JPH0477232B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a thawing chamber temperature control device for a refrigerator. More specifically, a thawing chamber that is controlled to a medium temperature range (for example, around 10 degrees Celsius) is installed in the refrigerator, and this thawing chamber is controlled to a medium temperature range, and during this control, freezing inside the refrigerator is prevented. The present invention relates to a temperature control device.

[Prior art] Conventionally, the temperature of the defrosting chamber of a refrigerator is controlled by using a dedicated fan to guide cold air cooled by a cooler into the defrosting chamber, and by controlling the amount of this cold air, the air temperature is about 3°C. was applied to the items to be thawed, and then returned to the cooler. Further, although devices have been considered that shorten the thawing time by installing a heater in the thawing chamber, there has been no device that utilizes the heat from the high temperature section of the compressor to shorten the thawing time. Furthermore, the temperature inside the refrigerator has been controlled, for example, by freezer control, which compares the detected temperature inside the refrigerator compartment with a set value and controls the operation of the compressor based on the comparison output.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the conventional refrigerator thawing chamber temperature control device uses a dedicated fan to guide cold air from the cooler to the thawing chamber and controls the amount of this cold air. Since air at about 3° C. was applied to the object to be thawed, there was a problem in that the thawing time took a long time. Further, in a device that controls the temperature by installing a heater in the thawing chamber, the thawing time can be shortened, but there is a problem in that the power consumption increases due to the provision of the heater.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to shorten the thawing time without consuming extra electricity, and furthermore, it does not cause freezing inside the refrigerator during thawing, and it also reduces the temperature inside the freezer compartment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thawing chamber temperature control device for a refrigerator that does not cause the temperature to deviate more than necessary from a set value.

[Means for solving the problems] The defrosting chamber temperature control device for a refrigerator according to the present invention has the following features:
In refrigerators that use freezer control, which compares the detected value in the freezer compartment with a set value and controls the operation of the compressor using the comparison output to control the temperature inside the refrigerator, thawing is performed from the cooler by opening and closing an electromagnetic damper. a cooling means for controlling the amount of cold air sent indoors; a heating means for controlling the amount of heat transferred from the high temperature section of the compressor to the thawing chamber via a heat pipe by opening and closing a solenoid valve; and a controlled temperature in the thawing chamber. a thawing room temperature setting means for setting the thawing room temperature, a thawing room temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the thawing chamber, and controlling opening and closing of the electromagnetic damper and the electromagnetic valve based on the outputs of the thawing room temperature setting means and the thawing room temperature detecting means, A temperature control means for controlling the temperature in the thawing chamber to a set value, a stop timer for setting the operation stop time of the compressor, a refrigerating room temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature inside the refrigerating room, A determining means for determining whether the detected value to be output is less than a set value for anti-freezing, and stopping operation of the compressor for a set time of the stop timer based on the determined output of the determining means. an operation stop means; a cutoff tire for setting an output cutoff time of the refrigerated room temperature detection means; and a cutoff tire that cuts off the output of the refrigerated room temperature detection means for a set time of the cutoff timer based on a time-up output of the stop timer. The invention is characterized in that it is equipped with an output cutoff means.

[Function] The thawing chamber is controlled to a set medium temperature range by opening and closing an electromagnetic damper and a solenoid valve based on the temperature control means, and can be used for storing southern vegetables and for medium temperature thawing.

During the above-mentioned medium temperature range control, if the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator falls below the anti-freezing set value and the refrigerator compartment is about to freeze, the operation stop means will stop the operation.
Based on the output of the determining means, the operation of the compressor is stopped for the set time of the stop timer. Therefore, freezing inside the refrigerator is prevented. Further, since the output cutoff means returns to freezer control for at least the set time of the cutoff timer based on the time-up output of the stop timer, the temperature of the freezing compartment is prevented from deviating significantly from the set value of the freezing compartment.

[Embodiment] Figures 1a and 2b and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, 1 is a refrigerator main body. The refrigerator main body 1 is divided by partition walls into a freezer compartment 2, first and second refrigerator compartments 3 and 4, a thawing compartment 5 whose temperature is controlled over a wide range of temperatures from low to high, and a vegetable compartment 6. A cooler 7 and a fan 8 for circulating cold air are provided at the back of the freezer compartment 2,
This fan 8 is configured to send cold air cooled by the cooler 7 to the freezer compartment 2, first and second refrigerator compartments 3 and 4, and the vegetable compartment 6, and return to the cooler 7. There is. That is, the cold air sent into the freezer compartment 2 returns to the cooler 7 via the first ventilation path 9, and the cold air cooled by the cooler 7 is returned to the second ventilation path via the bypass path 10. 11, and branches from this second ventilation path 11 to the first ventilation path 11.
The cold air sent to the refrigerator compartment 3 returns to the cooler 7 via the third ventilation passage 12, and the cold air branched from the second ventilation passage 11 and sent to the second refrigerator compartment 4 returns to the cooler 7 through the third ventilation passage 12.
It is sent to the refrigerator compartment 3 via the ventilation path 14 and returns to the cooler 7 via the third ventilation path 12. The cold air branched from the second ventilation path 11 and sent to the vegetable compartment 6 passes through the fourth ventilation path 13 to the second ventilation path 13.
It is sent to the refrigerator compartment 4, then sent to the first refrigerator compartment 3 via the fifth ventilation passage 14, and then sent to the third ventilation passage 1.
2 to the cooler 7.

Further, the fan 8 supplies the cold air cooled by the cooler 7 to the thawing chamber 5 through the bypass passage 10, the second ventilation passage 11, and the cold air outlet 15.
It is configured to send to. Said cold air outlet 1
5 is provided with an electromagnetic damper 16 for opening and closing the cold air outlet 15, and the electromagnetic damper 16 is composed of a solenoid 16a controlled by an electric signal and a damper tap 16b as an on-off valve.

A compressor 17 constitutes a refrigeration cycle with the cooler 7, and one side of a heat pipe 18 is provided in a high temperature section 17a such as an oil cooler of the compressor 17. A heat sink 19 disposed in the thawing chamber 5 is coupled to the other side of the heat pipe 18, and a solenoid valve 20 whose opening and closing are controlled by an electric signal is inserted in the middle of the heat pipe 19. ing. The heat pipe 18 is configured to transfer the amount of heat absorbed in the high temperature section 17a of the compressor 17 to the heat sink 19 by means of a volatile substance such as fluorocarbon gas sealed therein, and this amount of transferred heat is transferred to the electromagnetic plate 19. It is controlled by opening and closing the valve 20.

A first container 21 for accommodating objects to be thawed and objects to be refrigerated is placed on the heat sink 19.
The container 21 is connected to the second refrigerating compartment 4 by a connecting portion 22.
It is formed integrally with the second container 23 placed therein. A connecting portion 22 connecting the first and second containers 21 and 23 is removably engaged with an engaging groove 25 formed in a compartment 24 that partitions the second refrigerator compartment 4 and the thawing compartment 5. ing.

The thawing chamber 5, the first refrigerating chamber 3, and the freezing chamber 2 include:
To detect the respective indoor temperatures, a thawing room temperature sensor 26, a refrigeration room temperature sensor 27, and a refrigeration room temperature sensor 2 are provided.
8 are provided respectively. Furthermore, a cooler temperature sensor 29 for detecting the temperature of the cooler 7 is fixed to the cooler 7, and a defrosting end sensor 30 is provided near the cooler 7.

A control panel 31 is provided on the outside of the upper part of the refrigerator main body 1, and the control panel 31 is provided with an outside temperature sensor 32 for detecting outside air temperature. As shown in FIG. 2, the control panel 31 is made up of a display and operation section 33 and a control section 34 which are connected to each other.

The display control unit 33 includes first, second, and third setting switches 35, 36, and 37 for setting a high temperature range (for example, around 30°C), which also serves to set a timer time corresponding to the weight of the object to be thawed. , the first low temperature range (for example -
4th and 5th setting switches 38, 3 for setting the second low temperature range (for example, around +3°C)
9, a sixth setting switch 40 for setting a medium temperature range (e.g. around 10°C) suitable for medium temperature thawing or storing southern vegetables, etc. A seventh setting switch 41 is provided for switching and setting the temperature to 15°C), medium (for example, -18°C), and strong (for example, -21°C).

The control unit 34 controls the outside temperature sensor 32 and the freezing room temperature sensor 2 in the same manner as conventional freezer control.
8. The compressor 17 and the fan 8 are adjusted based on the detection signals from the defrosting end sensor 30, the cooler temperature sensor 29, and the refrigerator room temperature sensor 27, and the setting signal from the seventh setting switch 41 of the display operation section 33. It is configured to control the temperatures in the freezer compartment 2, the first and second refrigerator compartments 3 and 4, and the vegetable compartment 6 to a predetermined value.

The control unit 34 further includes the display operation unit 3
The setting value of the timer 42 for setting the defrosting time is based on the setting signals from the first, second, and third setting switches 35, 36, and 37 for setting the high temperature range of No. 3 and the detection signal from the defrosting room temperature sensor 26. are set to t ₅ , t ₃ , and t ₁ respectively, and the temperature in the thawing chamber 5 is controlled to a high temperature set value by controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 20 during the set time; 1,
Fourth and fifth setting switches 3 for setting the second low temperature range
Setting signals from 8 and 39 and the defrosting room temperature sensor 2
The electromagnetic damper 1 based on the detection signal from the
low temperature range control in which the temperature inside the defrosting chamber 5 is controlled to a low set value by controlling the opening and closing of the defrosting chamber 5; a setting signal from the sixth setting switch 40 for medium temperature range setting; and a detection signal from the defrosting room temperature sensor 26. Based on this, the electromagnetic damper 16 and the electromagnetic valve 20 are opened and closed to control the temperature in the thawing chamber 5 to a medium temperature set value, and the first to sixth setting switches 35 When any of ~40 is pressed,
The device is configured to display the pressed switch by lighting it up.

Furthermore, the control unit 34 includes a stop timer 43 for setting an operation stop time ts (for example, 8 minutes) of the compressor 17, and a stop timer 43 for setting a stop time ts (e.g., 8 minutes) for the compressor 17, and a stop timer 43 for setting the temperature T detected by the refrigerator room temperature sensor 27 to prevent freezing inside the refrigerator. a determination means for determining whether or not the temperature is smaller than a set value Tl (for example, −2° C.) set at Based on the time-up output of the stop timer 43, An output cutoff means is provided for cutting off the output of the refrigerating room temperature sensor 27 for a set time tc of the cutoff timer 44.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be explained using the characteristic diagram shown in FIG. 3 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

First, low temperature range control will be explained.

The fourth and fifth setting switches 38 of the display operation section 3,
39 is pressed, the setting signal is sent to the control section 34. The control unit 34 lights up the pressed switch to display it, and also outputs the setting signal and the thawing room temperature sensor 26.
The opening/closing of the electromagnetic damper 16 is controlled based on the detection signal from the thawing chamber 5, and the amount of cold air cooled by the cooler 7 and sent by the fan 8 flowing into the thawing chamber 5 is controlled. As a result, the temperature inside the thawing chamber 5 reaches the fourth level.
It can be used for refrigeration where the temperature is controlled to be a first low temperature (for example, around -2° C.) when the setting switch 38 is on, and a second low temperature (for example, around 3° C.) when the fifth setting switch 39 is on.

Second, medium temperature range control will be explained.

When the sixth setting switch 40 of the display operation section 33 is pressed, the setting signal is sent to the control section 34. The control unit 34 turns on the pressed sixth setting switch 40, and controls the opening and closing of the electromagnetic damper 16 and the electromagnetic valve 20 based on this setting signal and the detection signal from the thawing room temperature sensor 26, thereby opening and closing the thawing chamber 5. The temperature inside is controlled to a medium temperature range (for example, around 10℃) and can be used for storing southern vegetables. That is, the temperature Tk in the thawing chamber 5 is set to the set value Tm (for example, 10
℃), the cooling is stopped by closing the electromagnetic damper 16, and the electromagnetic valve 20 is opened. The amount of heat is transferred to the heated temperature Tk, which increases. Then,
When Tk reaches the upper limit of the control width of Tm (for example, 12° C.), the electromagnetic damper 16 opens and the electromagnetic valve 20 closes, and cooling is achieved by the inflow of cold air. Also, Tk is Tm
When the lower limit of the control width (for example, 8° C.) is reached, the electromagnetic damper 16 is closed and the electromagnetic valve 20 is opened, and the amount of heat is transferred from the high temperature section 17a of the compressor 17 to the heat sink 19 via the heat pipe 18. heated. Therefore, by opening and closing the electromagnetic damper 16 and the electromagnetic valve 20, the temperature Tk in the thawing chamber 5 is controlled within a control range around the set value Tm.

During the above-mentioned low-temperature range control or medium-temperature range control, as shown in _FIG .
℃), "T≦Tl?" becomes "YES", and the control section 34 sets the stop timer 43 based on the output of the determination means, and also stops the compressor 17 and the fan for the set time ts. Stop the operation of 8. This set time ts is calculated from the minimum stop time required for restarting the compressor 17.
It is set to a predetermined value (e.g., 8 minutes) within a range up to the maximum stop time of the compressor 17 in which the high temperature section 17a can serve as a heat source for the thawing chamber 5.

At ₂₀ o'clock ts, which is a time period ts elapsed from ₁₀ o'clock t, the control unit 34 sets the cut-off timer 44 based on the time-up output of the stop timer 43, and also controls the output of the refrigerator room temperature sensor 27 for the set time tc. cut off. Therefore, regardless of the output of the refrigerating room temperature sensor 27, the compressor 17 uses the detected value by the defrosting room temperature sensor 28 and the freezing room temperature set value (upper limit value).
Returns to freezer control that operates with the comparison output with Tfu and lower limit Tfl). The set time tc for shutoff is determined by the fact that the temperature Tf in the freezer compartment 2 increases by stopping the operation of the compressor 17 during the set time ts for shutting down, and this increases the set upper limit value Tfu (for example, -18.5 A predetermined value (for example, 24
minutes).

At _t30 , when the set cut-off time tc has elapsed since _t20 , the output cutoff means of the control unit 34 is released, so the determination means determines whether "T≦Tl?". This "T≦Tl?" is " _{YES "} as shown in FIG. stops operation. and
From t ₄₀ o'clock until t ₅₀ o'clock, when the set cut-off time tc has elapsed, freezer control is performed as shown in Fig. 3. _t50
Sometimes, "T≦Tl?" becomes "NO", so the freezer control continues.

When the temperature T in the first refrigerator compartment 3 reaches Tl at t _{60 o'clock} , "T≦Tl?" becomes "YES" and the set time ts for stopping elapses from t ₆₀ o'clock in the same manner as above.
The compressor 17 and the fan 8 stop operating until t ₇₀ o'clock. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated.

Thirdly, high temperature range control will be explained.

When the first setting switch 35 of the display operation section 33 is pressed, the setting signal is sent to the control section 34. The control unit 34 turns on the pressed first setting switch 35, and the setting value of the timer 42 is set to 500g. Compatible with T ₅
The timer 42 then operates. During the set time t ₅ of the timer 42 , the control unit 34 controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 20 based on the setting signal and the detection signal from the defrosting room temperature sensor 26 , and controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 20 .
Heating is performed by controlling the amount of heat transferred from a to the heat sink 19 via the heat pipe 18. As a result, the temperature inside the thawing chamber 5 is controlled to a high temperature range (for example, around 30° C.) and can be used for high-temperature thawing. When the set time _t5 for defrosting has elapsed since the first setting switch 3 was pressed, the high temperature range control is canceled based on the time-up output of the timer 42, the lighting of the first setting switch 35 goes out, and the thawing chamber 5 is turned off. The set value becomes the first low temperature set value. Therefore, the thawing chamber 5 is controlled by the first low temperature range control.

2nd and 3rd setting switch 3 of display operation section 33
6 and 37 are pressed, the pressed switch lights up in the same manner as described above, and the set values of the timer 42 are set to t3, _t3 , which corresponds to 300g, 100g, etc.
t becomes ₁ . Then, during the set times t ₃ and t ₁ , the solenoid valve 20 is controlled to open and close, and the temperature in the thawing chamber 5 is controlled to a high temperature range for high-temperature thawing.

In the above embodiment, freezing inside the refrigerator was prevented during low temperature range control and medium temperature range control, but
The present invention is not limited to this, but may also prevent the interior of the refrigerator from freezing during high temperature range control, as long as it prevents the interior of the refrigerator from freezing at least during medium temperature range control.

In the embodiment described above, the thawing chamber 5 is not provided with a cold air outflow path communicating with the first refrigerator compartment 3, etc., so as to prevent the odor of the food to be thawed in the thawing chamber 5 from spreading to other chambers. However, a cold air outflow passage communicating with the first and second refrigerator compartments 3, 4, etc. may be provided to promote the flow of cold air.

In the above embodiment, the thawing chamber has not only medium temperature range control that can be used for medium temperature thawing and storage of southern vegetables, but also low temperature range control that can be used for normal refrigeration and high temperature range control for high temperature thawing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be any device that performs at least medium temperature range control.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention enables medium-temperature thawing in the thawing chamber by using the cold air of the cooler and the heat of the high-temperature section of the compressor, and replaces the heater conventionally considered for medium-temperature thawing. Since this eliminates the need for thawing, the defrosting time can be shortened without consuming extra power. Moreover, if the temperature inside the refrigerator room falls below the anti-freeze setting during thawing, the compressor will stop operating for the time set on the stop timer, making it possible to prevent the inside of the refrigerator from freezing. can. Furthermore, when the compressor operation stop time in the thawing chamber ends, freezer control is performed for the set time of the cut-off timer regardless of the temperature in the refrigerator chamber.
The temperature in the refrigerator compartment does not deviate more than necessary from the set value.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1a, b and 2 show an embodiment of the defrosting chamber temperature control device for a refrigerator according to the present invention. - A sectional view, Figure 2 is a control circuit diagram, Figure 3 is a characteristic diagram showing changes in temperature in the freezer room, refrigerator room temperature, etc. over time during low temperature range control and medium temperature range control, and Figure 4 is It is a flowchart explaining the operation of the present invention. 1... Refrigerator main body, 3, 4... Refrigerator compartment, 5... Defrosting chamber, 7... Cooler, 8... Fan, 16... Electromagnetic damper, 17... Compressor, 17a... High temperature section, 18... Heat pipe, 19... Heat radiation Plate, 20... Solenoid valve, 26...
Thawing room temperature sensor, 27... Refrigerating room temperature sensor, 28...
Refrigeration room temperature sensor, 34...Control unit, 40...Central area setting switch, 42...Timer, 43...Stop timer, 44...Shutoff timer, Tl...Setting value for freezing prevention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a refrigerator that uses freezer control, which compares the detected value in the freezer compartment with a set value and controls the operation of the compressor using the comparison output to control the temperature inside the refrigerator, the temperature in the refrigerator is controlled by opening and closing the electromagnetic damper. a cooling means for controlling the amount of cold air sent into the thawing chamber; a heating means for controlling the amount of heat transferred from the high temperature section of the compressor to the thawing chamber via a heat pipe by opening and closing a solenoid valve; and a control inside the thawing chamber. A thawing room temperature setting means for setting a temperature, a thawing room temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the thawing chamber, and opening and closing of the electromagnetic damper and the electromagnetic valve are controlled based on the outputs of the thawing room temperature setting means and the thawing room temperature detecting means. , a temperature control means for controlling the temperature in the thawing chamber to a set value, a stop timer for setting an operation stop time of the compressor, a refrigerating room temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature inside the refrigerating chamber, and the refrigerating room temperature detecting means. a determining means for determining whether or not a detected value outputted by the controller is less than or equal to a set value for anti-freezing; and a determining means for determining whether or not a detected value output by the determining means is below a set value for anti-freezing, and operating the compressor for a set time of the stop timer based on the determined output of the determining means. an operation stop means to be stopped, a shut-off timer for setting an output cut-off time of the refrigerating room temperature detecting means, and a shut-off timer for setting the output cut-off time of the refrigerating room temperature detecting means; A thawing chamber temperature control device for a refrigerator, comprising an output cutoff means for cutting off output.