Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a storage container disposed in a fresh-keeping compartment, a high thermal conductivity component disposed in the storage container, and a cold air exhaust unit for discharging cold air to the high thermal conductivity component. This ensures both the airtightness of the storage container in the fresh-keeping compartment and effectively addresses the problem of condensation forming inside the storage container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] The humidity in the crisper compartment, crucial for the preservation of vegetables, is higher than in other storage compartments such as refrigerators and freezers. When cold air from the refrigerator passes through this high-humidity crisper compartment, condensation forms inside the storage containers. Therefore, the crisper compartment needs to maintain the required humidity for vegetable preservation while also addressing the condensation problem. For example, a refrigerator designed to solve this problem is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-132296

[0006] The refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes the following structure: a storage compartment for storing items; a storage container housed in the storage compartment and capable of being pulled out to the front side, with an opening at the top for storing the stored items; and a lid configured to cover the opening of the storage container, wherein a connecting hole is formed on the lid to communicate between the inside and outside of the storage compartment, and a resin fiber component is provided on the lower surface of the lid, wherein moisture in the storage compartment is absorbed by the resin fiber component, and the absorbed moisture is discharged to the outside of the storage compartment through the connecting hole.

[0007] However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the resin fiber component mounted on the lid overlaps with the connecting hole. According to Patent Document 1, the resin fiber component is a woven fabric made of resin fibers such as PET fibers, and it is a component that cuts off the liquid and allows air to pass through. That is, air in the preservation chamber (inside the storage container) can flow out from the overlapping area between the resin fiber component and the connecting hole. Therefore, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem with the airtightness of the storage container, and the humidity in the storage chamber may drop more than expected.

[0008] In view of this, it is necessary to improve existing refrigerators to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a refrigerator that can maintain the airtightness of the storage containers in the freshness compartment and also appropriately improve the problem of condensation in the storage containers.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising: a storage container disposed in a fresh-keeping compartment; a high thermal conductivity component disposed in the storage container; and a cold air exhaust unit that exhausts cold air to the high thermal conductivity component.

[0011] Furthermore, the high thermal conductivity component is installed to seal the opening formed on the back of the storage container, and the cold air exhaust unit includes: a cooler; and a guide flow path, which is disposed on both sides opposite to the storage container and guides the cold air cooled by the cooler to the high thermal conductivity component.

[0012] Furthermore, the refrigerator also has a cold storage compartment arranged vertically above and below the fresh-keeping compartment, a first light-transmitting part is provided on the upper surface of the storage container, and a second light-transmitting part is provided on the bottom surface of the cold storage compartment opposite to the first light-transmitting part.

[0013] Furthermore, the refrigerator also includes a water-absorbing section installed in the storage container to absorb condensation generated in the high thermal conductivity components. The water-absorbing section is located in an area accessible to cold air from the cold air exhaust unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the front of the high thermal conductivity component faces the inside of the storage container, and the guide flow path is disposed on the back side of the high thermal conductivity component.

[0015] Furthermore, the cold air emission unit also includes a valve for controlling the flow of cold air into the guide path and a fan disposed above the cooler.

[0016] Furthermore, the valve includes a first valve and a second valve. The first valve is disposed opposite to the inlet of the guide flow path. As the first valve opens, cold air from the cooler flows into the guide flow path, and the cold air flowing into the guide flow path is discharged to the high thermal conductivity component after passing through the guide flow path.

[0017] Furthermore, the refrigerator also has inner and outer covers installed at the rear of the storage container, the high thermal conductivity component is sandwiched between the inner and outer covers, the inner cover is installed inside the storage container, and the outer cover is installed outside the storage container.

[0018] Furthermore, the inner cover includes a notch, a first window, and a second window. The notch is located above the first and second windows, and the width of the notch is larger than the width of both the first and second windows. The storage container also has a switch with the same width as the first or second window for opening and closing.

[0019] Furthermore, the refrigerator also has a cover installed on the storage container to close the opening on the upper side of the storage container.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are: the refrigerator of this invention can concentrate the condensation generation area inside the storage container in a high thermal conductivity component; furthermore, even without providing a part that always connects the inside and outside of the storage container as in the combination of resin fiber component and connecting hole disclosed in Patent Document 1, the problem of condensation generated inside the storage container can be addressed. Therefore, the airtightness of the storage container installed in the freshness compartment can be maintained. Moreover, according to this invention, the inside of the storage container can be cooled using a high thermal conductivity component. Therefore, when improving the airtightness of the storage container, even if the normal circulating cold air supplied to the freshness compartment is cut off, the inside of the storage container can be cooled to the desired temperature range.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the high thermal conductivity component is installed on the back of the storage container, and through the guide flow path provided on the rear side of the high thermal conductivity component, the cold air cooled by the cooler can be guided to the high thermal conductivity component, so that the cold air can be discharged to a position close to the high thermal conductivity component, thereby simplifying the structure of the cold air discharge unit that discharges cold air to the high thermal conductivity component, and enabling the cold air to reliably reach the high thermal conductivity component.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the highly thermally conductive component is installed on the back of the storage container, condensation hardly adheres to the first light-transmitting portion provided on the upper surface of the storage container (freshness compartment), thus not obstructing the light transmittance of the first light-transmitting portion. In this way, it is possible to maintain the ability to observe the state inside the freshness compartment (storage container) from the refrigerator compartment, which includes a second light-transmitting portion opposite to the first light-transmitting portion.

[0023] Simultaneously, this invention enables cold air from the cold air exhaust unit to reach the water absorption section, thus allowing the condensation absorbed by the water absorption section from the high thermal conductivity component to dry. In this way, condensation adhering to the inside of the high thermal conductivity component can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the storage container. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is the front view of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This invention relates to a refrigerator. Figure 1 A sectional view of line A-A' in the middle.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the storage container in the preservation chamber of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the storage container in the preservation compartment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] Hereinafter, the refrigerator 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, when describing the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the "up and down" direction corresponds to the height direction of the refrigerator 1, the "left and right" direction corresponds to the width direction of the refrigerator 1, and the "front and back" direction corresponds to the depth direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0030] First, refer to Figure 1 The structural overview of the refrigerator 1 of the present invention is described below. Here, Figure 1 This is the front view of refrigerator 1. (Example) Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerator 1 of the present invention includes an insulated cabinet 2 as the main body of the refrigerator. Furthermore, the insulated cabinet 2 includes multiple storage compartments 3, 4, and 5. These multiple storage compartments are arranged from top to bottom as a refrigerator compartment 3, a fresh food compartment 4, and a freezer compartment 5. However, the order in which the storage compartments are arranged is not limited to this (for example, they can also be arranged from top to bottom as a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a fresh food compartment).

[0031] The front surfaces of each storage compartment on the insulated housing 2 have openings, and the refrigerator 1 is equipped with insulated doors 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d that can be opened and closed to seal these openings. Insulated doors 6a and 6b are rotatably supported on the upper and lower ends of the right and left sides of the refrigerator, respectively, to seal the openings on the front surfaces of the refrigerator compartment 3. Additionally, insulated door 6c is designed to be pulled out in the front-rear direction relative to the insulated housing 2 to seal the openings on the front surfaces of the crisper compartment 4. Similarly, insulated door 6d is designed to be pulled out in the front-rear direction relative to the insulated housing 2 to seal the openings on the front surfaces of the freezer compartment 5.

[0032] Next, refer to Figure 2 Explain the internal structure of refrigerator 1. Figure 2 It is the refrigerator 1 edge Figure 1 A sectional view taken along the centerline A-A'. (Example) Figure 2 As shown, the heat-insulating box 2 includes an outer box 2a made of steel plate, an inner box 2b made of synthetic resin, and a heat-insulating material 2c made of foamed polyurethane (polyurethane foam) filled in the gap formed between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b.

[0033] The refrigerator 1 of the present invention further includes: a storage container 10 disposed in the fresh-keeping compartment 4 for storing vegetables, etc.; and a cold air exhaust unit 40 for exhausting cold air to the high thermal conductivity component 13 described later. Additionally, preferably, the refrigerator 1 of the present invention also includes a cover 20 for improving the airtightness of the storage container 10. It should be noted that when the cover 20 is installed on the storage container 10, the upper surface of the storage container 10 corresponds to the cover 20.

[0034] First, the storage container 10 of this embodiment will be described. The storage container 10 is a container with an opening 11 on its upper surface, and the opening 11 is closed by a cover 20, thereby improving the airtightness of the storage container 10. Moreover, a first light-transmitting part 21 (e.g., glass, acrylic sheet, etc.) is provided on the front side of the cover 20, thereby allowing the interior of the storage container 10 to be observed from above.

[0035] Additionally, a second light-transmitting section 32 (e.g., glass, acrylic panel, etc.) is provided on the bottom surface 31 of the refrigerator compartment 3, which is located directly above the fresh-keeping compartment 4. Figure 2 As shown, the second light-transmitting part 32 is disposed opposite to the first light-transmitting part 21. Thus, when the insulation door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened, the interior of the preservation compartment 4 (storage container 10) can be observed from the refrigerator compartment 3.

[0036] Moreover, as Figure 2 As shown, a high thermal conductivity component 13 is installed at the opening 121 on the back side 12 of the storage container 10. That is, the front side 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13 faces the inside of the storage container 10, while the back side 132 of the high thermal conductivity component 13 faces the outside of the storage container 10.

[0037] In this embodiment, the high thermal conductivity component 13 is an aluminum plate, but it is not limited to this. In other embodiments of the high thermal conductivity component 13, in addition to components made of metals such as copper and stainless steel, or components made of metal compounds, it may also be a component made of thermally conductive plastic. Furthermore, the shape of the high thermal conductivity component 13 is not limited to a plate shape. In other embodiments besides a plate shape, uneven shapes are formed on the front surface 131 and other parts to increase the contact area with air.

[0038] Next, the cold air exhaust unit 40 of this embodiment will be described. The cold air exhaust unit 40 includes a cooler (evaporator) 41 and a guide flow path 421. The guide flow path 421 is disposed on both sides opposite to the storage container 10 and guides the cold air cooled by the cooler 41 to the high thermal conductivity component 13. The guide flow path 421 is disposed on the back side of the high thermal conductivity component 13. In addition, the cold air exhaust unit 40 may also include valves 43 and 45 (e.g., baffles, switches, etc. opened and closed by a stepper motor, etc.) for controlling the flow of cold air into the guide flow path 421, and a fan 44 disposed above the cooler 41.

[0039] Furthermore, such as Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the cooler 41 is provided in the rear area of ​​the freezer compartment 5, through which the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the cold air returning from cooling each storage compartment passes. In addition, a guide flow path 421 is provided in the cold air delivery duct 42, which is provided on the back side of the storage container 10 (the rear area of ​​the freezer compartment 3 and the fresh food compartment 4).

[0040] Furthermore, the cold air delivery duct 42 of this embodiment includes a main flow path 422 extending to the side of the refrigerator compartment 3. The main flow path 422 is located behind the guide flow path 421. That is, the guide flow path 421 and the main flow path 422 are arranged one after the other within the cold air delivery duct 42, but the position of the guide flow path 421 is not limited thereto.

[0041] The valve includes a first valve 43 and a second valve 45. The first valve 43 is disposed opposite to the inlet 4211 of the guide flow path 421. When the first valve 43 is opened, cold air from the cooler 41 flows into the guide flow path 421 and is discharged to the high thermal conductivity component 13 after passing through the guide flow path 421. At this time, it is preferable to close the second valve 45 (e.g., a baffle), which controls the opening and closing of the main flow path 422. On the other hand, when the first valve 43 is closed, the cold air flowing to the guide flow path 421 is cut off, and the cold air discharged to the high thermal conductivity component 13 stops flowing.

[0042] According to this embodiment, cold air can be discharged to the high thermal conductivity component 13 via the guide flow path 421. In other words, cold air can be discharged to a location close to the high thermal conductivity component 13, thus simplifying the structure of the cold air discharge unit 40 and enabling the cold air to reliably reach the high thermal conductivity component 13.

[0043] Next, the flow of cold air inside the refrigerator 1 will be described. As the fan 44 of the cold air exhaust unit 40 rotates, the cold air cooled by the cooler 41 rises, and a portion of the rising cold air flows into the cold air delivery duct 42. At this time, with the first valve 43 open and the second valve 45 closed, the cold air flows through the guide path 421 of the cold air delivery duct 42. Then, the cold air is discharged to the back side 132 of the high thermal conductivity component 13. Finally, the temperature of the back side 132 receiving the cold air is transferred to the front side 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13, and the overall temperature of the high thermal conductivity component 13 decreases.

[0044] As described above, the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13 faces the inside of the storage container 10. Furthermore, the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13, which transmits cold air, is at a lower temperature than the inside of the storage container 10. Therefore, moisture-containing air inside the storage container 10 condenses on the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13, forming condensation. On the other hand, areas of the storage container 10 other than the mounting portion of the high thermal conductivity component 13 have a higher temperature than the high thermal conductivity component 13, and therefore hardly condensation adheres to them, allowing condensation to collect on the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13.

[0045] Conversely, with the first valve 43 closed and the second valve 45 open, the cold air flowing into the cold air delivery pipe 42 flows in the main flow path 422 of the cold air delivery pipe 42. Then, the cold air passes through multiple air outlets formed along the height direction of the refrigerator compartment 3. Figure 2 Only the air outlet 33 located at the bottom is shown in the image, which supplies air to the refrigerator compartment 3.

[0046] Then, after passing through the refrigerator compartment 3, the cold air reaches the fresh-keeping compartment 4 through the vent provided on the bottom surface 31 of the refrigerator compartment 3. The cold air flowing into the fresh-keeping compartment 4 then passes through the fresh-keeping compartment 4 and reaches the cold air return pipe (not shown), returning to the cooler 41. It should be noted that the cold air that, after being cooled by heat exchange with the cooler 41, returns to the vicinity of the cooler 41 via the cold air delivery pipe 42 (mainstream path 422), refrigerator compartment 3, fresh-keeping compartment 4, and cold air return pipe, is referred to below as "circulating cold air".

[0047] However, to improve the airtightness of the storage container 10, the opening 11 on the upper surface of the storage container 10 is sealed by the cover 20. Therefore, the cold air (circulating cold air) from the refrigerator compartment 3 to the preservation compartment 4 does not flow into the storage container 10. Thus, it is conceivable that there may be situations where circulating cold air alone cannot cool the inside of the storage container 10 to the desired temperature range. However, according to this embodiment, the high thermal conductivity component 13 can be cooled by the cold air discharged from the cold air exhaust unit 40, and the temperature inside the storage container 10 can be lowered by the cold air from the cooled high thermal conductivity component 13.

[0048] Next, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The storage container 10 of the present invention will be described in detail below. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the storage container 10 and the lid 20 in a separated state. Additionally, Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional exploded view of the storage container 10.

[0049] like Figure 3As shown, the storage container 10 of the present invention includes an opening 121 for mounting (or embedding) the high thermal conductivity component 13. The position of the opening 121 is not particularly limited, and it can be formed on the back surface 12 of the storage container 10. Additionally, as... Figure 4 As shown, the high thermal conductivity component 13 of the present invention is held between an inner cover 14 and an outer cover 15. The inner cover 14 is installed inside the storage container 10, and the outer cover 15 is installed outside the storage container 10. It should be noted that the back side 12, the inner cover 14, and the outer cover 15 are sometimes collectively referred to as the "back side of the storage container".

[0050] The inner cover 14 includes a notch 141, a first window 142, and a second window 143. The notch 141 is located above the first window 142 and the second window 143, and the width of the notch 141 is larger than the width of both the first window 142 and the second window 143. In addition, the first window 142 and the second window 143 are arranged side by side along the width direction of the inner cover 14.

[0051] Regarding the storage container 10 with this structure, when viewed from the inside of the back 12, the front 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13 is exposed in the area of ​​the notch 141. The storage container 10 also includes a switch 16 with a width approximately the same as the first window 142 (or the second window 143). The switch 16 is positioned between the first window 142 (or the second window 143) and the high thermal conductivity component 13. The switch 16 is slidable along the width of the inner cover 14 to block one of the first window 142 and the second window 143.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the slot 133 on the high thermal conductivity component 13 is formed at a position opposite to the second window 143. When the switch 16 is positioned opposite to the first window 142, the slot 133 on the high thermal conductivity component 13 side is in an open state. On the other hand, when the switch 16 is positioned opposite to the second window 143, the slot 133 on the high thermal conductivity component 13 side is in a closed state.

[0053] That is, the slot 133 on the side of the high thermal conductivity component 13 can be opened and closed by the switch 16. When the switch 16 is moved to be opposite to the first window 142, the second window 143 and the slot 133 of the high thermal conductivity component 13 are both opened, and the inside and outside of the storage container 10 are connected, so that the humidity inside the storage container 10 can be regulated.

[0054] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the slot 133 on the high thermal conductivity component 13 is positioned opposite to the second window 143. In other embodiments, it can also be positioned opposite to the first window 142. In this case, when the switch 16 is positioned opposite to the second window 143, the slot 133 on the high thermal conductivity component 13 is in an open state; when the switch 16 is positioned opposite to the first window 142, the slot 133 on the high thermal conductivity component 13 is in a closed state.

[0055] Preferably, the inner cover 14 further includes a water-absorbing portion 17 for absorbing condensation generated on the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13. In this embodiment, the water-absorbing portion 17 is located below the opening 121. Moreover, the water-absorbing portion 17 extends through the inner cover 14 and extends to the outside of the storage container 10. The shape of the water-absorbing portion 17 is not limited, as long as it can absorb condensation generated on the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity component 13. For example, the water-absorbing portion 17 can be a fiber filter.

[0056] The absorbent portion 17 extends to the outside of the storage container 10, thereby exposing it to the area reachable by the cold air from the cold air exhaust unit 40. In this way, the cold air exhausted to cool the high thermal conductivity component 13 can also reach the absorbent portion 17, thereby drying the condensation absorbed by the absorbent portion 17 and efficiently discharging the condensation adhering to the inside of the high thermal conductivity component 13 to the outside of the storage container 10.

[0057] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: Storage containers, which are placed in the fresh-keeping compartment; High thermal conductivity components are installed in the storage container; as well as A cold air exhaust unit exhausts cold air to the high thermal conductivity component. The cold air exhaust unit includes a cooler and a guide flow path. The guide flow path and the storage container are located on opposite sides of the high thermal conductivity component, and guide the cold air cooled by the cooler to the high thermal conductivity component. The cold air exhaust unit also includes a valve for controlling the flow of cold air into the guide flow path and a fan located above the cooler. The front of the high thermal conductivity component faces the inside of the storage container, and the guide flow path is located on the back side of the high thermal conductivity component and is disposed inside the wall of the cold air delivery duct. The cold air delivery duct includes guide flow paths arranged in a front-to-back pattern. The system includes a guide flow path and a main flow path. The valve includes a first valve and a second valve. The first valve is disposed opposite to the inlet of the guide flow path, and the second valve is disposed corresponding to the main flow path and controls the opening and closing of the main flow path. The first valve and the second valve are used to switch the airflow between the guide flow path and the main flow path. As the first valve opens and the second valve closes, cold air from the cooler flows into the guide flow path. After passing through the guide flow path, the cold air is discharged to the high thermal conductivity component. When the first valve is closed and the second valve is open, the cold air from the cooler flows into the main flow path and is sent to the cold storage chamber from the air outlet formed in the cold storage chamber.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high thermal conductivity component is installed to seal the opening formed on the back of the storage container.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigerator also has a cold storage compartment arranged vertically above and below the fresh-keeping compartment, a first light-transmitting part is provided on the upper surface of the storage container, and a second light-transmitting part is provided on the bottom surface of the cold storage compartment opposite to the first light-transmitting part.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The refrigerator also includes a water-absorbing section installed in the storage container to absorb condensation generated in the high thermal conductivity components. The water-absorbing section is located in an area accessible to cold air from the cold air exhaust unit.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigerator also has inner and outer covers installed at the rear of the storage container. The high thermal conductivity component is held between the inner and outer covers. The inner cover is installed inside the storage container, and the outer cover is installed outside the storage container.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner cover includes a notch, a first window, and a second window. The notch is located above the first and second windows, and the width of the notch is larger than the width of the first and second windows. The storage container is also provided with a switch with the same width as the first or second window for opening and closing.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The refrigerator also has a cover installed on the storage container to close the upper opening of the storage container, and the first light-transmitting part is disposed on the front side of the cover.

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