JPH10332240A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep the temperature in a switching chamber stably even upon stoppage of a compressor by controlling the damper of the switching chamber to be opened upon stoppage of the compressor when the switching chamber for switching the set temperature within a temperature band from the freezing temperature to the refrigerating temperature is set at the freezing temperature. SOLUTION: In a refrigerator comprising a refrigerating chamber 14, an ice making chamber 16 and a switching chamber 18 disposed below the refrigerating chamber 14, and a freezing chamber 20 disposed farther thereunder, a cooler is disposed in a cooling space 24 provided on the back of the ice making chamber 16 and the freezing chamber 20 and a cooling fan 28 is disposed thereon. Furthermore, a damper 32 for supplying chill from the cooling fan 28 to the refrigerating chamber 14 and the switching chamber 18 is provided. The damper 32 is provided with a suction port 34 in the left side face thereof, a duct 36 on the upper surface thereof and dampers 40, 42 for the switching chamber and the refrigerating chamber are disposed in the damper 32. The switching chamber 18 is set at a freezing temperature and the damper 40 for the switching chamber is controlled to be opened upon stoppage of the compressor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a switching room capable of switching a set temperature in a temperature range from a freezing temperature to a refrigeration temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional refrigerator has only a room such as a refrigerator room, a freezer room, and a vegetable room that keeps the temperature inside the refrigerator at a specific temperature. However, a recent refrigerator has a refrigerator other than these rooms. Some have a switching room which can switch the internal temperature from the refrigeration temperature to the freezing temperature.

In order to control the internal temperature of the switching chamber to a set temperature, a damper dedicated to the switching chamber is provided, and the opening and closing of the damper adjusts the inflow of cool air.

[0004]

By the way, even when the switching chamber is used at the refrigerating temperature, as in the case where the switching chamber is used at the refrigerating temperature, no cool air is generated from the cooler when the compressor is stopped. The dedicated damper was closed.

However, since the switching room is adjacent to the freezing room, if the compressor stops during use at the freezing temperature and the inflow of cool air stops, heat leakage to the freezing room increases. For this reason, there has been a problem that the temperature of the switching room rises and the temperature distribution deteriorates, and the stabilization of the internal temperature of the switching room becomes slow.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a refrigerator that is set at a freezing temperature and that stably maintains the temperature inside the switching chamber even when the compressor is stopped. is there.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator having at least a switching room and a freezing room capable of switching a set temperature in a temperature range from a freezing temperature to a refrigeration temperature.
A switch is provided inside the cooling space to provide a cooler and a cooling fan that blows the cool air cooled by the cooler to the switching room and the freezing room, and switches between the switching room and the cooling space to block the inflow of cool air. A room damper is provided, an opening for flowing cool air is provided between the freezing room and the cooling space, and when the set temperature of the switching room is set to the freezing temperature, compressed refrigerant is supplied to the cooler. Control means is provided for opening the switching room damper when the feed compressor stops.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator of the first aspect, the control means rotates the cooling fan when the switching chamber damper is opened.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, the control means opens the switching room damper when the compressor is stopped and closes it after a predetermined time.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator according to the first aspect, further comprising a switching room temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the switching room, wherein the control means controls the switching room damper when the compressor is stopped. Is opened, and closed when the temperature detected by the switching room temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator according to the first aspect, further comprising a temperature sensor for a switching room for detecting a temperature inside the refrigerator of the switching room and a temperature sensor for a freezing room detecting the temperature inside the refrigerator of the freezing room. The control means opens the switching room damper when the compressor is stopped, and the temperature detected by the switching room temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the freezing room temperature sensor become a predetermined temperature difference. It is to be closed when it is closed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, a defrost heater for defrosting the cooler is provided in the cooling space, and the control means controls the switching when the defrost heater operates. This is to close the room damper.

According to the refrigerator of the first aspect, the set temperature of the switching room is set to the freezing temperature, and when the compressor is stopped, the control means opens the damper for the switching room. for that reason,
Cooling air can be circulated between the inside of the switching room and the cooling space and the freezing room, the temperature difference between the freezing room and the switching room is eliminated, and heat leakage from the switching room to the freezing room is reduced. Therefore, the internal temperature of the switching room can be stably maintained.

In the refrigerator of the second aspect, when the damper for the switching room is open, the control means rotates the cooling fan to forcibly send cool air to the switching room, so that the internal temperature of the switching room rises. Nothing.

[0015] In the refrigerator according to the third aspect, the control means includes:
In order to open the switching room damper when the compressor is stopped and to close it after a predetermined time, even if the internal temperature of the switching room is set to a lower freezing temperature than the freezing temperature of the freezing room, The internal temperature of the switching room is unlikely to rise.

In the refrigerator according to the fourth aspect, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature, the control means controls the damper for the switching room from open to closed, so that the internal temperature of the switching room rises. Hateful.

In the refrigerator according to the fifth aspect, when the difference between the temperatures in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment becomes a predetermined temperature difference, the damper for the compartment is changed from open to closed. The temperature inside the chamber is not easily increased.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, when the defrost heater for defrosting the cooler is operating, the control means is provided with a damper for the switching chamber to prevent heat from entering the defrost heater. To close.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, the overall structure of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment.
0 is a front view, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

A refrigerator compartment 14 is provided at the top of the cabinet 12 of the refrigerator 10, an ice-making compartment 16 and a switching compartment 18 are provided below the refrigerator compartment 14, a freezing compartment 20 is provided below the compartment, and a freezing compartment 20 is provided below the compartment. A vegetable room 22 is provided.

The refrigerator compartment 14 has a hinged door 14.
The ice making room 16, the switching room 18, the freezing room 20, and the vegetable room 22 are respectively provided with drawer-type doors 16a, 18a.
a, 20a and 22a are provided.

At the back of the ice making room 16 and the freezing room 20, there is provided a cooling space 24 composed of a cooler cover and an inner box of a cabinet. Inside this is a cooler 2
6 and a cooling fan 28 is provided above the cooling fan 6. Also. A defrost heater 30 is provided below the cooler 26.

A damper device 32 for sending cool air from the cooling fan 28 to the refrigerating room 14 and the switching room 18 is provided on the rear surface of the switching room 18. A suction port 34 for cool air from the cooling fan 28 is provided on a left side surface of the damper device 32, and a duct 3 for sending cool air to the refrigerator compartment 14 is provided on an upper surface.
6 is provided, and an outlet 38 for sending cool air to the switching chamber 18 is provided on the front surface. Further, inside the damper device 32, a switch room damper 40 and a refrigerator room damper 42 for sending cool air to the refrigerator room 14 and the switch room 18, respectively, are provided.

Further, an opening 44 through which cool air can be blown out is provided on the back surface 20b of the freezer compartment 20, that is, on the front wall of the cooling space 24. An opening 46 is also opened on the back of the ice making chamber 16.

As a result, cool air is directly sent from the cooling space 24 to the freezing room 20 and the ice making room 16 through the openings 44 and 46, and the switching room 18 is provided with the damper device 32.
Cold air is sent through.

As shown in FIG. 4, an outlet 38 of the damper device 32 is opened at the back of the switching chamber, and a temperature sensor 4 for detecting the temperature inside the switching chamber 18 is provided on the right side thereof.
8 are provided. Further, a cool air outlet 50 for returning cool air is provided on the bottom surface of the switching chamber 18.

In the freezer compartment 20, the above-mentioned opening 44 is opened on the back surface, and a temperature sensor 52 for detecting the temperature in the freezer compartment 20 is provided on the right side thereof.

An operation panel 54 is provided on the left side near the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 14 for setting the temperatures in the refrigerator compartment 14, the freezing compartment 20 and the switching compartment 18.

A machine room 66 is provided at the back of the vegetable room 22, and a compressor 62 is arranged inside the machine room 66.

Next, a configuration related to the temperature control of the switching chamber 18 will be described with reference to FIG.

The control device 56 composed of a microcomputer
It is provided on the substrate on the upper rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 14 in FIG. To this, a motor driving device 60 for driving and controlling a motor 58 for rotating the cooling fan 28 is connected. Also, the compressor 62, the operation panel 54,
The switching room temperature sensor 48 and the freezing room temperature sensor 52 are also connected.

Further, a damper motor 64 for opening and closing the switching room damper 40 and the freezing room damper 42 in the damper device 32 and the defrost heater 30 are also connected.

In the operation panel 54, the temperature of the switching room 18 can be continuously set among the refrigerator room temperature, the vegetable room temperature, the chilled temperature, and the partial temperature, and the freezing temperature (weak, normal, strong). Can be set continuously between In addition, refrigerator room temperature, vegetable room temperature, chilled temperature, partial temperature,
The standard temperature of the freezing temperature (weak, normal, strong) is as shown in FIG.

The temperature control in the switching chamber 18 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 and the graph of FIG.

In step 1, it is determined whether or not the set temperature of the switching chamber 18 is set to the freezing temperature (weak, normal, strong). If it is set, the process proceeds to step 3, where it is set to any other temperature. If so, the control in the other temperature zones in step 2 is performed.

In step 3, if the compressor 62 is stopped, the process proceeds to step 5, and if the compressor 62 is operating, the process proceeds to step 4.

In step 4, the switching room damper 4 is operated in accordance with the temperature detected by the switching room temperature sensor 48.
0 is opened and closed, and feedback control is performed so that the internal temperature becomes the freezing temperature.

In step 5, since the set temperature of the switching room 18 is set to the freezing temperature and the compressor 62 is also stopped, the switching room damper 40 is forcibly opened, and the routine proceeds to step 6.

In step 6, the cooling fan 28 is rotated in order to forcibly send the cool air in the cooling space 24 to the switching chamber 18, and the process proceeds to step 7.

In step 7, the defrost heater 30 is
When the state becomes N, the process proceeds to step 8 and the switching room damper 4
Close 0 and return to step 7. And the defrost heater 3
If 0 is in the OFF state, the process proceeds to step 9.

In step 9, when the compressor 62 is operated, the operation shifts to the normal control operation in step 4,
If the compressor 62 is stopped, the process returns to step S5.

FIG. 8 shows this control state.
(A) shows the relationship between the state of the inside temperature of the switching room 18 and the freezing room and the time, the vertical axis shows the inside temperature of the switching room 18 or the freezing room 20, and the horizontal axis shows the time. Is shown. (B) shows the ON / OFF state of the compressor, (c) shows the opening and closing of the switching room damper, and (d)
Indicates the ON / OFF state of the cooling fan motor.

According to these graphs, at t1, the compressor 62 is stopped, the switching room damper 40 is opened, and the cooling fan 28 is rotating. Then, at time t1, the temperature of the switching room 18 is −18 ° C., and the temperature of the freezing room is −19 ° C., but as time elapses, the internal temperatures of both rooms continue to increase in a similar tendency. And
At time t2, the compressor 62 starts operating, so that the operation returns to the normal control operation again, and the temperatures of both rooms have begun to decrease.

FIG. 9A shows the switching room 18 and the freezing room 20 in the conventional temperature control when the above control is not performed.
(B) shows the relationship between the internal temperature and the time of
Shows the ON / OFF state of the compressor, and (c) shows the opening and closing of the switching room damper.

As apparent from these graphs, when this temperature control is not performed, the temperature difference between the freezing compartment 20 and the switching compartment 18 gradually increases, making it difficult to maintain the temperature of the switching compartment 18 and increasing the temperature. The problem is that the stability of the product is slow.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above,
The temperature difference between the freezing room 20 and the switching room 18 is almost always constant, the temperature holding state of the switching room 18 is good, and the temperature distribution does not deteriorate.

In the above embodiment, the compressor 62
Opening of the switching room damper 40 when the compressor 6 is stopped
2 was activated, but instead, the switching room damper 40 was stopped after a predetermined time after the compressor 62 was stopped.
May be closed. Thereby, even when the internal temperature of the switching room is set to a lower freezing temperature than the freezing temperature of the freezing room, the internal temperature of the switching room does not easily rise.

Alternatively, the switching chamber 18 may be closed when the internal temperature of the chamber reaches a predetermined temperature. Further, the switching room damper 40 may be closed only when the temperature difference between the inside temperature of the switching room 18 and the inside temperature of the freezing room 20 opens for a predetermined time or more. Even in these cases, the internal temperature of the switching room is unlikely to rise.

[0050]

As described above, according to the refrigerator of the first aspect,
The set temperature of the switching room is set to the freezing temperature, and when the compressor is stopped, the control means opens the switching room damper.
Therefore, cold air can be circulated between the inside of the switching room and the cooling space and the freezing room, the temperature difference between the freezing room and the switching room is eliminated, and heat leakage from the switching room to the freezing room is reduced. . Therefore, the internal temperature of the switching room can be stably maintained.

In the refrigerator according to the second aspect, when the damper for the switching room is open, the cooling fan is rotated to forcibly send cool air into the switching room, so that a more stable temperature can be maintained.

In the refrigerator according to the third aspect, the control means includes:
In order to open the switching room damper when the compressor is stopped and to close it after a predetermined time, even if the internal temperature of the switching room is set to a lower freezing temperature than the freezing temperature of the freezing room, The internal temperature of the switching room is unlikely to rise.

In the refrigerator according to the fourth aspect, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature, the control means controls the damper for the switching room from open to closed, so that the internal temperature of the switching room rises. Hateful.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the difference between the temperatures inside the switching room and the freezing room becomes a predetermined temperature difference, the switching room damper is closed from open to closed. The temperature inside the chamber is not easily increased.

In the refrigerator according to the sixth aspect, when the defrost heater for defrosting the cooler is operating, the control means is provided with a damper for the switching room to prevent heat from entering the defrost heater. To close.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the switching room and the ice making room with a drawer-type door removed.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a refrigerator.

FIG. 6 is a table showing a relationship between set temperatures of a switching room.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating temperature control of a switching room.

FIG. 8A is a graph showing the relationship between the internal temperature of the switching room and the freezing room and time, and FIG.
FIG. 3C is a timing chart showing the ON / OFF state of the cooling fan motor; FIG. 4C is a timing chart showing the ON / OFF state of the cooling fan motor;

9 (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the internal temperature of the conventional switching room and the freezer room and time, FIG. 9 (b) shows the ON / OFF state of the compressor, and FIG. 9 (c) shows the switching room. 6 is a timing chart showing opening and closing of a damper.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Refrigerator 18 Switching room 24 Cooling space 26 Cooler 28 Cooling fan 32 Damper device 40 Switching room damper 48 Switching room temperature sensor 52 Freezing room temperature sensor 54 Operation panel 56 Control device 62 Compressor

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiro Naemura 1-6 Ota Toshiba-cho, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka Inside the Toshiba Osaka plant

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator having at least a switching room and a freezing room capable of switching a set temperature in a temperature range from a freezing temperature to a refrigeration temperature, wherein a cooling device is provided inside a cooling space and the cool air cooled by the cooling device is switched. A cooling fan for blowing air to the room and the freezing room; a switching room damper for blocking inflow of cool air between the switching room and the cooling space; and providing a cool air between the freezing room and the cooling space. Providing an opening for flowing, and a control means for opening the switching chamber damper when the compressor that sends compressed refrigerant to the cooler stops when the set temperature of the switching chamber is set to the freezing temperature. A refrigerator characterized in that: 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said control means rotates said cooling fan when said switching chamber damper is opened. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said control means opens said switch room damper when said compressor is stopped and closes it after a predetermined time. 4. A switching room temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the storage of the switching room, wherein the control means opens the switching room damper when the compressor is stopped. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is closed when the detected temperature reaches a predetermined temperature. 5. A freezer compartment temperature sensor for detecting the inside temperature of the freezer compartment and a freezer compartment temperature sensor for detecting the freezer compartment temperature of the freezer compartment, wherein the control means is configured to stop the compressor when the compressor is stopped. The switching room damper is opened, and closed when a temperature detected by the switching room temperature sensor and a temperature detected by the freezing room temperature sensor become a predetermined temperature difference. Item 7. The refrigerator according to Item 1. 6. A defrost heater for defrosting the cooler inside the cooling space, wherein the control means closes the switching chamber damper when the defrost heater is activated. The refrigerator according to claim 1.