WO2014198153A1

WO2014198153A1 - Electric refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2014198153A1
Application number: PCT/CN2014/074621
Authority: WO
Inventors: 仓谷利治; 山川贵志; 青木均史
Original assignee: 海尔集团公司; 海尔亚洲国际株式会社; 青岛海尔股份有限公司
Priority date: 2013-06-14
Filing date: 2014-04-02
Publication date: 2014-12-18
Also published as: CN104412052B; CN104412052A; JP2015001331A

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is an electric refrigerator. Same is capable of ensuring a large space in a freezer compartment for accommodating food items, and is capable of quick and highly efficient freezing of the food items in the freezer compartment. The electric refrigerator (1) is provided with: air supply ducts (14 and 16), which allow air cooled by a cooler (33) to flow towards the freezer compartment (5); a first blower (32), which allows the air cooled by the cooler (33) to be transported to the air supply duct (14); and, a second blower (23), which allows the air in the air supply duct (16) to be transported to the freezer compartment (5) during a quick freeze operation. The air supply duct (16) is extended at least to the top surface of the freezer compartment (5). The second blower (23) is provided at the top surface of the freezer compartment (5). Therefore, insofar that the accommodation capacity of the freezer compartment (5) is not reduced, a large amount of cooled air is supplied to the freezer compartment (5), and thus the cooled air is allowed to be blown towards the food items for quick freezing. In addition, an accommodating container (29) for accommodating the food items can be provided within the freezer compartment (5) to increase accommodation capacity and degree of convenience and to allow for highly efficient and quick freezing of the food items.

Description

Refrigerator

Technical field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator that cools and stores foods and the like in a storage compartment, and more particularly to a refrigerator having a function of rapidly freezing foods and the like in a freezing compartment.

Background technique

Conventionally, as such a refrigerator, a refrigerator is provided in addition to a main blower that circulates cold air throughout the refrigerator, and a blower for rapidly freezing food or the like in the freezing compartment is provided (for example, Patent Document 1) Patent Document 2).

Fig. 8 is a view showing a refrigerating refrigerator 100 with a quick freezing function disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerating refrigerator 100 includes a cooling air circulation blower 110 for supplying air cooled by the cooler 109 to the storage compartment (freezer compartment 102 and the quick freezing compartment 116), and a quick freezing blower 117. The inside of the quick freezing compartment 116 is disposed to circulate the cold air in the quick freezing compartment 116. Further, when the rapid freezing operation is performed, the compressor (not shown) and the cooling air circulation blower 110 are operated to supply cold air to the quick freezing compartment 116, and the quick freezing air blower 117 is operated to agitate the cold air in the quick freezing compartment 116.

Further, in the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 2, a blower for rapid freezing (referred to as a circulation fan in this document) is disposed in the rear portion of the quenching dedicated chamber. Further, the air blowing means in this document is such that the suction port communicates with the cold air introduction air passage. Therefore, by operating the blower for rapid freezing, the cold air from the cold air introduction air passage can be sent to the quenching dedicated room. Further, in the refrigerator disclosed in this document, the cold air sent from the blower for rapid freezing is blown to a part of the quenching dedicated chamber to perform only rapid cooling of the portion.

Prior art literature Patent literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. SHO 63-46362 (page 2-3, Figure 1)

Patent Document 2: JP-A-2002-267318 (page 2-3, Figure 1)

However, in the configuration in which the air blower for quick freezing is disposed in the rear portion of the freezer compartment, the space in which the food compartment or the like is accommodated in the inside of the freezer compartment is reduced. In other words, if the blower is disposed in the freezing compartment, the volume of the food or the like is reduced in accordance with at least the portion corresponding to the volume occupied by the blower. In particular, since the air blower for quick freezing is disposed in the rear (back side) of the freezer compartment, there is a problem that the floor area of the food or the like can be reduced. For example, in order to efficiently store foods and the like in order to use the freezer, a container having a top surface opening for accommodating food or the like and being pulled out (hereinafter referred to as a "accommodating container" as appropriate) may be disposed inside the freezer compartment. . In the case where such a accommodating container is provided, the depth dimension of the accommodating container must be reduced.

In addition, when the storage container is placed in the interior of the freezer compartment, it is difficult to efficiently blow the cold air blown by the blower for rapid freezing to the food or the like. In other words, since the blower is disposed inside the freezer compartment and the cold air is discharged to the front from there, the wall surrounding the inner side of the accommodating container is hindered, and the cold air discharged from the blower cannot be directly blown to the food or the like. On the other hand, if the wall on the inner side of the container is lowered in order to blow the cold air discharged from the blower directly to the food or the like, the food or the like may be turned off from the back side of the container to the outside, and the like, and the accommodation capacity of the container may be accommodated. Damaged. Summary of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the invention to provide a refrigerator which can secure a large space for accommodating foods and the like inside a freezer compartment, and can efficiently and quickly freeze foods and the like in the freezing compartment.

A refrigerator according to the present invention includes: a freezer compartment for accommodating a frozen object; a cooler for cooling air supplied to the freezer compartment; and an air passage for supplying air cooled by the cooler The freezer flows; the first blower transports air cooled by the cooler to the supply air passage; and the second blower transports air in the supply air passage to the freezer during a quick freezing operation, the supply air The road extends at least to the top surface of the freezing compartment, and the second blower is disposed on a top surface of the freezing compartment.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the supply air passage is disposed on the top surface of the freezer compartment, and the second blower is disposed on the top surface of the freezer compartment, and the second blower supplies cold air from the supply air passage during the quick freezing operation It is delivered to the above freezing chamber. Thereby, rapid freezing of food or the like can be performed without impairing the accommodation performance of the freezing compartment. In other words, since the blower is not disposed behind the freezing compartment, the depth of the freezer compartment can be increased, and the area of the panel in which the frozen product such as food is placed can be secured.

Further, since the second blower is disposed on the top surface of the freezing compartment, even when the storage container is provided inside the freezing compartment, the flow of the cold air discharged from the second blower is not caused by the surrounding of the storage container. The wall is blocked. In other words, by operating the second blower, cold air can be directly blown from above to the food or the like contained in the inside of the storage container. In this way, it is possible to provide a storage container for accommodating foods and the like in the freezer compartment, thereby improving the accommodating property and convenience, and efficiently and quickly freezing the food or the like.

Further, an air outlet for connecting the freezing chamber to the supply air passage and an opening for arranging the second air blower are formed on the top surface of the freezer compartment. Thereby, during the normal cooling operation, the cold air can be uniformly dispersed and supplied to the freezer compartment through the air outlet and the opening. As a result, the temperature distribution in the inside of the freezing compartment can be made uniform, and the food can be frozen and stored efficiently.

Further, since the opening portion in which the second air blower is disposed is disposed behind the air outlet, the air cooled by the cooler can be efficiently transported to the freezer compartment during the quick freezing operation. In other words, by arranging the second blower on the rear side of the supply air passage, that is, in the direction in which the cold airflow from the cooler enters, the flow resistance can be reduced, and a large amount of cold air supply can be secured. . In particular, the second blower is disposed in the depth direction of the freezer compartment Near the end, the amount of cold air introduced can be increased more effectively.

Further, since the opening is disposed behind the air outlet, the second air blower can be operated to supply cold air from the opening, and the cold air can be strongly blown to the food or the like.

Further, the air blowing direction of the second blower may be directed toward the front lower side. Thereby, the air blowing efficiency of the second air blower can be improved. In other words, by arranging the second blower in a tilted manner, it is possible to ensure a large space on the suction side and improve the air blowing efficiency.

Further, by blowing the cold air obliquely forward from the second blower, it is possible to promote the circulation of the cold air in the freezer, and to smoothly discharge the air cooled by the food or the like from the freezer compartment to prevent the heat from remaining. In other words, the cold air can be directly blown to the food or the like disposed in the accommodating container for cooling, and the cooled air is discharged from the upper side of the surrounding wall of the accommodating container to the side wall of the surrounding wall and the freezer compartment. Flows below and are efficiently discharged to the return air path. Thereby, a highly efficient quick freezing operation can be realized.

Further, in the supply air passage disposed on the top surface of the freezer compartment, the width of the region in which the second air blower is disposed is formed to be larger than the width of the region in which the air outlet is disposed. Thereby, during the rapid freezing operation, more air can be supplied to the freezer compartment by the operation of the second blower.

DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure around the upper freezing compartment of the refrigerator in the embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a perspective view showing a supply air passage of an upper floor freezer compartment of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing a structure in the vicinity of a second air blower of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view for explaining a flow of cold air during a normal cooling operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the upper freezing compartment, and (B) is a vicinity of the supply air passage of the upper freezing compartment. Stereo picture.

Fig. 7 is a view for explaining a flow of cold air during a quick freezing operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the upper freezing compartment, and (B) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the supply air passage of the upper freezing compartment. .

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a portion of a quick freezing compartment of an example of a refrigerator of the prior art.

Reference numeral

1 refrigerator

2 insulation box

3 cold rooms

4 ice making room

5 upper freezer

6 lower freezer

7 vegetable room

13 cooling room

14 supply airway

15 supply air path (for cold storage room)

16 supply air path (for upper freezer)

20 partition members

21 outlet 22 openings

23 second blower

23a fan

23b shell

29 container

32 first blower

33 cooler

X is frozen

detailed description

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front external view showing a schematic structure of a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the right side of the electric ice box 1.

As shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerator 1 has a heat insulating box 2 as a main body, and a storage chamber for storing food or the like is formed inside the heat insulating box 2. The inside of the storage compartment is divided into a plurality of storage compartments 3 to 7 depending on the storage temperature or use. The uppermost layer is the refrigerating compartment 3, the lower side of which is the ice making compartment 4, the right side is the upper freezing compartment 5, the lower layer is the lower freezing compartment 6, and the lowermost layer is the vegetable compartment 7.

The front opening of the heat insulating box 2 is provided with heat insulating doors 8 to 12 which are opened and closed in the opening portions corresponding to the respective storage chambers 3 to 7. The upper right and lower portions of the refrigerating compartment door 8 are rotatably supported by the heat insulating box 2. Further, the heat insulating doors 9 to 12 are supported by the heat insulating box 2 so as to be pulled out toward the front of the refrigerator 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, the heat insulating box 2 as the main body of the refrigerator 1 has an outer casing 2a made of a steel plate having an opening at the front, and has an opening on the inner side of the outer casing 2a, and has an opening at the front. The inner box 2b made of synthetic resin and the heat insulating material 2c made of foamed polyurethane which are foamed in the gap between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b are formed. In addition, each of the heat insulating doors 8 to 12 is also used in the same manner as the heat insulating box 2 Thermal insulation construction.

The refrigerating compartment 3 is separated from the ice making compartment 4 and the upper freezing compartment 5 located in the lower layer by a heat insulating partition wall 36. The heat insulating partition wall 36 is a molded product of a synthetic resin, and is filled with a heat insulating material.

Further, the ice making compartment 4 and the upper freezing compartment 5 are partitioned by a partition wall (not shown). Further, the ice making compartment 4 and the upper freezing compartment 5 communicate with the lower freezing compartment 6 provided in the lower layer in a freely flowing manner. Further, the lower freezing compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 7 are separated by a heat insulating partition wall 37.

Further, a supply air passage 15 through which the cooled air flows into the refrigerating compartment 3 is formed in the inner surface and the top surface of the refrigerating compartment 3 inside the inner casing 2b. Similarly, on the back side of the ice making compartment 4 and the upper freezing compartment 5, a supply air path 14 defined by a partition member 38 made of synthetic resin is formed.

Above the upper freezing compartment 5, a supply air passage 16 that communicates with the supply air passage 14 separated by a partition member 20 (separator) made of synthetic resin is formed. Further, on the top surface of the upper freezing compartment 5, a second blower 23 that transports cold air from the supply air passage 16 to the upper freezing compartment 5 during the rapid freezing operation is disposed.

On the further rear side of the supply air passage 14 inside the inner box 2b, a cooling chamber 13 partitioned by a partition member 39 is provided. An opening 13a that connects the cooling chamber 13 and the supply air passage 14 is formed in the partition member 39 at the upper portion of the cooling chamber 13, and a first blower 32 for circulating air is disposed in the opening 13a. On the other hand, below the cooling chamber 13, an opening 13b _{0 for} sucking the return cold air from the storage chamber into the inside of the cooling chamber 13 is formed.

Further, inside the cooling chamber 13, a cooler 33 (evaporator) for cooling the circulating air is disposed. The cooler 33 is connected to the compressor 31, a radiator (not shown), and a expansion valve (capillary) (not shown) through a refrigerant pipe to constitute a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Further, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, isobutane (R600a) is used as the refrigerant in the above-described freezing cycle.

Next, the basic cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, the cooling of the air in the cooling chamber 13 is performed by the cooler 33 of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle described above. The air cooled by the cooler 33 is discharged from the opening 13a of the cooling chamber 13 to the supply air passage 14 by the first blower 32.

Then, a part of the cooling air discharged to the supply air passage 14 is adjusted to an appropriate flow rate by the air passage shutter 18 (for example, a motor damper), flows to the supply air passage 15, and is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3. Thereby, the food or the like stored in the inside of the refrigerating compartment 3 can be cooled at an appropriate temperature.

The cold air supplied to the inside of the refrigerating compartment 3 is supplied to the vegetable compartment 7 through a connecting air passage (not shown). Further, the cold air circulating in the vegetable compartment 7 is returned to the inside of the cooling chamber 13 via the return air passage 17 and the opening 13b of the cooling chamber 13. Therefore, it is cooled again by the cooler 33.

On the other hand, a part of the cooling air discharged to the supply air passage 14 is supplied to the ice making chamber 4 and the lower freezing chamber 6, and is supplied to the upper freezing chamber 5 through the supply air passage 16. Further, the air inside the ice making compartment 4 and the upper freezing compartment 5 flows into the communicating lower freezing compartment 6, and the air inside the lower freezing compartment 6 flows through the lower portion of the lower freezing compartment 6, and passes through the opening 13b of the cooling chamber 13 to be cooled. 13 internal flow.

As described above, the air cooled by the cooler 33 is circulated in the storage chamber to freeze or cool the food or the like.

Next, the configuration of the vicinity of the upper freezing compartment 5, in particular, the supply air passage 16 and the second blower 23 disposed on the top surface of the upper freezing compartment 5 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 5 .

Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a structure around the upper freezing compartment 5 (a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 1), and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the supply air passage 16. Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing a structure in the vicinity of the second blower 23 (a cross section taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1).

As shown in FIG. 3, a supply air passage 16 partitioned by a partition member 20 made of synthetic resin and an upper freezing compartment 5 is disposed on the top surface of the upper freezing compartment 5. That is, the supply air path 16 is at the partition member The space formed between the 20 and the insulating partition 36.

The supply air passage 16 communicates with the supply air passage 14 through the air outlet 28. Further, an air outlet 21 and an opening 22 that communicate the supply air passage 16 and the upper freezing compartment 5 are formed in the supply air passage 16. Thereby, a path for supplying cold air to the upper freezing compartment 5 is formed. That is, the supply air path for supplying the cold air to the upper freezing compartment 5 extends to the top surface of the upper freezing compartment 5, and the area extending to the top surface thereof is the supply air path 16.

Further, in the upper freezing compartment 5, a storage container 29 for accommodating a frozen object such as a food is provided. The accommodating container 29 is a substantially box-shaped synthetic resin container that is open at the top. The accommodating container 29 is assembled in a casing (not shown) fixed to the heat insulating door 10, and is configured to be pulled forward together with the heat insulating door 10.

In the present embodiment, since the second blower for rapid freezing is disposed on the top surface of the upper freezer compartment, the bottom area of the storage container 29 can be ensured to be large, and the storage efficiency can be improved. That is, since the blower for quick freezing is not disposed at the rear (back side) of the freezing compartment, the depth dimension of the container 29 can be increased.

As shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of air outlets 21 are formed in a predetermined shape and arrangement so that cold air is uniformly supplied to the inside of the upper freezing compartment 5. The opening portion 22 is formed at the rear of the air outlet 21, that is, on the back side of the upper freezing compartment 5, and the second air blower 23 is disposed in the opening 22. In other words, the second air blower is disposed behind the air outlet 21 and is provided in the vicinity of the air outlet 28 from which the cold airflow from the supply air passage 14 enters.

The second blower 23 is an axial flow fan having a rotary fan 23a (for example, a propeller fan), a casing 23b, and a fan motor (not shown). The outer casing 23b of the second blower 23 is fixed to the top surface side of the partition member 20, that is, to the supply air passage 16 side.

In the rear portion of the partition member 20, that is, on the back side, an inclined surface 20a that is inclined downward is formed such that the height of the supply air passage 16 gradually increases toward the rear. Further, an opening portion is formed on the inclined surface 20a. 22, the second blower 23 is disposed in the opening 22. In other words, the width of the supply air passage 16 in the height direction is narrowed in the region where the air outlet 21 is formed, and the region where the second air blower 23 is disposed is widened.

Further, since the second blower 23 is disposed on the inclined surface 20a, the rotating shaft of the fan 23a is not perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1. Specifically, the second blower 23 is disposed such that its air blowing direction (the direction of the rotation axis of the air outlet side of the fan 23a) is inclined downward and forward.

Further, as shown in Fig. 5, a concave portion 20b is formed in the inclined surface 20a at a portion where the second blower 23 is disposed. In the recess 20b, only the region where the second blower 23 is fixed and its vicinity are recessed on the supply air passage 16 side, and protrude toward the upper freezing compartment 5 side.

By forming the recessed portion 20b, it is possible to ensure a large space on the suction side of the second blower 23, and it is possible to increase the air blowing efficiency of the second blower and increase the amount of blown air. Further, by forming the concave portion 20b only in the minimum area required for arranging the second blower 23, it is possible to ensure a large accommodation volume of the upper freezing compartment 5.

Here, the opening portion 22 is formed in a substantially circular shape, and the diameter D thereof is the same as or larger than the outer diameter df of the fan 23a, and is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter Dc of the wind tunnel portion of the outer casing 23b.

By setting the diameter D of the opening 22 to be equal to or larger than the outer diameter df of 23a, the flow resistance of the air blown from the second blower 23 can be kept small. Further, by making the diameter D of the opening portion 22 equal to or smaller than the inner diameter Dc of the wind tunnel portion, it is possible to suppress the flow in the radial direction of the fan 23a and to increase the flow in the axial direction. Thereby, the cold air blown from the second blower 23 can be efficiently blown to the food or the like, and the effect of rapid freezing can be enhanced.

Further, as described above, the opening portion 22 is formed in a substantially circular shape as a whole, but in the opening portion thereof, in order to prevent the human body or the like from coming into contact with the fan 23a to ensure safety, for example, a lattice shape and a concentric shape are provided. A fan guard configuration not shown.

Next, referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, supply of cold air to the upper freezing compartment 5 and rapid freezing The operation of the operation will be explained.

First, the flow of cold air in a normal cooling operation will be described. Fig. 6 (A) is a side cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the upper freezing compartment 5 for explaining the flow of cold air during the normal cooling operation of the electric ice box 1, and Fig. 6(B) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the supply air passage 16.

As shown in Figs. 6(A) and (B), in the normal cooling operation, a part of the cold air which is sent from the cooling chamber 13 to the supply air passage 14 by the first blower 32 flows into the supply air passage 16 through the air outlet 28. Further, as described above, in the normal cooling operation, a part of the cold air in the supply air passage 14 is supplied to the ice making chamber 4 (see FIG. 2) and the lower freezing compartment 6, and is supplied through the supply air passage 15. To the refrigerator compartment 3.

The cold air that has flowed into the supply air path 16 from the supply air path 14 flows into the upper freezing compartment 5 through the air outlet 21 and the opening 22 formed in the partition member 20. Here, although the second blower 23 disposed in the opening 22 does not operate, cold air passes through the wind tunnel portion of the casing 23b, that is, the periphery of the fan 23a in the stopped state.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the supply air passage 16 is disposed on the top surface of the upper freezing compartment 5, cold air can be sent from above the upper freezing compartment 5. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently supply cold air to the frozen product X such as foods placed inside the storage container 29.

Further, since a plurality of air outlets 21 are formed and cold air can be supplied from the opening 22, cold air can be dispersedly supplied to the inside of the upper freezing compartment 5. Thereby, the temperature distribution inside the upper freezing compartment 5 can be made uniform.

The cold air supplied to the upper freezing compartment 5 flows from the inner bottom portion of the storage container 29 over the upper edge portion of the surrounding wall of the storage container 29, or flows to the outside of the peripheral wall via the vent hole 29a formed in the upper portion of the peripheral wall. Then, the cold air flows between the peripheral wall and the inner wall (side wall) of the upper freezing compartment 5, and flows to the lower freezing compartment 6 below. Next, the flow of cold air in the quick freezing operation will be described. Fig. 7 (A) is a side cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the upper freezing compartment 5 for explaining the flow of cold air in the rapid freezing operation of the refrigerator 1, and Fig. 7 (B) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the supply air passage 16.

In the quick freezing operation, the second blower 23 is operated. Further, the first blower 32 is also operated in the same manner as the normal cooling operation. As a result, as shown in Figs. 7(A) and (B), most of the cold air supplied to the air passage 14 is sucked by the second blower 23 and flows into the supply air passage 16. That is, the cold air which flows directly from the supply air passage 14 into the ice making compartment 4 (refer to Fig. 2) and the lower freezing compartment 6, or the cold air which flows into the refrigerating compartment 3 via the supply air passage 15 is greatly reduced.

Further, the cold air in the supply air passage 16 is sent to the inside of the upper freezing compartment 5 through the second blower 23. Here, since the cold air in the supply air passage 16 is forcibly discharged by the second blower 23, the flow of the cold air passing through the air outlet 21 almost disappears, and substantially all of the cold air flows into the opening portion 22.

Thus, by operating the second blower 23, more cold air can be supplied to the upper freezing compartment 5, and the freezing capacity in the upper freezing compartment 5 can be increased. In particular, since the second blower 23 is disposed behind the upper freezing compartment 5 which is close to the supply air passage 14, the cold air which flows in from the air outlet 28 can be introduced in a large amount with a small flow resistance.

Further, the second blower 23 can condense the cold air from the opening 22, and the cold air can be directly blown toward the object X to be frozen placed inside the container 29. In particular, since the second blower 23 is disposed on the top surface of the upper freezing compartment 5, the surrounding wall of the container 29 can be lowered without impairing the accommodating performance, and cold air is sent from above the accommodating container 29. Thereby, the accommodating property can be ensured, and the frozen object X can be efficiently cooled to be frozen in a short time.

In addition, since the second blower 23 is disposed obliquely so that the air blowing direction is directed forward, the cold air strongly blown from the second blower 23 also flows forward. Thereby, a suitable circulation flow is formed inside the upper freezing compartment 5, preventing heat retention to achieve temperature uniformity, and forming an efficient return flow, The cooling air is discharged smoothly.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by operating the second blower 23, the quick freezing operation can be performed efficiently. By this rapid freezing operation, it is possible to shorten the time required from the time when the frozen product X is placed in the refrigerator 1 to the time when it is frozen to reach a predetermined fresh-keeping temperature, and is shortened to half or less of the above-mentioned required time in the normal cooling operation.

Next, the control operation of the quick freezing operation will be described. In the present embodiment, the quick freezing operation is started in accordance with the instruction of the user. The instruction from the user is performed by an input device (for example, an operation button or the like) not shown.

Further, for example, a temperature detecting device (not shown) for detecting the temperature inside the upper freezing compartment 5 or the temperature of the frozen object X may be provided, and based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, it is judged whether or not rapid freezing is required. Run, start the fast freezing operation. Further, a door sensor or the like for detecting the opening and closing of the hot spot 10 may be provided, and the detected value of the door sensor or the like may be used as a reference for calculation.

If the quick freezing operation is started, the second blower 23 operates as described above. At this time, the first blower 32 and the compressor 31 (see Fig. 2) are operated in the same manner as the normal cooling operation. Here, the control of increasing the refrigeration capacity of the cooler 33 (see FIG. 2) during the rapid freezing operation may be performed. Specifically, the operating frequency of the compressor 31 may be increased to increase the radiator (not shown). The number of revolutions of a fan (not shown) is used to increase the degree of opening of an expansion valve (not shown). Thereby, the freezing ability at the time of rapid freezing can be further increased.

Further, it is also possible to control the air passage shutter 18 for adjusting the flow rate of the cold air flowing from the supply air passage 14 to the supply air passage 15 while the second blower 23 is being operated. Thereby, it is possible to prevent such a problem that the air in the refrigerating compartment 3 is reversely flowed in the supply air passage 15 due to the negative pressure in the supply air passage 14 generated by the second blower 23, and the rapid freezing effect is lowered.

And, if a predetermined time elapses after the start of the quick freezing operation, the second blower 23 is stopped. The bundle is fast frozen and returns to the normal cooling operation. Here, the predetermined time is a time set in advance as a time required until the freezing of the frozen object X is completed. Further, the stop of the quick freezing operation may be determined based on the temperature inside the upper freezing compartment 5 or the temperature of the frozen object X detected by the temperature detecting device described above.

The refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

A refrigerator characterized by comprising:

a freezer compartment that houses the frozen object;

a cooler that cools air supplied to the freezing compartment;

Supplying an air path to flow air cooled by the cooler to the freezer compartment;

a first blower that transports air cooled by the cooler to the supply air passage;

The second blower allows the air in the supply air passage to be sent to the freezer during the quick freezing operation.

The supply air passage extends at least to a top surface of the freezer compartment.

The second blower is disposed on a top surface of the freezing compartment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein

The cooler is disposed at a rear of the freezer compartment

An air outlet that communicates the freezing compartment and the supply air passage, and an opening that configures the second air blower are formed on a top surface of the freezer compartment.

The opening is formed at the rear of the air outlet.

The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

The opening is disposed near an upper end of the freezing chamber in the depth direction.

The second blower is disposed such that its air blowing direction is downward and inclined forward.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein

In the supply air passage disposed on the top surface of the freezer compartment, a width in a height direction of a region in which the second air blower is disposed is formed to be wider than a height direction of a region in which the air outlet is formed.