KR20210051394A - Food storage apparatus and refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food storage apparatus and a refrigerator having the same. With the present invention, food freshness can be maintained without any degradation in taste or color even in the case of long-term food storage. The food storage apparatus includes: a power supply unit supplying a DC voltage; a conversion unit converting the DC voltage into an AC voltage; a transformer receiving the AC voltage with a primary coil and transmitting the voltage to a secondary coil; a resistance element having one end electrically connected to a first terminal of the secondary coil; a conductor module electrically connected to the other end of the resistance element and radiating electromagnetic waves in response to current output through the first terminal; a sealing housing sealing the conductor module outside; a switch between the resistance element and the at least one conductor; and a control unit controlling the operation of the switch. The current output from the first terminal ranges from 0.1 to 1.5 mA, and the at least one conductor radiates the electromagnetic waves to the air while being vibrated by the current.

Description

Food storage apparatus and refrigerator having the same food storage apparatus {Food storage apparatus and refrigerator having the same}

The present invention relates to a food storage device, and in particular, to a food storage device that maintains freshness without changing the taste or color of food even if the food is stored for a long time, and a refrigerator having the same.

Various devices have been proposed to store food. As a typical example, a refrigerator maintains a desired temperature while food is placed in an internal storage space so that food can be stored for a long time.

However, if the refrigerator door is frequently opened and closed, external air flows into the internal space of the refrigerator, causing temperature change, resulting in a decrease in the freshness of the food, and there is a problem in that the taste and color are deteriorated when stored for a long time.

Meanwhile, in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1203948, a reflector is installed on the inner wall of the box where food is stored, and a reflector is formed on the inner wall of the box, and a lighting unit that irradiates a special wavelength on the wall or corner is installed to transport food at room temperature or A storage device for improving the storability of food, which can prevent spoilage of food for a long period of time and maintain nutrients and freshness, has been disclosed since it improves the storage period of food during storage and storage.

However, since the preservation device needs to be installed with an illumination unit that irradiates a special wavelength, there is a problem in that the cost increases and the wavelength must be irradiated differently depending on the type of food.

In addition, Republic of Korea Utility Model Publication No. 20-0427726 states that the temperature and humidity of the storage room are controlled according to the type of food stored in the storage room of the food storage device, and nitrogen of appropriate purity according to the type of food in the food storage device without recharging. A food storage device with a built-in nitrogen generating device capable of storing for a long time while maintaining optimum freshness according to the type of food by generating and supplying it to a storage room is disclosed.

However, since the food storage device needs to supply nitrogen according to the type of food, there is a problem that a nitrogen generator must be provided.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1203948 Republic of Korea Utility Model Publication No. 20-0427726

An object of the present invention is to provide a food storage device capable of maintaining freshness without changing the taste or color of food even when food is stored for a long time, and a refrigerator having the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a food storage device and a refrigerator equipped with the same to maintain a good storage state of food by applying an electromagnetic wave to the food while the food is placed on the upper surface.

An object of the present invention is to provide a food storage device miniaturized so that it can be installed in an existing refrigerator while having a simple configuration and low manufacturing cost, and a refrigerator having the same.

A food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply for supplying a DC voltage; A conversion unit for converting a DC voltage supplied from the power unit into an AC voltage; A transformer receiving the AC voltage as a primary coil and transmitting it to a secondary coil; A resistance element having one end electrically connected to the first terminal of the secondary coil; A conductor module electrically connected to the other end of the resistance element and emitting an electromagnetic wave by a current output through the first terminal; A sealing housing for sealing the conductor module from the outside; A switch installed between the resistance element and the at least one conductor; And a control unit for controlling the operation of the switch, wherein the current output from the first terminal is in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 mA, and the at least one conductor vibrates by the current and emits the electromagnetic wave into the air.

In one embodiment, the conductor module includes a conductor formed of a flat plate-shaped plate.

In another embodiment, each of the conductor modules has a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm and includes a plurality of wire rods each having a straight line, wherein the conductor module includes first and second conductive members, and the plurality of wire rods have one end of each It is connected to the first conductive member, and each other end is connected to the second conductive member.

In another embodiment, the conductor modules each have a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm and are formed of a plurality of wires each having a spring shape, wherein the conductor module includes first and second conductive members, and the plurality of wires are each One end of is connected to the first conductive member, and each other end is connected to the second conductive member.

The voltage output from the power unit is a DC voltage of 5 to 24V, and the voltage delivered to the secondary coil is an AC voltage of 3,000V.

In one embodiment, the second terminal of the secondary coil maintains a floating state.

In another embodiment, the second terminal of the secondary coil is connected to the ground.

In another embodiment, the second terminal of the secondary coil is electrically connected to one terminal of the primary coil.

In addition, the present invention provides a refrigerator in which such a food storage device is disposed in an internal space.

According to the present invention, even if the food is stored for a long time, the taste or color of the food is not altered and freshness can be maintained.

According to the present invention, electromagnetic waves are provided while food is placed to maintain good storage conditions of the food.

According to the present invention, the configuration is simple and the manufacturing cost is low, and it can be installed inside the refrigerator.

1 is a block diagram of a food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exemplary view in which a food storage device is provided in a refrigerator in an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exemplary view of a sealed housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A to 4D are exemplary views of a conductor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing the results of experimentally checking the intensity of electromagnetic waves at a plurality of points from the food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing the result of experimentally confirming the amount of on-zone generation at a plurality of points from the food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

1 is a block diagram of a food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exemplary view in which a food storage device is provided in a refrigerator in an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, the food storage device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply unit 110, a conversion unit 120, a transformer 130, a resistance element 140, and a conductor module 150. ), the switch 160, and the control unit 170 may be included.

The power supply unit 110 may provide a DC voltage. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 110 may supply a DC voltage in the range of 5 to 24V, for example.

The conversion unit 120 may convert a DC voltage supplied from the power supply unit 110 into an AC voltage. The conversion unit 120 may include, for example, a DAC converter. In this embodiment, the conversion unit 120 may supply an AC voltage to the primary coil 131 of the transformer 130. The AC voltage can be in the range of 5 to 24V, for example.

One terminal of the converter 120 is connected to one terminal 131a of the primary coil 131 of the transformer 130, and the other terminal of the converter 120 is the other terminal 131b of the primary coil 131 Can be connected with.

The transformer 130 may transmit the AC voltage supplied from the conversion unit 120 to the primary coil 131 to the secondary coil 132 in a magnetic coupling (conductive coupling) method. The transformer 130 may adjust the output voltage of the secondary coil 132 by adjusting the number of turns of the primary coil 131 and the secondary coil 132.

For example, an AC voltage of 5 to 24V supplied to the primary coil 131 may be converted to an AC voltage of 3,000V to the secondary coil 132 and output. Of course, the magnitude of this voltage can be changed by adjusting the number of windings.

The secondary coil 132 may have a first terminal 132a and a second terminal 132b. A resistance element 140 may be connected in series to one of these terminals, the first terminal 132a. That is, one end of the resistance element 140 may be electrically connected to the first terminal 132a.

The other end of the resistance element 140 may be connected to the conductor module 150.

The conductor module 150 may include one or more conductors 152. In this case, the resistance element 140 may be connected to one or more conductors 152, respectively. The conductor 152 may emit electromagnetic waves by the current output through the first terminal 132a.

The conductor module 150 may be completely sealed from the outside by the sealing housing 151. Accordingly, when the conductor module 150 is disposed, for example, in the freezing or refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator 10, moisture does not flow into the conductor module 150.

The sealing housing 151 may be formed of an insulator. Thus, even if the user touches the sealing housing 151, safety from the conductor module 150 can be ensured.

In a state where the conductor module 150 is sealed with the sealing housing 151, the sealing housing 151 can form the exterior of the conductor module 150, and the shape of the exterior is generally flat so that food can be placed on the upper surface thereof. Can be made.

A switch 160 may be installed between the resistance element 130 and the conductor module 150. In this embodiment, the switch 160 may supply and cut off the current output from the first terminal 132a and transmitted through the resistance element 140 to the conductor module 150. The operation of the switch 160 is controlled by the control unit 170.

That is, when supplying current to the conductor module 150, the controller 170 turns on the switch 160 so that the current output from the first terminal 132a is supplied to the conductor module 150 through the resistance element 140. do. Conversely, when current is not supplied to the conductor module 150, the switch 160 is turned off so that the current output from the first terminal 132a is not supplied to the conductor module 150 through the resistance element 140.

In this way, the controller 170 may control the on/off operation of the switch 160.

In this embodiment, when the AC voltage supplied to the primary coil 131 of the transformer 130 is 5 to 24V and the voltage induced to the secondary coil 132 is 3,000V, the current output from the first terminal 132a Can be in the range of 0.1~1.5㎃.

This range of current may be set so that a predetermined amount of electromagnetic waves can be emitted from the conductor 152 while preventing a user's electrical safety accident with respect to one or more conductors 152 constituting the conductor module 150.

That is, food may be placed on the upper surface of the conductor module 150 in this embodiment. At this time, it is important to set the magnitude of the current so that the electromagnetic wave generated from the conductor 152 can be sufficiently transmitted to the food.

The magnitude of this current may be determined by the size of the resistance element 140 connected to the first terminal 132a. Therefore, the resistance value of the resistance element 140 may be set such that the range of the current is 0.1 to 1.5 mA.

Meanwhile, in an embodiment, the second terminal 132b of the secondary coil 132 may maintain a floating state. In another embodiment, the second terminal 132b may be connected to the ground. In another embodiment, the second terminal 132b may be connected to any one terminal of the primary coil 131.

The food storage device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be seated in the internal space of the refrigerator 10. For example, it may be disposed in at least one of the freezing compartment 11 or the refrigerating compartment 12 of the refrigerator 10.

The refrigerator 10 may include a cabinet 13 that forms an exterior and has a space therein, and a door 14 that opens and closes the inner space of the cabinet 13. The inner space can be divided into a number of spaces. For example, it may be divided into a freezing compartment 11 and a refrigerating compartment 12. Of course, additionally, separate spaces may be further divided.

When installed in the internal space of the refrigerator 10, the sealing housing 151 sealing the conductor module 150 from the outside may be stably seated. Food 30 may be placed on the upper surface of the sealing housing 151. For example, the food 30 may be meat, vegetables, fish, or the like, and may generally include all foods that can be stored in a refrigerator.

In this case, when disposed inside the refrigerator 10, the power supply unit 110, the conversion unit 120, the transformer 130, the resistance element 140, and the additional housing 20 provided separately from the conductor module 150 Components of the switch 160 and the control unit 170 may be disposed. The additional housing 20 may be coupled to one side of the sealing housing 151.

3 is an exemplary diagram of a sealed housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4A to 4D are exemplary diagrams of a conductor module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4A to 4D, the sealing housing 151 according to the embodiment of the present invention closes the housing main body 151a and the upper surface of the housing main body 151a provided with a space 153 therein. It may include a lid (151b).

The conductor module 150 may be seated in the inner space 153 of the housing body 151a. When the conductor module 150 is seated on the housing body 151a, the conductor module 150 may be sealed by sealing the contact portion between the housing body 151a and the lid 151b with an adhesive or the like after covering the lid 151b.

A hole 154 may be formed at one side of the housing body 151a, and a power line connected to the switch 160 through the hole 154 may be connected to the conductor 152.

Of course, such a hole 154 may be formed on one side of the lid (151b).

The conductor module 150 of the present invention may include at least one conductor 152.

According to an embodiment, the conductor 152 may have a certain area and may be formed in a flat plate shape. The conductor 152 may be electrically connected to one end of the switch 160.

According to another embodiment, a plurality of conductors 152 may be implemented, each of which has a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm, and may be formed of a plurality of wires each having a straight line. At this time, the conductor module 150 includes first and second conductive members 153 and 154 on both sides, and each end of the plurality of wire rods is connected to the first conductive member 153 and the other end of each of the second conductive members 154 ) Can be connected.

That is, the first and second conductive members 153 and 154 are arranged side by side on both sides, and a plurality of conductors 152 of a wire rod are disposed between them, and both ends of each conductor 152 are respectively first and second conductive members 153 and 154. ).

Any one of the first and second conductive members 153 and 154 may be electrically connected to one end of the switch 160.

According to another embodiment, the conductor 152 may have the plurality of wire rods formed in a spring shape. That is, each of the conductors 152 has a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm, and may be formed of a plurality of wires each having a spring shape.

In this case, too, the conductor module 150 includes first and second conductive members 153 and 154 on both sides, and each end of the plurality of spring-shaped wire rods is connected to the first conductive member 153 and the other end of each is connected to the second conductive member 153. It may be connected to the conductive member 154.

On the other hand, the spring-shaped wire rod can be formed with a smaller diameter, and the number of spring-shaped windings can be increased. However, it may be difficult to implement a spring shape with a smaller diameter of the wire, so in this embodiment, the bobbin 155 is provided and a wire having a smaller diameter is wound on the bobbin 155, so that the overall configuration can be formed in a spring shape. have.

In this case, when the wire rod is wound on the bobbin 155, it is possible to wind more by winding more densely than the spring type without the bobbin 155. In particular, the spring-shaped conductor including the bobbin 155 can be wound more with a wire rod having a smaller diameter than the spring-shaped conductor without the bobbin 155.

In this embodiment, for example, a straight wire rod is 0.5 mm, a spring wire rod without a bobbin 155 is 0.3 mm, and if there is a bobbin 155, a thinner wire rod can be used. As a wire rod with a smaller diameter, it can be set to 0.08 mm.

In the case of winding more wires with a smaller diameter like this, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave is greater and the amount of ozone is generated less. This is more advantageous in maintaining the freshness and quality of food, and this example is experimentally proven.

5 is a view showing the result of experimentally checking the intensity of electromagnetic waves with respect to the distance separated from the conductor module in the food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a food storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a diagram showing the result of experimentally confirming the ozone generation amount for a distance separated from the conductor module.

5 and 6, in the experimental example of the food storage device according to the present invention, a plate-shaped conductor (FIG. 4A), a straight wire conductor (FIG. 4B), and a spring-shaped wire conductor (FIG. 4C), For a wire conductor (FIG. 4D) in which the bobbin 155 is inserted into the spring, the intensity of electromagnetic waves emitted from the respective conductors 152 and the amount of ozone generated are measured.

To this end, in this experiment, an AC voltage of 12V is applied to the primary coil 131 of the transformer 130 and an AC voltage of 3,000V is induced to the secondary coil 132, and a resistance element having a resistance value of 10㏁. After connecting 140 to the first terminal 132a of the secondary coil 132, the switch 160 was turned on to measure the amount of electromagnetic waves and ozone emitted from the conductor 152.

Measurement locations were 0 cm, 50 cm, and 100 cm points vertically from the conductor module 150, and the intensity of the electromagnetic wave was measured at each point, and the ozone generation was measured at 10 cm in the same way for all conductors.

In this experiment, the plate-shaped conductor is 200×400 mm in size, the diameter of the straight wire conductor is 0.5 mm, the diameter of the spring-shaped wire conductor is 0.3 mm, and the spring-shaped wire including the bobbin inside. The diameter of the conductor was set to 0.08 mm.

As a result of this measurement, looking at the intensity of the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic waves were measured at 1.171V/m, 0.034V/m, and 0.018V/m respectively at the points of 0cm, 50cm, and 100cm in the plate-shaped conductor. In the wire conductor, the measurements were 1.525V/m, 0.253V/m, and 0.039V/m, respectively. The spring-type wire conductor was measured as 1.786V/m, 0.471V/m, and 0.065V/m, and the spring-type wire conductor including the bobbin inside was 1.987V/m, 0.786V/m, and 0.095V. It was measured in /m.

Through these experiments, it can be seen that the electromagnetic wave is stronger at the same point where the conductor of the wire rod is than the conductor of the plate. In addition, even in the case of the wire conductor, it can be seen that the spring-type wire conductor has a stronger electromagnetic wave intensity and the spring-type wire conductor including the bobbin is stronger than the straight wire conductor.

In addition, since the strength of the electromagnetic wave is proportional to the sterilizing power, it is advantageous for food storage that the strength of the electromagnetic wave is large. That is, as can be seen from the results of the experiment on the intensity of the electromagnetic wave, the conductor of the wire rod (FIG. 4B) is more advantageous for food storage than the conductor of the plate (FIG. 4A), and even in the case of a wire rod, a straight wire rod (FIG. 4B) Rather, a spring-type wire (FIG. 4C) is more advantageous, and a spring-type wire (FIG. 4D) in which the bobbin 155 is inserted into the spring is more advantageous. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave may be an electric field.

In addition, when looking at the ozone generation status, 1870 ppm of ozone was detected in the plate-shaped conductor, 1120 ppm for the straight wire conductor, 786 ppm for the spring-shaped wire conductor, and 41 ppm for the spring-type wire conductor with a bobbin inside. Each was detected.

Through these experiments, it can be seen that the amount of ozone generated at the same point where the conductor of the wire rod is the same than that of the plate-shaped conductor. In addition, even in the case of the wire conductor, it can be seen that the amount of ozone generation is significantly lower in the spring-type wire rod than in the straight-type wire rod, and the thinner and more wound form of the spring-type wire rod.

Therefore, in the present invention, a wire conductor is used rather than a plate-shaped conductor, and even a wire rod is a spring type or a wire rod having a smaller diameter is wound and used.

Ozone can affect the taste and color of food, so reducing the amount of ozone as much as possible is advantageous for food storage.

Therefore, through these experiments, it can be seen that the conductor of the wire rod is more advantageous for food storage than the conductor of the plate.

As described above, the present invention is advantageous in food storage by flowing a microcurrent in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 ㎃ to a conductor while inducing a high voltage through a transformer to emit electromagnetic waves through the conductor and minimizing ozone generation. Provides a food storage device.

Such a food storage device may be mounted inside a refrigerator, and an electromagnetic wave is transmitted to the food by applying a current to a conductor while the food is placed on the upper surface, thereby making it advantageous for long-term storage of the food.

110: power supply unit 120: conversion unit
130: transformer 131: primary coil
132: secondary coil 140: resistance element
150: conductor module 151: sealed housing
152: conductor 153: inner space
154: hall 160: switch
170: control unit

Claims (13)

A power supply for supplying a DC voltage;
A conversion unit for converting a DC voltage supplied from the power unit into an AC voltage;
A transformer receiving the AC voltage as a primary coil and transmitting it to a secondary coil;
A resistance element having one end electrically connected to the first terminal of the secondary coil;
A conductor module electrically connected to the other end of the resistance element and emitting electromagnetic waves by a current output through the first terminal;
A sealing housing for sealing the conductor module from the outside;
A switch installed between the resistance element and the at least one conductor;
And a control unit for controlling the operation of the switch
A food storage device in which the current output from the first terminal is in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 mA, and the at least one conductor vibrates by the current and emits the electromagnetic wave into the air. The method of claim 1,
The conductor module is a food storage device comprising a conductor formed in a flat plate-like structure. The method of claim 1,
Each of the conductor modules has a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm and a food storage device including a plurality of wire rods each having a linear shape. The method of claim 3,
The conductor module includes first and second conductive members, and each of the plurality of wire rods has one end connected to the first conductive member and each other end connected to the second conductive member. The method of claim 1,
Each of the conductor modules has a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm and is a food storage device formed of a plurality of wires each having a spring shape. The method of claim 5,
The conductor module includes first and second conductive members, and each of the plurality of wire rods has one end connected to the first conductive member and each other end connected to the second conductive member. The method of claim 1,
Each of the conductor modules has a diameter of 0.08 to 10 mm, and is wound on a bobbin a plurality of times to form a food storage device formed of a plurality of wires in the form of a spring. The method of claim 5,
The conductor module includes first and second conductive members, and each of the plurality of wire rods has one end connected to the first conductive member and each other end connected to the second conductive member. The method of claim 1,
A food storage device in which the voltage output from the power unit is a DC voltage of 5 to 24V, and the voltage delivered to the secondary coil is an AC voltage of 3,000V. The method of claim 1,
A food storage device in which the second terminal of the secondary coil maintains a floating state. The method of claim 1,
A food storage device in which the second terminal of the secondary coil is connected to the ground. The method of claim 1,
A food storage device in which the second terminal of the secondary coil is electrically connected to one terminal of the primary coil. A refrigerator in which the food storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is disposed in an interior space.

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