1 has a water content sensor 17 . The water content sensor 17 is water content detection means for detecting the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 . The water content sensor 17 detects the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 by detecting the thickness of the water film formed on the surface of the electrode 15, for example. The water content sensor 17 outputs a signal corresponding to the detected amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 .

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control system of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. The control device 6 comprises, for example, a microcomputer, and comprises a processor 6a and a memory 6b. The control device 6 executes preset processing and controls the refrigerator 1 by the processor 6a executing a program stored in the memory 6b.

The refrigerator 1 has a power supply section 18 . The power supply section 18 applies a voltage between the pair of electrodes 15 provided in the switching chamber 9 . Specifically, the voltage applied between the electrodes 15 by the power supply unit 18 is, for example, 2 to 8 [kV].

The operation panel 5 includes an operation section 5a and a display section 5b. The operation unit 5 a is an operation switch for setting the cold insulation temperature of each storage compartment and the operation mode of the refrigerator 1 . The display unit 5b is a liquid crystal display that displays various information such as the temperature of each storage compartment. The operation panel 5 may include a touch panel that serves both as the operation section 5a and the display section 5b.

In this embodiment, the operation mode of the refrigerator 1 when freezing the food 20 stored in the switchable compartment 9 is the "normal freezing mode" and the "high quality freezing mode" by operating the operation part 5a of the operation panel 5. ” can be selected. The "high-quality freezing mode" is an operation mode in which high-quality freezing is performed by applying a voltage to the electrodes 15 to freeze the food 20 while applying an electric field. The “normal freezing mode” is an operation mode in which the food 20 is frozen without applying voltage to the electrodes 15 .

A temperature detection signal of each storage chamber is input to the controller 6 from a thermistor (not shown). An operation signal from the operation portion 5 a of the operation panel 5 and a detection signal from the door opening/closing detection sensor 13 are also input to the control device 6 . Furthermore, a signal indicating the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 detected by the water amount sensor 17 is also input to the control device 6 .

Based on the input signal, the control device 6 executes processing for controlling the operations of the compressor 2, the blower 4, etc. so that the inside of each storage chamber is maintained at the set temperature. The control device 6 also outputs a display signal to the display section 5b of the operation panel 5 to control the display operation of the display section 5b. The control device 6 also controls the voltage application operation between the electrodes 15 of the power source section 18 . Furthermore, the control device 6 also controls the heating operation of the electrode 15 by the electrode defrosting heater 16 .

The control device 6 causes the electrode defrosting heater 16 to heat the electrodes 15 before the voltage is applied between the electrodes 15 by the power source section 18 . That is, when the above-described "high-quality freezing mode" is started, the controller 6 first causes the electrode defrosting heater 16 to heat the electrode 15 to melt the frost adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 . The heated and melted frost adheres to the surface of the electrode 15 as water droplets or a water film. If the heating is continued thereafter, the water on the surface of the electrode 15 evaporates and the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 decreases.

The control device 6 confirms the water content water_A adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 detected by the water content sensor 17 while the electrode 15 is being heated by the electrode defrosting heater 16 . Then, when the detected water content water_A becomes equal to or less than the reference value water_cont, the control device 6 stops the heating of the electrodes 15 by the electrode defrosting heater 16 . The value of the reference value water_cont is preset. Specifically, for example, the reference value water_cont is set to 0. In this case, the electrode 15 is heated until water on the surface of the electrode 15 is completely removed. Alternatively, for example, the amount of water on the surface of the electrodes 15 that does not cause insulation breakdown even when a voltage is applied between the electrodes 15 may be determined by experiment or the like, and the reference value water_cont may be determined from that value.

In this manner, the electrode defrosting heater 16, which is heating means, heats the electrode 15 in accordance with the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15. FIG. Then, when the heating of the electrodes 15 by the electrode defrosting heater 16 is finished, the control device 6 causes the power supply section 18 to apply a voltage between the electrodes 15 . In this way, when the food 20 to be frozen is frozen, the electrode 15 can be heated by the electrode defrosting heater 16 to remove the frost adhering to the electrode 15 . Since the voltage is applied to the electrodes 15 from which the frost has been removed, it is possible to apply an electric field to the food 20 while suppressing the occurrence of electrical discharge between the electrodes 15 and the surface of the food 20. be.

The electrode defrosting heater 16 finishes heating the electrodes 15 according to the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrodes 15, and after this heating is finished, the controller 6 causes the power source 18 to apply a voltage between the electrodes 15. to start. Therefore, when the water content water_A adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 detected by the water content sensor 17 becomes equal to or less than the reference value water_cont, the power supply unit 18 applies a voltage between the electrodes 15 . That is, the power supply unit 18 applies a voltage between the electrodes 15 according to the amount of water adhering to the surfaces of the electrodes 15 .

At this time, especially when the reference value water_cont is set to a value other than 0, the power supply unit 18 applies a voltage between the electrodes 15 according to the water content water_A adhering to the surface of the electrodes 15 detected by the water content sensor 17. You can change the value. For example, the voltage value applied between the electrodes 15 is decreased as the water amount water_A adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 increases, and the voltage value applied between the electrodes 15 is maximized when the water amount water_A is zero. By doing so, it is possible to minimize the possibility of electric discharge occurring between the electrode 15 and the surface of the food 20 due to water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 .

Next, an example of the operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S1, the user of the refrigerator 1 puts the food 20 to be frozen into the switchable compartment 9, closes the switchable compartment door 32, and operates the operation section 5a of the operation panel 5 to select the "high quality freezing mode". turn on. Then, in the subsequent step S2, the electrode defrosting heater 16 is turned on. That is, the controller 6 energizes the electrode defrosting heater 16 to heat the electrode 15 . After step S2, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S<b>3 , the water content sensor 17 detects the water content water_A adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 . In subsequent step S4, the control device 6 confirms whether or not the water content water_A detected by the water content sensor 17 in step S3 is equal to or less than the reference value water_cont.

When the electrode 15 is heated by the electrode defrosting heater 16, the frost adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 melts and becomes water droplets. Since an air current circulates in the switching chamber 9, the melted water droplets gradually evaporate, and the water droplets become thin and small water films. While the detected value water_A of the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 is greater than the reference value water_cont, the process returns to step S<b>2 to continue heating the electrode 15 by the electrode defrosting heater 16 . Then, when the detected value water_A of the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode 15 becomes equal to or less than the reference value water_cont, the process proceeds to step S5, and the electrode defrosting heater 16 is turned off. That is, the control device 6 stops energizing the electrode defrosting heater 16 and stops heating the electrode 15 . The above steps S2 to S5 are the electrode defrosting process.

After step S5, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the lock mechanism of the switching chamber door 32 is turned on. That is, in the configuration example described here, the switching chamber door 32 is provided with a lock mechanism. When the lock mechanism is turned on, the switching chamber door 32 is locked and opening/closing of the switching chamber door 32 is prohibited. When the lock mechanism is turned off, the lock of the switching chamber door 32 is released and the switching chamber door 32 can be opened and closed. The lock mechanism controls whether the switching chamber door 32 can be opened or closed by using an electromagnet, for example. By providing such a locking mechanism, it is possible to prevent a situation such as a user touching the electrode 15 by accidentally opening the switching chamber door 32 while voltage is being applied to the electrode 15 . .

In the subsequent step S7, the application of the electric field is turned on. That is, the control device 6 causes the power source section 18 to apply a voltage between the electrodes 15 . After step S7, the process proceeds to step S8.

The control device 6 waits for a preset time width dt [sec] before starting the processing of step S8, and performs the processing of step S8 after the time width dt has elapsed. In step S8, the control device 6 adds the time width dt to a timer variable that integrates the elapsed time since the application of the electric field was turned on in step S7.

Note that in the operation example described here, two timer variables, fzn_time and fzn_time_old, are used as timer variables for accumulating the elapsed time after the application of the electric field is turned on. Timer variable fzn_time_old is a variable that holds the previous value of timer variable fzn_time. Then, in step S8, the value obtained by adding the time width dt to the previous value held in the timer variable fzn_time_old is set as the latest value of the timer variable fzn_time. After step S8, the process proceeds to step S9.

In step S9, the control device 6 confirms whether or not the value of the timer variable fzn_time has exceeded a preset electric field freezing time fzn_time_d. If the value of the timer variable fzn_time does not exceed the electric field freezing time fzn_time_d, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, control device 6 causes timer variable fzn_time_old to hold the current value of timer variable fzn_time. Then, the process returns to step S6.

On the other hand, if the value of the timer variable fzn_time exceeds the electric field freezing time fzn_time_d in step S9, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, application of the electric field is turned off. That is, the control device 6 stops the application of the voltage between the electrodes 15 by the power supply section 18 . In the subsequent step S12, the lock mechanism of the switching chamber door 32 is turned off. That is, the lock of the switching chamber door 32 is released and the switching chamber door 32 can be opened and closed. The steps from step S6 to step S12 described above are the electric field application process. Then, when the process of step S12 is completed, the series of operations in the high-quality freezing mode ends.

It should be noted that, at the end of the high-quality freezing mode, the control device 6 may notify the user that the food 20 in the switching compartment 9 has been frozen. For example, the control device 6 uses an LED provided on the operation panel 5 to notify the user that the food has been frozen. As a specific example of the notification method using the LED, it is conceivable to turn on the "freeze" LED during freezing, and blink the "freeze" LED when the freezing is completed. Alternatively, the user may be notified by using the display unit 5b of the operation panel 5, by using a portable terminal (such as a smart phone) possessed by the user, or by sounding a buzzer sound or chime sound.

Here, the water content sensor 17 is preferably installed at a position where, when the electrode 15 is heated by the electrode defrosting heater 16, the water droplets do not evaporate and easily remain until the end. In the configuration example described here, cool air flows into the switching chamber 9 from an air outlet provided on the upper back surface of the switching chamber 9 . The cool air that has flowed in descends and moves to the front side of the switching chamber 9 . For this reason, it is difficult for the airflow to reach the front upper side in the switching chamber 9 . For this reason, water droplets tend to remain in the front portion of the ceiling surface electrode 15a without evaporating, so the water content sensor 17 is preferably arranged in this portion.

Embodiment 2.
Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator.

Embodiment 2 described here is configured such that, in the configuration of Embodiment 1 described above, the electrodes are heated to defrost the electrodes when the number of times of opening and closing the door for opening and closing the storage chamber exceeds the reference number of times. It is the one that was made. The refrigerator according to the second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. The configuration whose description is omitted is basically the same as that of the first embodiment.

Refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is provided with door open/close detection sensor 13 as in the first embodiment. The door open/close detection sensor 13 is door open/close detection means for detecting the open/closed state of the switchable chamber door 32 that opens and closes the switchable chamber 9 which is the storage chamber described above. As described in Embodiment 1 with reference to FIG. 3 , the detection signal from door open/close detection sensor 13 is input to control device 6 . The control device 6 counts the number of openings and closings of the switching chamber door 32 based on the detection result of the door opening/closing detection sensor 13 . Then, the control device 6 energizes the electrode defrosting heater 16 to heat the electrode 15 when the number of times the switching chamber door 32 is opened and closed exceeds the preset reference number of times. Therefore, the electrode defrosting heater 16, which is the heating means described above, has opened and closed the switching chamber door 32 based on the detection result of the door opening/closing detection sensor 13, which is the door opening/closing detection means, exceeding the preset reference number of times. , the heating of the electrode 15 is started.

By doing so, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and in addition, the electrode defrosting heater 16 can be used to pre-heat the electrode 15 before voltage application to the electrode 15 is required. The frost adhering to the electrode 15 can be removed by heating. Therefore, for example, voltage application to the electrodes 15 can be started immediately when the "high quality freezing mode" is started.

Next, an example of the operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on in step S13, the control device 6 counts the number of openings and closings of the switchable compartment door 32 in the following step S14. Specifically, when the door opening/closing detection sensor 13 detects opening/closing of the switchable chamber door 32, 1 is added to a counter variable that counts the number of times the switchable chamber door 32 is opened/closed.

In the operation example described here, two variables cnt_A and cnt_A_old are used as counter variables for counting the number of times the switching chamber door 32 is opened and closed. The counter variable cnt_A_old is a variable that holds the previous value of the counter variable cnt_A. Then, in step S14, the value obtained by adding 1 to the previous value held in the counter variable cnt_A_old is set as the latest value of the counter variable cnt_A. After step S14, the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the control device 6 confirms whether or not the value of the counter variable cnt_A has exceeded a preset reference count cnt_cont. If the value of the counter variable cnt_A does not exceed the reference count cnt_cont, the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the control device 6 holds the current value of the counter variable cnt_A in the counter variable cnt_A_old. Then, the process returns to step S14.

On the other hand, when the value of the counter variable cnt_A exceeds the reference count cnt_cont in step S15, the process proceeds to step S2. Steps S2 to S5 are electrode defrosting steps. Since the operation in this electrode defrosting process is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, redundant description will be omitted here. After step S5, the process proceeds to step S21. Note that the values of the counter variables cnt_A and cnt_A_old are reset to 0 at the end of the electrode defrosting process.

In step S21, the control device 6 confirms whether or not the "high quality freezing mode" has been turned on. If the "High Quality Frozen Mode" is not turned on, the process returns to step S14. On the other hand, if the "high quality freezing mode" is turned on, the process proceeds to step S6. Steps S6 to S12 are electric field application steps. The operation in this electric field application step is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 4 in Embodiment 1, and therefore redundant description will be omitted here. After step S12, the process returns to step S14.

Embodiment 3.
Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator.

Embodiment 3 described here is the configuration of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 described above, and defrosts the electrodes by heating the electrodes when performing the defrosting operation (defrost) of the cooler. It is designed to In the following, the refrigerator according to the third embodiment will be described with a case based on the configuration of the first embodiment as an example, focusing on the points of difference from the first embodiment. The configuration whose description is omitted is basically the same as that of the first or second embodiment.

A refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes a cooler 3 as in the first embodiment. As described in Embodiment 1 with reference to FIG. 2, the cooler 3 cools the air blown to the switching chamber 9, which is a storage chamber. The control device 6 of this embodiment is control means for performing a defrosting operation (defrost) of the cooler 3 .

The control device 6 starts the defrosting operation of the cooler 3 when a preset defrosting operation start condition is satisfied. The defrosting operation start condition is, for example, that a preset time has elapsed since the previous defrosting operation was performed. In addition, for example, a frost detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of frost on the cooler 3 is provided, and the defrosting operation start condition is that the amount of frost detected by the frost detection sensor is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. can be

In the defrosting operation of the cooler 3, the controller 6, for example, circulates the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit in a direction opposite to the normal direction to heat the cooler 3. Remove any frost that may be present. Then, the control device 6 energizes the electrode defrosting heater 16 to heat the electrode 15 when performing the defrosting operation of the cooler 3 . Therefore, the electrode defrosting heater 16 which is the heating means described above heats the electrode 15 when performing the defrosting operation of the cooler 3 .

By doing so, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and in addition, the electrode defrosting heater 16 can be used to pre-heat the electrode 15 before voltage application to the electrode 15 is required. The frost adhering to the electrode 15 can be removed by heating. Therefore, for example, voltage application to the electrodes 15 can be started immediately when the "high quality freezing mode" is started.

Furthermore, during the defrosting operation of the cooler 3, the supply of cool air by the cooling means described in the description of the first embodiment is stopped. As a result, the temperature in the switching chamber 9 rises, so that the frost adhering to the electrodes 15 can be easily melted, and the amount of heating by the electrode defrosting heater 16 can be reduced to efficiently defrost the electrodes 15 . Further, after the defrosting operation of the cooler 3 is completed, the blowing volume of the air blower 4 becomes maximum in order to return the temperature inside each storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 to the set temperature. As a result, the wind speed in the switching chamber 9 also becomes maximum, so that water droplets can be quickly removed.

Next, an example of the operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the refrigerator 1 is powered on in step S22, the process proceeds to step S23. When the defrosting operation start condition described above is established in step S23, the control device 6 starts the defrosting operation (defrost) of the cooler 3. FIG.

When the defrosting operation of the cooler 3 is started, the electrode defrosting heater 16 is turned on in step S2. That is, the controller 6 energizes the electrode defrosting heater 16 to heat the electrode 15 . After step S2, the controller 6 terminates the defrosting operation (defrost) of the cooler 3 in step S24. Then, the process proceeds to step S3. Steps S2 and S3 to S5 described above are the electrode defrosting process. The operation in this electrode defrosting step is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment. For this reason, duplicate descriptions of steps S3 to S5 in particular will be omitted here. After step S5, the process proceeds to step S21.

In step S21, the control device 6 confirms whether or not the "high quality freezing mode" has been turned on. If the "high quality freezing mode" is not turned on, the process returns to step S13. On the other hand, if the "high quality freezing mode" is turned on, the process proceeds to step S6. Steps S6 to S12 are electric field application steps. The operation in this electric field application step is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 4 in Embodiment 1, and therefore redundant description will be omitted here. After step S12, the process returns to step S23.

1 Refrigerator 2 Compressor 3 Cooler 4 Air Blower 5 Operation Panel 5a Operation Unit 5b Display Unit 6 Control Device 6a Processor 6b Memory 7 Refrigerator Chamber 8 Chilled Chamber 9 Switching Chamber 10 Ice Making Chamber 11 Freezing Chamber 12 Vegetable Compartment 13 Door Opening/Closing Detection Sensor 14 Switching compartment storage case 15 Electrode 15a Ceiling surface electrode 15b Bottom electrode 16 Electrode defrosting heater 16a Ceiling surface heater 16b Bottom surface heater 17 Moisture content sensor 18 Power supply unit 20 Food 30 Insulation box 31 Refrigerating compartment door 32 Switching compartment door

Claims (3)

a storage room for storing an object to be frozen;
a pair of electrodes provided on opposing wall surfaces of the storage chamber;
a power supply that applies a voltage between the electrodes;
a water content detection means for detecting the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode;
and a heating means for heating the electrode,
The heating means heats the electrode according to the amount of water adhering to the surface of the electrode,
The refrigerator, wherein the power source applies a voltage between the electrodes according to the amount of water adhering to the surfaces of the electrodes . further comprising door open/close detection means for detecting an open/closed state of a door that opens/closes the storage room;
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said heating means starts heating said electrodes when the number of openings and closings of said door based on the detection result of said door opening/closing detection means is equal to or greater than a preset reference number of times. a cooler that cools the air blown into the storage room;
and a control means for performing a defrosting operation of the cooler,
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said heating means heats said electrodes when performing a defrosting operation of said cooler.

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