Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator having a first storage chamber with a temperature detection unit and a second storage chamber which is different from the first storage chamber, in which the second storage chamber is sufficiently cooled down even when a temperature detection unit is not provided in the second storage chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a first storage chamber having a temperature detection unit; a second storage chamber which is different from the first storage chamber; a first storage chamber door that opens and closes an opening of the first storage chamber; a second storage chamber door that opens and closes an opening of the second storage chamber; a first open / close detection unit that detects an opening / closing of the first storage chamber door; a second open / close detection unit that detects an opening / closing of the second storage chamber door; and a control unit that can execute a normal cooling control that cools down inside of the second storage chamber at a targeted temperature and a special cooling control that strengthens the cooling strength inside the second storage chamber than the cooling strength of the normal cooling control. The control unit executes the special cooling control when predefined specific conditions are met. A condition of the special control includes that an opening of the second storage chamber is detected and an opening of the first storage chamber is not detected within the predefined period of time before the detection of the second storage chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to cool the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment with cold air generated by a common refrigeration cooler. More specifically, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler is first supplied into the refrigerator compartment, and then the cold air in the refrigerator compartment is supplied into the vegetable compartment. The cold air supplied into the vegetable compartment is returned to the cooling compartment, cooled again by the refrigeration cooler, and supplied into the refrigerator compartment. This circulation of cold air is repeated, thereby cooling the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment to within a predetermined refrigeration temperature range.

[0003] According to the refrigerator of Patent Document 1, the air in the crisper compartment is cooled by a refrigeration cooler before it reaches the refrigerator compartment. Therefore, even if the temperature detection sensor installed in the refrigerator compartment can accurately detect the temperature in the refrigerator compartment, it cannot accurately detect the temperature in the crisper compartment. Therefore, the refrigerator of Patent Document 1 is also provided with a temperature detection sensor in the crisper compartment, and the cooling of the crisper compartment is controlled by detecting the temperature in the crisper compartment using this temperature detection sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-6041 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the configuration of Patent Document 1 requires temperature detection sensors to be provided not only in the refrigerator compartment but also in the vegetable compartment, which leads to problems such as an increase in the number of parts, a complex structure, and increased manufacturing costs.

[0006] This embodiment provides a technical proposal for a refrigerator that has a first storage compartment in which a temperature detection unit is provided and a second storage compartment separate from the first storage compartment, which enables the second storage compartment to be sufficiently cooled without having a temperature detection unit in the second storage compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The refrigerator according to this embodiment includes a first storage compartment having a temperature detection unit, a second storage compartment different from the first storage compartment, a first storage compartment door that opens and closes an opening of the first storage compartment, a second storage compartment door that opens and closes an opening of the second storage compartment, a first opening and closing detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the first storage compartment door, a second opening and closing detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the second storage compartment door, and a control unit that is capable of executing normal cooling control for cooling the inside of the second storage compartment to a predetermined target temperature set for the second storage compartment, and is capable of executing special cooling control for strengthening the cooling intensity of the second storage compartment more than the cooling intensity in the normal cooling control, and the control unit is configured to execute the special cooling control when a predetermined special condition is satisfied, and the special condition is set to be a condition that the second opening and closing detection unit detects that the second storage compartment door has been opened, and the first opening and closing detection unit has not detected that the first storage compartment door has been opened within a predetermined period prior to the detection. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view illustrating a schematic configuration example of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a special condition according to the present embodiment; [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a refrigeration and cooling operation according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a freezing and cooling operation according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a change in temperature in the storage compartment and a change in the operation amount of the compressor and the blower fan before and during execution of the vegetable compartment strong cooling control according to the present embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. A refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a rectangular box-shaped insulated box body 11 constituting the outer shell of the refrigerator 10, and a plurality of storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are formed inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Various storage items such as food items can be stored inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Although not shown in detail, the insulated box body 11 is configured with a thermal insulation material between an inner box and an outer box. As the thermal insulation material constituting the insulated box body 11, various thermal insulation materials such as vacuum insulation panels, urethane foam, and thermal insulation molded bodies molded from thermal insulation materials can be used.

[0010] In this case, the storage chamber 12 is a refrigerator chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the refrigerator temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 12 may be referred to as the "refrigerator chamber 12". The refrigerator chamber 12 is an example of a first storage chamber. The storage chamber 13 is a vegetable chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the refrigerator temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 13 may be referred to as the "vegetable chamber 13". The vegetable chamber 13 is an example of a second storage chamber. In this case, the storage chamber 14 is an ice making chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 14 may be referred to as the "ice making chamber 14". In this case, the storage chamber 15 is a small freezing chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 15 may be referred to as the "small freezing chamber 15". In this case, the storage chamber 16 is a large freezing chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 16 may be referred to as the "large freezing chamber 16". Ice making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and large freezer compartment 16 are each an example of a third storage compartment independent of refrigerator compartment 12 and vegetable compartment 13.

[0011] The refrigerator compartment 12 is the uppermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 that the refrigerator 10 has. The vegetable compartment 13 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 12 and is located approximately in the center of the insulated box 11 in the vertical direction. The ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 are provided below the vegetable compartment 13 and are lined up in the horizontal direction of the refrigerator 10 within the insulated box 11. The large freezing compartment 16 is provided below the ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 within the insulated box 11. The large freezing compartment 16 is the lowermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 that the refrigerator 10 has.

[0012] The refrigerator compartment 12 has a rectangular opening on its front side. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is opened and closed by two refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L], 12D[R] that can rotate in the left-right direction, that is, two refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L], 12D[R] that open like a double door. The refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L], 12D[R] are an example of a first storage compartment door. The refrigerator compartment door may be a single storage compartment door that opens and closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The vegetable compartment 13 has a rectangular opening on its front side. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 13 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, that is, a vegetable compartment door 13D that is a drawer type. The vegetable compartment door 13D is an example of a second storage compartment door. The ice making compartment 14 has a rectangular opening on its front side. The front opening of the ice making compartment 14 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, that is, a drawer type ice making compartment door 14D. The small freezer compartment 15 has a rectangular opening on its front. The front opening of the small freezer compartment 15 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, a so-called drawer-type small freezer compartment door 15D. The large freezer compartment 16 has an opening on its front. The front opening of the large freezer compartment 16 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, a so-called drawer-type large freezer compartment door 16D.

[0013] 2, a group of storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range including the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 and a group of storage compartments in the freezing temperature range including the ice making compartment 14, the small freezing compartment 15, and the large freezing compartment 16 are separated by a heat insulating partition wall 20. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 are separated by a partition wall 21 having lower insulation than the heat insulating partition wall 20, but are ventilated through a communication port 21a provided behind the partition wall 21. The ice making compartment 14, the small freezing compartment 15, and the large freezing compartment 16 are separated by a partition wall 22 having lower insulation than the heat insulating partition wall 20, but are ventilated through a communication port (not shown) provided behind the partition wall 22.

[0014] The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigeration cooling compartment 30 and a freezer cooling compartment 40. The refrigeration cooling compartment 30 is provided behind the above-mentioned partition wall 21. A refrigeration cooler 31 and a refrigeration blower fan 32 are provided in the refrigeration cooling compartment 30. The refrigeration cooler 31 is an example of a cooler that generates cold air for cooling the inside of the refrigeration compartment 12 and the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 to a temperature range of a predetermined refrigeration temperature zone. The refrigeration blower fan 32 is an example of a blower fan that blows the cold air within the temperature range of the refrigeration temperature zone generated by the refrigeration cooler 31 into the refrigeration compartment 12 and further into the vegetable compartment 13.

[0015] More specifically, a refrigeration duct 33 is provided in the upper part of the refrigeration cooling compartment 30 so as to extend upward along the rear surface of the refrigeration compartment 12, and a plurality of cold air outlets 33a are provided in the refrigeration duct 33. The cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 31 is supplied into the refrigeration compartment 12 from the cold air outlets 33a through the refrigeration duct 33 by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower fan 32. This causes the inside of the refrigeration compartment 12 to be cooled to within the temperature range of the refrigeration temperature zone.

[0016] The cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is further supplied to the vegetable compartment 13 through the communication port 21a at the rear of the partition wall 21, so that the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 is also cooled to within the temperature range of the refrigeration temperature zone. In other words, the refrigerator 10 is configured such that the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is sent to the vegetable compartment 13, thereby cooling the inside of the vegetable compartment 13.

[0017] The cold air in the vegetable compartment 13 is returned to the refrigeration cooling compartment 30 from a return port 34 provided at the bottom of the refrigeration cooling compartment 30, cooled again by the refrigeration cooler 31, and supplied to the refrigeration compartment 12. By repeating this circulation of cold air, the inside of the refrigeration compartment 12 and the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 are each cooled to within the temperature range of the refrigeration temperature zone.

[0018] Freezing cooler 41 and freezing blower fan 42 are provided in freezing cooling compartment 40. Freezing cooler 41 is an example of a cooler that generates cold air for cooling ice-making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16 to a temperature range of a predetermined freezing temperature zone. Freezing blower fan 42 is an example of a blower fan that blows the cold air of the freezing temperature zone generated by freezing cooler 41 into ice-making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16, respectively.

[0019] More specifically, a plurality of cold air outlets 43a are provided at the front of freezing cooling compartment 40. The plurality of cold air outlets 43a are directed into ice making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16, respectively. The cold air generated by freezing cooler 41 is supplied from cold air outlets 43a into ice making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16 by the blowing action of freezing blower fan 42. As a result, ice making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16 are each cooled to within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone.

[0020] The cold air in ice-making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16 is returned to freezing cooling compartment 40 from return port 44 provided at the bottom of freezing cooling compartment 40, where it is cooled again by freezing cooler 41 and supplied to ice-making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16. By repeating this circulation of cold air, ice-making compartment 14, small freezing compartment 15, and large freezing compartment 16 are each cooled to within the freezing temperature range.

[0021] Next, a configuration example of the control system of the refrigerator 10 will be described. The control device 50 illustrated in Fig. 3 is mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 10 based on a control program and various setting information. The control device 50 is an example of a control unit. The above-mentioned refrigeration blower fan 32 and freezing blower fan 42 are connected to the control device 50.

[0022] The control device 50 can switch the refrigeration fan 32 between a forward rotation state and a reverse rotation state. The forward rotation state is a state in which the refrigeration fan 32 rotates in a forward direction so as to blow the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 31 into the refrigeration chamber 12 before the vegetable chamber 13. In the forward rotation state of the refrigeration fan 32, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 31 is supplied from the cold air outlet 33a of the refrigeration duct 33 into the refrigeration chamber 12, and then circulates to be supplied into the vegetable chamber 13 through the communication port 21a. On the other hand, the reverse rotation state is a state in which the refrigeration fan 32 rotates in a reverse direction so as to blow the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 31 into the vegetable chamber 13 before the refrigeration chamber 12. When the refrigeration blower fan 32 is rotating in reverse, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 31 is supplied from the return port 34 into the vegetable compartment 13, and then circulated so that it is supplied into the refrigeration compartment 12 via the communication port 21a.

[0023] The control device 50 is connected to a compressor 51, a switching valve 52, a refrigerator door open / close detection sensor 53, a vegetable door open / close detection sensor 54, a refrigerator temperature detection sensor 55, and the like. The compressor 51 and the switching valve 52, together with the above-mentioned refrigerator cooler 31 and freezer cooler 41, and a condenser and pressure reducer (not shown), constitute a well-known refrigeration cycle mechanism. In this refrigeration cycle mechanism, when the compressor 51 is driven by the control device 50, the compressed refrigerant is supplied to the condenser, and then supplied to the refrigerator cooler 31 or the freezer cooler 41 via the pressure reducer. The control device 50 controls the switching valve 52 to switch between a state in which the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerator cooler 31 and a state in which the refrigerant is supplied to the freezer cooler 41.

[0024] The control device 50 can execute a refrigeration cooling operation in which cold air is generated by the refrigeration cooling device 31 by controlling the switching valve 52 so that the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigeration cooling device 31. The control device 50 can execute a freezing cooling operation in which cold air is generated by the refrigeration cooling device 41 by controlling the switching valve 52 so that the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigeration cooling device 41. The control device 50 is configured to alternately repeat the refrigeration cooling operation and the freezing cooling operation by controlling the switching valve 52. During the refrigeration cooling operation, the generation of cold air by the refrigeration cooling device 41 is stopped, and the refrigeration cooling device 31 is in a state where cold air is generated. On the other hand, during the freezing cooling operation, the generation of cold air by the refrigeration cooling device 31 is stopped, and the refrigeration cooling device 41 is in a state where cold air is generated.

[0025] Refrigerator door open / close detection sensor 53 is an example of a first open / close detection unit and can detect when refrigerator door 12D[L], 12D[R] is opened and closed. Vegetable door open / close detection sensor 54 is an example of a second open / close detection unit and can detect when vegetable door 13D is opened and closed. Although not shown, refrigerator 10 also includes a sensor that detects the opening and closing of ice-making door 14D, a sensor that detects the opening and closing of small freezer door 15D, and a sensor that detects the opening and closing of large freezer door 16D.

[0026] The refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 is an example of a temperature detection unit. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 is disposed in the refrigerator compartment 12, in this case, so as to be embedded in the lower part of the refrigeration duct 33, and can directly detect the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12. The refrigerator compartment 12 can be defined as a storage compartment in which a temperature detection unit is provided. On the other hand, no temperature detection sensor is provided in the vegetable compartment 13. Therefore, the vegetable compartment 13 can be defined as a storage compartment in which a temperature detection unit is not provided.

[0027] The control device 50 can execute normal cooling control to cool the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 to a predetermined target temperature set for the vegetable compartment 13. The predetermined target temperature for the vegetable compartment 13 can be set, for example, by operating an operation panel (not shown) provided on the front of the refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] or the refrigerator compartment door 12D[R]. The control device 50 can also execute strong vegetable compartment cooling control to strengthen the cooling strength in the vegetable compartment 13 more than the cooling strength in the normal cooling control. The strong vegetable compartment cooling control is an example of special cooling control.

[0028] In addition, the control device 50 is configured to execute strong cooling control of the vegetable compartment when a predetermined special condition is satisfied. As illustrated in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, the special condition is set as follows: [Condition 1] The opening of the vegetable compartment door 13D is detected by the vegetable compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 54, and [Condition 2] The opening of the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R] is not detected by the refrigerator compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 53 within a predetermined period T1 prior to the detection. In addition, the special condition further includes a condition: [Condition 3] The temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 rises by a predetermined temperature K1 or more during the predetermined period T2 from the detection of the opening of the vegetable compartment door 13D by the vegetable compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 54.

[0029] Next, the refrigeration and freezing cooling operations alternately performed by the control device 50 will be described in detail.

[0030] First, the refrigerating / cooling operation will be described. As illustrated in Fig. 5, when the refrigerating / cooling operation is started, the control device 50 monitors whether or not a special condition is satisfied (step A1). Then, when the special condition is satisfied (step A1: YES), the control device 50 sets the temperature in the refrigerating compartment 12 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature detection sensor 55 at the time when the crisper compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 54 detects that the crisper compartment door 13D is closed as a reference temperature (step A2).

[0031] Then, the control device 50 judges whether or not the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 has risen by a predetermined temperature K1 or more during the predetermined period T2 since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened (step A3). In the refrigerating / cooling operation, the predetermined period T2 is, for example, 10 minutes, and the predetermined temperature K1 is, for example, 3° C. Note that the predetermined period T2 and the predetermined temperature K1 in the refrigerating / cooling operation can be changed and set as appropriate.

[0032] If the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 does not rise by the predetermined temperature K1 or more until the predetermined period T2 has elapsed since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened (step A3: NO), the control device 50 proceeds to step A1. However, if the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by the predetermined temperature K1 or more until the predetermined period T2 has elapsed since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened (step A3: YES), the control device 50 starts vegetable compartment strong cooling control (step A4).

[0033] In step A3, the control device 50 detects the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, every minute. Then, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by a predetermined temperature K1 or more even once, the control device 50 starts the vegetable compartment strong cooling control (step A4). Note that the control device 50 may be configured to start the vegetable compartment strong cooling control when the number of times the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by the predetermined temperature K1 or more reaches a predetermined number.

[0034] The controller 50 continues the strong vegetable compartment cooling control until a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the strong vegetable compartment cooling control (step A5: NO), and when the predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the strong vegetable compartment cooling control (step A5: YES), ends the strong vegetable compartment cooling control (step A6) and transitions to normal cooling control, i.e., normal refrigeration and cooling operation. The predetermined time T3 can be changed and set as appropriate.

[0035] Next, the freezing and cooling operation will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, when the freezing and cooling operation is started, the control device 50 monitors whether or not a special condition is satisfied (step B1). When the special condition is satisfied (step B1: YES), the control device 50 sets the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 at the time when the crisper door opening / closing detection sensor 54 detects that the crisper door 13D is closed as a reference temperature (step B2).

[0036] Then, the control device 50 judges whether the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 has risen by a predetermined temperature K1 or more until the predetermined period T2 has elapsed since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened (step B3). In the freezing and cooling operation, the predetermined period T2 is, for example, 10 minutes, and the predetermined temperature K1 is, for example, 5°C. That is, the control device 50 is configured to set the predetermined temperature K1 during the freezing and cooling operation to be higher than the predetermined temperature K1 during the refrigerating and cooling operation, which is 3°C. The predetermined period T2 and the predetermined temperature K1 in the freezing and cooling operation can be appropriately changed and set. In addition, the predetermined period T2 in the freezing and cooling operation may be the same period as the predetermined period T2 in the refrigerating and cooling operation, or may be a different period.

[0037] If the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 does not rise by the predetermined temperature K1 or more until the predetermined period T2 has elapsed since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened (step B3: NO), the control device 50 proceeds to step B1. However, if the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by the predetermined temperature K1 or more until the predetermined period T2 has elapsed since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened (step B3: YES), the control device 50 starts vegetable compartment strong cooling control (step B4).

[0038] In step B3, the control device 50 detects the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, every minute. Then, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by a predetermined temperature K1 or more even once, the control device 50 starts the vegetable compartment strong cooling control (step B4). Note that the control device 50 may be configured to start the vegetable compartment strong cooling control when the number of times the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by the predetermined temperature K1 or more reaches a predetermined number.

[0039] The controller 50 continues the strong vegetable compartment cooling control until a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the strong vegetable compartment cooling control (step B5: NO), and when the predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the strong vegetable compartment cooling control (step B5: YES), ends the strong vegetable compartment cooling control (step B6) and transitions to normal cooling control, i.e., normal freezing and cooling operation. The predetermined time T3 can be changed and set as appropriate. The predetermined time T3 in the freezing and cooling operation may be the same as the predetermined time T3 in the refrigerating and cooling operation, or may be different.

[0040] In addition, the control device 50 executes feedback control as a strong cooling control for the vegetable compartment, in which the cooling intensity in the vegetable compartment 13 is increased as the difference between the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 and a predetermined target temperature set for the refrigerator compartment 12 increases, and the cooling intensity in the vegetable compartment 13 is decreased as the difference between the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 and a predetermined target temperature set for the refrigerator compartment 12 decreases. As the feedback control, for example, a well-known PID control (PID: Proportional-Integral-Differential-Controller) or the like can be applied. The predetermined target temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 can be set, for example, by operating an operation panel (not shown) provided on the front of the refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] or the refrigerator compartment door 12D[R].

[0041] 7 shows an example of temperature changes in refrigerator compartment 12 and vegetable compartment 13 before and during execution of strong vegetable compartment cooling control, and changes in the operation amount of compressor 51 and refrigeration blower fan 32. The operation amount of compressor 51 can be represented, for example, by the drive frequency of compressor 51. The operation amount of refrigeration blower fan 32 can be represented, for example, by the rotation speed of refrigeration blower fan 32.

[0042] 7 in more detail, when vegetable compartment door 13D is opened, the temperature in vegetable compartment 13 gradually rises. The air in vegetable compartment 13, whose temperature has risen, is sent to refrigerator compartment 12 via refrigeration cooling compartment 30, although it is cooled to some extent. Therefore, the air sent from vegetable compartment 13 gradually rises the temperature in refrigerator compartment 12.

[0043] Although the behavior of the temperature rise in the refrigerator compartment 12 is more gradual than that in the vegetable compartment 13, it is possible to determine that the temperature in the vegetable compartment 13 has risen, and therefore that uncooled stored items such as vegetables have been placed in the vegetable compartment 13, based on the behavior of the temperature rise in the refrigerator compartment 12. Therefore, the control device 50 executes the vegetable compartment strong cooling control when the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 rises by a predetermined temperature K1 or more before a predetermined period T2 has elapsed since the vegetable compartment door 13D was opened.

[0044] Furthermore, during execution of the strong cooling control for the vegetable compartment, the control device 50 increases the operating amount of the compressor 51 and the refrigeration blower fan 32 compared to the operating amount in normal cooling control. Note that the control device 50 may be configured to increase the operating amount of at least one of the compressor 51 and the refrigeration blower fan 32 compared to the operating amount in normal cooling control.

[0045] The refrigerator 10 illustrated above is configured such that a refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 12, but no temperature detection sensor is provided in the vegetable compartment 13. In other words, when the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L], 12D[R] are not opened and the vegetable compartment door 13D is opened, the temperature rise in the vegetable compartment 13 cannot be detected accurately.

[0046] In the refrigerator 10 thus configured, the control device 50 is configured to execute strong cooling control for the vegetable compartment when a specific special condition is satisfied. The specific control is set to have the following conditions: [Condition 1] The vegetable compartment door 13D is detected by the vegetable compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 54, and [Condition 2] The refrigerator compartment door 12D[L], 12D[R] is not detected by the refrigerator compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 53 within a specific period T1 prior to the detection.

[0047] According to this configuration example, when refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L], 12D[R] are not opened and vegetable compartment door 13D is opened, vegetable compartment strong cooling control is executed to strengthen the cooling strength inside vegetable compartment 13 more than the cooling strength in normal cooling control. Therefore, for refrigerator 10 having refrigerator compartment 12 with refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 and vegetable compartment 13 separate from refrigerator compartment 12, even if vegetable compartment 13 is not equipped with a temperature detection sensor, vegetable compartment 13 can be sufficiently cooled by vegetable compartment strong cooling control executed in response to establishment of special conditions.

[0048] According to the refrigerator 10, the special conditions further include a condition [Condition 3] that the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 rises by or exceeds a predetermined temperature K1 within a predetermined period T2 after the opening of the vegetable compartment door 13D is detected by the vegetable compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 54.

[0049] If the vegetable compartment door 13D is not only opened but also uncooled vegetables are put into the vegetable compartment 13, the temperature of the air in the vegetable compartment 13 rises, and the air reaches the refrigerator compartment 12 through the refrigeration cooling compartment 30, so it is expected that the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 will rise to a certain degree. Therefore, by including in the special condition not only that the vegetable compartment door 13D is opened but also that the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 has risen by a predetermined temperature K1 or more thereafter, it is possible to estimate that, for example, a stored item at room temperature, that is, a stored item that has not been cooled, has been put into the vegetable compartment 13, and only in such a case can the vegetable compartment strong cooling control be executed. Even if the vegetable compartment door 13D is opened, if no stored item is put into the vegetable compartment 13, there is little need to execute the vegetable compartment strong cooling control. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the vegetable compartment strong cooling control from being executed unnecessarily despite the low need to execute the vegetable compartment strong cooling control.

[0050] The refrigerator 10 is configured to alternately perform a refrigeration / cooling operation and a freezing / cooling operation, and during the freezing / cooling operation, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 is not cooled and the temperature is likely to rise. In other words, the refrigerator 10 is configured to easily increase the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 during the freezing / cooling operation, even if the vegetable compartment door 13D is simply opened and no stored items are put into the vegetable compartment 13. Therefore, the control device 50 sets the predetermined temperature K1 higher during the freezing / cooling operation than during the refrigeration / cooling operation. This makes it possible to prevent the strong vegetable compartment cooling control from being executed when the vegetable compartment door 13D is simply opened and no stored items are put into the vegetable compartment 13 during the freezing / cooling operation.

[0051] According to the refrigerator 10, the control device 50 executes a feedback control as a strong cooling control for the vegetable compartment such that the cooling strength in the vegetable compartment 13 is increased as the difference between the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 and a predetermined target temperature set for the refrigerator compartment 12 increases, and the cooling strength in the vegetable compartment 13 is decreased as the difference between the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 and a predetermined target temperature set for the refrigerator compartment 12 decreases.

[0052] This type of feedback control makes it possible to prevent insufficient or excessive cooling of the refrigerator compartment 12 and therefore the vegetable compartment 13, making it easier to maintain the refrigerator compartment 12 and therefore the vegetable compartment 13 in an optimally cooled state.

[0053] According to the refrigerator 10, the control device 50, during execution of the strong vegetable compartment cooling control, increases the operating amount of at least one of the compressor 51 and the refrigeration blower fan 32 compared to the operating amount during normal cooling control. As a result, during execution of the strong vegetable compartment cooling control, cold air at a lower temperature than that during normal cooling control can be generated, and a large amount of cold air at a lower temperature than that during normal cooling control can be supplied to the vegetable compartment 13. Therefore, the cooling strength in the vegetable compartment 13 can be efficiently increased to a level higher than that during normal cooling control.

[0054] It should be noted that this embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0055] For example, the special condition may be set to include a condition that [Condition 1] the opening of the vegetable compartment door 13D is detected by the vegetable compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 54, and [Condition 2] the opening of the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R] is not detected by the refrigerator compartment door opening / closing detection sensor 53 within a predetermined period T1 prior to the detection, and further a condition that [Condition 4] the time during which the vegetable compartment door 13D is opened is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. Even with such a special condition, if the vegetable compartment door 13D is opened for a predetermined time or longer while the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R] are not opened, the vegetable compartment strong cooling control can be executed to sufficiently cool the inside of the vegetable compartment 13. Note that this predetermined time can be changed and set as appropriate.

[0056] The control device 50 may be configured to execute strong cooling control for the vegetable compartment after the ongoing defrosting operation is completed when special conditions are met during the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 31. In other words, the control device 50 may be configured to wait until the ongoing defrosting operation is completed before starting strong cooling control for the vegetable compartment when special conditions are met during the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 31.

[0057] In the defrosting operation, the cold air is not generated by the refrigeration cooler 31, and the frost on the refrigeration cooler 31 is removed by the air blown by the refrigeration blower fan 32 and the heat generated by a heater (not shown). In this way, even if the vegetable compartment strong cooling control is executed during the defrosting operation in which the cold air is not generated by the refrigeration cooler 31, the inside of the refrigeration compartment 12 and the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 cannot be sufficiently cooled. Therefore, when a special condition is satisfied during the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 31, it is preferable to configure the device to execute the vegetable compartment strong cooling control after the defrosting operation being executed is completed, that is, after the state in which the cold air is generated by the refrigeration cooler 31. This makes it possible to prevent the inside of the refrigeration compartment 12 and the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 from being insufficiently cooled despite the execution of the vegetable compartment strong cooling control.

[0058] The control device 50 may be configured to switch the refrigeration blower fan 32 to the reverse rotation state until a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 31. This predetermined time can also be changed and set as appropriate. This predetermined time is assumed to be, for example, about several minutes.

[0059] Until a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the defrosting operation of the refrigeration cooler 31, frost and defrost water generated by defrosting remain in the refrigeration cooler 31. In other words, low-temperature moisture remains in the refrigeration cooler 31. Therefore, by switching the refrigeration blower fan 32 to a reverse rotation state, the low-temperature moisture remaining in the refrigeration cooler 31 can be supplied to the vegetable compartment 13, and the vegetables and the like in the vegetable compartment 13 can be humidified and cooled.

[0060] Furthermore, with the vegetable compartment strong cooling control, the cooling strength is stronger than with the normal cooling control, so there is a risk of the vegetables in the vegetable compartment 13 freezing. Therefore, the control device 50 may be configured to automatically switch to normal cooling control when a predetermined time has elapsed since starting the vegetable compartment strong cooling control, and then restrict the switch to the vegetable compartment strong cooling control until the refrigeration cooling operation and the freezing cooling operation have been performed at least once each. This makes it possible to avoid the vegetable compartment strong cooling control being performed multiple times in succession, and to prevent the vegetables in the vegetable compartment 13 from freezing.

[0061] Furthermore, the control device 50 may be configured to execute the vegetable compartment strong cooling control after executing at least one refrigeration cooling operation and one freezing cooling operation at least once if a special condition is met after switching from the vegetable compartment strong cooling control to the normal cooling control. This makes it possible to repeatedly execute the vegetable compartment strong cooling control at as short intervals as possible while preventing the vegetables in the vegetable compartment 13 from freezing, thereby allowing the vegetable compartment 13 to be sufficiently cooled.

[0062] The first storage compartment may be a storage compartment other than the refrigerator compartment 12, and the first storage compartment door may be a storage compartment door other than the refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L] and 12D[R]. The second storage compartment may be a storage compartment other than the vegetable compartment 13, and the second storage compartment door may be a storage compartment door other than the vegetable compartment door 13D. In the present disclosure, the second storage compartment not having a temperature detection unit includes a configuration in which a temperature detection unit is not provided in the second storage compartment, and a configuration in which a temperature detection unit is not provided in the outlet part of the cold air from the second storage compartment or in the vicinity thereof. In addition, even if the temperature detection unit provided outside the second storage compartment is affected by the temperature inside the second storage compartment, if the temperature detection unit is provided to detect the temperature inside a storage compartment other than the second storage compartment, the second storage compartment can be defined as a storage compartment not having a temperature detection unit. According to refrigerator 10, refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 provided outside vegetable compartment 13 is affected by the temperature inside vegetable compartment 13, but refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor 55 is provided to detect the temperature inside refrigerator compartment 12, which is different from vegetable compartment 13. Therefore, vegetable compartment 13 can be defined as a storage compartment that is not provided with a temperature detection unit.

[0063] The present disclosure is not limited to refrigerator 10 equipped with refrigeration cooler 31 and freezing cooler 41, but can also be applied to, for example, a refrigerator that can alternately perform an operation of cooling both the interior of a storage compartment in the refrigeration temperature range and the interior of a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range using cold air generated by a single cooler, and an operation of cooling the interior of the storage compartment in the freezing temperature range without cooling the interior of the storage compartment in the refrigeration temperature range.

[0064] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented merely as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] In the drawings, 10 indicates a refrigerator, 12 indicates a refrigerator compartment (first storage compartment), 12D[L] and 12D[R] indicate refrigerator compartment doors (first storage compartment doors), 13 indicates a vegetable compartment (second storage compartment), 13D indicates a vegetable compartment door (second storage compartment door), 14 indicates an ice-making compartment (third storage compartment), 15 indicates a small freezer compartment (third storage compartment), 16 indicates a large freezer compartment (third storage compartment), 31 indicates a refrigerator cooler (cooler), 32 indicates a refrigerator blower fan (blower fan), 41 indicates a freezer cooler (cooler), 42 indicates a freezer blower fan (blower fan), 50 indicates a control device (control unit), 51 indicates a compressor, 53 indicates an opening / closing detection sensor for the refrigerator compartment door (first opening / closing detection unit), 54 indicates an opening / closing detection sensor for the vegetable compartment door (second opening / closing detection unit), and 55 indicates a refrigerator compartment temperature detection sensor (temperature detection unit).

Claims

1. A first storage chamber provided with a temperature detection unit; a second storage chamber different from the first storage chamber; a first storage chamber door for opening and closing an opening of the first storage chamber; a second storage chamber door for opening and closing an opening of the second storage chamber; a first open / close detection unit that detects whether the first storage compartment door is open or closed; a second open / close detection unit that detects whether the second storage compartment door is open or closed; a control unit capable of executing a normal cooling control for cooling the inside of the second storage chamber to a predetermined target temperature set for the second storage chamber, and also capable of executing a special cooling control for strengthening a cooling strength in the second storage chamber to a cooling strength higher than that in the normal cooling control; Equipped with The control unit is configured to execute the special cooling control when a predetermined special condition is satisfied, The special condition set in the refrigerator is that the second opening / closing detection unit detects that the second storage compartment door has been opened, and that the first storage compartment door has not been detected as being opened within a predetermined period prior to the detection by the second opening / closing detection unit.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the special condition further includes a condition that the temperature inside the first storage compartment detected by the temperature detection unit rises by a predetermined temperature or more within a predetermined period of time after the second opening / closing detection unit detects that the second storage compartment door has been opened.

3. a third storage chamber independent of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber; a refrigeration cooler that generates cold air for cooling the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber to a temperature within a predetermined refrigeration temperature range; a freezing cooler for generating cold air for cooling the inside of the third storage chamber to a temperature within a predetermined freezing temperature range; Equipped with A refrigeration cooling operation in which cold air is generated by the refrigeration cooling device and a freezing cooling operation in which cold air is generated by the freezing cooling device are alternately repeated, The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit sets the predetermined temperature higher during the freezing / cooling operation than during the refrigerating / cooling operation.

4. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the special condition further includes a condition that the time during which the second storage compartment door is opened is equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

5. The cold air in the first storage chamber is sent to the second storage chamber to cool the second storage chamber, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes, as the special cooling control, a control for increasing the cooling intensity in the second storage compartment as a difference between the temperature in the first storage compartment detected by the temperature detection unit and a predetermined target temperature set for the first storage compartment increases.

6. a cooler that generates cold air for cooling the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber; The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein, when the special condition is satisfied during a defrosting operation of the cooler, the control unit executes the special cooling control after a defrosting operation currently being performed ends.

7. a cooler that generates cold air for cooling the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber; a compressor for supplying a refrigerant to the cooler; A blower fan that blows the cold air generated by the cooler; Equipped with The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit increases an operation amount of at least one of the compressor and the blower fan during execution of the special cooling control, compared to an operation amount during the normal cooling control.

8. the blower fan is switchable between a forward rotation state in which it rotates in a forward direction to blow the cold air generated by the cooler into the first storage chamber, and a reverse rotation state in which it rotates in a reverse direction to blow the cold air generated by the cooler into the second storage chamber, The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit switches the blower fan to the reverse rotation state until a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of a defrosting operation of the cooler.

9. a third storage chamber independent of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber; a refrigeration cooler that generates cold air for cooling the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber to a temperature within a predetermined refrigeration temperature range; a freezing cooler for generating cold air for cooling the inside of the third storage chamber to a temperature within a predetermined freezing temperature range; Equipped with A refrigeration cooling operation in which cold air is generated by the refrigeration cooling device and a freezing cooling operation in which cold air is generated by the freezing cooling device are alternately repeated, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transitions to the normal cooling control when a predetermined time has elapsed since starting the special cooling control, and thereafter, limits the transition to the special cooling control until the refrigeration cooling operation and the freezing cooling operation are each performed at least once.

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