Refrigerator

The refrigerator design addresses the issue of dew condensation on the rotating partition by using a heating circuit pipe to transfer heat from high-temperature parts, effectively preventing condensation while reducing power consumption.

JP2025084229APending Publication Date: 2025-06-03HITACHI GLOBAL LIFE SOLUTIONS INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023197976
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-11-22
Publication Date
2025-06-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In refrigerators with double doors, the rotating partition used to close the gap between the doors experiences dew condensation, and existing solutions like the rotating partition heater increase power consumption.

Method used

A refrigerator design that includes a heating circuit pipe in the door, with heat transferred from a high-temperature part in the box body or the end face of the door facing outside, to prevent dew condensation on the airflow blocking member while minimizing power consumption.

Benefits of technology

The solution effectively suppresses dew condensation on the airflow blocking member and reduces power consumption by utilizing heat transfer from high-temperature parts within the refrigerator.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that restrains condensation on a rotary partition body and restrains an increase in power consumption.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 according to the present invention comprises: a heat insulation box body 10 comprising an opening in a front part, and forming a storage chamber; a refrigerating chamber door 2a and a refrigerating chamber door 2b for opening and closing the opening; a rotary partition body 39 provided in a gap between the refrigerating chamber door 2a and the refrigerating chamber door 2b; and an upper door hinge 17a supporting the refrigerating chamber door 2a. The refrigerating chamber door 2a comprises a heating circuit pipe 202 laid near at least the rotary partition body 39, through which a fluid 203 flows. Heat is transferred to the heating circuit pipe 202 from a high-temperature part arranged in the heat insulation box body 10, and / or heat is transferred to the heating circuit pipe 202 from an end surface facing the outside out of the refrigerating chamber door 2a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] In a refrigerator having double doors, a rotating partition (airflow blocking member) for closing the gap between the doors is provided. Since dew condensation occurs on the rotating partition, Patent Document 1 provides a rotating partition heater 207 and a heat pipe 201 in the rotating partition 20C, and thermally couples the lower end of the heat pipe 201 to the rotating partition heater 207 (Embodiment 2).

[0003] When the rotating partition heater is energized, the rotating partition heater generates heat, and the lower end of the heat pipe is heated by the heat. By this action, the working fluid in the heat pipe becomes vapor and moves to the upper end of the heat pipe, where it is cooled and the vapor condenses. Then, the heat released during the condensation is transferred to the rotating partition, raising the surface temperature of the rotating partition part and preventing dew condensation on the rotating partition.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, since the working fluid in the heat pipe is heated and flowed solely by the rotating partition heater, there is a problem that power consumption increases.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that suppresses dew condensation on the airflow blocking member and suppresses an increase in power consumption.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides: a box body with an opening at the front to form a storage chamber, a first door and a second door for opening and closing the opening, an air flow blocking member provided in a gap between the first door and the second door, a first door hinge for supporting the first door, and the first door has a heating circuit pipe in which a fluid flows, at least in the vicinity of the air flow blocking member. And a first aspect of the present invention is transferring heat from a high-temperature part disposed in the box body to the heating circuit pipe, and / or transferring heat from an end face of the first door facing outside the storage to the heating circuit pipe. The refrigerator is characterized by this.

[0008] Further, a second aspect of the present invention is having a refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant circulates and is disposed in the box body, the heating circuit pipe is provided as a part of the refrigeration cycle, and the fluid is the refrigerant. The refrigerator is characterized by this.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that suppresses dew condensation on the air flow blocking member and suppresses an increase in power consumption.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, for the same elements, the same reference numerals are generally given in all the drawings. Also, the description of parts having the same function will be omitted. Note that the configurations described below are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the following specific forms.

[0012] In the following description, when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front, the side that can be seen on the right side is referred to as the right side, and the side that can be seen on the left side is referred to as the left side.

Embodiment

[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the heat-insulating box 10 (box) of the refrigerator 1 has storage compartments in the order of a refrigerating compartment 2, an ice-making compartment 3 provided side by side on the left and right, an upper-stage freezing compartment 4, a lower-stage freezing compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment 6 from above.

[0014] The refrigerator 1 is provided with doors for opening and closing the openings of the respective storage compartments. These doors include a rotary refrigerating compartment door 2a (first door) and a refrigerating compartment door 2b (second door) that are divided into left and right and open and close the opening of the refrigerating compartment 2, and pull-out ice-making compartment doors 3a, upper-stage freezing compartment doors 4a, lower-stage freezing compartment doors 5a, and vegetable compartment doors 6a that open and close the respective openings of the ice-making compartment 3, the upper-stage freezing compartment 4, the lower-stage freezing compartment 5, and the vegetable compartment 6. The internal materials of these multiple doors are mainly composed of foamed urethane. In addition, each door is provided with a seal member (not shown) on the outer periphery of the inner surface.

[0015] The refrigerating compartment 2 is separated from the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper-stage freezing compartment 4 by a heat-insulating partition wall 27, and the lower-stage freezing compartment 5 is separated from the vegetable compartment 6 by a heat-insulating partition wall 28. Further, at the front edge between the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper-stage freezing compartment 4, in a state where the ice-making compartment door 3a and the upper-stage freezing compartment door 4a are closed, a partition portion 29 is provided at a position where the seal member on the inner surface of the right end of the ice-making compartment door 3a abuts against the seal member on the inner surface of the left end of the upper-stage freezing compartment door 4a.

[0016] At the front edge between the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper-stage freezing compartment 4 and the lower-stage freezing compartment 5, in a state where the ice-making compartment door 3a, the upper-stage freezing compartment door 4a, and the lower-stage freezing compartment door 5a are closed, a partition portion 30 is provided at a position where the seal members on the inner surfaces of the lower ends of the ice-making compartment door 3a and the upper-stage freezing compartment door 4a abut against the seal member on the inner surface of the upper end of the lower-stage freezing compartment door 5a.

[0017] On the left and right outer sides of the heat-insulating box body 10, at the front of the top surface and on the front edge side of the heat-insulating partition wall 27, door hinges for rotatably supporting the refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b with respect to the heat-insulating box body 10 of the refrigerator 1 are respectively provided. The door hinges are composed of an upper door hinge 17a (first door hinge) provided at the upper part of the refrigerator compartment door 2a, a lower door hinge 18a (first door hinge) provided at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment door 2a, an upper door hinge 17b (second door hinge) provided at the upper part of the refrigerator compartment door 2b, and a lower door hinge 18b (second door hinge) provided at the lower part of the refrigerator compartment door 2b. The upper door hinges 17a and 17b provided on the top surface are covered by a door hinge cover 16. The refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b are supported by the upper door hinges 17a and 17b and the lower door hinges 18a and 18b so as to be openable and closable with respect to the heat-insulating box body 10 of the refrigerator 1.

[0018] The ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 are basically storage compartments in which the inside of the cabinet is set to a freezing temperature (less than 0°C), for example, an average of about -18°C. The refrigerator compartment 2 is a storage compartment in which the inside of the cabinet is set to a refrigerating temperature (0°C or higher), for example, an average of about 4°C. The vegetable compartment 6 is a storage compartment in which the inside of the cabinet is set to a refrigerating temperature (0°C or higher), for example, an average of about 7°C.

[0019] Hereinafter, in this specification, the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, which are storage compartments at a freezing temperature, may be collectively referred to as the freezer compartment 60.

[0020] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator 1 cut along line II-II in Figure 1. The configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 is separated between the outside and the inside of the refrigerator by a heat insulation box body 10 formed by filling a foamed heat insulation material (foamed urethane in the refrigerator of this embodiment) between an outer box 10a made of a steel plate and an inner box 10b made of a synthetic resin (for example, ABS resin). In addition to the foamed heat insulation material in the heat insulation box body 10, a vacuum heat insulation material 15 having a lower thermal conductivity than the foamed heat insulation material is mounted between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b, thereby suppressing a decrease in the internal volume and enhancing the heat insulation performance. In this embodiment, the vacuum heat insulation material 15 is mounted on the back surface, upper surface, lower surface, both side surfaces, and the lower-stage freezer door 5a of the heat insulation box body 10. Further, by mounting the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72, which is a heat radiation part of the refrigeration cycle, on the upper surface and both side surfaces of the heat insulation box body 10 so as to contact the outer box 10a, the heat radiation performance is improved.

[0022] Further, the heat insulation material inside the heat insulation partition wall 27 is foamed polystyrene, and the inside of the heat insulation partition wall 28 is filled with foamed urethane as the heat insulation material. Note that the foamed urethane inside the heat insulation partition wall 28 is filled together with the foamed urethane of the heat insulation box body 10 in the process of foaming and filling urethane between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the heat insulation box body 10.

[0023] The refrigerator doors 2a and 2b are provided with a plurality of door pockets 33a, 33b, and 33c on the inside of the refrigerator. A strip-shaped rotary partition body 39 (air flow blocking member) that is long in the height direction is provided on the refrigerator door 2a, and blocks the air flow between the inside and the outside of the refrigerator when the refrigerator door 2a and the refrigerator door 2b are closed. In other words, the rotary partition body 39 is provided on the side facing the refrigerator door 2b and is provided on the refrigerator door 2a.

[0024] Further, the inside of the refrigerator 2 is partitioned into a plurality of storage spaces by shelves 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d.

[0025] In this embodiment, the rotary partition body 39 is provided on the refrigerator door 2a at the position where the refrigerator door 2a and the refrigerator door 2b face each other. Note that the rotary partition body 39 may be provided on the refrigerator door 2b at the position where the refrigerator door 2a and the refrigerator door 2b face each other. That is, it may be provided on either one of the refrigerator door 2a and the refrigerator door 2b.

[0026] The ice-making chamber door 3a, the upper freezer chamber door 4a, the lower freezer chamber door 5a, and the vegetable chamber door 6a are each provided with an ice-making chamber container 3b, an upper freezer chamber container 4b, a lower freezer chamber container 5b, and a vegetable chamber container 6b that are integrally pulled out.

[0027] At the back of the refrigerator compartment 2, there is a refrigerator compartment air duct 110 in which a fin-tube type refrigerator compartment cooler 14a is housed, and at the upper part of the refrigerator compartment air duct 110, there is a refrigerator compartment fan 9a.

[0028] The refrigerator compartment air duct 110 is provided with an upper refrigerator compartment air outlet 111a and a lower refrigerator compartment air outlet 111b that blow cold air to the front refrigerator compartment 2, respectively.

[0029] In front of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment air duct 110, a refrigerator compartment return air duct 115 through which the return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 2 flows is formed. The refrigerator compartment return air duct 115 is formed to have a width substantially equal to the width of the refrigerator compartment cooler 14a, so that the return cold air from the refrigerator compartment 2 can efficiently flow into the refrigerator compartment cooler 14a.

[0030] The refrigerator 1 is provided with a cooler chamber 8 in which a fin-tube type freezer chamber cooler 14b is housed at the back of the lower freezer chamber 5, and at the upper part of the cooler chamber 8, there is a freezer chamber fan 9b.

[0031] Downstream of the freezer chamber fan 9b, there is a freezer chamber air duct 100 through which the cold air blown to the freezer chamber 60 flows.

[0032] The freezer chamber air duct 100 is provided with an ice-making chamber air outlet (ice-making chamber discharge outlet) 101, an upper freezer chamber air outlet (upper freezer chamber discharge outlet) 102, and a lower freezer chamber air outlet (lower freezer chamber discharge outlet) 103 that discharge cold air to the front ice-making chamber 3, upper freezer chamber 4, and lower freezer chamber 5, respectively.

[0033] In front of the lower part of the cooler compartment 8, a return air duct 105 for the freezer compartments is formed through which the return cold air from the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows. The return air duct 105 for the freezer compartments is formed to have a width substantially equal to the width of the freezer compartment cooler 14b, allowing the return cold air from the freezer compartment 60 to efficiently flow into the freezer compartment cooler 14b.

[0034] Also, an outlet for the vegetable compartment air duct (not shown) is provided with an outlet for the vegetable compartment (not shown). An opening 136 for the return air of the vegetable compartment is formed in the lower surface of the heat insulation partition wall 28 between the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6, and a return air duct 135 for the vegetable compartment leading from the opening 136 for the return air of the vegetable compartment to the front of the lower part of the cooler compartment 8 is provided within the heat insulation partition wall 28.

[0035] Inside the back side of the compartments of the refrigerator compartment 2, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the vegetable compartment 6, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 43, and a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 45 are respectively provided. An upper part of the refrigerator compartment cooler 14a is provided with a refrigerator compartment cooler temperature sensor 42, and an upper part of the freezer compartment cooler 14b is provided with a freezer compartment cooler temperature sensor 44. In this embodiment, the freezer compartment temperature sensor 43 is provided in the upper freezer compartment 4, but it may also be provided in the lower freezer compartment 5. With these sensors, the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2, the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, the lower freezer compartment 5, the vegetable compartment 6, the cooler compartment 8, the freezer compartment cooler 14b, the refrigerator compartment air duct 110, and the refrigerator compartment cooler 14a are detected.

[0036] Also, inside the door hinge cover 16 on the ceiling part of the refrigerator 1, an outside air temperature sensor 37 and an outside air humidity sensor 38 are provided to detect the temperature and humidity of the outside air (air outside the compartment). In addition, by providing a door sensor (not shown), the opening and closing states of the doors (the refrigerator compartment doors 2a, 2b, the ice-making compartment door 3a, the upper freezer compartment door 4a, the lower freezer compartment door 5a, the vegetable compartment door 6a) are respectively detected.

[0037] Below the freezer cooler 14b in the cooler compartment 8, a defrost heater 21 for heating the freezer cooler 14b is provided. A freezer drain trough 23 is formed on the lower surface of the cooler compartment 8, and a refrigerator drain trough 25 is formed on the lower surface of the refrigerator air duct 110. A freezer drain pipe 22 communicating with the machine room 7 is provided downward from the lower end of the freezer drain trough 23, and a refrigerator drain pipe 26 communicating with the machine room 7 is provided downward from the lower end of the refrigerator drain trough 25. Also, in the machine room 7, a compressor 24 and an evaporation tray 32 disposed above the compressor 24 are installed.

[0038] The defrost heater 21 may employ, for example, an electric heater of 50 W to 200 W. In this embodiment, it is a 120 W radiant heater. The defrost water generated during defrosting of the freezer cooler 14b and the refrigerator cooler 14a is discharged to the evaporation tray 32 above the compressor 24 via the freezer drain trough 23, the freezer drain pipe 22, the refrigerator drain trough 25, and the refrigerator drain pipe 26, and evaporates by the heat dissipation from the compressor 24 and the ventilation by the machine room fan or the like.

[0039] Above the upper part of the heat insulation partition wall 27 in the refrigerator compartment 2, a container 36 whose interior is maintained at about -1°C is provided. The front of the container 36 can be opened and closed by a lid 36a. A packing (not shown) is provided on the outer periphery of the lid 36a. When the lid 36a is in the closed state, the lid 36a and the container 36 are in contact with each other without a gap by the packing, and the container 36 has a structure in which its internal space is sealed.

[0040] At the upper rear of the heat insulation box body 10, a control device 31 for controlling the evaporator temperature adjusting means (refrigerator fan 9a, freezer fan 9b, compressor 24), the three-way valve 92, etc. is provided based on an outside air temperature sensor 37, an outside air humidity sensor 38, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, a refrigerator cooler temperature sensor 42, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 43, a freezer cooler temperature sensor 44, a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 45, etc.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 1 taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part IV in FIG. 3. The double-opening type door of the refrigerating compartment 2 is composed of a refrigerating compartment door 2a and a refrigerating compartment door 2b. Packings 46a and 46b are provided on the outer peripheral portions of the refrigerating compartment door 2a and the refrigerating compartment door 2b, respectively.

[0042] The refrigerating compartment door 2a is provided with a resin-made rotary partition body 39 (air flow blocking member) rotatably supported by a rotary partition body hinge 51. The rotary partition body 39 is provided to block the air flow between the outside of the refrigerator and the inside of the refrigerating compartment 2 through the gap G generated between the refrigerating compartment door 2a and the refrigerating compartment door 2b when the refrigerating compartment door 2a and the refrigerating compartment door 2b are closed. Thereby, the leakage of cold air from the inside of the refrigerating compartment 2 to the outside of the refrigerator can be suppressed, and the power saving performance can be improved.

[0043] Further, a heating circuit pipe 202 for heating the periphery of the rotary partition body 39 is provided inside the refrigerating compartment door 2a. A fluid 203 is enclosed in the heating circuit pipe 202, and the fluid 203 flowing through the heating circuit pipe 202 can heat the vicinity of the rotary partition body 39 to suppress the dew condensation generated on the surface of the rotary partition body 39. In this embodiment, water is used as the fluid 203, but an antifreeze liquid (for example, ethanol, etc.) may be used when there is a possibility of freezing.

[0044] In this embodiment, as the vicinity of the rotary partition body 39, a heating circuit pipe 202 is provided inside the refrigerating compartment door 2a at a position where the surface in contact with the gap G can be heated. If the heating circuit pipe 202 can heat the surface of the rotary partition body 39 in contact with the gap G in the refrigerating compartment door 2a via the packing 46a, it may be arranged on the central side or the front side instead of the rear side illustrated in FIG. 4. Further, the heating circuit pipe 202 may be provided inside the rotary partition body 39, and in this case, the vicinity of the rotary partition body 39 can also be heated. In this case, the generation of dew condensation on the rotary partition body 39 can be more reliably suppressed.

[0045] Next, the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0046] The refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 1 in this embodiment is composed of, in order from the upstream, a refrigerant compression means, a heat radiating means connected to the refrigerant compression means, a moisture removal means connected to the heat radiating means via a three-way valve 92 as a refrigerant switching means, a decompression means connected to the heat radiating means via the moisture removal means, and a cooling means connected to the decompression means.

[0047] The compressor 24, which is the refrigerant compression means, compresses the refrigerant 205 and discharges it in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas phase state.

[0048] The heat radiating means includes, for example, an outdoor heat radiator 71 disposed in a machine room that houses the compressor 24, a wall surface heat radiating pipe 72 provided between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the heat insulation box body 10 and in contact with the outer box 10a surface, and a dew condensation suppression pipe 73 (dew condensation suppression means), such as the heat insulation partition walls 27, 28 and the partition portion 29, for suppressing dew condensation at the front edge portion of the heat insulation box body 10. The refrigerator 1 in this embodiment is designed such that the refrigerant 205 discharged from the compressor 24 in a gas phase radiates heat in the outdoor heat radiator 71 and undergoes a phase change to a gas-liquid two-phase state, and then further radiates heat in the wall surface heat radiating pipe 72 and the dew condensation suppression pipe 73 and undergoes a phase change to a liquid phase.

[0049] The connection opening 92a of the three-way valve 92 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 77c on the outlet side of the dew condensation suppression pipe 73, the connection opening 92b is connected to the refrigerant pipe 77e leading to the refrigeration capillary tube 75b (dryer 90b), and the connection opening 92c is connected to the refrigerant pipe 77f leading to the refrigerating capillary tube 75a (dryer 90a).

[0050] The dryers 90a and 90b, which are the moisture removal means, remove the moisture contained in the refrigerant 205 and prevent freezing due to the moisture.

[0051] The refrigerating capillary tube 75a and the refrigeration capillary tube 75b, which are the decompression means, decompress the high-pressure liquid (refrigerant 205) radiated by the heat radiating means and turn it into a low-pressure liquid (refrigerant 205).

[0052] The refrigerator cooler 14a and the freezer cooler 14b, which are cooling means, evaporate low-pressure liquid (refrigerant 205) and undergo a phase change to the gas phase while absorbing the heat of the air, thereby cooling the storage compartment.

[0053] Also, downstream of the refrigerator cooler 14a and downstream of the freezer cooler 14b, there are provided a refrigerator gas-liquid separator 28a and a freezer gas-liquid separator 28b that prevent the liquid refrigerant 205 from flowing into the compressor 24, respectively. Further, a check valve 89 is provided downstream of the freezer gas-liquid separator 28b.

[0054] In this embodiment, a refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting these components with the medium pipe 77. In the refrigerator of this embodiment, in order to adjust the temperatures of the refrigerator cooler 14a and the freezer cooler 14b by the rotational speeds of the compressor 24, the refrigerator fan 9a, and the freezer fan 9b, the compressor 24, the refrigerator fan 9a, and the freezer fan 9b are referred to as evaporator temperature adjusting means. Also, isobutane, which is a flammable medium, is used as the refrigerant 205, and the filling amount of the refrigerant 205 is 88 g.

[0055] Next, the configuration of the refrigerator door 2a provided with the heating circuit pipe 202 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a top view of the refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the refrigerator 1 with the refrigerator door 2a attached to the heat-insulating box 10. FIG. 8 is a front view of the refrigerator door 2a.

[0056] The refrigerator door 2a has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the heating circuit pipe 202 is arranged to circulate inside the refrigerator door 2a, and is preferably arranged along each side (four sides) of the refrigerator door 2a. Note that the heating circuit pipe 202 is preferably arranged on at least the side of the refrigerator door 2a on the side of the rotary partition body 39 and the side of the anti-rotary partition body (the side of the anti-airflow blocking member: the left side in FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0057] A part of the piping route of the heating circuit piping 202 is connected to a pump 201 that causes the fluid 203 in the heating circuit piping 202 to flow. When the pump 201 operates, the fluid 203 is discharged from the pump 201, the fluid 203 in the heating circuit piping 202 flows, and circulates within the heating circuit piping 202. In this embodiment, the heating circuit 200 is constituted by the pump 201, the heating circuit piping 202, and the fluid 203 (see FIG. 5).

[0058] The wall surface heat radiation piping 72 is piped in contact with the outer box 10a surface at the front parts of the left and right side surfaces and the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 10. The refrigerant 205 discharged from the compressor 24 flows through the medium piping 77, the outdoor radiator 71, to the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 arranged on the right side surface of the heat insulation box body 10, the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) arranged at the front part of the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 10, and the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 arranged on the left side surface of the heat insulation box body 10. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the left and right sides of the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) arranged at the front part of the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 10 are arranged so as to overlap the upper door hinge 17a when viewed from above. In this embodiment, a part of the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) extends below the upper door hinges 17a, 17b.

[0059] The wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) becomes a high-temperature part that is higher than the temperature of the rotary partition body 39. That is, the upper door hinge 17a and the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) are in thermal contact. In this embodiment, being in thermal contact does not mean that the objects are physically in contact, but is intended to mean that heat is transferred between the objects. Therefore, the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) does not necessarily need to overlap the upper door hinge 17a in a top view, and if heat transfer is possible, it may be arranged, for example, near the rear side of the upper door hinge 17a. Also, in this embodiment, the upper door hinge 17a that supports the refrigerator door 2a provided with the rotary partition body 39 and the wall surface heat radiation piping 72a are configured to be in thermal contact, but the wall surface heat radiation piping 72a may be configured to be in thermal contact with each of the upper door hinges 17a, 17b. Further, in the aspect where the heating circuit piping 202 is provided on the refrigerator door 2b, the wall surface heat radiation piping 72a may be configured to be in thermal contact with the upper door hinge 17b.

[0060] The upper door hinges 17a and 17b are formed of a material with excellent heat conductivity, and metals such as iron or copper can be used, for example. Instead of the upper door hinge 17, a wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 or a metal, for example, may be provided extending from the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a) to the door 2a (preferably the heating circuit pipe 202).

[0061] The upper door hinge 17a includes a box body fixing portion 171 fixed to the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 10, and a hinge pin 172 that is fixedly connected to the box body fixing portion 171, is located in front of the box body fixing portion 171, extends downward, and is inserted into the end portion of the refrigerator door 2a.

[0062] The lower door hinge 18a includes a box body fixing portion 181 fixed to the heat insulation partition wall 27 of the heat insulation box body 10, and a hinge pin 182 that is fixedly connected to the box body fixing portion 181, is located in front of the box body fixing portion 181, extends upward, and is inserted into the end portion of the refrigerator door 2a.

[0063] The refrigerator door 2a is rotatably attached to the heat insulation box body 10 by the upper door hinge 17a having the hinge pin 172 and the lower door hinge 18a having the hinge pin 182.

[0064] The upper door hinge 17a is in thermal contact with the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a) and the heating circuit pipe 202 disposed at the front part of the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 10. The heat of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a) is transmitted to the heating circuit pipe 202 through the upper door hinge 17a.

[0065] The end face of the refrigerator door 2a on the side of the counter-rotating partition body (the left side in FIG. 8) faces the outside of the cabinet, and since it is affected by the outside temperature, it becomes hot relative to the rotating partition body side of the refrigerator door 2a. Also, the upper door hinge 17a heated by the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 also becomes hot relative to the rotating partition body side of the refrigerator door 2a. The fluid 203 in the heating circuit pipe 202 is heated by the outside air because it crawls along the end face of the refrigerator door 2a facing the outside of the cabinet. This end face is along the longitudinal direction of the refrigerator door 2a. It is preferable that there is no intervening vacuum heat insulating material, on-site foamed foam heat insulating material, or pre-formed plate-shaped or rod-shaped formed heat insulating material in the shape along the longitudinal direction between the heating circuit pipe 202 along this end face and this end face.

[0066] It is acceptable to interpose a thin heat insulating material to the extent that it enables heating of the fluid in the heating circuit pipe 202 while allowing it.

[0067] Also, it is heated by the solid heat conduction of the upper door hinge 17a. The fluid 203 is configured to flow counterclockwise in FIG. 7 and flows to the rotating partition body side after passing through the long side (the end face on the counter-rotating partition body side) of the refrigerator door 2a. In this embodiment, it is characterized in that the fluid 203 heated by the atmosphere and the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 (72a) is made to flow to heat the rotating partition body 39 and / or the outside air in the vicinity thereof to suppress dew condensation. The fluid 203 heated by the atmosphere and the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 (72a) is preferably caused to flow to the rotating partition body 39 side by operating the pump 201.

[0068] Then, the heated fluid 203 flows and moves to the rotating partition body 39 side, thereby heating the rotating partition body 39.

[0069] Here, the width W of the upper door hinge 17a of the refrigerator door 2a 1 and the width W of the upper door hinge 17b of the refrigerator door 2b 2 satisfy the relationship of W 1 >W 2 (see FIG. 6). That is, the width W of the upper door hinge 17a 1 is the width W of the upper door hinge 17b 2It is made larger than this. By this, the amount of heat transfer in the upper door hinge 17a of the refrigerator door 2a is relatively increased, and the heating of the heating circuit pipe 202 can be made better. Here, as a means for increasing the amount of heat transfer in the upper door hinge 17a of the refrigerator door 2a, the width W 1 is relatively increased, but the means for increasing the amount of heat transfer is not limited to this means. For example, compared with the upper door hinge 17b, the height of the upper door hinge 17a is increased, or the upper door hinge 17a is made of a high heat conduction member, whereby an equivalent effect can be obtained.

[0070] During the stop of the pump 201, the flow of the fluid 203 in the heating circuit pipe 202 almost stops. In a state where the pump 201 stops and the flow of the fluid 203 stops, the rotary partition 39 is in a non-heated state. In order to enhance the effect of stopping the flow of the fluid 203 in the heating circuit pipe 202, it is preferable to provide a check valve at the discharge port of the pump 201. The check valve can stop the flow of the fluid 203 by being installed so as to be biased to close the discharge port during the stop of the pump 201.

[0071] In this embodiment, by switching the drive and non-drive of the pump 201, the heating and non-heating of the rotary partition 39 are switched.

[0072] Next, the operation of the pump 201 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a graph showing an example of temperature changes during the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the temperature of each part and the operating state of the pump 201.

[0073] The surface temperature T of the rotary partition 39 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 9 tar is estimated and calculated from the outside air temperature T measured by the outside air temperature sensor 37 room and the refrigerator compartment temperature T measured by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41 R Of course, a temperature sensor may be arranged near the rotary partition 39 and this detected value may be used.

[0074] Also, the dew point temperature T dew is calculated from the outside temperature T room and the outside air humidity measured by the outside air humidity sensor 38. The calculation of the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition body 39 and the calculation of the dew point temperature T dew are executed by the control device 31. Also, the control of driving and stopping the pump 201 is also executed by the control device 31. The control device 31 executes processing by the CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in the ROM (Read Only Memory). The wall surface heat radiation pipe temperature T pipe described in FIG. 9 will be described later.

[0075] The t 0 ~t 5 on the horizontal axis of FIG. 9 indicates the following. (1) t 0 : A certain time during the cooling operation (2) t 1 : The time when the pump 201 becomes non-driven (3) t 2 : The time when the pump 201 becomes driven (4) t 3 : The time when the dew point temperature of the installation environment of the refrigerator 1 starts to rise (5) t 4 : The time when the pump 201 becomes non-driven again (6) t 5 : The time when the pump 201 becomes driven again At time t 1 , after the pump 201 has been driven for the low humidity driving time Δt ON1 elapses, the pump 201 becomes non-driven. After that, at time t 2 , after the pump 201 has been non-driven for the low humidity non-driving time Δt OFF1 elapses, the pump 201 becomes driven again. When the pump 201 is driven, the fluid 203 heated by the atmosphere flows through the heating circuit pipe 202, and the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition body 39 rises. As described above, the pump 201 usually has a low humidity driving time Δt ON1 and a low humidity non-driving time Δt OFF1By repeating this, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 is controlled. That is, the pump 201 switches between driving and non - driving at a predetermined time interval. tar For example, at time t in the installation environment of the refrigerator 1, it is conceivable that the humidity rises due to the user operating a humidifier or the like, and the dew point temperature T rises.

[0076] Time t 3 When the refrigerator 1 detects that the temperature difference ΔT between the outside temperature and the dew point temperature has decreased and fallen below the preset threshold temperature difference ΔT, an additional time Δt is added to the low - humidity driving time Δt of the pump 201. dew Time t is the time when Δt + Δt has elapsed since time t, and it is the time when the pump 201 becomes non - driving again. As shown in FIG. 6, by adding the additional time Δt to the driving time Δt of the pump, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 rises, and the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 can exceed the dew point temperature. th The threshold temperature difference ΔT can be set to, for example, 0 or less. ON When ΔT < ΔT, the driving time Δt and the non - driving time Δt are changed to the high - humidity driving time Δt and the high - humidity non - driving time Δt in the high - humidity state. ADD Time t 4 is the time t 2 plus Δt ON +Δt ADD has elapsed, and it is the time when the pump 20 becomes non - driving again. As shown in FIG. 6, by adding the additional time Δt to the driving time Δt of the pump, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 rises, and the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 can exceed the dew point temperature. ON The additional time Δt ADD is added to the driving time Δt of the pump, so that the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 rises, and the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 can exceed the dew point temperature. tar The surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar can exceed the dew point temperature. The threshold temperature difference ΔT th can be set to, for example, 0 or less.

[0077] ΔT < ΔT th When this occurs, the driving time Δt ON1 and the non - driving time Δt OFF1 become the high - humidity driving time Δt ON2 and the high - humidity non - driving time Δt OFF2 in the high - humidity state. The high - humidity driving time Δt ON2 and the driving time Δt ON1 satisfy the relationship Δt ON2 ≧Δt ON1 , preferably Δt ON2 >Δt ON1 . The high - humidity non - driving time Δt OFF2 and the non - driving time Δt OFF1 satisfy the relationship Δt OFF2 ≦Δt OFF1 , and Δt OFF2<Δt OFF1 satisfies the relationship. By doing so, the temperature of the rotary partition can be maintained at a higher temperature compared to the case where the dew point temperature is low.

[0078] Time t 5 At time t 4 from the high-temperature driving time Δt OFF2 elapses, and the pump 201 enters the driving state. Thereafter, at time t 6 At time t 5 after the pump 201 enters the driving state at time t ON2 elapses, and the pump 201 enters the non-driving state.

[0079] In the first embodiment, the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition 39 by the heating circuit 200 is controlled by switching the pump 201 between the driving state and the non-driving state at a predetermined time. However, by changing the rotation speed of the pump 201 instead of switching between the driving state and the non-driving state, the same effect can be obtained by switching the heating and non-heating of the rotary partition 39. For example, during the non-driving time Δt OFF the fluid 203 is circulated at a low flow rate by setting the rotation speed to be low, and during the driving time Δt ON the fluid 203 is circulated at a high flow rate by setting the rotation speed to be high, so that the heating amount can be changed and the surface of the rotary partition can be controlled. Thereby, even when water is used as the fluid 203, the possibility of freezing can be reduced and the stability of the driving state can be achieved. In the first embodiment, the outside air humidity measured by the outside air humidity sensor 38 is used for calculating the dew point temperature T dew However, the dew point temperature may be estimated by measuring the outside air humidity from the outside temperature of the warehouse, the operating state, etc. In this case, it is possible to estimate the dew point temperature even when there is no outside air humidity sensor.

[0080] According to the first embodiment, the heating circuit pipe 202 for circulating the fluid in the refrigerator door 2a provided with the rotary partition 39 is provided. The heating circuit pipe 202 is heated by heat transfer from the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 through the upper door hinge 17a side and heat transfer from the outside air of the refrigerator through the end face on the side of the anti-rotary partition. Therefore, the necessity of using a heater for heating the fluid 203 can be reduced.

[0081] In addition, since the pump 201 for circulating the fluid 203 is provided in a part of the piping path of the heating circuit piping 202, the fluid 203 heated by the atmosphere and the wall surface heat radiation piping 72 (72a) can be moved to the rotating partition body 39 side, suppressing dew condensation on the rotating partition body 39 and providing a refrigerator with suppressed power consumption. Further, according to the first embodiment, since the flow of the fluid can be suppressed while the pump 201 provided in a part of the piping path of the heating circuit piping 202 is stopped, for example, when the outside air temperature of the space where the refrigerator is installed is high, it is possible to suppress the heated fluid 203 from flowing and heat being transferred into the refrigerator, and as a result, an increase in power consumption can be suppressed. The heating circuit piping 202 does not necessarily have to be annular as long as it does not interfere with the heating near the rotating partition body 39. Also, the fluid 203 may be configured to flow clockwise in FIG. 7. Further, heat transfer to the fluid 203 may be performed via the lower door hinge 18a instead of the upper door hinge 17a. In this case, heat can be transferred from the dew condensation suppression piping 73 arranged in the heat insulation partition wall 27 to the heating circuit piping 202 via the lower door hinge 18a.

[0082] The heating circuit piping 202 is made of resin or metal for part or all of it. When part or all of the heating circuit piping 202 is made of resin, it can be configured at a lower cost compared to being made of metal. When configuring with resin, for example, it is good to use flexible butyl rubber or polystyrene.

[0083] Also, when part or all of the heating circuit piping 202 is made of metal, the thermal conductivity is improved, and good heat exchange can be performed between the heating circuit piping 202 and the wall surface heat radiation piping 72, and between the heating circuit piping 202 and the rotating partition body 39.

[0084] In Example 1, the fluid 203 was heated by the outside-air (atmosphere) and the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 (72a). However, for example, additionally, heating means such as a heater may be provided inside the refrigerator door 2a, and the fluid 203 may be heated by this heating means. Thereby, even if the heating of the fluid 203 via the upper door hinges 17a and 17b is insufficient, condensation on the rotary partition body 39 can be surely suppressed. Further, when water is used as the fluid 203, the possibility of freezing of the fluid 203 can be reduced, and the stabilization of the driving state can be achieved.

[0085] In this embodiment, the heating circuit pipe 202 is arranged in the refrigerator door 2a to which the rotary partition body 39 is attached. However, arranging it in the opposite refrigerator door 2b is also acceptable because it has a certain effect.

[0086] The configuration of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has been described above. Next, the effects of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0087] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, there are a heat-insulating box body 10 which is a box body, a refrigerator compartment 2 which is a storage compartment provided in the heat-insulating box body 10, refrigerator doors 2a and 2b which are the first door and the second door for opening and closing the opening of the refrigerator compartment, a rotary partition body 39 which is an air circulation blocking member provided in the refrigerator door 2a, an upper door hinge 17a which is the first hinge for supporting the refrigerator door 2a, a wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 which is a high-temperature part higher in temperature than the rotary partition body 39 provided in the heat-insulating box body 10, and a heating circuit pipe 202 for transporting heat to the vicinity of the rotary partition body 39 provided in the refrigerator door 2a. Heat is transported from the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 (72a) to the heating circuit pipe 202 via the upper door hinge 17a.

[0088] Further, the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 and the heating circuit pipe 202 are in thermal contact with the upper door hinge 17a.

[0089] Accordingly, in the refrigerator door 2a having a rotating function, heat can be transferred from the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 provided in the heat insulation box body 10 to the heating circuit pipe 202 provided in the refrigerator door 2a by solid heat conduction in the upper door hinge 17a. When the heated medium 203 in the heating circuit pipe 202 flows, the rotary partition body 39 can be heated to prevent condensation.

[0090] Also, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the width W of the upper door hinge 17a of the refrigerator door 2a 1 and the width W of the upper door hinge 17b of the refrigerator door 2b 2 satisfy the relationship of W 1 >W 2 .

[0091] Thereby, the heat transfer amount of solid heat conduction in the upper door hinge 17a of the refrigerator door 2a increases, better heat transfer can be performed, and a more reliable refrigerator can be provided. 〔Modification〕 FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a refrigerator door according to a modification of the first embodiment. In the modification, a packing 204 is used instead of the rotary partition body 39 as the air flow blocking member.

[0092] In FIG. 10, the packing 204 is disposed on either one of the surfaces 20a and 20b where the refrigerator door 2a or the refrigerator door 2b faces. When the refrigerator door 2a and the refrigerator door 2b are closed, a gap G is formed between the surfaces 20a and 20b.

[0093] In the modified example, similar to the first embodiment, a heating circuit 200 is provided on the refrigerator door 2a, and the heating circuit pipe 202 is positioned near the packing 204. With such a configuration, the vicinity of the packing 204 can be heated by the heating circuit 200, and the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the rotary partition body 39 is provided. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the packing 204 is preferably arranged on the rear side of the surfaces 20a and 20b because it is difficult for the heat of the heating circuit pipe 202 to enter the storage chamber. On the other hand, it is preferable to arrange it on the central side or the front side because the packing 204 is less likely to interfere when the refrigerator door 2a or the refrigerator door 2b is opened and closed. The heating circuit pipe 202 may be arranged within the side projection plane of the packing 204 or in front of it.

Embodiment

[0094] Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. FIG. 11 is a top view of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the refrigerator 1 with the refrigerator door 2a attached to the heat insulation box 10. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of part XIII in FIG. 12. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0095] In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the fluid 203 is heated by the solid heat conduction of the upper door hinge 17a and the heat exchange with the atmosphere has been described. In the second embodiment, however, a part of the heating circuit pipe 202 through which the fluid 203 flows is arranged in the refrigerator 1 where the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 (72a) is arranged. In other words, in the second embodiment, a part of the heating circuit pipe 202 is arranged so as to be in thermal contact with the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 (72a) constituting the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 1. The heating circuit 200 of the second embodiment is provided on the refrigerator door 2a as in the first embodiment.

[0096] The hinge pin 172 is internally formed hollow and is fluidly connected (hereinafter simply referred to as "connected") to the heating circuit pipe 202, and is provided with a first heating circuit flow pipe 2021a that sends the fluid 203 toward the heat insulation box body 10 side, and a first heating circuit return pipe 2021b that is connected to the heating circuit pipe 202 and returns the fluid 203 to the refrigerator door 2a side. The first heating circuit flow pipe 2021a and the first heating circuit return pipe 2021b may partition the hollow space inside the hinge pin 172 into two and be formed as two pipes. That is, a wall surface can be formed so as to partition the hollow space of the hinge pin 172 into two in the axial direction view. Alternatively, two pipes (the first heating circuit flow pipe 2021a and the first heating circuit return pipe 2021b) may be passed through the hollow space inside the hinge pin 172. The heating circuit pipe 202, the first heating circuit flow pipe 2021a, and the first heating circuit return pipe 2021b that are fluidly connected may be integrated or separate bodies.

[0097] The box body fixing portion 171 is provided with a second heating circuit flow pipe 2022a that is connected to the first heating circuit flow pipe 2021a and sends the fluid 203 toward the heat insulation box body 10 side, and a second heating circuit return pipe 2022b that is connected to the first heating circuit return pipe 2021b and returns the fluid 203 to the refrigerator door 2a side. The second heating circuit flow pipe 2022a and the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b are arranged so as to extend in the front-rear direction above the outside of the heat insulation box body 10 (above the upper surface of the refrigerator door 2a. Also, above the top surface of the heat insulation box body 10). The second heating circuit flow pipe 2022a and the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b may partition the inside of the box body fixing portion 171 to form pipes, or each pipe may be passed through the inside of the box body fixing portion 171.

[0098] The outer box 10a of the heat insulation box body 10 is formed with a connection opening 10a1 that opens upward. Inside the connection opening 10a1, a third heating circuit flow pipe 2023a that is connected to the second heating circuit flow pipe 2022a and sends the fluid 203, and a third heating circuit return pipe 2023b that is connected to the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b and returns the fluid 203 are provided. Also, the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b is connected to the third heating circuit flow pipe 2023a.

[0099] The third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a and / or the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b is disposed between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the heat insulation box body 10, and is disposed in the vicinity so as to be in thermal contact with the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a), for example, disposed opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a and / or the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b extends along the left-right direction in the space between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b. Similarly, a part of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a) also extends along the left-right direction in the space between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b in the vicinity of the region where the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a and / or the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b is laid.

[0100] In this embodiment, the heating circuit supply pipes that supply the fluid 203 in the heating circuit pipe 202 to the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a) side are formed in the order of the first heating circuit supply pipe 2021a, the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a, and the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a. Further, the fluid 203 that has passed through the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a subsequently forms a heating circuit return pipe that returns the fluid 203 to the rotating partition body 39 side in the order of the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b, the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b, and the first heating circuit return pipe 2021b. The heating circuit supply pipe and the heating circuit return pipe constitute a part of the heating circuit pipe 202.

[0101] When the pump 201 operates, the fluid 203 is discharged from the pump 201, and the discharged fluid 203a flows through the heating circuit pipes 202 at the lower part of the refrigerator door 2a, on the rotating partition body 39 side, and at the upper part of the refrigerator door 2a, respectively, and further flows through the first heating circuit supply pipe 2021a, the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a, and the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a. The fluid 203 flowing through the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a and / or the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b and the refrigerant 205 flowing through the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a) flow in opposite directions to each other, and heat exchange is likely to occur.

[0102] Then, the fluid 203 flowing in the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a is heated and, for example, turns 180° and flows in the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b.

[0103] The fluid 203 flowing in the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b is further heated by the refrigerant 205 flowing in the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 (72a), flows through the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b and the first heating circuit return pipe 2021b, and flows into the heating circuit pipe 202 of the refrigerator door 2a. The fluid 203 flowing into the heating circuit pipe 202 is pressurized again by the pump 201, and the fluid 203 discharged from the pump 201 flows in the heating circuit pipe 202 on the lower part of the refrigerator door 2a and on the side of the rotary partition 39. Then, when the fluid 203 flows through the heating circuit pipe 202 on the side of the rotary partition 39, it heats the rotary partition 39. Thereby, dew condensation generated on the surface of the rotary partition 39 can be suppressed.

[0104] The fluid 203 heated by the heat of the refrigerant 205 circulates through the heating circuit pipe 202 by driving the pump 201 as in the first embodiment. Then, the fluid 203 that has moved near the rotary partition 39 dissipates heat and heats the rotary partition 39. The dissipated fluid 203 is cooled, moves through the heating circuit pipe 202, and is heated again at the portion that is in thermal contact with the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 on the side of the heat insulation box body 10.

[0105] Also, when part or all of the heating circuit pipe 202 is made of metal, the thermal conductivity is improved, and heat exchange between the heating circuit pipe 202 and the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 and between the heating circuit pipe 202 and the rotary partition 39 can be performed well.

[0106] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the upper door hinge 17a is composed of a box body fixing portion 171 fixed to the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 10 and a hinge pin 172 fixed and connected to the box body fixing portion 171. However, for example, it may be composed of a joint such as an elbow-shaped rotary joint that rotatably connects the box body fixing portion 171 and the hinge pin 172, or a flexible flexible tube. In this case, the design freedom of the upper door hinge 17a can be expanded, and the installation workability of the heating circuit pipe 202 can be improved.

[0107] In addition, since the fluid circuit on the side of the refrigerator door 2a is contained within the refrigerator door 2a and slightly protruding from the upper door hinge 17a, it is easy to complete during the manufacture of the refrigerator door 2a, and it is also easy to ensure manufacturability and assemblability to the heat insulation box 10. For example, as the fluid circuit, the ends or part of the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a and the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b that will be exposed above the outside of the cabinet are created on the side of the refrigerator door 2a, and the remaining parts of the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a and the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b and the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a and the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b can be created on the side of the heat insulation box 10. Then, the side of the refrigerator door 2a and the side of the heat insulation box 10 can be connected by welding or the like. That is, when manufacturing in this way, connection marks such as welding will remain on the part of the fluid circuit that is exposed outside the cabinet.

[0108] In this embodiment, the refrigerant circuit and the fluid circuit are made independent, and heat transfer is caused from the refrigerant circuit to the fluid circuit by thermal contact. However, it may be configured to be completed within the refrigerant circuit. That is, the third heating circuit supply pipe 2023a and the third heating circuit return pipe 2023b are deleted, and the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 is fluidly connected to the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b. Further, the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a may be extended into the heat insulation box 10 so as to function as a continuation of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72. In this case, the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72, the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b, the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a, and the part functioning as a continuation of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 can also be connected to a known four-way valve.

[0109] Specifically, it is configured such that the refrigerant of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 flows into the four-way valve.

[0110] When the four-way valve is switched so that the refrigerant flows out of the four-way valve toward one of the second heating circuit return pipe 2022b or the second heating circuit supply pipe 2022a, the refrigerant is configured to flow back into the four-way valve from the other. Then, the four-way valve is configured so that a switching mode can be achieved in which the refluxed refrigerant flows out toward the continuation of the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72. In the case of this switching mode, the refrigerant flowing into the four-way valve will flow through the side of the refrigerator door 2a and then through the continuation of the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72.

[0111] Furthermore, the four-way valve is configured so that a switching mode can be achieved in which the refrigerant of the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 flowing into the four-way valve directly flows out to the continuation of the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72. In the case of this switching mode, the refrigerant flowing into the four-way valve bypasses without flowing through the side of the refrigerator door 2a.

[0112] Next, the dew condensation prevention operation control of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the dew condensation prevention operation control of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0113] In FIG. 14, the control device 31 determines whether the surface temperature T of the rotary partition 39 tar is lower than the surface minimum temperature T of the rotary partition 39 min (step S101).

[0114] T min ≧T tar If so (Yes in step S101), the control device 31 determines whether the compressor 24 is in operation (step S102). If it is not in operation (No in step S102), the control device 31 drives the compressor 24 at a predetermined rotational speed N 1 (step S103). Then, step S104 is executed. If the compressor 24 is in operation (Yes in step S102), the control device 31 executes step S104.

[0115] Furthermore, the control device 31 determines a predetermined time interval Δt and the change ΔT in the surface temperature of the rotary partition 39 during Δt tarduring which, ΔT tar / Δt < α is determined (step S104). Here, α is a value for temperature change identification determined in advance.

[0116] ΔT tar If / Δt < α (Yes in step S104), the control device 31 adds a predetermined rotational speed ΔN to the rotating compressor 24 and controls it (step S105). Then, the control device 31 drives the pump 201 and starts the circulation of the fluid 203 in the heating circuit 200 (step S106). In step S104, when ΔT tar / Δt is not less than α (No in step S104), the control device 31 executes step S106.

[0117] In step S101, if T min ≧ T tar is not satisfied (No in step S101), the control device 31 determines whether the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition 39 is not less than the surface maximum temperature T max of the rotary partition 39 (step S107).

[0118] If T max ≧ T tar is satisfied, the process returns to step S101. If T max < T tar is satisfied (Yes in step S107), the control device 31 turns off the pump 201 (step S108) and stops the circulation of the fluid 203 in the heating circuit 200.

[0119] Next, the control device 31 determines whether the refrigerator 1 is in the cooling operation (step S109). If it is not in the cooling operation (No in step S109), the compressor 24 is stopped (step S1100). If it is in the cooling operation (Yes in step S109), the control device 31 sets the rotational speed of the compressor 24 to the rotational speed N 1 specified separately for the cooling operation of the refrigerator (step S111).

[0120] FIG. 15 is a graph showing an example of temperature changes during the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same components as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. In FIG. 15, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the temperature of each part and the operating state of the pump 201.

[0121] The refrigerator 1 of Embodiment 2 controls the driving and non-driving of the pump 201 based on the surface maximum temperature T max and the surface minimum temperature T min of the rotary partition body 39 determined in advance with reference to the dew point temperature. Further, in addition to controlling the driving and non-driving of the pump 201, the temperature T pipe of the wall surface heat radiation pipe 72 is changed by controlling the rotation speed of the compressor 24.

[0122] t on the horizontal axis of FIG. 11 0 ~t 8 represents the following. (1) t 0 : A certain time during the cooling operation (2) t 1 : The time when the compressor 24 becomes non-driven and the cooling of the refrigerating chamber ends (3) t 2 : The time when the dew point temperature T dew of the installation environment of the refrigerator 1 rises (4) t 3 is: The surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition body 39 falls below the surface minimum temperature T min of the rotary partition body 39, and the compressor 24 and the pump 201 become driven (5) t 4 : The state where the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition body 39 is below the surface minimum temperature T min of the rotary partition body 39, and ΔT tar / Δt < α and ΔN is added to the compressor rotation speed (6) t 5 : The surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition body 39 exceeds the surface maximum temperature T max of the rotary partition body 39, and the compressor 24 and the pump 201 become non-driven (7) t 6: Again, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar is lower than the minimum surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 min and the time when the compressor 24 and the pump 201 are in the driving state (8)t 7 : The time when the dew point temperature of the installation environment of the refrigerator 1 decreases t 8 is when the cooling operation starts and the compressor rotation speed becomes the rotation speed N 1 at this time time t 1 At this time, the refrigerating chamber cooling operation ends and the compressor becomes non - driving. At this time, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar is higher than the maximum surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 max so the pump 201 is also in the non - driving state.

[0123] time t 2 At this time, in the installation environment of the refrigerator 1, for example, when the humidifier is operated and the humidity rises, the dew point temperature T dew rises.

[0124] dew point temperature T dew As the dew point temperature T rises, the maximum surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 max and the minimum surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 min rise, and at time t 3 the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar is lower than the minimum surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 min and the pump 201 becomes the driving state.

[0125] After that, at time t 4 T min < T tar and ΔT tar / Δt < α, and the rotation speed of the compressor 24 changes from N 1 to N 1 +ΔN. That is, when the humidity in the room where the refrigerator 1 is installed rises, the rotation speed of the compressor 24 is increased.

[0126] By controlling in this way, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tarIf it does not rise or takes time to rise, drive the compressor at a high rotational speed to increase the temperature of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe T pipe so as to accelerate the rise of the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition 39.

[0127] At time t 5 the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition 39 exceeds the surface maximum temperature T max of the rotary partition 39, the pump 201 becomes non-driven, and since the cooling operation has also ended, the compressor 24 also becomes non-driven.

[0128] At time t 6 the compressor 24 and the pump 201 are in the driven state as in time t 3 .

[0129] At time t 7 in the installation environment of the refrigerator 1, for example, when a dehumidifier is operated and the humidity decreases, the dew point temperature T dew decreases. Also, since the surface temperature T tar of the rotary partition 39 exceeds the surface maximum temperature T max of the rotary partition 39, the compressor 24 and the pump 201 become non-driven.

[0130] The surface maximum temperature T max and the surface minimum temperature T min of the rotary partition 39 are determined to satisfy T max ≧T min ≧T dew .

[0131] At time t 8 the cooling operation starts, so the compressor 24 starts to be driven at the rotational speed N 1 .

[0132] The configuration of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has been described above. Next, the effects of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0133] The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has the surface temperature T tarfalls below the surface minimum temperature T of the rotary partition body 39, the compressor 24 is driven together with the pump 201. min When it is lower than the surface minimum temperature T of the rotary partition body 39, the compressor 24 is driven together with the pump 201.

[0134] By adopting such a configuration, the temperature of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 that exchanges heat with the heating circuit pipe 202 can be kept relatively high, and the fluid 203 can be heated to a high temperature. As a result, the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar can be kept high, and condensation can be more reliably prevented.

[0135] In addition, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar does not reach the target temperature for a certain period of time, the rotation speed of the compressor 24 is increased.

[0136] By configuring in this way, the temperature of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 that exchanges heat with the heating circuit pipe 202 can be further increased, and the surface temperature T of the rotary partition body 39 tar can be kept high, and condensation can be reliably prevented.

[0137] The configuration of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the effects of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0138] In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, a heat-insulating box body 10 which is a box body, a refrigerating chamber 2 which is a storage chamber provided in the heat-insulating box body 10, refrigerating chamber doors 2a and 2b which are the first door and the second door for opening and closing the opening of the refrigerating chamber, a rotary partition body 39 which is an air flow blocking member provided on the refrigerating chamber door 2a, an upper door hinge 17a which is the first hinge for supporting the refrigerating chamber door 2a, a wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 which is a high-temperature part higher than the temperature of the rotary partition body 39 provided in the heat-insulating box body 10, and a heating circuit pipe 202 for transporting heat to the vicinity of the rotary partition body 39 provided on the refrigerating chamber door 2a are provided, and the heat is transported from the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 to the heating circuit pipe 202 through the upper door hinge 17a. Further, a part of the heating circuit pipe 202 is in thermal contact with the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72.

[0139] With such a configuration, in the refrigerator door 2a having a rotating function, the heated fluid 203 can be transported directly from the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 72 provided in the heat insulation box body 10 to the heating circuit pipe 202 provided in the refrigerator door 2a. By flowing the heated medium 203, the rotary partition body 39 can be heated and dew condensation can be prevented.

[0140] The above embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. In addition, the configuration of another embodiment can be appropriately added to the configuration of a certain embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of this embodiment with other configurations. Also, the mechanisms and configurations described above show those considered necessary for explanation, and not necessarily all the mechanisms and configurations are shown in the product.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0141] 1…Refrigerator, 2…Refrigerating compartment, 2a…Refrigerating compartment door, 2b…Refrigerating compartment door, 3…Ice-making compartment, 3a…Ice-making compartment door, 3b…Ice-making compartment container, 4…Upper freezing compartment, 4a…Upper freezing compartment door, 4b…Upper freezing compartment container, 5…Lower freezing compartment, 5a…Lower freezing compartment door, 5b…Lower freezing compartment container, 6…Vegetable compartment, 6a…Vegetable compartment door, 6b…Vegetable compartment container, 7…Machine room, 8…Cooler room, 9a…Refrigerating compartment fan, 9b…Freezing compartment fan, 10…Heat-insulating box body, 10a…Outer box, 10b…Inner box, 14a…Refrigerating compartment cooler, 14b…Freezing compartment cooler, 15…Vacuum heat-insulating material, 16…Door hinge cover, 17a, 17b…Upper door hinge, 18a, 18b…Lower door hinge, 20a…Surface, 20b…Surface, 21…Defrosting heater, 22…Freezing compartment drain pipe, 23…Freezing compartment gutter, 24…Compressor, 25…Refrigerating compartment gutter, 26…Refrigerating compartment drain pipe, 27…Heat-insulating partition wall, 28…Heat-insulating partition wall, 28a…Refrigerating gas-liquid separator, 28b…Freezing gas-liquid separator, 29…Partition part, 30…Partition part, 31…Control device, 32…Evaporation dish, 33a…Door pocket, 33b…Door pocket, 33c…Door pocket, 34a…Shelf, 34b…Shelf, 34c…Shelf, 34d…Shelf, 36…Container, 36a…Cover body, 37…Outside air temperature sensor, 38…Outside air humidity sensor, 39…Rotating partition body, 41…Refrigerating compartment temperature sensor, 42…Refrigerating compartment cooler temperature sensor, 43…Freezing compartment temperature sensor, 44…Freezing compartment cooler temperature sensor, 45…Vegetable compartment temperature sensor, 46a…Packing, 46b…Packing, 51…Rotating partition body hinge, 60…Freezing compartment, 71…Outdoor radiator, 72…Wall surface heat radiation pipe, 73…Dew condensation suppression pipe, 75a…Refrigerating capillary tube, 75b…Freezing capillary tube, 77…Medium pipe, 77c…Refrigerant pipe, 77e…Refrigerant pipe, 77f…Refrigerant pipe, 89…Check valve, 90a…Dryer, 90b…Dryer, 92…Three-way valve, 92a…Connection opening, 92b…Connection opening, 92c…Connection opening, 100…Freezing compartment air duct, 101…Ice-making compartment air outlet, 102…Upper freezing compartment air outlet, 103…And lower freezing compartment air outlet, 105…Freezing compartment return air duct, 110…Refrigerating compartment air duct, 111a…Upper refrigerating compartment air outlet, 111b…Lower refrigerating compartment air outlet, 115…Refrigerating compartment return air duct, 135…Vegetable compartment return air duct, 136…Vegetable compartment return air opening, 171…Box body fixing part, 172…Hinge pin, 181…Box body fixing part, 182…Hinge pin, 200…Heating circuit, 201…Pump, 202…Heating circuit pipe, 203…Fluid, 204…Packing, 205…Refrigerant2021a... First heating circuit flow supply pipe, 2022a... Second heating circuit flow supply pipe, 2023a... Third heating circuit flow supply pipe, 2021b... First heating circuit return pipe, 2022b... Second heating circuit return pipe, 2023b... Third heating circuit return pipe,

Claims

1. A box body with an opening at the front to form a storage chamber, a first door and a second door for opening and closing the opening, an air flow blocking member provided in the gap between the first door and the second door, a first door hinge for supporting the first door, and comprising: The first door has a heating circuit pipe on which at least near the air flow blocking member and through which a fluid flows, transfer heat from a high-temperature part arranged in the box body to the heating circuit pipe, and / or transfer heat from an end face of the first door facing outside the storage to the heating circuit pipe, a refrigerator characterized by this.

2. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, transfer heat from a high-temperature part arranged in the box body to the heating circuit pipe, the first door hinge or metal is in thermal contact with the heating circuit pipe, transfer of heat from the high-temperature part to the heating circuit pipe is performed by solid heat conduction of the first door hinge or the metal, a refrigerator characterized by this.

3. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, transfer heat from an end face of the first door facing outside the storage to the heating circuit pipe, the end face facing outside the storage is a face along the longitudinal direction of the first door, the heating circuit pipe is arranged along the end face, a refrigerator characterized by this.

4. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, the heating circuit pipe is annular and is provided with a pump for flowing the fluid, a refrigerator characterized by this.

5. In the refrigerator according to Claim 4, the fluid sent out from the pump is arranged to pass near the air flow blocking member after receiving heat transfer from the high-temperature part and / or the end face, a refrigerator characterized by this.

6. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, transfer heat from a high-temperature part arranged in the box body to the heating circuit pipe, a part of the heating circuit pipe reaches inside the box body through the inside of the first door hinge and is in thermal contact with the high-temperature part, a refrigerator characterized by this.

7. In the refrigerator according to Claim 6, inside the first door hinge, there is a heating circuit flow pipe that constitutes a part of the heating circuit pipe and sends the fluid to the high-temperature part side, and a heating circuit return pipe that constitutes a part of the heating circuit pipe and returns the fluid heated by heat exchange with the high-temperature part to the first door side, a part of the heating circuit pipe passes above the first door and the box body, a refrigerator characterized by this.

8. In the refrigerator according to Claim 6 or 7, The refrigerator is characterized in that the first door hinge is composed of a box body fixing part fixed to the upper surface of the box body and a hinge pin connected to the box body fixing part.

9. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, the heating circuit pipe laid near the air flow blocking member is arranged on the front side of the first door. This is the refrigerator's characteristic.

10. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, the heating circuit pipe laid near the air flow blocking member is arranged in the center or on the rear side of the first door. This is the refrigerator's characteristic.

11. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, the refrigerator is characterized in that a packing is arranged as the air flow blocking member.

12. In the refrigerator according to claim 11, the packing is arranged in the center or on the front side of the gap, and the heating circuit pipe laid near the packing is arranged within the side projection plane of the packing or in front of it. This is the refrigerator's characteristic.

13. A box body with an opening at the front to form a storage chamber, a first door and a second door for opening and closing the opening, an air flow blocking member provided in the gap between the first door and the second door, and a first door hinge for supporting the first door. The refrigerator is equipped with these components. The first door has a heating circuit pipe through which a fluid flows, at least in the vicinity of the air flow blocking member. The box body has a refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant circulates. As part of the refrigeration cycle, the heating circuit pipe is provided. The refrigerator is characterized in that the fluid is the refrigerant.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Refrigerator

    JP2008008552A