WO2011135865A1

WO2011135865A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2011135865A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/002504
Authority: WO
Inventors: 亜有子中村; 正足立; 優子藤井; 剛樹平井; 泰樹浜野
Original assignee: パナソニック株式会社
Priority date: 2010-04-28
Filing date: 2011-04-28
Publication date: 2011-11-03
Also published as: JPWO2011135865A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator (100A) provided with storage chambers including a refrigeration chamber (104), a first freezing chamber (107), a second freezing chamber (105), etc. At least one of the storage chambers is a compartmental storage chamber having, on the inside thereof, a first storage compartment in which a predetermined temperature range that has been determined for the storage chamber is maintained, and a second storage compartment (105b) having a temperature range different from the predetermined temperature range.

Description

refrigerator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and particularly to a refrigerator including a storage room having a structure having a plurality of storage compartments.

In today's remarkable changes in the living environment, an increasing number of families have different times for their families to eat. Along with this, the work of refrigerated storage of cooked food (dish) and reheating before meals, and thawing and cooking of frozen food is increasing.

Refrigeration or freezing processes are indispensable for safe and long-term preservation of food. Therefore, food is mainly stored in the refrigerator at home. On the other hand, since reheating and thawing are performed by a cooking device such as a microwave oven or a stove, stored foods must be taken out from the refrigerator, transferred, reheated or thawed, and arranged on the table. Therefore, cooking refrigerated or frozen foods has been a tedious task. In addition, it is necessary for the user to perform the take-out work, and reservation cooking or the like was impossible.

In order to solve this problem, a refrigerator having a switching chamber that can freely set the temperature from the freezing temperature to the heating temperature has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a refrigerator provided with a conventional independent switching chamber disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 15, a temperature switching chamber 902 is provided on the left side of the middle stage of the refrigerator 901. When the temperature switching chamber 902 is switched to a low temperature side composed of operation modes such as freezing, partial, chilled, and refrigerated, the cool air passage 904 is introduced from the cooler 903 to become a low temperature chamber. Thereby, a store thing can be stored refrigerated or frozen. When the temperature switching chamber 2 is switched to the operation mode on the high temperature side, the heating means 905 is driven, and air is circulated in the temperature switching chamber 902 by the temperature switching chamber blower 906 to become a high temperature chamber. Thereby, the heat preservation | save of the heat-cooked food can be performed temporarily, or the warm cooking of the wintertime etc. can be performed. Further, when the temperature switching chamber 902 is switched to the rapid thawing mode, warm air is supplied to the stored items by driving the heating means 905 and the temperature switching chamber blower 906, and the stored items are defrosted.

Also, a refrigerator having a dedicated thawing chamber for thawing frozen food has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a refrigerator including a thawing chamber disclosed in Patent Document 2, and FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view showing a specific configuration of the thawing chamber.

As shown in FIG. 16, the refrigerator 911 is partitioned into a freezer compartment 913 and a refrigerator compartment 914 by a partition wall 912 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, a compressor 916 constituting a refrigeration cycle is provided in a machine room 915 provided at the lower part of the refrigerator 911, and a cooler 918 is provided in the cooling room 917. The air cooled by the cooler 918 passes through the duct 920 by the electric blower 919, is sent to the freezer compartment 913, and is sent from the cold air discharge port 921 having a damper device (not shown) to the refrigerator compartment 914 to cool the inside of the warehouse. ing. The thawing chamber 922 is provided in front of the cold air discharge port 921 at the top of the refrigerating chamber 914 and has a radio wave stirring chamber 923 at the bottom.

As shown in FIG. 17, the thawing chamber 922 includes a cavity 924 and a meat dish 925. The cavity 924 is made of a high-frequency radio wave reflecting material and has a front opening 924a. The meat dish 925 is formed of a low dielectric constant material, and is inserted into the cavity 924 through the front opening 924a. A cold air vent 924b is formed at a position corresponding to the cold air outlet 921 on the rear wall (not shown) of the cavity 924 and the front of the top wall, and a through hole 925a is also formed on the rear wall of the meat dish 925. It has been drilled. Thereby, the cold air discharged into the refrigerator compartment 914 can circulate in the thawing chamber 922 as shown by the arrow in FIG.

The machine room 915 is provided with a high frequency generator 928 including a magnetron oscillating unit 926 and a magnetron power supply device 927, and is coupled by a radio wave stirring chamber 923 and a waveguide circuit 929. A stirrer fan (not shown) is provided in the radio wave stirring chamber 923 to reflect the radio wave to the upper cavity 924.

According to the above configuration, the frozen food placed on the meat dish 925 can be thawed quickly by high frequency while circulating the cold air in the thawing chamber.

JP 2007-57160 A (corresponding patent publication: Japanese Patent No. 3885158) Japanese Patent Publication No.3-33192

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, when the switching room is set to the freezing temperature and the frozen food purchased is stored, the setting of the switching room is changed to the thawing mode, and the frozen food is left as it is. Can be thawed. However, since the entire switching chamber is heated and thawed, food that is not thawed needs to be transferred to the freezer compartment. Further, since the internal temperature rises from the freezing temperature zone to the thawing temperature (at least 0 ° C. or higher), thawing takes a large amount of energy and time, and there is a problem that power consumption increases.

In addition, when keeping cooked food warm, it is necessary to heat up the inside of the cabinet in a planned manner according to the cooking end time, and to put the food in a hot room, which necessitates heat insulation. When it was done, there was also a problem that it could not be used immediately.

Further, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above, since the thawing chamber is provided in the refrigerator, even when refrigerated food is stored in the thawing chamber, the food is not transferred to another storage chamber, The thawing room can be emptied simply by organizing in the refrigerated room, but because it is in the refrigerated room, it can only be thawed and cannot be used as a storage compartment that has been frozen or cooled. .

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and does not require troublesome time or troublesome time for the user, reduces power consumption, and does not impair user convenience. Or it aims at providing the refrigerator which can implement | achieve functions other than the preservation | save by freezing.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a refrigerator body including a plurality of storage compartments that are thermally insulated, and a door that closes a front opening of the storage compartment, and includes at least the storage compartment. One is a compartment storage having a first storage compartment maintained in a preset temperature range preset in the storage room and a second storage compartment having a temperature region different from the preset temperature zone in the storage chamber. It is the structure which is a chamber.

In the refrigerator configured as described above, the compartment storage chamber is a freezer compartment that can be set at least in a freezing temperature zone, and the first storage compartment is a storage compartment that is maintained in the freezing temperature zone, and The second storage compartment may be a storage compartment having a temperature region different from the refrigeration temperature zone. As a result, it is possible to perform processes other than frozen storage by simply organizing the frozen food being stored in the freezer compartment into another storage room without changing it.

The refrigerator having the above-described configuration further includes an electromagnetic wave generator, the compartment storage chamber is a refrigerator compartment that can be set to at least a refrigeration temperature zone, and the first storage compartment is maintained in a refrigeration temperature zone. And the second storage section is a storage section having a temperature range equal to or lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, and electromagnetic waves oscillated from the electromagnetic wave generator are introduced into the second storage section. It may be a configuration. As a result, it is possible to realize high-quality refrigeration and high-quality thawing that cools while minimizing the deterioration of the refrigerator storage capacity and suppressing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the object to be cooled without providing a dedicated storage room. .

The above object, other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As described above, according to the present invention, functions other than storage by refrigeration or freezing are realized without requiring troublesome time or troublesome time for the user and suppressing power consumption without impairing the user's convenience. There is an effect that it is possible.

It is a front view which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the characteristic of the relationship between the time and temperature of the to-be-frozen thing in the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly state of the drawer door of the 2nd freezer compartment of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 4, a flame | frame, and a case. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows an example of a structure of the metal box with which the refrigerator shown in FIG. 7 is provided. It is a schematic side view which shows an example of the assembly state of the metal box shown in FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the other example of the assembly state of the metal box shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 11 taken along the line II-II. It is a front view which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the III-III arrow direction of the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is front sectional drawing which shows the structure of the middle step part of the conventional refrigerator. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the other conventional refrigerator. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the thawing room with which the conventional refrigerator shown in FIG. 16 is provided.

The present invention includes a refrigerator body having a heat-insulated compartment storage room and a door that closes the front opening of the storage room, and the storage room is a freezer room that can be set at least in a freezer temperature zone. The freezer compartment has a first storage compartment maintained in a freezing temperature zone and a second storage compartment having a temperature region different from the freezer temperature zone. Thereby, processes other than frozen preservation can be performed only by arranging in the same storage room, without transferring frozen food currently preserve | saved in a freezing room to another storage room. If the cooking compartment is, for example, 0 ° C. to 5 ° C., it can be thawed and stored as it is in the refrigerator.

Also, if the temperature is higher than 40 ° C, it can be cooked and kept warm. At that time, even when frozen foods other than the target foods are stored in the freezer compartment, there is a first storage compartment maintained in the freezing temperature zone in the same storage room, so without taking it out of the storage room, Since it is possible to prevent heating, usability is significantly improved.

Also, since the second storage compartment is a part of the freezer compartment, it is not necessary to keep the temperature of the entire storage compartment at a high temperature when cooking at high temperature or during heat insulation. Therefore, the time and energy required for temperature rise and heat retention are reduced, and energy saving is improved. If the second storage compartment is, for example, 0 ° C to 5 ° C, it can be thawed and stored frozen.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the second storage section may be a storage section that exhibits a function different from the function of freezing and holding food in the first storage section. Thereby, since the foodstuff currently preserve | saved in a freezer compartment can be processed other than frozen preservation | save, without moving to another storage room, a user's convenience improves.

In the refrigerator configured as described above, the second storage section may be a storage section having a function of cooking food. Thereby, since the foodstuff preserve | saved in the freezer compartment can be cooked, without moving to another storage room, a user's convenience improves. Moreover, since the food after cooking can be stored frozen without changing to another storage room, long-term storage can be realized without trouble.

In the refrigerator configured as described above, the second storage section may be a storage section having a function of thawing food. As a result, the frozen food stored in the freezer can be thawed without being transferred to another storage room, which improves usability. In addition, if you want to use a part of food for cooking and freeze the rest again, you can refreeze the unused portion without transferring it to another storage room. Can do.

In the refrigerator configured as described above, the second storage section may be a storage section having a function of heating food. Thus, the frozen food can be cooked without being transferred to another storage room, and can be taken out of the freezer room and arranged on the table as it is, so that the cooking time can be shortened. In addition, when the meal time of the family is shifted, meals for the number of people who eat late can be heated and stored in the second storage compartment of the freezer, and reheating is required when eating meals. If it is not eaten or should not be eaten that day, it can be stored frozen without changing to another storage room, so cooked foods can be stored safely and for long periods of time .

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the refrigerator main body may be provided with an electromagnetic wave generator, and the electromagnetic wave may be introduced into the second storage compartment. Thereby, energy can be given to the food regardless of the ambient temperature, so that the freezing temperature of the food can be arbitrarily operated to control the frozen state. Therefore, high-speed thawing can be realized without transferring the frozen food to another storage room, and usability can be further improved. At that time, since thawing can be performed in a low temperature atmosphere, an excessive temperature rise can be prevented and high thawing quality can be obtained.

Furthermore, since the food can be kept in a freezing state even below the freezing temperature, it can be left as it is for a long time even after thawing of the food. This can be prevented and the user can use it with peace of mind. In addition, by setting the second storage compartment temperature to −10 ° C. or lower and irradiating the food with electromagnetic waves, the formation of ice crystals in the food can be appropriately controlled, and high-quality freezing can be performed. Furthermore, after freezing in the second storage compartment, the food can be quickly frozen by transferring it to the first storage compartment at about −20 ° C., and a higher quality frozen state can be obtained.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, a metal box may be provided in the storage chamber, and a space in the metal box may be partitioned electromagnetically. Thereby, the area | region which irradiates electromagnetic waves, and the area | region which does not irradiate can be divided in the same space without a partition. Thereby, freezing preservation | save and thawing | decompression can be performed simultaneously in the same room, without impairing usability.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, a radio wave transmission suppressing unit may be provided as means for electromagnetically partitioning the space inside the metal box. Thereby, the electromagnetic wave irradiation area | region in a metal box can be limited.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the radio wave transmission suppressing portion may be provided in the front-rear direction of the metal box body and in the substantially central portion. Thereby, the storage area | region of both thawing | decompressing target food and frozen preservation | save food can be ensured moderately.

As described above, in the configuration of the present invention, the food can be transferred from the second storage compartment to the first storage compartment without being transferred to another storage room, so that high-quality freezing is performed without taking time and effort. be able to.

Or this invention is equipped with the refrigerator main body provided with the storage room divided by heat insulation, the door which obstruct | occludes the front opening part of the said storage room, and an electromagnetic wave generator, The said storage room is set to a refrigeration temperature range at least. A refrigerating room, wherein the refrigerating room has a first storage compartment maintained in a refrigeration temperature zone and a second storage compartment having a temperature region equal to or lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, and the electromagnetic wave The electromagnetic wave oscillated from the generator may be introduced into the second storage compartment. As a result, high-quality refrigeration and thawing can be realized in the second storage section while cooling while suppressing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the object to be cooled. High-quality freezing and thawing can be realized with the limit.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the electromagnetic wave generator is composed of an electromagnetic wave oscillator using a semiconductor element and an electromagnetic wave amplifier, and the installation space of the electromagnetic wave generator can be reduced as compared with a magnetron or the like. Storability can be improved.

In addition, since the electromagnetic wave oscillator using a semiconductor element can change the frequency of the generated electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave is more evenly applied to food by changing the reflection characteristics of the electromagnetic wave introduced into the second storage compartment. Can be irradiated. Therefore, since it is not necessary to attach an electromagnetic stirrer such as a stirrer fan, the installation space of the second storage section is reduced, and the storage capacity of the refrigerator can be improved.

Furthermore, reducing the space for the stirrer fan leads to a reduction in the internal volume of the second storage compartment, so that the efficiency of cooling and electromagnetic waves is improved and the energy saving performance can be improved. In addition, since the frequency can be varied, it is possible to select an optimum frequency for the food, so that the irradiation can be performed more efficiently, and the energy saving can be further improved.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the second storage section may include a vent communicating with the first storage section, and the vent may have an opening / closing mechanism. As a result, the temperature in the second storage compartment rises quickly by opening with the first storage compartment at the time of thawing, so that the thawing time can be shortened and user convenience can be improved. In addition, shortening the thawing time contributes to improving energy saving.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the refrigerator includes a plurality of storage chambers, the refrigerator compartment is disposed at the top of the refrigerator among the plurality of storage chambers, and the second storage compartment is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. It may be. As a result, the second storage compartment is located in the central part of the refrigerator, so that the storage container of the second storage compartment is easy to operate, the stored food is easily taken in and out, and the visibility is improved. Can be improved.

In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the refrigerator includes a plurality of storage chambers, the refrigerator compartment is disposed at the top of the refrigerator among the plurality of storage chambers, and the second storage section is provided at the top of the refrigerator compartment. It may be. As a result, the second storage compartment that cannot store a large amount of stored food is installed in the upper part, which is usually difficult to reach, so that the effect of deterioration of the storage capacity of the refrigerator compartment due to the installation of the second storage compartment is minimized to practical use. be able to.

The refrigerator having the above configuration includes a cooling means for cooling the storage chamber, the cooling means is a refrigeration cycle having at least a compressor, and the compressor may be provided at the upper part on the back side of the refrigerator body. Good. Thereby, since a refrigerator lower machine room space becomes small, a refrigerator lower storage room can be taken large in the depth direction. Therefore, compared with a refrigerator having an equivalent storage room, the uppermost refrigerating room entrance can be enlarged downward, and the storage capacity of the refrigerating room can be further improved.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout all the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted. In addition, this invention is not limited by each following embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100A according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a section of the refrigerator 100A shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the thawing time and the temperature change of the object to be frozen.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat insulating box 101 that is a main body of the refrigerator 100 </ b> A includes an outer box 102 mainly using a steel plate, an inner box 103 molded of a resin such as ABS, and an outer box 102. It is composed of a foam heat insulating material such as hard foamed urethane that is foam-filled in a space between the inner box 103, is insulated from the surroundings, and is partitioned into a plurality of storage chambers by partition walls. A refrigeration room 104 as a first storage room is provided at the top, and a second freezing room 105 as a fourth storage room and an ice making room 106 as a fifth storage room are provided side by side under the refrigeration room 104. The first freezing chamber 107 as the second storage chamber is disposed below the second freezing chamber 105 and the ice making chamber 106, and the vegetable chamber 108 as the third storage chamber is disposed at the bottom. ing.

The refrigerated room 104 is set in a refrigerated temperature zone, which is a temperature that does not freeze for refrigerated storage. Usually, the temperature is set to 1 ° C. to 5 ° C. The vegetable temperature range is 2 ° C to 7 ° C. The first freezer compartment 107 is set in a freezing temperature zone and is usually set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. for frozen storage, but for improving the frozen storage state, for example, −30 ° C. or It may be set at a low temperature of -25 ° C.

The second freezer compartment 105 has a freezing temperature zone equivalent to that of the first freezer compartment 107 or a slightly higher temperature setting of −20 ° C. to −12 ° C. as a first storage compartment, and a freezing compartment 105a of 0 ° C. or higher. And a thawing section 105b which is a second storage section capable of maintaining the temperature. The second freezing room 105 is a storage room provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making room 106, and is often provided with a drawer type door. Since the second freezer compartment 105 is divided into a freezer compartment 105a and a thawing compartment 105b, it corresponds to a compartment storage room among a plurality of storage rooms.

The ice making chamber 106 creates ice with an automatic ice maker (not shown) provided in the upper part of the room with water sent from a water storage tank (not shown) in the refrigerated room 104, and an ice storage container ( (Not shown).

The top surface portion of the heat insulating box 101 has a stepped recess shape toward the back side of the refrigerator 100A. A machine chamber 101a is formed in the stepped recess, and the compressor 109, The high-pressure side components of the refrigeration cycle such as a dryer (not shown) for removing moisture are accommodated. That is, the machine room 101 a in which the compressor 109 is disposed is formed by biting into the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 104.

Thus, by providing the machine room 101a in the rear region of the uppermost storage room of the heat insulation box 101 that has become a dead space that is difficult to reach, the compressor 109 is disposed in the conventional refrigerator. The space of the machine room 101a located at the lowermost part of the heat-insulating box 101 that is easy to use can be effectively converted as the storage room capacity, and the storage property or usability can be greatly improved.

The refrigeration cycle is formed of a series of refrigerant flow paths sequentially including a compressor 109, a condenser, a capillary as a decompressor, and a cooler 112 as an evaporator, and is a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant such as isobutane. Is enclosed.

Compressor 109 is a reciprocating compressor that compresses refrigerant by reciprocating a piston in a cylinder. In the case of a refrigeration cycle using a three-way valve or a switching valve for the heat insulation box 101, these functional parts may be disposed in the machine room 101a.

In the present embodiment, the decompressor constituting the refrigeration cycle is a capillary, but an electronic expansion valve that can freely control the flow rate of the refrigerant driven by the pulse motor may be used.

In the present embodiment, the matters relating to the main part of the invention described below are a general conventional refrigerator, specifically, a compressor provided by providing a machine room in the rear region of the lowermost storage room of the heat insulation box. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a type in which the above is disposed.

A cooling chamber 110 for generating cold air is provided on the back surface of the first freezing chamber 107, and a rear partition configured to be insulated from the second freezing chamber 105, the ice making chamber 106, and the first freezing chamber 107. A wall 111 is formed. In the cooling chamber 110, a cooler 112 is disposed, and in the upper space of the cooler 112, the cold air cooled by the cooler 112 by a forced convection method is stored in the refrigerating chamber 104, the second freezing chamber 105, and the ice making chamber. 106, the vegetable compartment 108, and the cooling fan 113 which ventilates to the 1st freezer compartment 107 are arrange | positioned.

Further, in the lower space of the cooler 112, there is provided a radiant heating means 114 made of glass tube for defrosting the cooler 112 and the frost or ice adhering to the periphery of the cooler 112 during cooling. A drain pan 115 for receiving the generated defrost water, a drain tube 116 penetrating from the deepest part to the outside of the cabinet are configured, and an evaporating dish 117 is configured outside of the downstream side.

In the second freezer compartment 105, a back side storage container 120 and a front side storage container 121 are placed on a frame 119 attached to the drawer door 118 of the second freezer compartment 105, and the freezing compartment 105a and the thawing respectively. A partition 105b is formed. The front storage container 121 is mechanically fixed to the drawer door 118 and the frame 119 with screws or the like.

The front storage container lid 122 for substantially sealing the front storage container 121 with the drawer door 118 closed is held by the first partition wall 123 above the second freezing chamber 105.

The front storage container 121 is composed of an inner storage container 121a using a non-magnetic iron plate and an outer storage container 121b using a heat insulating material, and the inner storage container 121a is just large enough to fit in the outer storage container 121b. The inner storage container 121a includes an upper surface flange 121c extending substantially horizontally in the outer direction of the storage container, and is configured to cover the upper surface opening of the outer storage container 121b. Note that the front surface portion of the outer storage container 121b may be integrally formed by the drawer door 118.

The front storage container lid 122 is composed of a base 122a using a non-magnetic iron plate and a frame 122b. With the drawer door 118 closed, the left and right sides, the back side, and the front side of the upper surface of the front storage container lid 122 and the front storage container 121 are in close contact with each other. The frame body 122b is welded to the base 122a, and is electrically and mechanically joined to form a flange portion of the front storage container lid body 122, thereby forming a choke structure that blocks electromagnetic waves from the upper surface flange 121c.

An antenna 124 for radiating electromagnetic waves is fixed to the center of the bottom surface of the front storage container lid 122, and an electromagnetic wave generator 125 is installed above the rear surface of the heat insulating box 101, preferably on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 104. The coaxial cable 126 is electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave generator 125, and the electromagnetic wave can be irradiated into the front storage container 121. Similarly, a temperature detection unit 127 is disposed on the bottom surface of the front storage container lid 122 and is electrically connected to the control unit 128. Further, the control means 128 is also electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave generator 125.

In addition, various methods can be considered for electromagnetic wave generation means. For example, there are those using a semiconductor such as Si, GaAs, SiC, and GaN, and those using a magnetron. When a magnetron is used for the electromagnetic wave generator 125, the electromagnetic wave may be fed into the front storage container 121 using a waveguide instead of the antenna 124. Various methods are conceivable for the temperature detecting means 127. For example, an infrared sensor that can detect infrared rays, or a thermistor that utilizes a change in resistance value depending on temperature may be used.

In addition, the cooling system including the cooling fan 113 or the compressor 109 described above is electrically connected to the control means 128.

Between the rear partition wall 111 and the cooling chamber 110, a conveyance air passage 129 is configured to convey the cold air sent out by the cooling fan 113 to each storage chamber. The upper part of the rear partition wall 111 on the back surface of the second freezer compartment 105 has a second freezer compartment discharge port 111 a for introducing the cool air of the conveying air passage 129 into the second freezer compartment 105. The second freezer compartment discharge port 111 a is formed above the conveying air passage 129 and directly discharges the cold air sent from the cooling fan 113.

In the present embodiment, matters relating to the main part of the invention described below are opened and closed by a general conventional refrigerator, specifically, a frame attached to a door and a rail provided in an inner box. Needless to say, it can be applied to types.

The operation and action of the refrigerator 100A of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

First, the operation of the refrigeration cycle will be described. The refrigeration cycle is operated by a signal from the control means 128 according to the set temperature in the refrigerator, and the cooling operation is performed. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the operation of the compressor 109 is condensed to some extent by a condenser (not shown), and further, the side surface or the rear surface of the heat insulating box body 101 which is the main body of the refrigerator 100A, or the heat insulating box body 101. The refrigerant is condensed and liquefied while preventing condensation of the heat insulating box 101 via a refrigerant pipe (not shown) disposed at the front face, and reaches a capillary tube (not shown). After that, the capillary tube is depressurized while exchanging heat with a suction pipe (not shown) to the compressor 109 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant and reaches the cooler 112.

Here, the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant passes through the conveyance air passage 129 by the operation of the cooling fan 113, and exchanges heat with the air in each storage chamber, and the refrigerant in the cooler 112 evaporates. At this time, cool air for cooling each storage chamber in the cooling chamber 110 is generated. The low temperature cold air is diverted from the cooling fan 113 to the refrigerator compartment 104, the second freezer compartment 105, the ice making compartment 106, the vegetable compartment 108, and the first freezer compartment 107 using an air passage or a damper. Cool to band.

At this time, the thawing compartment 105b is separated from the outer storage container 121b by the first freezing compartment 107, the freezing compartment 105a, the ice making compartment 106, and the first partition wall 123 is separated by the refrigerating compartment 104, the drawer door 118, and the heat insulation. The box 101 is in contact with the outside air. By determining the thickness of the outer storage container 121b according to the size and shape of the thawing section 105b, the temperature of the thawing section 105b can be designed to be a refrigeration temperature of 0 ° C. or higher.

When the temperature detection means 127 detects that frozen food has been put into the thawing section 105b, the control means 128 sends a thawing start signal, and the electromagnetic wave generator 125 operates to start thawing. An operation button that can be operated by the user may be installed on the front surface of the refrigerator 100A, and thawing may be started manually.

In any case, when using the thawing function, the user only needs to open the drawer door 118 and transfer the frozen food stored in the back storage container 120 to the front storage container 121, and open a plurality of storage rooms. Since it is not necessary to replace the food, not only the trouble of use but also the heat load on the refrigerator 100A can be minimized.

In this embodiment, thawing was performed with the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 set to 20 W and the temperature of the thawing section 105b set to 5 ° C. As a result, the thawing time required 50 minutes, but as a result of measuring the temperature after thawing at 23 locations, the temperature unevenness was only about 3 ° C. On the other hand, when the output of electromagnetic waves was increased to about 300 W assuming a microwave oven or the like, the temperature unevenness after thawing was about 20 ° C. On the other hand, as a general thawing method, when thawing in a refrigerator, the thawing unevenness was about 3 ° C., but thawing takes about 20 hours.

As a result, the refrigeration apparatus of the present embodiment can reduce temperature unevenness after thawing and further shorten the thawing time.

In this embodiment, the power of the electromagnetic wave used for thawing, that is, the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is performed at 20 W. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the power used for thawing is 100 W or less, preferably 50 W or less. This is desirable because it can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the temperature unevenness can be reduced in this embodiment, the frozen food can be thawed to, for example, −5 ° C. to −10 ° C., cut with a knife or the like, and the rest can be frozen again.

Generally, once frozen food is thawed and further frozen, cells are broken and quality is said to deteriorate. This is because ice crystals grow even when passing through the maximum ice crystal formation zone (-1 ° C to -5 ° C) during thawing, causing cell destruction. For this reason, it is necessary to shorten the time for passing through the maximum ice crystal formation zone in order to perform refreezing after thawing and freezing.

Fig. 3 shows the thawing time and the temperature change of frozen food. The temperature of frozen food is measured at the center, right end, and left end. The output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 used for thawing was 10 W, and the internal temperature of the thawing section 105b was 5 ° C. As shown in FIG. 3, even in the vicinity of −10 ° C., which can be subdivided with a knife, the temperature difference between the central portion and the end portion is about 2 ° C., and the highest temperature is −8 ° C. That is, since it is possible to thaw without passing through the maximum ice crystal formation zone, refreezing can be realized. If the thawed frozen food is a fish fillet or sliced meat, the user can separate the necessary amount with bare hands, so just open the drawer door 118 once and take out the necessary amount of thawed food, By transferring the rest to the back storage container 120, unnecessary refreezing can be performed without trouble.

In addition, when the temperature detecting means 127 detects the end of thawing, the control means 128 can automatically transmit a thawing end signal and stop the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125, so that the user is concerned about overheating. There is no need. Note that the refrigerator 100A is provided with a buzzer (or other sound) or light notification means to notify the user of the end of thawing, thereby preventing forgetting to take out after thawing.

Even if you forget to take out the food after thawing, in this embodiment, since the thawing section 105b is in the refrigerated temperature zone, it is possible to prevent the food from being damaged even if the frozen food after thawing is left unattended. it can.

In the present embodiment, since the second freezer compartment 105 has a refrigeration temperature zone of 0 ° C. or more near the drawer door 118, the second freezer compartment 105 as a whole is configured in the freezer temperature zone. The amount of heat exchange with the outside air performed through the drawer door 118 or the heat insulating box 101 is reduced. Therefore, the energy saving performance of the refrigerator 100A can be improved by providing the thawing section 105b. Further, maintaining the refrigeration temperature of the thawing section 105b can be realized without using various heating means, and energy for cooling to the freezing temperature zone is not required. The required power is smaller than that of the state constituted by.

Although the electromagnetic wave generator 125 generates heat when generating an electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is installed on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment 104 in the present embodiment, so that the temperature in the adjacent cabinet can be minimized. Because it can, energy saving will not be significantly reduced.

In the present embodiment, the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is installed on the back surface of the heat insulation box 101, but even if installed on the outside of the heat insulation box 101, for example, in the machine room 101a or on the top surface of the heat insulation box 101, Similar effects can be obtained. In addition, when the electromagnetic wave generator 125 has a low output and the surface temperature rise is small, even if it is installed in the storage room, the energy saving performance is not significantly reduced.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the drawer door is provided in the second freezer compartment 105 by having the freezing compartment 105a maintained in the freezing temperature zone and the thawing compartment 105b maintained in the refrigeration temperature zone. Since the frozen food can be thawed in the freezer simply by opening 118 and moving the frozen food from the frozen compartment 105a to the thaw compartment 105b, the user's effort can be minimized. Similarly, when re-frozen, it can be realized simply by moving food in the same storage room. In addition to the target food, when frozen food is stored in the second freezer compartment 105, the freezer compartment 105a exists in the same storage room, so there is no need to remove it from the storage room, and the usability is greatly improved. To do.

In addition, various heating means are not required for maintaining the refrigeration temperature zone of the thawing section 105b, and energy for cooling to the freezing temperature zone is not required, so that energy saving is improved. Furthermore, since the thawing section 105b is in a refrigerated temperature zone, heat exchange with the outside air can be suppressed by arranging it in front of the second freezer compartment 105, and energy saving is improved.

Further, by irradiating the food in the thawing section 105b with the electromagnetic wave generator 125, it becomes possible to reduce temperature unevenness after thawing and further shorten the thawing time. Can be improved.

In addition, since the temperature unevenness can be reduced, thawing can be performed up to about −10 ° C. where re-freezing is possible, so that the necessary amount can be re-frozen. Since the user does not need the trouble of subdividing and freezing in advance, the usability is improved.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of refrigerator 100B according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing of door 118 and frame 119 of second freezer compartment 205 in refrigerator 100B shown in FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of a side storage container 220 and a front storage container 221. FIG.

In addition, although description is abbreviate | omitted about the part which can apply the structure similar to Embodiment 1, and the same technical idea, unless there is a malfunction by combining this Embodiment with the structure of Embodiment 1, and implementing it. It is possible to apply in combination.

In the present embodiment, the second freezer compartment 205 has a freezing temperature zone equivalent to that of the first freezer compartment 107 or a slightly higher temperature setting of −20 ° C. to −12 ° C. as a freezing compartment 205a. And a cooking section 205b which is a second storage section capable of maintaining a freezing temperature of −10 ° C. to −5 ° C. In addition, since this 2nd freezer compartment 205 is divided into the freezing compartment 205a and the cooking compartment 205b, it is corresponded to the division storage room among several storage rooms.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the second freezer compartment 205, a back storage container 220 and a front storage container 221 are placed on a frame 119 attached to the drawer door 118 of the second freezer compartment 205. The freezing compartment 205a and the cooking compartment 205b are formed respectively. The front storage container 221 is mechanically fixed to the drawer door 118 and the frame 119 with screws or the like.

The back side storage container 220 is formed of a resin such as polypropylene, and has a slit 220a on the front surface. The depth of the back surface is formed to be lower than the second freezer compartment discharge port 111a provided on the back surface.

The front storage container 221 is formed of a nonmagnetic iron plate, and includes an upper surface flange 221c extending substantially horizontally in the outer direction of the storage container, and forms a choke structure that blocks electromagnetic waves from the flange portion of the front storage container lid 122.

About the refrigerator 100B of this Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

Cold air discharged from the second freezer compartment discharge port 111a flows into the back storage container 220, and cools the freezing compartment 205a. After that, it passes through the slit 220 a opened on the front surface of the back side storage container 220 and hits the front side storage container 221. Since the front storage container 221 is composed of iron plate parts, the entire container can be cooled and the cooking section 205b can be cooled. However, since the cold air is not directly introduced into the cooking compartment 205b and heat is exchanged with the outside air via the drawer door 118, the cooking compartment 205b has a temperature higher than that of the freezing compartment 205a, for example, −10 ° C. A temperature of about -7 ° C can be maintained. The temperature of the cooking section 205b is the air volume or temperature of the cold air discharged from the second freezer compartment outlet 111a, the size or shape of the front storage container 221, the size of the slit 220a, or the second freezer compartment By adjusting the distance between the discharge port 111a and the front storage container 221, the temperature can be designed to an arbitrary value.

In this embodiment, cooking was performed with the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 set to 3 W and the temperature of the cooking section 205 b set to −10 ° C. It is assumed that food at about 15 ° C., which is a relatively high temperature, is stored in the front storage container 221. Since the inside of the cooking section 205b is −7 ° C., the stored food is deprived of heat from the surroundings, and the temperature gradually decreases. The temperature of the food is detected by the temperature detecting means 127, and when it is lowered to 5 ° C., a signal is sent from the control means 128 to the electromagnetic wave generator 125 to generate an electromagnetic wave. The frequency of this electromagnetic wave is 2.54 GHz. This electromagnetic wave is sent to the antenna 124 by the coaxial cable 126 that is electrically connected, and is irradiated to the food from the antenna 124. At this time, the electric power applied to the food is about 3 W, the atmosphere is sufficiently smaller than the energy for cooling the food, and the temperature of the food does not rise by irradiating electromagnetic waves. In addition, although the frequency of electromagnetic waves was 2.54 GHz, the effect in this Embodiment is not limited to this frequency, For example, what is necessary is just 300 MHz or more and 3 THz or less.

Here, it is assumed that the food is a food containing moisture inside the juice or yogurt. When the electromagnetic wave is not heated, the food gradually freezes from the surface toward the center. On the other hand, foods irradiated with electromagnetic waves are in a supercooled state in which they are not frozen even after the freezing point of water of 0 ° C. Here, the supercooled state refers to a state in which, when cooled to a temperature below the freezing point, thermodynamically stable crystals do not appear and are held in an unstable liquid state.

When the temperature detection means 127 detects that the supercooled food has reached a certain temperature, for example, −6 ° C., the operation of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is stopped by a signal from the control means 128, or , Make the output variable. In this way, when a certain kind of external disturbance is applied to the food, the supercooled state is released. When the supercooling is released at any one place in the supercooling space, the effect is almost instantaneously propagated to the entire supercooling space, so that freezing with a very fast traveling speed occurs inside the food. As a result, the maximum ice crystal formation zone (−1 to −5 ° C.) can be rapidly passed, and high-quality refrigeration can be realized. This action obtains the same result as the refrigeration quality obtained by a normal quick freezing method (utilization of cryogenic cold air etc.), and it can be said that the quick freezing is substantially realized. As a result, since the whole food is frozen with small ice crystals, it is possible to perform cooking unique to fine ice crystals, such as processing juice or yogurt into a smooth mouth sherbet.

Note that the refrigerator 100B is provided with a buzzer or light notification means to notify the user of the end of supercooling, and the user moves the food to the freezing compartment 205a so that the food after the supercooling release can be rapidly performed at a lower temperature. Freezing can be performed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the ice crystals immediately after the release of the supercooling from growing due to the water in the unfrozen portion, so that it is possible to realize high-quality freezing with smaller ice crystals. In the present embodiment, since the cooking section 205b and the freezing section 205a are present in the same storage room, it is possible to minimize the time and effort required to move to the freezing section 205a, thereby realizing high-quality refrigeration with a small amount of work. be able to. Furthermore, storage at −20 ° C. enables safe storage for a longer period.

In order to maintain the supercooled state, in addition to the electromagnetic wave irradiation, the inside of the cooking section 205b needs to be maintained in a stable state with relatively little temperature change. The front storage container 221 and the front storage container lid The fact that 122 is made of metal contributes to suppressing variation in temperature distribution and reducing the temperature change width during operation.

The freezing method using the above-described supercooling process is not limited to the new menu, and even if used in place of normal freezing, it is very effective in maintaining high quality food. Tuna that has been supercooled to about −6 ° C. by applying electromagnetic waves and tuna frozen at −2.2 ° C. without applying electromagnetic waves are quickly frozen and stored frozen at −20 ° C. for 3 days. Thawed in a refrigerator at about 1.5 ° C. over 1 day. When the amount of drip was measured at that time, the electromagnetic wave was not applied and the supercooling did not appear, but the drip amount was about 1.43 g, whereas the electromagnetic wave was applied and frozen through the supercooling. The amount of drip was about 0.26 g, and it was confirmed that the amount of drip could be greatly suppressed.

Further, since the internal temperature of the cooking section 205b is −10 ° C. to −5 ° C., re-freezing that can be re-frozen can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the freezing compartment 205a maintained in the freezing temperature zone in the second freezer compartment 205, and the cooking compartment 205b maintained in the temperature zone of −10 ° C. to −5 ° C. By having a high-quality freezing that cannot be achieved by a conventional freezer, it is possible to provide a new menu or a frozen food with little quality deterioration. In addition, since the freezing compartment 205a and the cooking compartment 205b are in the same storage room, the frozen quality can be further improved with the minimum effort of moving food in the same storage room, and at the same time stored safely for a long time. This makes it possible to significantly improve the user-friendliness.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of refrigerator 100C according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the first freezer compartment 307 in the refrigerator 100C is set in a freezing temperature zone, and is usually set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. for frozen storage, but the frozen storage state is improved. For example, a freezing compartment 307a, which is a first storage compartment that may be set at a low temperature of, for example, −30 ° C. or −25 ° C., and maintained at a refrigeration temperature of 0 ° C. or higher and raised to a temperature of 40 ° C. or higher. And a cooking section 307b which is a possible second storage section. In addition, since this 1st freezer compartment 307 is divided into the freezing division 307a and the cooking division 307b, it is corresponded to the division storage chamber of several storage chambers.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cooking compartment 307 b is provided with a storage compartment 321 having a front opening provided on the back side of the second partition wall 323 that forms the top surface of the first freezer compartment 307. 307a. The storage box 321 includes an inner storage box 321a using a non-magnetic iron plate and an outer storage box 321b using a heat insulating material. The outer storage box 321b may be formed integrally with the second partition wall 323.

The cooking section 307b includes a drawer case 322. The drawer case 322 includes a housing case 322a formed of a resin such as polystyrene and a case door 322b formed of a nonmagnetic iron plate. The case door 322b has a shape that fits in the inner storage box 321a, and the flange portion of the case door 322b and the inner storage box 321a constitute a choke structure that blocks electromagnetic waves.

An antenna 124 for irradiating electromagnetic waves is fixed to the inner top surface of the inner storage box 321a. The antenna 124 is electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave generator 125 via a coaxial cable 126, and irradiates the cooking section 307b with electromagnetic waves. can do. Further, a temperature detecting means 127 is disposed on the inner top surface of the inner storage box 321a and is electrically connected to the control means 128.

The heating means 330 is fixed to the outer bottom surface of the inner storage box 321a, and the inside temperature of the cooking section 307b can be adjusted by heating the inner storage box 321a. The heating unit 330 is electrically connected to the control unit 128.

The first freezer compartment 307 includes a lower storage container 331 placed on a frame (not shown) attached to the drawer door 318 of the first freezer compartment 307 and an upper stage placed on the lower storage container 331. A storage container 332 is disposed.

When the drawer door 318 is closed, the upper storage container 332 is substantially in close contact with the drawer case 322, and assists the drawer case 322 to be surely stored in the storage box 321. Further, the drawer case 322 taken out is in a shape that can be placed on the upper storage container 332 in a state where the drawer door 318 is opened.

On the front surface of the refrigerator 100C, there is an operation unit 333 including a button for the user to set the internal temperature, various functions of the refrigerator 100C, and the like, and a display unit for displaying the setting contents. Although the operation unit 333 is installed on the front surface of the refrigerator 100C in the present embodiment, it can be installed on the upper front surface of the heat insulating box 101 or the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 104.

The operation and action of the refrigerator 100C of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

Since cooking section 307b is surrounded by outer storage box 321b using a heat insulating material, the internal temperature can be kept at 0 ° C. or higher in the same manner as thawing section 105b of the first embodiment, and heating means 330 Therefore, it is possible to raise the temperature to a temperature equal to or higher than the outside air temperature, which cannot be obtained only by heat exchange. When the heating means 330 is energized, it is necessary to devise so as not to raise the temperature of the freezing compartment 307a by lowering the temperature of the cool air discharged to the freezing compartment 307a or increasing the air volume.

When the user places the frozen food on the drawer case 322 and operates the operation unit 333 to start thawing, only the electromagnetic wave generator 125 operates to perform thawing. At this time, high-quality thawing can be performed as in the first embodiment.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the heating means 330 is provided and the cooking section 307b is heated, so that the thawing can be performed efficiently. By raising the temperature in the first freezer compartment 307 to 10 ° C. by the heating means 330, the thawing time can be reduced to 30 minutes. In addition, temperature unevenness after thawing can be suppressed to 3 ° C. or less.

When thawed with high power, the frozen food temperature tends to be uneven, but when thawed slowly with low power, concentration of electromagnetic waves, etc. is suppressed, and high-quality thawing without temperature unevenness can be realized. Moreover, although it may take time for thawing at low power, efficient thawing can be realized and the thawing time can be reduced by operating together with the electromagnetic wave generator 125 by the heating means 330.

When the user places the food on the drawer case 322 and starts cooking by the operation unit 333, the electromagnetic wave generator 125 and the heating means 330 are operated to heat the food. At this time, since the electromagnetic wave has an action of heating from the inside of the food, it can be heated from the inside and outside of the food by using it together with the heating means 330, so that high-quality heating with a small temperature difference between the inside and outside can be performed at high speed. In addition, when the food is at a freezing temperature, higher quality heating can be performed by heating after thawing.

After the cooking is finished, the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is stopped and the inside of the cabinet is kept at a constant temperature only by the heating means 330, so that the food can be kept warm. When the temperature detection unit 127 detects the end of heating, the operation unit 333 can notify the user with a buzzer or light.

Even if the food is not taken out after thawing or cooking, in the present embodiment, the cooking section 307b can be maintained at the refrigerated temperature. By stopping, it is possible to preserve the food without damaging it.

In addition, since it is possible to change from a refrigerated temperature zone to a heating temperature zone of 40 ° C or higher, for example, yogurt can be made from milk and cooled as it is to the refrigerated temperature. Or you can finish it deliciously if you eat it cold.

In this embodiment, all the above operations can be performed in a part of the first freezer compartment 307. Therefore, when it is desired to heat and cook frozen food, it can be arranged on the table in a warm state simply by moving the food in the storage room. In addition, when only a part of the warm food is eaten and the rest is stored frozen, it is only necessary to move from the cooking section 307b to the freezing section 307a, thereby minimizing the user's effort.

Also, since the freezing section 307a can maintain the freezing temperature regardless of the temperature in the cooking section 307b, the rough heat of the hot food can be removed in the cooking section 307b. At this time, since the cooking section 307b can maintain the refrigeration temperature, the required time can be made shorter than leaving it at room temperature. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the food from being damaged without forgetting to put it into the refrigerator 100C. Furthermore, when it is desired to store frozen after taking rough heat, it is only transferred to the freezing compartment 307a, so that no special labor is required. If necessary, it is possible to detect the completion of rough heat removal by the temperature detection means 127 and notify the operation unit 333 of the completion.

Moreover, the cooking section 307b is a part of the first freezer compartment 307, and it requires less energy to raise the temperature than when the entire storage compartment is used as the cooking compartment.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the freezing compartment 307a maintained in the freezing temperature zone in the first freezer compartment 307 and the refrigeration temperature zone of 0 ° C or higher are increased to a temperature of 40 ° C or higher. By having the cooking section 307b capable of heating, the user can thaw and heat the food with high quality without troublesome operations, and use it for keeping it warm, refrigerated or frozen. Can be minimized.

Also, since it is possible to raise the temperature of only a part of the storage room, the energy required for raising the temperature can be kept small.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a refrigerator 100D according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a main-part cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a metal box 334 included in the refrigerator 100D illustrated in FIG. 9 is a side view showing an example of the assembled state of the metal box 334, and FIG. 10 is a side view showing another example of the assembled state of the metal box 334.

7 and 8, a metal box 334 is provided inside the second freezer compartment 105. The opening on the near side of the metal box 334 is closed by a metal box lid 335 provided on the drawer door 118 to keep the space inside the metal box 334 substantially sealed. At this time, at least the inside of the metal box cover 335 is made of metal, and as a result, the space in the metal box 334 is formed as an electromagnetically sealed space.

In the metal box 334, a thawing case 336 is disposed, and an object to be thawed 337 is placed. In addition, an antenna 124 and a temperature detection unit 127 are provided on the front side of the metal box 334. There is a radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 at the rear and center of the metal box 334 and at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. The radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 is provided over the entire circumference of the metal box 334, and the distance L from the inner wall surface of the metal box 334 is ¼ of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 124. Is set to In addition, the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 is located behind the antenna 124, and the to-be-thawed object 337 is placed near the antenna 124, that is, in front of the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338. Hereinafter, for simplification of description, the front side and the rear side of the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 are referred to as a region a and b, respectively.

About the refrigerator 100D comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

First, it is assumed that the temperature of the inside of the second freezer compartment 105 is adjusted to, for example, −18 ° C. in a frozen atmosphere by the operation of the refrigerator 100D.

When the user puts the object to be thawed 337 into the thawing case 336, closes the drawer door 118, and performs some operation such as pressing the thawing button provided on the front surface of the refrigerator 100D, electromagnetic waves are emitted from the antenna 124. The thawing of the material 337 to be thawed is started.

At this time, the electromagnetic waves radiated from the antenna 124 pass through the region a (hatched hatched region in FIG. 8), a part thereof enters the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338, and a part thereof is the region b (dotted hatching in FIG. Reach area). The electromagnetic wave that has entered the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 is reflected at the end, and a part of the reflected electromagnetic wave further enters the region b. At this time, since the height of the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 is set to ¼ of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the antenna 124, the phase is shifted by 180 ° C. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave directly radiated from the antenna 124 into the region b and the electromagnetic wave reflected from the radio wave transmission suppressing unit 338 and entering the region b are in opposite phases and cancel each other. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave is not substantially irradiated in the region b.

After that, when the temperature detecting means 127 detects that the material to be thawed 337 has reached the temperature determined as the thawing end temperature, the thawing is automatically terminated and notified to the user by means such as a buzzer or light. .

Due to the above-described action, the object to be thawed 337 placed in the region a during thawing is heated and thawed, but other frozen preserved foods placed in the region b are not heated. As a result, it is possible to save the trouble of taking out the frozen preserved food already stored at the time of thawing, and to secure a thawing area by simply moving it to the back in the thawing case 336, thereby realizing an easy-to-use thawing function. be able to.

Further, by providing the radio wave transmission suppressing portion 338 at the substantially central portion of the metal box 334, each of the region a and the region b is ensured in an appropriate size, for example, a commercially available packed meat or the like is a problem. It can be thawed without any problems.

The specific configuration of the metal box 334 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the metal box 334 includes a metal box front part 334 a and a metal box rear part 334 b that are divided into two parts at the front and rear at the radio wave transmission suppressing part 338. The metal box front part 334a and the metal box rear part 334b are integrally assembled by means such as spot welding or caulking. Or as shown in FIG. 10, the metal box 334 is comprised by the metal box upper part 334c and the metal box lower part 334d which were divided | segmented into the upper and lower sides. The metal box upper part 334c and the metal box lower part 334d are integrally assembled by means such as spot welding or caulking. Of course, the configuration of the metal box 334 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 9 or 10 and may be other configurations.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 11 is a front view of a refrigerator 100E according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing a BB cross section in FIG.

Since the basic configuration of the refrigerator 100E is the same as that of the refrigerator 100A of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. In the refrigerator 100E shown in FIG. The refrigerator door 104a is provided, and the second freezing room 105, the ice making room 106, the first freezing room 107, and the vegetable room 108 are respectively provided with

drawer doors

105c, 106a, which are configured by rails (not shown), etc. 107a and 108a are provided.

Each storage room provided with a drawer door is provided with a case for each storage room placed on a rail (not shown) or the like. Specifically, the second freezer compartment 105 has a freezer compartment case 105d, the ice making chamber 106 has an ice storage case 106b, the first freezer compartment 107 has a freezer compartment upper case 107b and a freezer compartment lower case 107c, In the vegetable compartment 108, a vegetable compartment upper case 108b and a vegetable compartment lower case 108c are arranged.

The refrigerator compartment 104 is a refrigerated temperature zone that is a temperature that does not freeze for refrigerated storage, usually a first storage compartment 104b that is set to 1 ° C. to 5 ° C. And a second storage section 104c that can be set to a freezing temperature of −10 ° C. In addition, since this refrigerator compartment 104 is divided into the 1st storage compartment 104b and the 2nd storage compartment 104c, it is corresponded to the division storage chamber of several storage chambers.

The second storage section 104c is composed of an insulative heat insulating box 131 provided at the lowest level in the refrigerator compartment 104, and is provided as a space for freezing, thawing and storing the object to be cooled 133. The inside heat insulating box 131 is provided with a front opening and a heat insulating door 134 that closes the front opening, and the packing 135 air-blocks the space between the heat insulating door 134 and the inside heat insulating box 131, and the second storage. The compartment 104c is kept sealed.

In addition, the bottom face of the internal heat insulation box 131 is the first partition wall 123 that insulates the refrigerator compartment 104 from the first freezer compartment 107 and the ice making chamber 106, and the rear face of the internal heat insulation box 131 is the refrigerator compartment. The left surface of the back member 136 and the inside heat insulating box 131 may be configured integrally with the left surface of the heat insulating box 101. The configurations of the vegetable compartment 108, the first freezing compartment 107, the second freezing compartment 105, and the ice making compartment 106 are as described in the first embodiment.

Between the refrigerator compartment back member 136 and the heat insulation box 101, a conveyance air passage 137 for conveying the cold air sent out by the cooling fan 113 to the refrigerator compartment 104 is formed. A discharge port 131a for the second storage compartment 104c for introducing the cool air of the conveyance air passage 137 into the second storage compartment 104c is provided at the upper rear surface of the internal heat insulation box 131, and the internal heat insulation box body is provided. A vent 131b for introducing cool air from the first storage section 104b is provided in the top surface of 131. The discharge port 131a and the vent port 131b are configured to be freely opened and closed by a damper 132. A suction port 131c through which cool air that has cooled the second storage section 104c is sucked is provided at the lower back of the interior heat insulation box 131. The sucked cold air is heat-exchanged again by the cooler 112 to become cold cold air and repeat circulation. As a result, the second storage section 104c is cooled.

In this embodiment, the damper 132 is a single damper that can select an opening, but the damper 132 is a twin damper so that the opening and closing of the discharge port 131a and the vent port 131b can be controlled separately. Thus, the temperature of the second storage section 104c can be controlled more delicately.

Also, various methods can be considered for the refrigeration cycle. For example, a vapor compression refrigeration system using a compressor, an absorption refrigeration system, a Peltier refrigeration system, or a combination thereof can be used.

An internal box 138 is further arranged inside the second storage section 104c configured by the internal heat insulating box 131. The inner box 138 has an open portion 138a that is open (is an open portion) on the wall facing the heat insulating door 134, and the other surface is formed to be substantially closed. On the other hand, an inner box lid 139 is attached to the heat insulating door 134. When the heat insulating door 134 is closed, a part of the inner box lid 139 enters the open portion 138a of the inner box 138 to substantially seal the inner box 138, thereby forming the independent storage section 140. Yes. In the present embodiment, inner box 138 and inner box lid 139 are made of a metal material such as stainless steel, aluminum, an alloy thereof, or a steel plate. Therefore, the inner wall surface of the independent storage section 140 is covered with metal. The inner box 138 and the inner box lid 139 are not necessarily all made of metal, and may be only the inner wall surface of the independent storage section 140, for example. As a specific method, a metal plate may be attached to the inner wall, or a metal film may be formed by a vapor deposition method or the like.

In the inner box 138 in the second storage section 104c, a drawer case 141 for placing and storing the object to be cooled 133 is provided. By opening the heat insulating door 134, the drawer case 141 is moved forward. The drawer and the object to be cooled 133 can be taken in and out. Various opening operations of the heat insulating door 134 are conceivable, and the heat insulating door 134 may be rotated about either the upper or lower side of the heat insulating door 134, or may be rotated about the left or right side of the heat insulating door 134. May be. Further, the heat insulating door 134 may be horizontally moved in the forward direction using a slide rail or the like. Further, the drawer case 141 may or may not be interlocked with the operation of the heat insulating door 134, and the effect in the present embodiment is not changed.

The antenna 124 is disposed on the top surface of the inner box 138 and is electrically connected by an electromagnetic wave generator 125 and a coaxial cable. Similarly, a temperature detection unit 127 is disposed on the top surface of the inner box 138 and is electrically connected to the control unit 128. Further, the control means 128 is also electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave generator 125. The electromagnetic wave generator 125 includes an electromagnetic wave oscillator (not shown) configured using a semiconductor element, and an electromagnetic wave amplifier (not shown) configured using a semiconductor element that amplifies an output signal of the electromagnetic wave oscillator. Composed. A field effect transistor using a GaN material is used for a semiconductor element of an electromagnetic wave amplifier.

The electromagnetic wave amplifier may use other semiconductor elements such as Si, GaAs and SiC in addition to the GaN material. Further, the antenna 124 and the temperature detecting means 127 are not necessarily provided on the top surface of the inner box 138, and may be provided on the back surface, the side surface, or the bottom surface. Various methods can be considered for the temperature detection means 127. For example, an infrared sensor that can detect infrared rays, or a thermistor that utilizes a change in resistance value due to temperature may be used.

Further, the compressor 109, the cooling fan 113, the radiant heating means 114, and the damper 132 described above are electrically connected to the control means 128.

About the refrigerator 100E of this Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

First, the operation of the refrigeration cycle will be described. The refrigeration cycle is operated by a signal from the control means 128 according to the set temperature in the refrigerator, and the cooling operation is performed. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the operation of the compressor 109 is condensed to some extent by a condenser (not shown), and further, the side surface or the rear surface of the heat insulation box 101 which is the main body of the refrigerator 100E, or the heat insulation box body 101. The refrigerant is condensed and liquefied while preventing condensation of the heat insulating box 101 via a refrigerant pipe (not shown) disposed at the front face, and reaches a capillary tube (not shown). After that, the capillary tube is depressurized while exchanging heat with a suction pipe (not shown) to the compressor 109 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant and reaches the cooler 112.

Here, the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant exchanges heat with the air in each storage chamber by the operation of the cooling fan 113, and the refrigerant in the cooler 112 evaporates. At this time, cool air for cooling each storage chamber in the cooling chamber 110 is generated. The low temperature cold air is diverted from the cooling fan 113 to the refrigerator compartment 104, the second freezer compartment 105, the ice making compartment 106, the first freezer compartment 107, and the vegetable compartment 108 using an air passage or a damper 132, and the respective purposes. Cool to temperature range.

Next, cooling when performing freezing and storage in the second storage section 104c will be described. The cooler 112 disposed in the cooling chamber 110 is cooled to about −40 ° C. to −20 ° C. by the refrigeration cycle. As a result, the air in the cooling chamber 110 is cooled and sent out by the cooling fan 113 through the discharge port 131a into the second storage section 104c. At this time, the damper 132 opens and closes the discharge port 131a so as to keep the inside of the second storage section 104c at a set temperature, and adjusts the amount of cool air sent to the second storage section 104c.

An internal box 138 is disposed on the downstream side of the discharge port 131a, and the cool air sent from the discharge port 131a into the second storage section 104c abuts on the internal box 138, and the internal box 138 itself is Cooling. As described above, the inner box 138 is made of metal, or at least part of the inner box 138 is made of metal. Therefore, due to its good thermal conductivity, the entire inner box 138 is quickly and uniformly made. It is possible to cool. At this time, since the inner box cover 139 attached to the heat insulating door 134 is also made of the same metal as the inner box 138, it has good thermal conductivity and is quickly and uniformly cooled. Therefore, the inside of the independent storage section 140 surrounded by the inner box 138 and the inner box lid 139 is uniformly cooled while minimizing variations in temperature distribution. Further, by actively bringing cold air into contact with the metal inner box body 138, the inner box body 138 is rapidly cooled, whereby the object to be cooled 133 stored in the independent storage section 140 is rapidly cooled. It becomes possible to freeze it.

The cold air that circulates in the second storage section 104c and cools the internal box 138 returns to the cooling chamber 110 from the suction port 131c and is cooled again by the cooler 112.

The temperature detection means 127 attached to the top surface of the inner box 138 can detect the temperature of the air inside the independent storage section 140, the temperature of the drawer case 141, or the object 133 to be cooled. This temperature information is sent as an electrical signal to the electrically connected control means 128, and the control means 128 appropriately controls the cooling fan 113 or the refrigeration cycle so as to reach a preset temperature. Specifically, the operation interval of the cooling fan 113 or the refrigeration cycle can be varied.

In the case where a vapor compression refrigeration system is used in the refrigeration cycle, the temperature of the cooler 112 can be varied by controlling the number of revolutions of the compressor 109.

Further, in the present embodiment, the set temperature of the second storage section 104c is set to about −10 ° C., and it is possible to achieve both reduction in the time and labor for thawing and long-term storage. It should be noted that the convenience of use differs depending on the temperature range, such as that the normal freezing temperature is set to about −20 ° C., so that long-term storage can be performed with peace of mind.

In the case of the present embodiment, the temperature in the independent storage section 140 is adjusted to about −10 ° C. by the temperature detection means 127, the control means 128, the refrigeration cycle, and other cooling means. Specifically, for example, it is assumed that an object to be cooled 133 having a relatively high temperature of about 15 ° C. is stored in the drawer case 141 in the independent storage section 140. Since the temperature in the independent storage section 140 is adjusted to about −10 ° C., the stored object 133 to be cooled is deprived of heat from the surroundings, and the temperature gradually decreases. The temperature of the object 133 to be cooled is detected by the temperature detection means 127 provided on the top surface of the inner box 138. When the temperature is lowered to 5 ° C., a signal is sent from the control means 128 to the electromagnetic wave generator 125 to The generator 125 generates electromagnetic waves. The frequency of this electromagnetic wave is 2.54 GHz. This electromagnetic wave is sent to the antenna 124 through an electrically connected coaxial cable or the like, and is irradiated from the antenna 124 to the object 133 to be cooled. At this time, the electric power applied to the object to be cooled 133 is about 2 to 3 W, which is sufficiently smaller than the energy for cooling the object to be cooled 133, and the temperature of the object to be cooled 133 is increased by irradiating electromagnetic waves. Absent. In addition, although the frequency of electromagnetic waves was 2.54 GHz, the effect in this Embodiment is not limited to this frequency, For example, what is necessary is just 300 MHz or more and 3 THz or less.

Here, it is assumed that the object to be cooled 133 is a food containing moisture in the inside of meat or the like. When the electromagnetic wave is not irradiated, the object 133 to be cooled is gradually frozen from the surface toward the center. On the other hand, since the object 133 to be cooled that has been irradiated with electromagnetic waves can suppress a decrease in surface temperature, it can be prevented from freezing first from the surface. Since the internal temperature of the cooled object 133 also gradually decreases, it is possible to cool the object 133 while suppressing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the object to be cooled 133, and freezing with a very fast traveling speed occurs inside the object to be cooled 133.

In addition, in order to cool the object to be cooled 133 while suppressing the temperature difference between the inside and outside, it is necessary to maintain the interior of the independent storage section 140 in a stable state with relatively little temperature change in addition to the irradiation of electromagnetic waves. The fact that the body 138 and the inner box lid 139 are made of metal contributes to suppressing variation in temperature distribution and reducing the temperature change width during operation.

Furthermore, for the safety of the user, it is necessary to prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking outside the independent storage compartment 140, and the internal box 138 and the internal box lid 139 are made of metal for this purpose. It is consistent with. Note that the fitting portion between the inner box 138 and the inner box lid 139 is configured to prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves. Also, from the viewpoint of preventing electromagnetic wave leakage, the inner box 138 and the inner box lid 139 need not all be made of metal, and may be only a portion serving as the inner wall surface of the independent storage section 140.

Next, cooling when performing thawing in the second storage section 104c will be described. At the time of thawing, the discharge port 131a is closed by the damper 132. The cooler 112 disposed in the cooling chamber 110 is cooled to about −40 ° C. to −20 ° C. by the refrigeration cycle. As a result, the air in the cooling chamber 110 is cooled, and the cold air forced out by the cooling fan 113 is sent to the first storage section 104b through the conveyance air passage 137. The first storage compartment 104b is cooled, and the cool air whose temperature has risen passes through the vent 131b and is sent into the second storage compartment 104c.

As described above, since the first storage section 104b is set to 1 ° C. to 5 ° C., cold air of about 1 ° C. to 5 ° C. is sent to the second storage section 104c. Therefore, the second storage section 104c can be set to the refrigeration temperature.

An internal box 138 is disposed on the downstream side of the vent 131b, and the cold air sent from the vent 131b into the second storage section 104c contacts the internal box 138. As described above, the inner box 138 is made of metal, or at least a part of the inner box 138 is made of metal. Therefore, the entire inner box 138 is quickly and uniformly formed by its good thermal conductivity. It can be temperature. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time for raising the temperature of the second storage section 104c from about −10 ° C., which is a temperature setting for freezing and storage, to a refrigeration temperature suitable for thawing. Since shortening the temperature raising time leads to shortening of the thawing time, it is possible to improve the user-friendliness and to improve the energy consumption.

In the present embodiment, thawing was performed with the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 set to 20 W and the temperature of the second storage section 104c set to 5 ° C. As a result, the thawing time required 50 minutes, but as a result of measuring the temperature after thawing at 23 locations, the temperature unevenness was only about 3 ° C. On the other hand, when the output of electromagnetic waves was increased to about 300 W assuming a microwave oven or the like, the temperature unevenness after thawing was about 20 ° C. On the other hand, as a general thawing method, when thawing in a refrigerator, the thawing unevenness was about 3 ° C., but thawing takes about 20 hours.

In this embodiment, the power of the electromagnetic wave used for thawing, that is, the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is 20 W. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the power used for thawing is 100 W or less, preferably 50 W or less. Can be reduced.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to reduce temperature unevenness, frozen food can be thawed to, for example, −5 ° C. to −10 ° C., cut as necessary with a knife, etc., and the rest can be re-frozen. .

In addition, when the temperature detecting means 127 detects the end of thawing, the control means 128 can automatically transmit a thawing end signal and stop the output of the electromagnetic wave generator 125, so that the user is concerned about overheating. There is no need. In addition, it is possible to prevent forgetting to take out after thawing by providing notification means by a buzzer or light in the refrigerator 100E and notifying the user of the end of thawing. Even if you forget to take out the food after thawing, the second storage compartment 104c can be set to about −10 ° C., so that it can be stored safely with reduced damage to the food.

Although the drawer case 141 is arranged in the independent storage section 140, the user can open the heat insulating door 134 and pull the drawer case 141 to the near side. In this state, after the object to be cooled 133 such as food is placed in the drawer case 141, the drawer case 141 is returned to its original position and the heat insulating door 134 is closed. Considering the case where there is no drawer case 141, it may be difficult to reach the back side of the independent storage section 140, and when a large number of objects to be cooled 133 are stored on the front side, the space on the back side is accessed. It becomes difficult and storage property falls. Therefore, by using the drawer case 141 so that the drawer case 141 can be pulled out toward the front, the storage property of the cooled object 133 in the space on the back side of the drawer case 141 can be improved, and the convenience can be improved.

Further, as described above, if at least the inner wall of the independent storage section 140 is made of metal, the temperature distribution variation can be quickly minimized within the drawer case 141, so that more uniform cooling can be achieved. It is possible to realize. Therefore, by arranging the drawer case 141 in the independent storage compartment 140 surrounded by metal, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user when storing the object to be cooled 133 and to achieve a uniform temperature with reduced variation in temperature distribution. It is possible to achieve both environmental maintenance.

In this embodiment, when a general adult user is assumed, since the second storage section 104c is located at the waist level, the drawer case 141 is pulled out and the cooled object 133 is put in and out. Can be made natural and the visibility in the drawer case 141 is also good. Since the second storage section 104c is also used as a thawing chamber, cooking is performed instead of storage, which is a function of a general refrigerator. Therefore, the time during which the object to be cooled 133 is placed in the refrigerator 100E is short. Become. Therefore, since the frequency of opening and closing may increase, it can be said that the fact that it can be used in an easy posture and has good visibility is very effective in improving usability.

Further, when the heat insulating door 134 is opened, the warm air outside the refrigerator 100E flows into the independent storage compartment 140, but the inner wall of the independent storage compartment 140 is made of metal. It can quickly return to the set temperature.

In this embodiment, an electromagnetic wave oscillator and an electromagnetic wave amplifier using a semiconductor element are used for the electromagnetic wave generator 125. Conventionally, an electromagnetic wave generator that is often used for heating foods is generally a magnetron, but in this embodiment, the installation space of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 can be made smaller than that of the magnetron.

Also, since the magnetron can generate only a single frequency, it is known that resonance occurs in the cooking section. In this case, there is a possibility that only the resonance point portion is heated, which causes the occurrence of temperature unevenness. Therefore, the necessity of providing an electromagnetic wave stirrer such as a stirrer fan in the cooking section is known. . However, in this embodiment, since an electromagnetic wave oscillator using a semiconductor element is used, the frequency can be varied during operation. Therefore, by changing the frequency, the resonance point can be changed, and an electromagnetic wave stirrer is not required. Therefore, since the internal volume of the independent storage section 140 can be reduced, the installation space for the internal box 138 can also be reduced. This can improve the storage performance of the first storage section 104b and improve the energy saving performance by reducing the energy required to maintain the second storage section 104c at a low temperature. Furthermore, since it becomes possible to irradiate the frequency according to the electromagnetic wave absorption characteristic of the to-be-cooled object 133, the irradiation efficiency can be increased, and further the energy saving can be improved.

Although the electromagnetic wave generator 125 generates heat when generating an electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is installed on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment 104 in the present embodiment, so that the temperature in the adjacent cabinet can be minimized. It does not significantly reduce energy savings.

In the present embodiment, the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is installed on the back surface of the heat insulation box body 101. However, the same applies to the outside of the heat insulation box body 101, for example, in the machine room 101a or on the top surface of the heat insulation box body 101. An effect is obtained. In addition, when the electromagnetic wave generator 125 has a low output and the surface temperature rise is small, even if it is installed in the storage room, the energy saving performance is not significantly reduced.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first storage section 104b maintained in the refrigeration temperature zone in the refrigeration chamber 104, and a temperature zone lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, for example, about −10 ° C. lower than the freezing temperature. The second storage section 104c is maintained at the same position, and electromagnetic waves oscillated from the electromagnetic wave generator 125 are introduced into the second storage section 104c. Thereby, it is possible to realize high-quality refrigeration and thawing in which cooling is performed while suppressing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the object 133 to be cooled in the second storage section 104c. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated storage room, and it is possible to realize high-quality refrigeration and high-quality thawing by minimizing the deterioration of the storage capacity of the refrigerator 100E.

Particularly, with the refrigerator 100E according to the present embodiment, high-quality freezing and thawing can be realized in the refrigerator compartment 104 without impairing user convenience.

Hereinafter, this point will be described in detail. In order to freeze fresh food and the like and maintain the freshness or taste when the food is thawed, it is important not to destroy the cells of the tissue and to suppress concentration (the solute flows out of the cells). Usually, when the food is placed in a low temperature environment, a phenomenon occurs in which the center portion is gradually cooled and the central portion is finally frozen. In such a case, ice crystals formed on the surface of the food expand while drawing unfrozen moisture inside the food, so that a large needle crystal is generated toward the central portion. Since these large needle crystals destroy the cells of the food, a spill (drip) of the juice occurs during thawing, leading to a decrease in quality. On the other hand, if the ice crystals are small, the shape of the cells is maintained, the amount of drip outflow during thawing is reduced, and the flavor of the food is retained.

In order to keep the size of ice crystals small, it is effective to shorten the time required to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation zone (generally, the temperature zone where ice crystals of 0 ° C to -5 ° C grow most). is there. As a result, ice crystals can be made smaller, so that destruction of cells can be prevented and concentration can be suppressed. As a technique for shortening the time for passing through the maximum ice crystal formation zone, quick freezing is generally known. Examples of the quick freezing method include a method using a large refrigerator, a method using a cryogenic liquid such as liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide, and the like.

However, even if the former large-scale freezer is used for quick freezing, there is no change in the method of cooling the inside by heat conduction from the surface of the object to be frozen. It may take several hours. For this reason, the difference in freezing time between the surface of the object to be frozen and the inside becomes large, and in particular, ice crystals on the surface of the object to be frozen become large, and the cells may be destroyed or concentrated.

Also, in order to create cryogenic cold air, it is necessary to install a huge compressor with high performance. On the other hand, the latter method using a cryogenic liquid has a problem that although the freezing time can be shortened, it is necessary to supply raw materials and the cost is increased. In addition, since the temperature difference between the object to be frozen and the cryogenic liquid is large, the object to be frozen expands and contracts rapidly, and the object to be frozen itself is cracked or ruptured. There was also a problem.

As described above, the conventional rapid freezing technique cannot completely prevent the difference in freezing speed between the surface and the inside of the object to be frozen, and it cannot be denied that some acicular crystals are generated and increased. Met.

On the other hand, in the refrigerator 100E according to the present embodiment, the refrigerating chamber 104 is provided with a second storage section 104c into which the electromagnetic wave oscillated from the electromagnetic wave generator 125 can be introduced. Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the food irradiated with the electromagnetic wave in the second storage section 104c is in a supercooled state. When the temperature detecting means 127 detects that the supercooled food has reached a certain temperature, the operation of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is stopped or the output is varied by a signal from the control means 128. Or After that, when the supercooled state is released due to disturbance, freezing at a very high speed occurs inside the food. As a result, the maximum ice crystal formation zone (−1 to −5 ° C.) can be rapidly passed, and high-quality refrigeration can be realized.

Moreover, since the electromagnetic wave generator 125 is composed of an electromagnetic wave oscillator using a semiconductor element and an electromagnetic wave amplifier, the installation space of the electromagnetic wave generator 125 can be reduced as compared with a magnetron or the like. The storage property of the refrigerator 100E can be improved.

Also, an electromagnetic wave oscillator using a semiconductor element can vary the frequency of the generated electromagnetic wave. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach an electromagnetic stirrer such as a stirrer fan by changing the reflection characteristics of the electromagnetic wave introduced into the second storage section 104c, so the installation space of the second storage section 104c is also reduced. can do. Thereby, while further improving the storage capacity of the refrigerator 100E, it is possible to realize an improvement in energy saving performance by reducing the size of the second storage section 104c maintained at a low temperature.

Further, by providing the interior heat insulating box 131 with the vent 131b that allows the first storage section 104b and the second storage section 104c to communicate with each other, the temperature of the second storage section 104c can be quickly raised during thawing. Therefore, the thawing time can be shortened, and the usability for the user can be further improved. In addition, shortening the thawing time contributes to improving energy saving.

Further, the refrigerator compartment 104 is arranged at the top of the refrigerator 100E, and the second storage compartment 104c is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 104, so that the second storage compartment can be kept at the height of a general adult's waist. Since 104c is located, the posture of the drawer operation of the drawer case 141 and the insertion / extraction of the object to be cooled 133 can be made natural. Moreover, the visibility in the drawer case 141 is also favorable, and usability can be improved.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 13 is a front view of a refrigerator 100F according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing a III-III section in FIG.

In addition, although description is abbreviate | omitted about the part which can apply the structure similar to

Embodiment

1 or 5 and the same technical idea, there is a malfunction by implementing this Embodiment in combination with the structure of Embodiment 1. It is possible to apply in combination as long as there is no.

As shown in FIG. 13, the refrigerator 100F according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerator compartment 204 provided with a rotary refrigerator compartment door 204a, similar to the refrigerator 100E of the fifth embodiment. In the refrigerator compartment 204, a first storage compartment 204b that is set to a refrigeration temperature zone, which is a temperature that does not freeze for refrigerated storage, usually 1 ° C. to 5 ° C., and a temperature zone lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, for example, freeze A second storage compartment 204c is provided which can be set to a freezing temperature of about −10 ° C. below the temperature. In addition, since this refrigerator compartment 204 is divided into the 1st storage compartment 204b and the 2nd storage compartment 204c, it is corresponded to the division storage chamber of several storage chambers.

The second storage section 204c is composed of an insulative heat insulating box 231 provided at the uppermost stage in the refrigerator compartment 204, and is provided as a space for freezing, thawing and storing the object to be cooled 133. The interior heat insulation box 231 is provided with a front opening and is provided with a heat insulating door 234 that closes the front opening. The space between the heat insulating door 234 and the internal heat insulating box 231 is air-blocked by the packing 135, whereby the inside of the second storage section 204c is kept sealed.

In addition, the top surface of the heat insulation box body 231 is the top surface of the heat insulation box body 101, the back surface of the heat insulation box body 231 is the refrigerator compartment back member 136, and the left surface of the heat insulation box body 231 is the heat insulation box body 101. You may comprise integrally with a left surface, respectively.

Between the refrigerator compartment back member 136 and the heat insulation box 101, a conveyance air passage 137 for conveying the cold air sent out by the cooling fan 113 to the refrigerator compartment 104 is formed. A discharge port 231a for the second storage compartment 204c for introducing the cool air of the conveying air passage 137 into the second storage compartment 204c is provided at the upper rear surface of the internal heat insulation box 231 to provide an internal heat insulation box. A vent hole 231b for introducing cool air from the first storage section 204b is provided in the right rear portion of 231. The discharge port 231a and the vent 231b are configured to be opened and closed by a damper 132. A suction port 231c through which the cold air that has cooled the second storage section 204c is sucked is provided at the lower back of the internal heat insulating box 231. The sucked cold air is heat-exchanged again by the cooler 112 to become cold cold air and repeat circulation. Thereby, the second storage section 204c is cooled.

Also in this embodiment, the damper 132 is a single damper that can select an opening, but the damper 132 is a twin damper so that the opening and closing of the discharge port 231a and the vent 231b can be controlled separately. By doing so, the temperature of the second storage section 204c can be controlled more delicately.

As in the fifth embodiment, an internal box 138 is disposed inside the second storage section 204c, and the internal box 138 has an open portion 138a. The opening part 138a can be opened and closed by a heat insulating door 234, and an inner box cover 139 is attached to the heat insulating door 234 in order to substantially close the opening part 138a.

In the inner box 138 in the second storage section 204c, a mounting tray 241 on which the object to be cooled 133 is mounted is stored. The loading tray 241 is pulled forward by opening the heat insulating door 234, and allows the article 133 to be cooled or taken out. The mounting tray 241 may or may not be interlocked with the operation of the heat insulating door 234, and the effect in the present embodiment is not changed.

About the refrigerator 100F of this Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

Similarly to the fifth embodiment, also in the present embodiment, high-quality freezing and thawing can be realized in the second storage section 204c provided in the refrigerator compartment 204. At this time, since the object 133 to be cooled is irradiated with electromagnetic waves, no other cooling object can be put therein. Therefore, the second storage compartment 204c cannot store much food on a daily basis in order to perform high-quality freezing and / or thawing. In the present embodiment, the second storage section 204 c is provided on the uppermost stage of the refrigerator compartment 204. The uppermost stage of the refrigerator compartment 204 is an area that is not easy to use because it is hard for the user to visually recognize and difficult to reach. Therefore, providing the second storage section 204c in the uppermost stage of the refrigerator compartment 204 can be said to be a structure that minimizes the deterioration of the storage capacity of the first storage section 204b in actual use.

Further, in the present embodiment, a machine room 101a having a compressor 109 or the like is provided at the back of the top surface of the heat insulation box 101, and the machine room 101a is formed by biting into the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 104. Has been. Therefore, the depth of the uppermost stage of the refrigerator compartment 204 is smaller than that of other areas. Therefore, by providing the second storage section 204c at the uppermost stage, it becomes easy to overlook the back of the second storage section 204c.

The uppermost stage of the refrigerator compartment 204 is a place where it is difficult to reach as described above. However, by providing the loading tray 241 in the second storage section 204c, it is easy to clean, and the convenience of the user can be raised. it can. In addition, it is not necessary to install the mounting tray 241. In that case, if the heat insulation door 234 is a rotary door or a detachable door, it is easy to use.

In addition, if it is a rotary door that rotates around the upper side of the heat insulating door 234, there is no worry that the user forgets to close it, so that it can be used with confidence.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 204 is arranged at the top of the refrigerator 100F, and the second storage compartment 204c is provided at the top of the refrigerator compartment 204 that is usually difficult to reach. Thereby, the influence of the storage property fall of the refrigerator compartment 204 by installing the 2nd storage division 204c which cannot store many preservation | save foods can be suppressed to the minimum in practical use.

Also, by providing the machine room 101a having the compressor 109 and the like in the back of the top surface of the heat insulating box 101, the uppermost stage of the refrigerator compartment 204 can be made smaller in depth than other areas. Therefore, in the second storage section 204c provided in the uppermost stage, it is easy to look around the inside.

From the above description, many modifications or other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention can perform operations of freezing and refrigeration, thawing, heating, and heat insulation with high quality without taking time and effort by the user while minimizing power consumption. In addition, high-quality freezing and thawing can be realized in the refrigerator compartment without impairing the user-friendliness. Therefore, the present invention can be widely applied not only to household or commercial refrigerators but also to various uses such as a thawing machine, a cooker, and a warmer.

100A to 100F Refrigerator 101 Heat insulation box 104,204 Refrigerated room (first storage room, compartment storage room)
104a, 204a

refrigerator compartment doors

104b, 204b

first storage compartment

104c, 204c

second storage compartment

105, 205 second freezer compartment (fourth storage compartment, compartment storage compartment)
105a, 205a, 307a Refrigeration compartment (first storage compartment)
105b Defrosting compartment (second storage compartment)
105c, 106a, 107a, 108a Drawer door 106 Ice making room (fifth storage room)
107 First freezer room (second storage room)
108 Vegetable room (third storage room)
109

Compressors

118, 318, Drawer door 124 Antenna 125 Electromagnetic wave generator 126

Coaxial cable

131b,

231b Vent

205b, 307b Cooking compartment (second storage compartment)
307 First freezer room (second storage room, compartment storage room)
330 Heating means

Claims

A refrigerator body including a plurality of storage compartments that are thermally insulated, and a door that closes a front opening of the storage compartment,
At least one of the storage chambers has a first storage compartment maintained in a preset temperature zone preset in the storage chamber, and a second storage compartment having a temperature region different from the preset temperature zone. A refrigerator having a compartment storage room.
The compartment storage room is a freezing room that can be set to at least a freezing temperature zone,
The first storage compartment is a storage compartment maintained in the refrigeration temperature zone, and the second storage compartment is a storage compartment having a temperature region different from the refrigeration temperature zone. The refrigerator according to claim 1.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the second storage section is a storage section that exhibits a function different from the function of freezing and holding food in the frozen section.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the second storage section is a storage section having a function of cooking food.
The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the second storage compartment is a storage compartment having a function of thawing food.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the second storage section is a storage section having a function of heating food.
The refrigerator body is equipped with an electromagnetic wave generator,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein electromagnetic waves are introduced into the second storage compartment.
A metal box is provided in the storage chamber,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the space in the metal box is electromagnetically partitioned.
The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the metal box is provided with a radio wave transmission suppressing unit.
The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the radio wave transmission suppressing unit is provided in a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the metal box.
Furthermore, an electromagnetic wave generator is provided,
The compartment storage room is a refrigeration room that can be set to at least a refrigeration temperature zone,
The first storage compartment is a storage compartment maintained in a refrigeration temperature zone, and the second storage compartment is a storage compartment having a temperature region below the refrigeration temperature zone,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic wave oscillated from the electromagnetic wave generator is introduced into the second storage compartment.
The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic wave generation device includes an electromagnetic wave oscillator using a semiconductor element and an electromagnetic wave amplifier.
The second storage compartment has a vent in communication with the first storage compartment;
The refrigerator according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the vent has an opening / closing mechanism.
The refrigerator has a plurality of storage rooms,
The said refrigerator compartment is located in the uppermost part of a refrigerator among these storage rooms, and said 2nd storage compartment is provided in the refrigerator compartment lowest part, The any one of Claim 11-13 characterized by the above-mentioned. The refrigerator according to item.
The refrigerator has a plurality of storage rooms,
The said refrigerator compartment is located in the uppermost part of a refrigerator among these storage rooms, and said 2nd storage compartment is provided in the uppermost part of the refrigerator compartment, The one of Claims 11-13 characterized by the above-mentioned. The refrigerator according to item.
A cooling means for cooling the storage chamber;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the cooling means is a refrigeration cycle having at least a compressor, and the compressor is provided in an upper part on the back side of the refrigerator main body.