KR101132515B1 - A refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, water drops are uniformly formed on the vegetable compartment cover, so that moisture can be continuously supplied to the vegetable compartment.

Refrigerator, vegetable room, humidity

Description

A refrigerator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a device for low-temperature storage of food, and is configured to be able to refrigerate or store food according to the type of food to be stored.

The inside of the refrigerator is cooled by the continuously supplied cool air, and the cool air is continuously generated by a heat exchange function of the refrigerant by a refrigeration cycle through compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation process. The cool air supplied to the inside of the refrigerator is uniformly transferred to the inside of the refrigerator by the convection, so that the food inside the refrigerator can be stored at a desired temperature.

The main body of the refrigerator has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open front, and the main body includes a freezing compartment and a freezing compartment. The front surface of the main body is provided with a refrigerating chamber door and a freezing chamber door for selectively shielding the opening portion.

The storage space inside the refrigerator is provided with a plurality of drawers, a shelf, and a storage box for storing various foods in an optimal state. In addition, a plurality of baskets are provided on the rear surface of the doors. The storage space inside the refrigerator is partitioned by the shelf, the storage box, and the basket as described above, and storage of suitable foods is possible.

On the other hand, unlike other processed foods, the vegetables stored in the refrigerating chamber have their own moisture, and when the freshness is maintained by the moisture, the user saves the optimum flavor. However, when vegetables are kept in the refrigerator for a long time, the moisture of the vegetables is evaporated, and the own flavor of the food is lowered. In addition, if the humidity inside the refrigerating compartment is too high, the growth of bacteria and bacteria contained in the vegetable may be accelerated, which may easily corrode and contaminate other stored foods.

Therefore, in the case of a food containing its own moisture and having a very short shelf life, it is generally stored in a separate vegetable room so as to be distinguished from other stored foods. In order to store such foods, Separate vegetable storage room or vegetable room is provided.

Since the vegetable storage room or the vegetable room is separated from other portions of the refrigerating room and has a drawer structure for convenience of storage, there is a limit to maintaining the freshness of vegetables.

In detail, in order to maintain the freshness of the vegetables, the humidity must be maintained constantly. In recent years, in order to prevent dew condensation, most of the cold-free refrigerators are not directly cooled, In the case of a food being stored, especially a food containing its own moisture such as vegetables, it is evaporated into the refrigerator and is lost. Such moisture-lost vegetables can not make the user feel the optimum flavor of vegetables when they eat.

In order to solve such a problem, a technique has been developed in which water or steam is sprayed to the vegetable compartment, or water is formed on the vegetable compartment cover.

However, the above-described conventional techniques have the following problems.

In the case of spraying water or steam to supply water to vegetables, water is floated on the bottom surface of the above-mentioned vegetable compartment, which causes a problem of promoting decay.

Further, when water is formed on the vegetable compartment cover, there is a problem that the size of the water droplet increases with time and eventually falls due to gravity.

Further, when water is formed on the vegetable compartment cover, there is a problem that water droplets may fall into the vegetable compartment even with a small impact.

In addition, when water is formed on the vegetable compartment cover, when the vegetables are stored in a specific position, water droplets are concentrated at corresponding points, so that the growth speed of the water droplets is faster and falls faster.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can continuously supply moisture to vegetables stored in a vegetables room.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which takes a long time to fall off after a water droplet is formed.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can minimize dropping of water drops due to an impact applied to a vegetable room or a vegetable room cover.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which water droplets can be formed throughout the vegetable compartment cover even if the vegetables are stored in a specific location.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a main body having a storage space for storing food at a low temperature; A door mounted on a front surface of the main body to selectively shield the storage space; A vegetable compartment provided at one side of the storage compartment and having a storage space for storage of vegetables and an opening through which vegetables can be drawn in and out of the storage compartment; A cover provided to shield an opening of the vegetable compartment; And a water collecting part formed on a bottom surface of the cover and coated with a hydrophilic film.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention as described above, since the water wool is uniformly formed on the vegetable compartment cover, moisture can be continuously supplied to the vegetable compartment.

Further, since the contact area between the vegetable compartment cover and the water droplet is increased to maximize the adhering force of the water droplet, the water droplet does not drop well even if the impact is applied.

In addition, there is an advantage that water droplets can be formed evenly over the whole of the vegetable compartment cover by connecting the water droplet forming space to generate a capillary phenomenon.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 10 forming an outer appearance, a refrigerating chamber 11 provided inside the main body 10 and capable of storing low temperature food, And a refrigerator compartment door and a freezer compartment door which are provided on one side of the main body 10 to selectively shield the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively.

The refrigerator compartment (11) and the freezer compartment are provided with a plurality of shelves and a storage box capable of storing food.

The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a vegetable compartment 30 for storing vegetables and a cover 20 located above the compartment 30. The vegetable compartment 30 and the cover 20 may be slidably received in the side wall of the refrigerating compartment 11.

In detail, guide portions 15 for guiding the vegetable compartment 30 and the cover 20 are provided on both side walls of the refrigerating compartment 11. A cover 151 protruding from the support 151 and guiding a slide out of the cover 20 to guide the slide 20 into the guide 15; And a vegetable compartment guide 155 provided at a predetermined distance from the cover guide 153 for guiding the slide-out of the vegetable compartment 30.

The cover guide 153 and the vegetable compartment guide 155 may be formed as separate components and provided on the side wall of the refrigerating compartment 11. In addition, the cover 20 may be formed on the upper end of the vegetable compartment 30 without the cover guide 153 being provided. Such changes are easily made by those skilled in the art, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples, and changes, additions, and deletions may be made within the scope of the present invention.

The vegetable compartment 30 is provided in the form of a box having an upper surface opened to accommodate vegetables, and the side end is seated on the vegetable compartment guide 155 to slide in the forward and backward directions. The opening of the vegetable compartment 30 is shielded by the cover 20 in a state where the vegetable compartment 30 is drawn into the refrigerating compartment 11.

The cover 20 shields the opening of the vegetable compartment 30 and is seated on the cover guide 153 so as to be able to slide in and out like the vegetable compartment 30.

In detail, the cover 20 includes a plate 21 and a collecting part 23 formed on the bottom surface of the plate 21. The upper surface of the plate 21 may be formed flat to allow food to be placed thereon, and both end portions thereof are provided to be seated on the cover guide 153.

Also, the water collecting part 23 allows the condensed water, which is formed by condensing moisture in the vegetable room 30, to remain attached to the cover 20 without falling back into the vegetable room 30. The collecting part 23 is formed on the bottom surface of the plate 21 so as to be exposed to the side of the vegetable compartment 30. The collecting part 23 may be formed as a separate part and attached to the plate 21. In addition, the water collecting part 23 may be formed to correspond to the size of the opening of the vegetable compartment 30.

The vegetable compartment 30 is adjusted to maintain a temperature slightly higher than the refrigerating compartment 11 in accordance with the storage characteristics of vegetables. The cover 20 is exposed to the refrigerator compartment 11 in a relatively low temperature atmosphere so that the surface of the cover 20 is heated by the air in the refrigerator compartment 11 Temperature state. Therefore, the moisture contained in the air inside the vegetable compartment 30 is condensed in the form of water droplets around the cover 20, and is condensed on the bottom surface of the cover 20. At this time, since the water collecting part 23 is formed on the bottom surface of the cover 20, the condensed water droplets can be continuously kept in the cover 20 without falling into the vegetable compartment.

Hereinafter, the collecting unit 23 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the catch portion of the vegetable compartment cover of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view cut along line I-I 'of FIG. 1, to be.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, protrusions 233 coated with a hydrophilic membrane 235 are formed on the collecting part 23.

More specifically, the protrusion 233 is formed by a predetermined length protruding from the bottom surface of the cover 20 and includes a sloped surface 233b inclined at a predetermined angle and a vertex 233a as a contact point of the inclined surfaces 233b. That is, the protrusion 233 may be formed into a wedge shape having a sharp bottom end. The protrusions 233 may be continuously formed adjacent to each other.

For example, the protrusions 233 may protrude in the form of a square horn or a triangular pyramid, and the slopes of the protrusions may be formed in contact with each other. That is, the protrusions 233 may be formed continuously. In this case, neighboring slopes form a '∧' shape.

The water collecting part 23 is coated with a hydrophilic film 235. For example, the hydrophilic membrane 235 may be a polymeric polymer membrane formed by plasma treatment. In this case, the polymeric polymer film may be formed by DC plasma discharge or by RF plasma discharge. As for the coating method of the hydrophilic film 235, various known technologies such as International Patent Application No. PCT / KR1998 / 00398 are disclosed, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

Meanwhile, as described above, the moisture contained in the air in the vegetable compartment 30 is condensed and water droplets are formed in the water collecting part 23. At this time, since the hydrophilic film 235 is coated on the protrusion 233 forming the water collecting part 23, the contact angle formed by the inclined surface 233b of the protrusion 233 and the water droplet surface becomes small. The contact angle is the measure of the degree to which liquid spreads on the surface of a particular material, and refers to the angle that the free surface of the liquid makes with the solid plane when the liquid is in contact with the solid.

In other words, the area of contact between the water droplet formed on the projection 233 and the inclined surface 233b is wider than in the prior art in which the hydrophilic film is not formed. Therefore, the adhesion force between the water droplet and the inclined surface 233b is formed strongly, so that even if an impact is applied to the cover 20, it does not fall off well.

Since the adjacent hydrophilic membrane 235 is formed on each of the inclined surfaces 233b, the condensed water droplets are formed between the inclined surfaces 233b And then it grows.

In detail, when water droplets are formed on the trough 233, water droplets spread along the hydrophilic film 235. At this time, the water droplets formed on the adjacent valleys 233 are also spread, and the water droplets that are spread meet in the valleys between the adjacent sloping surfaces 233b. The water droplets are gathered together into a lump by the attracting force of each other, and are formed in the form of water droplets on the above trough.

And, as the condensed water increases with time, the water droplets formed in the above-mentioned gravel also grow. However, since water droplets grow along the inclined surface 233b, the contact area of the water droplets widen or remain as the water droplet grows. Therefore, even if an impact is applied to the cover 20, water droplets do not fall off well.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the collecting part. Therefore, differences are mainly described, and explanations and reference numerals of the first embodiment are used for the same parts.

6 is a view showing a collection part provided on a vegetable compartment cover of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the water collecting part 23 includes a water collecting groove 239 through which condensed water is formed, and a plurality of ribs 237 forming the water collecting groove 239.

Specifically, the ribs 237 protrude from the bottom surface of the cover 20. A hydrophilic film is coated on the rib 237 so that water droplets can be spread and formed. A plurality of the ribs 237 protrude to form the collecting grooves 239.

The collection groove 239 may be defined as a space between adjacent ribs 237. The ribs 237 are protruded to form a grid shape, and the collecting grooves formed between the ribs are formed to be connected to each other. That is, the collector grooves 239 are formed so as to be connected to each other rather than being closed by the ribs 237. The collecting groove 239 may be formed on the entire bottom surface of the cover 20 so as to correspond to the entire opening of the vegetable compartment 30.

The principle of forming water droplets in the collection groove 239 is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

Meanwhile, the adjacent ribs 237 are separated by several micrometers to cause capillary phenomenon. That is, water droplets can be naturally flowed into spaces between adjacent ribs 237.

Specifically, when a water droplet is formed on the collecting groove 239 at a specific position, the water droplet spreads widely by the hydrophilic film coated on the rib 237. At this time, since the ribs 237 forming the water collecting grooves 239 are formed to be sufficiently narrow to cause capillary phenomenon, the water droplets spread along the water collecting grooves 239.

Therefore, even if a water droplet is formed in the water collecting part 23, the water droplet is spread over the water collecting part 23 along the water collecting groove 239 by the capillary phenomenon. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon that water droplets are rapidly grown and dropped from a specific position. Also, water drops can be formed on the entire cover 20 even if vegetables are stored in a specific position of the vegetable compartment 30, so that moisture can be supplied to the vegetable compartment 30 evenly.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and variations, additions and deletions of the embodiments may be made within the scope of the present invention.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the collecting portion of the vegetable compartment cover of Fig. 1; Fig.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line I-I 'of FIG. 1; FIG.

4 is a view showing a state in which water droplets are grown in the water collecting part of Fig. 1; Fig.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a collection part provided on a vegetable room cover of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Claims (6)

A main body having a storage space in which food is stored at a low temperature; A door mounted on a front surface of the main body to selectively shield the storage space; A vegetable compartment provided at one side of the storage compartment and having a storage compartment for storing vegetables and an opening formed at an upper surface of the compartment for accommodating vegetables; A cover provided to shield an opening of the vegetable compartment; A guide unit mounted on both side walls of the main body and composed of a cover guide for guiding sliding in and out of the cover and a vegetable room guide spaced apart from the cover guide to guide the slide out of the vegetable compartment; A plurality of protrusions formed on the bottom surface of the cover, the collecting part being formed to maintain a state in which water droplets are collected by the surface tension when the humidity of the vegetables is increased; And And a hydrophilic membrane coated on the entire water collecting part and having a contact angle between the water droplet and the protrusion is made small to increase the adhesion of the water droplet. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the protrusions are formed in a wedge-like projection shape and are continuously formed so as to be in contact with each other. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the protrusion is one of a right triangular horn or a square horn. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the protrusions protrude in a rib shape from the bottom surface of the cover and form a collecting groove connected to the protrusions so as to be connected to each other. 5. The method of claim 4, Wherein the ribs protrude such that the collection grooves are formed in a lattice shape. 5. The method of claim 4, Wherein the width of the water collection groove is narrowly formed such that water is moved by capillary action.

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