JPH06185847A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure quality of fold improve utility of refrigerator by sorting food to be stored in frozen state according to purpose of storage. CONSTITUTION:A first freezing chamber 26, which is formed by defining by a heat insulating wall and provided with a metal plate 31 on a bottom, is provided at an upper part inside a freezing room 6. The inside of the freezing room 6 is formed of the first freezing chamber 26 and a second freezing chamber 35. In addition, the first freezing chamber 26 has a control means to restrict a rising of temperature. In a bottom part of the first freezing chamber 26, a third temperature sensor 33 is provided, and the title refrigerator is provided with a control means which starts automatically a rapid freezing operation based on the output of the third temperature sensor 33.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a forced ventilation type refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a refrigerator having a quick freezing chamber is shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-041464, and its structure will be described below with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body, which includes an outer box 2, an inner box 3,
The heat insulating material 4 is filled between the outer box 2 and the inner box 3. The inside of the refrigerator body 1 is divided into upper and lower parts by a partition wall 5, and a freezer compartment 6 is provided at an upper portion and a refrigerating compartment 7 is provided at a lower portion.
Is formed. In addition, a low temperature chamber 8 which is set in an intermediate temperature zone between freezing and refrigeration such as partial freezing is formed in the upper part of the refrigerating chamber 7 for the purpose of storing fresh food. A compressor 9 of the refrigeration cycle is housed behind the bottom of the refrigerator body 1. A cooler 10 for the refrigeration cycle is housed on the back surface of the freezer compartment 6, and the cool air cooled by the cooler 10 is forcedly ventilated by the blower 11 to the freezer compartment 6, the refrigerator compartment 7 and the low temperature compartment 8. Refrigerating room 7, low temperature room 8
The duct 12 guides the cool air, and damper devices 13 and 14 (hereinafter referred to as electric dampers 13 and 14) for adjusting the cold air inflow amount by electric input are provided at the entrances of the refrigerating room 7 and the low temperature room 8, respectively. It is provided. Further, temperature sensors 15 and 1 are provided in the freezing room 6, the refrigerating room 7, and the low temperature room 8, respectively.
6 and 17 are provided.

A compartmentalized quick freezing compartment 18 (hereinafter referred to as a quick freezing compartment 18) is provided in the lower portion of the freezing compartment 6, and a front and rear door 19 that can be opened and closed and a bottom metal plate 20 made of, for example, aluminum. Is provided. Reference numeral 21 is a food that is placed on the metal plate 20 and is rapidly frozen. A cold air discharge port 22 is provided on the rear surface of the quick freeze chamber 18, and a cold air suction port 23 is provided on the bottom surface of the front portion of the quick freeze chamber 18. A quick freeze switch 24 is provided on the front surface of the outer shell of the refrigerator body 1, and when the quick switch 24 is pressed, the compressor 9 and the blower 11 are continuously operated for a predetermined time. Reference numerals 25a and 25b in the figure denote doors for opening and closing the front opening portions of the freezing compartment 6 and the refrigerating compartment 7, respectively.

The operation of the above arrangement will be described below. Normally, the compressor 9 and the blower 11 are turned on / off based on the set value of the temperature sensor 15 provided in the freezer compartment 6, and the cool air cooled by the cooler 10 is blown by the blower 1
1 to cool the freezer compartment 6 and the quick freeze compartment 18 so as to maintain a constant temperature (for example, −20 ° C.). On the other hand, the cool air is blown by the blower 11 to the refrigerating room 7 and the low temperature room 8 through the duct 12, and the electric damper 13,
The cool air inflow is adjusted by 14 and cooled so as to maintain a constant temperature (for example, 4 ° C. and −3 ° C.).

Next, when the user puts the food 21 on the metal plate 20 in the freezing compartment 18 and presses the quick freeze switch 24 for the purpose of freezing and storing the food 21, the compressor 9 and the blower 1
1 is continuously operated for a predetermined time Tmin (for example, 180 min), and cold air is continuously introduced from the cold air discharge port 22 of the freezing chamber 18, so that the food 21 can be relatively cooled by the heat transfer cooling effect of the metal plate 20 on the bottom surface. Freeze in a short time. And
When the predetermined time elapses, the normal operation is resumed.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned configuration, foods are collectively stored in the freezer 6 regardless of the frequency of use during storage.

In recent years, the number of frozen foods has been increasing, and the use of frozen foods is increasing at home as the number of employed housewives increases. Foods frozen at home are roughly classified into stock type foods for the purpose of long-term storage by bulk buying materials, and stock type flowable foods that are frequently used and are always stored. Frozen foods have the advantage that they can be stored for a long period of time, but in reality, the use of commercially available frozen foods and cooked foods of the material is increasing, and the frequency of their use is high. There are many cases where The percentage of flowable foods is increasing.

On the other hand, as a condition for keeping frozen foods deliciously, suppression of temperature fluctuation during storage can be mentioned. When the temperature inside the freezing compartment rises due to heat load such as defrosting the cooler, opening and closing the door, or storing food before cooling, the growth of ice crystals in the food individual during frozen storage is promoted and destruction of cell tissue. It also promotes protein denaturation and deteriorates food quality. In addition, the sublimation of ice crystals is promoted by the temperature rise in the room,
By making the sublimated portion hollow, the contact area with air increases, and the oxidation of lipids and pigments is promoted, which further deteriorates the food quality. These are the phenomena that appear prominently when stored for a long term, and the degree of deterioration is small when stored for a short period (for example, 1 to 2 weeks).

Stock type foods have a long shelf life, so
Since it is necessary to prevent quality deterioration during storage and the frequency of use is comparatively low, it can be said that temperature control is more important than usability. On the other hand, stock-type flowable foods are used frequently and are intended for short-term storage, so it is considered that quality deterioration during storage due to temperature fluctuations is small, so usability is more important than storability. It can be said that it should be food. Since foods for these different purposes are stored in a mixed state in the freezer, the temperature of stock foods increases due to frequent opening and closing of the door, which promotes quality deterioration. In many cases, stock-type flowable food products are stored in the upper part where they are difficult to take out, and there is a problem in that they are not easy to use.

On the other hand, home freezing has become popular for freezing foods, and a quick freezing function is added to meet the need for delicious freezing and preservation of raw material foods. When the quick freezing switch 24 is pressed, it is compressed for a predetermined time. Machine 9 and blower 11
Continuously operates and freezes the food by an indirect cooling method that continuously cools the outer surface of the food with a constant amount of cold air. However, when the food is newly frozen, the freezing compartment 18 changes to the freezing compartment 6. Since frozen foods must be moved, and the temperature control after freezing is insufficient, the problem that fine ice in the food individual recrystallizes and grows and the quality deteriorates due to temperature rise there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to improve the temperature control according to the purpose of storing food and to improve the usability of the freezer.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the refrigerator of the present invention is provided with a first freezing compartment defined by a heat insulating wall and provided with a metal plate on the bottom surface in the upper part of the freezing compartment.
The freezing compartment is composed of a first freezing compartment and a second freezing compartment,
The first freezing chamber and the second freezing chamber are each provided with a temperature detecting means, and a control means for forcibly operating the compressor and the blower by giving priority to the output of the temperature detecting means in the first freezing chamber is provided. To do.

The third temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the food placed on the metal plate in the first freezing chamber, and the third temperature detecting means.
The control means for automatically starting the rapid operation based on the output of the temperature detecting means and forcing the compressor and the blower to operate.

[0015]

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned constitution, when the food to be frozen is a food intended for long-term storage, it is placed in the first freezing chamber at the upper part, and food intended for short-term storage such as temporary storage. Is stored in the second freezing compartment at the bottom. During normal operation, the compressor and the blower are turned on and off based on the output of the second temperature detection means, but when the first temperature detection means detects a temperature rise in the first freezer compartment, the first temperature detection is performed. Since the compressor and the blower are forcibly operated by giving priority to the output of the means, the temperature rise in the first freezing chamber is suppressed and the temperature fluctuation of the food is reduced.

When the food to be frozen is placed on the metal plate in the first freezing chamber, the third temperature detecting means detects the food and the rapid operation is automatically started so that the compressor and the blower are operated. Forced operation. At this time, cold air is continuously sent into the first freezing compartment, and the food passes through the maximum ice crystal production zone at once. When the quick freezing ends, the original temperature control is restored, and the frozen food can be managed from freezing to storage simply by storing the food in the first freezing chamber.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same components as those of the related art are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different portions will be described.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 26 is a first freezer compartment, which is partitioned and formed in the upper part of the freezer compartment 6 by a heat insulating wall 27 and an openable / closable heat insulating door 28. The first
The freezer compartment 26 has a cold air inlet 29 and a cold air inlet 30. A first temperature sensor 31 is provided on the top surface of the first freezer compartment 26 to detect the temperature in the air, and a metal plate 32 such as aluminum is provided on the bottom surface of the first freezer compartment. The third temperature sensor 33 is thermally conductively fixed to the back side of the metal plate 31. 34 is the food to be frozen. A second freezing chamber 35 is provided below the first freezing chamber 26, the second freezing chamber 35 has a cold air inlet 36, and the second freezing chamber 3 is further provided.
A second temperature sensor 37 is provided in the unit 5.

Next, the control relationship will be described. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 38 denotes a control means (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer 38) including a microcomputer and the like, and a timer 39 for counting the time-safe time T ₁ of the quick freezing operation time.
Etc. are built in. At the input terminal of the microcomputer 38, a temperature detecting means 40 having a second temperature sensor 37 of the second freezing compartment 35, a temperature detecting means 41 having a first temperature sensor 31 of the first freezing compartment 26, Third of the first freezer compartment 26
Temperature detecting means 42 equipped with the temperature sensor 33 of FIG.
Temperature detecting means 43 including the temperature sensor 16 of the low temperature chamber 8
The temperature detecting means 44 including the temperature sensor 17 is connected to the output terminal of the compressor 9, the blower 11, the refrigerating room 7, the electromagnetic dampers for driving the electric dampers 13 and 14 of the low temperature room 8. A rotation speed control means 49 for changing the rotation speed of the blower 11 by switching the capacities of the driving means 45, 46, 47, 48 and the operating condenser (not shown).
Are connected.

In such a configuration, normally, the compressor 9 and the blower 11 are turned on and off by the temperature detecting means 40 based on the temperature of the second temperature sensor 37 in the second freezer compartment 35. When the first freezing chamber 26 and the second freezing chamber 35 are operated, the first freezing chamber 26 and the second freezing chamber 35 are brought to a predetermined temperature (for example, -22
C., -20.degree. C.) and kept cooled. At this time, since the first freezing chamber 26 is partitioned by the heat insulating wall, the temperature is lower than that of the second freezing chamber 35 by 2 to 3 ° C. The rotation speed control means 49 of the blower 11 operates so as to have a normal rotation speed. On the other hand, the temperature sensors 1 in the refrigerator compartment 7 and the cold compartment 8
The temperature detectors 43 and 44 based on the temperatures of 6 and 17 control the opening and closing of the electric dampers 13 and 14 to adjust the inflow amount of cool air, and the refrigerating compartment 7 and the low temperature compartment 8 respectively have predetermined temperatures (for example, 4 ° C.). , -3 ° C) is maintained.

Next, the temperature control in the first freezer compartment 26 will be described. Under normal conditions, the compressor 9 and the blower 1 are controlled by the temperature detecting means 40 based on the temperature of the second temperature sensor 37.
1 operates on and off intermittently, but the first freezer compartment 26
The first temperature sensor 31 in the
2 ° C. above the second temperature sensor 3
Even if 7 issues a command to turn off the compressor 9 and the blower 11, the output of the temperature detection means 41 of the first temperature sensor 31 is prioritized and the compressor 9 and the blower 11 are forcibly operated to a predetermined temperature ( It is cooled to, for example, 22 ° C., and is controlled so as to suppress the temperature rise in the first freezer compartment 26.
At this time, since the temperature fluctuation of the food is also suppressed, the deterioration of the quality of the food due to the temperature fluctuation is suppressed, and the food can be preserved deliciously for a long time. Foods that are frozen and stored are roughly classified into stock type foods for long-term storage by bulk purchasing of ingredients and the like, and stock-type flowable foods for frequent storage and short-term storage for temporary storage. Foods intended for long-term storage are relatively infrequently used, but since temperature deterioration is likely to occur due to temperature fluctuations during storage, it is necessary to control the temperature, and therefore the food is stored in the first freezer compartment 26 at the top. . On the other hand, since the food for short-term storage is frequently used, the storage condition can be selected according to the purpose of the food, such as storing it in the convenient second freezing chamber 35. By cooling according to the food as described above, waste of cooling is eliminated and usability is improved.

Next, the operation at the time of sudden freezing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the time chart of FIG. First, when the food 34 to be frozen is placed on the metal plate 32, the heat of the food 34 is quickly conducted through the metal plate 32, and the temperature of the third temperature sensor 33 rapidly rises. Then, in STEP 1, it is determined whether the temperature of the third temperature sensor 33 is higher or lower than a predetermined value t ₁ ° C (for example, -10 ° C). ST
If it is determined in EP1 that the temperature is high, the quick freeze operation control is automatically started.

When the control is started, the timer 39 starts counting time in STEP2. Following this, STEP
3, the compressor 9 is forcibly operated, and the rotation speed control means 49 operates to switch the operating capacitor (not shown) to a high capacity, and the blower 11 is continuously operated at a high rotation speed. Cold air is continuously introduced into the first freezer compartment 26. And it progresses to STEP4.

In STEP 4, the temperature sensor 1 in the refrigerator compartment 7
It is judged whether the temperature of 6 is higher or lower than a predetermined value t ₂ ° C (for example, 10 ° C).
The electric damper 13 is forcibly closed. On the other hand, if it is determined to be high, STEP 5 is bypassed, and the electric damper 13 is controlled by normal temperature control.

When STEP 5 is passed or bypassed, the routine proceeds to STEP 6, where it is judged whether the temperature of the temperature sensor 17 in the low temperature chamber 8 is higher or lower than a predetermined value t ₃ ° C (for example, 5 ° C), and if it is lower, the routine proceeds to STEP 7. The electric damper 14 of the low greenhouse 8 is forcibly closed. On the other hand, if it is determined to be high, STEP 7 is bypassed and the electric damper 14 is controlled by normal temperature control.

When the electric dampers 13 and 14 of the refrigerating compartment 7 and the low-temperature compartment 8 are forcibly closed in this way, the amount of air blown to the first freezing compartment 26 increases correspondingly, and the refrigerating compartment 7 or The cooling capacity is relatively increased because the low greenhouse 8 is not cooled. At this time, the food 34 is completely surrounded by the cool air from the cool air discharge port 29, and at the same time, the conduction cooling from the bottom surface of the metal plate 32 is added, so that the freezing proceeds intensively and rapidly.

Next, in STEP 8, it is judged whether or not the count time of the timer 39 has reached T ₁ min, and if it has not reached T ₁ min, the process proceeds to STEP 9. Temperature of the third temperature sensor 33 in STEP9 is determined whether lower or higher than the predetermined value t ₄ ° C. (for example -20 ° C.), and repeats the action returns to STEP4 is higher. When it is determined in STEP 9 that the temperature is low, the process proceeds to STEP 10. In STEP 10, it is determined whether the temperature of the first temperature sensor 31 is higher or lower than a predetermined value t ₅ ° C (for example, -15 ° C). If the temperature is higher, the operation returns to STEP 4 and the operation is repeated. When it is determined in STEP 10 that the temperature is low, the process proceeds to STEP 11. On the other hand, in STEP 8, the timer 39
If the count time of has reached T ₁ min, S
Proceed to TEP11.

At STEP 11, the forced operation of the compressor 9, the forced operation of the blower 11 at a high speed, the cold storage room 7 and the low temperature room 8 are performed.
The forced closing state of each of the electric dampers 13 and 14 is released, and the freezing operation control is automatically terminated to return to the normal operation state. The food 34 is the metal plate 31 in the first freezer compartment 26.
Just put it on, and the freezing will start automatically and food 3
Fine ice crystals will be generated in the individual of No. 4.
When the quick freeze is completed, the normal operation is resumed, and the temperature fluctuation during storage is controlled so as to be suppressed, so that recrystallization growth of ice during frozen storage is not easily promoted. Therefore, damage to cell tissues and protein denaturation are suppressed, and frozen storage with little deterioration in food quality becomes possible. Consistent control from the quick freeze process to storage makes it extremely easy to use, and the longer the storage period, the greater the difference in quality from conventional products. growing.

[0029]

As is clear from the above description of the embodiments,
According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) By storing foods that are relatively infrequently used for long-term storage in the upper portion and foods that are frequently used and are stored in the short-term in the lower portion, the freezer compartment Usability is improved.

(2) Since the long-term storage room is provided with a control for controlling temperature fluctuation during storage, there is little deterioration of food quality due to cell damage due to recrystallization of ice during storage, and long-term storage is possible. The food can be preserved deliciously throughout.

(3) When the food is placed in the long-term storage room, the rapid operation automatically starts, so no operation button is required. Therefore, the fine ice crystals in the food individual are kept as they are, and the deterioration of food quality is suppressed. It is easy to use because it can be processed consistently from freezing to storage.

(4) By controlling the temperature of only the food for long-term storage that requires temperature control, it is more efficient than controlling the temperature of the entire inside of the refrigerator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] Front view of the refrigerator

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of quick freezing control of the refrigerator.

FIG. 5 is a time chart of quick freezing control of the refrigerator.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional refrigerator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Freezing Room 9 Compressor 10 Cooler 11 Blower 26 First Freezing Room 31 First Temperature Sensor 32 Metal Plate 33 Third Temperature Sensor 35 Second Freezing Room 37 Second Temperature Sensor 38 Microcomputer (Control Device) 40 Second Temperature Detection Means 41 First Temperature Detection Means 42 Third Temperature Detection Means 43 Refrigerator Temperature Detection Means 44 Low Greenhouse Temperature Detection Means 49 Rotation Speed Control Means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A compressor, a cooler, a first freezing chamber provided in the freezing chamber and partitioned by a heat insulating wall, a second freezing chamber provided in the freezing chamber, and a refrigerating chamber, A blower for forcibly blowing the cool air cooled by the cooler to the first freezing compartment, the second freezing compartment, and the refrigerating compartment; a metal plate provided on at least a bottom surface of the first freezing compartment; 1st temperature detection means which detects the temperature in the 1st freezer compartment, 2nd temperature detection means which detects the temperature in said 2nd freezer compartment, and said compression based on the output of said 1st temperature detection means And a control unit for forcibly operating the air blower and the blower, wherein the first freezing compartment is set at an upper portion and the second freezing compartment is set at a lower portion of the first freezing compartment. 2. A third temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the food placed on the metal plate in the first freezing chamber, and a rapid operation is automatically started based on the output of the third temperature detecting means. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising control means for forcibly operating the compressor and the blower.