refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a storage container disposed in a vegetable compartment and a partition disposed behind the storage container. The partition includes a front surface opposing the rear surface of the storage container, a pair of side surfaces extending from the front surface toward the rear, and a first opening opposing a vent for return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment. The return cold air passage area is defined by at least the front surface, side surfaces, and first opening of the partition. The present invention can maintain the humidity within the storage container disposed in the vegetable compartment within a suitable humidity range for preserving vegetables.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Compared to the humidity in other storage rooms such as refrigerators and freezers, the humidity in the vegetable compartment, where vegetables are stored and kept fresh, is kept higher. When the cold air (circulated cold air) circulating in the refrigerator is used to cool the entire vegetable compartment (the entire storage container provided in the vegetable compartment), the drying inside the vegetable compartment is intensified. As a result, the humidity in the vegetable compartment (inside the storage container) may fall below the desired humidity range. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-132296) discloses a refrigerator for solving this type of problem related to the humidity of storage rooms including the vegetable compartment.

[0003] The refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes: a storage compartment for storing stored items; a storage container, which is accommodated in the storage compartment, can be pulled out toward the front side, has an opening at the top, and stores stored items; and a lid, which is configured to cover the opening of the storage container, and a connecting hole connecting the inside and outside of the vegetable compartment is formed on the lid, and a resin fiber component is provided on the lower surface of the lid, and moisture in the vegetable compartment is absorbed by the resin fiber component, and the absorbed moisture is discharged to the outside of the vegetable compartment through the connecting hole.

[0004] However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, a lid including a resin fiber component covers the upper surface of the vegetable chamber. In this regard, the resin fiber component mounted on the lid overlaps with the communication hole. According to Patent Document 1, the resin fiber component is a woven fabric made of resin fibers such as PET fibers, and is a component that blocks liquid and allows air to pass through. In other words, the air in the vegetable chamber (inside the storage container) can circulate through the overlapping portion of the resin fiber component and the communication hole.

[0005] In the vegetable compartment disclosed in Patent Document 1, the circulating cold air flows into the vegetable compartment from above. Therefore, it is conceivable that the circulating cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment would reach a wide area, including the lid of the resin fiber component. Consequently, a large amount of circulating cold air would flow into the vegetable compartment (storage container) from the overlapping area between the resin fiber component and the communication hole. This would exacerbate internal dryness, potentially causing the humidity in the vegetable compartment (storage container) to fall below the desired humidity range. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining the humidity in a storage container provided in a vegetable compartment within a humidity range suitable for preserving vegetables.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising:

[0008] a storage container disposed in the vegetable compartment; and

[0009] a spacer disposed on a rear side relative to the storage container;

[0010] The spacer comprises:

[0011] a front surface, which is opposite to the back surface of the storage container;

[0012] a pair of side surfaces extending rearward from the front surface; and

[0013] a first opening portion, which is opposite to the vent for return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment;

[0014] A passage area for return cold air is defined by at least the front surface, the side surface, and the first opening.

[0015] Preferably, the refrigerator further includes a cold air discharge unit that discharges cold air toward the front surface of the partition, and the front surface of the partition includes a second opening portion through which the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit passes.

[0016] Preferably, the cold air discharge unit comprises:

[0017] coolers; and

[0018] The guide flow path is provided on the rear side of the storage container and guides the cold air cooled by the cooler into the interior of the partition.

[0019] Preferably, the cold air discharge unit further includes a valve configured to control the cold air cooled by the cooler to flow into the guide flow path.

[0020] Preferably, the valve is provided opposite to the inlet of the guide flow path.

[0021] Preferably, the storage container further includes a forward path limiting wall, which protrudes from the back of the storage container and is embedded in the second opening portion, and is used to limit the forward path of at least one of the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit and the return cold air.

[0022] Preferably, the advancing path limiting wall is an internally hollow annular portion with one end and the other end both of which are open.

[0023] Preferably, the pair of side surfaces are respectively provided to extend rearward from left and right sides of the front surface.

[0024] Preferably, all or part of the back side of the partition is set to be an opening, and the opening is opposite to the inlet of the cold air return duct, and the outlet of the cold air return duct is connected to the cooling chamber accommodating the cooler.

[0025] Preferably, the refrigerator includes a storage compartment located above the vegetable compartment and configured as a refrigeration compartment or a freezing compartment, and the vent is provided on a bottom surface of the storage compartment.

[0026] Preferably, the storage container has an open upper surface, and the open upper surface is closed by a cover.

[0027] Preferably, the front surface of the partition includes a second opening portion for the return cold air to pass through.

[0028] Preferably, the partition extends across the span of the vegetable chamber in the left-right direction.

[0029] According to the present invention, by placing a partition behind the storage container in the vegetable compartment, the return flow of cold air into the vegetable compartment can be divided into a passage area. As a result, the return flow from the vegetable compartment primarily passes through the rear side of the storage container, preventing the return flow from spreading above or to the sides of the storage container. This selectively cools the back of the storage container, preventing excessive drying inside the storage container.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the present invention, cold air can be directed from the cold air discharge unit through the second opening formed in the front surface of the partition to collide with the back of the storage container. This allows the interior of the storage container to be cooled from the back. This improves the sealing of the storage container, allowing the interior of the storage container to be cooled to the desired temperature range even if the normal return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment is blocked.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the guide flow path provided behind the storage container allows the cool air cooled by the cooler to be directed into the interior of the partition. In other words, the cool air can be discharged from a position close to the back of the storage container. This simplifies the structure of the cool air discharge unit and ensures that the cool air reaches the back of the storage container reliably.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by providing a forward path limiting wall, the cold air (at least one of the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit and the return cold air) passing through the second opening is restricted to flow toward the back of the storage container. This prevents the cold air from spreading beyond the back of the storage container (e.g., above or to the sides of the storage container). This prevents the cold air from intruding into the storage container, thus suppressing excessive drying inside. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator of this embodiment;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a side vertical sectional view of the refrigerator of this embodiment ( Figure 1AA' line sectional view shown);

[0035] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a spacer according to this embodiment;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a view of the vegetable compartment from the back with the insulation box removed;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a side vertical sectional view of the refrigerator of this embodiment ( Figure 1 BB' line cross-sectional view shown). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Hereinafter, a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in describing the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the "up-down" direction corresponds to the height direction of the refrigerator 1, the "left-right" direction corresponds to the width direction of the refrigerator 1, and the "front-back" direction corresponds to the depth direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0039] First, refer to Figure 1 The structure of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be described in general. Figure 1 : is the main view of the refrigerator 1. Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes an insulated housing 2, which serves as the refrigerator body. Furthermore, the insulated housing 2 includes multiple storage compartments 3, 4, and 5. These storage compartments are, from top to bottom, the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the freezer compartment 5. However, the order of the storage compartments is not limited to this (for example, the refrigerator compartment, the freezer compartment, and the vegetable compartment could also be arranged, from top to bottom).

[0040] The front surfaces of the storage compartments provided on the heat-insulating housing 2 form openings. The heat-insulating doors are provided in such a manner that these openings can be opened and closed. Here, when viewing the refrigerator from the front, the upper and lower ends of the right and left sides of the heat-insulating doors 6a, 6b are rotatably supported on the heat-insulating housing 2, and can be used to block the front surface opening of the refrigerating chamber 3. In addition, the heat-insulating door 6c is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-to-back direction relative to the heat-insulating housing 2, and can be used to block the front surface opening of the vegetable chamber 4. Similarly, the heat-insulating door 6d is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-to-back direction relative to the heat-insulating housing 2, and can be used to block the front surface opening of the freezer chamber 5.

[0041] Next, refer to Figures 2 to 4 The internal structure of the refrigerator 1 is described. Figure 2 It is a side vertical sectional view of the refrigerator 1, which can be specifically along Figure 1 A-A' is a partial cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 1;

[0042] Figure 3is a perspective view of a partition 100 through which return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 4 passes; and Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the vegetable compartment 4 as viewed from the rear side with the heat-insulating box 2 removed.

[0043] It should be noted that the "return cold air" in this embodiment is, for example: cold air that is cooled by heat exchange with a cooler (evaporator) arranged in the back area of ​​the freezer compartment 5, and reaches the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 through the cold air delivery duct and returns to the vicinity of the cooler again.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, the insulated box body 2 includes an outer shell 2a made of steel plate, an inner liner 2b made of synthetic resin, and an insulating material 2c made of foamed polyurethane (polyurethane foam) filling the gap formed between the outer shell 2a and the inner liner 2b. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment also includes a storage container 10 and a partition 100 disposed in the vegetable compartment 4. The storage container 10 can be used to store vegetables, etc.

[0045] First, the storage container 10 of this embodiment will be described. The storage container 10 has an open upper surface 11. The open upper surface 11 is sealed by a lid 20, thereby enhancing the sealing within the storage container 10. Furthermore, a first light-transmitting portion 21 (e.g., a glass plate, acrylic plate, etc.) is provided on the front side of the lid 20, allowing the interior of the storage container 10 to be visually inspected from above.

[0046] In addition, a second light-transmitting portion 32 (such as a glass plate, acrylic plate, etc.) is also provided on the bottom surface 31 of the refrigerating chamber 3 directly above the vegetable chamber 4. Figure 2 As shown, the second light-transmitting portion 32 faces the first light-transmitting portion 21. With this structure, when the insulating doors 6a, 6b of the refrigerating chamber 3 are opened, the inside of the vegetable chamber 4 (storage container 10) can be visually checked from the refrigerating chamber 3 side.

[0047] Next, refer to Figure 3 The following describes the partition 100. The partition 100 includes a front surface 110, a pair of side surfaces 121 and 122 extending from the front surface 110 toward the rear side, and a first opening 130 disposed above the front surface. The side surfaces 121 and 122 extend from the left and right sides of the front surface 110 to near the rear wall of the vegetable compartment 4. The rear side of the partition 100 may be partially or entirely open.

[0048] Here, when the partition 100 is arranged behind the storage container 10, the front surface 110 faces the back surface 12 of the storage container 10. In addition, preferably, the front surface 110 includes the second opening 111, and the first opening 130 faces the vent 33 for the return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 4.

[0049] like Figure 4As shown, the partition 100 is a wide component that extends across the two side areas of the vegetable compartment 4. The partition 100 extends across the span of the vegetable compartment 4 in the left-right direction. At least the front surface 110, side surfaces 121, 122, and first opening 130 of the partition 100 define the passage area for the return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 4 (see FIG. Figure 2 and Figure 4 ).

[0050] Next, the flow of return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 4 will be described. First, return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 3 flows into the vegetable compartment 4 through the vent 33 provided on the bottom surface 31 of the refrigerator compartment 3. Because the first opening 130 of the partition 100 faces the vent 33, the return cold air passing through the vent 33 flows toward the first opening 130.

[0051] Next, the return cold air flows from the first opening 130 into the inside of the partition 100, flows inside the partition 100, and passes through the opening on the back side of the partition 100. Here, the opening on the back side of the partition 100 is opposite to the inlet of the cold air return duct 50. Thus, the return cold air in the partition 100 flows into the cold air return duct 50. In contrast, the outlet of the cold air return duct 50 is, for example, near the bottom of the freezer compartment 5 and connected to the cooling chamber that houses the cooler 41 (evaporator). Thus, the return cold air from the cold air return duct 50 flows into the cooling chamber and returns to the vicinity of the cooler 41.

[0052] In this way, the return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 4 primarily flows through the interior of the partition 100 disposed on the rear side of the storage container 10. This prevents the return cold air from spreading above or to the sides of the storage container 10. This selectively cools the back surface 12 of the storage container 10, preventing the interior of the storage container 10 from becoming excessively dry.

[0053] Next, refer to Figure 5 The cold air discharge unit 40 that discharges cold air toward the front surface 110 of the partition 100 is described. Figure 5 It is a side vertical sectional view of the refrigerator 1 ( Figure 1 The refrigerator 1 shown is a partial cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along BB'. Figure 5 As shown, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment further includes a cold air discharge unit 40 .

[0054] More specifically, the cold air discharge unit 40 includes a cooler 41 and a guide flow path 421. The guide flow path 421 is provided on the rear side of the storage container 10 and guides the cold air cooled by the cooler 41 into the interior of the partition 100. The cold air discharge unit 40 may also include a valve 43 (e.g., a damper or shutter opened and closed by a stepping motor) that controls the flow of cold air into the guide flow path 421, and a fan 44 provided above the cooler 41.

[0055] In this embodiment, the guide flow path 421 is disposed within the cold air duct 42, which is located further rearward of the storage container 10 (behind the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4). Furthermore, the cold air duct 42 also includes a main flow path 422 extending to the rear of the refrigerator compartment 3. The main flow path 422 is disposed rearward of the guide flow path 421. In other words, the guide flow path 421 and the main flow path 422 are arranged in a front-to-rear arrangement within the cold air duct 42. However, the location of the guide flow path 421 is not limited to this.

[0056] Furthermore, valve 43 is positioned opposite inlet 4211 of guide flow path 421. As valve 43 opens, cool air from cooler 41 flows into guide flow path 421. The cool air flowing into guide flow path 421 passes through guide flow path 421 and is discharged into partition 100. The cool air discharged into partition 100 passes through second opening 111 of partition 100 and collides with rear surface 12 of storage container 10.

[0057] The back side 12 of the storage container 10 is cooled by the impinging cold air. This allows the interior of the storage container 10 to be cooled from the back side 12. As can be seen, for example, when the storage container 10 is covered with a lid 20 or the like to improve sealing, the return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment 4 is blocked, and the interior of the storage container 10 cannot be cooled to the desired temperature range using only the return cold air. However, according to this embodiment, since the interior of the storage container 10 can be cooled from the back side 12, the interior of the storage container 10 can be cooled to the desired temperature range while maintaining sealing.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the cold air can be discharged toward the inside of the partition 100 (the back surface 12 of the storage container 10) via the guide flow path 421 facing the partition 100. In other words, the cold air can be discharged from a position close to the partition 100. This simplifies the structure of the cold air discharge unit 40 and ensures that the cold air reaches the partition 100 (the back surface 12 of the storage container 10).

[0059] Here, if Figure 5 As shown, the storage container 10 preferably further includes a forward path limiting wall 18 for limiting the forward path of the cold air (at least one of the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit 40 and the return cold air). The forward path limiting portion 18 in this embodiment protrudes rearward from the back surface 12 of the storage container 10 and is embedded in the second opening 111 of the partition 100. It should be noted that the forward path limiting wall 18 in this embodiment is a hollow annular portion with one end open and the other end open, but is not limited to this.

[0060] By providing such a forward path limiting wall 18, the cold air (at least one of the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit 40 and the return cold air) passing through the second opening 111 is restricted to flow toward the back surface 12 of the storage container 10. As a result, this cold air is prevented from spreading to areas other than the back surface 12 of the storage container 10 (e.g., above or to the sides of the storage container 10). This prevents the cold air from intruding into the storage container 10, thereby preventing the interior of the storage container 10 from being excessively dry.

[0061] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the above description is for ease of understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention includes schemes that can be changed or improved without departing from its main purpose. In addition, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: a storage container, which is arranged in the vegetable room; as well as a spacer disposed on a rear side relative to the storage container; The spacer comprises: a front surface, which is opposite to the back surface of the storage container; a pair of side surfaces extending rearward from the front surface; and a first opening located at an upper portion of the partition member and facing the vent for return cold air flowing into the vegetable compartment; A passage area for return cold air is defined at least by the front surface, the side surface, and the first opening; The entire or a portion of the back side of the spacer is configured to be open.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The partition further includes a cold air discharge unit that discharges cold air toward the front surface of the partition, and the front surface of the partition includes a second opening portion through which the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit passes.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein: The cold air discharge unit comprises: coolers; and The guide flow path is provided on the rear side of the storage container and guides the cold air cooled by the cooler into the interior of the partition.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that The cool air discharge unit further includes a valve configured to control the cool air cooled by the cooler to flow into the guide flow path.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that The valve is provided so as to face the inlet of the guide flow path.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that The storage container further includes a forward path limiting wall protruding from the back of the storage container and embedded in the second opening portion, which is used to limit the forward path of at least one of the cold air discharged from the cold air discharge unit and the return cold air.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that The advancing path limiting wall is an annular portion with a hollow interior that is open at one end and the other end.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The pair of side surfaces are respectively provided to extend rearward from left and right sides of the front surface.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The entire or a portion of the back side of the partition is set as an opening, and the opening is opposite to the inlet of the cold air return duct, and the outlet of the cold air return duct is connected to the cooling chamber accommodating the cooler.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that The utility model comprises a storage compartment located above the vegetable compartment and configured as a refrigeration compartment or a freezing compartment, and the vent is arranged on the bottom surface of the storage compartment.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The storage container has an open upper surface, and the open upper surface is closed by a cover.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The front surface of the partition includes a second opening portion through which the return cold air passes.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The partition extends across the span of the vegetable compartment in the left-right direction.

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