KR100662141B1 - Apparatus for keeping food long term in refrigerator and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Food long-term storage device of the refrigerator according to the present invention comprises a vacuum storage compartment that is partitioned inside the refrigerator to create a vacuum environment for long-term storage of food; A vacuum pump for applying a vacuum pressure to the vacuum reservoir; And a vacuum flow passage connecting the vacuum pump and the vacuum storage chamber, wherein the vacuum storage chamber is formed with a vacuum breaking flow path through which air is sucked into the vacuum storage chamber, and is operated in association with a door handle on the vacuum storage flow passage. A vacuum breaker may be coupled to the storage compartment to break the vacuum state.

Food stored in the refrigerator according to the present invention is applied to the low temperature storage and vacuum storage at the same time, the storage period of the food can be longer and fresh.

In addition, since the vacuum-related device is safely provided inside the refrigerator, the user can use the vacuum storage room more conveniently.

Vacuum, refrigerator

Description

Apparatus for keeping food long term in refrigerator and method

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator to which the idea of the present invention is applied;

2 is a cross-sectional view of II ′ of FIG. 1.

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a first embodiment of a food long-term storage method of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a second embodiment of the food long-term storage method of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

6, 7: vacuum reservoir

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, which is a food long-term storage device of the refrigerator to allow food stored in the refrigerator to be kept fresh longer.

A refrigerator in a general sense is a device that allows a low-temperature environment to be created inside the gourd, so that food stored in the gourd is cooled to suppress propagation of bacteria in the food, thereby preventing food water from decaying. On the other hand, the environment in which bacteria are not propagated can be used in various ways, such as ultraviolet sterilization, the composition of the vacuum state, chemical sterilization, the composition of the drying environment, in addition to the method to be stored at a low temperature such as a refrigerator.

Briefly describing the food storage method, the ultraviolet sterilization is a high-frequency ultraviolet light is destroyed to destroy the structure of the cell wall of the bacteria to suppress the growth of bacteria and die, and the vacuum state so that the gas necessary for breeding of bacteria is scarce The environment is created so that the growth of bacteria is suppressed, and chemical sterilization is sprayed with chemicals in the environment where bacteria can grow, and the growth of bacteria is suppressed. It is a method of inhibiting the growth of bacteria because it is narrow and does not penetrate inside or there is no moisture essential for the growth of bacteria.

However, among the various methods described above, ultraviolet sterilization has a disadvantage in that it is harmful to the human body, and the composition of the dry environment has a disadvantage in that the taste of food is inferior to the intake of food. Ingestion is undesirable to apply to the refrigerator.

On the other hand, even if food is stored in the refrigerator at low temperature, it is generally known that food decays after a certain time. In addition, food poisoning may occur after eating food, believing that it is stored in the refrigerator. As such, it would be desirable to create a vacuum as a method for allowing food to be stored for longer periods of time in addition to low temperature environments.

Under this background, the present invention proposes a device that allows food to be stored for a longer period of time by establishing a vacuum in an environment in which food is stored. Furthermore, by establishing a vacuum state in a refrigerator where food is stored at a low temperature, by applying a vacuum state to an article that requires long-term storage, the food can be stored for a longer period of time, thereby improving usability of the refrigerator. And a method.

An object of the present invention is to propose a food long-term storage device and a storage method of the refrigerator to allow food to be stored for a longer period of time under the background described above.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to propose a long-term storage device for food and a storage method of the refrigerator which can suppress the growth of bacteria in the food and improve the reliability of the consumer.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to propose a food storage device and a storage method of the refrigerator that can be used more conveniently by the user is provided with a vacuum-related device safely inside the refrigerator.

Food long-term storage device for a refrigerator according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a vacuum storage compartment that is partitioned inside the refrigerator to create a vacuum environment for long-term storage of food; A vacuum pump for applying a vacuum pressure to the vacuum reservoir; And a vacuum flow passage connecting the vacuum pump and the vacuum storage chamber, wherein the vacuum storage chamber is formed with a vacuum breaking flow path through which air is sucked into the vacuum storage chamber, and is operated in association with a door handle on the vacuum storage flow passage. A vacuum breaker may be coupled to the storage compartment and hinged to break the vacuum state.

In addition, the food storage method of the refrigerator according to the present invention comprises the steps of applying a vacuum pressure to the set pressure in the vacuum storage chamber by operating the vacuum pump; And in order to maintain the vacuum pressure applied to the vacuum storage chamber, the vacuum pump is repeatedly operated such that the vacuum pressure is continuously increased at a predetermined cycle or when the internal pressure of the vacuum storage chamber and the set pressure are smaller than the set pressure. Steps are included.

According to the present invention, the food stored in the refrigerator can be stored in a vacuum state in a low temperature environment, so that the food can be stored more safely. In addition, since the vacuum state can be conveniently formed, the user's convenience may be improved.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described in detail a specific embodiment of the present invention. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can easily make other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, and adding components within the scope of the same idea. It may be suggested, but this is also included within the scope of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator to which the idea of the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes a refrigerator main body 8 having a low temperature environment therein, a refrigerating chamber 2 and a freezing compartment which are respectively partitioned and formed inside the refrigerator main body 8. (3), and a refrigerator compartment door 4 and a freezer compartment door 5 for opening and closing the front side of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3.

In addition, inside the refrigerating chamber 2, a first vacuum storage chamber 6 and a second vacuum storage chamber 7 are installed to allow food to be stored in a vacuum state as well as a low temperature state. In the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7, food is stored in a vacuum lower than atmospheric pressure, so that propagation of bacteria is suppressed. In addition, the handles 21 and 31 are provided on the front surfaces of the respective vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 so that the user can conveniently open and close the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7. In the present invention, the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 are divided into upper and lower portions, but two are formed. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and three or more vacuum storage chambers may be formed.

On the other hand, the inside of the refrigerator of the present invention is provided with a compressor in which the refrigerant is compressed, a condenser in which the refrigerant is condensed, an expansion valve in which the refrigerant is expanded, and an evaporator in which the refrigerant is evaporated to take heat away from the surroundings. Therefore, it goes without saying that the inside of the refrigerator is kept at a low temperature.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II ′ of FIG. 1, illustrating the configuration of the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7.

2, the internal structure of a vacuum storage chamber is demonstrated in detail. First, a motor 11 and a vacuum pump 12 driven by the motor 11 are placed inside the machine room 10 formed at the lower rear side of the refrigerator. The vacuum pump 12 is connected to the interior of the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 by the vacuum flow passage 14, so that the air in the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 is forcibly sucked in the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7. The inside of the pan becomes a vacuum state, so that the food stored therein can be stored for a long time. The vacuum flow passage 14 is divided so that the vacuum pressure is branched to each of the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7. In addition, a main valve 13 is opened at the front end before the vacuum flow passage 14 branches, and closed when the vacuum pump 12 is in operation and closed when not in operation, so that power consumption of the vacuum pump 12 is reduced. ) Is formed. By the main valve 13, air flows into the vacuum pump 12 from the vacuum reservoirs 6 and 7 only when the vacuum pump 12 is operated, and the vacuum when the vacuum pump 12 is not operated. The sealing of the reservoirs 6 and 7 can be reliably maintained.

Then, in the portion after the vacuum flow passage 14 is branched, the first sub-valve 28 and the second to allow the vacuum pressure to be selectively supplied to the respective vacuum reservoirs 6 and 7 when the vacuum pressure is transmitted. Sub-valve 38 is formed. Then, pressure sensors 27 and 37 for measuring the vacuum pressure in the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 are formed in each branched vacuum flow passage 14.

In particular, the longer the vacuum passage 14 is, the longer the loss of the vacuum pressure may be, and the composition of the vacuum state may be late, so that the vacuum reservoirs 6 and 7 are adjacent to the machine room 10. It is preferable to put on the lower side of the. In addition, since the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 are for extending the state where food is stored at low temperature, it is preferable to place them in the refrigerating chamber 2.

In addition, each of the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7 is provided with a plurality of configurations in which a vacuum state is formed in the vacuum storage chamber and a vacuum state can be destroyed.

In detail, the suction passages 26 and 36 which are connected to the vacuum passage 14 and discharge the internal air of the vacuum reservoir, and the upper surface of the vacuum reservoir and the refrigerator main body 8 come into contact with each other to prevent inflow of external air. Sealing surfaces 25 and 35 for blocking and adjacent portions of the door handles 21 and 31 are formed so that the vacuum breaker inside the storage compartment can be conveniently destroyed when the user opens the vacuum storage compartment. (23) 33 and vacuum break passages 24 and 34 which allow air to be sucked into the vacuum storage chamber during the operation of the vacuum breakers 23 and 33 are formed.

In detail, the vacuum breakers 23 and 33 operate in conjunction with the door handles 21 and 31 when the user removes the handle, so that the user can conveniently handle the vacuum breakers 23 and 33. To this end, the vacuum breakers 23 and 33 may be coupled to the main body of the vacuum storage chamber by a hinge. The vacuum breakers 23 and 33 open the flow paths of the vacuum break passages 24 and 34 only in one direction, for example, outward, so that when the vacuum is to be maintained, the outside air flows in. The function as a check valve can be performed. In addition, it is preferable to apply a metal having high strength, for example, stainless steel, in order not to be deformed by the vacuum pressure at the site where the vacuum pressure is applied, such as the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7.

In detail, the sealing surfaces 25 and 35 are made of soft rubber, so that when the vacuum pressure is applied to the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7, the contracting operation is performed to maintain the vacuum state.

In addition, in a predetermined position of the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7, after the user closes the vacuum storage chambers 6 and 7, the operating states of the vacuum pump 12 and the valves 13, 28 and 38 are changed. Vacuum buttons 22 and 32 are formed which are operated to allow vacuum to be started. The vacuum button may be placed not only on the outer side of the vacuum reservoirs 6 and 7 as shown, but also in the main body operation section of the refrigerator and elsewhere.

With reference to the above configuration will be described the operation method of the food long-term storage device of the refrigerator according to the present invention. Since the first vacuum storage chamber 6 and the second vacuum storage chamber 7 are operated in the same process, only the first vacuum storage chamber 6 will be described, but the same description also applies to the second vacuum storage chamber 7. do.

First, when accommodating food, the vacuum reservoir 6 is taken out by holding the handle 21, and then food is stored and closed inwardly of the main body 8. When the vacuum button 22 is pressed, an operation for establishing a vacuum environment is started.

When the vacuum button 22 is depressed, the main valve 13 and the first sub valve 28 are opened, and the second sub valve 38 is closed, and the vacuum pump 12 is processed. When the vacuum pump 12 is operated, the air inside the first vacuum storage chamber 6 is sucked through the vacuum flow passage 14 and the first suction passage 26, and the interior of the vacuum storage chamber 6 is a vacuum environment. Begin to form. At this time, since the vacuum breaker 23 blocks the vacuum breaker passage 24 and the sealing surface 25 shields the main body 8 and the vacuum storage chamber 6, air is not sucked from the outside, and the vacuum state is maintained. Can be reliably formulated.

Then, after a certain time has elapsed, the vacuum sensor 12 is turned off by the pressure sensor 27, and the vacuum pump 12 is turned off, and the first sub-valve 28 and the main valve 13 are formed. To close the internal vacuum of the vacuum reservoir 6 so that it can be firmly maintained. Of course, the vacuum pressure measured by the pressure sensor 27 is transmitted to the control unit of the refrigerator, and the control unit determines the detection signal of the pressure sensor 27 so that the valves 13 and 28 and the vacuum pump 12 The operation can be automatically operated.

Then, the vacuum pump is operated at a predetermined cycle so that the internal vacuum state is firmly maintained so that the vacuum state is maintained in a constant state. The internal vacuum state of the vacuum storage chamber 6 may be caused by intake through the valves 13 and 28, intake through the sealing surface 25, and intake through the vacuum break passage 24.

Since the inside of the vacuum reservoir 6 is maintained in a stable and reliable manner, the food contained in the inside of the vacuum reservoir 6 can be kept longer without being damaged.

On the other hand, when the user wants to eat food in the interior of the vacuum storage chamber 6, the first operation of holding the door handle 21 and at the same time by moving the vacuum breaker 23 to open the vacuum breaker flow path 24 to allow the outside air to be intake . This allows the vacuum to be released once, thereby preventing malfunction of the device which may be caused by the sudden destruction of the vacuum. After the vacuum in the vacuum chamber 6 is destroyed, the vacuum chamber 6 is opened to eat food contained therein.

With reference to the flow chart in detail the storage method of the long-term storage device for food in the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described in detail.

3 is a view illustrating a first embodiment of a long-term food storage method of a refrigerator according to the present invention, in which the vacuum pressure is applied to the vacuum storage chamber at a predetermined cycle in order to maintain the vacuum state for a long time. There is one feature.

Referring to FIG. 3, after closing in a state where food is accommodated in the vacuum chamber, the operation button is pressed (St 11). When the operation button is pressed, the valve is operated (St 12), the vacuum pump is operated (St 13), and a vacuum state starts to build up in the vacuum storage chamber 6. When it is determined by the pressure sensors 27 and 37 that the target vacuum pressure is applied to the inside of the vacuum storage chamber 6 (St 14), the operation of the vacuum pump is terminated (St 15).

However, even after the internal environment of the vacuum storage chamber is created by the target vacuum pressure, air can be sucked through each interface of the vacuum storage chamber. Therefore, by allowing the vacuum pump to be operated again at a period of time known by the experiment, the inside of the vacuum storage chamber can continuously create a target vacuum pressure environment. At this time, it can be easily assumed that the valve, the pressure sensor, and the vacuum pump are operated in the same manner as the initial stage of the start of the vacuum state.

On the other hand, each of the vacuum storage chamber (6) (7) may be such that the vacuum pressure of the optimum state is applied to the type and condition of the food by varying the target vacuum pressure. Of course, even during the operation of maintaining the vacuum state, the optimum value for the food can be realized by changing the operating cycle and the vacuum pressure set value of the vacuum pump according to the type and state of the food.

However, the above-described method has a disadvantage in that it cannot flexibly cope with the pressure change inside the vacuum storage chamber, and there is a concern that the food pressure may be damaged due to the complete breakdown of the vacuum pressure. In view of such a problem, the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the internal vacuum state of the vacuum storage chamber is controlled while the vacuum pressure is actively changed according to the state of the internal vacuum pressure of the vacuum storage chamber.

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a second embodiment of the food long-term storage method of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the initial operation of the vacuum storage chamber is the same as in the first embodiment, except that the vacuum pressure is maintained only at the stage where the vacuum pressure is maintained. In detail, after the initial operation is performed, the internal vacuum pressure of the vacuum reservoir reaches a set value, and after the operation of the vacuum pump is terminated (St 25), the present pressure inside the vacuum reservoir 6 at a predetermined cycle. And set pressure (St 26). The internal pressure of the vacuum reservoir can be measured by the pressure sensor 27 as described above.

After that, when the present pressure is not greater than the set pressure, the flow returns to the operation step St 22 of the valve to open the valve and operate the vacuum pump to continuously increase the current pressure. If the present pressure is larger than the set pressure, the vacuum pressure is judged to be appropriately maintained, and the process proceeds to the next step and continues to operate until the end of storage of food (St 27).

According to the present invention as described, the storage period of the food stored in the refrigerator can be as long as that, the user has the advantage of eating fresh food.

Food stored in the refrigerator according to the present invention is applied to the low temperature storage and vacuum storage at the same time, the storage period of the food can be longer and fresh.

In addition, since the vacuum-related device is safely provided inside the refrigerator, the user can use the vacuum storage room more conveniently.

Claims (13)

At least one vacuum storage compartment that is partitioned inside the refrigerator to create a vacuum environment for long-term storage of food; At least one vacuum pump for applying a vacuum pressure to the vacuum reservoir; And A vacuum flow path connecting the vacuum pump and the vacuum storage chamber and having at least one main valve and at least one subvalve formed therein; The vacuum storage chamber is formed with a vacuum scavenging flow path for allowing air to be sucked into the inside, and is operated in association with a door handle on the vacuum scavenging flow passage, and includes a vacuum scavenging unit which is hinged with the vacuum storage chamber to destroy the vacuum state. Long-term storage of food in the refrigerator. The method of claim 1, The vacuum storage chamber is a plurality, the vacuum pump is one long-term storage device for food in the refrigerator. The method of claim 1, The vacuum pump is a long-term storage device for food in the refrigerator is placed in the machine room of the refrigerator. The method of claim 1, The vacuum storage chamber is a plurality, wherein the vacuum passage is a long-term storage device for food in the refrigerator branched to each of the vacuum storage chamber. The method of claim 1, Long term storage device for a food in the refrigerator includes a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the vacuum storage chamber. The method of claim 1, And a vacuum suction passage connected to the vacuum passage to exhaust the air, and a vacuum destruction passage connected to the outer space to destroy the vacuum. delete The method of claim 1, Long term storage device for a food in a refrigerator including a vacuum button to start the operation of the vacuum pump. Operating a vacuum pump to apply a vacuum pressure to at least one or more vacuum storage chambers up to a set pressure set equal to or different from each other; And In order to maintain the vacuum pressure applied to the vacuum storage chamber, the vacuum pump is repeatedly operated such that the vacuum pressure is continuously increased at a predetermined cycle or when the internal pressure and the set pressure of the vacuum storage chamber are compared and smaller than the set pressure. Long-term storage of food in the refrigerator comprising the step. delete delete delete The method of claim 1, And a sealing surface mounted on a predetermined portion of the vacuum storage chamber to maintain a vacuum therein.

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