JPH03151025A - Deodorizer for refrigerator or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To maintain the deodorizing function for a long time by providing an adsorptive thermal decomposition catalyst in the passage for circulating the air in the refrigerator, etc., and furnishing a heater which is turned on and off to intermittently heat the catalyst. CONSTITUTION:The adsorptive thermal decomposition catalyst 15 is provided in the passage for circulating the air in the refrigerator 1, etc. The heater 13 is arranged below the catalyst 15 and turned on and off to intermittently heat the catalyst 15. The deodorizing function is maintained for a long time by such a simple structure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a deodorizing device for a refrigerator or the like for removing malodorous components contained in the air inside the refrigerator or the like.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, this type of deodorizing device has been one that uses an adsorbent such as activated carbon to adsorb malodorous components contained in the air inside the warehouse, or one that is equipped with an ozone generator and a catalyst. There is one in which ozone generated from an ozone generator is reacted with the air inside the refrigerator to decompose and remove malodorous components contained in the air inside the refrigerator, and the remaining ozone is decomposed by a catalyst.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, among the above-mentioned methods, the former method simply adsorbs malodorous components using an adsorbent, so the deodorizing function has a short lifespan. However, in addition to requiring an ozone generator, it also requires a catalyst to decompose the remaining ozone that is harmful to the human body, so the overall structure is complicated.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing device for a refrigerator or the like that has a long deodorizing function and has a simple structure.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst in a circulation path through which air inside a refrigerator or the like circulates, and the adsorption-type pyrolysis catalyst is It is equipped with a heater that intermittently heats the shaped pyrolysis catalyst.

(Function) In the case of the above, when the heater is turned off, malodorous components contained in the air passing through the circulation path are adsorbed by the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst, and then the heater is energized and the malodorous components are absorbed by the heater. When the thermal decomposition catalyst is heated, the adsorbed malodorous components are released and decomposed and removed. Therefore,
In this case, the adsorption function of the adsorption-type thermal decomposition catalyst is regenerated by heating with a heater, so the deodorizing function has a long lifespan, unlike one that merely adsorbs. Furthermore, since it is composed of an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst and a heater, the structure is simpler than that using an ozone generator.

(Example) An example in which the present invention is applied to a refrigerator will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, in Fig. 1, 1 is the refrigerator body, 2 and 3
are a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment formed therein, and 4 and 5 are doors, respectively. 6 is a cooler disposed in a cooler chamber 7 at the back of the freezer compartment 2, and 8 is a fan disposed above the cooler 6. When the fan 8 is driven, a part of the air cooled by the cooler 6 is supplied into the freezer compartment 2 from the supply port 9, and the air inside the freezer compartment 2 is returned to the return duct 1.
A part of the air cooled by the cooler 6 is supplied into the refrigerator compartment 3 through the supply duct 11, and then returned to the refrigerator compartment 7 through the supply duct 11. The air inside is returned to the cooler chamber 7 via the return duct 12, and so on. In this case,
Cooler room7. The freezer compartment 2 and the return duct 10 constitute a circulation path through which air in the freezer compartment 2 circulates, and the cooler compartment 7. @.

Supply duct 11. The refrigerator compartment 3 and the return duct 12 constitute a circulation path through which air within the refrigerator compartment 3 circulates.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a heater that also serves as a defrosting heater, which is disposed below the cooler 6 in the lower part of the cooler chamber 7, and is made of, for example, a glass tube heater. A cover 14 whose lower side is open is provided. This heater 13 is controlled to be energized and de-energized so that it is energized only when the cooler 6 is defrosted, and is de-energized at other times. Reference numeral 15 denotes an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst provided on the inner surface of the cover 14, which is made of a mixture of an adsorbent such as activated carbon and a thermal decomposition catalyst such as platinum or nickel.

Now, in the above configuration, during the cooling operation, the air inside the refrigerator is circulated through the cooler chamber 7, the freezer compartment 2, and the return duct 10 by the blowing action of the fan 8, and the air inside the refrigerator chamber 7. It is circulated through the supply duct 11°, the cold room 3 and the return duct 12. At this time, the air passing through the cooler chamber 7 comes into contact with the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15, and the malodorous components contained in the air are adsorbed by the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15.

On the other hand, when the defrosting operation is started, the cooler 6 and the fan 8
While the operation of the heater 13 is stopped, the heater 13 is energized and generates heat. The heat generated by the heater 13 heats the cooler 6 and the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15. By heating the cooler 6, the cooler 6 is defrosted, and
By heating the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15, the malodorous components adsorbed thereon are released and decomposed and removed. The adsorption function of the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15 is regenerated by releasing the adsorbed malodorous components.

Then, when the defrosting operation is finished and the cooling operation is resumed, and the temperature of the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15 decreases, the malodorous components contained in the air in the refrigerator are absorbed into the adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15, as described above. 15 will be attracted to it.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the adsorption function, that is, the deodorizing function of the adsorption-type pyrolysis catalyst 15 is regenerated by heating with the heater 13, so the deodorizing function has a long lifespan, unlike the case where the catalyst is simply adsorbed by an adsorbent. , and an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15
Only a small amount is required.

By the way, in order to regenerate the adsorption function of an adsorbent only, it is possible to heat the adsorbent to release the malodorous components, but if you do this, the released malodorous components will be released A duct, etc. is required to discharge the water to the outside, which complicates the structure. Regarding this point, in the case of the present embodiment, the malodorous components are released and decomposed and removed by the heating of the heater 13, so there is no need to take such consideration.

Further, the deodorizing device of the present invention includes an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst 15,
Since this can be configured with a heater 13 that heats intermittently, the structure is simpler than that using an ozone generator. Moreover, according to this embodiment, since a defrosting heater is used as the heater 13, there is also the advantage that there is no need to provide a dedicated heater separately.

In the above embodiment, the defrosting heater was used as the heater 13 for heating the adsorption-type pyrolysis catalyst 15, but it is also possible to provide a dedicated heater and control the energization and disconnection of this heater in synchronization with the defrosting heater. You can also do it.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the deodorizing device for refrigerators, etc. of the present invention is composed of an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst and a heater that intermittently heats the catalyst under power-on/off control. Because of this, the deodorizing function has a long service life and the structure is simple.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a vertical side view showing the state in which it is installed in a refrigerator, FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical side view of the main part, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cutaway front view of the same. . In the drawing, 1 is the refrigerator body, 6 is a cooler, 13 is a heater,
15 indicates an adsorption type thermal decomposition catalyst.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Equipped with an adsorption-type pyrolysis catalyst installed in a circulation path through which air circulates inside a refrigerator or the like, and a heater that intermittently heats the adsorption-type pyrolysis catalyst under power-on/off control control. A deodorizing device for refrigerators, etc.