WO2021117929A1

WO2021117929A1 - Refrigerator sterilizer using uv lamp for generating ozone

Info

Publication number: WO2021117929A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/017493
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이혜인
Original assignee: 이혜인
Priority date: 2019-12-11
Filing date: 2019-12-11
Publication date: 2021-06-17

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator sterilizer using a UV lamp for generating ozone to sterilize various microorganisms generated in the refrigerator and oxidize taste and odors. To this end, provided is a refrigerator sterilizer using a UV lamp for generating ozone, the refrigerator sterilizer comprising: a housing installed in the vertical direction in a refrigerator, and having an air inlet port in a lower portion thereof and an air discharge port in an upper portion thereof, and an air flow passage connected between the air inlet port and the air outlet port; and a UV lamp installed in the housing for generating ozone. According to the present invention, heat generated from the UV lamp can be rapidly diffused to guide air flow, and the generation amount of ozone is increased. In addition, because the UV lamp is installed in the housing, the lamp may not break and there is no exposure to UV rays harmful to the human body, and thus, safety can be improved.

Description

Sterilization device for refrigerator using UV lamp for ozone generation

The present invention relates to a refrigerator sterilization apparatus using ozone generated by installing a UV lamp kit for ozone generation in a refrigerator and UV (172nm to 254nm) sterilization rays, and more particularly, it sterilizes various microorganisms generated and propagated in the refrigerator. And it relates to a sterilizer for refrigerators that can oxidize taste substances.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a refrigerator is a device that enables low-temperature storage of stored food in order to keep food fresh for a long period of time, and is stored by refrigeration or freezing by controlling the state of cold air according to the state of storage.

The cold air supplied to the inside of the refrigerator is generated by the heat exchange action of the refrigerant and is continuously supplied into the refrigerator while repeatedly performing the cycle of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation. The food inside the refrigerator can be stored at a desired temperature by being evenly delivered to the inside of the refrigerator.

Such a refrigerator may be classified into a general refrigerator, a side by side type refrigerator, a bottom freezer type refrigerator, and the like according to the structures of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

The general-type refrigerator has a structure in which a freezing compartment is located at an upper portion and a refrigerating compartment is located at a lower portion, and a double-door type refrigerator has a structure in which a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right sides.

The bottom freezer type refrigerator is a type that is recently widely used in the United States or Europe, and has a structure in which a refrigerating compartment larger than the freezing compartment is located at the upper portion and the freezing compartment is located at the lower portion.

On the other hand, the refrigerator includes a main body provided with one or more storage spaces for low-temperature storage, and a door rotatably mounted to the main body, and selectively opening and closing the storage space.

In addition, the storage space of the refrigerator is usually divided into a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber. At the rear of the storage space, an evaporator generating cold air by exchanging heat with the air in the storage space and air in the storage space are introduced into the evaporator, and heat exchanged cold air A fan is provided to blow air back to the storage space.

In addition, recently, various functions have been added for the convenience of using the refrigerator. In order to implement these functions, a home bar for conveniently storing and storing a certain amount of food or food containers is provided on the door, or a plurality of functions are provided on the rear surface of the door. of baskets are provided.

These refrigerators store not only vegetables and fruits, but also meat, fish, various food ingredients and finished foods. However, if food is left in the refrigerator for more than a certain period of time, food spoilage begins, and various volatile organic compounds generated as the food's unique flavor and microorganisms grow and die are the main causes. . In addition, when the odor of a specific food permeates into other foods, there is a problem in that the odor of the specific food is lost and the food is thrown away. Similarly, if the storage space is not cleaned periodically, odors generated from various foods accommodated in the refrigerator will vibrate, and mold, bacteria, and viruses will multiply, which is not good for hygiene and causes discomfort to users. Occurs.

In addition, since bacteria or the like generated in one food are transmitted to other foods or move inside the refrigerator according to the circulation of cold air, there is a problem in that the sanitary condition inside the refrigerator is poor.

For this reason, in most refrigerators, various types of deodorizing devices are provided for the purpose of removing odors of food itself or odors caused by food spoilage, preventing circulation of such odors and sterilizing various microorganisms.

Recently, a technology for deodorizing and sterilizing microorganisms using ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet lamp has been developed in order to remove odors generated in the refrigerator. However, it has limitations in applying it to refrigerators so far, so it is a technical problem that cannot be commercialized. has a

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to generate ozone by applying a UV lamp for ozone generation to perform oxidation and sterilization, and as an apparatus for sterilization using a UV254 sterilizing wire. To increase ozone generation efficiency and improve internal air circulation using the heat of UV lamp, heat-resistant tube and heat reflector are applied, and the internal structure of the kit is applied to the principle of the chimney to promote the upward airflow by heat. By using the applied UV lamp kit, UV ultraviolet rays do not leak out, so it provides safety to the human body and provides improved efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is installed in the inside of the refrigerator in the vertical direction, an air inlet is formed in the lower part, and an air outlet is formed in the upper part, and the air inlet and the air outlet are connected. Provided is a sterilizing apparatus for refrigerators using ozone, comprising: a housing having an air flow path formed therein; and a UV lamp installed inside the housing to generate ozone.

According to the present invention, it is possible to sterilize various low-temperature bacteria such as viruses, mold, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. that survive inside the refrigerator, and it is possible to reduce odors by oxidizing various tastes and tastes existing in the interior of the refrigerator, and to reduce the odor of fruits. By decomposing ethylene gas, which promotes spoilage, it helps to maintain the freshness of fruits and store them for a long time.

And since the present invention generates ozone that oxidizes toxic substances such as pesticides, it contributes to securing the safety of food.

In addition, the present invention can prevent the problem that food located in the vicinity of the UV lamp is exposed to a temperature out of the pre-specified refrigeration temperature by quickly diffusing the heat generated from the UV lamp to be spoiled.

In addition, the present invention can reduce the amount of electricity required for ozone generation and sterilization because the ozone generation rate and the safety of the human body due to ultraviolet rays are improved compared to the conventional UV lamp.

1 is a front view showing a refrigerator in which a sterilizer for a refrigerator according to the present invention is installed.

2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing a sterilizing apparatus for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a sterilizer for a refrigerator using ozone (hereinafter, abbreviated as 'sterilizer for a refrigerator') according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

1 is a front view showing a refrigerator in which a sterilizing device for a refrigerator according to the present invention is installed, and FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing a sterilizing device for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2 , the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a housing 110 installed to stand inside the refrigerator, and a UV installed inside the housing 110 to generate ozone. a lamp 120 .

The housing 110 is configured so that when the air heated by the UV lamp 120 forms an upward flow with ozone generated by the UV lamp 120, it can be quickly discharged to the outside of the housing 110. It is installed in the vertical (vertical) direction inside the refrigerator. In other words, when the housing 110 is installed in the left and right direction (horizontal) inside the refrigerator, even if the air passing through the housing 110 is heated by the UV lamp 120 because the air flow inside the refrigerator is weak. The time required for the heated air to be discharged to the outside of the housing 110 is required more than when it is installed in the vertical direction.

Hereinafter, each component will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 , the sterilizer for a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a housing 110 .

The housing 110 protects the UV lamp 120 from external impact and provides the external appearance of the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator, and blocks direct exposure to heat generated by the UV lamp 120 to sterilize the refrigerator. It prevents food located in the vicinity of the device 100 from being exposed to a temperature higher than the internal temperature of the refrigerator. To this end, the housing 110 may be made of a heat-resistant material such as ceramic or heat-resistant plastic.

Specifically, the housing 110 has an air inlet 112 through which the air inside the refrigerator is introduced at the lower portion, and an air outlet 114 through which the air introduced through the air inlet 112 is discharged at the upper portion is formed. , an air flow passage 116 connecting between the air inlet 112 and the air outlet 114 is formed. At this time, the air flow passage 116 is installed with a UV lamp 120 and provides a space for air to pass around the UV lamp 120, and the air heated by the UV lamp 120 generates an upward airflow. It is formed along the longitudinal direction of the housing 110 so that it can be formed and discharged.

If necessary, the air inlet 112 is a housing (as shown in FIG. 2) so that the internal air of the refrigerator can smoothly flow in even if the refrigerator sterilizer 100 is installed in the refrigerator while seated on the shelf of the refrigerator. 110) is formed on the side of the lower part.

In addition, the air inlet 112 communicates with the air flow passage 116 so that the inflow of the air introduced into the housing 110 does not occur. It is preferable to include a plurality of, preferably 5 to 20 intake holes. Do. In other words, when the air inlet 112 is composed of four or less intake holes, the inflow of air is concentrated only in some of the intake holes, so that the air flow may not be smooth.

The housing 110 applies the ventilation principle of the anthill to form an upward flow to the air introduced from the bottom so that the heat generated by the UV lamp 120 can be circulated smoothly. To this end, it is preferable that the air inlet 112 of the housing 110 has an inlet area through which air is introduced from the outside is 1.1 to 1.3 times larger than an outlet area through which air is discharged from the air outlet 114 . At this time, if the inlet area is formed to be less than 1.1 times the outlet area, the speed of the air discharged to the outside of the housing 110 is reduced, so that the air containing ozone is not smoothly spread over a long distance from the refrigerator sterilizer. Bacteria from distant food may cause a problem that it is difficult to sterilize. In addition, if the inlet area is formed to exceed 1.3 times the outlet area, a problem in which air flow is stagnated in the housing 110 may occur.

In the housing 110 , a venturi passage 118 may be formed in a portion of the air flow passage 116 as shown in FIG. 2 . The venturi passage 118 serves to accelerate the air flow passing through the housing 110 so that ozone generated by the UV lamp 120 can be rapidly diffused into the inside of the refrigerator.

A photocatalyst coating layer for generating hydroxyl radicals (OH■) may be provided inside the housing 110 , and the photocatalytic coating layer is preferably provided in the venturi passage 118 to be positioned close to the UV lamp 120 . Do. In this case, the photocatalyst coating layer may be composed _{of TiO 2 .}

In this case, the photocatalyst TiO electrons ₂ generated by absorbing light in the ultraviolet 400nm or less in the (e ■) and holes (h ■) is a superoxide anion on the TiO ₂ surface promotes the respective air layers of O ₂ and H ₂ O and the reaction ( O ₂ ■) and oxalic radical (OH■), oxalic radical with high oxidizing power is excellent for purifying various odors, and can sterilize more than 99% of various bacteria and bacteria such as environmental hormones, pathogenic E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. .

The air outlet 114 of the housing 110 may be configured as a single exhaust hole communicating with the air flow passage 116 .

As an embodiment, the housing 110 according to the present invention may be formed as a fixed housing that is pre-installed inside the refrigerator when the refrigerator is manufactured.

As another embodiment, the housing 110 according to the present invention may be formed as a portable housing that can be selectively attached and detached to a pre-fabricated refrigerator. As described above, in the case of being manufactured as a portable type that can be selectively detachably attached to the inside of the refrigerator, the housing 110 may be provided with a vacuum suction pad (not shown) on its surface so that it can be easily attached to the inside of the refrigerator.

1 and 2 , the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a UV lamp 120 .

The UV lamp 120 sterilizes various low-temperature bacteria such as viruses, mold, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. that survive inside the refrigerator and generates ozone that oxidizes various tastes and tastes existing in the interior of the refrigerator, and provides a stable temperature inside the refrigerator. It is installed inside the housing 110 for management.

Although there is a lot of ozone, it is at least a problem, but 0.03ppm is always exposed in daily life, so it is a very beneficial substance to living things on earth because it sterilizes and oxidizes various kinds. The health standard of domestic and foreign ozone is 0.06~0.08ppm, and it does not cause secondary pollution because it does not leave odors or chemical residues after the reaction.

The UV lamp 120 ^{may use any UV lamp as long as it can emit ozone (o 3} ), but preferably, a UV lamp (ultraviolet lamp) for generating ozone may be used.

The UV lamp is a lamp that generates an ultraviolet wavelength having a wavelength range of 172 nm to 254 nm, and the ultraviolet light having this wavelength has a very strong sterilization effect, but serious light injuries such as mutation or sterilization to microorganisms that lead to death causes At this time, since the UV lamp or the ozone lamp is implemented by a known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As an embodiment, the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator according to the present invention may be of a fixed type that is installed in advance in the refrigerator when the refrigerator is manufactured. At this time, the UV lamp 120 is connected to the power supply of the refrigerator and operates by receiving power from the power supply.

As another embodiment, the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator according to the present invention may be configured as a portable type that can be selectively attached and detached to a pre-fabricated refrigerator. In this case, the UV lamp 120 is connected to a replaceable battery provided in the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator to operate by receiving power from the battery, or is connected to a cable having a thickness that does not interfere with the closing of the refrigerator door. It operates by receiving power from the commercial power supply of

The UV lamp 120 is coupled to a bulb socket provided inside the housing 110 , and the bulb socket may use a one-touch bulb socket so that a user can easily replace and clean the UV lamp 120 . At this time, since the one-touch light bulb socket is a known configuration, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, since the UV lamp 120 and the light bulb socket are configured to be installed inside a refrigerator with high humidity, it is preferable to be formed to have an IP68 rating or higher. At this time, IP grade is a grade designated by the National Electrical Engineers Association (NEMA), and it means the protection grade provided against intrusion elements (body parts such as hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and moisture for the outer shell of electronic products. do.

1 and 2 , the sterilizer 100 for a refrigerator according to the present invention may further include a heat reflection layer 130 .

The heat reflection layer 130 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 110 in which the air flow passage 116 is formed so as to reflect the heat generated from the UV lamp 120 to the UV lamp 120, and is made of aluminum. is formed

For example, the heat reflection layer 130 may be formed through spray coating of aluminum on the inner circumferential surface of the housing 110 in which the air flow passage 116 is formed, or may be formed through attachment of an aluminum film.

The heat reflected by the heat reflection layer 130 to the UV lamp 120 activates oxygen molecules and lowers the humidity, thereby improving the ozone production rate.

1 and 2 , the sterilizer for a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a controller 140 .

The controller 140 is connected to the UV lamp 120 to control the operation of the UV lamp 120. When the hinged door of the refrigerator is closed, the UV lamp 120 is driven for a time set by the built-in timer to drive the refrigerator. ON/OFF of the UV lamp 120 is controlled so that ozone is emitted inside of the . In other words, when the UV lamp 120 is lit once, the controller 140 generates ozone for 5 to 10 minutes for the UV lamp 120 to generate ozone for a time set by the timer, preferably 5 to 10 minutes. Power on for 10 minutes.

At this time, when the UV lamp 120 does not operate when the hinged door of the refrigerator is opened, the ozone generated by the UV lamp 120 leaks to the outside of the refrigerator, the sterilization and deodorization power inside the refrigerator is lowered, and the user of the refrigerator is the standard This is because the problem of exposure to insignificant ozone within the range may occur.

In addition, the controller 140 may be configured to control ON/OFF of the UV lamp 120 so that the UV lamp 120 can be operated at a predetermined time interval when the UV lamp 120 is not operated for a predetermined time. have. For example, the controller 140 detects ON/OFF of the UV lamp 120 and forcibly turns on the UV lamp 120 if it is not turned on for 8 to 24 hours.

In addition, the controller 140 is connected to the touchpad 10 outside the refrigerator, and according to the user's UV lamp 120 ON signal input from the touchpad 10, the UV lamp 120 is lit once for a specified time. It is possible to control the UV lamp 120 as possible. As such, when food such as fresh fruit is stored in the refrigerator, the user can directly sterilize the bacteria remaining in the fruit by inputting the control signal of the UV lamp 120 to the controller 140 through the touch pad 10 . can

The controller 140 is configured to include a sensor installed on the sliding door to detect the open and closed state of the refrigerator door, and based on the signal detected by the sensor, depending on the open state of the door, the number of times of opening, or the open time The operation of the UV lamp 120 can be controlled.

Although described above with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can variously modify and change the present invention within the scope without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below. You will understand that you can.

Claims

a housing installed in the interior of the refrigerator in the vertical direction, an air inlet is formed in the lower part, an air outlet is formed in the upper part, and an air flow passage connecting the air inlet and the air outlet is formed; and

A sterilization apparatus for a refrigerator using a UV lamp for ozone generation including a UV lamp installed inside the housing to generate ozone.
According to claim 1, wherein the air flow passage

A sterilizer for refrigerators using a UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that a venturi passage is formed.
The method of claim 2, wherein the housing is

A sterilizer for a refrigerator using a UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that the venturi passage is provided with a photocatalyst coating layer that promotes ozone generation.
The method of claim 3, wherein the photocatalyst coating layer

Sterilization device for refrigerator using UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that it is composed of TiO 2 .
According to claim 1, wherein the housing is

A sterilizer for a refrigerator using a UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that a heat reflection layer formed of aluminum is provided on the inner peripheral surface where the air flow passage is formed.
According to claim 1, wherein the air inlet is

A sterilizer for a refrigerator using a UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that it is formed on a side surface of the lower portion of the housing and includes a plurality of intake holes communicating with the air flow passage.
The method of claim 1 or 6, wherein the air inlet is

A sterilizer for a refrigerator using an ozone generating UV lamp, characterized in that the inlet area through which air is introduced from the outside is formed to be 1.1 to 1.3 times the area at which air is discharged from the air outlet.
According to claim 1, wherein the housing is

A sterilizer for a refrigerator using a UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that it is a fixed housing that is installed in advance inside the refrigerator when the refrigerator is manufactured.
According to claim 1, wherein the housing is

A sterilizer for a refrigerator using a UV lamp for ozone generation, characterized in that it is a portable housing that can be selectively attached and detached to a pre-fabricated refrigerator.