KR102562551B1 - Deodorising apparatus and refrigerator including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique that can be used even in an environment in which low temperatures must be maintained. According to the present invention, a fan for generating air flow, an adsorbent disposed on the downstream side of the fan, adsorbing odorous substances in passing air and desorbing the odorous substances by being heated, and It includes an upstream heater disposed upstream of the adsorbent to heat air flowing into the adsorbent, a catalyst to decompose odorous substances desorbed from the adsorbent, and a cooling unit to cool the air passing through the catalyst.

Description

Deodorizing device and refrigerator including the same {DEODORISING APPARATUS AND REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a deodorizing device and a refrigerator including the same.

[0002] Conventionally, a deodorizing device including an adsorbing material for odorous substances such as activated carbon has been proposed. However, since the adsorption performance of adsorption materials decreases after reaching saturation, materials that decompose odorous substances such as catalysts are also used.

For example, the deodorizing device described in Patent Literature 1 is configured as follows. an adsorption structure having an adsorbent that adsorbs harmful substances and regenerates the harmful substances by desorbing them by heating; and a catalyst structure formed by supporting (attached to a carrier) an oxidation catalyst that decomposes harmful substances desorbed from the adsorption structure and having an electric heater for activating the oxidation catalyst during regeneration. In the regeneration of the adsorption structure, a passage forming means for forming an air passage for guiding harmful substances desorbed from the adsorption structure to the catalyst structure is provided, so that the harmful substances desorbed from the adsorption structure during regeneration are passed through the passage. It is guided to the catalyst structure by the formation means, where it is decomposed into harmless substances by the oxidation catalyst activated by the electric heater.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-5565

In order to regenerate an adsorber that adsorbs harmful substances such as malodorous substances, it is necessary to activate the catalyst with a heater such as an electric heater. For this reason, the air that has passed through the catalyst when regenerating the adsorber becomes warm. If the air coming out of the deodorizing device is warm, it is difficult to use it in an environment where a low temperature must be maintained, such as inside a cold storage compartment of a refrigerator, for example.

An object of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing device and a refrigerator that can be used even in an environment where a low temperature must be maintained.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a refrigerating compartment for refrigerating products and a deodorizing device disposed in the refrigerating compartment. The deodorization device includes: a blower that generates air flow; an adsorption decomposer disposed downstream of the blower to adsorb odorous substances in passing air and decompose the odorous substances by being heated; and downstream of the blower. and a heater disposed on the side to heat the adsorption cracker or disposed upstream of the adsorption cracker as a downstream side of the blower to heat air introduced into the adsorption cracker.

The deodorization device may further include a suppressor to prevent air passing through the adsorption decomposer from being discharged out of the device.

The deodorizing device may further include a case accommodating the blower, the heater, and the adsorption decomposer and having an inlet through which air enters and an outlet through which air exits. The suppressor may be configured to circulate air that has passed through the adsorptive decomposer in the case with the inlet and the outlet closed.

The deodorizing device includes an opening and closing member that opens and closes the inlet and the outlet of the case in conjunction with each other, and closes the inlet and the outlet of the case when the heater heats the air flowing into the adsorption decomposer or the adsorption decomposer. An opening and closing control member for controlling the opening and closing member may be further included.

The opening and closing control member may include a metal plate in which two types of metals having different coefficients of thermal expansion are combined.

The deodorizing device may further include a component for transferring heat from the heater to the opening/closing control member.

The heater may be configured to heat the adsorption decomposer without contacting the adsorption decomposer.

The deodorizing device may further include at least one processor controlling driving of the blower. The at least one processor may be configured to control driving of the blower so that an air volume decreases when the heater heats the air, compared to when the heater does not heat the air.

The heater may be configured to heat the adsorption decomposer while in contact with the adsorption decomposer.

The deodorizing device may further include at least one processor controlling driving of the blower. The at least one processor may control driving of the blower to stop when the heater heats air.

The adsorption decomposer includes an adsorber disposed on a downstream side of the blower, adsorbing and desorbing odorous substances in the passing air and desorbing the odorous substances by being heated, and a decomposer decomposing the odorous substances desorbed from the adsorber. can do.

The deodorizing device may further include a cooler for cooling the air passing through the decomposer.

The deodorizing device may further include at least one processor controlling driving of the blower. The at least one processor may be configured to control driving of the blower so that an air volume decreases when the heater heats the air, compared to when the heater does not heat the air.

The deodorizing device may further include a decomposition heater for heating the decomposer and a cooling heat sink installed on a downstream side of the decomposer and cooling air passing through the decomposer.

The deodorizing device may further include a heating heat sink installed on an upstream side of the adsorber as a downstream side of the blower and configured to heat air sent by the blower.

The cooler may include a heat exchange element disposed between the cooling heat sink and the heating heat sink to absorb heat from the cooling heat sink and dissipate heat from the heating heat sink.

The deodorizing device further includes a case in which the adsorber, the decomposer, and the cooler are accommodated, and an air inlet and an air outlet are formed, and an air flow path from the inlet to the outlet is U-shaped. can include

A deodorizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a blower that generates air flow, and is disposed downstream of the blower to adsorb odorous substances in passing air and to decompose the odorous substances by being heated. A decomposer and a heater disposed downstream of the blower to heat the adsorption cracker or disposed upstream of the adsorption cracker as a downstream side of the blower to heat air introduced into the adsorption cracker.

The adsorption decomposer includes: an adsorber disposed on a downstream side of the blower to adsorb odorous substances in the air passing through and desorbing the odorous substances by being heated, and a decomposer to decompose the odorous substances desorbed from the adsorber. can include

The deodorization device may further include a suppressor to prevent air passing through the adsorption decomposer from being discharged out of the device.

A deodorizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a blower for generating air flow, and an adsorber disposed on a downstream side of the blower to adsorb odorous substances in passing air and desorb the odorous substances by being heated. and an upstream heater disposed on an upstream side of the adsorber as a downstream side of the blower and heating the air flowing into the adsorber, a decomposer decomposing the odorous substance desorbed from the adsorber, and a decomposer that passes through the decomposer. It includes a cooler that cools the air.

A deodorizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a blower that generates air flow, and is disposed downstream of the blower to adsorb odorous substances in passing air and to decompose the odorous substances by being heated. A decomposer, a heater disposed downstream of the blower to heat the adsorption cracker, or a heater disposed downstream of the blower and disposed upstream of the adsorption cracker to heat air flowing into the adsorption cracker, and the adsorption cracker It includes a suppressor to prevent the air that has passed through from being exhausted out of the device.

The adsorption decomposer includes an adsorber disposed on a downstream side of the blower, adsorbing odorous substances in the air passing therethrough and desorbing the odorous substances by being heated, and a decomposer decomposing the odorous substances desorbed from the adsorber. can do.

The opening and closing member may be composed of one component.

The deodorizing device may further include a part installed around the heater to improve heat transfer effect and safety.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a deodorizing device that can be used even in an environment where a low temperature must be maintained and a refrigerator including the same.

1A is a front view showing the appearance of the deodorizing device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 1B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section Ib-Ib in Fig. 1A.
2 is a block diagram of a control device.
3 is a diagram showing air flow when the deodorizing device is in an adsorption mode.
4 is a diagram showing air flow and heat transfer when the deodorizing device is in a regeneration mode.
5A is a schematic front view of a refrigerator to which a deodorizing device according to the first embodiment is applied. 5B is a view showing the inside of the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator from above.
6A is a top view of a deodorizing device according to a third embodiment. Fig. 6B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section VIb-VIb in Fig. 6A.
7 is a block diagram of a control device.
8 is a diagram showing air flow when the deodorizing device is in an adsorption mode.
9 is a diagram showing heat transfer when the deodorizing device is in a regeneration mode.
10A is a top view of a deodorizing device according to a fourth embodiment. Fig. 10B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section Xb-Xb in Fig. 10A. Fig. 10C is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section Xc-Xc in Fig. 10A.
11 is a block diagram of a control device.
12A to 12C are views showing air flow when the deodorizing device is in an adsorption mode.
13A to 13C are diagrams showing the movement of heat when the deodorizing device is in a regeneration mode.
14A is a top view of a deodorizing device according to a fifth embodiment. Fig. 14B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section XIVb-XIVb in Fig. 14A.
Fig. 15A is a diagram showing the state of the bimetal plate when heat from the heater is not transmitted. Fig. 15B is a diagram showing the state of the bimetal plate when heat from the heater is being transmitted.
16 is a block diagram of a control device.
17A and 17B are views showing air flow when the deodorizing device is in an adsorption mode.
18A and 18B are diagrams showing the movement of heat when the deodorizing device is in a regeneration mode.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, with reference to an accompanying drawing, embodiment of this invention is described in detail.

<First Embodiment>

1A is a front view showing the appearance of the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 1B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section Ib-Ib in Fig. 1A.

The deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a fan 10 as an example of an air blower that generates a flow of air, and is disposed downstream of the fan 10 to adsorb odorous substances in passing air. It includes an adsorbent 20 as an example of an adsorber that desorbs the malodorous substance by being heated.

In addition, the deodorizing device 1 is disposed on the upstream side of the adsorption material 20 as a downstream side of the fan 10, and an upstream heater as an example of an upstream heater for heating air flowing into the adsorption material 20 ( 30) and a heat sink 40 for heating the air sent by the fan 10.

In addition, the deodorizing device 1 includes a catalyst 50 as an example of a decomposer that decomposes odor substances desorbed from the adsorbent 20, and a downstream heater 60 as an example of a decomposition heater for heating the catalyst 50. and a cooling unit 70 as an example of a cooler that cools the air that has passed through the catalyst 50.

In addition, the deodorizing device 1 includes a heat sink 80 for retaining heat disposed on the downstream side of the catalyst 50 to retain heat to activate the catalyst 50, and downstream of the heat sink 80 for retaining heat. It is disposed on the side and includes a cooling heat sink 85 for cooling the air that has passed through the heat sink 80 for heat retention.

In addition, the deodorizing device 1 includes an adsorption material 20, an upstream heater 30, a heat sink 40 for heating, a catalyst 50, a downstream heater 60, a cooling unit 70, and a heat retaining unit. In addition to accommodating the heat sink 80 and the heat sink 85 for cooling, it includes a case 90 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which an inlet 91 through which air enters and an outlet 92 through which air exits are formed. The case 90 is spaced apart between the inlet 91 and the outlet 92 so that the flow path of air entering through the inlet 91 and exiting through the outlet 92 passes through the adsorption material 20. It has a partition 95 to direct the air towards the catalyst 50. By forming the partition wall 95, the case 90 has a U-shaped air flow path from the inlet 91 to the outlet 92.

In addition, the deodorizing device 1 includes at least one processor for controlling the driving of the fan 10, the operation of the upstream heater 30, the operation of the downstream heater 60, the operation of the cooling unit 70, and the like. It includes a control device 100 that includes.

The deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment includes an adsorption mode in which malodorous substances in the air are adsorbed by the adsorbent material 20, and the adsorbent material 20 is regenerated by desorbing the malodorous substances from the adsorbent material 20. In addition, it is a device capable of switching to a regeneration mode in which decomposed malodorous substances are decomposed by the catalyst 50 . And, the deodorizing device 1 alternately performs the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode, and realizes maintaining the high deodorization performance of the adsorbent material 20 for a long period of time.

Below, the components included in the deodorizing device 1 will be described in detail.

The fan 10 is disposed at the inlet 91 of the case 90. The fan 10 has a rotating shaft 11, a plurality of blades 12 arranged around the rotating shaft 11, and a motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the rotating shaft 11. The fan 10 according to the first embodiment is arranged so that the rotating shaft 11 is in the front-back direction when viewed from FIG. 1A, and the rotation shaft 11 is in the vertical direction when viewed from FIG. 1B. Then, the fan 10 introduces air outside the case 90 into the inside of the case 90 through the inlet 91 and discharges it out of the case 90 through the outlet 92 . The rotational speed of the motor is controlled by the control device 100 .

The adsorption material 20 has activated carbon that adsorbs and deodorizes malodorous substances in the passing air and desorbs the malodorous substances by being heated.

The upstream heater 30 is disposed upstream of the adsorption material 20 and downstream of the heat sink 40 for heating. When the upstream heater 30 is energized for a predetermined time, the adsorbent 20 or the air introduced into the adsorbent 20 is heated to a predetermined temperature capable of removing odorous substances adsorbed on the adsorbent 20. can elevate The upstream heater 30 is energized by the control device 100 .

The heat sink 40 for heating has the heat sink 41 for upstream heating arrange|positioned on the upstream side, and the heat sink 42 for downstream heating arrange|positioned on the downstream side.

The heat sink 41 for upstream heating and the heat sink 42 for downstream heating are molded from metals such as aluminum, iron, and copper, which have good heat transfer characteristics.

The catalyst 50 may be, for example, a catalyst-supported filter in which an oxidation catalyst is supported on both sides of a substrate having high thermal conductivity. Examples of the oxidation catalyst include one or more metals selected from Ag, Pd, Pt, Mn, Rh, Fe, and Co, or oxides of these metals.

The downstream heater 60 is disposed downstream of the adsorption material 20 and upstream of the catalyst 50. When the downstream heater 60 is energized for a predetermined time, it raises the catalyst 50 or the air introduced into the catalyst 50 to a predetermined temperature at which odorous substances desorbed from the adsorbent 20 can be decomposed. can The energization of the downstream heater 60 is controlled by the control device 100 .

While the cooling part 70 is disposed between the heat sink 85 for cooling and the heat sink 40 for heating, it absorbs heat from the heat sink 85 side for cooling in the ON state, and the heat sink 40 for heating It has an electronic element having a heat exchange function, such as a Peltier element that radiates heat from the side. ON/OFF of the cooling unit 70 is controlled by the control device 100 .

The heat sink 80 for heat retention is disposed at a position facing the heat sink 42 for downstream heating via the partition wall 95 .

The heat sink 85 for cooling is arrange|positioned at the position facing the heat sink 41 for upstream heating via the partition wall 95. The cooling part 70 is arrange|positioned between the heat sink 85 for cooling and the partition wall 95.

The heat sink 80 for heat retention and the heat sink 85 for cooling are formed of metals such as aluminum, iron, and copper having good heat transfer characteristics.

The case 90 has a first storage chamber 96 formed on the inlet 91 side rather than the partition wall 95, and a second storage chamber 97 formed on the outlet 92 side rather than the partition wall 95.

In the first storage chamber 96, in order from the inlet 91 side, the heat sink 41 for upstream heating, the heat sink 42 for downstream heating, the upstream heater 30, and the adsorption material 20 are are placed

A heat sink 85 for cooling, a heat sink 80 for heat retention, a catalyst 50, and a downstream heater 60 are disposed in the second accommodation chamber 97 in order from the outlet 92 side.

Via the partition 95, the heat sink 41 for upstream heating and the heat sink 85 for cooling are opposed, and the heat sink 42 for downstream heating and the heat sink 80 for heat retention are opposed. The upstream heater 30 is disposed between the heat sink 42 for downstream heating and the adsorption material 20, and the downstream heater 60 is disposed between the adsorption material 20 and the catalyst 50.

With the arrangement described above, the air entering the case 90 through the inlet 91 by the fan 10 is supplied to the upstream heating heat sink 41, the downstream heating heat sink 42, and the upstream heater ( The case ( 90) Drain outside.

The outer wall 98 of the case 90 has a double structure in which an air layer 99 is formed. In this way, insulation between the inside and outside of the case 90 is achieved.

2 is a block diagram of the control device 100.

The control device 100 includes a fan controller 101 that controls the rotational speed of a motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the fan 10, and an upstream heater temperature controller that controls the temperature of the upstream heater 30 ( 102), a downstream heater temperature controller 103 that controls the temperature of the downstream heater 60, and a cooling controller 104 that controls ON/OFF of the cooling unit 70.

The control device 100 includes at least one processor. The control device 100 includes a CPU (not shown) that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM (not shown) in which programs executed by the CPU, various data, etc. are stored, and a RAM (not shown) used as a working memory of the CPU. not included). Then, by executing the program by the CPU, the fan control unit 101, the upstream heater temperature control unit 102, the downstream heater temperature control unit 103, and the cooling control unit 104 are realized.

The fan controller 101 switches the rotational speed of the fan 10 into two stages: high speed and low speed. The fan control unit 101 may be configured to switch the rotational speed of the fan 10 in three steps or more, or may be configured to continuously change the rotational speed. The fan control unit 101 sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to a high speed in the adsorption mode, and sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to a low speed in the regeneration mode.

The upstream heater temperature controller 102 turns on the upstream heater 30 for a predetermined period of time when the fan controller 101 sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to a low speed (regeneration mode). rise to a temperature of On the other hand, the upstream heater temperature control section 102 is not energized when the fan control section 101 sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to high speed (during the adsorption mode).

The downstream heater temperature controller 103 turns on the downstream heater 60 for a predetermined period of time when the fan controller 101 sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to a low speed (regeneration mode). rise to a temperature of On the other hand, the downstream heater temperature control section 103 is not energized when the fan control section 101 sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to high speed (during the adsorption mode).

The cooling control unit 104 turns on the cooling unit 70 when the fan control unit 101 is setting the rotational speed of the fan 10 to a low speed (regeneration mode), and the fan control unit 101 When the rotational speed of the fan 10 is high (at the time of adsorption mode), it is turned OFF.

<Action of deodorizing device 1>

3 is a diagram showing air flow when the deodorizing device 1 is in an adsorption mode.

4 is a diagram showing air flow and heat transfer when the deodorizing device 1 is in a regeneration mode.

In the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment, in the adsorption mode, the fan control unit 101 sets the rotational speed of the fan 10 to a high speed, and the cooling control unit 104 turns the cooling unit 70 off. do. Further, the upstream heater temperature control unit 102 and the downstream heater temperature control unit 103 do not energize the upstream heater 30 and the downstream heater 60, respectively, and do not increase the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 90 by the fan 10 passes through the first accommodating chamber 96 and the second accommodating chamber 97 and is discharged through the outlet 92 . At this time, odor substances contained in the air are adsorbed to the adsorbent material 20 . In addition, when the catalyst 50 is a catalyst-supported filter, odor substances contained in the air are adsorbed to the catalyst 50 as well.

On the other hand, in the deodorization device 1, taking into account that the decomposition rate of odorous substances by the catalyst 50 is slower than the adsorption rate of the adsorbent material 20, the fan control unit 101 operates the fan 10 in the regeneration mode. Set the rotation speed to low speed. The cooling control unit 104 turns on the cooling unit 70, and the upstream heater temperature control unit 102 and the downstream heater temperature control unit 103 control the upstream heater 30 and the downstream heater 60, respectively. energize to raise the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 90 by the fan 10 passes through the first accommodating chamber 96 and the second accommodating chamber 97 and is discharged through the outlet 92, but the passage speed of the air is smaller than the rate in the adsorption mode.

The adsorption material 20 is warmed by the upstream heater 30 and the downstream heater 60, and the air warmed by the upstream heat heat sink 41 and the downstream heat heat sink 42 is introduced Therefore, the adsorption material 20 is heated and desorbs the odorous substance adsorbed. In this way, the adsorbent material 20 is regenerated.

The catalyst 50 is warmed by the downstream heater 60, and the air passed through the adsorbent material 20 after being warmed by the upstream heat sink 41 and the downstream heat sink 42 is introduced Therefore, the catalyst 50 is heated and activated, and decomposes the malodorous substance desorbed from the adsorbent material 20. Further, when the catalyst 50 is a catalyst-supported filter, adsorbed odor substances are also decomposed.

Air passing through the catalyst 50 is introduced into the heat sink 80 for heat retention. And, the heat sink 80 for heat retention maintains a high temperature. The heat around the heat sink 80 for heat retention is transmitted to the opposing heat sink 42 for downstream heating via the partition wall 95 . Accordingly, the temperature of the heat sink 42 for downstream heating can be increased, and the temperature of the air flowing into the adsorption material 20 is increased.

Air passing through the heat sink 80 for heat retention is introduced into the heat sink 85 for cooling. Since the cooling unit 70 is in an ON state when the deodorizing device 1 is in the regeneration mode, it absorbs heat on the side of the heat sink 85 for cooling and dissipates heat on the side of the heat sink 41 for heating upstream. That is, the temperature on the side of the heat sink 85 for cooling is lowered, and the temperature on the side of the heat sink 41 for upstream heating is raised. As a result, the air discharged through the outlet 92 is cooled by the heat sink 85 for cooling. On the other hand, the temperature of the heat sink 41 for upstream heating can be increased, and the temperature of the air introduced into the heat sink 42 for downstream heating and the adsorption material 20 increases.

As described above, in the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment, deodorization (removal of malodorous substances) is performed by the adsorbent material 20, so energy saving and rapid adsorption speed can be realized. In addition, in the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment, since the adsorbent 20 is regenerated, the adsorption performance (deodorization performance) of the adsorbent 20 can be maintained for a long period of time compared to the case where regeneration is not performed. Then, the decomposition rate is increased by using the catalyst 50 for regeneration and exposing the odor concentrated by the adsorbent 20 to the catalyst 50. In addition, even if the temperature inside the case 90 is increased to regenerate the adsorbent material 20, the action of the cooling unit 70 and the heat sink 85 for cooling causes discharge through the outlet 92. the air is cooled In addition, since the outer wall 98 of the case 90 has a double structure in which an air layer 99 is formed therein, thermal insulation between the inside and outside of the case 90 is achieved. Therefore, the deodorizing device 1 does not discharge the heat used for heating. As a result, the deodorization device 1 according to the first embodiment can be used even in an environment in which a low temperature must be maintained, such as inside a refrigerating compartment of a refrigerator.

On the other hand, in the deodorizing device 1 described above, the timing for alternately performing the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode is not particularly limited. For example, the deodorizing device 1 may switch to the regeneration mode after performing the adsorption mode for a predetermined adsorption mode period, and then switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for a predetermined regeneration mode period. The adsorption mode period and the regeneration mode period may be the same or different.

In addition, the deodorizing device 1 includes an odor sensor (not shown) for detecting odor, for example, downstream of the adsorbent material 20, and the amount of odor detected by the odor sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. At this time, it is okay to switch from the adsorption mode to the regeneration mode. In this case, the deodorizing device 1 may switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for the regeneration mode period.

5A is a schematic front view of the refrigerator 200 to which the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment is applied. 5B is a view showing the inside of the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator 200 from above.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the refrigerator 200 includes a refrigerating chamber 210 for refrigerating goods, a door 220 for opening and closing the refrigerating chamber 210, a plurality of shelves 230 on which goods are loaded, and the above-described deodorization. device (1).

As shown in FIG. 5A, the deodorizing device 1 is disposed between the uppermost shelf 230 in the plurality of shelves 230 and the upper wall 211 partitioning the refrigerating chamber 210. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, the deodorizing device 1 is disposed inside the refrigerating chamber 210, that is, closer to the wall 212 of the rear part partitioning the refrigerating chamber 210 than the door 220. Further, the deodorizing device 1 is arranged so that the inlet 91 of the case 90 where the fan 10 is disposed is forward and the outlet 92 of the case 90 is rearward.

Then, in the adsorption mode, the deodorizing device 1 sucks in the air in the refrigerating compartment 210 from the front, adsorbs odorous substances in the air, and discharges the air from the rear. In this way, the deodorizing device 1 removes odor substances from the air in the refrigerating compartment 210 .

On the other hand, the deodorizing device 1 regenerates the adsorbent material 20 in the regeneration mode. When regenerating, the air inside the case 90 is heated, but since the cooling section 70 and the heat sink 85 for cooling are included, the air discharged through the outlet 92 of the case 90 is cooled. Therefore, the temperature in the refrigerating compartment 210 is maintained at a low temperature.

On the other hand, also in the deodorizing device 1 disposed in the refrigerating chamber 210, the timing of alternately performing the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode is not particularly limited. For example, the deodorizing device 1 performs an adsorption mode during a time period when the door 220 of the refrigerator 200 is frequently opened and closed, and operates a regeneration mode during a time period during which the door 220 of the refrigerator 200 is not frequently opened and closed. It's free if you do it. The time zone in which the door 220 of the refrigerator 200 is frequently opened and closed may be a preset time zone (for example, 7 am to 9 pm) or may be a time zone set by a user. The time zone during which the door 220 of the refrigerator 200 is not opened and closed may be a preset time zone (for example, 9:00 pm to 7:00 am) or may be a time period set by a user.

<Second Embodiment>

The deodorizing device 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the cooling unit 70 is not included.

Also in the deodorizing device 1 according to the second embodiment having a configuration in which the cooling unit 70 is not included between the heat sink 85 for cooling and the heat sink 41 for upstream heating, the heat sink 85 for cooling ) by which heat exchange is performed. Therefore, in the regeneration mode, even if the temperature inside the case 90 is increased, the air discharged through the outlet 92 is cooled by the action of the heat sink 85 for cooling. As a result, the deodorizing device 1 according to the second embodiment does not emit heat used for heating. Therefore, the deodorizing device 1 according to the second embodiment can be used even in an environment where a low temperature must be maintained, such as inside a refrigerating compartment of a refrigerator.

<Third Embodiment>

6A is a top view of the deodorizing device 3 according to the third embodiment. On the other hand, in this top view, a part of the internal structure of the deodorizing device 3 is also shown. Fig. 6B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section VIb-VIb in Fig. 6A.

The deodorizing device 3 according to the third embodiment includes a fan 310 as an example of a blower that generates a flow of air.

In addition, the deodorizing device 3 is disposed on the downstream side of the fan 310, adsorbs odorous substances in the air passing therethrough, and decomposes the odorous substances by being heated. It includes a heater 360 as an example of a heater for heating the air introduced into the 350, and a metal part 365 as an example of a part for improving heat transfer effect and safety.

In addition, the deodorizing device 3 includes a shutter 371 and a damper 372, which are opening and closing mechanisms as an example of a suppressor that suppresses the discharge of air that has passed through the catalyst 350 to the outside of the device, and a solenoid that simultaneously opens and closes them ( 373) are included.

In addition, the deodorizing device 3 accommodates the fan 310, the catalyst 350, the heater 360, the metal part 365, the shutter 371, the damper 372 and the solenoid 373, and the air It includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 390 having an inlet 391 into which air enters and an outlet 392 through which air exits.

In addition, the deodorizing device 3 includes a control device 300 including at least one processor for controlling driving of the fan 310, operation of the heater 360, driving of the solenoid 373, and the like.

The deodorization device 3 according to the third embodiment includes an adsorption mode in which odor substances in the air are adsorbed by the catalyst 350, and a regeneration in which the catalyst 350 is regenerated by decomposing the adsorbed odor substances with the catalyst 350. It is a device that can be switched to a mode. Then, the deodorizing device 3 alternately performs the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode to realize that the high level of deodorizing performance of the catalyst 350 is maintained for a long period of time.

Below, the components included in the deodorizing device 3 will be described in detail.

The fan 310 has a rotating shaft 311, a plurality of blades 312 arranged around the rotating shaft 311, and a motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the rotating shaft 311. The fan 310 according to the third embodiment has a front-back direction in which the rotating shaft 311 is slightly inclined to the right when viewed from FIG. 6A, and a vertical direction in which the rotating shaft 311 is slightly tilted to the right when viewed from FIG. 6B. It is arranged so that Then, the fan 310 introduces air outside the case 390 into the inside of the case 390 through the inlet 391 and introduces air into the catalyst 350 . The rotational speed of the motor is controlled by the control device 300 .

The catalyst 350 may be, for example, a catalyst support filter in which an oxidation catalyst is supported on both sides of a substrate having high thermal conductivity and made of a porous structure having a gas adsorption function. Examples of the oxidation catalyst include one or more materials selected from among Ag, Pd, Pt, Mn, Rh, Fe, Co, I, P, Ti, and K, or oxides of these materials. These oxidation catalysts deodorize or reduce odor components of by-products that may be generated in the decomposition process of odor components adsorbed on the catalyst-supported filter. For example, methyl disulfide ((CH ₃ ) ₂ S ₂ ), which can occur in the decomposition process of methyl mercaptan (CH ₃ SH), has a low odor with respect to methyl mercaptan. Alternatively, the catalyst 350 may be a photocatalyst.

The heater 360 is disposed downstream of the fan 310 and upstream of the catalyst 350 . When the heater 360 is energized for a predetermined time, the air introduced into the catalyst 350 can be raised to a predetermined temperature capable of decomposing odorous substances adsorbed on the catalyst 350 . Electricity of the heater 360 is controlled by the control device 300 . On the other hand, in this way, as the heater 360, the deodorization device 3 does not interfere with the refrigeration cycle by using a dedicated heater operated by power supply from the refrigerator body without using the defrost heater of the refrigerator body, there is. In addition, the temperature of the heater 360 that activates the catalyst 350 is set to 100° C. or less, and a temperature range applicable to home appliances (especially refrigerators) is used. The catalyst 350 has decomposition ability even under low-temperature conditions, but is activated under high-temperature heating conditions (100° C. or less) to improve decomposition ability.

A metal part 365 is installed around the heater 360 and the catalyst 350 to improve the heat transfer effect and safety. As the metal part 365, for example, SUS can be used.

The shutter 371 is disposed along the lower surface of the case 390 . The shutter 371 has holes of approximately the same arrangement and size as the arrangement and size of the inlet 391 on the lower surface of the case 390, and is slidable along the lower surface of the case 390.

Damper 372 is located within case 390 and near outlet 392 . The damper 372 is rotatably movable in conjunction with the sliding of the shutter 371 along the lower surface of the case 390 .

That is, the shutter 371 and the damper 372 are examples of opening and closing members that open and close the inlet 391 and the outlet 392 in conjunction with each other.

The solenoid 373 is disposed at a position that does not obstruct air flow in the case 390 . In the ON state, the solenoid 373 slides the shutter 371 along the lower surface of the case 390 to close the inlet 391 and prevent air from entering, and rotates the damper 372 so that the outlet 392 ), to prevent air from escaping. That is, the solenoid 373 is an example of an open/close control member that controls the shutter 371 and the damper 372 to close the inlet 391 and the outlet 392 when the heater 360 heats air. ON/OFF of the solenoid 373 is controlled by the control device 300 . Meanwhile, the drawing shows a state in which the inlet 391 and the outlet 392 are closed when the solenoid 373 is in an ON state.

The case 390 has an accommodation chamber 396 in a central portion in which an inlet 391 and an outlet 392 are formed.

In the storage chamber 396, a shutter 371, a fan 310, a heater 360, a catalyst 350, and a damper 372 are disposed sequentially from the inlet 391 side.

With the arrangement described above, the air entering the case 390 through the inlet 391 by the fan 310 passes through the heater 360 and the catalyst 350 in order, and passes through the outlet 392 to the case 390. It is discharged to the outside or circulated within the case 390.

The case 390 has a double structure in which air layers 399 are formed on both sides of the accommodation chamber 396 . Accordingly, insulation between the inside and outside of the case 390 is achieved.

7 is a block diagram of a control device 300.

The control device 300 includes a fan controller 301 that controls the rotational speed of a motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the fan 310, a heater temperature controller 303 that controls the temperature of the heater 360, A solenoid controller 304 for controlling ON/OFF of the solenoid 373 is included.

The control device 300 includes at least one processor. The control device 300 includes a CPU (not shown) that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM (not shown) in which programs executed by the CPU, various data, etc. are stored, and a RAM (not shown) used as a working memory of the CPU. not included). Then, the fan control unit 301, the heater temperature control unit 303, and the solenoid control unit 304 are realized by the CPU executing the program.

The fan control unit 301 switches the rotational speed of the fan 310 into two stages of high speed and low speed. The fan control unit 301 may be configured to switch the rotational speed of the fan 310 in three steps or more, or may be configured to continuously change the rotational speed. The fan control unit 301 sets the rotation speed of the fan 310 to a high speed in the adsorption mode, and sets the rotation speed of the fan 310 to a low speed in the regeneration mode. That is, the fan controller 301 is an example of a blower controller that controls driving of the fan 310 so that the air volume decreases when the heater 360 heats the air, compared to when the heater 360 does not heat the air.

The heater temperature controller 303 raises the heater 360 to a predetermined temperature by energizing for a predetermined time when the fan controller 301 is setting the rotational speed of the fan 310 to a low speed (regeneration mode). let it On the other hand, the heater temperature control section 303 is not energized when the fan control section 301 sets the rotational speed of the fan 310 to high speed (during the adsorption mode).

The solenoid control unit 304 turns on the solenoid 373 when the fan control unit 301 is setting the rotational speed of the fan 310 to a low speed (regeneration mode), and the fan control unit 301 turns on the fan 310. When the rotational speed of 310 is high (in the adsorption mode), it is turned OFF.

<Action of deodorizing device 3>

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing air flow when the deodorizing device 3 is in an adsorption mode.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the movement of heat when the deodorizing device 3 is in regeneration mode.

In the deodorizing device 3 according to the third embodiment, in the adsorption mode, the fan controller 301 increases the rotational speed of the fan 310 and the solenoid controller 304 turns the solenoid 373 OFF. . In addition, the heater temperature controller 303 does not energize the heater 360 and does not increase the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 390 by the fan 310 passes through the accommodation chamber 396 and is discharged through the outlet 392 . At this time, odor substances contained in the air are adsorbed to the catalyst 350 .

On the other hand, in the deodorization device 3, considering that the rate of decomposition of odorous substances by the catalyst 350 is slower than the adsorption rate of the catalyst 350, the fan control unit 301 rotates the fan 310 in the regeneration mode. set the speed to low The solenoid controller 304 turns on the solenoid 373, and the heater temperature controller 303 energizes the heater 360 to increase the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 390 by the fan 310 flows through the accommodation chamber 396 toward the outlet 392, but since the damper 372 closes the outlet 392, the accommodation chamber 396 ) and reaches the vicinity of the inlet 391. And, since the shutter 371 closes the inlet 391 , it does not come out of the inlet 391 and is sucked back into the case 390 by the fan 310 . On the other hand, the air passing speed at this time is smaller than the speed at the adsorption mode.

Air warmed by the heater 360 flows into the catalyst 350 . Therefore, the catalyst 350 is heated and activated, and decomposes the adsorbed malodorous substances.

On the other hand, in this third embodiment, the solenoid 373 drives the shutter 371 and the damper 372, which are opening and closing mechanisms, but this is not limited to this. For example, the shutter 371 and the damper 372 may be driven by a motor or the like. Also, opening and closing of the shutter 371 may be performed depending on whether or not the fan 310 is operating. Furthermore, opening and closing of the shutter 371 and damper 372 may be performed by using a material that contracts and expands with heat for the shutter 371 and damper 372 .

In addition, in this third embodiment, a non-contact method is employed for the heater 360 . That is, a configuration in which the heater 360 is disposed in the air passage downstream of the fan 310 and upstream of the catalyst 350 is adopted. This configuration makes it possible to heat the air in the blower and uniformly raise the entire surface of the catalyst 350 to the activation temperature.

However, a contact method may be employed for the heater 360 . That is, a configuration in which the heater 360 is in direct contact with the outer periphery of the catalyst 350 may be employed. As such a configuration, first, when the heater 360 is a cord heater, there is a configuration in which it is directly wrapped around the catalyst 350. Second, there is a configuration in which the catalyst 350 is a built-in heater catalyst with a built-in heater 360. Thirdly, when the heater 360 is a planar heater of a type in which a plurality of surfaces are connected, there is a configuration in which one surface or two to four surfaces of the outer circumference of the catalyst 350 are brought into contact with it. Fourth, when the heater 360 is a film-type planar heater, there is a configuration in which it is wrapped around the outer circumference of the catalyst 350 . Fifthly, when the heater 360 is a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, there is a configuration in which it contacts the outer circumference of the catalyst 350.

In addition, in this third embodiment, since the non-contact method is adopted for the heater 360, when the deodorizing device 3 is in the regeneration mode, the fan control unit 301 sets the rotational speed of the fan 310 to a low speed. Not limited to this. When the contact method is employed for the heater 360, the fan control unit 301 may stop rotation of the fan 310 when the deodorizing device 3 is in the regeneration mode. In this case, the fan controller 301 is an example of a blowing controller that controls driving of the fan 310 to stop when the heater 360 heats air.

In addition, in this third embodiment, metal parts 365 are provided around the heater 360 and the catalyst 350, but this is not limited. For example, a thermal overheating prevention device such as a thermal fuse or a temperature sensor may be installed around the heater 360 .

As described above, since the catalyst 350 is regenerated in the deodorization device 3 according to the third embodiment, the adsorption performance (deodorization performance) of the catalyst 350 can be maintained for a longer period of time compared to the case where the catalyst 350 is not regenerated. . In addition, the decomposition rate is increased by using the catalyst 350 for regeneration and exposing the odor adsorbed to the catalyst 350 to the catalyst 350 . In addition, in order to regenerate the catalyst 350, even if the temperature inside the case 390 is increased, the heat used for heating is circulated by closing the opening/closing mechanism. In addition, since the case 390 has a double structure in which an air layer 399 is formed inside, thermal insulation between the inside and outside of the case 390 is achieved. Therefore, the deodorizing device 3 does not discharge the heat used for heating. As a result, the deodorization device 3 according to the third embodiment can be used even in an environment in which a low temperature must be maintained, such as inside a cold storage compartment of a refrigerator. In addition, even if an odor is generated during the decomposition of the odorous substance adsorbed to the catalyst 350, the odor is not discharged into the refrigerator by closing the opening/closing mechanism.

In the third embodiment, either a non-contact method or a contact method may be employed as the heater 360 . In the case of adopting a non-contact method, i.e., a configuration in which a heater 360 is disposed in the air passage on the upstream side of the catalyst 350 as a downstream side of the fan 310, the entire surface of the catalyst 350 can be heated. and can be done cheaply. Meanwhile, when a contact method, that is, a configuration in which the heater 360 is in direct contact with the catalyst 350 is employed, the configuration can be simplified.

In addition, in the third embodiment, around the heater 360, a metal part 365 for improving the heat transfer effect and safety is provided. Thereby, combustion at the time of abnormality can be prevented.

On the other hand, in the deodorizing device 3 described above, the timing for alternately performing the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode is not particularly limited. For example, the deodorizing device 3 may switch to the regeneration mode after performing the adsorption mode for a predetermined adsorption mode period, and then switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for a predetermined regeneration mode period. The adsorption mode period and the regeneration mode period may be the same or different.

In addition, the deodorizing device 3 includes an odor sensor (not shown) that detects odor, for example, downstream of the catalyst 350, and when the amount of odor detected by the odor sensor exceeds a predetermined amount, , it is okay to switch from the adsorption mode to the regeneration mode. In this case, the deodorizing device 3 may switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for the regeneration mode period.

Since the refrigerator to which the deodorizing device 3 according to the third embodiment is applied is the same as the refrigerator to which the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is applied, description is omitted. However, in the first embodiment, the deodorizing device 1 is arranged so that the inlet 91 of the case 90 is forward and the outlet 92 of the case 90 is rearward. The device 3 is arranged so that the inlet 391 of the case 390 faces the lower side and the outlet 392 of the case 390 faces the front.

<Fourth Embodiment>

10A is a top view of a deodorizing device 4 according to a fourth embodiment. On the other hand, in this top view, a part of the internal structure of the deodorizing device 3 is also shown. Fig. 10B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section Xb-Xb in Fig. 10A, and Fig. 10C is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a section of section Xc - Xc in Fig. 10A.

The deodorizing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment includes a fan 410 as an example of a blower that generates a flow of air.

In addition, the deodorizing device 4 is disposed on the downstream side of the fan 410, and adsorbs odorous substances in the air passing therethrough and desorbs the odorous substances by being heated. An upstream heater 430 as an example of an upstream heater that is disposed upstream of the adsorption material 420 as a downstream side of 410 and heats air flowing into the adsorption material 420 is included.

In addition, the deodorizing device 4 is arranged on the upstream side of the catalyst 450 as a downstream side of the adsorbent material 420 and the catalyst 450 as an example of a decomposer that decomposes the odorous substance desorbed from the adsorbent material 420. , a downstream heater 460 as an example of a decomposition heater that heats air introduced into the catalyst 450.

In addition, the deodorizing device 4 includes a shutter 471 and a damper 472, which are opening and closing mechanisms as an example of a suppressor that suppresses the discharge of air that has passed through the catalyst 450 to the outside of the device, and a solenoid that simultaneously opens and closes them ( 473) and a heat insulator 494 preventing heat from the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 from being transmitted to the outside.

In addition, the deodorizing device 4 includes a fan 410, an adsorption material 420, an upstream heater 430, a catalyst 450, a downstream heater 460, a shutter 471, a damper 472, a solenoid ( 473) and the heat insulating material 494, and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 490 having an inlet 491 through which air enters and an outlet 492 through which air exits.

In addition, the deodorization device 4 includes at least one processor for controlling the operation of the fan 410, the operation of the upstream heater 430, the operation of the downstream heater 460, the operation of the solenoid 473, and the like. It includes a control device 400 that does.

The deodorization device 4 according to the fourth embodiment includes an adsorption mode in which odor substances in the air are adsorbed by the adsorption material 420, and the adsorption material 420 is regenerated by desorbing the odor substances from the adsorption material 420. In addition, it is a device capable of switching to a regeneration mode in which decomposed malodorous substances are decomposed by the catalyst 450 . Then, the deodorizing device 4 alternately performs the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode, and realizes maintaining the high deodorization performance of the adsorbent material 420 for a long period of time.

Below, the components included in the deodorizing device 4 will be described in detail.

The fan 410 has a rotating shaft 411, a plurality of blades 412 arranged around the rotating shaft 411, and a motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the rotating shaft 411. The fan 410 according to the fourth embodiment has a front-back direction in which the rotating shaft 411 is slightly tilted to the left when viewed from FIG. 10A, and a vertical direction in which the rotating shaft 411 is slightly tilted to the left when viewed from FIG. It is arranged so that Then, the fan 410 passes through the inlet 491 to introduce air outside the case 490 into the inside of the case 490 and introduces the air into the adsorption material 420 . The rotational speed of the motor is controlled by the control device 400 .

The adsorption material 420 adsorbs odorous substances in the passing air to perform deodorization treatment, and has activated carbon that desorbs odorous substances by being heated.

The upstream heater 430 is disposed downstream of the fan 410 and upstream of the adsorption material 420 . When the upstream heater 430 is energized for a predetermined time, the adsorbent 420 or the air introduced into the adsorbent 420 is heated to a predetermined temperature capable of removing odorous substances adsorbed on the adsorbent 420. can elevate The upstream heater 430 is energized by the control device 400 . On the other hand, in this way, as the upstream heater 430, a dedicated heater operated by power supply from the refrigerator body is used without using the defrost heater of the refrigerator body, so that the deodorization device 4 does not hinder the refrigeration cycle. making sure not to

The catalyst 450 may be a catalyst-supported filter in which an oxidation catalyst is supported on both sides of a substrate having high thermal conductivity. Examples of the oxidation catalyst include one or more materials selected from among Ag, Pd, Pt, Mn, Rh, Fe, Co, I, P, Ti, and K, or oxides of these materials. These oxidation catalysts deodorize or reduce the odor of by-products that may occur in the decomposition process of odor components adsorbed on the catalyst-supported filter. For example, methyl disulfide ((CH ₃ ) ₂ S ₂ ), which can occur in the decomposition process of methyl mercaptan (CH ₃ SH), has a low odor with respect to methyl mercaptan. Alternatively, the catalyst 450 may be a photocatalyst.

The downstream heater 460 is disposed downstream of the adsorption material 420 and upstream of the catalyst 450 . When the downstream heater 460 is energized for a predetermined time, it raises the catalyst 450 or the air introduced into the catalyst 450 to a predetermined temperature at which odor substances desorbed from the adsorbent 420 can be decomposed. can The energization of the downstream heater 460 is controlled by the control device 400 . On the other hand, in this way, as the downstream heater 460, a dedicated heater operated by power supply from the refrigerator body is used without using the defrost heater of the refrigerator body, so that the deodorization device 4 does not hinder the refrigeration cycle. making sure not to In addition, the temperature of the downstream heater 460 that activates the catalyst 450 is set to 100° C. or less, and a temperature range applicable to home appliances (especially refrigerators) is used. The catalyst 450 has decomposition ability even under low-temperature conditions, but is activated under high-temperature heating conditions (100° C. or less) to improve decomposition ability.

The shutter 471 is disposed along the lower surface of the case 490 . The shutter 471 has holes of approximately the same arrangement and size as the arrangement and size of the inlet 491 on the lower surface of the case 490, and is slidable along the lower surface of the case 490.

Damper 472 is located within case 490 and near outlet 492 . The damper 472 is rotatably movable in conjunction with the sliding of the shutter 471 along the lower surface of the case 490 .

That is, the shutter 471 and the damper 472 are examples of opening and closing members that open and close the inlet 491 and the outlet 492 in conjunction with each other.

The solenoid 473 is disposed at a position that does not obstruct air flow in the case 490 . In the ON state, the solenoid 473 slides the shutter 471 along the lower surface of the case 490 to close the inlet 491 and prevent air from entering, and rotates the damper 472 so that the outlet 492 ), to prevent air from escaping. That is, the solenoid 473 controls the shutter 471 and the damper 472 to close the inlet 491 and the outlet 492 when the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 heat air. This is an example of a control member. ON/OFF of the solenoid 473 is controlled by the control device 400 . Meanwhile, the figure shows a state in which the inlet 491 and the outlet 492 are closed when the solenoid 473 is ON.

The heat insulator 494 is installed to prevent heat from the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 from being transmitted to the outside of the deodorizing device 4 and to promote thermal insulation between the inside and outside of the case 490 .

The case 490 has a first accommodating chamber 496 at the center where an inlet 491 and an outlet 492 are formed, and a second accommodating chamber 497 formed at one side of the first accommodating chamber 496 .

In the first storage chamber 496 and the second storage chamber 497, in order from the entrance 491 side, the shutter 471, the fan 410, the upstream heater 430, the adsorption material 420, the downstream side A heater 460, a catalyst 450 and a damper 472 are disposed.

With the arrangement described above, the air introduced into the case 490 through the inlet 491 by the fan 410 passes through the upstream heater 430, the adsorption material 420, the downstream heater 460, and the catalyst 450. are discharged out of the case 490 through the outlet 492 or circulated within the case 490.

The case 490 has a double air layer 499 formed on the opposite side of the first accommodating chamber 496 to the second accommodating chamber 497 and on the opposite side of the second accommodating chamber 497 from the first accommodating chamber 496. It is a structure. Accordingly, insulation between the inside and outside of the case 490 is achieved.

11 is a block diagram of a control device 400.

The control device 400 includes a fan controller 401 that controls the rotational speed of a motor (not shown) that rotates the fan 410 and an upstream heater temperature controller that controls the temperature of the upstream heater 430 ( 402), a downstream heater temperature controller 403 that controls the temperature of the downstream heater 460, and a solenoid controller 404 that controls ON/OFF of the solenoid 473.

The control device 400 includes at least one processor. The control device 400 includes a CPU (not shown) that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM (not shown) in which programs executed by the CPU, various data, etc. are stored, and a RAM (not shown) used as a working memory of the CPU. not included). Then, by executing the program by the CPU, the fan control unit 401, the upstream heater temperature control unit 402, the downstream heater temperature control unit 403, and the solenoid control unit 404 are realized.

The fan control unit 401 switches the rotational speed of the fan 410 into two stages of high speed and low speed. The fan control unit 401 may be configured to switch the rotational speed of the fan 410 in three stages or more, or may be configured to continuously change the rotational speed. The fan controller 401 sets the rotational speed of the fan 410 to a high speed in the adsorption mode, and sets the rotational speed of the fan 410 to a low speed in the regeneration mode. That is, the fan control unit 401 determines that when the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 heat the air, the air volume is lower than when the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 do not heat the air. This is an example of a blowing control unit that controls driving of the fan 410 as much as possible.

The upstream heater temperature controller 402 energizes the upstream heater 430 for a predetermined time when the fan controller 401 sets the rotational speed of the fan 410 to a low speed (regeneration mode). rise to a temperature of On the other hand, the upstream heater temperature control section 402 is not energized when the fan control section 401 sets the rotational speed of the fan 410 to high speed (during the adsorption mode).

The downstream heater temperature controller 403 turns on the downstream heater 460 for a predetermined period of time when the fan controller 401 sets the rotational speed of the fan 410 to a low speed (regeneration mode). rise to a temperature of On the other hand, the downstream heater temperature control section 403 is not energized when the fan control section 401 sets the rotational speed of the fan 410 to high speed (during the adsorption mode).

The solenoid control unit 404 turns on the solenoid 473 when the fan control unit 401 is setting the rotational speed of the fan 410 to a low speed (regeneration mode), and the fan control unit 401 turns the fan 401 on. When the rotational speed of 410 is high (at the time of adsorption mode), it is turned OFF.

<Action of deodorizing device 4>

12A to 12C are diagrams showing air flow when the deodorizing device 4 is in an adsorption mode.

13A to 13C are views showing the movement of heat when the deodorizing device 4 is in the regeneration mode.

In the deodorizing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment, in the adsorption mode, the fan controller 401 increases the rotation speed of the fan 410 and the solenoid controller 404 turns the solenoid 473 OFF. . Further, the upstream heater temperature control unit 402 and the downstream heater temperature control unit 403 do not energize the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460, respectively, and do not increase the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 490 by the fan 410 passes through the first accommodating chamber 496 and the second accommodating chamber 497, and returns to the first accommodating chamber 496 to exit. Discharge through (492). At this time, odor substances contained in the air are adsorbed to the adsorbent material 420 . In addition, when the catalyst 450 is a catalyst-supported filter, odor substances contained in the air are adsorbed to the catalyst 450 as well.

On the other hand, in the deodorization device 4, considering that the decomposition rate of the odorous substance by the catalyst 450 is slower than the adsorption rate of the adsorbent 420, the fan control unit 401 controls the fan 410 in the regeneration mode. Set the rotation speed to low speed. The solenoid controller 404 turns on the solenoid 473, and the upstream heater temperature controller 402 and the downstream heater temperature controller 403 energize the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460, respectively. to raise the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 490 by the fan 410 passes through the first accommodation chamber 496 and the second accommodation chamber 497 and returns to the first accommodation chamber 496 again. Since the damper 472 closes the outlet 492, it passes through the lower side of the first storage chamber 496 and reaches the vicinity of the inlet 491. On the other hand, the air passing speed at this time is smaller than the speed at the adsorption mode.

The adsorption material 420 is warmed by the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460, and the air warmed by the upstream heater 430 is introduced. Therefore, the adsorbent material 420 is heated and desorbs the odorous substance adsorbed. Accordingly, the adsorption material 420 is regenerated.

The catalyst 450 is warmed by the downstream heater 460, warmed by the upstream heater 430, passes through the adsorption material 420, and then warmed by the downstream heater 460. air is drawn in Therefore, the catalyst 450 is heated and activated, and decomposes the malodorous substance desorbed from the adsorbent material 420. Further, when the catalyst 450 is a catalyst-supported filter, adsorbed odor substances are also decomposed.

On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the solenoid 473 drives the shutter 471 and the damper 472, which are opening and closing mechanisms, but this is not limited to this. For example, the shutter 471 and the damper 472 may be driven by a motor or the like. Also, opening and closing of the shutter 471 may be performed depending on whether or not the fan 410 is operating. Furthermore, opening and closing of the shutter 471 and damper 472 may be performed by using a material that contracts and expands with heat for the shutter 471 and damper 472 .

In addition, in this fourth embodiment, a non-contact method is employed for the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 . That is, the upstream heater 430 is disposed in the air passage upstream of the adsorption material 420 as downstream of the fan 410, and the downstream heater 430 is disposed in the air passage upstream of the catalyst 450 as downstream of the adsorption material 420. (460) was adopted. This configuration makes it possible to heat the air in the air blower and uniformly raise the entire surface of the adsorbent material 420 and the catalyst 450 to the activation temperature.

However, a contact method may be employed for the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 . That is, a configuration in which the upstream heater 430 is in direct contact with the outer circumference of the adsorption material 420 or a configuration in which the downstream heater 460 is in direct contact with the outer circumference of the catalyst 450 may be employed. Since the specific example of such a structure was described in the third embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

In addition, since the non-contact method is employed for the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 in this fourth embodiment, when the deodorizing device 4 is in regeneration mode, the fan control unit 401 operates the fan 410 ) was set to a low speed, but it is not limited thereto. When the contact method is employed for the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460, the fan control unit 401 may stop the rotation of the fan 410 when the deodorizing device 3 is in regeneration mode. do. In this case, the fan controller 401 is an example of a blower controller that controls the operation of the fan 410 so that the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 stop when heating air.

In addition, in this fourth embodiment as well, metal parts may be provided around the upstream heater 430 and the adsorption material 420 and around the downstream heater 460 and the catalyst 450 . Alternatively, for example, a temperature overheating prevention device such as a thermal fuse or a temperature sensor may be installed around the upstream heater 430 and the adsorption material 420 and around the downstream heater 460 and the catalyst 450. do.

As described above, in the deodorizing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment, deodorization (removal of malodorous substances) is performed by the adsorption material 420, so energy saving and rapid adsorption speed can be realized. Further, in the deodorizing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment, since the adsorbent 420 is regenerated, the adsorption performance (deodorization performance) of the adsorbent 420 can be maintained for a long period of time compared to the case where regeneration is not performed. In addition, the decomposition rate is increased by using the catalyst 450 for regeneration and exposing the odor concentrated by the adsorbent 420 to the catalyst 450. In addition, in order to regenerate the adsorbent material 420, even if the temperature inside the case 490 is increased, the heat used for heating is circulated by closing the opening/closing mechanism. In addition, since the case 490 has a double structure in which an air layer 499 is formed inside, thermal insulation between the inside and outside of the case 490 is achieved. Therefore, the deodorizing device 4 does not discharge the heat used for heating. As a result, the deodorizing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment can be used even in an environment where a low temperature must be maintained, such as inside a cold storage compartment of a refrigerator. In addition, even if an odor is generated during the decomposition of the odorous substance adsorbed to the adsorbent 420, the odor is not discharged into the refrigerator by closing the opening/closing mechanism.

Moreover, in 4th Embodiment, it was set as the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 which you may employ|adopt any of a non-contact system and a contact system. In a non-contact method, that is, the upstream heater 430 is disposed in the air passage on the upstream side of the adsorption material 420 as the downstream side of the fan 410, and the upstream side of the catalyst 450 as the downstream side of the adsorption material 420. When a configuration in which the downstream heater 460 is disposed in the air blower of , the entire surface of the adsorption material 420 and the catalyst 450 can be heated, and the cost can be reduced. On the other hand, in the case of adopting a contact method, that is, a configuration in which the upstream heater 430 is in direct contact with the adsorption material 420 and the downstream heater 460 is in direct contact with the catalyst 450, the configuration can be simplified. .

In addition, in the fourth embodiment, metal parts for improving the heat transfer effect and safety may be provided around the upstream heater 430 and the downstream heater 460 . Combustion at the time of abnormality can be prevented by providing such a metal part.

On the other hand, in the deodorizing device 4 described above, the timing for alternately performing the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode is not particularly limited. For example, the deodorizing device 4 may switch to the regeneration mode after performing the adsorption mode for a predetermined adsorption mode period, and then switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for a predetermined regeneration mode period. The adsorption mode period and the regeneration mode period may be the same or different.

In addition, the deodorizing device 4 includes an odor sensor (not shown) for detecting odor, for example, downstream of the adsorbent material 420, and when the amount of odor detected by the odor sensor exceeds a predetermined amount, At this time, it is okay to switch from the adsorption mode to the regeneration mode. In this case, the deodorizing device 4 may switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for the regeneration mode period.

Since the refrigerator to which the deodorizing device 4 according to the fourth embodiment is applied is the same as the refrigerator to which the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is applied, description is omitted. However, in the first embodiment, the deodorizing device 1 is arranged so that the inlet 91 of the case 90 is forward and the outlet 92 of the case 90 is rearward. However, in the fourth embodiment, the deodorizing device (4) is arranged so that the inlet 491 of the case 490 is on the lower side and the outlet 492 of the case 490 is on the front side.

<Fifth Embodiment>

Fig. 14A is a top view of a deodorizing device 5 according to a fifth embodiment. On the other hand, this top view also partially shows the internal structure of the deodorizing device 5. Fig. 14B is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the device in a cross section of section XIVb-XIVb in Fig. 14A.

The deodorizing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment includes a fan 510 as an example of a blower that generates a flow of air.

In addition, the deodorizing device 5 is arranged on the downstream side of the fan 510, adsorbs odorous substances in the air passing therethrough, and decomposes the odorous substances by being heated. A heater 560 as an example of a heater that is disposed downstream of 510 and heats the catalyst 550 is included.

In addition, the deodorizing device 5 includes a shutter 571 that is an opening and closing mechanism as an example of a suppressor that suppresses the discharge of air that has passed through the catalyst 550 to the outside of the device, a bimetal plate 573 that opens and closes the shutter, and a heater ( A metal part 565 as an example of a part for transferring heat of 560 to the bimetal plate 573 is included.

In addition, the deodorizing device 5 accommodates the fan 510, the catalyst 550, the heater 560, the metal part 565, the shutter 571 and the bimetal plate 573, and the inlet through which the air enters ( 591) and an approximately rectangular parallelepiped case 590 having an outlet 592 through which air exits.

In addition, the deodorizing device 5 includes a control device 500 including at least one processor for controlling driving of the fan 510 and operation of the heater 560 .

The deodorization device 5 according to the fifth embodiment includes an adsorption mode in which malodorous substances in the air are adsorbed by the catalyst 550, and a regeneration in which the catalyst 550 is regenerated by decomposing the adsorbed malodorous substances by the catalyst 550. It is a device that can be switched to a mode. Then, the deodorizing device 5 alternately performs the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode to realize that the high level of deodorizing performance of the catalyst 550 is maintained for a long period of time.

Below, the components included in the deodorizing device 5 will be described in detail.

The fan 510 has a rotating shaft 511, a plurality of blades 512 disposed around the rotating shaft 511, and a motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the rotating shaft 511. The fan 510 according to the fifth embodiment has a front-back direction in which the rotating shaft 511 is slightly tilted to the left when viewed from FIG. 14A, and a vertical direction in which the rotating shaft 511 is slightly tilted to the left when viewed from FIG. It is arranged so that Then, the fan 510 blows air outside the case 590 into the case 590 through the inlet 591 and introduces the air into the catalyst 550 . The rotational speed of the motor is controlled by the control device 500 .

The catalyst 550 may be, for example, a catalyst support filter having a porous structure having a gas adsorption function and having an oxidation catalyst supported on both sides of a substrate having high thermal conductivity. Examples of the oxidation catalyst include one or more materials selected from among Ag, Pd, Pt, Mn, Rh, Fe, Co, I, P, Ti, and K, or oxides of these materials. These oxidation catalysts deodorize or reduce the odor of by-products that may occur in the decomposition process of odor components adsorbed on the catalyst-supported filter. For example, methyl disulfide ((CH ₃ ) ₂ S ₂ ), which can occur in the decomposition process of methyl mercaptan (CH ₃ SH), is of low odor to methyl mercaptan. Alternatively, the catalyst 550 may be a photocatalyst.

A heater 560 is disposed downstream of the fan 510 . When the heater 560 is energized for a predetermined time, the temperature of the catalyst 550 can be raised to a predetermined temperature capable of decomposing odorous substances adsorbed on the catalyst 550 . Electricity of the heater 560 is controlled by the control device 500 . On the other hand, as the heater 560, a dedicated heater operated by power supply from the refrigerator body is used instead of the defrost heater of the refrigerator body, so that the deodorization device 5 does not interfere with the refrigeration cycle. there is. In addition, the temperature of the heater 560 for activating the catalyst 550 is set to 100° C. or less, and a temperature range applicable to home appliances (especially refrigerators) is used. The catalyst 550 has decomposition ability even under low-temperature conditions, but is activated under high-temperature heating conditions (100° C. or less) to improve its decomposition ability.

A metal part 565 is installed between the heater 560 and the bimetal plate 573 to improve the heat transfer effect. As the metal part 565, SUS can be used, for example. On the other hand, as will be described later with reference to FIGS. 15 (a) and (b), since the bimetal plate 573 is fixed only at one end, the metal part 565 is the heater 560 and the bimetal plate 573. It may be installed so as to connect the fixed end of .

The shutter 571 is disposed along the lower surface of the case 590 . The shutter 571 has holes of approximately the same arrangement and size as the arrangement and size of the inlet 591 and exit 592 on the lower surface of the case 590, and is slidable along the lower surface of the case 590. . That is, the shutter 571 is an example of an opening and closing member that opens and closes the inlet 591 and the outlet 592 in conjunction with each other. On the other hand, in the fifth embodiment, the opening/closing member is constituted by a part called a shutter 571.

The bimetal plate 573 is disposed at a position where heat from the heater 560 in the case 590 is transmitted. The bimetal plate 573 is a metal plate in which two types of metals having different coefficients of thermal expansion are bonded together. As the two types of metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion, for example, an iron-nickel chromium alloy can be used as a metal with a higher coefficient of thermal expansion, and an iron-nickel alloy with about 36% of nickel can be used as a metal with a lower coefficient of thermal expansion. there is. When the heat of the heater 560 is transferred to the bimetal plate 573, as will be described later, the shutter 571 is moved along the lower surface of the case 590 through the first protrusion 5711 and the second protrusion 5712. By sliding, the inlet 591 and the outlet 592 are closed to prevent air from entering and air from escaping. That is, the bimetal plate 573 is an example of an opening/closing control member that controls the shutter 571 to close the inlet 591 and the outlet 592 when the heater 560 heats the catalyst 550 . Meanwhile, the figure shows a state in which the inlet 591 and the outlet 592 are closed in a state in which the heat of the heater 560 is transmitted to the bimetal plate 573 .

The case 590 has a first accommodating chamber 596 at the center where an inlet 591 and an outlet 592 are formed, and a second accommodating chamber 597 formed at one side of the first accommodating chamber 596.

In the first accommodation chamber 596, a catalyst 550 contacted by a shutter 571, a fan 510, and a heater 560 is disposed sequentially from the side of the inlet 591, and the shutter 571 is disposed at the outlet ( 592) side. The second accommodation chamber 597 is formed as a passage through which air returns to the fan 510 side when the outlet 592 is closed.

With the arrangement described above, the air entering the case 590 through the inlet 591 by the fan 510 passes through the catalyst 550 in contact with the heater 560 and exits the case 590 from the outlet 592. exit or circulate within the case 590.

The case 590 has a double air layer 599 formed on the opposite side of the first accommodating chamber 596 to the second accommodating chamber 597 and on the opposite side of the second accommodating chamber 597 from the first accommodating chamber 596. It is a structure. In this way, insulation between the inside and outside of the case 590 is achieved.

Here, slide control of the shutter 571 by the bimetal plate 573 will be described in more detail.

Fig. 15A is a diagram showing the state of the bimetal plate 573 when heat from the heater 560 is not transmitted. Fig. 15B is a diagram showing the state of the bimetal plate 573 when heat from the heater 560 is being transmitted. The arrangement of the bimetal plate 573 corresponds to the arrangement when the catalyst 550, heater 560, and metal parts 565 are removed in FIG. 14A. In the bimetal plate 573, the first end 5731 is a fixed end, but the second end 5732 is not fixed, and the first protrusion 5711 and the second protrusion 5712 of the shutter 571 is the end that is in contact with

When heat from the heater 560 is not transmitted, since the bimetal plate 573 has an original straight shape, the shutter 571 does not press the first protrusion 5711 and the second protrusion 5712, It moves to a position to open the inlet 591 and the outlet 592.

On the other hand, when heat from the heater 560 is transmitted, the second end portion 5732 of the bimetal plate 573 is curved to the right, so the first protrusion 5711 and the second protrusion 5712 are pressed, The shutter 571 moves to a position to close the inlet 591 and the outlet 592.

16 is a block diagram of a control device 500.

The control device 500 includes a fan controller 501 that controls the rotational speed of a motor (not shown) that rotates the fan 510 and a heater temperature controller 503 that controls the temperature of the heater 560. are doing

The control device 500 includes at least one processor. The control device 500 is a CPU (not shown) that performs arithmetic processing.

and a ROM (not shown) in which programs executed by the CPU, various data, and the like are stored, and a RAM (not shown) used as a working memory of the CPU and the like. Then, by executing the program by the CPU, the fan control unit 501 and the heater temperature control unit 503 are realized.

The fan control unit 501 switches the rotational speed of the fan 510 into two stages of high speed and low speed. The fan control unit 501 may be configured to switch the rotational speed of the fan 510 in three steps or more, or may be configured to continuously change the rotational speed. The fan control unit 501 sets the rotational speed of the fan 510 to a high speed in the adsorption mode, and sets the rotational speed of the fan 510 to a low speed in the regeneration mode. That is, when the heater 560 heats the catalyst 550, the fan controller 501 controls the driving of the fan 510 so that the air volume is lower than when the heater 560 does not heat the catalyst 550. is an example of

The heater temperature controller 503 heats the heater 560 up to a predetermined temperature by energizing for a predetermined time when the fan controller 501 sets the rotational speed of the fan 510 to a low speed (regeneration mode). Elevate. On the other hand, the heater temperature control section 503 is not energized when the fan control section 501 sets the rotational speed of the fan 510 to high speed (during the adsorption mode).

<Action of deodorizing device 5>

17A and 17B are diagrams showing air flow when the deodorizing device 5 is in an adsorption mode.

18A and 18B are diagrams showing the movement of heat when the deodorizing device 5 is in the regeneration mode.

In the deodorizing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment, in the adsorption mode, the fan control unit 501 sets the rotational speed of the fan 510 to a high speed, and the heater temperature control unit 503 does not energize the heater 560. Do not increase the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 590 by the fan 510 passes through the first accommodation chamber 596 and exits from the outlet 592 . At this time, odor substances contained in the air are adsorbed to the catalyst 550 .

On the other hand, in the deodorization device 5, taking into account that the decomposition rate of odorous substances by the catalyst 550 is slower than the adsorption rate of the catalyst 550, the fan control unit 501 rotates the fan 510 in the regeneration mode. When the speed is low, the heater temperature controller 503 energizes the heater 560 to increase the temperature. At this time, the air sucked into the case 590 by the fan 510 passes through the first accommodation chamber 596 and reaches the vicinity of the outlet 592, but the shutter 571 closes the outlet 592. Therefore, it passes through the second accommodation chamber 597 and reaches the lower side of the fan 510.

Catalyst 550 is warmed by heater 560 . Therefore, the catalyst 550 is heated and activated, and decomposes the adsorbed odorous substances.

On the other hand, in this fifth embodiment, a contact method is employed for the heater 560 . That is, a configuration in which the heater 560 is brought into direct contact with the outer periphery of the catalyst 550 is adopted.

However, a non-contact method may be employed for the heater 560 . That is, a configuration in which the heater 560 is disposed in the air passage downstream of the fan 510 and upstream of the catalyst 550 may be employed. This configuration makes it possible to heat the air in the blower path and uniformly raise the entire surface of the catalyst 550 to the activation temperature.

In addition, in this fifth embodiment, when the deodorizing device 5 is in the regeneration mode, the fan control unit 501 sets the rotational speed of the fan 510 to a low speed. However, this is not limited to this. The fan controller 501 may rotate the fan 510 intermittently. In this case, the fan controller 501 is an example of a blower controller that controls the driving of the fan 510 to rotate intermittently when the heater 560 heats the catalyst 550 . In the case where the contact method is employed for the heater 560, the fan control unit 501 may stop rotation of the fan 510 when the deodorizing device 5 is in the regeneration mode. In this case, the fan controller 501 is an example of a blower controller that controls driving of the fan 510 to stop when the heater 560 heats the catalyst 550 .

As described above, in the deodorization device 5 according to the fifth embodiment, since the catalyst 550 is regenerated, the adsorption performance (deodorization performance) of the catalyst 550 can be maintained for a longer period of time compared to the case where the catalyst 550 is not regenerated. there is. In addition, the decomposition rate is increased by using the catalyst 550 for regeneration and exposing the odor adsorbed to the catalyst 550 to the catalyst 550 . In addition, in order to regenerate the catalyst 550, even if the temperature inside the case 590 is increased, the opening/closing mechanism is closed to circulate the heat used for heating. In addition, since the case 590 has a double structure in which an air layer 599 is formed inside, thermal insulation between the inside and outside of the case 590 is achieved. Therefore, the deodorizing device 5 does not discharge the heat used for heating. As a result, the deodorizing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment can be used even in an environment in which a low temperature must be maintained, such as in a cold storage compartment of a refrigerator, for example. In addition, even if an odor is generated upon decomposition of the odorous substances adsorbed on the catalyst 550, the odor is not discharged into the refrigerator by closing the opening/closing mechanism.

In the fifth embodiment, either a non-contact method or a contact method may be employed as the heater 560 . When a non-contact method, that is, a configuration in which the heater 560 is disposed in the air passage on the downstream side of the fan 510 and upstream of the catalyst 550 is adopted, the front surface of the catalyst 550 can be warmed, and it is inexpensive. can do. Meanwhile, when a contact method, that is, a configuration in which the heater 560 is in direct contact with the catalyst 550 is employed, the configuration can be simplified.

On the other hand, in the deodorizing device 5 described above, the timing for alternately performing the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode is not particularly limited. For example, the deodorizing device 5 may switch to the regeneration mode after performing the adsorption mode for a predetermined adsorption mode period, and then switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for a predetermined regeneration mode period. The adsorption mode period and the regeneration mode period may be the same or different.

In addition, the deodorizing device 5 includes an odor sensor (not shown) that detects odor, for example, downstream of the catalyst 550, and when the amount of odor detected by the odor sensor exceeds a predetermined amount, , it is okay to switch from adsorption mode to regeneration mode. In this case, the deodorizing device 5 may switch to the adsorption mode after performing the regeneration mode for the regeneration mode period.

Since the refrigerator to which the deodorizing device 5 according to the fifth embodiment is applied is similar to the refrigerator to which the deodorizing device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is applied, description is omitted. However, in the first embodiment, the deodorizing device 1 is arranged such that the inlet 91 of the case 90 is forward and the outlet 92 of the case 90 is rearward. However, in the fifth embodiment, The deodorizing device 5 is arranged so that the lower surface of the case 590 faces the lower side of the refrigerator, and the inlet 591 is positioned backward and the outlet 592 is forward on the lower surface of the case 590 .

1, 3, 4, 5: deodorization device
10, 310, 410, 510: fan
20, 420: adsorption material
30, 430: upstream heater
40: heat sink for heating
50, 350, 450, 550: catalyst
60, 460: downstream heater
70: cooling unit
80: heat sink for heat retention
85: heat sink for cooling
90, 390, 490, 590: case
100, 300, 400, 500: control device
360, 560: heater
365, 565: metal parts
371, 471, 571: shutter
372, 472: damper
373, 473: solenoid
573: bimetal plate

Claims (20)

a refrigerating chamber for refrigerating goods; and
Including; deodorizing device disposed in the refrigerating compartment,
The deodorizing device,
a blower that generates a flow of air;
an adsorbent disposed on the downstream side of the blower to adsorb odorous substances in the passing air and decompose the odorous substances by being heated;
an upstream heater disposed downstream of the blower and upstream of the adsorption material to heat the adsorption material;
a catalyst disposed downstream of the blower and downstream of the adsorption material to decompose odorous substances desorbed from the adsorption material;
a downstream heater disposed downstream of the adsorption material and upstream of the catalyst to heat air flowing into the catalyst; and
A refrigerator comprising: a suppressor preventing air passing through the adsorption material and the catalyst from being discharged outside the device. delete According to claim 1,
The deodorization device further includes a case accommodating the blower, the heater, the adsorption material, and the catalyst, and having an inlet through which air enters and an outlet through which air exits,
The suppressor is configured to circulate air that has passed through the adsorption material and the catalyst in the case in a state in which the inlet and the outlet are closed. According to claim 3,
The deodorizing device,
an opening and closing member that opens and closes the inlet and the outlet of the case in conjunction with each other; and
A refrigerator further comprising an opening/closing control member controlling the opening/closing member to close the inlet and the outlet of the case when the heater heats the adsorption material and the catalyst or the air introduced into the adsorption material and the catalyst. . According to claim 4,
The opening and closing control member includes a metal plate in which two types of metals having different coefficients of thermal expansion are combined. According to claim 4,
The refrigerator further comprises a component for transferring heat from the heater to the opening/closing control member. According to claim 1,
The heater is configured to heat the adsorbent material and the catalyst in a state of not contacting the adsorbent material and the catalyst. According to claim 7,
The deodorizing device further includes at least one processor controlling driving of the blower,
Wherein the at least one processor is configured to control driving of the blower so that when the heater heats the air, the air volume is lower than when the heater does not heat the air. According to claim 1,
The heater is configured to heat the adsorption material and the catalyst while in contact with the adsorption material and the catalyst. According to claim 9,
The deodorizing device further includes at least one processor controlling driving of the blower,
The at least one processor controls driving of the blower to stop when the heater heats air. delete According to claim 1,
The deodorizing device further comprises a cooler for cooling the air passing through the catalyst. According to claim 12,
The deodorizing device further includes at least one processor controlling driving of the blower,
Wherein the at least one processor is configured to control driving of the blower so that when the heater heats the air, the air volume is lower than when the heater does not heat the air. According to claim 12,
The deodorizing device,
a decomposition heater for heating the catalyst; and
A refrigerator further comprising a cooling heat sink installed on a downstream side of the catalyst and configured to cool the air passing through the catalyst. According to claim 14,
The refrigerator further comprises a heat sink for heating, wherein the deodorizing device is installed on an upstream side of the adsorption material as a downstream side of the blower and heats air sent by the blower. According to claim 15,
The cooler includes a heat exchange element disposed between the cooling heat sink and the heating heat sink to absorb heat from the cooling heat sink side and dissipate heat from the heating heat sink side. According to claim 12,
The deodorizing device includes a case in which the adsorption material, the catalyst, and the cooler are accommodated, and an air inlet and an air outlet are formed, and an air flow path from the inlet to the outlet is U-shaped. Refrigerator further included. delete delete delete

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