Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which a cooling chamber is formed on an upper side of a storage chamber, and in which the cooling efficiency of the storage chamber can be improved.SOLUTION: A cooling chamber 13 of a refrigerator 10 is partitioned from a storage chamber 11 by a partitioning portion 12, and formed at an upper side of the storage chamber 11. A return opening portion 15 is constituted in such a manner that air which returns toward the cooling chamber 13 from the storage chamber 11 passes through the opening portion 15. An air blower 17 is constituted in such a way as to send air toward the cooling chamber 13 from the storage chamber 11. A shielding device 40 is arranged in the vicinity of the air blower 17, and is constituted to brought into a release state or a closed state. The shielding device 40 has a shielding cover 41. In the release state, the return opening portion 15 is released by the separation of the shield cover 41 from the partitioning portion 12. In the close state, the return opening portion 15 is closed by an approach of the shield cover 41 to the partitioning portion 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator having a cooling compartment above a storage compartment. [Background technology]

[0002] In a typical refrigerator, the air in the cooling compartment is cooled by an evaporator in a refrigeration cycle, and the cooled air is blown into the storage compartment by a blower, thereby cooling the storage compartment to a predetermined cooling temperature range.

[0003] Among them, in commercial refrigerators, a cooling compartment is formed above a storage compartment in order to increase the effective volume of the storage compartment. This matter is described in, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3.

[0004] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the refrigerators described in these patent documents.

[0005] 14, refrigerator 100 has a heat-insulating body 101. A storage chamber 102 is formed inside heat-insulating body 101. A cooling chamber 108 is formed above storage chamber 102 inside heat-insulating body 101. Storage chamber 102 and cooling chamber 108 are separated by a plate-shaped partition wall 103.

[0006] The partition wall 103 has a return opening 106 in the front portion and a ventilation opening 107 in the rear portion. The return opening 106 is an opening through which the air that has cooled the storage chamber 102 returns to the cooling chamber 108. The ventilation opening 107 is an opening through which the air that has been cooled in the cooling chamber 108 is blown into the storage chamber 102.

[0007] A blower 104 and an evaporator 105 are disposed inside the cooling chamber 108. The blower 104 blows air from the storage chamber 102 toward the cooling chamber 108 through a return opening 106. The evaporator 105 is a component of a refrigeration cycle, and cools the air inside the cooling chamber 108.

[0008] The cooling operation of the refrigerator 100 will be briefly described. First, the air in the storage chamber 102 is returned to the cooling chamber 108 via the return opening 106 by the rotation of the blower 104. Inside the cooling chamber 108, the air blown by the blower 104 is cooled by heat exchange with the evaporator 105. Then, the air is blown from the cooling chamber 108 to the storage chamber 102 via the blower opening 107. In this manner, the air inside the storage chamber 102 is cooled. As a result, the temperature inside the storage chamber 102 is cooled to a predetermined refrigeration temperature band or freezing temperature band. In addition, when thick frost forms on the evaporator 105, a defrosting process is executed by raising the temperature inside the cooling chamber 108 with a defrost heater (not shown). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-63638 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6496570 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7065569 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, the refrigerator according to the above-described background art has room for improvement in terms of effective cooling operation.

[0011] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 14, the partition wall 103 that partitions the cooling chamber 108 is formed with the return opening 106 and the ventilation opening 107. Therefore, when the air inside the cooling chamber 108 is heated by a defrost heater (not shown), there is a risk that the heated warm air will flow from the return opening 106 or the ventilation opening 107 to the storage chamber 102. If this occurs, the temperature inside the storage chamber 102 will rise unnecessarily, which will result in a problem of increased energy required to cool the storage chamber 102.

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which a cooling chamber is formed above a storage chamber, which can improve the cooling efficiency of the storage chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] (1) A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage chamber, a cooling chamber partitioned by the storage chamber and a partition and formed above the storage chamber, a cooler for cooling air inside the cooling chamber, a return opening formed in the partition and through which the air returning from the storage chamber to the cooling chamber passes, a blower disposed near the return opening and blowing the air from the storage chamber to the cooling chamber, and a shielding device disposed near the blower and opening or closing, the shielding device having a shielding cover, the shielding cover being separated from the partition in the opening state to open the return opening, and the shielding cover being close to the partition in the closing state to close the return opening. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the return opening can be opened and closed by the shielding cover of the shielding device. Therefore, by operating the blower with the shielding device in the open state, air can be returned well from the storage chamber to the cooling chamber. On the other hand, by closing the shielding device, the cooling chamber can be substantially sealed, and warm air during defrosting can be prevented from inadvertently flowing from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber.

[0014] (2) The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an air-blowing opening, which is an opening formed in the partition and through which the air blown from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber passes, the partition inclines upward toward the front, and the return opening is disposed above the air-blowing opening. The refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention can significantly prevent leakage of warm air during defrosting operation. Specifically, the partition inclines upward toward the front in order to cause defrost water to flow rearward. Therefore, the return opening formed on the front side of the partition is disposed above the air-blowing opening formed on the rear side of the partition. Therefore, the warm air flows toward the return opening during defrosting. In this embodiment, the return opening can be closed by the shielding cover of the shielding device during defrosting, so that the warm air can be prevented from flowing toward the storage chamber.

[0015] (3) In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shielding cover is disposed inside the cooling compartment, and in the open state, the shielding cover is separated from the upper surface of the partition around the return opening, and in the closed state, the shielding cover is close to the upper surface of the partition around the return opening. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shielding cover opens and closes inside the cooling compartment, so that the shielding cover does not protrude toward the storage compartment, and the effective volume of the storage compartment can be increased.

[0016] (4) In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shielding cover has a bottom surface and a side surface erected from a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, and in the closed state, an end of the side surface of the shielding cover approaches an upper surface of the partition around the return opening. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the return opening can be reliably closed by the end of the side surface of the shielding cover approaching an upper surface of the partition around the return opening.

[0017] (5) In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shielding cover is disposed on the side of the storage compartment, and in the open state, the shielding cover is separated from the bottom surface of the partition around the return opening, and in the closed state, the shielding cover is close to the bottom surface of the partition around the return opening. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, air can be returned from the storage compartment to the cooling compartment by operating the blower with the shielding device in the open state. On the other hand, by closing the shielding device, the cooling compartment can be substantially sealed, and it is possible to prevent warm air from flowing inadvertently from the cooling compartment to the storage compartment during defrosting.

[0018] (6) In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shielding cover has a bottom surface and a side surface erected from a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, and in the closed state, an end of the side surface of the shielding cover approaches the lower surface of the partition around the return opening. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the end of the side surface of the shielding cover abuts against the lower surface of the partition around the return opening, thereby reliably closing the return opening.

[0019] (7) In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the blower is disposed in the cooling compartment near the return opening. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, by disposing the blower, which is, for example, an axial fan, in the cooling compartment, the volume of the blown air can be increased, and the efficiency of cooling can be improved.

[0020] (8) In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the lower surface of the cooler and the rotation plane of the blower are substantially parallel to each other. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, air can be effectively blown from the blower to the cooler inside the cooling compartment. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the refrigerator of the present invention, in a refrigerator in which a cooling compartment is formed above a storage compartment, the cooling efficiency of the storage compartment can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing components arranged around a cooling compartment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cutaway perspective view showing members arranged around a cooling compartment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an oblique view showing the configuration on the top surface of a partition. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an exploded oblique view of a shielding device seen from above. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an exploded oblique view of a shielding device seen from below. FIG. [Figure 8A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing a shielding device in an open state. [Figure 8B] FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a shielding device in an open state. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing a shielding device in a closed state. [Figure 9B] FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a shielding device in a closed state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of a shielding device in an open state of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of a shielding device in a closed state of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of a shielding device in an open state of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of a shielding device in a closed state of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the background art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are generally given the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, the directions of up, down, front, back, left and right are appropriately used, and left and right refer to the left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator 10. As shown in FIG.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment includes an insulated box 18 as a main body, and a storage chamber 11 for storing food and the like is formed inside this insulated box 18. The inside of the storage chamber 11 is used as a refrigeration chamber or a freezer chamber depending on the storage temperature and the purpose.

[0026] The front of the insulating box 18 is open, and this opening is closed by an insulating door 19. The right end or the left end of the insulating door 19 is attached to the insulating box 18 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of refrigerator 10. As shown in FIG.

[0028] The refrigerator 10 mainly comprises a storage compartment 11, a cooling compartment 13, a return opening 15, a blower 17, and a shielding device 40.

[0029] The insulated box 18, which is the main body of the refrigerator 10, is composed of an outer box 181, an inner box 182, and a heat insulating material 183. The outer box 181 is made of a steel plate with an opening on the front side. The inner box 182 is arranged in the outer box 181 with a gap therebetween and is made of synthetic resin with an opening on the front side. The heat insulating material 183 is made of foamed polyurethane or the like and filled in the gap between the outer box 181 and the inner box 182. Here, the heat insulating door 19 also adopts a heat insulating structure similar to that of the heat insulating box 18. The rear surface portion 27 is a member made of synthetic resin that constitutes the rear portion of the storage chamber 11. A defrost water flow path 21 (described later) is arranged between the rear surface portion 27 and the inner box 182.

[0030] The cooling chamber 13 is separated from the storage chamber 11 by a partition 12 and is formed above the storage chamber 11.

[0031] The partition 12 is a member made of a synthetic resin plate or the like that partitions the storage chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 13 inside the heat-insulating box 18. The partition 12 extends from near the upper end of the rear surface of the inner box 182 toward the front and upper side at an incline. Due to this inclined structure, as described below, defrost water generated by defrosting the cooler 14 can flow toward the rear on the upper surface of the partition 12. In addition, the front end portion of the partition 12 extends in the up-down direction. In other words, the partition 12 has a substantially L-shaped configuration.

[0032] The return opening 15 is an opening formed in the front portion of the partition 12, and is configured to allow air returning from the storage chamber 11 to the cooling chamber 13 to pass through. Details of the return opening 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 etc.

[0033] The air-blowing opening 16 is an opening formed in the partition 12, and is configured so that air blown from the cooling chamber 13 toward the storage chamber 11 passes through. The air-blowing opening 16 is formed on the rear side of the return opening 15.

[0034] The cooler 14 is an evaporator configured to cool air inside the cooling chamber 13. The cooler 14 is, for example, of a fin-and-tube type, and has fins made of metal plates arranged at approximately equal intervals along the left-right direction, and metal tubes that penetrate the fins and through which a refrigerant flows. The cooler 14 is disposed rearward of the return opening 15, the blower 17, and the shielding device 40 inside the cooling chamber 13. The cooler 14 is further disposed forward of the blower opening 16. This allows the air introduced from the return opening 15 to be effectively cooled by the cooler 14, as described below.

[0035] A machine room 22 is formed in the rear lower end portion of the heat-insulating box 18. A compressor 23 that compresses the refrigerant is disposed in the machine room 22. Furthermore, inside the machine room 22, an evaporation dish 24 is disposed above the compressor 23.

[0036] The cooler 14 is connected to a compressor 23, a radiator (not shown), and an expansion means (not shown) via refrigerant piping, and constitutes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle circuit.

[0037] The refrigerator 10 also includes a sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature inside the storage compartment 11, a timer (not shown), etc. The refrigerator 10 also includes a control device (not shown) that executes a predetermined calculation process based on input values ​​from the sensors and controls each of the components such as the compressor 23, the blower 17, the shielding device 40, etc.

[0038] The blower 17 is disposed near the return opening 15 and configured to blow air from the storage chamber 11 toward the cooling chamber 13.

[0039] The shielding device 40 is disposed on the upper surface of the partition 12 in the vicinity of the blower 17, and is configured to be in an open state or a closed state. The shielding device 40 has a shielding cover 41. The shielding device 40 including the shielding cover 41 is disposed inside the cooling chamber 13. Here, the shielding device 40 is in an open state in which the return opening 15 is not closed.

[0040] As described below, in the open state of the shielding device 40, the shielding cover 41 is separated from the partition 12, thereby opening the return opening 15. On the other hand, in the closed state of the shielding device 40, the shielding cover 41 is brought close to the partition 12, thereby closing the return opening 15. The open and closed states of the shielding device 40 will be described in detail below.

[0041] Inside the cooling chamber 13, the blower 17 is disposed near the return opening 15. In this manner, the amount of air blown by the blower 17, which is, for example, an axial fan, can be increased, and the efficiency of cooling can be improved.

[0042] The defrost heater 20 is disposed below the cooler 14 inside the cooling chamber 13. The defrost heater 20 is a heater that generates heat when electricity is applied. The heat generated by the defrost heater 20 melts the frost on the cooler 14.

[0043] A defrost water flow path 21 is disposed on the rear side of the storage chamber 11. The defrost water flow path 21 is a path that guides defrost water from the cooling chamber 13 to the evaporator tray 24. The upper end of the defrost water flow path 21 is disposed on the rear side of the partition portion 12. The lower end of the defrost water flow path 21 reaches the evaporator tray 24. Details of the defrost water flow path 21 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 etc.

[0044] 3 is a perspective view showing members disposed around the periphery of the cooling chamber 13. Here, the area in which the above-mentioned cooler 14 is disposed is indicated by dotted lines.

[0045] A first wall portion 25 and a second wall portion 26 are formed on the upper surface of the partition portion 12. The first wall portion 25 and the second wall portion 26 are walls for allowing the defrost water to flow suitably.

[0046] The first wall 25 is a wall erected upward from the upper surface of the partition 12. When viewed from above, the first wall 25 has a rectangular shape. The front edge of the first wall 25 is disposed forward of the cooler 14. The rear edge of the first wall 25 is disposed rearward of a water collecting section 211 (described later) of the defrost water flow passage 21. The right and left edges of the first wall 25 are disposed so as to surround the cooler 14, the air blowing opening 16, the second wall 26, and the water collecting section 211. In this manner, the defrost water generated by defrosting the cooler 14 can flow toward the water collecting section 211.

[0047] The second wall portion 26 is a wall portion erected upward from the upper surface of the partition portion 12. When viewed from above, the second wall portion 26 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape inside the first wall portion 25. Furthermore, the second wall portion 26 is formed so as to surround the air-blowing opening portion 16 from the periphery. In this manner, it is possible to prevent defrost water generated by defrosting the cooler 14 from flowing from the air-blowing opening portion 16 into the storage chamber 11. Note that a plurality of air-blowing opening portions 16 are formed along the left-right direction. Each air-blowing opening portion 16 is formed as a long and narrow through hole along the front-rear direction.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a cutaway perspective view showing members disposed around the periphery of the cooling chamber 13. As shown in FIG.

[0049] The defrost water flow path 21 has a water collecting portion 211 and a water guide pipe 212 .

[0050] The water collecting section 211 is disposed on the rear side of the partition section 12. The water collecting section 211 forms a flow path that slopes downward toward the center in the width direction. Since FIG. 4 shows the left portion of the water collecting section 211, the left portion of the water collecting section 211 is a flow path that slopes downward toward the right. As shown in FIG. 3, the water collecting section 211 is disposed at the rear end of the first wall section 25 from the left end to the right end of the first wall section 25. With this configuration, the defrost water flowing into the first wall section 25 can be entirely received by the water collecting section 211 and collected at the center in the left-right direction.

[0051] The upper end of the water guide pipe 212 is connected to the lower end of the water collection section 211. As described above, the lower end of the water guide pipe 212 leads to the evaporation tray 24. With this configuration, the defrost water collected by the water collection section 211 can be smoothly guided to the evaporation tray 24 via the water guide pipe 212.

[0052] Since a heat insulating material 183 is provided between the defrost water passage 21 and the rear surface portion 27, the water guide pipe 212 is insulated from the storage chamber 11. Therefore, the defrost water flowing through the defrost water passage 21 does not freeze.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upper surface of the partition section 12. As shown in FIG.

[0054] The return opening 15 is formed by penetrating the front part of the partition 12 in a substantially circular shape. The third wall 28 is a wall part in which the partition 12 surrounding the return opening 15 is erected in a substantially rectangular shape. When viewed from above, a shielding device 40 is disposed inside the third wall 28. This prevents defrost water generated by defrosting the cooler 14 from entering the storage chamber 11 side via the return opening 15.

[0055] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the shading device 40 as viewed from above. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the shading device 40 as viewed from below.

[0056] 6 and 7, the shielding device 40 mainly includes a shielding cover 41 having a generally lid shape, a drive shaft 42 that penetrates and drives the shielding cover 41, and a support base 43 that supports the shielding cover 41 and the drive shaft 42. The main role of the shielding device 40 is to prevent warm air from leaking into the storage chamber 11 during defrosting by closing the return opening 15 of the cooling chamber 13 in the defrosting process, as shown in FIG.

[0057] The shielding cover 41 is formed by injection molding a resin material into a roughly lid shape, and has a rectangular bottom surface portion 411 and four side surfaces 412 extending vertically from the peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 411. A screw hole 413 is formed in a circular shape penetrating near the center of the bottom surface portion 411. The peripheral portion of the screw hole 413 is formed to be thicker than other portions of the bottom surface portion 411. A screw groove 414 is formed on the side of the bottom surface portion 411 facing the screw hole 413. Support holes 415 are formed in opposing corners of the bottom surface portion 411 and penetrating the bottom surface portion 411. A guide pin 435 of a support base 43 described later is inserted into the support hole 415.

[0058] The drive shaft 42 has a drive shaft main body 421 and a screw thread 422. The drive shaft main body 421 has a cylindrical shape with an open bottom, and a screw thread 422 is provided on a part of its side surface, which is continuously protruded in a spiral shape. The screw thread 422 of the drive shaft 42 and the screw groove 414 of the shielding cover 41 described above are screwed together under use. The shaft support part 434 of the support base 43 described below is inserted inside the drive shaft main body 421, and the drive shaft 42 rotates by a predetermined angle due to the driving force of the drive motor 44 built in the shaft support part 434. The role of the drive shaft 42 is to move the shielding cover 41 in the vertical direction as necessary by rotating the drive shaft 42 itself, thereby opening and closing the shielding cover 41.

[0059] The support base 43 is a member for rotatably supporting the drive shaft 42 and abutting against the shielding cover 41. The support frame 431 is a member having a substantially rectangular frame shape. The pedestal 433 is a member having a substantially circular plate shape disposed at substantially the center of the support base 43. The shaft support 434 described above is disposed on the upper surface of the pedestal 433. The support frame 431 and the pedestal 433 are connected by a support frame 432. The support frame 432 is a member that integrally connects the inner portion near the corner of the support frame 431 and the peripheral portion of the pedestal 433. Four support frames 432 are disposed corresponding to the corners of the support frame 431. Holes 436 are formed penetrating each corner of the support base 43. The hole portion 436 is a portion for fixing the shielding device 40 including the support base 43 to the partition portion 12 described above. The guide pins 435 are arranged at two opposing corners of the support frame portion 431 and are generally cylindrical portions extending upward. The guide pins 435 are inserted into the support holes 415 of the shielding cover 41 described above. This insertion structure allows the shielding cover 41 to be smoothly guided in its movement in the vertical direction.

[0060] The drive motor 44 is a drive source that rotates the drive shaft 42. The drive motor 44 is built into the shaft support portion 434 of the support base 43. The drive shaft of the drive motor 44 penetrates the upper surface of the shaft support portion 434 and is connected to the center of the upper surface of the drive shaft main body portion 421 so as not to rotate relative to the center. With this configuration, the drive motor 44 can rotate the drive shaft 42 precisely.

[0061] The blower 17 mainly includes a blower frame 173 and a blower fan 172. The blower frame 173 is a member having a substantially rectangular frame shape. A substantially cylindrical air duct 177 is formed inside the blower frame 173, and the blower fan 172 is housed in the air duct 177. The base 175 is a substantially disk-shaped portion disposed in the substantially center of the blower 17. The blower frame 174 is a portion that connects each corner of the blower frame 173 to the base 175. The blower fan 172 is connected to the underside of the base 175 and rotates by the driving force of a built-in motor. An axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or the like can be used as the blower fan 172. The hole 176 is a portion that penetrates the vicinity of the corner of the blower frame 173. The blower 17 is fixed to the support base 43 by fastening means such as a screw passing through the hole 176 .

[0062] Fig. 8A is a perspective view showing the shading device 40 in an open state. Fig. 8B is a cutaway perspective view showing the shading device 40 in an open state.

[0063] The open state of the shielding device 40 is realized by rotating the drive shaft 42. Specifically, when viewed from above, the drive shaft 42 is rotated clockwise by the driving force of the motor. When this is done, the screw thread 422 of the drive shaft 42 and the screw groove 414 of the shielding cover 41 are screwed together, so that the shielding cover 41 moves upward. At that time, the lower end of the side portion 412 of the shielding cover 41 moves away from the upper surface of the support frame portion 431. When this happens, a gap is formed between the shielding cover 41 and the support base 43. Therefore, when the blower fan 172 rotates, air is blown through this gap.

[0064] Fig. 9A is a perspective view showing the shading device 40 in a closed state. Fig. 9B is a cutaway perspective view showing the shading device 40 in a closed state.

[0065] The closed state of the shielding device 40 is realized by rotating the drive shaft 42 in the reverse direction. Specifically, when viewed from above, the drive shaft 42 is rotated counterclockwise using the driving force of the motor. In this way, the screw thread 422 of the drive shaft 42 and the screw groove 414 of the shielding cover 41 are screwed together, so that the shielding cover 41 moves downward. As a result, the lower end of the side portion 412 of the support base 43 abuts against the upper surface of the support frame portion 431. When this happens, no gap is formed between the shielding cover 41 and the support base 43. Therefore, as described later, the return opening 15 can be closed.

[0066] Here, when the shading device 40 is in the closed state, the side surface portion 412 of the shielding cover 41 can also abut against a portion other than the upper surface of the support frame portion 431. Specifically, the side surface portion 412 of the shielding cover 41 may abut against the upper surface of the airflow frame portion 173. Furthermore, the side surface portion 412 of the shielding cover 41 may abut against the upper surface of the partition portion 12 around the return opening portion 15, with reference to Fig. 5. Even with such a configuration, when the shading device 40 is in the closed state, the return opening portion 15 can be closed.

[0067] Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the shielding device 40 and the refrigerator 10 in the open state. In Fig. 10, the air flow inside the refrigerator 10 is indicated by dotted arrows.

[0068] The shielding device 40 is in an open state as shown in Fig. 8A etc. Therefore, the shielding cover 41 is separated from the support base 43, and a gap is formed between them. That is, the shielding cover 41 is separated from the upper surface of the partition section 12, thereby opening the return opening 15. Furthermore, the cooler 14 cools the air inside the cooling chamber 13 by operating a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, the blower 17 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed.

[0069] In this manner, the blower 17 returns the air inside the storage chamber 11 to the cooling chamber 13 side via the return opening 15. The air drawn into the cooling chamber 13 is blown backward through the gap between the shielding cover 41 and the support base 43, and is cooled by heat exchange with the cooler 14. The air is then blown out into the storage chamber 11 via the blower opening 16. In this manner, the temperature inside the storage chamber 11 is cooled to a predetermined refrigeration temperature band or freezing temperature band.

[0070] Here, the lower surface of the cooler 14 and the rotation plane 171 of the blower 17 are approximately parallel to each other. In Fig. 10, the rotation plane 171 is indicated by a dashed line. This allows the air generated by the rotation of the blower 17 to smoothly pass through the cooler 14. Therefore, heat exchange in the cooler 14 is performed effectively, and the air can be cooled effectively.

[0071] Furthermore, by opening and closing the shielding cover 41 inside the cooling chamber 13, the shielding cover 41 does not protrude toward the storage chamber 11, and the effective volume of the storage chamber 11 can be increased.

[0072] Furthermore, by disposing the shielding cover 41 inside the cooling chamber 13, the air resistance when the blower 17 blows air can be reduced. Specifically, by disposing the shielding cover 41 inside the cooling chamber 13, the shielding cover 41 does not exist in the path on the storage chamber 11 side where the blower 17 draws air. Therefore, the blower 17 can draw air from the storage chamber 11 without any obstacles. Specifically, the blower 17 can draw air from the storage chamber 11 without any obstacles, and blow the air to the cooler 14 side along the lower surface of the shielding cover 41 inside the cooling chamber 13. That is, by disposing the shielding cover 41 inside the cooling chamber 13, the air resistance and pressure loss when the blower 17 blows air can be reduced. Therefore, the energy required when the refrigerator 10 is operated can be reduced, and a sufficient amount of air can be blown to the cooler 14 side.

[0073] Fig. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the shielding device 40 in the closed state, that is, the operation of the refrigerator 10 and the shielding device 40 during defrosting. In Fig. 11, the flow of defrost water is indicated by dotted arrows.

[0074] When cooling by the cooler 14 continues for a long period of time, thick frost forms on the surface of the cooler 14. When this occurs, heat transfer and airflow in the cooler 14 are hindered. Therefore, a defrosting process is performed to melt the frost on the cooler 14.

[0075] In the defrosting process, first, the shielding cover 41 is closed. That is, the shielding cover 41 is brought close to the upper surface of the partition section 12. This brings the shielding device 40 into the closed state shown in Fig. 9A etc., and the shielding cover 41 abuts against the support base 43 to close the return opening 15. Furthermore, the defrost heater 20 is energized to heat the air inside the cooling chamber 13. In addition, since the compressor 23 is stopped, the cooler 14 does not cool the air.

[0076] In this way, the frost on the cooler 14 is melted by heating by the defrost heater 20, and defrost water, which is liquefied frost, is generated. Here, the partition 12 is inclined downward toward the rear. Therefore, the defrost water advances downward on the upper surface of the partition 12, flows downward inside the defrost water flow path 21, and is stored in the evaporation tray 24 shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter, in the evaporation tray 24, the defrost water is evaporated by the operating heat of the compressor 23, etc.

[0077] 3, when viewed from above, the cooler 14 is surrounded by a first wall portion 25 from the front, left, and right. Therefore, defrost water generated from the cooler 14 is prevented from entering the storage chamber 11. In addition, the periphery of the air blowing opening 16 is surrounded by a second wall portion 26. Therefore, defrost water is prevented from entering the storage chamber 11 via the air blowing opening 16.

[0078] As shown in Fig. 11, the partition 12 is inclined upward toward the front. Therefore, the return opening 15 is disposed above and in front of the air supply opening 16. For this reason, unless some measure is taken, during the defrosting process, warm air heated by the defrost heater 20 may enter the storage chamber 11 via the return opening 15, and the temperature inside the storage chamber 11 may rise unnecessarily. In this embodiment, the return opening 15 is closed by the shielding device 40 during the defrosting process. Therefore, the warm air is prevented from leaking from the return opening 15 to the storage chamber 11, and the rise in the temperature inside the storage chamber 11 is prevented.

[0079] Furthermore, by inclining the partition 12 downward toward the rear, the blower 17 and the shielding device 40 can be protected from electric leakage. Specifically, the blower 17 and the shielding device 40 are electric devices including electric components such as a motor and a harness. Therefore, if defrost water generated by melting the frost attached to the cooler 14 adheres to the blower 17 or the shielding device 40, electric leakage may occur in the blower 17 or the shielding device 40. As described above, in this embodiment, the shielding device 40 and the blower 17 are disposed forward of the cooler 14, and the partition 12 is inclined downward toward the rear. Therefore, the defrost water generated by defrosting the cooler 14 drips onto the partition 12 on the rear side of the blower 17 and the shielding device 40, and then flows downward on the upper surface of the partition 12, and reaches the above-mentioned evaporation dish 24 via the defrost water flow path 21. Therefore, during the defrosting process, the defrost water does not flow toward the blower 17 and the shielding device 40, so that it is possible to prevent leakage current caused by the defrost water in the blower 17 and the shielding device 40.

[0080] 12 and 13, configurations of a shielding device 40 and a refrigerator 10 according to another embodiment will be described. In the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment, the shielding device 40 is disposed on the side of the storage compartment 11. The other configurations are similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 2 etc.

[0081] Fig. 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the shading device 40 according to another embodiment in an open state. Fig. 12 shows a process of cooling the inside of the storage chamber 11. Also, in Fig. 12, the air flow is indicated by dotted arrows.

[0082] The shielding device 40 is attached to the lower surface of the partition section 12 by turning the state shown in Fig. 8A etc. upside down. That is, the support base 43 is fixed to the lower surface side of the partition section 12. Therefore, the support base 43 and the shielding cover 41 constituting the shielding device 40 are disposed on the side of the storage chamber 11. Furthermore, the shielding cover 41 is disposed below the support base 43 and the blower 17. Here, the shielding cover 41 is separated from the support base 43 and the lower surface of the partition section 12. Therefore, a gap is formed between the support base 43 and the shielding cover 41.

[0083] When the blower 17 is rotated in this state, the air inside the storage chamber 11 passes through the gap between the shielding cover 41 and the support base 43, and is returned to be sucked into the cooling chamber 13 via the return opening 15. Inside the cooling chamber 13, the air is blown backward and cooled by heat exchange with the cooler 14. The air is then blown out into the storage chamber 11 via the blowing opening 16.

[0084] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the shading device 40 according to another embodiment in the closed state, that is, the operation in the defrosting process.

[0085] Here, the shielding cover 41 is moved so as to approach the underside of the partition section 12, thereby bringing the shielding cover 41 into close contact with the support base 43. This brings the shielding device 40 into a closed state, and closes the return opening 15. In this state, if power is applied to the defrost heater 20, the internal temperature of the cooling chamber 13 rises, and the frost on the cooler 14 melts. The matters concerned are the same as those explained with reference to FIG. 11 etc.

[0086] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0087] For example, referring to Fig. 2, the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment has only one storage chamber 11 inside the insulated box 18, but may have a plurality of storage chambers 11. In this case, the plurality of storage chambers 11 may be a combination of a refrigerator chamber and a freezer chamber. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10. Refrigerator 11 Storage Room 12 Compartment 13 Cooling room 14 Cooler 15 Return opening 16 Ventilation opening 17 Blower 171 Surface of Revolution 172 Blower fan 173 Blower frame 174 Blower Frame 175 Pedestal 176 Hole 177 Wind tunnel section 18 Insulated box 181 Outer box 182 Inner box 183 Insulation 19 Insulated Door 20 Defrost heater 21 Defrost water flow path 211 Water catchment area 212 Water Pipe 22 Machine room 23 Compressor 24 Evaporation dish 25 1st wall section 26 Second wall section 27 Rear section 28 Third wall 40 Shielding device 41 Shielding cover 411 Bottom part 412 Side part 413 Screw hole 414 Thread groove 415 Support hole 42 Drive shaft 421 Drive shaft body 422 thread 43 Support base 431 Support frame 432 Support Frame 433 Pedestal 434 Shaft support part 435 Guide pin 436 Hole 44 Drive motor 100 Refrigerator 101 Insulated box 102 Storage Room 103 Partition Wall 104 Blower 105 Evaporator 106 Return Aperture 107 Ventilation opening 108 Cooling room

Claims

1. A storage room; a cooling chamber that is partitioned from the storage chamber by a partition and is formed above the storage chamber; a cooler for cooling air inside the cooling chamber; a return opening formed in the partition, through which the air returning from the storage chamber to the cooling chamber passes; a blower disposed near the return opening and configured to blow the air from the storage chamber toward the cooling chamber; A shielding device is provided in the vicinity of the blower and is in an open or closed state, The shielding device has a shielding cover, In the open state, the shielding cover is separated from the partition portion to open the return opening portion, The refrigerator is characterized in that, in the closed state, the return opening is closed by the shielding cover approaching the partition.

2. The cooling chamber further includes a ventilation opening, which is an opening formed in the partition and through which the air blown from the cooling chamber toward the storage chamber passes, The partition is inclined upward toward the front, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the return opening is disposed above the air blowing opening.

3. The shielding cover is disposed inside the cooling chamber, In the open state, the shielding cover is separated from the upper surface of the partition portion around the return opening, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, in the closed state, the shielding cover approaches an upper surface of the compartment around the return opening.

4. The shielding cover has a bottom surface portion and a side surface portion extending upright from a periphery of the bottom surface portion, 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein in the closed state, an end of the side surface of the shielding cover approaches an upper surface of the compartment around the return opening.

5. The shielding cover is disposed on a side of the storage chamber, In the open state, the shielding cover is separated from the lower surface of the partition portion around the return opening, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, in the closed state, the shielding cover approaches a lower surface of the compartment around the return opening.

6. The shielding cover has a bottom surface portion and a side surface portion extending upright from a periphery of the bottom surface portion, 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein in the closed state, an end of the side surface of the shielding cover approaches a lower surface of the partition around the return opening.

7. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the blower is disposed in the cooling compartment near the return opening.

8. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the cooler and a rotation plane of the blower are substantially parallel to each other.

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