Refrigerator

Abstract

To make hard entering of foreign substances such as dust or microbes such as bacteria that enter a cold insulation box provided in a refrigeration chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 10 comprises a refrigeration chamber 12 in which objects to be refrigerated are refrigerated, a freezer 20 which cools the inside of the refrigeration chamber 12, and a fan 16 which blows air in the refrigeration chamber 12 in a convective manner. The air cooled by the freezer 20 is blown in the convective manner as a cold wind by the fan 16, and the objects to be refrigerated in the refrigeration chamber 12 are refrigerated. In the refrigeration chamber 12, a cold box 30 is provided with which a cold storage part 32 capable of storing cold that the cold wind blown in the convective manner has is provided on a peripheral surface and of which the inside is cooled by the cold storage part 32. The cold box 30 includes an opening 30a through which the object to be refrigerated are carried in and out, a closing member 31 by which the opening 30a is closed so as to be freely opened / closed, and a cold wind introduction port 30b through which the cold wind is introduced. In the refrigeration chamber 12, a guide 33 is provided which forms a cold wind passage 33a for guiding the cold wind to the cold wind introduction port 30b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator for refrigerating items such as food and ingredients. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for a refrigerator-freezer. This refrigerator-freezer comprises a refrigerator compartment, a switchable compartment capable of switching the temperature, an ice-making compartment, a freezer compartment, and a vegetable compartment. The vegetable compartment is provided with a vegetable case and a fruit case (hereinafter, referred to as the case), and the case comprises a double-structured section having an inner wall and an outer wall disposed with a space between them. The case is ensured a large heat capacity by the space inside the double-structured section, and temperature fluctuations inside the case are kept to a minimum. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-42632 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The case (cooling box) provided in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator-freezer of Patent Document 1 has a double structure having an inner wall and an outer wall arranged with a space between them, and temperature fluctuations inside the case are kept to a minimum, and cold air circulating through the vegetable compartment does not flow into the case, so that vegetables and fruits inside the case are less likely to dry out. Although the inside of the case is not easily affected by the cold air circulating through the vegetable compartment, there is a risk that foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria may enter the case, and foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria that have entered the case tend to remain without being expelled, making it difficult to keep the inside of the case hygienic. The present invention aims to make it difficult for foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria to enter the cold storage box and to make it difficult for foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria that have entered the cold storage box to remain in the cold storage box when a cold storage box is provided in the refrigerator to make it less likely to be affected by the cold air circulating through the refrigerator compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising a refrigerator chamber for refrigerating items to be refrigerated, a freezing device for cooling the interior of the refrigerator chamber, and a fan for circulating air within the refrigerator chamber, and refrigerating the items to be refrigerated within the refrigerator chamber by circulating the air cooled by the freezing device as cold air using the fan, wherein the refrigerator chamber is provided with a cold storage box having a cold storage section on its periphery capable of storing the cold heat contained in the convecting cold air and the inside of the cold storage box is cooled by the cold storage section, the cold storage box has an opening for carrying in and out the items to be refrigerated, a blocking member for freely opening and closing the opening, and a cold air inlet for introducing cold air at a position spaced from the opening, and a guide is provided within the refrigerator chamber to form a cold air passage for guiding the cold air to the cold air inlet.

[0006] In the refrigerator configured as described above, a cold storage box is provided in the refrigerator compartment, the cold storage part being capable of storing cold energy of convecting cold air and the inside of the cold storage box is cooled by the cold storage part, the cold storage box has an opening for carrying in and out refrigerated items, a closing member for closing the opening freely, and a cold air inlet for introducing cold air at a position separated from the opening, and a guide is provided in the refrigerator compartment to form a cold air passage for guiding the cold air to the cold air inlet. The cold storage part on the periphery of the cold storage box stores the cold energy of the cold air convecting in the refrigerator compartment, and the inside of the cold storage box is cooled by the cold energy radiated from the cold storage part. When the opening of the cold storage box is closed by the closing member, the internal pressure in the cold storage box is increased by the cold air flowing through the cold air passage, and the cold air flowing through the cold air passage is not introduced into the cold storage box from the cold air inlet. On the other hand, when the opening of the cold storage box is opened, the air in the cold storage box can be discharged from the opening, so that the cold air flowing through the cold air passage is introduced into the cold storage box from the cold air inlet. At this time, the cold air is introduced into the cold storage box from the cold air inlet and discharged from the opening, so that foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria are less likely to enter the cold storage box from the opening. Furthermore, foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria that have entered the cold storage box are discharged to the outside from the opening by the cold air introduced from the cold air inlet. As a result, the inside of the cold storage box can be kept clean. Furthermore, cold air does not always circulate in the cold storage box, and cold air flowing through the cold air passage is introduced into the cold storage box only when the opening of the cold storage box is opened, so that the items to be refrigerated in the cold storage box are less likely to dry out due to the cold air.

[0007] In the refrigerator constructed as described above, it is preferable that the guide guides a part of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment by the fan to the cold air inlet through the cold air passage. In this case, it is preferable that the guide is provided with a damper that opens when the internal pressure of the cooler box becomes high. In these cases, it is preferable that the guide is provided with a guide cold storage part that can store the cold energy of the cold air in the refrigerator compartment on the circumferential surface of the guide.

[0008] In the refrigerator configured as described above, it is preferable to include a cold air passage temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the cold air passage and a locking mechanism that maintains the closing of the opening with the closing member, and to control the locking mechanism to maintain the closing of the opening with the closing member when the temperature detected by the cold air passage temperature sensor is higher than a cooling temperature suitable for cooling the inside of the cooler box. In this way, when the temperature of the air flowing through the cold air passage is higher than a cooling temperature suitable for cooling, the locking mechanism maintains the closing of the opening with the closing member, so that air with a temperature higher than the cooling temperature is prevented from being introduced into the cooler box through the cold air inlet.

[0009] The refrigerator configured as described above includes a locking mechanism that maintains the blocking of the opening with the blocking member, and the refrigeration device is capable of executing a cooling operation for cooling the inside of the refrigeration compartment and a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to a cooler that cools the inside of the refrigeration compartment, and it is preferable that the refrigeration device controls the locking mechanism to maintain the blocking of the opening with the blocking member when the defrosting operation is being performed. By controlling the locking mechanism to maintain the blocking of the opening with the blocking member when the refrigeration device is performing the defrosting operation, it is possible to prevent warm air from being introduced into the cold storage box through the cold air inlet when the defrosting operation is being performed.

[0010] In the refrigerator configured as described above, an open detection mechanism detects that the opening is open, and the refrigeration device is capable of executing a cooling operation for cooling the inside of the refrigeration compartment and a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to the cooler that cools the inside of the refrigeration compartment, and it is preferable that when the open detection mechanism detects that the opening is open, the refrigeration device is controlled not to execute the defrosting operation. Even if the refrigeration device is executing the defrosting operation, when the open detection mechanism detects that the opening is open, the refrigeration device is controlled not to execute the defrosting operation, so that it is possible to prevent warm air from being introduced into the cold storage box through the cold air inlet when the defrosting operation is being executed.

[0011] In the refrigerator configured as described above, it is preferable to include an opening detection mechanism that detects that the opening is opened, and an air guide fan that introduces air from within the refrigerator compartment into the cold air passage, and to control the air guide fan to operate when the opening detection mechanism detects that the opening is opened. Since the air guide fan is controlled to operate when the opening detector detects that the opening is opened, when the air in the cooler box can be released from the opening, the air in the refrigerator compartment is turned into cold air by the air guide fan and introduced into the cooler box from the cold air inlet through the cold air passage, and foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria that have entered the cooler box are released to the outside from the opening by the cold air introduced from the cold air inlet, so that the inside of the cooler box can be kept clean.

[0012] In the refrigerator constructed as described above, it is preferable to provide an ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating ultraviolet rays in the cold air passage. In this case, the cold air passing through the cold air passage is sterilized by the ultraviolet irradiator, so that the cold air passing through the cold air passage and introduced into the cooling box from the cold air inlet can be purified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a refrigerator. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of the cooler box with the door closed to block the opening. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a cooler box with the door open and the opening exposed. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 when the door is closed to block the opening and the damper is open. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device of a refrigerator. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a cooler box used in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a cooler box used in a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a cooler box used in a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a 9th embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator according to a tenth embodiment. [Figure 17] 17 is a schematic diagram corresponding to FIG. 16 when the airflow direction by the fan is switched by the switching damper so as to open the cooling duct side. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The refrigerator of the present invention refrigerates items to be refrigerated such as food and ingredients. The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator compartment 12 for refrigerating the items to be refrigerated, a freezing device 20 for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12, and a fan 16 for circulating air in the refrigerator compartment 12, and refrigerates the items to be refrigerated such as food and ingredients by circulating the air cooled by the freezing device 20 as cold air by the fan 16. The refrigerator 10 also includes a cooling box 30 in the refrigerator compartment 12 for refrigerating the items to be refrigerated such as vegetables and fruits in a state that prevents them from drying out, and foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria that have entered the cooling box 30 are less likely to remain. Hereinafter, each embodiment of the refrigerator 10 of the present invention will be described.

[0015] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, refrigerator 10 includes refrigeration chamber 12 and machine chamber 15 in housing 11 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. An opening (not shown) for carrying in and out foodstuffs to be refrigerated is formed in the front of refrigeration chamber 12, and a door (not shown) for freely opening and closing the opening is provided in the front of refrigeration chamber 12. Refrigeration chamber 12 includes storage chamber 13 in the housing 11 except for the left side portion, which can store foodstuffs, foodstuffs and other foodstuffs to be refrigerated, and cooler chamber 14 in the upper left portion of housing 11. An air outlet 14a is formed in the upper portion of cooler chamber 14, and an air inlet 14b is formed in the lower portion of cooler chamber 14. Cooler chamber 14 is connected to storage chamber 13 by air outlet 14a and air inlet 14b so as to be ventilated. A fan 16 is provided in the cooler compartment 14 at a position where an air outlet 14a is formed, and the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is convected while circulating between the storage compartment 13 and the cooler compartment 14 by the operation of the fan 16.

[0016] The cooling device 20 is provided in the cooling device chamber 14 and the machine chamber 15, and the cooling device 20 cools the inside of the refrigerator chamber 12, and a known refrigeration circuit is used. The cooling device 20 includes a compressor 21 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 22 for cooling the compressed refrigerant gas, a dryer 23 for removing moisture contained in the liquefied refrigerant, a capillary tube (expansion means) 24 for expanding the liquefied refrigerant, and a cooler 25 for vaporizing the expanded liquefied refrigerant to cool the inside of the cooling device chamber 14. The cooler 25 is disposed in the cooling device chamber 14, and the other components are disposed in the machine chamber 15. In addition, a temperature sensor 26 is provided in the cooling device chamber 14, and the operation of the cooling device 20 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 26. The cooler 25 is provided with a heater 27, which is used to remove frost adhering to the cooler 25.

[0017] When the refrigeration device 20 is operated, the refrigerant gas compressed from the compressor 21 is cooled in the condenser 22 to become a liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant is expanded by the capillary tube 24 and then vaporized in the cooler 25, thereby cooling the inside of the cooler chamber 14. When the refrigeration device 20 is operated with the fan 16 in operation, the air in the cooler chamber 14 of the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled by the cooler 25, the air cooled in the cooler chamber 14 becomes cold air and is blown out into the storage chamber 13, and the air cooled by the cooler 25 circulates as cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0018] 1 and 2, a cold storage box 30 is provided in the storage compartment 13 of the refrigerator compartment 12, and the cold storage box 30 is used to refrigerate items that need to be cooled while maintaining humidity, such as vegetables and fruits. As shown in Fig. 3, the cold storage box 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an opening 30a is provided in the front part of the cold storage box 30 for carrying in and out the items to be refrigerated. A door (closing member) 31 that closes the opening 30a so as to be freely opened and closed is provided in the front part of the cold storage box 30, and the door 31 is supported on the right side of the front part of the cold storage box 30 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0019] A cold storage section 32 capable of storing cold energy contained in the cold air convecting in the refrigerator compartment 12 is provided on the peripheral surface of the refrigerator box 30 including the door 31, and the interior of the refrigerator box 30 is cooled by the cold energy radiated from the cold storage section 32. The cold storage section 32 in this embodiment is a jelly-like material having a heat capacity, which is made by impregnating a highly water-absorbent polymer with water, such as a cooling agent. The cold storage section 32 may be made of other materials as long as it is capable of transferring the cold energy contained in the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 into the refrigerator box 30 and has a heat capacity capable of storing the cold energy.

[0020] 1 and 3, a cold air inlet 30b is formed in the upper part of the rear wall of the cold storage box 30, and a part of the cold air sent out by the fan 16 can be introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b. The cold air inlet 30b is formed at a position separated from the opening 30a formed in the front part of the cold storage box 30, at the back (opposite side) of the opening 30a, and when cold air is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, the air in the cold storage box 30 is pushed out by the introduced cold air and released from the opening 30a into the storage compartment 13 of the refrigerator chamber 12.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a guide 33 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 12 to form a cold air passage 33a that guides a part of the cold air sent out by the fan 16 to the cold air inlet 30b of the cold storage box 30. The guide 33 is provided with a guide cold storage section 34 that stores the cold heat of the cold air sent by the fan 16, just like the cold storage box 30, and the guide cold storage section 34 stores the cold heat of the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a to keep the temperature of the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a low. The guide 33 is provided with a filter 35 at the inlet of the air sent by the fan 16, and foreign matter such as dust contained in the air sent by the fan 16 is removed by the filter 35. The guide 33 is formed with an air discharge port 33b near the cold air inlet 30b, which is the outlet, and the air discharge port 33b is closed by a damper 36 so as to be freely opened and closed. In this embodiment, the damper 36 is biased by a spring member (not shown) so as to close the air discharge port 33b, and is adjusted so that the damper 36 opens against the biasing force of the spring member when the internal pressure of the cold air passage 33a becomes high (the open state of the damper 36 is shown in Figure 4).

[0022] When the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is closed by the door 31, air is not discharged from the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, and therefore cold air is not introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b. As shown in Fig. 4, although cold air is blown into the cold air passage 33a by the fan 16, cold air is not introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, so that the internal pressure of the cold air passage 33a increases, the damper 36 opens against the biasing force of the spring member, and the air in the cold air passage 33a is discharged into the refrigerator compartment 12 from the air discharge port 33b.

[0023] When the door 31 is opened to open the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, air can be discharged from the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, so that cold air is introduced from the cold air inlet 30b of the cold storage box 30. As shown in FIG. 1, when air is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, the internal pressure of the cold air passage 33a does not increase, and the damper 36 closes the air discharge port 33b by the biasing force of the spring member, so that cold air from the fan 16 passes through the cold air passage 33a and is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b. When the door 31 is opened to open the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, air in the cold storage box 30 can be discharged from the opening 30a, so that cold air flowing through the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b. At this time, the cold air is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b and released from the opening 30a, so that foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria are less likely to enter the cold storage box 30 from the opening 30a. Furthermore, foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria inside the cold storage box 30 are released to the outside (inside the refrigerator compartment 12) from the opening 30a by the cold air introduced from the cold air inlet 30b. This makes it possible to keep the inside of the cold storage box 30 clean. On the other hand, when the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is closed by the door 31, cold air is not introduced into the cold storage box 30, so that the items to be refrigerated, such as vegetables and fruits, stored in the cold storage box 30, are less likely to dry out due to the cold air.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerator 10 includes a control device 60, which is connected to the fan 16, the freezing device 20, the temperature sensor 26, and the heater 27. The control device 60 can perform a cooling operation for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 to a set temperature suitable for cooling the object to be refrigerated, and a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to the cooler 25 of the freezing device 20. When the cooling operation is performed, the control device 60 controls the refrigerator compartment 12 so that the freezing device 20 is operated when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 26 detects the upper limit temperature of the set temperature while the fan 16 is in operation, and the operation of the freezing device 20 is stopped when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 26 detects the lower limit temperature of the set temperature. The air in the refrigerator compartment 12 circulates between the storage compartment 13 and the cooler compartment 14 by the fan 16, and is cooled by the cooler 25 in the cooler compartment 14 and circulates as cold air. When the defrosting operation is performed, the control device 60 controls the heater 27 to be energized, and the frost adhering to the cooler 25 is melted by the heater 27. The defrosting operation is not limited to the one that melts the frost adhering to the cooler 25 by the heater 27, but may be the one that circulates the refrigerant without cooling it by the condenser 22, and melts the frost adhering to the cooler 25 by a high-temperature liquefied refrigerant. Furthermore, when the defrosting operation is performed, if the heater 27 is energized and the fan 16 is controlled to operate, the execution time of the defrosting operation can be shortened. In this case, since there is a risk of warm air convection in the refrigerator compartment 12, it is preferable to remove the foodstuffs to be refrigerated, such as foodstuffs, from the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0025] The refrigerator 10 configured as described above includes the refrigerator compartment 12 for refrigerating the objects to be refrigerated, the refrigeration device 20 for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12, and the fan 16 for circulating the air inside the refrigerator compartment 12. In this refrigerator 10, when the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 20 is performed, the air inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled by the cooler 25 and circulated as cold air by the fan 16, and the objects to be refrigerated inside the refrigerator compartment 12 are cooled by the circulating cold air.

[0026] In this refrigerator 10, a cold storage box 30 is provided in the refrigeration chamber 12, and a cold storage section 32 capable of storing cold heat of cold air convected by the fan 16 is provided on the periphery of the cold storage box 30, and the cold storage box 30 is cooled by radiating the cold heat stored by the cold storage section 32. The cold storage box 30 has an opening 30a at the front for carrying in and out refrigerated items, a door (closing member) 31 for closing the opening 30a in an openable and closable manner, and a cold air inlet 30b for introducing cold air at a position separated from the opening 30a, and a guide 33 for forming a cold air passage 33a for guiding the cold air to the cold air inlet 30b is provided in the refrigeration chamber 12. In this embodiment, the cold air inlet 30b is formed in the upper part of the rear wall of the cold storage box 30 at a position separated from the opening 30a and at a position at the back of the opening 30a. The guide 33 guides a part of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 12 by the fan 16 to the cold air inlet 30b through the cold air passage 33a. The guide 33 is provided with a damper 36 that can open the cold air passage 33a to the storage compartment 13 of the refrigerator compartment 12, and the damper 36 is adjusted to open when the internal pressure of the cold storage box 30 becomes high.

[0027] In this refrigerator 10, the cold storage section 32 on the peripheral surface of the cold storage box 30 stores the cold energy of the cold air convecting in the refrigerator compartment 12, and the inside of the cold storage box 30 is cooled by the cold energy radiated from the cold storage section 32. When the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is closed by the door (closing member) 31, the internal pressure in the cold storage box 30 increases due to the cold air flowing through the cold air passage 33a, and the cold air flowing through the cold air passage 33a is not introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, but is discharged from the damper 36 into the storage compartment section 13 of the refrigerator compartment 12. For this reason, the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a is not introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, so that the vegetables, fruits, and other refrigerated items in the cold storage box 30 are not easily dried.

[0028] On the other hand, when the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is opened, the air in the cold storage box 30 can be discharged from the opening 30a, so that the cold air flowing through the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b. At this time, the cold air is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b and discharged from the opening 30a, so that foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria are less likely to enter the cold storage box 30 from the opening 30a. In addition, foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria that have entered the cold storage box 30 are discharged to the outside from the opening 30a by the cold air introduced from the cold air inlet 30b. As a result, the inside of the cold storage box 30 can be kept clean. In this way, cold air does not always circulate within the cool storage box 30, and cold air flowing through the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cool storage box 30 only when the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 is opened, so that it is possible to achieve both the effect of preventing the refrigerated items in the cool storage box 30 from drying out due to the cold air and the effect of keeping the inside of the cool storage box 30 clean.

[0029] In this refrigerator 10, when a defrosting operation is performed to remove frost adhering to the cooler 25, air with a high temperature during defrosting passes through the cold air passage 33a. A guide cold storage section 34 capable of storing cold heat of cold air is provided on the circumferential surface of the guide 33, and the guide cold storage section 34 stores cold heat of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a during the cooling operation. Even if air with a high temperature during the defrosting operation flows into the cold air passage 33a, the warm air passing through the cold air passage 33a is cooled by the cold heat stored in the guide cold storage section 34. When the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is opened by opening the door 31, even if air passing through the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, it is possible to make it difficult for the warm air to be introduced into the cold storage box 30. Furthermore, when the cool air passage 33a defined by the guide 33 is formed, for example, in a serpentine shape to increase its length, the air passing through the cool air passage 33a defined by the guide 33 is further cooled by the guide heat storage portion .

[0030] Other embodiments of the refrigerator of the present invention will be described below. The refrigerator 10 of each embodiment described below has the same main configuration as the refrigerator 10 of the first embodiment described above, so the following description will focus on the differences from the refrigerator 10 of the first embodiment or the illustrated embodiments. Second embodiment In the refrigerator 10 of the first embodiment, even when a defrosting operation is performed, the temperature of the warm air passing through the cold air passage 33a is lowered by the guide cold storage section 34 provided on the peripheral surface of the guide 33. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, in the refrigerator 10 of the second embodiment, even when a defrosting operation is performed, in order to prevent warm air from being introduced into the cold storage box 30, a cold air passage temperature sensor 37 is provided in the cold air passage 33a, and a lock mechanism section 38 is provided to keep the opening 30a closed by the door 31 (prevent it from being opened).

[0031] The locking mechanism 38 includes an engaging portion 38a provided at the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, an engaged portion 38b provided at the door 31, and a drive portion (not shown) using a motor or the like for moving the engaging portion 38a between an engaging position where the engaging portion 38a engages with the engaged portion 38b and a disengaged position where the engaging portion 38a does not engage with the engaged portion 38b. When the temperature detected by the cold air passage temperature sensor 37 is higher than the cooling temperature cooled by the cooler 25, such as the temperature of warm air due to a defrosting operation, the locking mechanism 38 controls the door 31 to keep the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 closed by the door 31, by engaging the engaging portion 38a with the engaged portion 38b using the drive portion. The locking mechanism 38 prevents the door 31 from opening the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, thereby preventing the warm air in the cold air passage 33a from being introduced into the cold storage box 30 through the cold air inlet 30b. When the locking mechanism 38 is in a state in which the door 31 can be opened, the defrosting operation may be controlled not to be performed, thereby preventing the warm air in the cold air passage 33a from being introduced into the cool box 30 through the cold air inlet 30b.

[0032] Third embodiment In the refrigerator 10 of the second embodiment, when the temperature detected by the cold air passage temperature sensor 37 is equal to or higher than the cooling temperature cooled by the cooler 25, such as the temperature of warm air during defrosting operation, the engaging portion 38a of the locking mechanism portion 38 is engaged with the engaged portion 38b by the drive portion, and the locking mechanism portion 38 is controlled to maintain the closure of the opening 30a of the cooler box 30 by the door 31. As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerator 10 of the third embodiment includes an opening detection mechanism portion 39 that detects that the opening 30a of the cooler box 30 is opened, so that warm air during defrosting operation is not introduced into the cooler box 30 in the refrigerator 10 of the second embodiment. The opening detection mechanism portion 39 includes a detector 39a provided at the opening 30a of the cooler box 30 and a detected member 39b that causes the detector 39a to detect that the door 31 is in a closing position that closes the opening 30a. In this embodiment, the detector 39a is a proximity switch such as a reed switch, and the detected member 39b is a magnet that reacts to the detector 39a, which is a proximity switch. When the open detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 is open, the defrosting operation is controlled to be temporarily stopped. This makes it possible to prevent the warm air generated when the defrosting operation is performed from being introduced into the cool storage box 30 when the door 31 is opened and the air in the cold air passage 33a can be introduced into the cool storage box 30.

[0033] (Fourth embodiment) In the refrigerator 10 of the first to third embodiments, the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is always caused to flow into the cold air passage 33a by the fan 16 that circulates the air in the refrigerator compartment 12. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the refrigerator 10 of the fourth embodiment includes an air guide fan 40 that introduces the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 into the cold air passage 33a, and an opening detection mechanism 39 that detects that the opening 30a of the cooler box 30 is opened, and is controlled to operate the air guide fan 40 when the opening detection mechanism 39 detects that the opening 30a is opened. In the refrigerator 10 of the fourth embodiment, the guide 33 is provided with the air guide fan 40 at the inlet of the cold air passage 33a, and the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is introduced into the cold air passage 33a as cold air by the operation of the air guide fan 40. Since the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is introduced into the cold air passage 33a as cold air by the operation of the air guide fan 40, the guide 33 is not provided with the air discharge port 33b and the damper 36. When the opening detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is opened, the air guide fan 40 is controlled to operate. As a result, when the door 31 is opened, the air guide fan 40 operates and the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 passes through the cold air passage 33a and is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b as cold air.

[0034] Fifth embodiment In the refrigerator 10 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the filter 35 is provided at the air inlet of the guide 33, but the filter 35 cannot completely remove microorganisms such as bacteria. As shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerator 10 of the fifth embodiment is provided with an ultraviolet irradiator 41 for sterilizing microorganisms such as bacteria in the cold air passage 33a of the refrigerator 10 of the fourth embodiment, and the ultraviolet irradiator 41 sterilizes microorganisms such as bacteria contained in the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a. The cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a is sterilized by ultraviolet rays irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiator 41, and the cold air sterilized in the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, so that the inside of the cold storage box 30 can be kept even cleaner. Furthermore, when the opening detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is opened, it is preferable to operate the air guide fan 40 and irradiate ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiator 41. In addition, in the refrigerator 10 of the first to third embodiments, an ultraviolet irradiator 41 for sterilizing microorganisms such as bacteria may be provided in the cold air passage 33a, and the ultraviolet irradiator 41 may sterilize microorganisms such as bacteria contained in the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a.

[0035] Sixth embodiment In the refrigerators 10 of the first to fifth embodiments, cooled air in the refrigerator compartment 12 is guided into the cool storage box 30 by the cool air passage 33a formed by the guide 33. As shown in Fig. 12, in the refrigerator 10 of the sixth embodiment, outside air outside the housing 11 is guided into the cool storage box 30 by the cool air passage 33a formed by the guide 33. The refrigerator 10 of the sixth embodiment includes an opening detection mechanism 39 that detects that the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 is opened, like the refrigerator 10 of the third embodiment, and an inlet of the guide 33 is disposed outside the housing 11.

[0036] In the refrigerator 10 of the sixth embodiment, when the opening detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is opened, the air guide fan 40 is controlled to operate. As a result, when the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a is opened, the air guide fan 40 operates, and the air outside the housing 11 is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b through the cold air passage 33a. At this time, even if the temperature of the air outside the housing 11 is higher than that in the refrigeration chamber 12, the air passing through the cold air passage 33a of the guide 33 using a member with high thermal conductivity is cooled by the cold air convecting in the refrigeration chamber 12, so that the high temperature air is not introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b. Furthermore, when the air outside the housing 11 is introduced into the cold storage box 30 as in the refrigerator 10 of the sixth embodiment, even if the air inside the refrigerator compartment 12 contains a large amount of foreign matter such as dust or microorganisms such as bacteria, the air outside the housing 11 is introduced into the cold storage box 30, so that the inside of the cold storage box 30 can be kept clean regardless of the air inside the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0037] Seventh embodiment In the refrigerator 10 of the first to fifth embodiments, the air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 12 is introduced into the cold storage box 30 as cold air. The air circulating in the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled by the cooler 25 in the cooler compartment 14, so that the humidity is low, and the items to be refrigerated in the cold storage box 30 may be dried by the low-humidity air introduced from the cold air inlet 30b. As shown in FIG. 13, the refrigerator 10 of the seventh embodiment is configured to humidify the air in the cold storage box 30. In the refrigerator 10 of the seventh embodiment, the cold storage box 30 is formed with a humidified air supply port 30c, and a humidified air supply pipe 43 that supplies humidified air generated by a humidifier 42 is connected to the humidified air supply port 30c. The humidifier 42 generates humidified air, and is arranged in the machine room 15. A water supply pipe 44 is connected to the humidifier 42, and a water supply valve 45 is interposed in the water supply pipe 44.

[0038] The humidifier 42 is an ultrasonic humidifier that applies ultrasonic vibrations to water in a built-in tank and emits misted water. The refrigerator 10 of the seventh embodiment is provided with an open detection mechanism 39 that detects that the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 is opened, as in the refrigerators 10 of the third and fourth embodiments, and when the open detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 is opened, the humidifier 42 supplies humidified air into the cool storage box 30. When the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 is opened by opening the door 31, cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cool storage box 30 through the cold air inlet 30b, and when the opening detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 has been opened and the opening 30a of the cool storage box 30 has been opened, humidified air generated by the humidifier 42 is supplied into the cool storage box 30 through the humidified air supply port 30c, so that the refrigerated items in the cool storage box 30 are further prevented from drying out due to the humidified air.

[0039] Eighth embodiment In the refrigerator 10 of the seventh embodiment, humidified air generated by the humidifier 42 is supplied into the cold storage box 30. As shown in FIG. 14, in the refrigerator 10 of the eighth embodiment, a humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46 is provided in the cold storage box 30, and the inside of the cold storage box 30 is humidified by water vapor generated by water passing through the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46 and permeating to the outside. In the refrigerator 10 of the eighth embodiment, a tubular humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46 is provided near the cold air inlet 30b of the cold storage box 30, a water supply pipe 47 is connected to the water supply end of the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46, and a drain pipe 48 is connected to the drain end of the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46. A water supply valve 49 is provided in the water supply pipe 47, and a drain valve 50 is provided in the drain pipe 48.

[0040] By opening the water supply valve 49 and the drain valve 50, water from a water supply source such as a tap is sent through the water supply pipe 47 to the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46, and the water that has passed through the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46 is discharged through the drain pipe 48. In addition, a part of the water supply pipe 47 is disposed in the cold air passage 33a as a cooling pipe section 47a, and the water supplied to the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46 is cooled in advance when it passes through the cooling pipe section 47a. When the opening detection mechanism 39 detects that the door 31 is opened and the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 is open, the water supply valve 49 and the drain valve 50 are opened, and when the door 31 is opened and cold air is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, the water cooled by the cooling pipe 47a is sent to the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46, the cold air passing through the cold air passage 33a is introduced into the cold storage box 30 from the cold air inlet 30b, and the cold air introduced from the cold air inlet 30b is humidified as it passes around the humidity control hollow fiber membrane 46. This makes it even more difficult for the humidified air to dry out the items to be refrigerated in the cold storage box 30.

[0041] Ninth embodiment 15, the refrigerator 10 of the ninth embodiment is provided with a bottom cold storage section 32a in which the thickness of the bottom of the cold storage section 32 of the cold storage box 30 is increased, and a heat transfer plate 51 having high thermal conductivity is provided at the bottom inside the cold storage box 30. Food placed on the upper side of the heat transfer plate 51 in the cold storage box 30 is cooled quickly by the cold energy stored in the bottom cold storage section 32a at the bottom of the cold storage section 32 being transferred by the heat transfer plate 51.

[0042] Tenth embodiment As shown in Fig. 16, the refrigerator 10 of the tenth embodiment is provided with a bottom cold storage section 32a in which the thickness of the bottom of the cold storage section 32 of the cold storage box 30 is increased, and the bottom cold storage section 32a is cooled by cold air sent out by the fan 16. The bottom cold storage section 32a is provided with a cooling duct 52 through which the cold air sent out by the fan 16 passes, and the bottom cold storage section 32a stores cold heat by the cold air passing through the cooling duct 52. The air outlet 14a at the top of the cooler compartment 14 is provided with a switching damper 53 for switching the air sent by the fan 16 between the storage compartment section 13 side of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the cooling duct 52 side. The bottom cold storage section 32a is provided with a cold storage section temperature sensor 54, and the cold storage section temperature sensor 54 detects the temperature of the cold storage section 32, particularly the bottom cold storage section 32a.

[0043] When the temperature detected by the cold storage section temperature sensor 54 is equal to or lower than a cooling temperature suitable for cooling, the switching damper 53 closes the cooling duct 52 side and opens the storage compartment section 13 side of the refrigerator compartment 12, as shown in Fig. 16. The cold air sent out by the fan 16 circulates through the refrigerator compartment 12, and the cold storage section 32 of the cold storage box 30 stores the cold heat of the cold air circulating through the refrigerator compartment 12, and the inside of the cold storage box 30 is cooled by the cold heat radiated from the cold storage section 32. In addition, since the cold air does not pass through the cooling duct 52, the bottom side cold storage section 32a of the cold storage section 32 of the cold storage box 30 is not excessively cooled.

[0044] When an object to be refrigerated is placed in the cold storage box 30 and the temperature of the bottom cold storage part 32a of the cold storage part 32 rises, and the temperature detected by the cold storage part temperature sensor 54 becomes higher than the cooling temperature suitable for cooling, the switching damper 53 closes the storage room part 13 side and opens the cooling duct 52 side, as shown in Fig. 17. The bottom cold storage part 32a of the cold storage part 32 of the cold storage box 30 stores the cold heat of the cold air passing through the cooling duct 52, and the object to be refrigerated in the cold storage box 30 is cooled by the cold heat radiated from the bottom cold storage part 32a. When the bottom cold storage part 32a is cooled to a temperature lower than the cooling temperature by the cold air passing through the cooling duct 52 and the temperature detected by the cold storage part temperature sensor 54 is lower than the cooling temperature suitable for cooling, the switching damper 53 closes the cooling duct 52 side and opens the storage room part 13 side of the refrigerator chamber 12, as shown in Fig. 16. The cold air blown out by the fan 16 circulates again within the refrigerating compartment 12, and the cold storage section 32 of the cold storage box 30 stores the cold energy of the cold air circulating within the refrigerating compartment 12.

[0045] In the refrigerator 10 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the cold storage box 30 has an opening 30a on the front part and a door 31 as a closing member that closes the opening 30a in an openable and closable manner, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cold storage box 30 may have an opening 30a on the top part and a door 31 or a lid member as a closing member that closes the opening 30a in an openable and closable manner. When the opening 30a is provided on the top part of the cold storage box 30, it is preferable to provide the cold air inlet 30b at the bottom or lower part of the cold storage box 30 as the inner part of the opening 30a. The present invention is not limited to the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 on the front part or the top part, and the opening 30a may be provided on the left and right side parts of the cold storage box 30.

[0046] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the cold air inlet 30b is formed at the back of the opening 30a as an example of a position away from the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30. The present invention is not limited to this, and as long as the cold air inlet 30b is formed at a position away from the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30, it is possible to obtain an effect of making it difficult for foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria to enter through the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 and an effect of releasing foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria. Furthermore, when the cold air inlet 30b is formed at the front of the upper surface of the cold storage box 30, the cold air introduced from the cold air inlet 30b functions as an air curtain for the opening 30a of the front part of the cold storage box 30, and an effect of making it difficult for foreign matter such as dust and microorganisms such as bacteria to enter through the opening 30a of the cold storage box 30 can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10...refrigerator, 12...refrigerating compartment, 16...fan, 20...refrigeration device, 25...cooler, 30...cooling box, 30a...opening, 30b...cold air inlet, 31...closing member (door), 33...guide, 33a...cold air passage, 37...cold air passage temperature sensor, 38...locking mechanism, 39...opening detection mechanism, 40...air guide fan, 41...ultraviolet irradiator.

Claims

1. A refrigeration chamber for refrigerating items to be refrigerated; A refrigeration device that cools the inside of the refrigeration compartment; A fan for circulating air in the refrigerator compartment, A refrigerator in which air cooled by the refrigeration device is circulated as cold air by the fan to refrigerate items in the refrigeration compartment, A cold storage box is provided in the refrigeration chamber, and the cold storage box has a cold storage unit on its periphery capable of storing cold energy of the cold air circulating therein, and the inside of the cold storage box is cooled by the cold storage unit. The cold storage box includes an opening for carrying in and out a refrigerated object, a closing member for closing the opening in an openable and closable manner, and a cold air inlet for introducing cold air at a position separated from the opening, The refrigerator further comprises a guide disposed in the refrigerating compartment to define a cold air passage for guiding cold air to the cold air inlet.

2. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, The guide is configured to guide a part of the cold air circulating in the refrigerator compartment by the fan through the cold air passage to the cold air inlet.

3. In the refrigerator according to claim 2, The refrigerator is characterized in that the guide is provided with a damper that opens when the internal pressure of the cooler box becomes high.

4. In the refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, The refrigerator is characterized in that a guide cold storage section capable of storing cold energy contained in cold air in the refrigerator compartment is provided on a peripheral surface of the guide.

5. In the refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, a cold air passage temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the cold air passage; a locking mechanism for maintaining the closing of the opening by the closing member, a lock mechanism for controlling the closing of the opening by the closing member when the temperature detected by the cold air passage temperature sensor is higher than a cooling temperature suitable for cooling the inside of the cooler box.

6. In the refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, a locking mechanism for maintaining the closing of the opening by the closing member, The refrigeration device is capable of executing a cooling operation for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment and a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to a cooler for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment, The refrigerator is characterized in that the refrigeration apparatus controls the lock mechanism to maintain the closure of the opening by the closure member while the defrosting operation is being performed.

7. In the refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, an opening detection mechanism that detects that the opening is opened; The refrigeration device is capable of executing a cooling operation for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment and a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to a cooler for cooling the inside of the refrigerator compartment, When the opening detection mechanism detects that the opening is open, the refrigeration apparatus is controlled so as not to execute the defrosting operation.

8. In the refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, an opening detection mechanism that detects when the opening is opened; a ventilation fan that introduces air from within the refrigeration compartment into the cold air passage, The refrigerator is characterized in that the air guide fan is controlled to be operated when the opening detection mechanism detects that the opening is open.

9. In the refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, The refrigerator further comprises an ultraviolet irradiator disposed in the cold air passage for irradiating ultraviolet rays.

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