JPH0519888U - Refrigerator nitrogen enrichment device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] In a refrigerator equipped with a nitrogen enrichment device, the interior of a container for storing fruits and vegetables is humidified without impairing the nitrogen enrichment function, enabling long-term storage of fruits and vegetables. [Structure] In a closed container 1 provided in a refrigerator body 12,
Nitrogen-enriched air produced by passing through the second gas separation membrane 3a is supplied from the high-pressure chamber 3b through the connecting pipe 9. A water storage portion 11 is provided in the middle of the connecting pipe 9 so that nitrogen-enriched air is passed through the water storage 11a to be humidified. [Effect] Nitrogen-enriched and dehumidified air is humidified by passing through the water storage part and is sent into the closed container for storing fruits and vegetables. It is enriched and enables long-term preservation of fruits and vegetables.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a nitrogen enriching device for a refrigerator.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional nitrogen enrichment device of a refrigerator disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-123418, in which 1 is a closed container for storing fruits and vegetables and 2 is a first gas separation device. 2a is a first gas separation membrane, 2b is a high pressure chamber, and 2c is a low pressure chamber. 3 is a second gas separation device, 3a is a second gas separation membrane, 3b is a high pressure chamber, and 3c is a low pressure chamber. 4a and 4c are decompression pumps, 4b is a circulation pump, and 4d is a pushing pump. Reference numerals 5 to 10 are connecting pipes. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing another conventional nitrogen enriching device for a refrigerator, which is a simplified version of the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, and the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 denote the same or corresponding parts, and detailed description thereof will be given. Is omitted.

Next, the operation relating to FIG. 4 will be described. The first gas separation device 2 and the second gas separation device 3 installed in the closed container 1 are connected to the decompression pump 4a via the connecting pipes 5 and 10. By operating the decompression pump 4a, The low pressure chambers 2c and 3c have a low pressure, and the high pressure chambers 2b and 3b have a high pressure. Here, a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the separation membranes 2a and 3a, and air passes through the gas separation membranes 2a and 3a from the high pressure chamber 2b to the low pressure chamber 2c and from the high pressure chamber 3b to the low pressure chamber 3c. The gas separation membranes 2a, 3a allow more oxygen, carbon dioxide and water to permeate than nitrogen, that is, permeate faster. For example, if the gas passage speed of nitrogen is 1, the oxygen content is about 2.2 times. , Carbon dioxide is about 8 times, and water is about 22 times.

Due to the difference in the gas passing speed at that time, the first gas separation device 2 causes a pressure difference between the high pressure chamber 2b and the low pressure chamber 2c by the decompression pump 4a, and the high pressure chamber 2b side is enriched with nitrogen and the low pressure chamber 2b is enriched. The atmosphere on the 2c side is enriched with oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, and the interior of the closed container 1 is enriched with nitrogen while being depressurized and dehumidified. The second gas separation device 3 also has the same function to enrich and dehumidify the high-pressure chamber 3b side. Then, in order to supplement the air drawn from the container 1 by the decompression pump 4a, the air is pushed in from the pushing pump 4d, the high pressure chamber 3b is enriched with nitrogen, and the dehumidified air is passed through the connecting pipe 9 to the container 1 By supplying this nitrogen-enriched and dehumidified atmosphere to the inside, damage to the closed container 1 was prevented, and the inside of the closed container 1 was further enriched with nitrogen. Conventionally, by enriching the closed container 1 with nitrogen by the above-mentioned means, it is possible to prevent the food contained in the container 1 from being used up.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 Since the conventional refrigerator's nitrogen enrichment device is configured as described above, nitrogen is enriched in the closed container, but dehumidification is also performed at the same time, so it is necessary to dry vegetables stored in the closed container. There was a problem that it would end up.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has a simple and inexpensive structure, which prevents the inside of a sealed container from being dried without impairing the conventional function of enriching nitrogen. The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a nitrogen enriching device for refrigerators that can be used for long-term storage of fruits and vegetables.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The nitrogen enriching device of the refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with a water storage portion for humidifying the nitrogen enriched air in the supply passage of the nitrogen enriched air supplied to the closed container.

[0008]

[Action]

 The nitrogen-enriching device according to the present invention humidifies the nitrogen-enriched air supplied by the water storage unit, supplements the water lost when producing the nitrogen-enriched air, and prevents the inside of the closed container from drying.

[0009]

【Example】

 Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, the same reference numerals as those in the conventional technique indicate the same or corresponding portions, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is a water supply part provided in the middle of a connecting pipe 9 connecting the high-pressure chamber 3b of the second gas separation device 3 and the closed container 1 which is a supply path for supplying nitrogen-enriched air into the closed container 1. Then, the tip of the connection pipe 9a from the high-pressure chamber 3b side is extended to below the water surface of the water storage 11a, and the installation pipe 9b on the closed container 1 side is connected to the upper part of the water storage section 11 to supply nitrogen-enriched air. The water is stored in the water storage section 11 and is humidified by passing through the water storage 11a.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of a refrigerator equipped with the nitrogen enriching device according to the configuration of FIG. 1. In the figure, 12 is a refrigerator body, which is an inner box 12a, an outer box 12b, and both boxes 12a. , 12b are filled with a heat insulating material 12c. Reference numeral 1 is a closed container for storing foods such as fruits and vegetables arranged in the lower part of the refrigerator main body 12, which has a lid 1a on the upper part and is arranged at the rear part of the refrigerator main body 12 at the rear part thereof. A hole 1b for exposing 2 in the closed container 1 is provided. A packing 13 seals the first gas separation device 2 and the periphery of the hole 1b of the closed container 1, and closes the first gas separation device 2 so as to suck only the atmosphere in the closed container 1.

Numeral 14 is a machine room in which a compressor (not shown) and the like, which is partitioned and formed in the lower part of the refrigerator main body 12, is arranged. In the machine room 14, the nitrogen-enriched air is supplied into the closed container 1. The second gas separation device 3, the decompression pump 4a, the pushing pump 4d and the water storage section 11 are arranged respectively. As the water storage 11a of the water storage unit 11, defrosting water from an evaporator (not shown) provided on the upper portion of the refrigerator body 12 is introduced and stored by a drain hose (not shown). Reference numeral 15 denotes a door that opens and closes the lower front surface of the refrigerator main body 12, and a packing 16 is provided around the door.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. The closed container 1 for storing fruits and vegetables is closed by a packing 13 at a top portion thereof by a lid 1a and a hole 1b for exposing a first gas separation device 2 provided at a rear surface in a state where a door 15 is closed. The first gas separator 2 enriches, dehumidifies, and depressurizes the inside of the container 1 in the same manner as in the prior art.

Further, in the second gas separation device 3 as well as in the prior art, the high pressure chamber 3b is enriched with nitrogen and dehumidified, and its air is stored by a pushing pump 4d through a connecting pipe 9a to store a certain amount of stored water 11a. It is sent to 11. The connecting pipe 9a reaches below the surface of the stored water 11a stored in the water storage unit 11, and the nitrogen enriched and dehumidified by the pump 4d passes through the stored water 11a to be humidified and connected. It is fed into the container 1 through the pipe 9b. Therefore, the inside of the closed container 1 is not dried.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the one provided with both the first gas separation device 2 and the second gas separation device 3 was shown, but it is also possible to provide only the second gas separation device 3 and to form a closed container. 1 is provided with an appropriate small hole or the like to allow the air in the closed container 1 to escape, and only the nitrogen-enriched air supplied from the second gas separation device 3 is filled with nitrogen in the closed container 1 in the substantially closed state. The atmosphere may be changed to the same effect as in the above embodiment.

Although the defrosting water is used as the water supply source of the water storage 11a in the above embodiment, a part of the water used for automatic ice making may be used as the supply source, or both of them may be used. It may be used as a water supply source and has the same effect as that of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Further, in the above embodiment, the water storage portion 11 is provided in the middle of the connecting pipe 9 which is in the supply passage of the nitrogen-enriched air to the closed container 1 and the water-enriched water 11a is naturally evaporated by passing the nitrogen-enriched air. However, although the humidifier is shown, a dedicated humidifier may be provided in the middle of the connecting pipe 9 or in the closed container 1, which is more expensive than the above-mentioned embodiment, but is similarly closed. The thing which can prevent the drying in 1 is obtained.

[0017]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the water supply section for humidifying the nitrogen-enriched air is provided in the supply path of the nitrogen-enriched air to be supplied to the airtight container. It is possible to obtain nitrogen-rich foods that can be preserved for a long period of time, such as fruits and vegetables, without drying them.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a nitrogen enriching device of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator including a nitrogen enriching device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a nitrogen enrichment device of a conventional refrigerator.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing another conventional nitrogen enriching device for a refrigerator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Airtight Container 3a Gas Separation Membrane 9 Nitrogen-enriched Air Supply Channel 11 Water Storage Section 12 Refrigerator Main Body

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A nitrogen enriching device for a refrigerator, which supplies nitrogen-enriched air produced by removing other gases through a gas separation membrane to a closed container for food storage provided in a refrigerator body, A nitrogen enriching device for a refrigerator, characterized in that a water storage unit for humidifying the nitrogen-enriched air is provided in the supply passage of the enriched air.