JPH0255701B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rapid cooling device for a freezer compartment of a forced draft type refrigerator that circulates cold air inside the freezer compartment using an electric blower.

Conventionally, in this type of refrigerator, it has been common practice to continuously operate a compressor, an electric blower, etc. as a means of increasing the freezing speed. In addition, this continuous operation is generally configured to run for a certain period of time using a timer, etc., but the time required to freeze food varies depending on the load condition of the food and the load condition from the surroundings of the refrigerator. There was a drawback that sufficient rapid freezing could not be achieved simply by setting a forced continuous operation time. In other words, when the temperature of the food is high, it naturally requires a lot of time to freeze it, and when the ambient temperature of the refrigerator is high, it naturally requires a lot of load, so it also takes a lot of time to freeze it.

In view of this, the present invention has been made with the aim of providing a refrigerator that can perform quick freezing in accordance with the load.One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the figure, 1 is a refrigerator main body, which is equipped with a compressor 2 at the bottom and a condenser 3 at the back.
Inside the main body 1 is an evaporator 4 and an electric blower 5 for forced ventilation.
It is divided into two compartments, an upper freezing compartment 7 and a lower refrigerating compartment 8, by a partition wall 6. 9 is a thermostat as a temperature detector placed in the freezer compartment 7;
The compressor 2 and the electric blower 5 are controlled by opening and closing according to the temperature of the freezer compartment. 10 is a damper thermostat placed at the cold air outlet of the refrigerator compartment 8, which controls opening and closing of the damper according to the temperature of the refrigerator compartment;
Therefore, the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is maintained at a desired temperature. The damper thermostat 10 is provided with a temperature compensation heater 11 for compensating the operation of the damper thermostat. Therefore, the freezer compartment 7,
Cold air cooled by the evaporator 4 is forcedly circulated into the refrigerator compartment 8 by an electric blower 5 as shown by arrows in the figure.

Next, a schematic electrical circuit diagram of the refrigerator will be explained.
Reference numeral 12 denotes a timer device that incorporates a two-circuit type switch 12a that manually closes and automatically opens, and a timer driving electric motor 12b.When the switch 12a is manually closed, it short-circuits the thermostat 9 and at the same time short-circuits the temperature compensation heater 11. It has a circuit A that stops energization and a circuit B that starts energizing the timer drive motor 12b. The timer drive motor 12b is configured so that when energized, each circuit of the switch 12a is automatically opened via a cam plate or the like which responds to the rotation of the drive motor 12b after a predetermined time has elapsed. Reference numeral 13 denotes a positive characteristic heat-sensitive resistance element that senses the temperature around the refrigerator main body 1 and changes its own specific resistance value, and is connected in series with the timer drive motor 12b to provide a part of the external part of the main body 1. It functions as a timer operation changing means for correcting the operating time of the timer device 12 according to the outside temperature.

In this configuration, when it is desired to quickly freeze food, etc. in the freezer compartment 7, the thermostat 9 is short-circuited by manually closing the switch 12a, and the compressor 2 and the electric blower 5 are operated continuously, and at the same time the damper thermostat is turned off. The supply of electricity to the temperature compensation heater 11 of the thermostat 10 is stopped, the heat retention state of the damper thermostat main body 10 is released, the damper is automatically closed, the supply of cold air to the refrigerator compartment 8 is substantially stopped, and the electric blower 5 is The forced ventilation cold air is intensively and continuously sent almost exclusively to the freezer compartment 7 to start rapid freezing. On the other hand, at the same time as the start of quick freezing, power supply to the timer drive motor 12b of the timer device 12 is started and time integration starts; When the outside temperature changes, the specific resistance of the heat-sensitive resistance element 13 changes accordingly, so the voltage applied to the drive motor 12b also changes according to the voltage division ratio. That is, when the outside temperature is high, the partial pressure applied to the drive motor 12b becomes low and the rotation speed decreases, and conversely, when the outside temperature is low, the partial pressure applied to the drive motor 12b becomes high and the rotation speed decreases. Since the temperature increases, the time required for the switch 12a to automatically open is automatically controlled and changed depending on the outside temperature. Thereafter, as described above, when the food in the freezer compartment 7 has been completely frozen within the time set according to the outside temperature and a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the switch 12a is Each contact is automatically returned to its original state to end and release the quick freezing.

In other words, a quick freezing switch 12a that can be manually closed and automatically opened is incorporated into the timer device 12, and when it is manually closed, the thermostat 9 is short-circuited and at the same time, the temperature compensation heater 1 of the damper thermostat 10 is
1, the compressor 2 and the electric blower 5 are continuously operated, and the refrigerator compartment 8 is
Freezer compartment 7
Cold air is blown intensively and continuously only to the area, which has the effect of allowing rapid freezing to be performed much more quickly and efficiently than in the conventional example. On the other hand, the reset mechanism for quick freezing is basically a method in which the timer device 12 automatically resets the switch 12a after a predetermined time has elapsed via a cam plate or the like that responds to the rotation of the timer drive electric motor 12b. By connecting a PTC heat-sensitive resistance element 13 provided outside the main body 1 in series with the electric motor 12b, it is possible to automatically change the time required to reset the quick freezing according to the outside temperature. In other words, when the temperature of the frozen item itself is high and the outside temperature is high and there is no margin in the cooling capacity of the refrigerator 1, the time required to reset the quick freezing is automatically extended, and conversely, the temperature of the frozen item itself is increased. To perform efficient quick freezing in the required time at the outside temperature in order to automatically shorten the time required to reset the quick freezing when the outside temperature is low and there is a margin in the cooling capacity of the refrigerator 1. is possible,
There are no inconveniences such as continuing rapid freezing for longer than necessary or insufficient rapid freezing time.

As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the rapid cooling of the freezer compartment, that is, the time during which the compressor and electric blower are forced to be continuously energized, is controlled so that it is longer when the outside temperature is high and shortened when the outside temperature is low. As a result, efficient rapid freezing is possible that roughly corresponds to the cooling capacity of the cooling system and the temperature of the object to be cooled, eliminating insufficient or unnecessary forced freezing, especially at low outside temperatures. This has great practical effects, such as suppressing power loss and the effects of overcooling on other temperature-controlled rooms such as refrigerators.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram of the refrigerator. 2...Compressor, 5...Electric blower, 7...Freezing room, 9...Thermostat (temperature detector), 12
a... Switch, 12b... Timer driving electric motor (means), 13... Positive characteristic heat sensitive resistance element (means).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A freezer compartment, an electric blower that forcibly circulates cold air into the freezer compartment, a temperature detector that senses the temperature of the freezer compartment and controls the operation of the compressor and the electric blower, and a temperature detector that controls the temperature sensor. a timer operation switch that forcibly energizes the compressor and electric blower regardless of the situation; and a timer operation changing means that controls the operation time of the timer to be longer when the outside temperature is high and shorter when the outside temperature is low. Equipped with a rapid cooling device for the refrigerator.