Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can restrain a freezer burn from occurring in food stored in a freezing chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises: a freezing chamber 4; containers 20A, 20B, and 30 vertically arranged side by side, and of which upper surfaces are opened; an evaporator 14 arranged in a cooling flow passage (first cooling flow passage 10A), and for cooling air; and a fan 16 arranged in the cooling flow passage (first cooling flow passage 10A). The air flows into the freezing chamber 4 from discharge ports 12A, 12B, and 12C of a cooling flow passage (second cooling flow passage 10B), flows into the containers 20A, 20B, and 30 from the upper surfaces, flows out of the containers 20A, 20B, and 30, and flows along the lower surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowest container 30 located on the lowest side. The lowest container 30 comprises: a lower flow passage 36 formed between a lower surface of a plate-like member 40A on which food G is placed on the upper surface, and the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A of the container 30; and a cold air supply passage 34 connected to the discharge port 12C of the cooling flow passage (second cooling flow passage 10B), and for supplying the air passed through the evaporator 14, to the lower flow passage 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with a freezer compartment. [Background technology]

[0002] Among refrigerators with a freezer compartment, some have been proposed that are equipped with a fan to reduce the temperature difference of the air inside the freezer compartment (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a container is placed inside the small freezer compartment, and a fan blows air into the small freezer compartment, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the container, the food contained in the container, and the air inside the small freezer compartment. This reduces temperature fluctuations of the stored food and prevents the food from drying out due to moisture release from the food. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-85018 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, as air flows through the container, it cools the food in the container, and the temperature of the air rises before flowing out of the container. When the heated air flows along the outer surface of the container, the food in the container is warmed by heat transfer. As a result, the temperature of the food becomes higher than the temperature of the air around the food, and there is a risk that moisture in the food will sublimate and lose moisture from the cells in the food. This will allow air to enter the areas where moisture has been lost and cause oxidation, which may result in freezer burn.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a refrigerator capable of preventing freezer burn from occurring on food stored in the freezer compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention is A freezer and A plurality of containers each having an open top and arranged vertically in the freezing chamber; An evaporator disposed in the cooling flow path and cooling the air inside the storage compartment; A fan disposed in the cooling flow path for circulating air in the chamber; Equipped with The air moved by the fan and passed through the evaporator flows into the freezing chamber from the outlet of the cooling flow path, flows into the container arranged in the freezing chamber from the top, flows through the container, flows out of the container, flows downward, flows along the underside of the bottom plate of the lowest container located at the lowest position, and returns to the inlet side of the evaporator again, performing a flow cycle. The refrigerator is equipped with a lower passage formed between the lower surface of a plate-shaped member on which food is placed on the upper surface and the upper surface of the bottom plate, and a cold air supply passage connected to an outlet of the cooling passage and supplying air that has passed through the evaporator to the lower passage.

[0007] As the air that has passed through the evaporator flows through the container, it cools the food inside the container, causing the air to rise in temperature and flow out of the container. This causes the temperature of the air flowing along the underside of the bottom plate of the lowest container to rise. As a result, the food stored in the lowest container is heated by heat transfer from the high-temperature air flowing underneath, and the surface temperature of the food becomes higher than the temperature of the air around the food, which may cause freezer burn.

[0008] In this embodiment, the lowermost container is provided with a lower flow path and a cold air supply path, so that the low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator can flow to the underside of the plate-like member on which the food is placed. This makes it possible to prevent the food in the lowermost container from being heated by heat transfer due to the low-temperature air flowing through the lower flow path, even though high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate of the lowermost container. This reduces the temperature difference between the food and the air around the food, thereby preventing freezer burn on the food.

[0009] This makes it possible to prevent freezer burn on food even in the bottom container, which is the part of the freezer that is most susceptible to freezer burn, and thus makes it possible to provide a refrigerator that can prevent freezer burn on food stored in the freezer compartment.

[0010] The second aspect of the present invention is the method according to the first aspect, A mounting member is disposed on an upper surface of the bottom plate of the lowermost container, the mounting member including a plate-shaped main body on which food is placed and legs attached to a lower surface of the main body, The refrigerator has the lower flow path formed between the lower surface of the main body and the upper surface of the bottom plate.

[0011] According to this aspect, by using a mounting member having legs attached to the underside of the main body, it is possible to easily form a lower flow path below the main body on which the food is placed. This makes it possible to prevent the food from being heated by the low-temperature air flowing through the lower flow path, even though high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate of the lowest container.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a composition comprising the steps of: a partition plate on which food is placed is formed at a position a predetermined distance above an upper surface of the bottom plate of the lowermost container; The refrigerator has the lower flow path formed between the lower surface of the partition plate and the upper surface of the bottom plate.

[0013] According to this aspect, by forming a partition plate at a position a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom plate of the lowest container, it is possible to form a lower flow path below the partition plate on which food is reliably placed. This makes it possible to prevent food from being heated by low-temperature air flowing through the lower flow path, even though high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate of the lowest container.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to third aspects, In the refrigerator, an outflow opening through which air that has flowed through the lower flow path flows out of the bottom container is formed in a lower area of ​​the bottom container.

[0015] According to this aspect, the air that has flowed through the lower flow passage can be discharged from the lowermost container through the outlet opening, thereby realizing a flow cycle in which the air that has flowed through the lower flow passage is returned to the inlet side of the evaporator for cooling.

[0016] A fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fourth aspects, The cool air supply passage is formed with an upper supply port through which the air that has passed through the evaporator flows into the lowermost container from an upper surface of the refrigerator.

[0017] According to this aspect, the upper supply port formed in the cold air supply path allows the air that has passed through the evaporator to flow into the lowest container from the top, so that food stored in the lowest container can be effectively cooled together with the air supplied from the lower supply port.

[0018] A sixth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fifth aspects, When the temperature at the bottom of the lowest container is TB and the temperature at a position approximately at the center in the height direction of the lowest container is TM, TB-TM≦1.0℃ It is a refrigerator having the above relationship.

[0019] As described above, by flowing low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator under the plate member on which the food is placed, it is possible to achieve the relationship TB - TM ≦ 1.0° C. By achieving the relationship TB - TM ≦ 1.0° C., the temperature difference between the food and the air surrounding the food is reduced, making it possible to reliably prevent freezer burn. Effect of the Invention

[0020] As described above, the present invention can provide a refrigerator that can prevent freezer burn from occurring on food stored in the freezer compartment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1A]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic external appearance of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1B is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic overall configuration of a refrigerator, illustrating a cross section AA in FIG. 1A. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic view of a freezer compartment area of ​​a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic view of a freezer compartment area of ​​a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic view of a freezer compartment area of ​​a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic view of a freezer compartment area of ​​a modified example of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the flow of air for cooling food in a conventional refrigerator. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 shows (a) a graph showing the difference in air temperature at the bottom of the topmost container and at approximately the center of the height direction, and (b) an image of food (meat) frozen in the container. [Figure 6B] FIG. 1 shows (a) a graph showing the difference in air temperature at the bottom of the lowest container and at approximately the center of the height direction, and (b) an image of food (meat) frozen in the container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, corresponding components having the same function are given the same reference numerals. In consideration of the explanation or ease of understanding of the main points, the embodiments may be shown separately for convenience, but partial replacement or combination of the configurations shown in different embodiments is possible. In the embodiments described below, the description of matters common to the above-mentioned embodiments will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In particular, similar effects due to similar configurations will not be mentioned one after another for each embodiment. The size and positional relationship of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation.

[0023] In the following description and drawings, the refrigerator is placed on a horizontal surface, and the side with the door is defined as the front side and the opposite side as the rear side, and top, bottom, front and rear are indicated. In the drawings, air flows are typically indicated by dotted arrows.

[0024] (Issues with conventional refrigerators) First, problems with conventional refrigerators will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic flow of air that cools food in a conventional refrigerator 102.

[0025] In the interior of refrigerator 102 surrounded by a thermal insulating material, freezer compartment 104 is disposed on the lower side, and refrigerating compartment 106 is disposed on the upper side. A door 108A for opening and closing freezer compartment 104 is disposed on the front side of freezer compartment 104, and a door 108B for opening and closing refrigerating compartment 106 is disposed on the front side of refrigerating compartment 106. Freezer compartment 104 has three containers 120A, 120B, 120C disposed vertically side by side.

[0026] A cooling flow path is provided behind the freezer compartment 104 and the refrigerator compartment 106, and is composed of a lower cooling flow path 110 and an upper cooling flow path 118, which are separated by a partition plate. The lower cooling flow path 110 has a first cooling flow path 110A in which an evaporator 114 for cooling the air inside the compartment and a fan 116 for circulating the air inside the compartment are arranged. Furthermore, the lower cooling flow path 10 has a second cooling flow path 110B in which air outlets 112A, 112B, and 112C are provided to supply the air that has passed through the evaporator 114 into the freezer compartment 104.

[0027] Air flowing into the freezer chamber 104 from the uppermost air outlet 112A flows from the rear into the upper container 112A, flows from the rear to the front inside the container 120A, and flows out to the front of the container 120A. Air flowing into the freezer chamber 104 from the air outlet 112B located in the center in the height direction flows from the rear into the container 120B located in the center in the height direction, flows from the rear to the front inside the container 120B, and flows out to the front of the container 120B. Furthermore, air flowing into the freezer chamber 104 from the lowermost air outlet 112C flows from the rear into the lowermost container 120C, flows from the rear to the front inside the container 120C, and flows out to the front of the container 120A.

[0028] When the air flows through each of the containers 120A, 120B, 120C, it can cool the food stored in the container. The air flowing out to the front of each of the containers 120A, 120B, 120C flows downward along the front side of the freezer compartment 104, flows along the underside of the bottom plate of the container 120C located below, and returns to the lower cooling channel 110. The air that has returned to the lower cooling channel 110 returns to the inlet side of the evaporator 114 again, and the flow cycle is performed.

[0029] Air that has passed through evaporator 114 flows into containers 120A, 120B, and 120C, and cools the food by heat transfer while flowing along the outer surface of the food. Therefore, the air receives heat from the food, and the temperature rises while flowing along the outer surface of the food. Therefore, the air with the increased temperature flows out from the front side of containers 120A, 120B, and 120C.

[0030] The air with increased temperature flowing out of each of the containers 120A, 120B, and 120C joins together, further increasing the temperature. In addition, although the device has an opening / closing mechanism with a sealing member, some high-temperature outside air also flows in through the gap between the door 108A and the main body, further increasing the air temperature. This high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate 120C1 of the container 120C located at the lowest position.

[0031] Food G receives heat from the high temperature air due to heat transfer between the high temperature air flowing along the underside of bottom plate 120C1 of lower container 120C and the underside of bottom plate 120C1 of container 120C, heat conduction in the thickness direction of bottom plate 120C1 of container 120C, and heat transfer between the upper surface of bottom plate 120C1 of container 120C and food G placed on the upper surface. In other words, food G is heated from below by heat transfer from the air, and the temperature rises.

[0032] On the other hand, low-temperature air that has passed through evaporator 114 flows in from the top surface of container 120C via outlet 112C, so that the temperature of the surface of food G becomes higher than the temperature of the air around the food.

[0033] Generally, when there is a difference in temperature between the surface of food G and the air surrounding the food, there is a difference in the saturated water vapor pressure of each, and the lower the temperature, the lower the saturated water vapor pressure. Therefore, the moisture on the surface of food G moves to the air side, where the saturated water vapor pressure is lower. In other words, sublimation occurs, changing from solid to air, and the food G changes from ice to water vapor, and the moisture inside the food G escapes. This is shown, for example, in the technical paper: T. Suzuki, Frozen Foods Technical Research, No.88 (2010), pp. 3-10.

[0034] When moisture is lost from the cells in food G, air enters the lost space and oxidizes. Oxidation alters proteins, causing discoloration, oiliness, and rancidity. As a result, flavor and texture deteriorate, and quality deteriorates. This phenomenon is called freezer burn. The rate at which moisture moves increases in proportion to the difference in saturated water vapor pressure, so in order to prevent freezer burn, it is important to reduce the temperature difference between food G and the air surrounding the food.

[0035] It is believed that if freezer burn can be suppressed in the lowest container 120C, which is the container most likely to cause freezer burn, it can be suppressed throughout the freezer compartment 104. The temperature difference between the food G contained in the container and the air surrounding the food is caused by low-temperature air flowing in from the top of the container and the food being heated by heat transfer from the high-temperature air flowing under the container, so the difference in temperature between the bottom of the container and the approximate center of the container in the height direction can be used as an indicator. For this reason, the inventors actually froze food (meat) and observed the state of freezer burn using the difference in temperature between the bottom of the container and the approximate center of the container in the height direction as an indicator. The results are shown in Figures 6A and 6B.

[0036] Fig. 6A shows (a) a graph showing the difference in temperature at the bottom and approximately the center of the uppermost container 120A in the vertical direction, and (b) an image of food (meat) frozen in this container. Fig. 6B shows (a) a graph showing the difference in temperature at the bottom and approximately the center of the vertical direction of the lowermost container 120C, and (b) an image of food (meat) frozen in this container.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6A, it was found that the food (meat) stored in the uppermost container 120A had almost no freezer burn, while the food (meat) stored in the lowermost container 120C had noticeable freezer burn. As for container 120C, which is located in the center in the height direction, the food (meat) stored therein also had almost no freezer burn because hot air did not flow downward. After repeated tests under various conditions, it was found that if the difference between the air temperature at the bottom of the container and the air temperature approximately in the center in the height direction was 1.0°C or less, almost no freezer burn would occur, but if the difference exceeded 1.0°C, freezer burn would occur.

[0038] In this way, if the temperature difference between food G and the air surrounding the food can be reduced in the lowest container 120C to prevent freezer burn on food G, it can be said that freezer burn can be prevented from occurring on foods stored in freezer compartment 104 throughout. The following describes refrigerators 2, 2' according to first and second embodiments of the present invention, which are capable of reducing the temperature difference between food and the air surrounding the food in the lowest container, thereby preventing freezer burn on stored food.

[0039] (Refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention) Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing a schematic external appearance of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1B is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic overall configuration of a refrigerator, showing cross section AA of Fig. 1A. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic area of ​​a freezer compartment 4 of a refrigerator 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment is provided with a mechanism for suppressing freezer burn in bottom container 30 located at the lowest side.

[0040] First, an overview of a refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1A and 1B. Inside the refrigerator 2, surrounded by an outer box 3 and a thermal insulation material 5, a freezer compartment 4 is arranged at the lower side, and a refrigerator compartment 6 is arranged at the upper side. A door 8A for opening and closing the freezer compartment 4 is arranged at the front side of the freezer compartment 4, and a door 8B for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 6 is arranged at the front side of the refrigerator compartment 6. The freezer compartment 4 has three containers 20A, 20B, 30 arranged vertically side by side.

[0041] <Cooling channel> A cooling flow path is provided behind the freezer compartment 4 and the refrigerator compartment 6, and is composed of a lower cooling flow path 10 and an upper cooling flow path 18, which are separated by a partition plate. The lower cooling flow path 10 has a first cooling flow path 10A in which an evaporator 14 and a fan 16 are arranged. The evaporator 14 constitutes a part of the cooling circuit of the refrigerator 2. Furthermore, the lower cooling flow path 10 has a second cooling flow path 10B in which air outlets 12A, 12B, and 12C are provided to supply air that has passed through the evaporator 14 into the freezer compartment 4.

[0042] The cooling circuit mainly comprises a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, and an evaporator 14. The components of the cooling circuit are fluidly connected in the above order by piping, and the refrigerant circulates in the cooling circuit to cool the evaporator 14. The rotation speed of the compressor is variable, and as the rotation speed of the compressor increases, more refrigerant circulates, thereby increasing the cooling capacity of the evaporator 14.

[0043] A fan 16 is disposed above the evaporator 14 in the first cooling flow path 10A. The fan 16 allows the air inside the storage to flow, and the air that has passed between the fins of the evaporator 14 and been cooled can be supplied from the lower cooling flow path 10 (second cooling flow path 10B) to the freezer compartment 4 and from the upper cooling flow path 18 to the refrigerator compartment 6.

[0044] When cooling the refrigerator compartment 6, the damper 17 installed between the lower cooling passage 10 and the upper cooling passage 18 is opened, so that the air that has passed through the evaporator 14 flows into the upper cooling passage 18 and into the refrigerator compartment 6 via the air outlet 18A. A damper that determines whether or not the air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied to the freezer compartment 4 may also be provided.

[0045] <Air flow inside the freezer> 2, a detailed description will be given below of the case where the air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied to the freezing chamber 4. The air that has passed through the evaporator 14 and the fan 16 in the first cooling flow path 10A flows into the second cooling flow path 10B and is supplied into the freezing chamber 4 from the air outlets 12A, 12B, and 12C.

[0046] The air flowing into the freezing chamber 4 from the uppermost air outlet 12A flows into the uppermost container 20A from the rear side, flows inside the container 20A from the rear side to the front side, and flows out to the front side of the container 20A. The air flowing into the freezing chamber 4 from the air outlet 12B located in the center in the height direction flows into the container 20B located in the center in the height direction from the rear side, flows inside the container 20B from the rear side to the front side, and flows out to the front side of the container 20B. Furthermore, the air flowing into the freezing chamber 4 from the air outlet 12C located in the lowermost container flows into the cold air supply path 34 formed in the lowest container 30 via the connection port 34A, as described later, and flows out to the rear of the upper surface of the lowest container 30 from the upper supply port 34B. The flowing out air flows into the lowermost container 30 from the rear side, flows inside the lowermost container 30 from the rear side to the front side, and flows out to the front side of the lowermost container 30.

[0047] When the air flows through the containers 20A, 20B and the lowest container 30, it can cool the food stored in the containers. The air that flows out to the front of the containers 20A, 20B and the lowest container 30 flows downward along the front side of the freezer compartment 4, flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the lowest container 30, and returns to the lower cooling flow path 10 (first cooling flow path 10A). The air that has returned to the lower cooling flow path 10 (first cooling flow path 10A) returns to the inlet side of the evaporator 14 again, and the flow cycle is carried out.

[0048] The air that has passed through the evaporator 14 flows into the containers 20A, 20B and the lowest container 30, and cools the food by heat transfer while flowing along the outer surface of the food. Therefore, the air receives heat from the food, and the temperature rises while flowing along the outer surface of the food. Therefore, air with a higher temperature flows out of the containers 20A, 20B and the lowest container 30.

[0049] The air with increased temperature flowing out from the containers 20A, 20B and the bottom container 30 join together, further increasing the temperature. In addition, although there is an opening and closing mechanism equipped with a sealing member, some high-temperature outside air also flows in through the gap between the door 8A and the main body, further increasing the air temperature. This high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the bottom container 30, which is located at the bottom.

[0050] <Bottom container> In the bottom container 30 according to this embodiment, in addition to a storage area 32 for storing food G, a cold air supply passage 34 is formed on the rear side of the bottom container 30 by a partition plate 33. The cold air supply passage 34 is connected to the air outlet 12C of the second cooling flow passage 10B, and supplies air that has passed through the evaporator 14 to a lower rear position of the bottom container 30.

[0051] In the cold air supply passage 34, a connection port 34A located at the inlet is fitted with an outlet 12C of the second cooling passage 10B. An upper supply port 34B is formed in the partition plate 33 at a position above the bottom container 30 in the middle of the cold air supply passage 34. Furthermore, a lower supply port 34C is formed at the outlet of the cold air supply passage 34 located below the bottom container 30. In other words, the lower supply port 34C opens at a rear position near the bottom plate 30A of the bottom container 30.

[0052] A mounting member 40 is disposed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30. The mounting member 40 is composed of a plate-shaped main body 40A on whose upper surface food G is placed, and legs 40B attached to the lower surface of the main body 40A. As described later, a lower flow path 36 is formed between the lower surface of the main body 40A and the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30, through which air supplied from a cold air supply path 34 flows from the rear side to the front side.

[0053] The main body 40A of the mounting member 40 in this embodiment is mesh-shaped, allowing air to flow between the top and bottom of the main body 40A. However, this is not limited thereto, and for example, a structure in which elongated plate-like members are arranged at intervals may be adopted, or any structure in which air flows between the top and bottom of the main body 40A may be adopted. The legs 40B are attached to both ends in the width direction of the main body 40A (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). This allows air supplied from the cool air supply path 34 to flow between the legs 40B at both ends.

[0054] Further, an outflow opening 36A is formed on the front side of the bottom container 30, through which air that has flowed through the lower flow passage 36 from the rear side to the front side flows out from the bottom container 30.

[0055] <Air flow in the bottom container> Next, the air flow in the bottom container 30 including the lower flow passage 36 and the cold air supply passage 34 will be described. Air that has passed through the evaporator 14 from the outlet 12C of the second cooling passage 10B flows into the cold air supply passage 34 via the connection port 34A. The air that has flowed into the cold air supply passage 34 advances slightly forward, and a part of it flows out from the upper supply port 34B.

[0056] As described above, the air flowing out from the upper supply port 34B flows into the lowermost container 30 from the rear side, and flows inside the lowermost container 30 from the rear side to the front side. It cools the food G while flowing inside the lowermost container 30. The air, whose temperature has increased as a result of cooling the food G, flows out to the front side of the lowermost container 30. The flowing out air merges with the air flowing out from the upper containers 20A, 20B, flows downward along the front side of the freezer compartment 4, flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30, and returns to the lower cooling flow path 10 (first cooling flow path 10A).

[0057] Meanwhile, the remaining air that does not flow out from the upper supply port 34B advances downward within the cool air supply passage 34, and flows out from the lower supply port 34C. A part of the flowing out air flows from the rear to the front through the lower flow passage 36 below the main body portion 40A of the mounting member 40, and flows out from the outlet opening 36A to the front side of the bottom container 30. Since the main body portion 40A is mesh-shaped, the air flowing through the lower flow passage 36 directly hits the food G placed on the main body portion 40A, and the food G can be cooled effectively.

[0058] Some of the air flowing out from the lower supply port 34C also flows above the main body 40A of the mounting member 40, so that it directly hits the food G placed on the main body 40A and can be effectively cooled. Furthermore, the mesh-like main body 40A allows air to flow between the top and bottom of the main body 40A, so that the food G can be cooled more effectively.

[0059] The air that has flowed through the lower flow passage 36 or the upper side thereof cools the food G, its temperature increases, and the air flows out from the outlet opening 36A to the front side of the lowermost container 30. The flowing out air merges with the air that has flowed out from the containers 20A, 20B and the upper side of the lowermost container 30, flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30, and returns to the lower cooling flow passage 10 (first cooling flow passage 10A).

[0060] In this embodiment as well, heated air flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30. However, low-temperature air supplied from the lower supply port 34C of the cold air supply path 34 flows through the lower flow path 36 below the main body 40A of the mounting member 40 on which food G stored in the lowermost container 30 is placed. In addition, low-temperature air supplied from the upper supply port 34B of the cold air supply path 34 also flows above the mounting member 40 on which food G is placed.

[0061] As a result, the food G can be cooled effectively, and the food G is heated from below, causing the temperature of the food G to become higher than the temperature of the air around the food, thereby preventing freezer burn. As an indicator of this, the difference between the air temperature at the bottom of the lowest container 30 and the air temperature at approximately the center of the lowest container 30 in the height direction can be kept within 1.0°C.

[0062] Furthermore, it is preferable that the height dimension of the legs 40B of the mounting member 40 is set so that air flows through the lower flow path 36 at a flow rate sufficient to prevent the food G from being heated without being affected by the high temperature air flowing along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30, and so that a larger food storage area is provided above the main body portion 40A.

[0063] As described above, in the refrigerator 2 of the first embodiment, a mounting member 40 is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowest container 30, and the mounting member 40 comprises a plate-shaped main body 40A on whose upper surface food G is placed, and legs 40B attached to the lower surface of the main body 40A, and a lower flow path 36 is formed between the lower surface of the main body 40A and the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowest container 30.

[0064] By using the mounting member 40 having the legs 40B attached to the underside of the main body 40A, the lower flow path 36 can be easily formed below the main body 40A on which the food G is placed. Low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied from the lower supply port 34C of the cold air supply path 34 and can flow into the lower flow path 36. Therefore, even though high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30, the low-temperature air flowing through the lower flow path 36 can prevent the food G in the lowermost container 30 from being heated.

[0065] As described above, the cool air supply passage 34 is formed with the upper supply port 34B that allows the air that has passed through the evaporator 14 to flow from the top into the lowermost container 30. This upper supply port 34B allows the air that has passed through the evaporator 14 to flow from the top into the lowermost container 30, so that the food G stored in the lowermost container 30 can be effectively cooled together with the air supplied from the lower supply port 34C.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the upper supply port 34B is formed in the cold air supply path 34, and low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied to the upper side of the bottom container 30, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the upper supply port 34B may not be formed in the cold air supply path 34, and the first cooling flow path 10B may be provided with an additional outlet that supplies air to the upper side of the bottom container 30 in addition to the outlet 12C connected to the cold air supply path 34.

[0067] As described above, the outlet opening 36A through which the air that has flowed through the lower passage 36 flows out of the lowermost container 30 is formed in the lower region of the lowermost container 30. This realizes a flow cycle in which the air that has flowed through the lower passage 36 is returned to the inlet side of the evaporator 14 for cooling.

[0068] (Refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention) Next, a refrigerator 2' according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view that typically shows a region of a freezer compartment 4 of a refrigerator 2' according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A refrigerator 2' according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure that forms a lower flow path 36'. The other configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0069] A partition plate 38' is provided at a position a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30'. The partition plate 38' is connected to the partition plate 33' which forms the cold air supply passage 34'. Food G to be stored in the lowermost container 30' is placed on the upper surface of the partition plate 38'. With this configuration, in the second embodiment, a lower flow passage 36' is formed between the lower surface of the partition plate 38' and the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30'. An outflow opening 36A' is formed at the front end of the partition plate 38', through which air that has flowed through the lower flow passage 36' flows out of the lowermost container 30'.

[0070] <Air flow in the bottom container> The air flows in the lowermost container 30' equipped with the above-described cold air supply passage 34' and lower passage 36' as follows. Air that has passed through the evaporator 14 from the outlet 12C of the second cooling passage 10B flows into the cold air supply passage 34' via the connection port 34A'. The air that flows into the cold air supply passage 34' advances slightly forward, and a part of it flows out from the upper supply port 34B'. The flow of the air that flows out from the upper supply port 34B is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0071] The remaining air that does not flow out from the upper supply port 34B' advances downward in the cool air supply passage 34' and flows into the lower flow passage 36' from the lower supply port 34C'. The air that flows into the lower flow passage 36' flows from the rear side to the front side in the lower flow passage 36' and flows out to the front side of the lowermost container 30' from the outlet opening 36A'. The outflowing air merges with the air that flows out from the upper side of the containers 20A, 20B and the lowermost container 30, flows along the lower surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowermost container 30, and returns to the lower cooling flow passage 10 (first cooling flow passage 10A). It is also possible to provide an opening in the partition plate 38' that forms the lower flow passage 36' so that the air flows between the top and bottom of the partition plate 38'.

[0072] In this embodiment, low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied from a supply port 34B' at the upper side of the cold air supply path 34', and low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied from a supply port 34C' at the lower side of the cold air supply path 34'. This allows the food G to be effectively cooled, and also prevents the food G from being heated from below, causing the temperature of the food G to be higher than the temperature of the air around the food, thereby preventing freezer burn. As an indicator of this, the difference between the air temperature at the bottom of the lowermost container 30' and the air temperature at approximately the center of the lowermost container 30' in the height direction can be kept within 1.0°C.

[0073] Furthermore, it is preferable that the specified distance between the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30' and the lower surface of the partition plate 38' be set so that air flows through the lower flow path 36' at a flow rate sufficient to prevent the food G from being heated without being affected by the high temperature air flowing along the lower surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30', and so that a larger food storage area is provided above the partition plate 38'.

[0074] As described above, in the refrigerator 2' of the second embodiment, a partition plate 38' on whose upper surface food G is placed is formed at a position a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30', and a lower flow path 36' is formed between the lower surface of the partition plate 38' and the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30'.

[0075] By forming a partition plate 38' at a position a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A' in the lowermost container 30, a lower flow path 36' can be formed below the partition plate 38' on which the food G is reliably placed. Low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 is supplied from a supply port 34C' on the lower side of the cold air supply path 34' and can flow into the lower flow path 36'. Therefore, even though high-temperature air flows along the lower surface of the bottom plate 30A' of the lowermost container 30', the low-temperature air flowing through the lower flow path 36' can prevent the food G in the lowermost container 30' from being heated by heat transfer. Other details are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, so further detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0076] (Refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention) Next, a refrigerator 2'' according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4A. FIG. 4A is a side cross-sectional view that typically shows a region of a freezer compartment 4 of a refrigerator 2'' according to the third embodiment of the present invention. A refrigerator 2'' according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it does not include a mounting member 40. In other respects, it is substantially similar to the first embodiment described above.

[0077] From the air outlet 12C of the second cooling flow path 10B, air that has passed through the evaporator 14 flows into the cold air supply path 34 via the connection port 34A. The air that has flowed into the cold air supply path 34 moves slightly forward, and a part of it flows out from the upper supply port 34B. The remaining air that does not flow out from the upper supply port 34B moves downward in the cold air supply path 34 and flows out from the lower supply port 34C. The flowing out air flows forward along the bottom surface of the lower container 30 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A). At this time, the air directly hits the food G placed on the bottom surface of the lower container 30 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A), and can be effectively cooled.

[0078] The air that has flowed to the bottom surface of the lower container 30 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A) flows out from the outflow opening 36A to the front side of the lowest container 30. The outflowing air merges with the air that has flowed out from the containers 20A, 20B and the upper side of the lowest container 30, flows along the lower surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowest container 30, and returns to the lower cooling flow path 10 (first cooling flow path 10A).

[0079] Thus, even in the case of the refrigerator 2'' according to the third embodiment, the low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 directly hits the food G placed on the bottom surface of the lower container 30 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A), thereby providing a sufficient cooling effect.

[0080] <Modification of the third embodiment> FIG. 4B is a side cross-sectional view that typically shows the area of ​​the freezer compartment 4 of a modified example of the refrigerator 2'' according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This modified example differs from the above-described third embodiment in that a heat insulating material 42 is attached to the bottom surface of the bottom plate 30A of the lowest container 30. The heat insulating material 42 can suppress the influence of the return air with an increased temperature that flows below the lowest container 30. This makes it possible to more effectively cool food G placed on the bottom surface of the lower container 30 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A).

[0081] (General) As described above, in both the refrigerators 2, 2' according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the refrigerator includes a freezer compartment 4, a plurality of containers 20A, 20B, 30 (30') arranged vertically in the freezer compartment 4 and having an open top, an evaporator 14 arranged in the cooling flow path (first cooling flow path 10A) for cooling the air inside the freezer compartment, and a fan 16 arranged in the cooling flow path (first cooling flow path 10A) for circulating the air inside the freezer compartment. The air circulated by the fan 16 and passing through the evaporator 14 flows into the freezer compartment 4 from the air outlets 12A, 12B, 12C of the cooling flow path (second cooling flow path 10B), flows into the containers 20A, 20B, 30 (30') arranged in the freezer compartment 4 from the top, and is cooled by the air. The cool air flows through the containers 20A, 20B, 30 (30'), flows out of the containers 20A, 20B, 30 (30'), flows downward, flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A (30A') of the lowest container 30 (30') which is located at the bottom, and then executes a flow cycle returning to the inlet side of the evaporator 14 again, and the lowest container 30 (30') is provided with a lower flow path 36 (36') formed between the underside of the plate-shaped member 40A (38') on whose upper surface food G is placed and the upper surface of the bottom plate 30A (30A') of the container 30 (30'), and a cool air supply path 34 (34') connected to the outlet 12C of the cooling flow path (second cooling flow path 10B) and supplies air that has passed through the evaporator 14 to the lower flow path 36 (36').

[0082] Since the lowermost container 30 (30') is provided with the lower flow passage 36 (36') and the cold air supply passage 34 (34'), the low-temperature air that has passed through the evaporator 14 can be caused to flow below the plate-like member 40A (38') on which the food G is placed. This prevents the low-temperature air flowing through the lower flow passage 36 (36') from heating the food G in the lowermost container 30 (30') through heat transfer, even though high-temperature air flows along the underside of the bottom plate 30A (30A') of the lowermost container 30 (30'). Therefore, even in the lowermost container 30 (30'), which is the part of the freezer compartment 4 where freezer burn is most likely to occur, the temperature difference between the food G and the air surrounding the food can be reduced, thereby preventing freezer burn from occurring on the food G.

[0083] This makes it possible to provide a refrigerator 2 (2') that can prevent freezer burn from occurring on foods stored in the freezer compartment 4.

[0084] With the above-described configuration, when the air temperature at the bottom of the lowermost container 30 (30') is TB and the air temperature at approximately the center in the height direction of the lowermost container 30 (30') is TM, it is possible to achieve the relationship TB-TM ≦ 1.0° C. This makes it possible to reduce the temperature difference between the food G and the air surrounding the food, thereby reliably preventing freezer burn.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the freezer compartment 4 is provided with three containers 20A, 20B, 30 (30') arranged vertically, but the present invention is not limited to this. When any number of containers greater than or equal to two are arranged vertically, the lowest container can have a lower flow path and a cold air supply path to achieve the same effect.

[0086] Although the embodiments and modes of implementation of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may vary in details of the configuration, and changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and modes of implementation may be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 2,2',2'' refrigerator 3 Outer box 4 Freezer 5. Insulation 6. Refrigerator 8A, 8B Door 10 Lower cooling channel 10A First cooling channel 10B Second cooling channel 12A,12B,12C Air outlet 14 Evaporator 16 Fans 17 Damper 18 Upper Cooling Channel 18A Air outlet 20A,20B container 30,30' lower container 30A,30A' bottom plate 32,32' Storage Area 33,33' Partition 34,34' Cold air supply channel 34A,34A' Connection port 34B, 34B' Upper supply port 34C,34C' Lower supply port 36,36' Lower channel 36A,36A' Outflow opening 38' Partition 40 Mounting member 40A Main unit 40B Legs 42 Insulation 102 Refrigerator 103 Outside is Individual 104 Freezer 105 Insulation 106 Refrigerator 108A, 108B Door 110 Lower cooling channel 110A First cooling channel 110B Second cooling channel 112A,112B,112C Air outlet 114 Evaporator 116 Fans 120A,120B,120C container 120C1 Bottom plate G Food

Claims

1. A freezer and A plurality of containers each having an open top and arranged vertically in the freezing chamber; An evaporator disposed in the cooling flow path and cooling the air inside the storage compartment; A fan disposed in the cooling flow path for circulating air in the chamber; Equipped with The air moved by the fan and passed through the evaporator flows into the freezing chamber from the outlet of the cooling flow path, flows into the container arranged in the freezing chamber from the top, flows through the container, flows out of the container, flows downward, flows along the underside of the bottom plate of the lowest container located at the lowest position, and returns to the inlet side of the evaporator again, performing a flow cycle. a lowermost container including a lower flow passage formed between the lower surface of a plate-like member on which food is placed and the upper surface of the bottom plate, and a cold air supply passage connected to an outlet of the cooling flow passage and supplying air that has passed through the evaporator to the lower flow passage.

2. A mounting member is disposed on an upper surface of the bottom plate of the lowermost container, the mounting member including a plate-shaped main body on which food is placed and legs attached to a lower surface of the main body, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lower flow passage is formed between the lower surface of the main body and the upper surface of the bottom plate.

3. a partition plate on which food is placed is formed at a position a predetermined distance above an upper surface of the bottom plate of the lowermost container; 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lower flow passage is formed between the lower surface of the partition plate and the upper surface of the bottom plate.

4. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an outlet opening is formed in a lower area of ​​the lowermost container, through which air that has flowed through the lower flow passage flows out of the lowermost container.

5. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cool air supply passage is formed with an upper supply port through which the air having passed through the evaporator flows into the lowermost container from above.

6. When the temperature at the bottom of the lowest container is TB and the temperature at a position approximately at the center in the height direction of the lowest container is TM, TB-TM ≦ 1.0℃ 6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the above relationship is satisfied.

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