Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of thawing food while suppressing reduction in an effective storage space.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a drive housing 6; a housing for liquid supply attachable to / detachable from the drive housing 6, and for storing a liquid which is supplied to an ice making tray; a housing 4 for thawing for storing food G to thaw and for storing a liquid; a liquid supply pump 60 for supplying a liquid in the housing for liquid supply to the ice making tray and a circulation pump 30 for circulating a liquid in the housing 4 for thawing, which are arranged in the drive housing 6, the housing for liquid supply or the housing 4 for thawing; and a heating member 20 for heating at least the liquid in the housing 4 for thawing. When the housing for liquid supply is mounted on the drive housing 6, by the pump which functions as a liquid supply pump, the liquid in the housing for liquid supply is supplied to the ice making tray, and when the housing 4 for thawing is mounted on the drive housing 6, a predetermined temperature is achieved by the heating member 20 and by the liquid which circulates by the pump functioning as the circulation pump, the food G is thawed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a function of thawing frozen foods. [Background technology]

[0002] Fresh foods and the like can be stored for long periods by freezing them. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to thaw frozen foods. To address this issue, refrigerators have been proposed that are equipped with a thawing compartment that uses a heater to thaw frozen foods (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-214674 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, frozen foods can only be defrosted at very limited times. When a large space is used as a permanent defrosting compartment, as in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a problem occurs in that the effective storage space used for the refrigerator is reduced.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a refrigerator capable of thawing food while minimizing the reduction in effective storage space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is A drive housing fixed inside the storage compartment; a liquid supply housing that is detachable from the drive housing and stores liquid to be supplied to the ice tray; a thawing housing that is detachable from the drive housing in place of the liquid supply housing and that contains food to be thawed and stores liquid; At least one pump is disposed in the drive housing, the liquid supply housing, or the thawing housing, and functions as a liquid supply pump that supplies the liquid in the liquid supply housing to the ice tray and a circulation pump that circulates the liquid in the thawing housing; A heating member for heating at least the liquid in the thawing housing; Equipped with When the liquid supply housing is attached to the drive housing, the liquid in the liquid supply housing is supplied to the ice tray by the pump functioning as the liquid supply pump; When the thawing housing is attached to the driving housing, the refrigerator thaws the food by the liquid that is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating member and circulated by the pump that functions as the circulating pump.

[0007] According to this aspect, for example, the liquid supply housing is usually attached to the drive housing to supply liquid to the ice tray, and only when defrosting food, the liquid supply housing is removed and the defrosting housing is attached to the drive housing instead to defrost the food. Also, when ice making is not required in winter, the defrosting housing can be permanently installed instead of the liquid supply housing. This eliminates the need for a dedicated space for defrosting, and reduces the reduction in available storage space. In this aspect, at least one pump is arranged in the drive housing, the liquid supply housing, or the defrosting housing, but both the pump body and the drive unit of the pump may be arranged in one housing, or the pump body and the drive unit may be arranged in different housings.

[0008] As described above, in this aspect, a refrigerator capable of thawing food while suppressing a reduction in effective storage space can be provided.

[0009] The second aspect of the present invention is the method according to the first aspect, The pump is composed of a dedicated liquid supply pump that functions as the liquid supply pump and a dedicated circulation pump that functions as the circulation pump, the dedicated liquid supply pump including a pump body and a drive unit is disposed in the drive housing, and a suction pipe connected to the dedicated liquid supply pump is disposed in the liquid supply housing; The refrigerator has a drive unit of the dedicated circulation pump disposed in the drive casing, a pump body of the dedicated circulation pump disposed in the thawing casing, and the drive unit and the pump body of the dedicated circulation pump connected by a magnetic coupling to drive the pump body.

[0010] In this embodiment, the dedicated liquid supply pump including the main body and the drive unit is disposed in the drive housing, so that the detachable liquid supply housing can be made lightweight and have a simple structure. Also, since the drive unit of the dedicated circulation pump is disposed in the drive housing and only the main body of the dedicated circulation pump is disposed in the thawing housing, there is no need to provide driving electric components or wiring in the detachable thawing housing, so that the thawing housing can be made to have a simple structure. Furthermore, by using a magnet coupling, the dedicated circulation pump can be operated reliably without a sealing mechanism to prevent liquid leakage.

[0011] In addition, the third aspect of the present invention is the first aspect, The pump is a dual-purpose pump that functions as the liquid supply pump and also as the circulation pump, a drive unit of the combined liquid supply / circulation pump is disposed in the drive housing, a pump body of the combined liquid supply / circulation pump is disposed in the thawing housing, and the drive unit and the pump body of the combined liquid supply / circulation pump are connected by a magnetic coupling to drive the pump body; When the liquid supply casing is attached to the drive casing, liquid in the liquid supply casing is sucked in through a suction port of the pump body of the liquid supply / circulation pump and is supplied to the ice tray from a discharge side of the pump body through a pipe disposed on the drive casing, When the thawing casing is attached to the driving casing, the liquid in the thawing casing sucked in through the suction port of the pump body of the liquid supply and circulation pump is returned again into the thawing casing from the discharge side of the pump body through piping arranged in the thawing casing.

[0012] According to this embodiment, by switching the liquid discharged from the pump body to flow to the ice tray side or back to the housing, one liquid supply / circulation pump can function as both a liquid supply pump and a circulation pump. Accordingly, the housing can function as a liquid supply housing and a defrosting housing. This allows a functional and compact liquid supply / defrosting mechanism to be realized.

[0013] In addition, a fourth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to third aspects, a liquid supply port at an outlet end of a pump outlet piping connected to the discharge port of the circulation pump is disposed at a position separated from the suction port of the circulation pump in a plan view; The refrigerator has the food placed in a flow path of liquid flowing from the liquid supply port to the suction port.

[0014] According to this aspect, the liquid sucked in through the suction port of the circulation pump flows out of the liquid supply port of the pump outlet piping into the liquid in the liquid storage area, flows through the liquid storage area, and is sucked back into the suction port of the circulation pump. The liquid circulates by repeating this process. Since the food is placed in the flow path of the liquid flowing from the liquid supply port to the suction port, the food can be efficiently thawed by the flow of the circulating liquid.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fourth aspects, In the refrigerator, a metal sheet-like heat transfer promotion member is attached to the outer surface of the thawing casing, and the sheet-like heating member is attached to the outer surface of the heat transfer promotion member.

[0016] According to this aspect, since the metallic heat transfer promoting member is disposed between the thawing casing and the heating member, the heat generated by the heating member can be transferred evenly and efficiently to the thawing casing and, in turn, to the liquid in the liquid storage area, thereby allowing the liquid in the liquid storage area to be heated uniformly and efficiently.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fifth aspects, The refrigerator has a bottom surface of the thawing housing formed with a plurality of convex members extending in a certain direction at predetermined intervals in a plan view, the food is supported by the upper surface of the convex member which is higher than the front bottom surface, and liquid flows in the area between the bottom surface and the underside of the food between adjacent convex members.

[0018] According to this embodiment, since the food does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the thawing housing to which the heating member is attached, uneven heating during thawing can be prevented. Furthermore, since liquid can be made to flow in the area between the bottom surface of the food and the bottom surface of the thawing housing, liquid can be made to flow not only above and to the sides of the food but also below it, so that heat can be applied to the food from all around and therefore thawing can be performed efficiently.

[0019] A seventh aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to sixth aspects, The liquid supply casing and the thawing casing are disposed in a refrigerator compartment.

[0020] According to this aspect, since the liquid supply housing is disposed within the refrigerator compartment, the liquid in the liquid supply housing can be supplied to the ice tray without freezing. At the same time, since the thawing housing is disposed within the refrigerator compartment, the temperature of the liquid in the thawing housing in which the thawed food is placed can be kept at an appropriate refrigeration temperature, so that the quality of the food can be maintained while it is preserved. Effect of the Invention

[0021] As described above, the present invention can provide a refrigerator that is capable of thawing food while suppressing a reduction in effective storage space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the liquid supply casing and the drive casing shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the liquid supply casing is detached from the drive casing. FIG. [Figure 2B] 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the liquid supply casing and the drive casing shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the liquid supply casing is attached to the drive casing and liquid is being supplied. FIG. [Figure 3A] 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the thawing housing and the driving housing shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the thawing housing is detached from the driving housing. FIG. [Figure 3B] 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the thawing housing and the driving housing shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the thawing housing is attached to the driving housing and thawing is being performed. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic structure of a magnetic coupling that connects a pump body and a drive unit of the circulation pump. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3C is a schematic perspective view showing a cross section AA of FIG. 3B. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system for the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a liquid supply casing is attached to a drive casing and liquid is being supplied. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a thawing casing is attached to a driving casing and thawing is being performed. [Figure 9A] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which liquid is being supplied by switching a three-way valve. [Figure 9B] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which defrosting is being performed by switching a three-way valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the refrigerator described below is for embodying the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following unless otherwise specified. The sizes and positional relationships of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. In the following description and drawings, the up-down direction is shown assuming that the refrigerator is installed on a flat surface. In the drawings, the flow of liquid is typically indicated by dashed arrows.

[0024] (Refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention) First, an overview of a refrigerator 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a side cross-sectional view that typically illustrates the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment includes a freezer compartment 102 and a refrigerator compartment 104. The freezer compartment 102 is disposed below and the refrigerator compartment 104 is disposed above a partition plate 122 having a thermal insulation material. An evaporator 106 and a fan 108 are disposed in a cooling flow path 120 on the rear side of the freezer compartment 102 and the refrigerator compartment 104. The evaporator 106 is cooled by a cooling cycle in which a refrigerant is circulated by a compressor 110.

[0026] Fan 108 causes the gas inside the compartment to flow, and by opening freezer compartment damper 112, gas that has passed through evaporator 106 and been cooled flows into freezer compartment 102. By opening refrigerator compartment damper 114, gas that has passed through evaporator 106 and been cooled flows into refrigerator compartment 104. This makes it possible to keep the temperature inside freezer compartment 102 at an optimum temperature (for example, -18°C to -20°C), and the temperature inside refrigerator compartment 104 at an optimum temperature (for example, 2°C to 6°C).

[0027] In the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment, the drive housing 6 is attached to the upper surface of the partition plate 122 in the refrigerator compartment 104. The drive housing 6 is disposed at the rear (deep side) of the refrigerator compartment 104, and the liquid supply housing 50 or the thawing housing 4 is disposed in the area in front of the drive housing 6. The liquid supply housing 50 or the thawing housing 4 is detachably attached to the drive housing 6. In addition, a sheet-like heating member 20 is attached to the upper surface of the partition plate 122 on the front side of the drive housing 6. In other words, when the liquid supply housing 50 or the thawing housing 4 is attached to the drive housing 6, the lower surface of the liquid supply housing 50 or the thawing housing 4 comes into contact with the heating member 20.

[0028] 1 shows a state in which the liquid supply housing 50 is attached to the drive housing 6. When the liquid supply housing 50 is attached to the drive housing 6, the liquid stored in the liquid supply housing 50 can be supplied to the ice tray 80 arranged in the freezer chamber 102.

[0029] On the other hand, as shown diagrammatically by the arrow in Fig. 1, the liquid supply casing 50 can be removed and the thawing casing 4 can be attached to the movable casing 6 instead. The thawing casing 4 contains food G to be thawed and stores liquid. When the thawing casing 4 is attached to the movable casing 6, the liquid stored in the thawing casing 4 is heated from below by the heating member 20, and the liquid heated to a predetermined temperature circulates inside the thawing casing 4, thereby thawing the food G.

[0030] Next, the drive casing 6, the liquid supply casing 50, and the thawing casing 4 provided in the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2A to 3B.

[0031] Figures 2A and 2B are side cross-sectional views typically showing the liquid supply housing 50 and the driving housing 6 shown in Figure 1, with Figure 2A showing a state in which the liquid supply housing 50 has been removed from the driving housing 6, and Figure 2B showing a state in which the liquid supply housing 50 is attached to the driving housing 6 and is supplying liquid. Figures 3A and 3B are side cross-sectional views typically showing the thawing housing 4 and the driving housing 6 shown in Figure 1, with Figure 3A showing a state in which the thawing housing 4 has been removed from the driving housing 6, and Figure 3B showing a state in which the thawing housing 4 is attached to the driving housing 6 and is being thawed.

[0032] (Drive housing) As described above, the drive housing 6 is attached to the upper surface of the partition plate 122 on the rear side (deep side) in the refrigerator compartment 104. In addition, the sheet-shaped heating member 20 is attached to the upper surface of the partition plate 122 on the front side of the drive housing 6.

[0033] An insertion part 6A is formed on the upper part of the driving housing 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the liquid supply casing 50 is attached to the driving housing 6, the insertion part 6A is inserted into a guide hole provided in the liquid supply casing 50. This allows the liquid supply casing 50 to be positioned at the same time as it is pushed into the driving housing 6. At this time, as will be described later, an insertion part 72 of the suction piping 70 attached to the liquid supply casing 50 is adapted to be connected to a connector 64 provided on an inlet piping 62 of the liquid supply pump 60 arranged inside the driving housing 6.

[0034] When the abutment surface 50B of the liquid supply casing 50 and the abutment surface 4B of the drive casing 6 abut against each other, the liquid supply casing 50 and the drive casing 6 can be fixed together by, for example, a snap engagement mechanism. In this case, the liquid supply casing 50 and the drive casing 6 can be released from engagement by pulling the liquid supply casing 50 forward or by pressing an engagement portion of the snap engagement mechanism, and the liquid supply casing 50 can be easily removed from the drive casing 6.

[0035] The thawing casing 4 also has a guide hole with a structure similar to that of the liquid supply casing 50. When the thawing casing 4 is attached to the driving casing 6, the insertion portion 6A is inserted into the guide hole provided in the thawing casing 4. This allows the thawing casing 4 to be positioned when it is pushed into the driving casing 6. When the abutment surface 4B of the thawing casing 4 and the abutment surface 4B of the driving casing 6 abut against each other, the thawing casing 4 and the driving casing 6 are fixed together by a snap engagement mechanism similar to that of the liquid supply casing 50.

[0036] The engagement between the thawing casing 4 and the driving casing 6 can be released by pulling the thawing casing 4 forward or by pressing the engagement portion of the snap engagement mechanism. Therefore, the thawing casing 4 can be easily removed from the driving casing 6 by pulling the thawing casing 4 forward.

[0037] A liquid supply pump 60 mainly composed of a drive unit and a pump body is disposed on the upper side inside the drive housing 6. The drive unit of the liquid supply pump 60 is supplied with power from the power supply unit of the refrigerator 100. An inlet pipe 62 is connected to the suction port of the liquid supply pump 60, and a connector 64 is connected to the tip of the inlet pipe 62. On the other hand, an outlet pipe 66 is connected to the discharge port of the liquid supply pump 60. The outlet pipe 66 extends rearward from the discharge port of the liquid supply pump 60, and further extends downward, penetrating the partition plate 122, and extending into the freezer compartment 102. An end of the outlet pipe 66 opens above the ice tray 80.

[0038] Meanwhile, a drive unit 34 of the circulation pump 30, which is an electric motor, is disposed on the lower side inside the drive housing 6. A drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 is attached to a drive shaft of the drive unit 34. As will be described later, when the thawing casing 4 is attached to the drive housing 6, the drive shaft of the drive unit 34 and the rotation shaft of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 disposed in the thawing casing 4 are arranged coaxially. The drive unit 34 is supplied with power from a power supply unit of the refrigerator 100.

[0039] (Fluid supply housing) The liquid supply housing 50 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an opening at the top. However, as a detailed shape, any shape can be adopted, such as having a handle or having a curved surface. It is preferable to form the liquid supply housing 50 from a translucent resin material so that the inside of the liquid supply housing 50 can be seen. The opening at the top is covered with a lid 50A. The liquid to be supplied to the ice tray 80 is stored inside the liquid supply housing 50. The liquid stored in the liquid supply housing 50 includes any liquid for making ice, and examples of the liquid include tap water, mineral water, and other drinking water. The user can remove the liquid supply housing 50 from the drive housing 6, take it outside the refrigerator 100, and fill the liquid into the liquid supply housing 50.

[0040] A suction pipe 70 is attached inside the liquid supply housing 50, and a lower end 70A of the suction pipe 70 opens near the bottom surface of the liquid supply housing 50. When the liquid supply housing 50 is filled with liquid, the lower end 70A of the suction pipe 70 opens into the liquid. The suction pipe 70 extends upward from the lower end 70A of the liquid supply housing 50 and further extends rearward in a substantially horizontal direction, and the other end region forms an insertion portion 72. When the liquid supply housing 50 is attached to the drive housing 6, the insertion portion 72 of the suction pipe 70 is inserted into a connector 64 attached to the tip of the inlet pipe 62 of the liquid supply pump 60 arranged in the drive housing 6. As a result, the suction pipe 70 and the inlet pipe 62 are connected in a liquid-tight state.

[0041] 2B, when the liquid supply pump 60 is operated, the liquid stored in the liquid supply housing 50 is sucked from the lower end 70A, passes through the suction pipe 70, the connector 64, and the inlet pipe 62, and is sucked into the suction port of the liquid supply pump 60. The liquid discharged from the liquid supply pump 60 passes through the outlet pipe 66 and is poured into the ice tray 80 from above. Note that, although the drawing shows liquid being poured into the ice tray 80 from the outlet pipe 66 extending vertically, there may be cases where the outlet pipe 66 extends from top to bottom and further forward, pouring liquid into the ice tray 80 at a position in the freezer chamber 102 that is further forward than the position shown in the drawing.

[0042] Since the liquid supply casing 50 is disposed within the refrigerator compartment 104, the liquid within the liquid supply casing 50 can be supplied to the ice tray 80 without freezing.

[0043] (Defrosting case) The thawing housing 4 also has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening on the top. However, the detailed shape may be any shape, such as having a handle or a curved surface. The thawing housing 4 is preferably made of a translucent resin material so that the inside of the thawing housing 4 can be seen. The opening on the top is covered with a lid 4A.

[0044] A liquid storage area 10 for storing liquid is disposed at the bottom inside the thawing housing 4. Food G to be thawed is disposed in the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10. Examples of food G to be thawed include frozen fresh foods such as frozen meat, frozen vegetables, and frozen fruits. The frozen fresh foods may be disposed in the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 without being covered, or may be disposed in the liquid while covered with plastic wrap or stored in a plastic bag. In other words, the frozen food G is disposed in the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 without packaging or covered with a packaging member.

[0045] The liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 is used to thaw the food G, and can be, for example, tap water. The user can remove the thawing casing 4 from the driving casing 6, take it outside the refrigerator 100, and fill the liquid storage area 10 of the thawing casing 4 with tap water. After filling the liquid storage area 10 with tap water, the food G is immersed in the stored tap water, and the thawing casing 4 is attached to the driving casing 6 in the refrigerator compartment 104 again. The liquid to be filled in the liquid storage area 10 can be any liquid other than tap water, as long as it is suitable for thawing frozen food.

[0046] Further, a pump body 32 of a circulation pump 30 for circulating the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 is disposed inside the thawing casing 4. A disk-shaped pump body side portion 36A of a magnetic coupling 36 is attached to the rotating shaft of an impeller 32A of the pump body 32. As described later, the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 is driven by a drive unit 34 disposed in the drive casing 6 via the magnetic coupling 36. It is preferable to use a non-positive displacement pump as the circulation pump 30, which is low-cost and easy to maintain. More specifically, a centrifugal pump such as a volute pump, or a propeller pump such as an axial flow pump can be employed.

[0047] The pump body 32 is located within the liquid storage area 10, and the suction port 32B opens into the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10. A pump outlet piping 38 is connected to the discharge port of the pump body 32. The pump outlet piping 38 extends from the discharge port of the pump body 32 to above the liquid level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10, then extends horizontally and terminates after bending slightly downward. A liquid supply port 38A is provided at the outlet end of the pump outlet piping 38, which terminates after bending slightly downward.

[0048] The liquid supply port 38A is disposed near the end of the liquid storage area 10 opposite to the end where the circulation pump 30 is disposed, in a plan view. That is, the liquid supply port 38A of the pump outlet pipe 38 is disposed at a position separated from the suction port 32B of the circulation pump 30. As described later, the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 is heated by the heating member 20, and the food G to be thawed is disposed in the flow path of the liquid flowing from the liquid supply port 38A to the suction port 32B. If the food G is disposed in the flow of the liquid, the food G may be disposed between the suction port 32B of the circulation pump 30 and the liquid supply port 38A in a plan view, or may not be disposed between the suction port 32B and the liquid supply port 38A.

[0049] The liquid sucked into pump body 32 from suction port 32B flows through pump outlet piping 38 and flows down from liquid supply port 38A toward the liquid level in liquid storage region 10. The liquid that has flowed down into liquid storage region 10 flows toward suction port 32B of pump body 32 and is sucked into pump body 32 from suction port 32B again. This causes the liquid in liquid storage region 10 to circulate.

[0050] In this embodiment, food G can be placed in the flow of liquid circulated by circulation pump 30 (pump body 32). When thawing food G with liquid, if the liquid is flowing, the heat transfer coefficient between the liquid and food G can be improved compared to when the liquid is stopped. In particular, since the liquid flows down from liquid supply port 38A above the liquid level toward the liquid level, the flow of the liquid is promoted, and the heat transfer coefficient can be improved.

[0051] In this embodiment, the liquid flows down from liquid supply port 38A of pump outlet piping 38 located above the liquid level of the liquid stored in liquid storage area 10 toward the liquid level, but this is not limited to this. There may also be cases where liquid supply port 38A of pump outlet piping 38 opens into the liquid in liquid storage area 10. Even in this case, food G can be placed in the flow path of the liquid flowing from liquid supply port 38A to suction port 32B, thereby placing food G in the flow of the circulating liquid.

[0052] In this way, food G is disposed in the flow path of liquid flowing from liquid supply port 38A to suction port 32B, so that food G can be efficiently thawed by the flow of circulating liquid.

[0053] <Magnetic coupling> Next, the magnetic coupling 36 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows that the defrosting housing 4 is attached to the drive housing 6, and the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 are in a drive transmission state. The pump body side portion 36A of the magnetic coupling 36 attached to the rotating shaft of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 has magnetism. The drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 attached to the drive shaft of the drive unit 34 has magnetism of the opposite polarity (SN) to that of the pump body side portion 36A. As a result, the drive force of the drive unit 34 is transmitted to the rotating shaft of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 in a non-contact state by the magnetic force between the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B.

[0054] 4, the thawing casing 4 is moved substantially horizontally in a direction away from the drive casing 6 (to the left in the drawing), whereby the thawing casing 4 can be removed from the drive casing 6 and the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B constituting the magnetic coupling 36 can be separated. On the other hand, the thawing casing 4 that has been removed can be moved substantially horizontally in a direction approaching the drive casing 6 (to the right in the drawing), whereby the thawing casing 4 can be attached to the drive casing 6 and the magnetic coupling 36 can be placed in a drive transmission state.

[0055] <Heating material> When the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 comes into contact with the food G, it provides heat of fusion to the food G, causing the temperature to drop. If the liquid continues to circulate in this state, the temperature of the liquid will drop and the efficiency of thawing will decrease. In the refrigerator 100 of this embodiment, a heating member 20 for heating the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 is attached to the upper surface of the partition plate 122. Examples of the heat generating member of the heating member 20 include a cord heater, a Peltier element, and a PCT (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater. The heating member 20 according to this embodiment is formed in a sheet shape.

[0056] Particularly in this embodiment, a sheet-shaped metal heat transfer promotion member 22 is attached to the outer surface (lower surface) of the thawing casing 4, and a sheet-shaped heating member 20 is attached to the outer surface of the heat transfer promotion member 22. The heat transfer promotion member 22 is preferably made of a metal having high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0057] If the heating member 20 is in direct contact with the outer surface of the thawing casing 4, high adhesion cannot be obtained and the thermal resistance increases. Therefore, by arranging the heat transfer promotion member 22 between the thawing casing 4 and the heating member 20, the adhesion between each member can be increased and the thermal resistance at the boundary can be reduced. Furthermore, in the case of the heating member 20 using a cord heater or the like, temperature unevenness occurs depending on the region of the heating member 20 in a plan view. Therefore, when the heating member 20 is in direct contact with the outer surface of the thawing casing 4, temperature unevenness also occurs in the thawing casing 4, making it difficult to heat uniformly. Therefore, by arranging the heat transfer promotion member 22 between the thawing casing 4 and the heating member 20, the heat transfer promotion member 22, which has a high thermal conductivity, uniforms the temperature distribution in a plan view, eliminating the temperature unevenness, and realizing uniform heating. As a result, the heat of the heating member 20 can be efficiently transferred to the thawing casing 4, and uniform heating can be realized. In order to further increase adhesion, it is preferable to fix the heating member 20 so that it is pressed against the thawing casing 4 side using a pressing mechanism or the like.

[0058] As described above, according to this embodiment, the metallic heat transfer promotion member 22 is disposed between the thawing casing 4 and the heating member 20, so that the heat generated by the heating member 20 can be evenly and efficiently transferred to the thawing casing 4, and further transferred to the liquid in the liquid storage region 10. This allows the liquid in the liquid storage region to be heated uniformly and efficiently.

[0059] A temperature sensor 40 is disposed in the liquid storage area 10 of the thawing casing 4. The on / off of the heating member 20 and the strength of heating are controlled based on the temperature of the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 measured by the temperature sensor 40. A terminal C1 such as a signal line for transmitting a signal from the temperature sensor 40 is disposed on the contact surface 4B of the thawing casing 4. When the thawing casing 4 is attached to the driving casing 6, the terminal C1 disposed on the contact surface 4B of the thawing casing 4 is connected to a terminal C2 disposed on the contact surface 6B of the driving casing 6 electrically connected to the refrigerator 100. As a result, the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor 40 is transmitted to the control unit of the refrigerator 100, and the control unit can control the power supplied to the heating member 20 based on the temperature of the liquid.

[0060] The heating member 20 can be used to heat not only the thawing casing 4 but also the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50. For example, when the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 104 drops and the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50 is about to freeze, the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50 can be heated so that the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50 can be reliably supplied to the ice tray 80 by the liquid supply pump 60.

[0061] Furthermore, when there is little need to heat the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50, the heating member 20 can be attached to the thawing casing 4. When attaching the heating member 20 to the thawing casing 4, the heating member 20 can be attached not only to the bottom surface of the thawing casing 4 but also to any other surface including the side surface, and the heating member 20 can also be attached to a plurality of surfaces. Furthermore, instead of attaching a sheet-shaped heating member 20 to the outer surface of the thawing casing 4, for example, a rod-shaped heater can be disposed in the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 to directly heat the liquid. The liquid can be heated by any other method.

[0062] <Multiple convex parts> When food G is placed in the liquid in the liquid storage area 10, the food G sinks by gravity so as to come into contact with the bottom surface of the thawing casing 4. In that case, the temperature rises particularly in the area in contact with the heating member 20, which may cause uneven thawing of the food G. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment is provided with a support shape to prevent the food G from directly coming into contact with the bottom surface 4C of the thawing casing 4.

[0063] A specific example of the support shape will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing cross section AA of Fig. 3B. In the thawing casing 4 according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of protruding members 12 extending in a certain direction at predetermined intervals are formed on the bottom surface 4C of the thawing casing 4 in a plan view. The food G can be supported by the upper surfaces of the protruding members 12 which are higher than the bottom surface 4C of the thawing casing 4.

[0064] The extending direction of the convex members 12 is preferably a direction along the flow of liquid flowing from the liquid supply port 38A of the pump outlet piping 38 to the suction port 32B side of the circulation pump 30. As shown typically by the dotted arrows in Fig. 5, the liquid flows into the region between the lower surface of the food G between adjacent convex members 12 and the bottom surface 4C.

[0065] As described above, according to this embodiment, uneven heating during thawing can be prevented because the food G does not come into contact with the bottom surface 4C of the thawing casing 4 to which the heating member 20 is attached. Furthermore, liquid can be caused to flow in the area between the underside of the food G between adjacent convex members 12 and the bottom surface 4C of the thawing casing 4, so that in addition to flowing above and to the sides, liquid can also be caused to flow below the food G, allowing heat to be applied to the food G from all around, thereby thawing the food efficiently.

[0066] In the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment, the thawing casing 4 is disposed in the refrigeration chamber 104. Therefore, the temperature of the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 in which the thawed food G is disposed can be continuously maintained at an appropriate refrigeration temperature, so that the food G can be stored while maintaining its quality.

[0067] (Refrigerator control system) Next, a control system for the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the control system for the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1. The illustrated control unit 130 constitutes a part of the control device for the refrigerator 100, and controls the compressor 110, the fan 108, etc. to cool the freezer compartment 102 and the refrigerator compartment 104.

[0068] Furthermore, when the liquid supply casing 50 is attached to the drive casing 6, the control unit 130 passes current through the drive unit of the liquid supply pump 60 to perform empty detection to determine whether or not liquid is stored in the liquid supply casing 50. When it is determined from the current value that the load on the liquid supply pump 60 is light and there is not enough liquid in the liquid supply casing 50, the control unit 130 stops the power supply to the drive unit of the liquid supply pump 60 and displays an error on a display device or the like.

[0069] When it is determined from the current value that there is sufficient liquid in the liquid supply casing 50, the control unit 130 continues driving the liquid supply pump 60, thereby supplying the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50 to the ice tray 80. The liquid supply pump 60 can be driven, for example, after the ice tray 80 is rotated by the rotation mechanism to remove ice from the ice tray 80, or at predetermined time intervals.

[0070] If the liquid supply pump 60 is driven when the liquid supply casing 50 is not attached to the driving casing 6, for example, when the thawing casing 4 is attached to the driving casing 6 instead of the liquid supply casing 50, it can be determined that there is no load based on the current value of the drive unit of the liquid supply pump 60. Therefore, the control unit 130 can stop driving the liquid supply pump 60 and display an error message on the display device.

[0071] Conversely, when the thawing casing 4 is attached to the driving casing 6, the terminal C1 on the thawing casing 4 side and the terminal C2 on the driving casing 6 side are electrically connected. When the control unit 130 confirms the electrical connection of the terminals C1, C2, it drives the driving unit 34 of the circulation pump 30 to switch on and off the circulation of the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 and change the circulation speed of the liquid. In addition, based on the measured temperature from the temperature sensor 40, it controls the heating member 20 to switch on and off the operation of the heating member 20 and change the amount of heat applied by the heating member 20.

[0072] The control unit 130 can use any method to determine whether the terminal C1 on the thawing housing 4 side and the terminal C2 on the driving housing 6 side are connected, including a method of transmitting a detection signal from a detection terminal and a method of detecting a change in resistance between the terminals. When the control unit 130 confirms the connection between the terminal C1 on the thawing housing 4 side and the terminal C2 on the driving housing 6 side, it performs control for thawing based on an operation signal for starting thawing from the operation panel.

[0073] Since it is possible to determine whether or not there is an electrical connection between terminal C1 on the thawing casing 4 side and terminal C2 on the driving casing 6 side, even if an operation signal to start thawing is sent by operating the operation panel when the thawing casing 4 is not attached to the driving casing 6, for example, when the liquid supply casing 50 is attached to the driving casing 6 instead of the thawing casing 4, the control unit 130 can control the driving unit 34 of the circulation pump 30 not to drive.

[0074] Furthermore, even if the control unit 130 drives the drive unit 34 of the circulation pump 30, it is possible to determine from the current value that the load on the drive unit 34 is light and therefore unloaded, and therefore it is possible to stop driving the drive unit 34 and display an error message on the display device.

[0075] (Method of supplying liquid to ice tray using liquid supply housing) Next, a method of supplying liquid to the ice tray 80 using the liquid supply casing 50 according to this embodiment will be described. First, the front door of the refrigerator compartment 104 is opened, the snap engagement that has fixed the liquid supply casing 50 or the thawing casing 4 to the drive casing 6 is released, and the liquid supply casing 50 or the thawing casing 4 is pulled out. This allows the liquid supply casing 50 or the thawing casing 4 to be easily removed to the outside.

[0076] Next, outside the refrigerator, the lid 50A on the top of the liquid supply housing 50 is removed, or the openable lid provided on the lid 50A is opened, and liquid is poured into the liquid supply housing 50 from the opening at the top. After a predetermined amount of liquid is stored in the liquid supply housing 50, the lid 50A is closed, or the openable lid provided on the lid 50A is closed. Then, the front door of the refrigerator chamber 104 is opened, and the liquid supply housing 50 is pushed in and attached to the drive housing 6. When the liquid supply housing 50 is pushed in, the insertion part 6A of the drive housing 6 is inserted into the guide hole provided in the liquid supply housing 50, and while positioning is being performed, the abutment surface 50B of the liquid supply housing 50 abuts against the abutment surface 4B of the drive housing 6. At this time, the liquid supply housing 50 and the drive housing 6 are fixed by the snap engagement mechanism. At the same time, the insertion portion 72 of the suction pipe 70 attached to the liquid supply housing 50 is adapted to connect with a connector 64 provided on the inlet pipe 62 of the liquid supply pump 60 arranged in the drive housing 6.

[0077] In this state, when the control unit 130 drives the drive unit of the liquid supply pump 60, the liquid stored in the liquid supply housing 50 is supplied to the ice tray 80 via the suction piping 70, the connector 64, the inlet piping 62, the liquid supply pump 60 and the outlet piping 66.

[0078] (Method of thawing food using a thawing device) Next, a method for thawing food G using the thawing casing 4 according to this embodiment will be described. First, the front door of the refrigerator compartment 104 is opened, the snap engagement that has secured the liquid supply casing 50 or the thawing casing 4 and the drive casing 6 is released, and the liquid supply casing 50 or the thawing casing 4 is pulled out. This allows the liquid supply casing 50 or the thawing casing 4 to be easily removed to the outside.

[0079] Next, outside the refrigerator, the top lid 4A of the thawing casing 4 is removed, and tap water is poured as liquid into the liquid storage area 10 of the thawing casing 4 from the opening at the top. After a predetermined amount of liquid has been stored in the liquid storage area 10, the frozen food G covered with a packaging material is placed in the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10, and the lid 4A is closed. Then, the front door of the refrigerator compartment 104 is opened, and the thawing casing 4 is pushed in and attached to the drive casing 6.

[0080] As the thawing casing 4 is pushed in, the insertion portion 6A of the driving casing 6 is inserted into a guide hole provided in the thawing casing 4, and while being positioned, the abutment surface 4B of the thawing casing 4 abuts against the abutment surface 4B of the driving casing 6. At this time, the thawing casing 4 and the driving casing 6 are fixed by a snap engagement mechanism. In this state, the magnetic coupling 36 is in a drive transmission state, and the terminal C1 on the thawing casing 4 side and the terminal C2 on the driving casing 6 side are electrically connected. The control unit 130 of the refrigerator 100 confirms that the terminal C1 on the thawing casing 4 side and the terminal C2 on the driving casing 6 side are electrically connected.

[0081] When a user operates the operation panel of refrigerator 100 to send a signal to start defrosting, control unit 130 of refrigerator 100 supplies power to drive unit 34 of circulation pump 30 to start driving it. This causes the liquid in liquid storage area 10 to circulate. Then, based on the temperature measured by temperature sensor 40, power supply to heating member 20 is controlled so that the temperature of the liquid is in the range of 5°C to 10°C.

[0082] When the temperature of the liquid is below 5°C, the thawing speed decreases. On the other hand, when the temperature of the liquid is above 20°C, the amount of dripping from the thawed food increases, causing a problem of quality degradation. In the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment, liquid is always circulated at a temperature range of 5°C to 10°C, so that the food G to be thawed can be thawed efficiently in a short time while maintaining its quality.

[0083] When thawing is performed in a short time, it is preferable to control the temperature of the liquid to about 10° C., for example, within a range of 8° C. to 10° C. On the other hand, when emphasis is placed on the freshness of the food G, it is preferable to control the temperature of the liquid to about 5° C., for example, within a range of 5° C. to 7° C. In accordance with this, the discharge rate of the circulating pump 30 can also be adjusted.

[0084] The desired thawing speed can be adjusted by controlling the heating member 20 and the circulation pump 30 to adjust the temperature of the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 and the flow rate of the liquid. For example, it is possible to use the operation panel to select a desired thawing pattern from multiple thawing patterns such as "rapid thawing in 15 minutes," "normal thawing in 1 hour," and "more delicious thawing in 4 hours." In addition, when thawing is complete, the completion of thawing can be notified by a buzzer, a lamp, a voice, or the like, or can be notified to the user's mobile terminal.

[0085] When the set time has elapsed, the control unit 130 stops supplying power to the circulation pump 30 and the heating member 20, ends the thawing process, and performs a predetermined notification process. The thawing casing 4 is disposed in the refrigerator compartment 104. Since the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 104 is about 2°C to 6°C, the temperature of the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 (for example, 5°C to 10°C) is similarly maintained, and therefore the thawed food G can be stored while maintaining its quality.

[0086] The control of the thawing process is not limited to time-based management, but can also be based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 40, for example. When the thawing of the food G is completed, the amount of heat of fusion taken from the liquid decreases, so the temperature of the liquid tends to rise. Therefore, the thawing process can be controlled to end when the gradient of the temperature rise of the liquid exceeds a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, an infrared sensor that directly measures the surface temperature of the food G can be provided, and the thawing process can be controlled to end based on the surface temperature of the food G.

[0087] On the other hand, simpler control is possible when the temperature of the liquid and the flow rate of the liquid that can thaw the food G while maintaining the quality of the food G are known through various tests and experiences. A control method is also possible in which the temperature sensor 40 for measuring the temperature of the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 is not provided, the heating member 20 and the circulation pump 30 are turned on when thawing begins, and when a predetermined time has elapsed, the heating member 20 and the circulation pump 30 are turned off to end the thawing.

[0088] When thawing food G using the thawing casing 4, the food G placed in the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 is thawed by heat transfer between the food G, either directly or via a packaging member, and the liquid in the liquid storage area 10 that has been heated by the heating member 20 and made to flow by the circulation pump 30. To thaw the food G, the temperature of the liquid around the food G drops, but since the liquid is flowing, the cooled liquid does not remain around the food G, and the liquid heated by the heating member 20 can be supplied to the area around the food G. Since the liquid is circulated by the circulation pump 30, heat transfer between the food G and the food G can be promoted by the flow of the liquid without using a large amount of liquid.

[0089] Therefore, thawing can be performed in a short time despite the simple structure. Furthermore, since the heating member 20 can appropriately heat the liquid and always maintain the temperature suitable for thawing (for example, 5°C to 10°C), dripping of the food G during thawing can be suppressed and the quality can be maintained. This makes it possible to provide a thawing device with a simple structure that can thaw the food G in a short time while maintaining its quality.

[0090] As described above, according to this embodiment, for example, the liquid supply casing 50 is usually attached to the drive casing 6 to supply liquid to the ice tray 80, and only when the food G is to be thawed, the liquid supply casing 50 is removed and the thawing casing 4 is attached to the drive casing 6 instead to perform thawing. Also, when ice making is not required in winter, the thawing casing 4 can be permanently installed instead of the liquid supply casing 50. This eliminates the need for a dedicated space for thawing, and reduces the reduction in available storage space. Therefore, it is possible to provide a refrigerator 100 that can thaw food G while reducing the reduction in available storage space.

[0091] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the liquid supply pump 60 including the pump body and the drive unit is disposed in the drive housing 6, so that the liquid supply housing 50 which is detachable can be made lightweight and have a simple structure. Meanwhile, the drive unit 34 of the circulation pump 30 is disposed in the drive housing 6, and only the pump body 32 of the circulation pump 30 is disposed in the thawing housing 4, so that there is no need to provide electric components or wiring for driving in the thawing housing 4 which is detachable, so that the thawing housing 4 can have a simple structure. Furthermore, by using the magnet coupling 36, the circulation pump 30 can be operated reliably without a sealing mechanism for preventing liquid leakage, etc.

[0092] Furthermore, because liquid supply casing 50 is placed in refrigeration chamber 104, the liquid in liquid supply casing 50 can be supplied to ice tray 80 without freezing. At the same time, because thawing casing 4 is placed in refrigeration chamber 104, the temperature of the liquid in thawing casing 4 in which thawed food G is placed can continue to be kept at an appropriate refrigeration temperature, allowing food G to be preserved while maintaining its quality.

[0093] (Refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention) Next, an overview of a refrigerator 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a side cross-sectional view typically showing the refrigerator 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which the liquid supply casing 50 is attached to the driving casing 6 and liquid is being supplied. Fig. 8 is a side cross-sectional view typically showing the refrigerator 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which the thawing casing 4 is attached to the driving casing 6 and thawing is being performed.

[0094] In the first embodiment, two pumps, the liquid supply pump 60 and the circulation pump 30, are provided, but in the second embodiment, the liquid supply pump 60 in the drive housing 6 is not provided, and one liquid supply / circulation pump 30' functions as both a liquid supply pump and a circulation pump. That is, the liquid supply pump 60 according to the first embodiment is a "pump dedicated to liquid supply", and the circulation pump 30 is a "pump dedicated to circulation". On the other hand, the liquid supply / circulation pump 30' according to the second embodiment and the third embodiment described later is a "pump for both liquid supply and circulation". The pumps according to the first to third embodiments can be collectively referred to as "at least one pump that functions as a liquid supply pump and a circulation pump".

[0095] In the liquid supply circulation pump 30', the pump body 32' is disposed in the liquid supply or thawing housing 50,4, and the drive unit 34' is disposed in the drive housing 6, and the two are connected in a non-contact manner by a magnetic coupling 36. When the liquid supply circulation pump 30' functions as a liquid supply pump, the housing can be used as the liquid supply housing 50, and when the liquid supply circulation pump 30' functions as a circulation pump, the housing can be used as the thawing housing 4.

[0096] 7, a pipe 71 is connected to the discharge port of a pump body 32' in a liquid supply housing 50 driven via a magnetic coupling 36. An insertion portion 73 at the tip of the pipe 71 is adapted to be connected to a connector 65 provided on a liquid supply pipe 63 arranged in a driving housing 6. As a result, as shown by the dotted arrow in the figure, the liquid stored in the driving housing 6 is sucked into the pump body 32' from the suction port 32B', flows through the pipe 71 and the liquid supply pipe 63 from the discharge port of the pump body 32', and is supplied to an ice tray 80.

[0097] When thawing as shown in FIG. 8 is performed, a pump outlet pipe 39 is connected to the discharge port of a pump body 32' in a thawing casing 4 driven via a magnetic coupling 36. A liquid supply port 39A at the tip of the pump outlet pipe 39 is disposed near the end of the liquid storage area 10 opposite to the end where the liquid supply circulation pump 30' is disposed, in a plan view. As a result, as shown by the dotted arrow in the figure, the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 of the thawing casing 4 is sucked into the pump body 32' from the suction port 32B', flows through the pump outlet pipe 39 from the discharge port of the pump body 32', and returns to the liquid storage area 10 again from the liquid supply port 39A. At this time, by disposing the food G to be thawed in the flow path of the liquid flowing from the liquid supply port 39A to the suction port 32B', the food G can be efficiently thawed by the flow of the circulating liquid.

[0098] The mechanism for attaching and detaching the liquid supply casing 50 and the thawing casing 4 to and from the drive casing 6 is similar to that in the first embodiment described above, and therefore further detailed description will be omitted.

[0099] In the second embodiment, a liquid supply housing 50 having a pipe 71 connected to a discharge port of a pump body 32′, The thawing casing 4 may be provided separately from the pump body 32', with the pump outlet piping 39 connected to the outlet of the pump body 32'. Furthermore, a single casing may be provided for both thawing and liquid supply, and the casing may be used as the thawing casing 4 and the liquid supply casing 50 by switching the piping connected to the outlet of the pump body 32' disposed inside the casing. In other words, the casing can function as the liquid supply casing 50 by connecting the piping 71 to the outlet of the pump body 32', and can function as the thawing casing 4 by connecting the pump outlet piping 39 to the outlet of the pump body 32'.

[0100] (Refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention) Next, an overview of a refrigerator 100 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B. Fig. 9A is a side cross-sectional view that typically shows refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which liquid supply is being performed by switching three-way valve 74. Fig. 9B is a side cross-sectional view that typically shows refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which defrosting is being performed by switching three-way valve 74.

[0101] In the above-described second embodiment, switching between liquid supply and thawing was performed by changing the piping connected to the discharge port of the pump body 32' driven via the magnetic coupling 36. However, in the third embodiment, the piping 71, 39 for liquid supply and thawing are installed in advance, and the difference is that switching between liquid supply and thawing is performed by switching a valve.

[0102] In the third embodiment, pump outlet piping 39 branches off from piping 71 connected to the outlet of pump body 32' driven via magnetic coupling 36 and extends horizontally. A three-way valve 74 is attached to the connection point of piping 71 and pump outlet piping 39. By switching this three-way valve 74, it is possible to switch between a liquid supply mode in which the outlet of pump body 32' is communicated with the insertion part 73 side (ice tray 80 side) of piping 71 and the outlet of pump body 32' is blocked from the pump outlet piping 39, and a defrost mode in which the outlet of pump body 32' is communicated with pump outlet piping 39 and the outlet of pump body 32' is blocked from the insertion part 73 side (ice tray 80 side) of piping 71.

[0103] In the liquid supply mode, the liquid supply circulation pump 30' is driven to supply the liquid in the liquid supply casing 50(4) to the ice tray 80. In the defrosting mode, the liquid supply circulation pump 30' is driven to circulate the liquid in the defrosting casing 4(50) to defrost the food G. In the third embodiment, for example, when the liquid supply mode is employed and it becomes suddenly necessary to defrost the food G, the heating member 20 is operated and the three-way valve 74 is switched to the defrosting mode, so that the food G can be defrosted quickly.

[0104] In this embodiment, the three-way valve 74 is used to switch between modes, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an on-off valve may be provided on the insertion part 73 side of the pipe 71 and on the pump outlet pipe 39, or any other switching means may be used to switch between modes.

[0105] As described above, in the refrigerator 100 according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention, the pump body 32' arranged in the housing functioning as the liquid supply housing 50 or the thawing housing 4 is driven by the drive unit 34' arranged in the drive housing 6 via the magnetic coupling 36, and when the housing functions as the liquid supply housing 50, the liquid in the housing 50 sucked in from the suction port 32B' of the pump body 32' is supplied to the ice tray 80 from the discharge side of the pump body 32' via the piping 63 arranged in the drive housing 6, and when the housing functions as the thawing housing 4, the liquid in the housing 4 sucked in from the suction port 32B' of the pump body 32' is returned again into the housing 4 from the discharge side of the pump body 32' via the piping 39 arranged in the housing 4.

[0106] In the second and third embodiments, one pump 30' can function as both a liquid supply pump and a circulation pump by switching between flowing the liquid discharged from the pump body 32' to the ice tray 80 side or returning it to the housing 4. Accordingly, the housing can function as the liquid supply housing 50 and the thawing housing 4. This allows a functional and compact liquid supply / thawing mechanism to be realized.

[0107] As described above, refrigerator 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention including the above-mentioned first to third embodiments includes drive housing 6 fixed inside the refrigerator, liquid supply housing 50 which is detachable from drive housing 6 and stores liquid to be supplied to ice tray 80, thawing housing 4 which is detachable from drive housing 6 in place of drive housing 6 and contains food G to be thawed and stores liquid, a liquid supply pump which is arranged in drive housing 6, liquid supply housing 50 or thawing housing 4 and supplies the liquid in liquid supply housing 50 to ice tray 80 and a liquid supply pump which circulates the liquid in thawing housing 4 The thawing housing 4 is provided with at least one pump 30, 30', 60 which functions as a circulating pump to heat the liquid in the thawing housing 4, and a heating member 20 which heats at least the liquid in the thawing housing 4. When the liquid supply housing 50 is attached to the driving housing 6, the liquid in the liquid supply housing 50 is supplied to the ice tray 80 by the pumps 30', 60 which function as a liquid supply pump, and when the thawing housing 4 is attached to the driving housing 6, the food G is thawed by the liquid which has been heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating member 20 and circulated by the pumps 30, 30' which function as a circulating pump.

[0108] This makes it possible to provide a refrigerator 100 that can thaw food G while minimizing the reduction in effective storage space.

[0109] Although the embodiments and modes of implementation of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may vary in details of the configuration, and changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and modes of implementation may be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 4 Defrosting case 4A Lid 4B Contact surface 4C Bottom 6 Drive housing 6A Insertion section 6B Contact surface 10 Liquid storage area 12 Convex member 20 Heating member 22 Heat transfer promotion material 30 Circulation Pump 30' Liquid supply circulation pump 32 Pump body 32' Pump body 32A impeller 32B Inlet 32B' Inlet 34 Drive unit 34' Drive unit 36 Magnetic Coupling 36A Pump body side 36B Drive side part 38 Pump outlet piping 38A Liquid supply port 39 Pump outlet piping 39A Fluid supply port 40 Temperature Sensor 50 Fluid supply housing 50A lid 60 Liquid supply pump 62 Inlet piping 63 Liquid supply piping 64 Connector 65 Connector 66 Outlet piping 70 Suction pipe 71 Piping 70A Lower End 72 Insertion section 73 Insertion section 74 Three-way valve 80 Ice Tray 100 Refrigerator 102 Freezer 104 Refrigerator 106 Evaporator 108 Fans 110 Compressor 112 Freezer damper 114 Refrigerator damper 120 Cooling Channel 122 Partition 130 Control section G Food C1, C2 terminals

Claims

1. A refrigerator characterized in that the food is thawed by a liquid that is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating element and then circulated by the pump, which functions as a circulation pump. A drive housing fixed inside the chamber, The drive housing is detachable from the aforementioned housing and includes a liquid supply housing that stores the liquid supplied to the ice tray, Instead of the aforementioned liquid supply housing, there is a thawing housing that is detachable from the drive housing and contains the food to be thawed and stores liquid, At least one pump, disposed within the drive housing, the liquid supply housing, or the defrosting housing, which functions as a liquid supply pump for supplying liquid from the liquid supply housing to the ice tray and a circulation pump for circulating liquid from the defrosting housing, A heating element that heats at least the liquid inside the thawing enclosure, Equipped with, When the liquid supply housing is attached to the drive housing, the liquid in the liquid supply housing is supplied to the ice tray by the pump, which functions as a liquid supply pump. When the thawing housing is attached to the drive housing, and food to be thawed is placed in a liquid inside the thawing housing where the initial temperature is higher than the temperature of the refrigerator compartment, the temperature of the liquid is controlled to a range of 5°C to 10°C by the heating element and the temperature of the refrigerator compartment, which is in the range of 2°C to 6°C. A refrigerator characterized in that the liquid is circulated by the pump, which functions as a circulation pump, thereby replacing the low-temperature liquid surrounding the food with a liquid that is hotter than the temperature of the refrigerator compartment, and thus thawing the food.

2. The pump consists of a dedicated liquid supply pump that functions as the liquid supply pump and a dedicated circulation pump that functions as the circulation pump. The dedicated liquid supply pump, including the pump body and drive unit, is arranged inside the drive housing, and the suction piping connected to the dedicated liquid supply pump is arranged inside the liquid supply housing. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit of the circulation pump is located inside the drive housing, the pump body of the circulation pump is located inside the defrosting housing, and the drive unit and the pump body of the circulation pump are connected by a magnetic coupling to drive the pump body.

3. The pump is a dual-purpose pump that functions as both a liquid supply pump and a circulation pump, The drive unit of the liquid supply and circulation pump is located inside the drive housing, the pump body of the liquid supply and circulation pump is located inside the defrosting housing, and the drive unit and the pump body of the liquid supply and circulation pump are connected by a magnetic coupling to drive the pump body. When the liquid supply housing is attached to the drive housing, the liquid in the liquid supply housing, which is drawn in from the suction port of the pump body of the liquid supply circulation pump, is supplied to the ice tray from the discharge side of the pump body via piping arranged in the drive housing. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that when the defrosting housing is attached to the drive housing, the liquid in the defrosting housing that is sucked in from the suction port of the pump body of the liquid supply circulation pump is returned to the defrosting housing again from the discharge side of the pump body via piping arranged inside the defrosting housing.

4. The liquid inlet at the outlet end of the pump outlet piping connected to the discharge port of the pump that functions as a circulation pump is positioned at a distance from the suction port of the circulation pump in a plan view inside the thawing housing. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the food is placed in the flow path of the liquid that flows from the liquid inlet to the suction port.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that a metal sheet-like heat transfer promoting member is attached to the outer surface of the defrosting enclosure, and a sheet-like heating member is attached to the outer surface of the heat transfer promoting member.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of convex members are formed on the bottom surface of the thawing enclosure, extending in a certain direction at predetermined intervals in a plan view, the upper surfaces of the convex members which are higher than the bottom surface support the food, and liquid flows in the region between the lower surface of the food and the bottom surface between adjacent convex members.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the liquid supply housing and the thawing housing are arranged inside the refrigerator compartment.

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