JPH11148761A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a saving of energy by controlling a cold storage compart ment and a freezer compartment within the optimum temperatures respectively. SOLUTION: This refrigerator is so arranged to alternately cool a cold storage compartment 7 and a freezer compartment 8 switching a refrigerant passage to respective evaporators 15 and 17 arranged in the cold storage compartment 7 and the freezer compartment 8. Evaporation temperatures of the evaporators 15 and 17 are controlled so as to reach values corresponding to a specified temperature of the cold storage compartment and a specified temperature of the freezer compartment by changing the number of revolutions of a compressor 20 from the respective detected temperatures and the respective set temperatures of the cold storage compartment 7 and the freezer compartment 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an evaporator in two different temperature zones of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a refrigerator comprises a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant discharged from a compressor passes through a condenser → a throttle valve → an evaporator and returns to a compressor again. Cooling is performed by a cooling system including one evaporator and one cool air circulation fan. Normally, a cooling system consisting of an evaporator and a cool air circulation fan is placed in a freezing room, and cool air exchanged by the evaporator is supplied to each room by a cool air circulation fan via a cool air duct and a damper for switching channels. Then, each is cooled to a predetermined temperature.

[0003] On the other hand, an evaporator and a cool air circulating fan connected in series to a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, respectively, are arranged to control each cool air circulating fan based on the temperature of each compartment, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant used and consumed. There is an idea to reduce power and achieve rapid cooling of each compartment. An example of such a conventional refrigerator will be described with reference to FIG. 9 (JP-A-8-210755). In FIG. 9A, the refrigerator 30 has a freezer compartment 31 and a refrigerating compartment 32 which are partitioned so that cold air does not mix with each other. The freezer compartment 31 has a first evaporator 33 and a first fan. The refrigerator 34 is provided with a second evaporator 35 and a second fan 36. FIG. 9B
Is the refrigeration cycle, the compressor 37, the condenser 3
8. The capillary 39, the first evaporator 33, and the second evaporator 35 are sequentially connected by the refrigerant tube 40 to form a closed circuit. Thus, the first evaporator 33 and the second evaporator 35 are connected in series, and the refrigerant that has passed through the first evaporator 33 passes through the second evaporator 35. Therefore, the refrigerant that has been compressed in the compressor 37, condensed in the condenser 38, and expanded in the capillary tube 39 is partially evaporated while passing through the first evaporator 33, and the remainder is passed while passing through the second evaporator 35. It evaporates to perform the heat exchange function in each compartment. Thereafter, the refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 37 again in a gaseous state, thereby completing the refrigeration cycle. This refrigeration cycle
It is repeated as the compressor 37 is driven. Further, the first fan 34 is rotated together with the operation of the first evaporator 33, the second fan 36 is rotated together with the operation of the second evaporator 35, and the air in the freezing room 31 and the refrigerator room 32 is forcibly blown, respectively. Heat is exchanged in each of the evaporators 33 and 35.
In this refrigerator, the structure of the cool air duct, the damper for switching the flow path, and the like can be simplified.

[0004]

However, in the conventional refrigerator, the evaporators disposed in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are:
Because they are connected in series, both evaporators will be cooled even when cooling only one of the rooms,
There is a problem in terms of energy consumption. Further, during the operation of the compressor, the temperature of both evaporators is substantially the same, so that the temperature of the cool air blown out to the refrigerator compartment is low, which may adversely affect the food in the refrigerator compartment. Further, since the compressor and the fan for circulating cool air perform an intermittent operation that is repeatedly turned on and off, the temperature inside the refrigerator in each room greatly fluctuates, and there is a limit to the optimal temperature control.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above,
First, the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment can be controlled within the optimum temperature, respectively, secondly, energy saving can be achieved, thirdly, cycle loss can be reduced, and fourthly, foods in the refrigerator can be stored. It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of minimizing a temperature influence.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator having a refrigerator body having a multi-stage interior provided with an opening / closing door, and having the multi-stage interior heat-insulated. A partition wall separates a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and an evaporator and a cool air circulation fan are arranged in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively, and the two evaporators are connected in parallel, and a refrigerant flow path to each evaporator is provided. A refrigerator for switching between the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment to alternately cool the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, and changing the number of rotations of the compressor from the detected temperature and the set temperature of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment to obtain the required refrigerator compartment temperature and freezer compartment temperature. The gist is that the evaporation temperature of each of the evaporators is controlled so that the evaporation temperature corresponds to the above. With this configuration, only one of the evaporators in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment operates based on the detected temperature and the set temperature in each compartment, and the compressor controls the number of revolutions to match the situation in each compartment. Being kept each room at the optimal temperature.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, each of the cooling air circulating fans provided in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment has a variable capacity, and the detected temperature of each room at that time or the compressor. The gist is that the rotation speed is controlled in accordance with at least one of the rotation speeds. With this configuration, the number of revolutions of each of the cool air circulation fans in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment is controlled in accordance with a change in the capacity of the compressor,
Each room is kept at a more optimal temperature.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, in the normal cooling mode, switching between the cooling operation of the refrigerating compartment and the cooling operation of the freezing compartment is performed in the room currently being cooled. The gist of the invention is that the temperature is set at the set lower limit temperature or the set upper limit temperature of the other room. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, the temperatures in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are always kept within the set temperatures.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the third aspect, the temperature of each room for determining the switching of the cooling operation is detected after confirming that the door closed state has elapsed for one minute or more. The gist is that it is configured not to be performed when the door is opened or immediately after opening. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, temporary temperature fluctuation does not adversely affect the switching of the cooling operation.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the third aspect, the compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is set in the refrigerator at the time of last cooling or non-cooling for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. The gist of the present invention is that it is determined from operation data including a decrease / increase rate of the detected temperature, and the compressor speed is reviewed when the cooling operation is switched. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, the compressor operating frequency is determined according to a different internal temperature condition due to a cooling load or the like at that time, an optimal cooling operation is performed, and even if the internal capacity of the internal storage changes. Each room is kept at an optimal temperature.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the third aspect, the compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is the same as the temperature in the refrigerator when the previous cooling operation for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment was stopped. The difference between the set lower limit temperature or the difference between the internal temperature at the time of starting the cooling operation and the set upper limit temperature is determined, and the compressor speed is changed when the cooling operation is switched. Is the gist. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, the compressor operating frequency is determined according to the necessity of cooling at that time, and each room is kept at an optimum temperature.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the third aspect, when the internal temperature of either the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment reaches a set upper limit temperature, the refrigerator is switched to a cooling operation for that compartment. The gist of the invention is that the compressor is configured to start operation at a maximum frequency.
With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, the internal temperature of the room that has reached the set upper limit temperature is immediately cooled to the optimum temperature.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator of the third aspect, an allowable temperature which is higher than the set upper limit temperature and which is allowable as an internal temperature is provided for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, and the allowable temperature exceeds the allowable temperature. In this case, the gist is that the room on the side exceeding the allowable temperature is preferentially cooled. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode,
For example, when an object having a large heat capacity and a high temperature is supplied and exceeds an allowable temperature, the room is preferentially cooled and each room is kept within a set temperature.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the eighth aspect, a minimum cooling time is provided for a cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and a cooling time of the freezer compartment, and both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment have the allowable cooling time. The gist is such that the cooling chamber is switched every time the minimum cooling time is exceeded when the temperature is exceeded. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, when both rooms exceed the allowable temperature, the cooling operation is switched at every set minimum cooling time, and control is performed so that each room reaches the set temperature.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the third aspect, a maximum cooling time is provided for a cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and a cooling time of the freezer compartment, and both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment have a set temperature. The point is that the cooling chamber is switched when the maximum cooling time elapses. With this configuration, in the normal cooling mode, when both rooms are within the set temperature even after a certain long time, such as when the operating frequency of the compressor is very low, the cooling operation is performed at every set maximum cooling time. The switching is performed, and the cool air circulation fan linked to the compressor is operated to prevent the occurrence of temperature unevenness in both rooms.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, cooling is started from the freezer compartment when the power is turned on, and the refrigerator shifts to a normal cooling mode when the freezer compartment temperature reaches a set lower limit temperature. The gist of the invention is that it is configured to With this configuration, first, the refrigerant flows into the evaporator for the freezing compartment having a large cooling load, and there is no liquid back to the compressor, so that an efficient cooling operation is performed. In addition, the temperature of the freezer compartment is immediately lowered to a predetermined temperature, so that adverse effects on the food can be suppressed.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, cooling is started from the freezing compartment when power is turned on, and the refrigeration compartment is set when a set temperature set in each compartment is reached. It is configured to operate in a power-on mode in which the cooling of the refrigerator and the cooling of the freezer are alternately performed. With this configuration, similarly to the above, there is no liquid back to the compressor, and an efficient cooling operation is performed. In addition, both rooms are gradually cooled, and adverse temperature effects on the food are minimized.

The invention according to claim 13 is the invention according to claim 12.
In the refrigerator, the gist is such that a transition is made to a normal cooling mode from a point in time when each room temperature reaches a set temperature while the refrigerating room and the freezing room are alternately cooled in the power-on mode. . With this configuration, the operation is switched according to the set lower limit temperature of the room that is cooling or the set upper limit temperature of the room that is not cooled, and the mode is switched from the power-on mode to the normal cooling mode to keep each room within the set temperature. Dripping.

The invention according to claim 14 is the invention according to claim 11.
In the refrigerator, the compressor at the time of turning on the power is configured to start operating at a maximum frequency. With this configuration, the temperature of the freezer compartment is more quickly lowered to the predetermined temperature, and the adverse effect of the temperature on the food is reliably suppressed.

The invention according to claim 15 is the invention according to claim 11.
In the refrigerator described above, the compressor operating frequency at the time of turning on the power is configured to be set in accordance with the outside air temperature. With this configuration, an increase in load on the compressor when the outside air temperature is high is suppressed, and efficient cooling operation is guaranteed.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, when the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment are each within a set temperature and the door is not opened for a certain period of time, the cooling of the refrigerating compartment is performed. The gist of the present invention is to shift to an energy saving mode in which the cooling of the freezer is switched in a predetermined time. With this configuration, when the door is not opened for a certain period of time, the internal temperature rise is small, and the compressor is operated at the lowest frequency. At this time, by performing the switching of the cooling for the set time, the number of switching of the cooling operation and the number of times of stopping the compressor can be reduced.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the refrigerator according to the first aspect, when the operating frequency of the compressor is the lowest frequency, and the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment each reach a set lower limit temperature, The compressor is stopped by shifting to the machine stop mode, and thereafter, when either the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment exceeds the set temperature upper limit, the compressor is started to cool from the side exceeding the set temperature upper limit. The gist of the present invention is to perform the following. With this configuration, when both the rooms are sufficiently cooled and the condition that the operating frequency of the compressor is the lowest frequency is satisfied, the compressor is stopped and the mode is shifted to the compressor stop mode.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is an example in which an evaporator for a refrigerator is arranged in an upper part of a refrigerator. First, the configuration of the refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body, which includes a refrigerator room 2, a low-temperature room 3, a first freezing room 4 and a second freezing room 5 from above, and a heat insulating partition wall 6 for vertically partitioning the inside of the refrigerator main body 1. Thereby, a refrigeration temperature zone space 7 including the refrigeration compartment 2 and the low temperature compartment 3 and a refrigeration temperature zone space 8 including the first freezing compartment 4 and the second freezing compartment 5 are defined. The first freezer compartment 4 and the second freezer compartment 5 are partitioned by a compartment partition plate 9. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment 2, the low temperature compartment 3, the first freezer compartment 4
And the second freezer compartment 5 can be cooled to different temperatures, respectively, and each room has its own opening and closing doors 11, 1
Food can be taken in and out by opening and closing 2, 13, and 14, the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the frozen temperature zone space 8 are completely independent, and the structure is such that cold air in each space is not mixed. The refrigerating room evaporator 15 and the refrigerating room cool air circulating fan 16 are arranged in an inconvenient dead space at the top of the refrigerating room 2 and the freezing room evaporator 17 and the refrigerating room cool air circulating fan 18 are disposed. It is arranged on the rear wall side of the second freezer compartment 5. A variable capacity compressor 20, a condenser 21, and a throttle valve 22 are arranged in a lower machine room 19 on the rear side of the refrigerator body 1. As shown in the flow path of FIG.
0 returns to the compressor 20 through the condenser 21 → the throttle valve 22 → the freezer evaporator 17, or as shown in the flow path, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 20 A refrigeration cycle is configured in which the refrigerant passes through the evaporator 15 for the refrigerator compartment and returns to the compressor 20. Here, the switching of the flow path is performed by the switching valve 24, whereby the freezing temperature zone space 8 and the refrigeration temperature zone space 7 are alternately cooled. At this time, the rotational speed of the variable capacity compressor 20 is controlled so that the evaporator temperature is adjusted to each cooling space.

As described above, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the evaporator 15 for the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator 17 for the freezer compartment are connected in parallel, and only one of them is cooled by the switching valve 24. Is done. For this reason, the evaporator 15 to be cooled
Alternatively, the volume of the compressor 17 is small, and the compressor 20 may have a small capacity. Since the capacity of the compressor 20 is variable, the number of revolutions is controlled to match the situation based on the detected temperature of the room to be cooled and the set temperature.

Next, each control method of the refrigerator configured as described above and its effects will be described in the order of (A) to (Q).

(A) Evaporation suitable for the refrigerated temperature zone 7 and the refrigerated temperature zone 8 by changing the rotation speed of the compressor 20 from the detected temperatures and the set temperatures of the refrigerated temperature zone 7 and the refrigerated temperature zone 8. The evaporation temperature of each of the evaporators 15 and 17 is controlled so as to reach the temperature.

Only one of the evaporator 15 for the refrigerator compartment and the evaporator 17 for the freezer compartment operates based on the detected temperature and the set temperature of each room, and the compressor 20 adjusts to the situation of each room. The rotation speed is controlled. For this reason, each room is maintained at an optimum temperature. In addition, since the compressor 20 can be operated at a low rotation speed by using the compressor 20 having a variable capacity, the compressor operation time is prolonged, and the number of intermittent operations is reduced, thereby reducing cycle loss.

(B) The cooling air circulation fan 16 for the refrigerator compartment and the cooling air circulation fan 18 for the freezer compartment are variable in capacity, and the rotation speed is controlled in accordance with the detected temperature of each room and the rotation speed of the compressor 20 at that time. .

The cool air circulation fan 16 for the refrigerator compartment and the cool air circulation fan 18 for the freezer compartment have variable capacities. For example, the number of revolutions can be changed in accordance with the fluctuation of the capacity of the compressor 20.
The number of revolutions can be changed as needed, such as quick refrigeration operation and energy saving operation. Therefore, it is possible to achieve optimal temperature control in the refrigerator and to save energy.

(C) In the normal cooling mode, the switching between the cooling operation of the refrigeration temperature zone space 7 and the cooling operation of the refrigeration temperature zone space 8 is performed by setting the lower limit temperature of the room currently cooling or the upper limit setting of the other room. Perform at temperature.

As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the refrigerated temperature zone space 8 each have a target temperature.
A temperature zone having a certain width is set, and the temperature zone is set as a set temperature zone. It is desirable that the temperature in both chambers is always kept within the set temperature. At the time of normal cooling, when the temperature of the room performing the cooling operation of the refrigeration temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 reaches the lower limit temperature of the set temperature zone, the operation is switched to the cooling operation of the other room ( t ₁ ). Or, when the temperature of the room that is not performing the cooling operation reaches the upper limit temperature of the set temperature zone, the cooling operation of the room that has reached the upper limit temperature even if the temperature of the room being cooled has not reached the set lower temperature limit (T ₂ ). With this control, when the cooling operation is performed in the normal cooling mode, the target temperature can always be maintained without deviating from the set temperature in both the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the refrigerated temperature zone space 8. Further, the temperature fluctuation in the refrigerator is small, and there is no adverse temperature effect on the food.

(D) The temperature in the refrigerator for judging the switching of the cooling operation is detected after the door has been closed for one minute or more, and not when the door is opened or immediately after the door is opened.

In each room, immediately after the door is opened and closed, air outside the refrigerator enters, and the temperature in the refrigerator temporarily rises. However, this is an instant, and since the heat capacity of the refrigerator body 1 and the food therein is large, the temperature immediately returns to the original temperature in the refrigerator. In order to prevent the instantaneous change in temperature from affecting the switching of the cooling operation, the inside temperature detection for the operation switching is not performed until the door is closed for about one minute or while the door is open. By this control, stable temperature control in the refrigerator can be performed without the temporary temperature fluctuation adversely affecting the switching of the cooling operation.

(E) The operating frequency of the compressor in the normal cooling mode is the operation of the refrigerator temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 such as the rate of decrease / increase of the temperature detected inside the refrigerator during the previous cooling or non-cooling. Determined from the data, and review the compressor speed when switching the cooling operation.

The compressor operating frequency corresponding to the rate of decrease / increase of the internal temperature is determined in advance, and the compressor operating frequency corresponding to that is selected based on the temperature data at that time. At the same time as the switching of the cooling operation, the compressor operation at that frequency is started. The temperature decrease curve during cooling and the temperature increase curve during non-cooling vary depending on the internal capacity of the refrigerator. For example, when an object having a large heat capacity and a high temperature is supplied, the temperature of the room rapidly rises, and a cooling operation is performed. However, since the heat capacity is large, it is expected that it takes a very long time to cool to a predetermined temperature even if the cooling operation is performed at the compressor frequency up to the previous time. At this time, it is determined from the magnitude of the temperature rise rate that the operating frequency of the compressor 20 needs to be increased, and the cooling operation at a high rotation speed is performed. By this control, the compressor rotation speed is determined according to the temperature condition in the refrigerator which differs depending on the cooling load at that time, so that an optimal cooling operation without waste is performed and energy saving can be achieved. Further, temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator can be reduced.

(F) The compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is the difference between the internal temperature and the set lower limit temperature at the time when the previous cooling operation for each of the refrigeration temperature zone space 7 and the refrigeration temperature zone space 8 is stopped, or cooling. Determined based on the difference between the internal temperature at the time of starting the operation and the set upper limit temperature, and reviewing the compressor speed when switching the cooling operation.

In the normal cooling mode, the cooling room is switched when the inside temperature of the room being cooled reaches the set lower limit temperature or when the inside temperature of the room not cooled reaches the set upper limit temperature. However, when one of the rooms reaches the set temperature and the operation is switched, the other room has not reached another set temperature. The compressor frequency for the next cooling operation is determined based on the difference between the upper and lower set temperatures at this time. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling operation is switched when the inside temperature of the room reaches the set lower limit temperature while cooling a certain room, but the inside room temperature of the other room to be cooled is still low. The temperature has not reached the set upper limit temperature (t ₃ ). The compressor frequency during the subsequent cooling operation is determined based on the difference (R) between the inside temperature and the set upper limit temperature at this time. If the difference between the set upper limit temperature and the current inside temperature is large, it is determined that immediate cooling is not necessary.If the difference is small, it is determined that immediate cooling is necessary. Becomes larger. Based on the magnitude of the temperature difference, the compressor rotation speed is determined in advance in a stepwise manner. By this control, cooling according to the necessity of cooling at that time is performed. When immediate cooling is not required, the compressor 20 operates at a low rotation speed without waste, and energy can be saved. When a large cooling power is required, the compressor 2
0 can be operated at a high rotation speed to suppress a rise in the internal temperature and reduce temperature fluctuations.

(G) When the internal temperature of either the refrigeration temperature zone space 7 or the freezing temperature zone space 8 reaches the set upper limit temperature, the operation mode is switched to the cooling operation of the room.
0 starts operation at the maximum frequency.

In the normal cooling mode, the cooling operation is switched when the inside temperature of the room being cooled reaches the set lower limit temperature or when the inside temperature of the room not cooled reaches the set upper limit temperature. When the inside temperature reaches the set upper limit temperature and the operation is switched to the cooling operation of the room, the compressor needs to be cooled immediately, and the compressor starts operating at the maximum frequency. With this control, a high internal temperature that has reached the set upper limit temperature can be quickly cooled, and thus the target internal temperature can be quickly reached.

(H) For each of the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8, an allowable temperature higher than the upper limit of the set temperature and allowable as the internal temperature is provided. Cooling with priority on the side.

In the normal cooling mode, the room to be cooled is cooled when the inside temperature of the room being cooled reaches the set lower limit temperature or when the inside temperature of the room not cooled reaches the set upper limit temperature. Switch. However, for example, when a large heat capacity and a high temperature are supplied to both chambers, both chambers may exceed the set upper limit temperature. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, an allowable temperature higher than the set upper limit temperature is set for each room, and when the detected temperature in the refrigerator exceeds the allowable temperature, the cooling operation of the room is preferentially performed. . By this control, the cooling operation is preferentially performed according to the necessity of the immediate cooling operation, so that the temperature fluctuation in the refrigerator can be suppressed.

(I) A minimum cooling time is provided for the cooling time of the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the cooling time of the refrigerated temperature zone space 8, and when both the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the refrigerated temperature zone space 8 exceed the allowable temperature, The cooling operation is switched every minimum cooling time.

When both the refrigerating temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 exceed the permissible temperatures, it is necessary to cool both chambers. At this time, if the temperatures in both chambers are near the permissible temperature, the cooling operation is frequently switched,
When hunting occurs or switching occurs, cycle loss occurs, but this will increase. In order to prevent these, as shown in FIG. 6, a minimum cooling time (Tmin) is provided such that the operation is continued for, for example, 10 minutes after the operation is switched. The cooling operation is switched every minimum cooling time.
With this control, it is possible to prevent hunting from occurring in the cooling operation switching control, perform stable switching control, and minimize the cycle loss that occurs when the cooling operation is switched.

(J) A maximum cooling time is provided for the cooling time of the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the cooling time of the refrigerated temperature zone space 8. When both the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the refrigerated temperature zone space 8 are within the set temperature, After the maximum cooling time has elapsed, the cooling operation is switched.

When the operating frequency of the compressor 20 is very low, the internal temperature of the cooling room does not reach the set lower limit temperature even after a long time elapses, or the temperature rise in the other room is small and reaches the set upper limit temperature. Because of this, the cooling operation may not be switched. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, a maximum cooling time (Tmax) is received as the cooling time of each room, and when the time has elapsed, even if the temperature in the cooling chamber has not reached the set lower limit temperature, or Even if the other inside temperature has not reached the set upper limit temperature, the cooling operation is switched. With this control, the cool air circulation fan operates in conjunction with the compressor 20, but in a room where cooling is not performed for a long time, the cool air circulation is stopped. Although the temperature inside the refrigerator is detected by a refrigerator temperature detector installed in a certain part of the refrigerator, there is a possibility that uneven temperature may occur due to the absence of cooling air circulation for a long time in the room when it is not cooled. is there. For example, when the cooling of the freezing temperature zone space 8 is performed for a long time, the circulation of the cool air in the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 stops, the cool air descends by natural convection, and the temperature of the uppermost stage is changed from the target temperature. It may shift. By switching the cooling operation for a certain period of time, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the temperature unevenness in the refrigerator and to suppress the temperature rise in the refrigerator. Further, if the compressor 20 is operated at a low rotation speed too much, the lubricating oil does not reach the inside of the compressor 20 and causes a failure of the compressor 20, but by switching the cooling operation in a certain period of time,
Since the operation state of the compressor 20 changes, long-time operation at low rotation is prevented, and failure of the compressor 20 can be prevented.

(K) When the power is turned on, cooling is started from the freezing temperature zone space 8, and the mode shifts to the normal cooling mode from the time when the temperature of the freezing temperature zone space 8 reaches the set lower limit temperature.

When the refrigerator is purchased or when the power is turned on immediately after a power failure, the cooling operation is first started from the freezing temperature zone space 8. Thereafter, the cooling operation is not performed until the temperature of the freezing temperature zone space 8 reaches the set lower limit temperature, and the freezing temperature zone space 8 is cooled. When the temperature reaches the set lower limit temperature, the cooling operation is switched to the refrigerated temperature zone space 7, Thus, the operation in the normal cooling mode is performed. With this control, the refrigerator starts to operate from the cooling of the freezing temperature zone space 8, so that the refrigerant flows to the freezing compartment evaporator 17 having a large cooling load, and the refrigerant is transferred to the compressor 20 in a liquid state. The cooling operation with good efficiency can be obtained. Further, in consideration of the effect of temperature rise on the foods stored in the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, it is desirable to immediately lower the internal temperature of the freezer temperature zone 8 to a predetermined temperature. By giving priority to cooling in the freezing temperature zone space 8, it is possible to minimize adverse effects on temperature of food.

(L) Cooling is started from the freezing temperature zone space 8 when the power is turned on, and the cooling of the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 is alternately performed when the set temperature set in each room is reached. Operate in power-on mode to switch.

When the power is turned on, first, the cooling operation is started from the freezing temperature zone space 8. Before the set temperature is reached, several temperatures for switching the operation are provided stepwise for each room, and each time the temperature is reached, the cooling operation for the other is switched, and both rooms are switched. Cool slowly. By this control, starting of the refrigerator is started from the cooling operation of the freezing temperature zone space 8, so that the freezer evaporator 1 having a large cooling load is started.
7, the refrigerant does not return to the compressor 20 in a liquid state, and a cooling operation with good efficiency can be obtained. The cooling operation can prevent the problem that one of the rooms does not cool at all for a while because the temperature of both rooms is gradually lowered.

(M) Refrigerated temperature zone space 7 in power-on mode
When the room temperature reaches the set temperature while cooling the cooling zone 8 and the freezing temperature zone 8 alternately, the mode shifts to the normal cooling mode.

The cooling operation is performed in the power-on mode shown in the control method (L), and the cooling of both chambers gradually progresses, and the temperatures in the respective compartments reach the set temperatures. From this point on, the operation is performed in the normal cooling mode in which the cooling operation is switched according to the set lower limit temperature of the room being cooled or the set upper limit temperature of the room not cooled. By this control, when the set temperature is reached, by switching to the normal cooling mode,
Both chambers can be kept at a good internal temperature.

(N) When the power is turned on, the compressor 20 starts operating at the maximum frequency.

The starting of the refrigerator body 1 is performed by the variable capacity compressor 2.
Run at 0 at maximum speed. With this control, when the refrigerator main body 1 is started, the compressor 20 can be cooled immediately by operating the compressor 20 at the maximum rotation speed.

(O) The compressor operating frequency when the power is turned on is
Set according to the outside air temperature.

When the refrigerator body 1 is started, especially when the temperature of the outside air in which the refrigerator is installed is high, the cooling load is large,
The temperature of the compressor 20 rises rapidly. For this reason, when the outside air temperature is higher than the set outside air temperature, the compressor 20 is operated at a frequency lower than the maximum frequency. With this control, the load on the compressor 20 is reduced, so that the compressor temperature does not suddenly rise excessively at the time of startup, and failure of the compressor 20 can be prevented.

(P) When the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 are each within the set temperature and the door is not opened for a certain period of time, the cooling of the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the cooling of the frozen temperature zone space 8 are performed. The mode shifts to the energy-saving mode in which the switching is performed at the set time.

When the outside air temperature is below a certain temperature, the inside temperature of the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 is within the set temperature, and when the door is not opened for a certain period of time, the inside temperature rises. At a minimum, the compressor 20 operates at the lowest frequency. When this condition is not satisfied, the mode shifts from the normal cooling mode to the energy saving mode to perform the cooling operation. In the energy saving mode, the cooling operation is not switched based on the set upper limit temperature or the set lower limit temperature, but is switched over in a preset set time. The compressor frequency is operated at a preset frequency that differs depending on the outside air temperature at that time. With this control, when the door is not opened and closed, the temperature fluctuation inside the refrigerator is small, so that the operating speed of the compressor 20 is reduced to save energy. In addition, since the number of rotations of the compressor 20 is small and the operation is switched at the set time, the number of times of switching of the cooling operation and the number of times of stopping the compressor are reduced, and the cycle loss associated with the refrigerant flow path switching can be reduced.

(Q) When the operating frequency of the compressor is the lowest frequency, and the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the refrigerating temperature zone space 8 reach the set lower limit temperatures respectively, the operation shifts to the compressor stop mode and the compressor 20 is operated. The compressor 20 is stopped, and then, when either the refrigeration temperature zone space 7 or the freezing temperature zone space 8 exceeds the set temperature upper limit, the compressor 20 is started to perform cooling from the side where the temperature exceeds the set temperature upper limit.

The temperatures inside the refrigerator temperature zone space 7 and the freezing temperature zone space 8 are both sufficiently cooled to reach the set lower limit temperature,
When the compressor operating frequency at that time is the lowest frequency, the compressor 20 is stopped. After the compressor stops, the inside temperature of both rooms gradually rises, but when either of the inside temperatures reaches the set upper limit temperature, the operation of the compressor 20 starts and the set upper limit temperature is reached. Perform cooling operation from the room that has reached.
By this control, the refrigerated temperature zone space 7 and the frozen temperature zone space 8
Are sufficiently cooled and the compressor 20 is stopped only when the condition that the compressor frequency is minimum is satisfied.
For this reason, the number of stops of the compressor 20 is reduced, and the cycle loss can be reduced.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the refrigerator evaporator 15 and the refrigerator cold air circulation fan 16 are arranged at the lowest temperature in the refrigerator temperature zone space 7. The configuration, operation, and effects of the refrigeration cycle are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0062]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator for alternately cooling a refrigerating room and a freezing room by switching a refrigerant flow path to each evaporator. And changing the number of revolutions of the compressor from each detected temperature and each set temperature of the freezing room and controlling the evaporating temperature of each of the evaporators so as to be a required evaporating temperature corresponding to the required refrigerating room temperature and the freezing room temperature. Thus, only one of the evaporators in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment operates, and the compressor is controlled at a rotation speed suitable for the situation of each room, so that each room can be maintained at an optimum temperature. Since each evaporator cools only one room, the volume may be small, and the compressor may have a small capacity, so that energy can be saved. In addition, since the compressor can be operated at a low rotation speed, the operation time is long, and the number of intermittent operations is reduced, so that the cycle loss can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, each cooling air circulation fan provided in the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment has a variable capacity,
Since the rotation speed is controlled in accordance with at least one of the detected temperature of each room or the compressor rotation speed at that time, the cooling air circulation fans in both rooms are rotated in accordance with the fluctuations in compressor capacity and the like. Is controlled, it is possible to further control the optimum temperature of each room and to save energy.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the normal cooling mode, the switching between the cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling operation of the freezer compartment is performed by setting the lower limit temperature of the room currently performing cooling or the other room. In the normal cooling mode, the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can always be kept within the target set temperatures in the normal cooling mode.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the temperature of each room for judging the switching of the cooling operation is detected after the door has been closed for one minute or more. Since this is not performed, in the normal cooling mode, a temporary temperature change does not adversely affect the switching of the cooling operation, and stable internal temperature control can be performed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is determined by the rate of decrease / increase in the temperature detected in the refrigerator at the time of the previous cooling or non-cooling for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. It is determined from the operation data including, and the compressor rotation speed is reviewed at the time of switching the cooling operation, so that in the normal cooling mode, it is possible to perform the optimal cooling operation without waste, and to save energy. In addition, it is possible to reduce the temperature fluctuation in the refrigerator.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is determined by the difference between the inside temperature and the set lower limit temperature when the previous cooling operation for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment was stopped, or the cooling operation. It is determined by either the internal temperature at the time of starting the operation or the difference between the set upper limit temperature and the compressor rotation speed is reviewed when the cooling operation is switched, so that the cooling at that time is required in the normal cooling mode. It is possible to perform a cooling operation according to the characteristics, thereby saving energy and reducing temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator.

According to the invention of claim 7, when the internal temperature of either the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment reaches the set upper limit temperature, the operation is switched to the cooling operation of the compartment and the compressor operates at the maximum frequency. Since the operation is started, in the normal cooling mode, the internal temperature of the room that has reached the set upper limit temperature can be quickly set to the target internal temperature.

According to the present invention, an allowable temperature which is higher than the set upper limit temperature and which is allowable as the internal temperature is provided for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, and when the allowable temperature is exceeded, the allowable temperature is exceeded. In the normal cooling mode, for example, when a large heat capacity or a high temperature is thrown in and the temperature exceeds the allowable temperature in the normal cooling mode, the room is preferentially cooled, and The temperature fluctuation in the inside can be suppressed.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a minimum cooling time is provided between the cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling time of the freezer compartment, and when both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment exceed the allowable temperature, Since the cooling chamber is switched every minimum cooling time, in the normal cooling mode, when both rooms exceed the allowable temperature, stable switching control of the cooling operation can be performed without causing hunting and switching of the cooling operation. In this case, the cycle loss that occurs during the process can be minimized.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a maximum cooling time is provided for the cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling time of the freezer compartment, and when both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are within the set temperature, the maximum cooling time is provided. Since the cooling room is switched after the cooling time has elapsed, in the normal cooling mode, when both rooms are within the set temperature even after a certain long time, the cooling operation is switched at every set maximum cooling time. In addition, the cool air circulation fan that operates in conjunction with the compressor is operated to prevent the occurrence of temperature unevenness in both rooms.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, when the power is turned on, cooling is started from the freezing room, and when the freezing room temperature reaches the set lower limit temperature, the mode shifts to the normal cooling mode. Refrigerant sometimes flows into an evaporator for a freezing room having a large cooling load, and there is no liquid back to the compressor. Therefore, each room can be maintained at an optimum temperature by an efficient cooling operation. In addition, the temperature of the freezer compartment is quickly lowered to a predetermined temperature, so that adverse effects on the food can be suppressed.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, when the power is turned on, cooling is started from the freezer compartment, and the cooling of the refrigerating compartment and the freezer compartment is alternately performed when a set temperature set in each compartment is reached. As described above, both rooms can be gradually cooled and maintained at an optimum temperature by an efficient cooling operation as described above. In addition, adverse temperature effects on food can be minimized.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the cooling room and the freezing room are alternately cooled in the power-on mode, and when the room temperature reaches the set temperature, the mode shifts to the normal cooling mode. , Each room can be kept well within the set temperature.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, since the compressor at the time of turning on the power is started to operate at the maximum frequency, each room can be maintained at an optimum temperature by an efficient cooling operation. At the same time, the temperature of the freezer compartment is more quickly lowered to a predetermined temperature, so that adverse effects on the food can be reliably suppressed.

According to the present invention, the compressor operating frequency when the power is turned on is set in accordance with the outside air temperature, so that an increase in the load on the compressor when the outside air temperature is high is suppressed. Thus, an efficient cooling operation can be performed.

According to the sixteenth aspect, when the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are each within the set temperature and the door is not opened for a certain period of time, switching between the cooling of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling of the freezer compartment is performed. Is switched to the energy saving mode in which a predetermined time is set, the number of times of switching the cooling operation and the number of times of stopping the compressor are reduced, and the cycle loss can be reduced.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, when the operating frequency of the compressor is the lowest frequency and the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment each reach the set lower limit temperature, the compressor shifts to the compressor stop mode. Stopping the compressor, and then, when either the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment exceeds the set temperature upper limit, the compressor is started to perform cooling from the side exceeding the set temperature upper limit. The number of stoppages of the machine is reduced, and cycle loss can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a refrigeration cycle according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a change in a set temperature and a temperature in a refrigerator / freezer compartment in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a change in a set temperature and a temperature in a refrigerator / freezer compartment in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a change in a set temperature, a permissible temperature of a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, and a temperature in a refrigerator in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of switching of a cooling operation by a minimum cooling time and an example of a change in the temperature in the refrigerator compartment / freezer compartment in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state of switching of the cooling operation according to the maximum cooling time and an example of a change in the temperature in the refrigerator compartment / freezer compartment in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional refrigerator and a diagram showing a refrigeration cycle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 6 Heat insulation partition wall 7 Refrigeration temperature zone space 8 Refrigeration temperature zone space 15 Evaporator for refrigerator compartment 16 Cooling air circulation fan 17 Refrigeration compartment evaporator 18 Cold air circulation fan for refrigerator compartment 20 Compressor 24 Switching valve

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator having a refrigerator body provided with an opening / closing door in a multi-stage configuration, wherein the multi-stage configuration is partitioned into a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment by a heat insulating partition wall. And a refrigerator for arranging a cooler and a cooling air circulation fan, respectively, and connecting the two evaporators in parallel, switching a refrigerant flow path to each of the evaporators and alternately cooling the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, The evaporating temperature of each of the evaporators is controlled by changing the number of rotations of the compressor from each detected temperature and each set temperature of the room and the freezing room so that the required evaporating temperature corresponds to the required refrigerator room temperature and freezing room temperature. A refrigerator comprising: 2. The cooling air circulation fans provided in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment have variable capacity, and the rotation speed is controlled according to at least one of the detected temperature of each room and the rotation speed of the compressor at that time. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is configured as follows. 3. In a normal cooling mode, switching between the cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling operation of the freezer compartment is performed at a set lower limit temperature of the room currently performing cooling or at a set upper limit temperature of the other room. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is configured. 4. The temperature detection of each room for judging the switching of the cooling operation is performed after confirming that the door closed state has elapsed for one minute or more, and is not performed when the door is opened or immediately after the door is opened. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein: 5. The compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is determined from operating data including a decrease / increase rate of a detected temperature in a refrigerator at the time of previous cooling or non-cooling for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the number of rotations of the compressor is reviewed when the cooling operation is switched. 6. The compressor operating frequency in the normal cooling mode is as follows:
Determined by either the difference between the inside temperature and the set lower limit temperature when the previous cooling operation for each refrigerator compartment and freezer room was stopped or the difference between the inside temperature and the set upper limit temperature when starting the cooling operation, and 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the number of revolutions of the compressor is reviewed when the cooling operation is switched. 7. When the internal temperature of either the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment reaches a set upper limit temperature, the refrigerator is switched to a cooling operation of the room and the compressor starts operating at a maximum frequency. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator comprises: 8. An allowable temperature which is higher than the set upper limit temperature and which is allowable as the internal temperature is provided for each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, and when the allowable temperature is exceeded, the room on the side exceeding the allowable temperature is given priority. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator is configured to be cooled. 9. A minimum cooling time is provided for the cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling time of the freezer compartment, and when both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment exceed the allowable temperature, the cooling compartment is set every the minimum cooling time. 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the refrigerator is configured to be switched. 10. A maximum cooling time is provided for the cooling time of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling time of the freezer compartment. When both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are within the set temperature, the cooling compartment is set after the maximum cooling time has elapsed. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator is configured to be switched. 11. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein cooling is started from said freezer compartment when power is turned on, and a transition is made to a normal cooling mode when the freezer compartment temperature reaches a set lower limit temperature. The refrigerator as described. 12. When the power is turned on, cooling is started from the freezer compartment, and the operation is performed in a power-on mode in which the cooling of the refrigerating compartment and the cooling of the freezer compartment are alternately performed when a set temperature set in each compartment is reached. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is configured as follows. 13. The apparatus is characterized in that the cooling chamber and the freezing chamber are alternately cooled in the power-on mode, and a transition is made to a normal cooling mode when the respective room temperature reaches a set temperature. The refrigerator according to claim 12. 14. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the compressor at power-on is configured to start operating at a maximum frequency. 15. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the compressor operating frequency at the time of turning on the power is set according to the outside air temperature. 16. An energy saving method for switching between cooling of the refrigerator and cooling of the freezer for a predetermined time when the refrigerator and the freezer are at respective set temperatures and the door is not opened for a predetermined time. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is configured to shift to a mode. 17. When the operating frequency of the compressor is the lowest frequency and the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment each reach a set lower limit temperature, the compressor shifts to a compressor stop mode to stop the compressor. Wherein when one of the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment exceeds a set temperature upper limit, the compressor is started to perform cooling from a side having exceeded the set temperature upper limit. The refrigerator according to 1.