WO2023030186A1

WO2023030186A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2023030186A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/115103
Authority: WO
Inventors: 吉池真史; 青木均史; 大谷贵史; 冈部博行
Original assignee: 海尔智家股份有限公司; 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司; Aqua 株式会社
Priority date: 2021-08-31
Filing date: 2022-08-26
Publication date: 2023-03-09
Also published as: JP2023034789A; CN117897585A

Abstract

The present invention specifically relates to a refrigerator, comprising a freezer compartment, in which a small freezer compartment for storing frozen items is formed; a cooling compartment, wherein air supplied to the freezer compartment is cooled by means of a cooler; an air supply fan used to supply the air from the cooling compartment to the freezer compartment; a door used to close the freezer compartment; an opening/closing detecting portion used to detect the opening/closing of the door; a small freezer compartment temperature measuring portion disposed in the small freezer compartment; and an arithmetic control portion.

Description

refrigerator

technical field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular, the present invention relates to a refrigerator having a function of rapidly freezing objects to be frozen.

Background technique

Conventionally, a refrigerator having a quick freezing function is known as described in Patent Document 1 (Patent Document 1: Patent No. 6608773). The Blast Freeze function is also called Quick Freeze.

Specifically, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a thermistor for measuring the temperature of the freezer compartment is provided at a position recessed upward by a predetermined distance from the lower surface of the vertical partition for partitioning the freezer compartment. In addition, the quick freezing function is performed based on the output from this thermistor. In this manner, it is possible to automatically quick-freeze food after storage while suppressing a decrease in thermal insulation performance between the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment, and the like.

However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, there is still room for improvement from the viewpoint of simply and reliably detecting objects to be frozen in order to implement the rapid freezing function.

Specifically, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, after the object to be frozen is stored in the freezer compartment, temperature detection is performed at least three times with a thermistor to determine whether there is an object to be frozen. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes a long time to determine whether or not there is a frozen object.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator described in patent document 1, when detecting with a thermistor, the damper of a refrigerator compartment is not closed. Therefore, when detection is performed by a thermistor, the temperature of the freezer compartment tends to change, which may lead to an erroneous determination of whether or not there is an object to be frozen. For example, even when only opening and closing the heat-insulating door without accessing food in the quick freezing zone, quick freezing operation may be performed due to an erroneous operation.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned matters, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of accurately judging whether there is an object to be frozen and performing a quick freezing function.

Contents of the invention

The present invention aims to provide a refrigerator.

In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, which includes: a freezer compartment, which is formed with a small freezer compartment for storing frozen objects; cooling; a blower fan, which is used to blow the air from the cooling chamber to the freezing chamber; a door, which is used to close the freezing chamber; a switch detection part, which is used to detect the opening of the door switch; a small freezer temperature measurement unit, which is arranged in the small freezer; and a calculation control unit; after the switch detection unit detects the opening and closing of the door, the calculation control unit The output of the small freezer temperature measuring unit measures a first temperature when the switching operation is performed, measures a second temperature when a first time elapses since the switching operation, and measures a second temperature elapsed since the second temperature was measured. time, and if the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature is greater than a first threshold and the difference between the third temperature and the second temperature is greater than a second threshold, the operation control The cooling capacity for cooling the object to be frozen inside the small freezing chamber is improved.

As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes: a refrigerating room; an air supply path for the refrigerating room, used to send air from the cooling room to the refrigerating room; and a refrigerating room air door, which is installed in the refrigerating room In the air supply path: after the opening and closing detection unit detects the opening and closing of the door, the calculation control unit closes the damper of the refrigerator compartment, so that the air from the cooling compartment Cycle through the freezer.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, it further includes an outside air temperature measurement unit for measuring the outside temperature, and the operation control unit modifies the second temperature based on the outside temperature measured by the outside air temperature measurement unit. a threshold or the second threshold.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, it also includes: a refrigerating room; and a cooling circuit, which can cool the refrigerating room and the freezing room separately or simultaneously; After the switch of the switch is operated, the calculation control part switches the cooling circuit so that the cooling of the refrigerator compartment is stopped and only the freezer compartment is cooled.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a compressor for compressing the refrigerant supplied to the cooler. When the opening and closing detection part detects the opening and closing of the door, if the If the compressor is in a stopped state, the arithmetic control unit starts the compressor.

As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a refrigerating room, the refrigerating room and the freezing room are arranged from top to bottom, a main air supply path is formed on the front side of the cooling room, and the inside of the cooling room The air is blown to the direction of the main air supply path by the air supply fan.

As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the air blown by the blower fan is directly sent into the small freezer compartment through the blower outlet, and the uppermost blower outlet and the temperature measuring part of the small freezer compartment are in the left and right directions. stagger.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the small freezing chamber is formed at the uppermost part of the freezing chamber, and the small freezing chamber is surrounded by a small storage container, and the small storage container is open at the top. The resin container is disposed so as to be freely drawn out in the front-rear direction.

As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a refrigerating room, the refrigerating room and the freezing room are divided by a heat insulating wall, the lower surface and side surfaces of the small freezing room are formed by the small storage container, and the The upper surface of the small freezing chamber is formed by the lower surface of the heat insulating wall.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature measuring part of the small freezing chamber is arranged on the lower surface of the heat insulation wall facing the small storage container, and the temperature measuring part of the small freezing chamber is configured to The lower surface of the heat insulating wall protrudes downward.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the timer inputs information indicating the time or time to the calculation control part, and the calculation control part judges whether the time has elapsed since the door was closed based on the input from the timer. the first time and the second time.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, if the outside temperature measured by the outside air temperature measurement unit is low, the calculation control unit can reduce the first threshold.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, if the external temperature measured by the external air temperature measurement unit is high, the calculation control unit can reduce the second threshold.

As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present invention, the first threshold and the second threshold are changed according to changes in the rotation speed of the compressor.

Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the present invention lies in that: according to the refrigerator of the present invention, it is realized to provide a refrigerator that can correctly determine whether there is an object to be frozen to implement the quick freezing function. Specifically, since the cooling capacity of the small freezer compartment is increased when the temperature difference between the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature satisfies a specified condition, it can be well detected that the object to be frozen is stored in the small freezer compartment, and it is possible to Effectively freeze the object to be frozen. Furthermore, since the freezing mode is unified after the door is opened and closed, it is accurately judged based on the output from the small freezer compartment temperature measuring unit whether there is an object to be frozen inside the freezer compartment, so that only the object to be frozen exists in the freezer compartment. The fast freezing function is only implemented under the circumstances. Further, since the first threshold and the second threshold are changed based on the outside temperature, the first threshold and the second threshold can be used at the same timing even when the number of revolutions of the compressor changes due to a change in the outside temperature To well detect that frozen objects have been stored in the small freezer. Furthermore, even in a refrigerator in which the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are individually cooled by the cooling circuit, it is possible to detect well that the object to be frozen is stored in the small freezer compartment, and to effectively freeze the object to be frozen. Since the compressor is forcibly activated when the door is opened and closed, the cooling mode after the door is closed can be unified, and the presence or absence of frozen items in the freezer can be detected more accurately.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention with the insulation door opened.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a connection structure of a refrigerator according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the refrigerator according to the specific embodiment of the present invention, showing a case where the compressor is in the operating state ("ON") when opening and closing the door.

Fig. 6 is a graph showing the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing the temperature change of the small freezer compartment after storing the object to be frozen.

Fig. 7 is a table showing the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing changes in threshold values used when detecting objects to be frozen stored in the small freezer compartment.

Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the refrigerator according to the specific embodiment of the present invention, showing a case where the compressor is in a non-operating state ("OFF") when opening and closing the door.

Fig. 9 is a performance table showing the detection of objects to be frozen stored in the small freezer in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure: 10, refrigerator; 11, heat insulation box; 111, outer box; 112, inner box; 113, heat insulation material; 115, cooling chamber; 116, evaporator; 117, defrosting heater; 12, refrigeration room; 13. freezer; 131. small freezer; 14. mechanical room; 15. storage shelf; 16. frozen objects; 17. storage structure; 18. insulation door; 19. insulation door; 20. insulation door; 21. Insulation door; 22. Compressor; 23. Air outlet; 24. Air supply fan; 25. Switch detection part; 26. Small freezer temperature measurement part; 27. Calculation control part; 29. Refrigerator damper; 30. External air temperature measurement unit; 31. Storage container; 32. Small storage container; 33. Air outlet; 35 Timer; 36. Insulation wall.

Detailed ways

Next, refrigerator 10 according to a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In the description of this specific embodiment, the same components are in principle given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, in the following description, each direction of up, down, front, back, left, and right will be used for description, but left and right refer to left and right when refrigerator 10 is seen from the front.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention seen from the left front. The refrigerator 10 has a heat insulating box 11 and a storage room formed inside the heat insulating box 11 . As will be described later, refrigerator 10 has a quick freezing function.

The refrigerator 10 has a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13 as storage compartments from top to bottom. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by a rotary insulating door 18 and an insulating door 19 . The front opening of freezer compartment 13 is closed by insulating door 20 and insulating door 21 . The heat insulating door 18, the heat insulating door 19, the heat insulating door 20, and the heat insulating door 21 are revolving doors, and can rotate about the outer end part in the left-right direction as a rotation center.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing the refrigerator 10 in which the insulating door 18, the insulating door 19, the insulating door 20, and the insulating door 21 are opened.

As described above, the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are formed as storage compartments inside the heat insulating box 11 .

The refrigerating room 12 is a storage room for cooling stored items to be refrigerated to a refrigerated temperature range, and the indoor temperature thereof is cooled to a temperature range of 2° C. to 5° C., for example. In addition, a storage structure 17 is provided on inner surfaces of the insulating door 18 and the insulating door 19 for closing the refrigerator compartment 12 .

The freezer compartment 13 is a storage room for cooling stored objects to be frozen to a freezing temperature range, and the indoor temperature thereof is cooled to a temperature range of -20° C. to -18° C., for example. A plurality of storage containers 31 are stored in the freezer compartment 13 . Here, six storage containers 31 are arranged in a matrix. Each storage container 31 is a substantially box-shaped container made of resin with an open upper surface, and can be freely drawn out in the front-rear direction.

Inside the freezer compartment 13, a small freezer compartment 131 is formed near the upper end of the storage container 31 disposed at the upper right end. The small freezer 131 is a quick freezer for freezing fresh foods such as fish and meat as quickly as possible. Details of the small freezing chamber 131 are described later with reference to FIG. 3 . The small freezing chamber 131 is also called a quick freezing zone.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator 10 . The flow of cold air inside refrigerator 10 is shown by dotted arrows in FIG. 3 .

The heat-insulating box 11 is composed of the following parts: an outer box 111 made of a steel plate bent and processed into a predetermined shape; an inner box 112 formed of a synthetic resin plate arranged on the inside at a distance from the outer box 111; The heat insulating material 113 between the outer case 111 and the inner case 112 .

The storage room inside the heat insulation box body 11 is divided into a refrigerator room 12 and a freezer room 13 from top to bottom, as mentioned above. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are partitioned by an insulating wall 36 . The heat insulating wall 36 has the same heat insulating structure as the heat insulating box 11.

The interior of refrigerator compartment 12 is partitioned in the vertical direction by a plurality of storage shelves 15 .

A cooling chamber 115 is formed at the rear side of the freezing chamber 13 . An evaporator 116 serving as a cooler is arranged inside the cooling chamber 115 . A machine room 14 is defined behind the lower end side of the refrigerator 10 , and a compressor 22 is arranged in the machine room 14 . The evaporator 116 and the compressor 22 form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle together with a condenser and an expansion device not shown here. When the vapor compression refrigeration cycle is in operation, the evaporator 116 cools the cold air inside the cooling chamber 115, and blows the cold air to each storage room so that the indoor temperature of each storage room reaches a predetermined cooling temperature range.

Inside cooling chamber 115 , blower fan 24 is disposed above evaporator 116 . The blower fan 24 is an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the cold air inside the evaporator 116 cooled by the evaporator 116 to the direction of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 .

A defrost heater 117 is disposed below the evaporator 116 inside the cooling chamber 115 . A thick frost is formed on the surface of the evaporator 116 along with the operation of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle. In such a case, the arithmetic control unit 27 described later stops the compressor 22 and closes the cooling chamber 115, and conducts a defrosting operation by energizing the defrosting heater 117 to heat to melt and remove the frost.

A main air supply passage 114 is formed on the front side of the cooling chamber 115 . In addition, refrigerator compartment air supply passage 28 is formed upward from main air supply passage 114 . A refrigerator compartment damper 29 is installed in the refrigerator compartment air supply passage 28 . Air outlet 23 , which is an opening for blowing cold air into refrigerator compartment 12 , is formed in refrigerator compartment air supply passage 28 .

The air inside the cooling chamber 115 cooled by the evaporator 116 is blown toward the direction of the main airflow path 114 by the blower fan 24 , and then sent to the freezer compartment 13 , thereby cooling the freezer compartment 13 to a specified freezing temperature range. The air that has cooled freezer compartment 13 is returned to cooling compartment 115 through a return air path not shown here. A part of the air blown by blower fan 24 is blown to refrigerator compartment 12 via refrigerator compartment damper 29 , refrigerator compartment air supply passage 28 , and air outlet 23 , and cools refrigerator compartment 12 to a predetermined refrigeration temperature range. The air which cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 returns to the cooling compartment 115 through the return air path which is not shown here.

The small freezer compartment 131 is formed at the uppermost portion of the freezer compartment 13 . The small freezer compartment 131 is a part surrounded by the small storage container 32 . The small storage container 32 is a resin container with an upper opening, and is arranged so as to be freely drawn out in the front-rear direction. Moreover, the small storage container 32 is arrange|positioned inside the storage container 31 arrange|positioned at the uppermost stage. That is, the small freezer compartment 131 is a space whose lower surface and side surfaces are constituted by the small storage container 32 , and whose upper surface is constituted by the lower surface of the heat insulating wall 36 .

Objects to be frozen 16 such as fish and meat are accommodated in the small freezer compartment 131 . By performing quick freezing in the small freezing chamber 131, the object 16 to be frozen can be frozen as soon as possible, thereby maintaining the freshness of the object 16 to be frozen. When carrying out access to food etc. with respect to small freezer compartment 131, turn and open insulation door 21, the storage container 31 of uppermost layer is pulled out forward, and the small storage container 32 is pulled out forward again.

In addition, the air blown from blower fan 24 is sent directly into small freezer compartment 131 through outlet 33 . Moreover, the small freezer compartment temperature measurement part 26 is arrange|positioned at the lower surface of the heat insulation wall 36 facing the small storage container 32. As shown in FIG. Small freezer compartment temperature measuring unit 26 is formed of, for example, a thermistor, and is disposed so as to protrude downward from the lower surface of heat insulating wall 36 . In addition, although not shown here, the air outlet 33 of the uppermost stage and the small freezer compartment temperature measurement part 26 deviate in the left-right direction. In this way, the low-temperature air blown out from the air outlet 33 will not be blown directly onto the small freezing chamber temperature measuring part 26 , so that the small freezing chamber temperature measuring part 26 can correctly detect the temperature of the small freezing chamber 131 .

The refrigerator 10 has a quick freezing function. The so-called quick freezing function is a function for rapidly freezing the object 16 to be frozen when the user stores the object 16 in the small freezer compartment 131 . The quick freezing function can be performed according to the user's operation of the control panel. Furthermore, the quick freezing function may be implemented as an automatic quick freezing function in which the calculation control unit 27 executes the quick freezing function based on the detected temperature of the small freezing chamber temperature measuring unit 26 even without a special instruction from the user. In addition, the quick freezing function may also be called a quick freezing function.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a connection structure of refrigerator 10 .

The arithmetic control unit 27 has a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., executes predetermined arithmetic processing based on input information to realize the refrigeration function of the refrigerator 10, and controls each component device. The input-side terminal of calculation control unit 27 is connected to switch detection unit 25 , small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 , outside air temperature measurement unit 30 , timer 35 and the like. In addition, the output-side terminal of arithmetic control unit 27 is connected to defrosting heater 117, compressor 22, ventilation fan 24, refrigerator compartment damper 29, and the like.

Open/close detection unit 25 detects the open/close of insulating door 21 for closing small freezer compartment 131 shown in FIG. 2 . When the user opens and closes the insulating door 21 , the opening and closing detection unit 25 inputs information indicating this to the arithmetic control unit 27 .

Small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 is, for example, a thermistor, and inputs information indicating the temperature inside small freezer compartment 131 shown in FIG. 3 to calculation control unit 27 .

The outside air temperature measuring unit 30 is arranged near the outer surface of the heat insulating box 11 , and inputs information indicating the temperature of the outside air of the refrigerator 10 to the calculation control unit 27 .

The timer 35 inputs information indicating the time or time to the arithmetic control unit 27 .

The defrosting heater 117 generates heat for defrosting based on an instruction output from the arithmetic control unit 27 .

The compressor 22 compresses the refrigerant used in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle based on an instruction output from the arithmetic control unit 27 .

Blowing fan 24 rotates and blows the air cooled in cooling chamber 115 based on an instruction output from arithmetic control unit 27, and sends the air to refrigerating chamber 12 and freezing chamber 13.

Refrigerating compartment damper 29 opens and closes refrigerating compartment air supply passage 28 shown in FIG. 3 based on an instruction output from arithmetic control unit 27 . Or the air volume of the air which circulates through the refrigerating room air supply path 28 is adjusted.

The operation of the quick freezing function when opening and closing the insulating door 21 in the refrigerator 10 having the above-mentioned structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 . FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation when the compressor 22 is in operation when storing the object 16 to be refrigerated. FIG. 6 is a graph showing changes with time of the temperature detected by the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 and the number of rotations of the compressor 22 after the insulation door 21 is opened and closed. FIG. 7 is a table showing changes of the first threshold TH1 and the second threshold TH2. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a state in which the compressor 22 is not operating when storing the object 16 to be refrigerated.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator 10, and shows a case where the compressor 22 is in operation when the insulating door 21 is opened and closed. FIG. 6 shows the change with time of the detected temperature of the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 and the output value of the compressor 22 when the insulating door 21 is opened and closed.

Roughly speaking, the arithmetic control unit 27 performs the judgment 1 and the judgment 2 after the insulation door 21 is opened and closed, so that the quick freezing function can be executed automatically even if the user does not operate the control panel. Specifically, in determination 1, calculation control unit 27 mainly determines whether or not object 16 to be frozen is stored in small freezer compartment 131 . In determination 2, the arithmetic control unit 27 determines whether or not to execute the quick freezing function. Then, if it is judged by Judgment 1 that the object to be frozen 16 is stored in the small freezer compartment 131 and by Judgment 2 it is judged that the object to be frozen 16 requires the quick freezing function, the calculation control unit 27 executes the quick freezing function.

Next, each step of implementing the quick freezing function will be described.

In step S10 , calculation control unit 27 executes normal cooling for operating refrigerator 10 . Specifically, arithmetic control unit 27 sets the indoor temperature of refrigerating compartment 12 to the refrigerating temperature range of 3°C to 5°C and the freezer compartment 13 to the freezing temperature range of -20°C to -18°C. The indoor temperature of small freezer compartment 131 also reaches the same freezing temperature range as freezer compartment 13 .

Calculation control unit 27 cools freezer compartment 13 by a cooling cycle based on an operating point ("ON point") and a non-operating point ("OFF point"). Specifically, when the indoor temperature of the freezer compartment 13 measured by the temperature sensor becomes higher than the operating point, the arithmetic control unit 27 operates the compressor 22 and the blower fan 24, and blows the air cooled in the cooling compartment 115 to the freezer13. This lowers the indoor temperature of the freezing compartment 13 . Thereafter, when the indoor temperature of freezer compartment 13 measured by the temperature sensor falls below the non-operating point, compressor 22 and blower fan 24 are stopped, and air is not blown to freezer compartment 13 . As an example, the operating point is around -18°C, and the non-operating point is around -20°C.

In addition, similarly about the refrigerator compartment 12, the calculation control part 27 cools by the cooling cycle based on an operating point and a non-operating point. Specifically, when the indoor temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 measured by the temperature sensor becomes higher than the operating point, the arithmetic control unit 27 operates the compressor 22 and the blower fan 24, opens the refrigerator compartment damper 29, and turns the cooling The cooled air in the compartment 115 is blown to the refrigerating compartment 12 . This lowers the indoor temperature of the refrigerating compartment 12 . Thereafter, when the indoor temperature of the refrigerating compartment 12 measured by the temperature sensor becomes below the non-operating point, the compressor 22 and the blower fan 24 are stopped, the refrigerating compartment damper 29 is closed, and no air is blown to the refrigerating compartment 12. . As an example, the operating point is around 5°C and the off point is around 2°C.

In step S11, arithmetic control unit 27 determines whether or not insulating door 21 for closing small freezer compartment 131 is open. Specifically, the arithmetic control unit 27 determines whether the insulating door 21 for closing the small freezer compartment 131 with reference to FIG. 2 is open based on the input of the switch detection unit 25 .

When YES in step S11, the calculation control part 27 transfers to step S12.

When step S11 is NO, calculation control part 27 returns to step S10, and continues normal cooling of freezer compartment 13 .

In step S12, the calculation control part 27 judges based on the input from the opening and closing detection part 25 whether the insulation door 21 is closed.

When YES in step S12, the calculation control part 27 transfers to step S13.

When step S12 is NO, the calculation control part 27 stays in step S12 as it is, and waits for the insulation door 21 to close.

In step S13, the arithmetic control unit 27 turns on the display device, which is arranged next to the small freezer compartment 131 or on the control panel, and is composed of LEDs and the like. The arithmetic control unit 27 turns on the display device roughly twice, for example, gradually. In this way, the user can realize that if the frozen object 16 is put into the small freezing chamber 131, the quick freezing function can be performed.

In step S14, the arithmetic control unit 27 obtains the first temperature Tp1 and lowers the dead point. Specifically, the arithmetic control unit 27 obtains the first temperature Tp1, which is the temperature detected by the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 at the time point when the insulation door 21 is closed. In addition, the dead point of the freezer compartment 13 is lowered by, for example, 3°C. In this way, the compressor 22 and the blower fan 24 can be operated to circulate the air cooled in the evaporator 116 to the heat insulating material 113 during the determination of whether there is a frozen object 16 inside the heat insulating material 113 . That is, when judging the presence or absence of the object to be frozen 16, the cooling conditions for cooling the small freezer compartment 131 are unified, so that the presence or absence of the object to be frozen 16 can be accurately detected.

In step S15, arithmetic control unit 27 closes refrigerator compartment damper 29 and operates compressor 22 and blower fan 24 . Specifically, when refrigerating compartment damper 29 is in the open state, arithmetic control unit 27 immediately brings refrigerating compartment damper 29 into the closed state. In addition, when the refrigerator compartment damper 29 is in the closed state, the arithmetic control unit 27 maintains the closed state. Furthermore, the arithmetic control unit 27 continues to operate the compressor 22 and the blower fan 24 .

In this way, the air cooled in cooling room 115 is not blown to refrigerating room 12 , but is only blown from air outlet 33 to freezing room 13 including small freezing room 131 . Thereby, the flow rate of the air circulating from cooling chamber 115 to small freezing chamber 131 can be unified, and the conditions for cooling objects 16 to be frozen inside small freezing chamber 131 can also be unified. Further, since the refrigerating compartment damper 29 is closed, the warmer air from the refrigerating compartment 12 is prevented from flowing into the vicinity of the small freezing compartment 131 , thereby preventing erroneous determination of whether there is an object to be frozen 16 .

In step S16, the calculation control part 27 judges based on the input from the timer 35, whether the 1st time Tm1 has elapsed since the insulation door 21 was closed. Here, the first time Tm1 is, for example, two minutes. Since the first time Tm1 is set in this way, the indoor temperature of the small freezer compartment 131 can be measured after the behavior of the refrigerant stabilizes, thereby effectively judging whether there is an object to be frozen 16 stored in the small freezer compartment 131 .

In the case of YES in step S16, that is, after the first time Tm1 has elapsed, the arithmetic control unit 27 proceeds to step S17.

In the case of "NO" in step S16, that is, if the first time Tm1 has not passed, the calculation control unit 27 stays in step S16 to wait for the first time Tm1 to pass.

In step S17, the calculation control part 27 acquires the temperature difference after the elapse of the 1st time Tm1. Specifically, the calculation control unit 27 obtains the second temperature Tp2, which is the temperature detected by the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 when the first time Tm1 has elapsed after the insulation door 21 is closed. Furthermore, the calculation control part 27 calculates the temperature difference which subtracted the 1st temperature Tp1 from the 2nd temperature Tp2.

In step S18, the arithmetic control unit 27 compares the temperature difference after the lapse of the first time Tm1 with the first threshold value TH1. Specifically, it is confirmed whether the value obtained by subtracting the first temperature Tp1 from the second temperature Tp2 is higher than the first threshold TH1. That is, the arithmetic control unit 27 checks whether or not the object to be frozen 16 has become colder than the first threshold value TH1 after the lapse of the first time Tm1.

Here, as an example, the first temperature Tp1 is -17.4°C, the second temperature Tp2 is -16.1°C, and the first threshold TH1 is 0°C. In this case, the subtraction value obtained by subtracting the first temperature Tp1 from the second temperature Tp2 is +1.3°C. Thereby, the subtraction value becomes larger than 0 degreeC which is the 1st threshold value TH1, and the calculation control part 27 judges as "Yes" in step S18.

When YES in step S18 , that is, if the value obtained by subtracting the first temperature Tp1 from the second temperature Tp2 is higher than the first threshold TH1 , the arithmetic control unit 27 proceeds to step S19 . The reason is that the small freezer compartment 131 has not been cooled more than the first threshold TH1, so it is determined that the object to be frozen 16 is stored in the small freezer compartment 131 .

In the case of "No" in step S18, that is, if the value obtained by subtracting the first temperature Tp1 from the second temperature Tp2 is lower than the first threshold value TH1, the operation control part 27 transfers to step S24, wherein the inoperative The point returns to normal, and the freezer compartment 13 is normally cooled in step S10. The reason is that the small freezer compartment 131 has been cooled more than the first threshold value TH1, and therefore it is determined that the object to be frozen 16 is not stored in the small freezer compartment 131 .

In step S19 , the arithmetic control unit 27 checks whether or not the second time Tm2 has elapsed based on the input from the timer 35 . Here, the second time Tm2 is, for example, the elapsed time of 18 minutes from the measurement of the second temperature Tp2.

In the case of YES in step S19, that is, after the second time Tm2 has elapsed, the arithmetic control unit 27 proceeds to step S20.

In the case of NO in step S19, the arithmetic control unit 27 stays in step S16 until the second time Tm2 passes.

In step S20, the calculation control part 27 acquires the temperature difference after the lapse of the 2nd time Tm2. Specifically, the arithmetic control unit 27 obtains the third temperature Tp3, which is the temperature detected by the small freezer compartment temperature measuring unit 26 when the second time Tm2 (for example, 18 minutes) has elapsed since the measurement of the second temperature Tp2. Furthermore, the arithmetic control unit 27 subtracts the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3.

In step S21, the calculation control part 27 compares the temperature difference after the lapse of the second time Tm2 with the second threshold value TH2. Specifically, it is confirmed whether the subtraction value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is higher than the second threshold TH2. That is, the arithmetic control unit 27 checks whether or not the frozen object 16 has become colder than the second threshold value TH2 after the lapse of the second time Tm2.

As just one example, the second temperature Tp2 is -16.1°C, the third temperature Tp3 is -16.4°C, and the second threshold TH2 is -1.0°C. In this case, the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is -0.3°C. Thereby, the subtraction value becomes larger than -1.0 degreeC which is 2nd threshold value TH2, and the calculation control part 27 judges as "Yes" in step S21.

When YES in step S21 , that is, if the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is higher than the third threshold TH3 , the arithmetic control unit 27 proceeds to step S22 . The reason for this is that since the temperature drop in the small freezer compartment 131 is small, it is judged that the quick freezing function is required for the food or the like as the object to be frozen 16 .

In the case of "No" in step S21, that is, if the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is lower than the second threshold value TH2, the operation control part 27 transfers to step S24, wherein the inoperative The point returns to normal, and the freezer compartment 13 is normally cooled in step S10. The reason for this is that it was judged that the quick freezing function was unnecessary because the temperature drop of the small freezer compartment 131 was large.

In step S22, the arithmetic control unit 27 lights up on a control panel not shown here to indicate that the quick freezing function is being executed. Furthermore, the arithmetic control unit 27 starts the quick freezing function. That is, referring to FIG. 3 , calculation control unit 27 increases the cooling capacity for cooling object 16 in small freezer compartment 131 . For example, arithmetic control unit 27 increases the cooling capacity of evaporator 116 by increasing the number of revolutions of compressor 22 , and blows the further cooled air toward small freezer compartment 131 from outlet 33 . Furthermore, arithmetic control unit 27 increases the number of rotations of blower fan 24 to increase the amount of air blown from air outlet 33 to small freezer compartment 131 . Furthermore, calculation control part 27 supplies the air from cooling room 115 only to freezing room 13 by closing refrigerating room damper 29 . Here, in order to improve the cooling capacity, the arithmetic control unit 27 can execute at least two of these methods in combination.

In step S23, the calculation control part 27 judges based on the output of the timer 35 whether predetermined time, for example, 150 minutes, has elapsed from the start of quick freezing.

In the case of YES in step S23, that is, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the arithmetic control unit 27 terminates the quick freezing function. Due to the lapse of a certain period of time, the object to be frozen 16 inside the small freezer compartment 131 is rapidly frozen. Moreover, the calculation control part 27 transfers to step S24, returns a dead point, and transfers to normal cooling of step S10.

In the case of "No" in step S23, that is, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the calculation control unit 27 stays in step S23, and continues to perform the quick freezing function.

The operation of the refrigerator 10 when the compressor 22 is operating when the insulating door 21 is opened and closed has been described above.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing changes over time in the temperature detected by the small freezer compartment temperature measuring unit 26 and the rotational speed of the compressor 22 . In FIG. 6 , the detected temperature of the small freezer compartment temperature measuring unit 26 is shown by a dotted line, and the number of revolutions of the compressor 22 is shown by a dotted line.

When the user opens and closes the insulating door 21 to put the object 16 into the small freezer compartment 131 , outside air flows into the small freezer compartment 131 . Accordingly, during the first time Tm1, the detected temperature of the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 temporarily rises suddenly. At this time, if the object 16 at normal temperature is put into the small freezer compartment 131, the temperature rise becomes smaller within the first time Tm1.

Thereafter, during the second time Tm2, the detected temperature of the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit 26 gradually decreases. Furthermore, during the period thereafter, depending on whether or not there is an object 16 inside the small freezing chamber 131 , the decrease in the detected temperature of the small freezing chamber temperature measuring unit 26 will vary. That is to say, when the object 16 exists in the small freezing chamber 131 , the temperature drop during the second time Tm2 is smaller than that in the case that the object 16 does not exist in the small freezing chamber 131 .

In this specific embodiment, as mentioned above, it is judged based on the temperature change after opening and closing the insulating door 21 whether there is an object to be frozen 16 inside the small freezer compartment 131. Implement automatic quick freezing function. That is, the object to be frozen 16 accommodated in the small freezer compartment 131 is rapidly frozen. In this way, the frozen object 16 is removed from the maximum freezing crystal temperature zone as soon as possible, and the amount of dripping that occurs when the frozen object 16 is thawed is reduced, so that the freshness of the frozen object 16 can be maintained.

FIG. 7 shows threshold values used when detecting objects to be frozen 16 stored in the small freezer compartment 131 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the aforementioned first threshold TH1 or second threshold TH2 may vary according to the outside air temperature.

If the outside air temperature AT measured by the outside air temperature measurement unit 30 is low, the calculation control unit 27 can decrease the first threshold value TH1. Specifically, if the outside air temperature AT is lower than 18°C, the first threshold TH1 is -0.5°C. On the other hand, if the outside air temperature AT is higher than 18°C and lower than 28°C, the first threshold TH1 is 0°C. In addition, if the outside air temperature AT is higher than 28°C and lower than 35°C, the first threshold TH1 is 0°C. Further, if the outside air temperature AT is higher than 35°C, the first threshold TH1 is 0°C.

If the outside air temperature AT measured by the outside air temperature measurement unit 30 is high, the arithmetic control unit 27 can decrease the second threshold value TH2. Specifically, if the outside air temperature AT is lower than 18°C, the second threshold TH2 is 0°C. On the other hand, if the outside air temperature AT is higher than 18°C and lower than 28°C, the second threshold TH2 is -0.5°C. In addition, if the outside air temperature AT is higher than 28°C and lower than 35°C, the second threshold TH2 is -1.0°C. Further, if the outside air temperature AT is higher than 35°C, the second threshold TH2 is -1.5°C.

The number of rotations of the compressor 22 changes according to the outside air temperature. Accordingly, by changing the first threshold TH1 and the second threshold TH2 according to the change in the number of revolutions of the compressor 22 as described above, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the quick freezing function is required at the same timing.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of refrigerator 10, and shows a case where compressor 22 is not in operation when opening and closing insulating door 21. Since the details of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 and the details of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 have common parts, different parts will be mainly described.

The detailed operations of step S30 , step S31 , step S32 , step S33 and step S34 are the same as those of step S10 , step S11 , step S12 , step S13 and step S14 shown in FIG. 5 . Here, in step S30, as mentioned above, if the indoor temperature of the refrigerating compartment 12 is lower than the non-operating point, the compressor 22 is stopped, and the refrigerating compartment damper 29 is closed.

In step S35, calculation control part 27 continues the closed state of refrigerator compartment damper 29, and operates ventilation fan 24. FIG. Furthermore, in order to prevent failure of the compressor 22, the calculation control part 27 confirms whether 5 minutes or more have passed since the compressor 22 stopped.

When YES in step S35, the calculation control part 27 transfers to step S36.

When step S35 is NO, the arithmetic control part 27 stays in step S35, and waits for 5 minutes to pass from compressor 22 stop.

In step S36 , the arithmetic control unit 27 starts the compressor 22 . By activating the compressor 22, the conditions for cooling the small freezer compartment 131 can be uniformly cooled when it is determined whether or not there is an object to be refrigerated 16 or the like as described later. As a result, the arithmetic control unit 27 can accurately determine whether there is an object to be frozen 16 or the like, and perform rapid freezing.

Each step from step S37 to step S41 is the same as the operation in each step from step S16 to step S20 shown in FIG. 5 . That is, the actions in steps S37, S38, S39, S40, and S41 are the same as those in steps S16, S17, S18, S19, and S20 shown in FIG. 5 .

In step S42, the calculation control part 27 compares the temperature difference after the lapse of the second time Tm2 with the second threshold value TH2. Specifically, it is confirmed whether the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is higher than the second threshold TH2. That is, the arithmetic control unit 27 checks whether or not the frozen object 16 has become colder than the second threshold value TH2 after the lapse of the second time Tm2.

As just one example, the second temperature Tp2 is -15.8°C, the third temperature Tp3 is -15.7°C, and the second threshold TH2 is -0.5°C. In this case, the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is +0.1°C. Thereby, the subtraction value becomes larger than -0.5 degreeC which is 2nd threshold value TH2, and the calculation control part 27 judges as "Yes" in step S21.

Here, the second threshold TH2 in step S42 is the same as the second threshold TH2 in step S21 shown in FIG. 5 . Although the indoor temperature of the freezer compartment 13 rises during the stop of the compressor 22, in order to take this temperature rise into consideration to determine whether the quick freezing function is required, it can be used both when the compressor 22 is in operation and when it is not in operation. The same second threshold TH2.

In the case of YES in step S42, that is, if the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is higher than the second threshold value TH2, the calculation control unit 27 proceeds to step S43. The reason for this is that since the temperature drop in the small freezer compartment 131 is small, it is judged that the food or the like as the object to be frozen 16 requires a quick freezing function.

In the case of "No" in step S42, that is, if the value obtained by subtracting the second temperature Tp2 from the third temperature Tp3 is lower than the second threshold value TH2, the calculation control unit 27 transfers to step S45, wherein the inoperative The point returns to normal, and the freezer compartment 13 is normally cooled in step S30. The reason for this is that it was judged that the quick freezing function was unnecessary because the temperature drop of the small freezer compartment 131 was large.

The operations in step S43 and step S44 are the same as those in step S22 and step S23 shown in FIG. 5 .

The operation of the refrigerator 10 in the case where the compressor 22 is not operating when the insulating door 21 is opened and closed has been described above. By performing the above steps, when the user opens and closes the insulating door 21 and stores the object 16 in the small freezer compartment 131 , the operation control unit 27 detects the presence of the object 16 to automatically execute the quick freezing function.

FIG. 9 is a table showing the detection performance of the object to be frozen 16 stored in the small freezer compartment 131 . In the table shown in FIG. 9, the experimental purpose, operation, door opening and closing conditions, and automatic rapid control results are shown from left to right.

First, an experiment was conducted to verify whether the automatic rapid freezing can be performed normally. Specifically, the insulation door 21 is opened and closed for about 15 seconds, during which time the object to be frozen 16 is stored in the small freezer compartment 131 . As a result, automatic quick freezing is performed normally. In addition, regardless of whether the compressor 22 is in the working state, the compressor 22 is in the non-working state, or is in the defrosting operation when the insulation door 21 is switched and the frozen object 16 is stored in the small freezer compartment 131, the automatic and rapid control All going on as normal. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 10 of this specific embodiment, it is obvious that regardless of the state of the compressor 22, etc., when the insulating door 21 is opened and closed, when the object to be frozen 16 is stored in the small freezer compartment 131, there is no When the user performs a special operation, the quick freezing function is automatically implemented.

Next, an experiment was conducted to confirm that automatic quick freezing was not performed unnecessarily. Specifically, when the insulation door 21 is opened and the object 16 to be frozen is taken out from the small freezer compartment 131 during this period, no matter whether the compressor 22 is in the working state or in the non-working state, the quick freezing function is not performed.

Further, in the case of only switching on and off the insulating door 21 without accessing the object to be frozen 16, it has nothing to do with the length of time the insulating door 21 is in the open state, and regardless of whether the compressor 22 is in the working state or not, There is no quick freezing function.

Still further, when the object to be frozen 16 is not accessed, the insulation door 21 is opened and closed, and the small storage container 32 is also pulled out, it has nothing to do with the length of time the insulation door 21 is in the open state, nor does it matter. Whether the compressor 22 is in the working state or not in the working state, the quick freezing function is not implemented.

Therefore, according to the refrigerator 10 of this specific embodiment, it is obvious that in any of the aforementioned situations, the fast freezing function will not be automatically performed at unnecessary timing.

Through the aforementioned specific embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

That is, with reference to FIG. 5, when the temperature difference between the first temperature Tp1, the second temperature Tp2 and the third temperature Tp3 satisfies a specified condition, by increasing the cooling capacity, it is possible to detect well that there is an object to be frozen 16 stored in the freezer compartment 13. middle. Thereby, the object to be frozen 16 accommodated in the heat insulating material 113 can be frozen efficiently by an automatic rapid freezing function.

Furthermore, by unifying the freezing mode after opening and closing the insulating door 21 , it is possible to accurately determine whether there is an object 16 inside the freezing compartment 13 based on the output from the small freezing compartment temperature measuring unit 26 .

Further, referring to FIG. 7, by changing the first threshold TH1 and the second threshold TH2 based on the outside temperature, even when the number of revolutions of the compressor 22 changes due to a change in the outside temperature, the second threshold can be used at the same timing. The first threshold TH1 and the second threshold TH2 are used to detect well that the object to be frozen 16 is stored in the freezing chamber 13 .

Further, referring to FIG. 8 , by forcibly starting the compressor 22 when opening and closing the insulating door 21 , the cooling mode after closing the door can be unified, thereby more accurately detecting whether there is an object 16 to be frozen in the freezing chamber 13 .

The present invention is not limited to the contents defined in the above specific embodiments, but various modifications can be implemented within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, referring to FIG. 3 , it is possible to have a cooling circuit capable of cooling the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 separately or simultaneously. Specifically, an evaporator 116 and a cooler for refrigerator compartment for cooling refrigerator compartment 12 are respectively provided, and refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled by the cooler for refrigerator compartment, and freezer compartment 13 is cooled by evaporator 116 . In the case of such a structure, after the opening and closing detection part 25 detects the opening and closing operation|movement of the insulation door 21, the calculation control part 27 switches to the cooling circuit which cools only the freezer compartment 13. Specifically, arithmetic control unit 27 stops cooling of refrigerator compartment 12 by the cooler for refrigerator compartment, and continues cooling of freezer compartment 13 by evaporator 116 .

Although embodiments and specific examples of the present invention have been described, the disclosure may vary in structural details, and changes in the combination or order of elements in the embodiments and specific examples may also be implemented without departing from scope and spirit of the claimed invention.

Claims

A refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises:

Freezing chamber, which is formed with a small freezing chamber for storing frozen objects;

a cooling chamber, wherein the air blown to the freezing chamber is cooled by a cooler;

a blower fan for blowing the air from the cooling compartment to the freezing compartment;

a door for closing the freezer compartment;

a switch detection unit for detecting the opening and closing of the door;

a small freezer temperature measuring unit provided in the small freezer; and

operation control department;

After the opening and closing detection unit detects the opening and closing operation of the door, the calculation control unit measures the first temperature at the time of the opening and closing operation based on the output from the small freezer compartment temperature measurement unit, and measures the first temperature from the opening and closing of the door. a second temperature at a first time elapsed since the action, and measuring a third temperature at a second time elapsed since measuring said second temperature, and

If the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature is greater than the first threshold and the difference between the third temperature and the second temperature is greater than the second threshold, the calculation control unit increases the temperature in the small freezer. Internally cools the cooling capacity of the object to be frozen.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a refrigerating room; a refrigerating room air supply path for supplying air from the refrigerating room to the refrigerating room; and a refrigerating room air door installed on the refrigerating room In the air supply path of the refrigerator;

After the opening and closing detection unit detects the opening and closing operation of the door, the arithmetic control unit closes the refrigerating compartment damper to circulate the air from the cooling compartment in the freezing compartment.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an outside air temperature measuring section for measuring outside temperature,

The arithmetic control section changes the first threshold value or the second threshold value based on the outside temperature measured by the outside air temperature measurement section.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising:

cold room; and

a cooling circuit capable of cooling the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment separately or simultaneously;

After the opening and closing detection unit detects the opening and closing operation of the door, the arithmetic control unit switches the cooling circuit so that cooling of the refrigerating compartment is stopped and only the freezing compartment is cooled.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor for compressing the refrigerant supplied to the cooler,

The arithmetic control unit starts the compressor if the compressor is stopped when the opening and closing detection unit detects the opening and closing operation of the door.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a refrigerating chamber, the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber are arranged from top to bottom, and a main air supply path is formed on the front side of the cooling chamber, the The air inside the cooling chamber is blown by the blower fan toward the direction of the main blower path.
The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the air blown by the blower fan is directly sent into the small freezer compartment through the outlet, and the uppermost outlet and the temperature measuring part of the small freezer compartment are in the same position. Staggered left and right.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the small freezer compartment is formed at the top of the freezer compartment, and the small freezer compartment is surrounded by a small storage container, and the small storage container is The resin container with an upper opening is arranged so that it can be freely drawn out in the front-rear direction.
The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising a refrigerating room, the refrigerating room and the freezing room are divided by a heat insulating wall, and the lower surface and side surfaces of the small freezing room are formed by the small storage container , and the upper surface of the small freezer is formed by the lower surface of the heat insulating wall.
The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the temperature measuring part of the small freezing compartment is provided on the lower surface of the heat insulating wall facing the small storage container, and the temperature measuring part of the small freezing compartment is arranged To protrude downward from the lower surface of the heat insulating wall.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the timer inputs information indicating the time or time to the calculation control unit, and the calculation control unit judges whether the door has been closed since the door is closed based on the input from the timer. The first time and the second time have elapsed.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the outside temperature measured by the outside air temperature measuring unit is low, the arithmetic control unit can decrease the first threshold value.
The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the outside temperature measured by the outside air temperature measuring unit is high, the arithmetic control unit can decrease the second threshold value.
The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are changed according to the change of the rotation number of the compressor.