KR101982910B1 - Refrigerator comprising sliding water-cultivating-space - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a drawer type hydroponic culture room. A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body having a storage chamber to which cool air is supplied, a hydroponic cultivation chamber in which a plant provided in the main body is provided as a separate space from the storage chamber so as to be hydroponically cultivable, A temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the hydroponic culture room for plant growth by using condensation heat generated in a machine room provided at a lower portion of the main body, As shown in Fig.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a main body having a storage chamber to which cool air is supplied; a hydroponic cultivation chamber in which plants provided in the main body are separately provided in the main body, A temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the hydroponic culture room for plant growth by using water generated by an exothermic reaction in the condensed refrigerant tube and a water supply part for supplying water, And a light source unit for irradiating the light.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a drawer type hydroponic cultivation room,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a drawer type hydroponic culture chamber, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a drawer type hydroponic culture chamber, The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a drawer type hydroponic cultivation chamber capable of controlling temperature in a hydroponic cultivation room by utilizing heat generated in the refrigerant pipe.

The refrigerator is a household appliance that allows food to be stored at low temperature in an internal storage room that is opened and closed by a door. To this end, the refrigerator uses the cool air generated through heat exchange with the circulating refrigerant according to the refrigeration cycle to cool the inside of the storage compartment, thereby storing the stored food in an optimal state.

Generally, a refrigerator includes a main body having a storage chamber, a door provided on the main body to open and close the storage chamber, and a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, and an expansion device provided in the main body.

Recently, a plant growing apparatus or a plant growing apparatus which functions as a so-called " plant plant " capable of growing vegetables and fruits inside the house has become popular. By applying such a plant cultivation apparatus or a plant growing apparatus to a refrigerator, It is being discussed to provide convenience for users.

Inside the storage room, there can be a drawer-shaped special room for storing vegetables or fruit, which keeps the storage temperature and humidity different from other parts of the storage room so that vegetables and fruits are kept fresh .

According to the prior art, a hydroponic culture room for cultivating plants in the storage room is provided, or a hydroponic culture room is provided in the special room by utilizing temperature and humidity of the special room.

However, in case of hydroponic cultivation room installed in the refrigerator, the load capacity of the refrigerator may be reduced and the nutrient for hydroponic cultivation may leak, which may contaminate the food in the special room or the storage room.

In addition, under the low temperature conditions inside the special room or inside the storage room, the kinds of crops that can be cultivated are very limited, and the growth speed is also slow, which makes crops difficult to harvest.

In addition, according to the prior art, a separate heat source is provided to adjust the temperature inside the hydroponic cultivation room to a temperature suitable for growing the crop.

However, unless the hydroponic cultivation room is separated from the storage room, there is a problem that the heating effect of the heat source may be lowered by the cold air generated in the storage room.

In addition, even if a heat source is installed in the space separated from the storage room, there is a possibility that the cost for manufacturing the refrigerator including the heat source and the power consumption for operating the heat source are increased.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the hydroponic cultivation room is provided in a separate space from the storage room to increase the load capacity of the refrigerator and to prevent the cool air inside the storage room from flowing into the hydroponic culture room, It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a hydroponic cultivation room designed to be convenient for a user to harvest.

Further, the present invention does not require a separate heat source device for adjusting the temperature of the conventional hydroponic culture room, and it does not require additional heat source configuration by supplying the condensation heat generated in the machine room to the hydroponic culture chamber during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, And it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a hydroponic cultivation room which can reduce manufacturing cost and power consumption.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a hydroponic cultivation chamber capable of reducing power consumption by supplying heat generated from a condensed refrigerant tube provided in a main body embodiment to a hydroponic culture chamber.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects and advantages of the present invention which are not mentioned can be understood by the following description and more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. It will also be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As described above, conventionally, a hydroponic cultivation room for cultivating plants in the storage room or the special room is provided. As a result, the hydroponic cultivation room takes up the internal space of the refrigerator, reducing the load capacity, and there is a risk of leakage of the nutrient solution for hydroponic cultivation, which may contaminate the stored food.

According to the present invention, in order to solve such a problem, a drawer type hydroponic cultivation room is installed in a separate space from the storage room in the embodiment of the refrigerator. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain the storage room of the refrigerator neatly while improving the loading capacity of the refrigerator, and to open and close the hydroponic cultivation room by a drawer, thereby providing convenience in harvesting the crop.

In the present invention, the temperature of the hydroponic culture room is controlled by supplying the condensation heat generated in the machine room to the hydroponic culture chamber during the operation of the refrigeration cycle. That is, the heat generated by operating the storage room of the refrigerator can be used without consuming additional energy.

In addition, in the present invention, the condensed refrigerant tube is provided in the embodiment of the main body in which the hydroponic culture room is located, thereby controlling the temperature in the hydroponic culture room through the heat generated in the refrigerant tube.

The refrigerator including the hydroponic culture chamber according to the present invention having the above-described structure can provide a suitable temperature for the growth of crops as it is in a conventional heat source device provided in a hydroponic cultivation room without providing a separate heat source device can do.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body having a storage chamber to which cool air is supplied, a hydroponic cultivation chamber in which a plant provided in the main body is provided as a separate space from the storage chamber so as to be hydroponically cultivable, A temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the hydroponic culture room for plant growth by using condensation heat generated in a machine room provided at a lower portion of the main body, As shown in Fig.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a main body having a storage chamber to which cool air is supplied, a hydroponic cultivation chamber in which a plant provided in the main body is provided as a separate space from the storage chamber, A temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the hydroponic culture room for plant growth by using heat generated by an exothermic reaction in the condensed refrigerant tube and a water supply part for supplying water, As shown in Fig.

According to the present invention, in the embodiment of the refrigerator, the hydroponic cultivation room is installed in a separate space from the storage room. In this case, the hydroponic culture room has a drawer type structure capable of sliding forward and backward, At the same time, the convenience of the user can be improved.

According to the present invention, a condensation heat or hydroponic cultivation room generated inside the machine room is installed so that the temperature inside the hydroponic cultivation chamber can be adjusted to a normal temperature condition suitable for growing the crop without using the heat source device mounted in the conventional hydroponic cultivation chamber By utilizing the heat of the condensed refrigerant tube located in the embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost and power consumption of the refrigerator can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a hydroponic cultivation chamber according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear view of a refrigerator having a hydroponic cultivation chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
3 shows the flow of heat between the compressor and the condenser in the machine room of Fig. 2; Fig.
Fig. 4 is a view showing the flow of heat in the duct chamber of Fig. 2; Fig.
5 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a flow of refrigerant in a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view illustrating temperature control in a hydroponic culture room using a refrigerant flow of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
7 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a water supply unit of a refrigerator according to the present invention.
8 is a view showing a state in which the power of the water tank unit is turned off or the operation is stopped when the drawer type hydroponic culture chamber according to the present invention is pulled out, and the water tank unit is turned on or in operation when the hydroponic culture chamber is pulled.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar elements.

[Refrigerator with drawer type hydroponic cultivation room utilizing condensation heat generated in the machine room]

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a hydroponic cultivation chamber according to the present invention; BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a hydroponic culture chamber and a condenser. FIG. 4 is a view showing the flow of heat in the duct chamber of FIG. 2. FIG.

1 to 4, the condensation heat generated in the machine room 160 is supplied to the hydroponic culture chamber 120 provided on the side surface of the refrigerator body 100 through the duct chamber 140.

The refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 is a bottom freezer type refrigerator in which a refrigerating chamber is disposed at an upper portion of a freezing chamber. However, the configuration and control method of the present invention described below can be applied to all refrigerators having a door arrangement structure different from that of the bottom freeze type. For example, the configuration and control method of the present invention may be applied to a top mount type in which a freezing chamber is disposed at an upper portion and a refrigerating chamber is disposed at a lower portion, or a side-by-side type in which a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are disposed in left- It can also be applied to refrigerators.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the hydroponic culture chamber has a drawer-type structure that is disposed on the side of the storage chamber and can slide forward and backward.

In addition, the lower part includes a storage space 110 in which a variety of objects can be stored in a space facing the hydroponic cultivation room, and a side facing the storage room, and a space 130 ), The spaces being accessible from the front of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with a main body 100 including a storage chamber to which cool air is supplied and a machine room provided at a lower portion of the storage chamber and having a space separated from the storage chamber and having a condenser and a compressor. In addition, the refrigerator further includes a hydroponic culture room 120 in addition to the main body 100, and the hydroponic culture room 120 forms a space separated from the storage room and the machine room of the main body 100, respectively. The hydroponic culture room 120 is provided so as to be able to hydroponically grow plants in a space formed therein.

The refrigerator according to the present invention having the above-described structure can improve refrigerator loading efficiency, which has been lowered by the hydroponic culture chamber provided in the conventional storage room, and can provide convenience to the user in crop harvesting.

In the ceiling portion of the hydroponic cultivation room, there is a light source unit 121 for irradiating the plant with light having a predetermined wavelength.

The light source unit emits light having at least two peak wavelength regions, and an LED capable of adjusting the peak wavelength region can be used as the light source unit. That is, a plurality of LEDs for emitting light having different peak wavelengths are provided as an aggregate, and an LED for irradiating light having a peak wavelength more favorable for the growth of plants currently hydroponically cultivated can be selectively lighted.

 Here, the light source portion includes an LED capable of emitting light having a peak wavelength of at least 500 to 580 nm, for example, green light. And the plurality of light sources are individually on and off controlled.

In addition, in order for the light emitted from the light source unit 121 provided at the ceiling portion to reach plants below the hydroponic cultivation chamber, a tray, which is a light transmitting material, may be provided in the hydroponic cultivation chamber. As shown in FIG. When the tray is made of a light transmitting material and the wall surface in the hydroponic culture room is constituted by a reflecting surface capable of reflecting light, the amount of light reaching the plant among the light irradiated from the light source can be further increased. According to this structure, even if a light source is installed only on the top ceiling of the hydroponic cultivation room without installing a light source directly on each tray, light can be uniformly irradiated to all the plants in the hydroponic cultivation room.

A machine room 160 is provided below the main body 100. The machine room 160 is formed in the lower part of the main body 00 and has a space separated from the storage room. In the machine room 160, there is formed a space for compressing and condensing the refrigerant, which is a process of generating heat in the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, and a space required for the condenser to operate. The compression process compresses the gaseous refrigerant mechanically and compresses the refrigerant at a high pressure so that the refrigerant at 1 atm is compressed to about 3 atmospheres, and the temperature of the refrigerant rises along with the refrigerant compression along the isentropic curve. In addition, the condensation process is a process in which the gas refrigerant at high temperature and high pressure is condensed, that is, liquefied and dissipated, and the heat generated in the above two processes of the refrigeration cycle includes the heat absorbed in the storage chamber and the work performed in the compression process. It is sufficient as a heat source for forming a necessary temperature.

The heat generated during the operation of the refrigeration cycle in the machine room 160 provided in the lower portion of the main body is in the form of heated air flowing by the air blowing fan 162 and flows through the first communication opening 142 into the duct chamber 140, And then flows into the inside of the duct chamber 140 through the second communicating port 145. In this case,

The temperature in the hydroponic culture room raised by the supplied heat can be detected intermittently or continuously by the temperature sensor. The temperature of the hydroponic cultivation room is controlled so as to maintain a temperature suitable for the growth conditions of the hydroponic plant.

The optimum temperature for growth of each plant is different, and the optimum growth temperature of each plant is controlled by a control unit that controls the internal temperature of the hydroponic culture room. The control section of the hydroponic cultivation room can be operated by a microcomputer, and the optimum growth temperature is stored in the microcomputer corresponding to each plant.

The user can select the kind of plants that are currently vegetated through a control panel such as a touch display provided in the storage room of the refrigerator or the hydroponic culture room or directly input the optimal growth temperature for plant growth. Then, the optimum growth temperature of the plant, that is, the target value of temperature control, is loaded in the microcomputer.

The microcomputer is provided with information on the output of the temperature sensor, that is, the measured temperature. When the temperature of the supplied hydroponic cultivation chamber is lower than the target value, the warmth of the machine room is continuously introduced into the hydroponic culture chamber . Conversely, when the temperature of the hydroponic culture chamber exceeds the target value, control is performed so that the warm air is supplied to the machine room.

The control of the supply of heat can be performed by the damper 151, and the control and operation thereof will be described below with reference to the structure of a duct chamber to be described later.

3, the refrigeration cycle in the machine room includes a compressor 161 for compressing refrigerant, a condenser 163 for condensing the refrigerant, and a blower fan 162 for cooling the heat generated in the condenser . The air blowing fan presses the air so as to generate an air flow in the direction shown by the arrows in Fig. The air pressurized by the blowing fan flows forward of the blowing fan to absorb the heat of the condenser 163 and also absorbs the heat generated by the compressor through the compressor 163. In other words, unlike the conventional ventilation fan structure, the installation position of the ventilation fan according to the present invention not only facilitates the heat radiation of the condenser, but also absorbs the heat of the compressor, thereby producing higher temperature air. The heat absorbed air flows into the duct chamber 140 through the first communication hole 142.

3 shows a structure in which the discharge surface of the blowing fan discharges air toward the condenser. However, since the suction surface of the blowing fan faces the condenser, the heated air passes through the condenser, It goes without saying that it may be discharged from the fan and passed through the compressor.

2, the duct chamber 140 is provided in a space extending to face the hydroponic culture chamber 120 so as to form a passage connecting between the machine room and the hydroponic culture chamber 120. Referring to FIG. 4, the duct chamber 140 includes a duct body including a first space 140-1 and a second space 140-2, which extend vertically and horizontally. The duct body extends to a portion overlapping with the machine room at a lower portion and extends to a lower portion of the accommodating space 110 at an upper portion.

At least a part of one side of the first space 140-1 of the duct body faces the machine room, and the first communication hole 142 is provided at a portion facing the machine room. And the front surface of the first space faces the hydroponic cultivation room. The second space 140-2 is disposed in parallel with the first space, the front surface of the second space 140-2 faces the hydroponic cultivation chamber, and the opposite surface of the surface facing the first space faces the outside of the refrigerator. On the opposite surface, a second communication hole 145 is provided to allow the air in the duct chamber to be discharged to the outside.

The first space facing the machine room and the second space facing the outside of the refrigerator are partitioned by the partitioning part (141). A third communication hole 141-3 is provided at a height corresponding to the first communication hole 142 as a lower end of the partition 141. The first communication hole, the third communication hole and the second communication hole 145 may be provided at substantially the same height.

Referring to FIGS. 4 (b) and 4 (c), the damper 151 shields the third communicating hole 141-3 and the lower portion of the first space 140-1 Position.

When the temperature measured by the temperature sensor of the hydroponic culture chamber is lower than the target temperature, the control unit described above controls the damper 151 to move to the third communication hole 141-3, as shown in FIG. 4 (b) So as to be located at a shielding position. The warm air introduced from the machine room 160 through the first communication hole 142 moves upward along the first space 140-1. These warmths are located at a position corresponding to a space defined by the air inflow passage 143 provided in the front of the first space 140-1, more specifically, the tray of the hydroponic cultivation room 120 in which vegetation is vegetated Flows into the inside of the hydroponic culture room 120 through the air inflow passage 143 formed in the bottom of the hydroponic culture room 120 and warms the air inside the hydroponic culture room 120 to raise the temperature of the hydroponic culture room 120.

The front surface of the second space 140-2 is provided with an air outflow passage 144 at a position corresponding to a space defined by the tray of the hydroponic cultivation chamber. Therefore, the air in the hydroponic culture chamber, which is increased in pressure due to the inflow of air into the inside through the air inflow passage, immediately flows out to the second space through the air outflow passage 144.

The air discharged into the second space is discharged to the outside through the second communication hole 145 provided in the lower portion of the second space.

On the other hand, when the temperature of the hydroponic culture room is the optimum temperature corresponding to the plant growth condition of the plant and the temperature of the hydroponic culture room is higher than the set temperature loaded on the microcomputer, . This control allows the damper 151 to move to a position where the damper 151 blocks the lower portion of the first space as shown in FIG. 4 (c), so that the first space is shielded and the third The communication port 141-3 is opened.

The air introduced into the duct chamber 140 through the first communication hole 142 in the machine room is discharged to the second communication hole 145 through the third communication hole. In other words, depending on the position of the damper 151, the air in the machine room flows into the hydroponic cultivation room as shown in FIG. 4 (b), warms up the hydroponic culture room and is discharged, Bypassed without passing through the hydroponic cultivation room, and immediately discharged to the outside.

The position of the first communication hole, the second communication hole, and the third communication hole is not limited to the position shown in the drawing, and the air introduced into the duct chamber through the first communication hole is not passed through the hydroponic culture chamber, It is possible to change the position to any other position as long as it can be discharged smoothly to the second communication hole by bypassing through the sphere.

The arrangement height of the air inlet passage 143 and the air outlet passage 144 as described above is also a position where the circulation and mixing of air in the hydroponic culture room can be smoothly performed through the analysis of the air flow, It goes without saying that the present invention can be changed to various positions other than the illustrated positions.

The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention having such a structure can provide a proper temperature for growing crops by using the heat of condensation generated in the machine room in the refrigerator without having a separate heat source device, Power can be reduced. Also, in controlling the temperature of the hydroponic cultivation room, it is possible to easily maintain the temperature inside the hydroponic cultivation room at the optimal temperature for plant growth simply by controlling the temperature of the hydroponic cultivation room and simply controlling the position of the damper.

[Refrigerator with drawer type hydroponic cultivation room utilizing the heat radiated from the condensed refrigerant tube]

5 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a flow of refrigerant in a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a development view illustrating temperature control in a hydroponic culture room using a refrigerant flow of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

5, a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a main body having a storage chamber to which cool air is supplied, and a hydroponic cultivation chamber provided on a side surface of the main body and capable of hydroponically growing plants, And a machine room provided at a rear lower portion of the main body. The compressor and the condenser of the refrigeration cycle are disposed in the machine room.

The refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to the present invention includes a compressor (161) disposed inside a machine room for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser (163) disposed at one side of the compressor (161) to radiate the compressed refrigerant, A condenser tube 170 through which the refrigerant flows, a capillary tube 170 for expanding the refrigerant of the condensed refrigerant tube 170 to lower the pressure, and a refrigerant whose pressure is lowered by the capillary tube, And an evaporator (164). The evaporator 164 is provided in a cooling chamber between the freezer compartment and the inner case and absorbs heat of air circulating inside the freezer compartment by heat exchange with air flowing in the freezer compartment so that the cold air is circulated in the freezer compartment .

The condensed refrigerant tube emerging from the outlet side of the condenser 163 is divided by the valve 172 into the first condensed refrigerant tube 170-1 and the second condensed refrigerant tube 170-2. The first condensed refrigerant pipe 170-1 constitutes a hot line buried along the rim of the door facing the refrigerator door and forms a hot line and joins the second condensed refrigerant pipe 170-2 at the confluence point 173 Passes through the capillary tube and flows into the evaporator 164,

The second condensed refrigerant pipe 170-2 is embedded in a sidewall of the refrigerator facing the refrigerator main body and the hydroponic culture compartment and is buried in a sidewall of the main body 100 in a zigzag shape along an up- And merges with the first condensing refrigerant pipe 170-1 described above on the upstream side of the capillary tube. Here, it is preferable that the condensed refrigerant pipe 170 is formed to have an appropriate length and diameter in consideration of an adiabatic loading amount of the heat radiated from the condenser 163 back into the cavity.

With this configuration, a part of the refrigerant passed through the condenser 163 is radiated while passing through the second condensed refrigerant pipe 170-2 buried in the side wall of the main body 100. [ Since the hydroponic culture room is provided on the side wall of the body in which the second condensed refrigerant pipe 170-2 is embedded, the temperature in the hydroponic culture room is raised by the heat radiated from the condensed refrigerant pipe. The temperature in the hydroponic culture room raised by the heat released by the heat can be sensed by the temperature sensor.

Here, when the temperature in the hydroponic culture room sensed by the temperature sensing sensor exceeds a predetermined temperature range for growing the plant, the control unit controls the flow amount of the refrigerant moving to the second condensed refrigerant pipe 170-2 And controls the valve 172 to prevent the condensed refrigerant from flowing into the second condensed refrigerant pipe 170-2 and to flow toward the first condensed refrigerant pipe 170-1.

The refrigerant flowing into the evaporator is absorbed by the surrounding latent heat and evaporated, and flows into the accumulator formed on the suction side of the compressor 161. The refrigerant in the gaseous state in the accumulator is again sucked into the compressor 161 and compressed, and then the cooling operation is performed while repeating the above-described process.

The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration can provide a suitable temperature for growing a crop by using the heat radiated from the condensed refrigerant tube without providing a conventional separate heat source device, Power can be reduced. Particularly, it is possible to control the temperature of the hydroponic culture room by arranging the position of the condensed refrigerant tube disposed on the rear surface of the refrigerator in the past to the side of the refrigerator adjacent to the hydroponic cultivation room and adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing there.

According to the above-described structure, the buried position of the second condensed refrigerant tube is changed from the rear surface of the refrigerator body to the side adjacent to the hydroponic room, without adding a separate heat-generating component, and the refrigerant flowing into the second condensed refrigerant tube is required It is possible to maintain the temperature of the hydroponic culture room at an optimum state by adding the valve 172 for bypassing only to the first condensed refrigerant pipe. The input of the plant type for controlling the temperature and the manner in which the valve is controlled by the microcomputer are the same as the method for controlling the damper 151 described above, and thus a duplicate description will be omitted.

[Water Supply Structure of Hydroponic Cultivation Room]

Hereinafter, how the water can be supplied to the hydroponic culture room provided in the refrigerator of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a water supply unit of a refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where a water tank unit is turned off or stopped when a drawer type hydroponic culture chamber according to the present invention is taken out, FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the power of the water tank unit is turned on or in operation when the water tank is brought in. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 7, the water supply unit includes a water tank 180 provided in the machine room, a supply pump 183 for supplying water from the water tank 180 to the upper tray in the hydroponic culture room through a water receiver 184, (181) and an operating piece (182a) and a jack (182b) for controlling whether the supply pump is operated or not.

The water tank 180 is located in the machine room and can be used as a water source for the defrost water generated by the evaporator 164, that is, the defrost water generated by the defrosting of the evaporator 164. A channel for collecting the defrost water generated around the evaporator 164 and for conveying the collected defrost water to the water tank 180 may be installed around the evaporator 164. , Water that has been supplied to the hydroponic culture chamber and then returned to the water chamber may be filtered and then refilled. When the water in the water tank 180 is insufficient, part of the purified water supplied to the dispenser of the refrigerator may be replenished with the water tank 180. Here, the dispenser is a device provided in the refrigerator so that purified water, that is, purified water or ice, can be supplied even when the door of the refrigerator is not opened. The dispenser conduit is connected to the dispenser, so that purified water supplied to the dispenser 180, respectively.

The water in the water tank 180 is supplied to the hydroponic culture chamber through a conduit 183 so that the conduit 183 can pass from the side wall between the refrigerator body 100 and the hydroponic culture chamber 120 to the hydroponic culture chamber side And is connected to the upper part of the hydroponic cultivation room 120 in such a manner that it is installed on the surface. In addition, there is a faucet at the top of the hydroponic cultivation room to supply the water from the conduit to the tray at the top of the hydroponic cultivation room.

The water supplied to the uppermost tray is supplied to the tray immediately below the uppermost tray when the uppermost tray is filled. In this manner, the water is sequentially supplied from the uppermost stage to the lowermost tray, and is returned to the water tank portion 180 again.

Since the height of the water tank portion 180 is lower than the height of the tray, the water in the water tank portion 180 is pressurized by the pump 181 and supplied to the tray. However, when the user opens the drawer of the hydroponic cultivation room and pulls out the tray, the supply of water should be blocked. Therefore, in the present invention, only when the tray is fully drawn, the pump 181 is operated to control the supply of water to the hydroponic cultivation chamber.

To this end, in the present invention, the operation of the operation member 182a and the jack 182b is applied to control whether the pump is operated so that the water in the water tank unit 180 is supplied to the hydroponic culture chamber. That is, in a state in which the hydroponic culture chamber is closed, the operating piece 182a of the tray is engaged with the jack 182b to allow power supply to the pump, or the pump is allowed to operate. On the other hand, when the tray of the hydroponic cultivation chamber is drawn out, the operation piece 182a is separated from the jack 182b and power is supplied to the pump or the operation of the pump is blocked.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the operation piece 182a is provided at the back of the tray of the hydroponic culture chamber so as to protrude rearward. The rear wall of the hydroponic culture chamber is opposed to the operation piece 182a And a jack 182b is provided at the position. When the tray is drawn out, the operating piece 182a is released from the jack 182b. The jack 182b may transmit to the control unit an electrical signal indicating that the operating member has disengaged when the operating member is disengaged, and the control unit may control to stop the operation of the pump.

On the other hand, the operation piece 182a engages with the jack 182b when the tray of the hydroponic culture chamber is pulled in the right position. In this state, no signal is transmitted from the jack to the control unit, or a signal indicating that the operation member 182a is engaged is transmitted to the control unit, thereby allowing the control unit to operate the pump 181 when necessary.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the jack 182b sends a signal to the control unit as an electrical signal. However, the jack 182b may be implemented as a function of a switch for determining a short circuit of the power supplied to the pump. That is, when the jack 182b is engaged or pressed by the operating piece 182a, the switch is closed (connected) so that power is supplied to the pump, and when the operating piece 182a is detached from the jack 182b, It is possible that the switch is opened (blocked) so that the power source is shut off.

In addition, jack 182b is also capable of controlling the water supply in such a manner as to open or shut off the water flow path of conduit 183. That is, when the jack 182b is engaged with the operation piece 182a, the jack keeps the conduit open. However, when the operation piece 182a is released from the jack 182b, the conduit is closed to prevent water from flowing have. Then, even if the pump is operated, the water is blocked from flowing in the occluded conduit, so that if the pressure of the conduit is increased, the pump may be shut down.

The position at which the jack opens and closes the conduit may be the intermediate path of the conduit, or it may be at the distal end of the conduit, i. E.

According to such a jack and operating element structure, the water supplied by the feed pump with the hydroponic culture silencer being drawn is directed to the upper tray.

At this time, the upper tray is provided with a hole through which water can escape when the water in the upper tray exceeds a predetermined level, so that the water that has escaped through the hole is supplied to the lower tray at the lower portion of the upper tray.

In addition, the water supply part may further include a culture liquid supply part connected to the water tank part 180 to supply the culture liquid to the water tank part 180. The water in the water tank 180 is constantly replenished by replenishing defrost water, circulating water, and, if necessary, the dispenser side water of the refrigerator, but the culture liquid is absorbed by the plants and the concentration thereof becomes weaker or less. Therefore, unlike water, the user must constantly care for and replenish the culture. Therefore, the culture liquid supply unit is disposed in a space accessible from the front of the refrigerator, so that it is possible to always supply the culture liquid to the hydroponic culture chamber.

The container in which the culture medium is stored may be provided with a sensor for detecting the lack of the culture medium, so that the user can visually or audibly inform the user whether the culture medium is replenished.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, But the present invention is not limited thereto.

100: refrigerator body
110: Storage space
120: Hydroponic cultivation room
121: Light source
130:
140: Duct room
140-1: First space
140-2: Second space
141:
141-3: Third communication hole
142: first communicating hole
143: air inlet passage
144: air outflow passage
145: Second communicating port
151: Damper
160: Machine room
161: Compressor
162: blowing fan
163: Condenser
164: Evaporator
170: condensed refrigerant tube
170-1: First condensed refrigerant tube
170-2: second condensed refrigerant tube
172: valve
173: Confluence point
180: Water tank part
181: Pump
182a:
182b: Jack

Claims (13)

A main body including a storage room to which cool air is supplied, and a machine room provided in the lower portion of the storage room, wherein the space is separated from the storage room and a condenser and a compressor are provided inside;
A hydroponic cultivation room provided on a side surface of the main body to form a space separated from the storage room and the machine room and to be hydroponically cultivated in a space formed therein; And
And a temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the hydroponic culture chamber using condensation heat generated in the machine room,
The temperature control unit includes:
A temperature sensor provided in the hydroponic culture chamber for sensing a temperature of the hydroponic culture chamber;
A duct chamber forming a passage connecting between the machine chamber and the hydroponic culture chamber; And
And a damper installed in the duct chamber and selectively opening and closing a passage connecting between the machine chamber and the hydroponic culture chamber in response to a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.
Refrigerator.
A main body including a storage room to which cool air is supplied, and a machine room provided in the lower portion of the storage room, wherein the space is separated from the storage room and a condenser and a compressor are provided inside;
A hydroponic cultivation room provided on a side surface of the main body to form a space separated from the storage room and the machine room and to be hydroponically cultivated in a space formed therein; And
And a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the hydroponic culture room using heat of condensed refrigerant flowing through the condensed refrigerant pipe,
The temperature control unit includes:
A temperature sensor provided in the hydroponic culture chamber for sensing a temperature of the hydroponic culture chamber;
A condenser and an evaporator provided between the condenser and the evaporator to form a passage through which the refrigerant circulated by the cooling cycle moves, and a passage for the passage not passing through the side surface of the main body opposite to the hydro- A first condensed refrigerant pipe embedded in a surface different from a side surface of the main body facing each other;
A first condensing refrigerant pipe provided between the condenser and the evaporator and branched from the first condensing refrigerant pipe to form a passage through which the refrigerant circulated by the cooling cycle moves, A second condensed refrigerant tube buried in a side surface of the main body opposite to the hydroponic culture chamber to form the condensed refrigerant tube;
The first condensing refrigerant pipe is provided at a position where the second condensing refrigerant pipe is branched so as to adjust the flow amount of the refrigerant moving through the first condensed refrigerant pipe and the flow amount of the refrigerant moving through the second condensed refrigerant pipe A working valve; And
And a control unit for controlling operation of the valve,
Wherein the second condensed refrigerant pipe is arranged such that heat of the refrigerant flowing in the second condensed refrigerant pipe is radiated to the hydroponic culture chamber,
Wherein the control unit controls the operation of the valve so that the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the second condensed refrigerant pipe is controlled in accordance with the temperature of the hydroponic culture chamber sensed by the temperature sensing sensor,
Refrigerator.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the control unit controls the operation of the valve so that at least a part of the refrigerant passed through the condenser passes through the second condensed refrigerant pipe and the temperature of the hydroponic culture chamber sensed by the temperature sensing sensor is within a predetermined temperature range The first condensing refrigerant tube is connected to the second condensing refrigerant tube, and the second condensing refrigerant tube is connected to the first condensing refrigerant tube,
Refrigerator.
The method according to claim 1,
In the duct chamber,
A duct body extending to face the hydroponic culture room space side by side;
A compartment partitioning the duct body into a first space facing the machine room and a second space facing the outside of the refrigerator;
A first communication hole provided in the duct main body and communicating with the machine room and the first space, the duct communicating with the machine room;
A second communication hole provided in the duct main body and facing the outside of the refrigerator, the second communication hole communicating the second space with the outside of the refrigerator; And
And a third communication hole provided below the partition and communicating the first space and the second space.
Refrigerator.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the damper opens / closes the third communication port or opens / closes a lower portion of the first space,
Refrigerator.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the damper is configured to close between the first space and the first communication hole while closing the third communication hole and between the third communication hole and the first communication hole while closing the space between the third communication hole And a second position,
Refrigerator.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The hydroponic culture chamber is provided with a plurality of trays spaced apart in the vertical direction,
Wherein the hydroponic culture chamber is a drawer type hydroponic cultivation chamber arranged on the side of the storage chamber and capable of sliding forward and backward,
Refrigerator.
8. The method of claim 7,
And a water supply unit for supplying water to the hydroponic culture chamber,
The water supply unit,
A water tank portion provided inside the machine room;
A supply pump for supplying the water in the water tank portion to the upper tray side located at the upper end in the drawer type hydraulic culture chamber;
A conduit for guiding water in the water tank to the upper tray;
An operating piece provided on at least one of the plurality of trays provided in the drawer type hydraulic culture chamber; And
And a jack which is in contact with the operation piece in a state in which the drawer type hydraulic culture chamber is drawn,
Wherein the supply pump is operable to supply power to the supply pump only when the operating member is in contact with the jack and to engage the supply pump,
Refrigerator.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the upper tray is provided with holes through which water can escape when the water in the upper tray exceeds a predetermined level,
And water discharged through the holes is supplied to a lower tray at a lower portion of the upper tray,
Refrigerator.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
And a water supply unit for supplying water to the hydroponic culture chamber,
The water supply unit,
A water tank portion provided inside the machine room;
A water supply unit provided at an upper part of the hydroponic culture room for supplying water supplied from the water tank part to the hydroponic culture room; And
And a conduit connecting the water receiving unit and the water tank unit to guide the water in the water tank unit to the water receiving unit,
Wherein at least one of the defrost water generated by defrosting of the evaporator attached to the evaporator provided in the refrigerator, the water recovered after being supplied to the hydrocolloid culture chamber, and the purified water supplied to the dispenser provided in the refrigerator is supplied to the water tank felled,
Refrigerator.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Further comprising a light source unit for irradiating light having a predetermined wavelength to said hydroponic culture chamber,
Wherein the light source unit includes a plurality of light sources for emitting light having different peak wavelengths, and the plurality of light sources are individually on / off-
Refrigerator.
8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising a light source unit for irradiating light having a predetermined wavelength to said hydroponic culture chamber,
Wherein the light source unit is disposed at a ceiling portion of the hydroponic culture room,
The tray is made of a light-
Refrigerator.
13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the inner surface of the hydroponic culture chamber is provided with a reflective surface,
Refrigerator.

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