JPS6217148B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a quick freezing device for rapidly freezing the inside of a freezer compartment as required.

Conventionally, for example, in a two-temperature refrigerator,
The device is configured to start a quick freezing operation that forcibly supplies refrigerant only to the freezer compartment cooler in response to turning on a quick freezing start switch, and to control the duration of this quick freezing operation using a timer. is provided. However, the time it takes for the temperature of the frozen items to drop below the appropriate freezing temperature after rapid freezing operation starts depends on the quantity and quality of the frozen items, and the temperature of the frozen items before they are stored in the freezer compartment. Therefore, in the conventional configuration in which the duration of the quick freezing operation is uniformly controlled by a timer, the quick freezing operation is started before the items to be frozen are cooled to the appropriate freezing temperature. There is a drawback that the quick freezing operation may be stopped, or conversely, the quick freezing operation may be continued in vain even though the item to be frozen has been cooled to the appropriate freezing temperature.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and its purpose is to forcibly supply refrigerant to the freezer compartment cooler regardless of the state of the freezer compartment temperature control unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a quick freezing device that can perform quick freezing for an appropriate time depending on the amount of frozen products, etc., and can immediately start such quick freezing operation in response to turning on a switch for starting quick freezing.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a two-temperature refrigerator will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a known refrigeration cycle to which the present invention is applied. In Fig. 1, 1 is a freezer compartment cooler, 2 is a refrigerator compartment cooler, 3 is a compressor, 4 is a condenser, 5 is a main capillary tube, 6 is an auxiliary capillary tube, and 7 is a flow path control device. For example, 8 is a solenoid valve, and 8 is a bypass capillary tube. In such a refrigeration cycle, the solenoid valve 7 is configured to be in a closed state when the power is cut off and to be in an open state when the power is applied.
When the solenoid valve 7 is in its closed state, the compressor 3
It exhibits a "first state" in which the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerator compartment cooler 2 and the freezer compartment cooler 1 are supplied to both the refrigerator compartment cooler 2 and the freezer compartment cooler 1, and in the open state, the refrigerant is supplied to the freezer compartment cooler 2 through the bypass capillary tube 8. It is designed to switch to the "second state" in which the water is supplied only to the cooler 1.

Now, FIG. 2 shows only the portions of the electric circuit configuration of the two-temperature refrigerator that are related to the gist of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 9 denotes a temperature control unit for the refrigerator compartment whose set temperature TR (with a certain differential) can be changed by a variable resistor 10, which detects the temperature of the cooler 2 for the refrigerator compartment. When the temperature detected by the thermistor 11, which is arranged to A low level signal is output from the comparator circuit 12. The output of the comparator circuit 12 is applied to a drive circuit 15 via an inverter 13 and an OR circuit 14, and this drive circuit 15 energizes the solenoid valve 7 only when it receives a high level signal. Let it open. Reference numeral 16 denotes a temperature control unit for the freezer compartment whose set temperature TF (having a fixed differential) can be changed by a variable resistor 17, and this unit is arranged to detect the temperature of the cooler 1 for the freezer compartment. When the temperature detected by the thermistor 18 exceeds the upper limit of the set temperature TF, the comparator circuit 19 outputs a high level signal, and when the detected temperature falls below the lower limit of the set temperature TF, the comparator circuit 19 outputs a low level signal. Outputs level signal. The output of the comparison circuit 19 is
The signal is applied to a drive circuit 21 via an OR circuit 20, and this drive circuit 21 applies current to the compressor 3 to drive it only when receiving a high level signal. 22 is a temperature detection section,
This includes a thermistor 23 which is placed on the bottom or other part of the freezer compartment to detect the temperature of the frozen items in the freezer compartment, and the temperature detected by this thermistor 23 is below the set temperature TS. Stop command signal consisting of a low level signal at certain times
A comparator circuit 24 that outputs Sp and also outputs a high level signal in other states, and the set temperature TS.
It consists of a variable resistor 25 for changing the. The output of the comparison circuit 24 is applied to one input terminal of an AND circuit 27 via an inverter 26. Reference numeral 28 denotes an automatic return type rapid freezing start switch interposed between the DC power source E and the line L, and a high level signal is output to the line L when this switch is turned on. Reference numeral 29 denotes an RS flip-flop which is a signal generation circuit for outputting a drive command signal St consisting of a high level signal, and its set input terminal S and reset input terminal R are connected to line L and the output terminal of the AND circuit 27, respectively. At the same time, a set output terminal Q for outputting the drive command signal St is connected to each input terminal of the OR circuits 14 and 20. 30 is an RS flip-flop whose set input terminal S is connected to line L, and the output from its set output terminal Q is given to a timer circuit 31 which is a timer. When this timer circuit 31 receives a high-level signal, it starts operating a timer for a predetermined period of time, for example, 10 minutes, and outputs a high-level signal only during that operating period. and 33 respectively to the reset input terminals R and 33 of the R-S flip-flop 30.
They are respectively connected to the input terminals of the AND circuit 27.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be explained. Now, during normal operation without turning on the quick freezing start switch 28, when the temperature of the refrigerator compartment cooler 2, that is, the temperature detected by the thermistor 11 is higher than the upper limit of the set temperature TR, a high level signal is output from the comparison circuit 12. Output and freezer compartment cooler 1
When the temperature detected by the thermistor 18 is higher than the upper limit of the set temperature TF and a high level signal is also output from the comparator circuit 19, a low level signal inverted by the inverter 13 is given to the drive circuit 15. The electromagnetic valve 7 is closed and switched to the "first state", and a high level signal is given to the drive circuit 21, so that the compressor 3 is energized and driven. Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 is supplied to both the refrigerator compartment cooler 2 and the freezer compartment cooler 1, thereby cooling both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment decreases due to such cooling operation and the temperature detected by the thermistor 11 becomes equal to or lower than the lower limit of the set temperature TR, the comparison circuit 12 outputs a low level signal and the drive circuit 15 outputs a low level signal. Since a high level signal is now applied, the solenoid valve 7 is energized and switched to the "second state". Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 is supplied only to the freezer compartment cooler 1, and the cooling operation of the freezer compartment is continued. When the temperature inside the freezer compartment further decreases due to such cooling operation and the temperature detected by the thermistor 18 becomes below the lower limit of the set temperature TF, the comparator circuit 19 outputs a low level signal and the compressor 3 is shut off. The power is turned on and the refrigeration cycle stops operating. After this, when the temperature detected by the thermistor 18 exceeds the upper limit of the set temperature TF, the drive of the compressor 3 is restarted, and the thermistor 1
The cooling operation similar to that described above is repeated by closing or opening the electromagnetic valve 7 according to the temperature detected by the cooling device 1.

Now, if you want to do home freezing or freeze water quickly, store the items to be frozen in the freezer compartment,
The rapid freezing start switch 28 is turned on for a short period of time. Then, the R-S flip-flop 29 is set by the high level signal outputted to the line L, so a drive command signal St consisting of a high level signal is outputted from the set output terminal Q, and this is sent to the drive circuits 15 and 21. given to. Therefore, the solenoid valve 7 and the compressor 3 are energized regardless of the respective states of the refrigerator temperature control section 9 and the freezer temperature control section 16. A quick freezing operation is started in which the refrigerant is forcibly supplied only to the freezer compartment cooler 1. In this case, at the same time as the quick freezing start switch 28 is turned on, the R-S
Flip-flop 30 is also set upon receiving a high level signal from line L, and its set output terminal Q is set.
In order to output a high level signal from the timer circuit 31, the timer circuit 31 starts the timer operation and outputs a high level signal, and this high level signal is inverted to a low level signal by the inverter 33.
It is now applied to one input terminal of the AND circuit 27. Therefore, the AND circuit 27 blocks the passage of the signal applied to the other input terminal (that is, the output from the temperature detection section 22), in other words, invalidates the signal. Therefore, even if the temperature detected by the thermistor 23 is below the set temperature TS and the comparison circuit 24 outputs the stop command signal Sp consisting of a low level signal at the time when the quick freezing start switch 28 is turned on,
There is no risk that this stop command signal Sp is inverted to a high level signal by the inverter 26 and then passed through the AND circuit 27 and applied to the reset input terminal R of the R-S flip-flop 29, and the quick freezing start switch 28 is In response to the ON operation, rapid cooling can be started immediately as described above. When items to be frozen are stored in the freezer compartment, the temperature detected by the thermistor 23 does not immediately rise to the temperature of the items to be frozen, but rather increases with a time delay. It will take a considerable amount of time to actually eliminate the problem.
Therefore, due to this time delay, a situation may actually occur in which the temperature detected by the thermistor 23 is lower than the set temperature TS at the time when the item to be frozen is stored and the quick freezing start switch 28 is turned on.

After the quick freezing operation is started as described above, when the timer operation stops after the time set in the timer circuit 31 has elapsed, a low level signal is output from the timer circuit 31, and this low level signal is Since it is inverted to a high level signal by the inverters 32 and 33, the R-
The S flip-flop 30 is reset to its initial state and also receives a high level signal.
The AND circuit 27 allows the output from the temperature detection section 22 to pass through. Therefore, at this point or after that, the temperature detection section 22 outputs a stop command signal.
When Sp is output, this stop command signal Sp
After being inverted by the inverter 26, it is input to the reset input terminal R of the R-S flip-flop 29 and reset, so the output of the drive command signal St from the R-S flip-flop 29 is stopped, and the rapid freezing is started. Operation will be stopped.

As can be understood from the above description, the quick freezing device of the present invention has a configuration in which the timing of stopping the quick freezing operation is controlled by the temperature detection section provided to detect the temperature of the frozen items in the freezer compartment. Therefore, the stop timing of the quick freezing operation can be made constant, and the quick freezing operation can be executed for an appropriate time depending on the amount of the product to be frozen. Moreover, although the configuration is such that the timing to stop the quick freezing operation is controlled by the temperature detection unit, it is also possible to achieve the excellent effect that the quick freezing operation can be started immediately in response to the on operation of the quick freezing start switch. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings relate to one embodiment of the present invention.
The figure shows the refrigeration cycle, and FIG. 2 shows the electrical configuration. In the figure, 1 is a cooler for the freezer, 3 is a compressor, 16 is a temperature controller for the freezer, 22 is a temperature detector, 28 is a quick freezing start switch, and 29 is an R-
31 is an S flip-flop (signal generation circuit) and a timer circuit (timer).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A compressor controlled by a temperature control section for the freezer compartment, a switch for starting quick freezing, a signal generation circuit that outputs a drive command signal for the compressor when the switch for starting quick freezing is turned on, and a frozen product in the freezer compartment. a temperature detection section that detects the temperature and outputs a compressor operation stop command signal when the detected temperature is below a set temperature; and a temperature detection section that is activated in response to the on operation of the quick freezing start switch and outputs an early stop command signal during the operation period. A rapid freezing device characterized by comprising a timer for disabling.