JPH03164678A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an erroneous operation of a rapid refrigerating function from being carried out by a method wherein a rapid refrigeration start signal is outputted when a difference between temperatures detected by use of the first temperature sensor arranged at a refrigerated product mounting part of a rapid refrigeration corner and the second temperature sensor arranged at a location other than the refrigerated product mounting part reaches a predetermined reference temperature difference. CONSTITUTION:When a refrigerated product to be rapidly refrigerated at time (d) is mounted on a rapid refrigerating and cooling device 3 acting as a refrigerated product mounting part, a temperature at this part becomes higher than that of other part, a sensed temperature detected by the first detection sensor 4 is higher than that of the second temperature sensor 5 and then its difference is increased. That is, an output voltage Vs in a temperature difference detection circuit 6 is lower than an output voltage Vk of a reference temperature difference setting circuit 7, an output of a comparator 10 is reversed to an H level and then a rapid freezing start signal is outputted. In response to this outputting operation, the rapid refrigeration is started. in this way, a rapid refrigeration start signal is outputted from the comparator 10 only when the refrigerated product is mounted on the refrigerated product mounting part after the refrigerated product is stored in the rapid freezing corner 2 and then a rapid refrigeration for the refrigerated product can be performed without any erroneous operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a refrigerator that is equipped with a quick-freeze corner in a freezer compartment so that objects to be frozen can be quickly frozen.

(Conventional technology) When freezing food, it is known that the faster the food is frozen, the less the quality will deteriorate.With this in mind, refrigerators are equipped with a quick-freeze corner in the freezer compartment. There are devices available that can rapidly freeze items to be frozen.

This type of refrigerator is equipped with a dedicated switch for quick freezing.
When the user operates this switch, the food (item to be frozen) is quickly frozen. However, this requires the trouble of operating the switch after placing the food in the quick-freeze corner.

In order to improve this problem, it has been considered to automatically start quick freezing when food is placed in the quick freezing corner. In this case, a temperature sensor is provided in the quick-freezing corner, and when the temperature detected by this temperature sensor becomes higher than a reference value, that is, when a food temperature higher than the freezer compartment temperature is detected, quick-freezing is started.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the quick freezing automatic start method described above, when the freezer compartment door is opened, warm air from outside the freezer enters the freezer compartment, causing the quick freezing function to malfunction, causing the food to freeze. There is a risk that rapid freezing will start even though the container is not contained. The same thing can also be said when defrosting is performed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to automatically start quick freezing reliably only when the object to be frozen is stored in the quick freezing corner, and to prevent the quick freezing function from malfunctioning. There is no fridge to provide.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a quick-freezing corner in a freezer compartment so that objects to be frozen can be quickly frozen. a first temperature sensor provided in the storage section; a second temperature sensor provided in a portion of the freezing chamber other than the frozen object placement section;
The present invention is characterized by the provision of quick freezing start control means for outputting a quick freezing start signal when the difference between the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor reaches a predetermined reference temperature difference. .

(Function) When quick freezing is not performed in the quick freezing corner, the temperature inside the freezer compartment is almost uniform, including the quick freezing corner. When the freezer compartment door is opened, warm air from outside enters the freezer compartment and the temperature inside the freezer compartment increases, but in this case, the temperature inside the freezer compartment as a whole rises. Therefore, there is no significant change in the temperature difference between the frozen cutting portion and the other portions.

When a frozen object to be rapidly frozen is placed on the frozen object placement section, the temperature of this portion becomes higher than that of other portions. That is, the temperature difference between the frozen object placement section and other parts becomes large.

Therefore, according to the above means, the rapid freezing starting means is the first
Since the quick freezing start signal is output when the difference between the detected temperatures between the temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor reaches a predetermined reference temperature difference, quick freezing starts only when the object to be frozen is stored. will be done.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, in FIG. 2, the freezer compartment 1 is cooled by a main cooler (not shown).

In this freezer compartment 1, a quick freezing corner 2 is provided in a partition section 2a.
The bottom of the quick-freezing corner 2 serves as a place for placing objects to be frozen, and is constituted by a plate-shaped quick-freezing cooler 3. This cooler 3 for the quick freezing corner is operated during quick freezing,
Normally, the main cooler is operated and stopped as appropriate and the freezer compartment 1
The inside is cooled to a predetermined freezing temperature.

Inside the freezing chamber 1, a first temperature sensor 4 and a second temperature sensor 5 are provided, of which the ml temperature sensor 4 is for quick freezing, which is the frozen object placement part of the quick freezing corner 2. The temperature sensor 5 of tJ2 is placed at a location other than the frozen object in the freezer compartment 1, for example, on the back wall of the freezer compartment 1 and above the outside of the quick freezing corner 2. has been done. Both the first temperature sensor 4 and the second temperature sensor 5 are composed of negative characteristic thermistors.

In FIG. 1 showing the electrical configuration, the temperature difference detection circuit 6 has a DC power supply terminal Vc between the DC power supply terminal Vc and the ground.
The first temperature sensor 4 and the second temperature sensor 5 from the c side
are connected in that order, and a voltage Vs corresponding to the difference in temperature detected by both temperature sensors 4 and 5 is output from the output point 6a.
is output.

The reference temperature difference setting circuit 7 is constructed by connecting a predetermined fixed resistor 8.9 in series between the DC power supply terminal Vc and the ground, and it outputs a reference voltage Vk corresponding to the reference temperature difference from its output point 7a. Output. Output voltage Vs from the temperature difference detection circuit 6 and output voltage V from the reference temperature difference setting circuit 7
The relationship with k is that when the inside of the freezer compartment 1 has a substantially uniform temperature distribution (when there is almost no difference between the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors 4 and 5), V s > V k. It is set up to be related. The output voltage Vs from the temperature difference detection circuit 6 is given to the inverting input terminal (-) of the comparator 10, and the output voltage Vk from the reference temperature difference setting circuit 7 is given to the non-inverting input terminal (-) of the comparator 10.
+). This comparator 10 is a rapid freezing start control means, and since the temperature distribution inside the freezer compartment 1 is almost uniform during normal refrigeration operation, the output is set to L level according to the relationship of V s > V k during normal refrigeration. There is. However, the lever Vs and Vk
When the relationship between the two is reversed, the output is set to H level.

This H level is used as a rapid freezing start signal. The output of this comparator 10 is stabilized with a slight time delay by an electrolytic capacitor 11 and is applied to an input terminal KR of a microcomputer 12. This microcomputer 12 is configured to change its output terminal O to H level when its input terminal KR goes to H level. A relay drive circuit 13 for operating the rapid freezing cooler 3 is connected to this output terminal O.
This relay drive circuit 13 operates the cooler 3 to perform rapid freezing when the output terminal 0 becomes H level.

Now, in the above configuration, during normal refrigeration cooling operation,
Inside the freezer compartment 1, a compressor (not shown) is turned on and off based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor for the freezer compartment (not shown), and the temperature is maintained at a predetermined freezing temperature, although there is a slight temperature range above and below. Now, the change in the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 4 is shown by a broken line in FIG. 3, and the change in the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 5 is shown by a solid line in the same figure. In the figure, time range A shows changes in each detected temperature in the normal refrigeration cooling operation state, and although there are changes in the detected temperatures, the differences are almost constant. At this time, when looking at the input of the comparator 10, there is a relationship of Vs>Vk, so the output is set to L level.

However, in FIG. 3, for example, if the door of the freezer compartment 1 is opened at time 1 and closed at time C, the warm air from outside enters into the freezer compartment 1 due to the opening of the door. The temperature rises, but in this case, the temperature inside the freezer compartment 1 as a whole rises.

Therefore, there is no significant change in the temperature difference between the frozen object placement portion and other portions, and the difference between the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 4 and the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 5 does not change much. As a result, the output of the comparator 10 also remains at the L level.

When the frozen object to be rapidly frozen is placed on the rapid freezing cooler 3, which is the frozen object mounting section, at time d in the figure, the temperature of this part becomes higher than that of other parts. The temperature detected by the first detection sensor 4 becomes higher than that by the second temperature sensor 5, and the difference becomes large.

That is, the output voltage Vs of the temperature difference detection circuit 6 becomes lower than the output voltage Vk of the reference temperature difference setting circuit 7, and the output of the comparator 10 is inverted to H level (a quick freezing start signal is output). Based on this, rapid freezing is started.

According to this embodiment, the quick freezing start signal is output from the comparator 10 only when the frozen object is stored in the quick freezing corner 2 and placed on the frozen object placement section. Therefore, rapid freezing of the object to be frozen can be performed without malfunction.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides a quick freezing corner in a freezer compartment so that objects to be frozen can be quickly frozen. A first temperature sensor provided in the placement section, a second temperature sensor provided in a part of the freezing chamber other than the frozen object placement section, and the temperatures detected by these first temperature sensors. and a quick freezing start control means for outputting a quick freezing start signal when the difference between the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor reaches a predetermined reference temperature difference. Therefore, rapid freezing can be reliably automatically started only when the object to be frozen is stored in the quick freezing corner, and the quick freezing function does not malfunction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration, FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram of a part of the quick-freezing corner, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing changes in the temperature detected by each temperature sensor. It is a figure showing an example.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a refrigerator which is equipped with a quick-freeze corner in the freezer compartment so that objects to be frozen can be quickly frozen, a first temperature sensor provided on the object-to-be-frozen portion of the quick-freeze corner and a A second temperature sensor provided at a location other than the frozen object mounting portion, and the difference between the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor is a predetermined reference temperature. 1. A refrigerator comprising: quick freezing start control means for outputting a quick freezing start signal when the difference is reached.