KR100859461B1 - Refrigerator with rinsing room - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a washing chamber, comprising: a washing chamber casing having a tubular shape with an open front surface disposed inside the refrigerating chamber to form a washing chamber therein; A washing chamber door for opening and closing the front opening of the washing chamber casing; A water supply line for supplying washing water into the washing chamber casing; A drain line formed to drain the washing water to the bottom of the washing chamber casing; An ultrasonic generator disposed at the bottom of the washing chamber to vibrate the washing water contained in the washing chamber casing; A mode selection unit for selecting any one of a plurality of operation modes including a washing mode; It characterized in that it comprises a control unit for controlling the ultrasonic generator, the water supply line and the drain line, respectively, when the washing mode is selected by the mode selection unit. Thereby, the refrigerator provided with the washing room which can wash | clean and store vegetables and fruits easily is provided.

Description

Refrigerator with washing room {REFRIGERATOR WITH RINSING ROOM}

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional refrigerator,

2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator provided with a washing room according to one embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG.

4 is an enlarged view illustrating main parts of FIG. 3;

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

6 is a perspective view of a refrigerator provided with a washing room according to another embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 5;

8 is an enlarged view illustrating main parts of FIG. 7;

9 is a plan sectional view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 6.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

11: body 21: freezer

31: refrigerator compartment 51: washing room

53: washing chamber casing 54: water supply line

55: water supply valve 56: drain line

57: drain valve 59: drain pump                 

61: washing chamber door 63: control unit

65: mode selector 71: ultrasonic generator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a washing chamber, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a washing chamber in which vegetables or fruits can be easily washed and stored.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional refrigerator. As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator includes a main body 11 in which a freezing chamber 21 and a refrigerating chamber 31 are formed in an up and down direction with partitions 12 formed in a horizontal direction therebetween, and a freezing chamber 21 and The refrigerator compartment door 23 and the refrigerator compartment door 33 which are hinged to the main body 11 to open and close the refrigerator compartment 31 are provided.

The machine room 13 is formed in the lower rear region of the main body 11, and the compressor 15 is provided inside the machine room 13.

In the rear region of the freezing compartment 21, a circulation passage 25 is formed to circulate air in the freezing compartment 21 and the refrigerating compartment 31, and inside the circulation passage 25 so that air can be cooled while passing. Evaporator 27 is provided. The cooling fan 29 is provided above the evaporator 27 so as to promote the flow of air.

The partition 12 is provided with a freezer compartment return passage 14a and a refrigerator compartment return passage 14b, respectively, so that the air in the freezer compartment 21 and the refrigerating compartment 31 can be returned to the circulation passage 25.                         

On the other hand, in the rear region of the refrigerating chamber 31 is provided a duct 36 having a plurality of cold air outlet 37 so that the cooled air is discharged while passing through the evaporator 27, the front of the duct 36 A plurality of shelves 35 are installed in the refrigerator compartment 31 to partition the internal space and to support food. In the lower region of the refrigerating compartment 31, a vegetable storage compartment 39 is provided to store vegetables and fruits.

By the way, in such a conventional refrigerator, when there is no means for washing vegetables and / or fruits and the like and wants to store them in the vegetable storage chamber 39, after washing the vegetables or fruits properly, the vegetable storage chamber 39 If you keep it at or without washing it, it is inconvenient to wash it before eating.

In the conventional refrigerator, the internal temperature of the vegetable storage chamber 39 is maintained at about 2 to 4 ° C., so that vegetables and fruits such as cabbage and spinach, which have a food storage temperature of 7 to 10 ° C., are usually known. There is a problem that it is not suitable for the storage of tropical fruits, such as lettuce, parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, strawberries, peaches and grapes, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas mainly harvested in subtropics or the tropics.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a washing room in which vegetables and fruits can be easily washed and stored.

According to the present invention, there is provided a washing chamber casing having a tubular shape with an open front surface disposed inside a refrigerating chamber to form a washing chamber therein; A washing chamber door for opening and closing the front opening of the washing chamber casing; A water supply line for supplying washing water into the washing chamber casing; A drain line formed to drain the washing water to the bottom of the washing chamber casing; An ultrasonic generator disposed at the bottom of the washing chamber to vibrate the washing water contained in the washing chamber casing; A mode selection unit for selecting any one of a plurality of operation modes including a washing mode; When the washing mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the ultrasonic generator and the control unit for controlling the water supply line and the drain line are achieved by a refrigerator having a washing room.

Here, the drain line is preferably provided with a drain pump.

One side of the washing chamber casing is effective to further include a cold air supply port formed to penetrate so that the cold air of the refrigerating chamber flows, and a damper disposed to open and close the cold air supply port.

It is preferable to further include a heater disposed to heat the interior of the washing chamber casing.

One side of the washing chamber casing is formed with a circulation chamber so that the air inside the washing chamber case is drawn out and circulated, the heater is disposed in the circulation chamber, the inside of the circulation chamber is It is effective to further include a circulation fan to circulate the air inside the washing chamber casing.

The operation mode may further include a first storage mode in which the internal temperature of the washing chamber casing is 3 to 6 ° C., and a second storage mode in which the internal temperature of the washing chamber casing is 7 to 10 ° C.                     

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail with respect to the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a washing room according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view of the refrigerator of FIG. 2. Control block diagram. The same reference numerals are given to the same and equivalent components as the above-described and illustrated components for convenience of description, and detailed descriptions of some components will be omitted. As shown in these figures, the refrigerator provided with this washing | cleaning chamber is the main body 11 in which the freezer compartment 21 and the refrigerating compartment 31 are formed with the partition 12 in between, and the freezer compartment 21 and the refrigerator compartment The freezing chamber door 23 and the refrigerating chamber door 33 which are coupled to the main body 11 so as to be able to open and close the 31, respectively, and are disposed at one lower side of the refrigerating chamber 31 to form a washing chamber 51 therein. And a washing chamber door 61 that opens and closes the front opening of the washing chamber casing 53. As shown in FIG.

The lower one side of the refrigerating chamber 31 is provided with a washing chamber casing 53 having a tubular shape with an open front surface to form the washing chamber 51 therein, and the washing chamber 51 on the front surface of the washing chamber casing 53. ), The washing chamber door 61 is hinged so as to open and close airtightly.

A water supply line 54 is formed in the upper upper region of the washing chamber casing 53 to supply the washing water to the inside of the washing chamber 51, and the water supply line 54 opens and closes the water supply line 54. The water supply valve 55 is provided.

A drainage port 58 is formed in the bottom region of the washing chamber casing 53 to drain the washing water therein, and a drainage line 56 is formed in the drainage port 58 so as to extend to the outside. The drain line 56 is provided with a drain valve 57 for opening and closing the drain line 56 and a drain pump 59 to pump the wash water drained from the wash water.

An ultrasonic generator 71 is installed at the bottom of the washing chamber casing 53 so as to vibrate the washing water accommodated in the washing chamber casing 53 at a predetermined frequency.

On the other hand, the control unit 63 is composed of a microcomputer with a built-in control program, the mode selector 65 for selecting a washing mode to wash the vegetables or fruits contained in the washing chamber casing 53, etc. Is connected. The control unit 63 also has a water supply valve 55, a drain valve 57 and a drain pump 59 electrically so that the water supply and the drainage are respectively formed in the washing chamber casing 53 when the washing mode is selected. It is connected.

By such a configuration, when the vegetable or fruit is stored in the washing chamber casing 53 and the washing mode is selected by the mode selecting unit 65, the control unit 63 controls the water supply valve 55 to wash the washing chamber. A predetermined amount of washing water is accommodated in the casing 53. Next, the controller 63 controls the ultrasonic generator 71 to apply ultrasonic waves of a predetermined frequency, for example, approximately 20,000 Hz or more, to the washing water. When the ultrasonic cleaning is completed, the control unit 63 controls the drain valve 57 so that the drain port 58 is opened, and drives the drain pump 59 to discharge the washing water of the washing chamber 51.

6 is a perspective view of a refrigerator provided with a washing chamber according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8. 10 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 6. As shown in these drawings, the refrigerator provided with the washing chamber includes a main body 111 having a freezing chamber 121 and a refrigerating chamber 131 formed therebetween with a partition wall 112 formed in an up and down direction; The freezing chamber 121 and the refrigerating chamber door 133 hinged to the main body 111 to open and close the freezing chamber 121 and the refrigerating chamber 131, respectively, and are disposed in the refrigerating chamber 131 and have a washing chamber therein ( The washing chamber casing 153 forming the 151, and the washing chamber door 161 is coupled to the washing chamber casing 153 to open and close the front opening of the washing chamber casing 153 is configured.

The washing chamber casing 153 is formed to have a rectangular cylindrical shape with an open front surface and is disposed in the lower region of the refrigerating chamber 131. The washing chamber casing 153 has an inner upper region of the washing chamber casing 153 so as to supply the washing water therein. A water supply line 154 having a valve 155 is formed. In the bottom region of the washing chamber casing 153, an ultrasonic generator 181 is installed to apply ultrasonic waves to the washing water contained therein, and a drain hole 158 is formed at one side of the washing chamber to discharge the washing water. The drainage port 158 is formed with a drain line 156 extending to the outside, the drain line 156 is a drain valve 157 for opening and closing the drain line 156 and a drain pump 159 to pump the wash water. Are respectively provided.

On the other hand, the cold air supply port 162 is formed in the upper upper region of the washing chamber casing 153 through the cold air supply port 162 so that the cold air flows into the interior of the washing chamber 151, the cold air supply port 162 Supply port damper 163 is provided to open and close the sphere 162.

A circulation chamber 171 is formed at one side of the washing chamber casing 153 so that the air of the washing chamber 151 is drawn out and circulated, and a partition wall partitioning the circulation chamber 171 and the washing chamber 151 ( 152 has a suction port 172a to allow the air of the washing chamber 151 to flow into the circulation chamber 171, and a discharge port to discharge the air introduced into the circulation chamber 171 back to the washing chamber 151. 172b) is formed, respectively. A heater 175 is provided in the circulation chamber 171 to heat the air circulated, and a circulation fan 173 is installed in the discharge port 172b to promote the flow of air. The upper surface of the washing chamber casing 153 is provided with a temperature detection sensor 183 to detect the internal temperature.

The control unit 177, which is implemented in the form of a microcomputer with a built-in control program, has a mode selector 179 electrically connected to each other so as to select at least one of a plurality of operation modes such as a washing mode and a storage mode. Here, the storage mode is a vegetable, such as cabbage, eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms, green onions, green pepper, etc. having a food preservation temperature of 3 ~ 6 ℃ according to the kind of vegetables or fruits stored therein, such as apples and pears 1st storage mode suitable for preserving fruits, vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, lettuce, parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and tropical fruits such as strawberries, peaches, grapes, bananas, pineapples, mangoes and papayas Suitable second storage mode or the like.

By such a configuration, when vegetables or fruits are stored in the washing chamber casing 153 and the washing mode is selected by the mode selecting unit 179, the controller 177 controls the water supply valve 155 to wash the water inside. Ensure that is supplied. When a predetermined amount of washing water is supplied into the washing chamber casing 153, the controller 177 controls the ultrasonic wave generator 181 to apply ultrasonic waves of a predetermined frequency, approximately 20,000 Hz or more, to the washing water. When the ultrasonic cleaning by the ultrasonic generator 181 is completed, the controller 177 controls the drain valve 157 and the drain pump 159 to discharge the washing water therein.

When the storage mode suitable for the type of vegetables or fruits therein and the above-described first storage mode are selected, the controller 177 is configured to supply a supply port damper when the internal temperature is high based on the temperature detection result of the temperature detection sensor 183. 163 is controlled to open the cold air supply port 162. When cold air is supplied through the cold air supply port 162 and the internal temperature reaches the target temperature, the cold air supply port 162 is blocked.

On the other hand, when the second storage mode for storing the above-described tropical fruit is selected, the controller 177 is powered on the heater 175 when the internal temperature is low based on the temperature detection result of the temperature detection sensor 183. The circulation fan 173 is rotated while being applied. At this time, the cold air supply port 162 is blocked by the supply port damper 163.

When the circulation fan 173 is rotated, the air of the washing chamber 151 flows into the circulation chamber 171 through the inlet 172a, and the introduced air is heated by the heater 175. The heated air is introduced into the washing chamber 151 through the discharge port 172b and then repeatedly sucked and heated to the circulation chamber 171 through the suction port 172a to repeat the temperature of the washing chamber 151. Will be raised to the target temperature.

As described above, according to the present invention, ultrasonic waves are applied to the washing chamber casing disposed inside the refrigerating chamber to form the washing chamber therein, the door opening and closing the front opening of the washing chamber casing, and the washing water inside the washing chamber casing. Select one of the operation modes including an ultrasonic generator formed to be applied, a drain line formed at the bottom of the washing chamber casing, a water supply line formed to supply the washing water into the washing chamber casing, and a washing mode. By providing a mode selection unit and a control unit for controlling the ultrasonic generator, the water supply line, and the drainage line when the washing mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the refrigerator having a washing room for easily washing and storing vegetables or fruits is provided. Is provided.

In addition, by further comprising a temperature detection sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the washing chamber, a supply inlet damper for opening and closing the cold air supply port formed to enter the cold air, and a heater disposed to increase the internal temperature of the washing chamber, There is provided a refrigerator having a washing room capable of maintaining an internal temperature according to a kind of vegetables or fruits accommodated in the washing room so as to keep the vegetables or fruits fresh after washing.

Claims (6)

A washing chamber casing having a tubular shape with an open front surface and disposed in the refrigerating chamber to form a washing chamber therein; A washing chamber door for opening and closing the front opening of the washing chamber casing; A water supply line for supplying washing water into the washing chamber casing; A drain line formed to drain the washing water to the bottom of the washing chamber casing; An ultrasonic generator disposed at the bottom of the washing chamber to vibrate the washing water contained in the washing chamber casing; A mode selection unit for selecting any one of a plurality of operation modes including a washing mode; And a control unit for controlling the ultrasonic generator and the water supply line and the drainage line, respectively, when the washing mode is selected by the mode selection unit. The method of claim 1, Refrigerator having a washing room, characterized in that the drain line is provided with a drain pump. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And a damper disposed to open and close the cold air supply port, and a cold air supply port formed to penetrate the cold air in the refrigerating compartment to one side of the washing chamber casing. The method of claim 3, And a heater disposed to heat the interior of the washing chamber casing. The method of claim 4, wherein A circulation chamber is formed at one side of the washing chamber casing so that air in the washing chamber casing is drawn out and circulated, and the heater is disposed inside the circulation chamber, and disposed inside the circulation chamber to And a circulation fan for circulating air in the washing chamber casing. The method of claim 5, The operation mode further includes a first storage mode in which the internal temperature of the washing chamber casing is 3 to 6 ° C., and a second storage mode in which the internal temperature of the washing chamber casing is 7 to 10 ° C. Refrigerator with seal.

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