Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can diagnose whether an increase in consumption power of the refrigerator results from a failure or deterioration of a component for a freezing cycle or from deterioration of vacuum insulation material, and display the result.SOLUTION: Diagnosis means includes: a consumption power measuring unit 100 for measuring the consumption power of a refrigerator; a power difference estimation unit 110 for estimating a power difference between a reference consumption power of the refrigerator under predefined conditions and a current actual consumption power of the refrigerator determined by the consumption power measuring unit; a power impact value estimation unit 160 for estimating a power impact value that represents impact on the consumption power based on the temporal degradation of a vacuum insulation material; a diagnosis unit 170 for diagnosing the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material based on a relation between the power impact value and the power difference; and a display control unit 180 which provides different displays according to a diagnosis result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator for refrigerating and / or freezing food and beverages.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, from the viewpoints of carbon dioxide reduction and energy saving, there has been a demand to reduce power consumption also in home appliances. For example, in a refrigerator, in order to achieve low power consumption, improvement of heat insulation performance is required, and in order to improve the heat insulation performance, a vacuum heat insulating material is provided between an outer box made of a thin metal plate constituting the wall surface of the refrigerator and an inner box formed by resin molding.

[0003] In such a refrigerator using a vacuum heat insulating material, it is desired to estimate deterioration (such as a decrease in vacuum degree or damage to an outer wrapping material) of the vacuum heat insulating material and notify the user of countermeasures. And, as an example of estimating the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material, the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-156965 (Patent Document 1) is known.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating deterioration by raising the output of a compressor and maintaining the temperature inside the refrigerator at a predetermined temperature when estimating the deterioration of a vacuum heat insulating material. That is, although power consumption increases by raising the output of the compressor, the increase amount of the power consumption is measured, and the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material is diagnosed from the increase in power consumption.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, the increase in power consumption associated with the overall deterioration of the refrigerator is not only due to the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, but also increases due to failures or deteriorations of components constituting the refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor, an expansion valve, a condenser, a blower, and refrigerant pipes. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate in detail the cause of the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material or the failure / deterioration of the refrigerator only by measuring the increase in power consumption.

[0007] As described above, it is important to grasp the cause of the increase in power consumption of the refrigerator. When the increase in power consumption of the refrigerator is due to failures or deteriorations of components constituting the refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor, an expansion valve, a condenser, a blower, and refrigerant pipes, it is required to provide information prompting the user to replace the failed component.

[0008] On the other hand, when the power consumption increases due to the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, the vacuum insulation material is installed in a state sandwiched between the outer box and the inner box of the refrigerator, and it is difficult to replace. Therefore, when the cause is the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, it is required to predict the future deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, for example, convert the power consumption into an electricity bill, display how much the future electricity bill will increase, etc., and provide information that allows the user to determine the replacement timing.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of diagnosing whether the cause of the increase in power consumption of the refrigerator is due to a failure or deterioration of a component of the refrigeration cycle or due to a deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, and displaying the result.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising an outer box, an inner box, a heat-insulating box body composed of a vacuum heat-insulating material interposed between the outer box and the inner box, a refrigerating chamber and / or a freezing chamber formed in the heat-insulating box body, a heat-insulating door provided in each of the refrigerating chamber and / or the freezing chamber, a refrigeration cycle for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber and / or the freezing chamber, and a control means for controlling the refrigeration cycle. The control means includes a diagnosis means for performing a failure diagnosis. The diagnosis means includes a power consumption measurement unit for measuring the power consumption of the refrigerator, a power difference estimation unit for estimating the power difference between the reference power consumption of the refrigerator under a predetermined condition and the actual power consumption of the current refrigerator obtained by the power consumption measurement unit, a power influence value estimation unit for estimating a power influence value representing the influence on the power consumption based on the deterioration of the vacuum heat-insulating material over time, a diagnosis unit for diagnosing the deterioration of the vacuum heat-insulating material from the relationship between the power influence value and the power difference, and a display control unit for performing different displays according to the diagnosis result.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] In the present invention, it is possible to diagnose whether the cause of the increase in the power consumption of the refrigerator is due to a failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle or due to the deterioration of the vacuum heat-insulating material, and display this result.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and application examples within the technical concept of the present invention are also included in its scope.

[0014] First, the configuration of the refrigerator to which the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a heat-insulating box body 20 and a heat-insulating door 10 attached to the heat-insulating box body 20. In the present embodiment, the heat-insulating door 10 is composed of a plurality of heat-insulating doors 1 to 6. That is, the heat-insulating door 10 is used as a general term for the heat-insulating doors 1 to 6. The outer box 21 of the heat-insulating box body 20 includes a top panel 22, a back panel (see FIG. 3), a bottom panel (see FIG. 3), a left side panel (not shown), and a right side panel 25. Incidentally, the heat-insulating doors 1 and 2 are rotatably supported by hinges 36.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the A-A cross-section of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator has, as storage rooms, a refrigerating chamber 11, an ice-making chamber 12, an upper freezing chamber 13, a lower freezing chamber 14, and a vegetable chamber 15 in order from above. The refrigerator is placed on the floor of the house by legs 38. The heat-insulating doors 1 to 6 are doors that open and close the openings formed in front of each storage room.

[0017] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 3, the heat insulating doors 1 and 2 are rotatable heat insulating doors that rotate around the hinge 36, and the heat insulating doors 3 to 6 are pull-out type heat insulating doors. When the pull-out type heat insulating doors 3 to 6 are pulled out, the containers constituting each chamber are pulled out together with the heat insulating doors.

[0018] The heat insulating doors 1 and 2 are heat insulating doors for the refrigerator compartment 11, the heat insulating door 3 is a heat insulating door for the ice making compartment 12, the heat insulating door 4 is a heat insulating door for the upper freezer compartment 13, the heat insulating door 5 is a heat insulating door for the lower freezer compartment 14, and the heat insulating door 6 is a heat insulating door for the vegetable compartment 15. Here, the ice making compartment 12 can be said to be a freezer compartment arranged side by side with the upper freezer compartment 13.

[0019] Also, the heat insulating doors 1 and 2 are rotatable heat insulating doors, and the heat insulating doors 3 to 6 are pull-out type heat insulating doors. Each of the heat insulating doors 1 to 6 is provided with a packing 37 (see FIG. 3) for sealing the refrigerator 100. The packing 37 is attached to the inner peripheral edge on the indoor side of each of the heat insulating doors 1 to 6.

[0020] In addition, a display portion 190 is provided in a part of the lower left end region of the heat insulating door 1. This display portion 190 performs various displays, and also performs a display corresponding to the diagnosis result of the diagnosis means described later.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, each of the heat insulating doors 1 to 6 has a design surface portion 31 facing the outside and an inner wall portion 32 facing the indoor side. In the present embodiment, inside each of the heat insulating doors 1 to 6, that is, between the design surface portion 31 and the inner wall portion 32, there are provided a core material made of inorganic fiber (for example, glass fiber) as a heat insulating material and an outer wrapping material covering this core material, and a vacuum heat insulating material 50 whose inside is depressurized by vacuum pumping is disposed.

[0022] Also, the space other than the vacuum heat insulating material 50 inside each of the heat insulating doors 1 to 6 is filled with a foamed heat insulating material 33 such as rigid urethane foam.

[0023] In addition, a partition heat insulation wall 16 is arranged to partition and thermally insulate between the refrigerator compartment 11, the ice making compartment 12, and the upper freezer compartment 13. Since the temperature zones between the ice making compartment 12 and the upper freezer compartment 13 and the lower freezer compartment 14 are the same, instead of a partition heat insulation wall for partitioning and thermal insulation, a partition member 17 that forms a receiving surface for the packing 37 is provided.

[0024] A partition heat insulation wall 18 for partitioning and thermal insulation is provided between the lower freezer compartment 14 and the vegetable compartment 15. Note that the arrangement of each storage compartment in the heat insulation box body 20 is not particularly limited to the above-described arrangement. Also, regarding the heat insulation doors 1 to 6, the opening and closing by rotation, the opening and closing by pulling out, the number of divisions of the heat insulation door, etc. are not particularly limited.

[0025] The heat insulation box body 20 includes an outer box 21 made of a steel plate and an inner box 27 made of a synthetic resin, and a heat insulation layer is provided in the space formed by the outer box 21 and the inner box 27 to thermally insulate each storage compartment in the heat insulation box body 20 from the outside. The outer box 21 includes a top plate 22, a back plate 23, a bottom plate 24, a left side plate (not shown), and a right side plate 25 (see FIG. 1).

[0026] Vacuum heat insulation materials 48 and 50 are arranged in the space between the outer box 21 and the inner box 27, and the space other than the vacuum heat insulation materials 48 and 50 is filled with a foamed heat insulation material 34 such as rigid urethane foam. Also, the partition heat insulation walls 16 and 18 are composed of a foamed polystyrene 35 and a vacuum heat insulation material 50, but are not limited thereto, and may be filled with a foamed heat insulation material such as rigid urethane foam.

[0027] A cooler 44 for cooling each storage compartment of the refrigerator 100 to a predetermined temperature is provided on the back side of the lower freezer compartment 14. The cooler 44, a compressor 45, a condenser 46, and a capillary tube (expansion valve) (not shown) are connected by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigeration cycle. Above the cooler 44, a blower 43 for circulating the cold air cooled by the cooler 44 in the refrigerator 100 to maintain a predetermined low temperature is arranged.

[0028] At the rear part of the top panel 22 of the heat insulation box 20, a recess 40 for accommodating electrical components such as a control board and a power supply board for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 100 (hereinafter referred to as control means) 41 is formed, and a cover 42 for covering the control means 41 is provided. The height of the cover 42 is set to be approximately the same as the top surface of the outer box 21 in consideration of the external design and ensuring the internal volume.

[0029] The control means 41 includes a refrigeration cycle control means for controlling the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, an illumination control means for controlling the interior lighting, and in addition, a diagnostic means which is the object of the present invention. The diagnostic means has a function of judging the failure and deterioration of the refrigeration cycle and the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulation material by using the power consumption of the refrigerator in particular, and displaying different notification contents.

[0030] This diagnostic means includes a power consumption measurement unit for measuring the power consumption of the refrigerator, a power difference estimation unit for estimating the power difference between the reference power consumption of the refrigerator under predetermined conditions and the actual power consumption of the current refrigerator obtained by the power consumption measurement unit, a power influence value estimation unit for estimating a power influence value representing the influence of the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulation material over time on the power consumption, a diagnostic unit for diagnosing the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulation material from the relationship between the power influence value and the power difference, and a display control unit for performing different displays according to the diagnostic results. Hereinafter, this diagnostic means will be described in detail.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the control block of the diagnostic means according to the embodiment of the present invention. The diagnostic means according to this embodiment is composed of a power consumption measurement unit 100, a power difference estimation unit 110, a memory unit 120, a sensor unit 130, a timer unit 140, a time and sensor information management unit 150, a power influence value estimation unit 160, a diagnostic unit 170, and a display control unit 180. Note that, according to the control signal from the display control unit 180, the display unit 190 displays predetermined notification contents.

[0032] Note that these are functional blocks, and in reality, the above-described diagnostic functions are executed by a microcomputer or the like mounted on the control means 41. This will also be described later with reference to the drawings.

[0033] In the power consumption measurement unit 100, in order to obtain the power consumption of the refrigerator, the current, voltage, etc. supplied to the refrigerator are measured. Since a large amount of power is consumed in the refrigeration cycle, in this embodiment, it is also possible to obtain the power consumption of the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, as the power consumption of the present invention, the overall power consumption of the refrigerator or the power consumption of the refrigeration cycle can be used.

[0034] The voltage information and current information of the power consumption measurement unit 100 are used to calculate the power consumption by performing a predetermined calculation (power consumption = voltage × current). Here, the power consumption measurement unit 100 obtains the average power consumption within a predetermined time period. In addition, the calculation of the power consumption may be performed by a power consumption meter provided outside the refrigerator. The power consumption measurement unit 100 only needs to be able to calculate the power consumption of the refrigerator.

[0035] Here, the power consumption of the refrigerator varies depending on the usage situation of the user. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the state of change in the power consumption of the refrigerator over time. FIG. 5 shows the change in power consumption over the course of one day when the temperature inside the refrigerator is controlled to be constant. The solid line indicates the change in power consumption in the initial state of use of the refrigerator (in the case of a new refrigerator), and the dashed line indicates the change in power consumption in a state where the refrigerator is considered to have deteriorated after being used for a period of time.

[0036] Similarly, FIG. 6 shows the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator over the course of one day when the power consumption of the refrigerator is controlled to be constant. The solid line indicates the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator in the initial state of use (in the case of a new refrigerator), and the dashed line indicates the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator in a deteriorated state after the refrigerator has been used for a period of time.

[0037] As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the power consumption of the refrigerator changes depending on the opening and closing frequency of the heat insulation door 10, the opening time, etc., and the power consumption changes accordingly. In this embodiment, the power consumption measurement unit 100 takes into account the usage situation of the refrigerator and obtains the average power consumption in a state where the power consumption is stable (a state where the change in the power consumption of the refrigerator is small), that is, in a time period when it reaches a steady state.

[0038] Here, as an example of the steady-state power consumption, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the power consumption during the late-night hours is assumed. During the late-night hours, there is no opening / closing operation of the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator, and the power consumption or the temperature inside the refrigerator becomes substantially constant, which is a state suitable for grasping the deterioration state of the refrigerator. In the present embodiment, the late-night hours are generally defined as from 24:00 to 5:00 the next morning.

[0039] Therefore, by providing the power consumption measurement unit 100 with a function for determining the steady state (for example, a time setting function), the power consumption can be measured during the late-night hours, and the effect of improving the diagnostic accuracy can be obtained.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the power consumption in the initial state when the refrigerator is used for the first time, that is, the state in which a new refrigerator is used, and the power consumption in the state in which deterioration is considered to have occurred after using the refrigerator are measured, and using the measurement results, the failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle or the state of deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material is diagnosed. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately estimate the difference in power consumption between the initial state and the deteriorated state. Note that the state in which deterioration is considered to have occurred after using the refrigerator can be indirectly substituted by the usage time of the refrigerator.

[0041] Returning to FIG. 4, the power difference estimation unit 110 has a function of estimating the difference in power consumption between the initial state (reference power consumption) and the deteriorated state (actual power consumption). For example, the time (date and time) when the refrigerator is used for the first time is set as time Tin, and the power consumption at this time is set as the reference power consumption Win. Also, the time (date and time) when it is considered that deterioration has occurred in the refrigerator after a predetermined time Tw has elapsed is set as time Tag, and the power consumption at this time is set as the actual power consumption Wag.

[0042] Note that these power consumptions are the average power consumptions during the late-night hours when it is in the steady state. Also, the predetermined time Tw is the length of time assumed for the state in which deterioration is considered to have occurred after using the refrigerator.

[0043] Then, the power difference estimation unit 110 executes the operation of "Wag - Win" to obtain the power difference ΔW (ΔW = Wag - Win). Here, the time Tin and the power consumption Win are associated, and similarly, the time Tag and the power consumption Wag are associated and sequentially stored in the storage area. Therefore, when the power difference estimation unit 110 executes the above operation, it can read the above information from the storage area as needed to obtain the power difference ΔW.

[0044] In this way, the power difference ΔW between the initial state and the deteriorated state is considered to reflect the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material and the failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, using this power difference ΔW, it is determined whether the cause of the increase in the power consumption of the refrigerator is due to the failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle or the aging deterioration of the vacuum insulation material.

[0045] Note that instead of starting from the time Tin when the use of the refrigerator is started, the power difference ΔW can be obtained using the power consumption measured during the use process of the refrigerator. That is, the time (date and time) when the refrigerator has been used to cause a certain degree of deterioration is set as the time Tagα, and the power consumption at this time is set as the reference power consumption Wagα. Also, the time (date and time) when a predetermined arbitrary time has elapsed from the time Tagα is set as the time Tagβ, and the power consumption at this time is set as the actual power consumption Wagβ.

[0046] Then, the power difference estimation unit 110 can execute the operation of "Wagβ - Wagα" to obtain the power difference ΔW. The power difference ΔW can also be obtained by such a method. Of course, in this case, if the power consumption during the late night period is used, a more accurate power difference can be obtained. The above-mentioned predetermined arbitrary time corresponds to the predetermined time Tw.

[0047] Note that as shown in FIG. 6, it is also possible to measure the temperature inside the cabinet in a state where the power consumption is controlled to be constant, obtain the difference in the temperature inside the cabinet between the initial state and the deteriorated state, convert the temperature difference into power consumption, and obtain the power difference.

[0048] The power difference ΔW obtained by the power difference estimation unit 110 is sent to the memory unit 120 and temporarily stored. In addition to the power difference ΔW, the power consumptions Win, Wag used in the calculation, and the times Tin, Tag, etc. can also be stored simultaneously. The memory unit 120 is a rewritable storage element and can use the RAM area of the microcomputer. Also, other flash ROMs, or E 2 PROMs, etc. can be used.

[0049] Next, the sensor unit 130 mainly measures the outside air temperature ta, the inside temperature ti of the storage, the temperature near the vacuum insulation material (hereinafter referred to as the vacuum insulation material temperature) tvip, and the humidity near the vacuum insulation material (hereinafter referred to as the vacuum insulation material humidity) huvip.

[0050] According to the findings of the present inventors, it has been found that the progress of the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material depends on the vacuum insulation material temperature tvip, the vacuum insulation material humidity huvip, and the elapsed time Tv. The power influence value Wvip described later has a relationship of Wvip = f(tvip, huvip, Tv). Therefore, in order to calculate the power influence value Wvip, the vacuum insulation material temperature tvip and the vacuum insulation material humidity huvip are measured.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the vacuum insulation material is installed in the space between the outer box and the inner box of the refrigerator. The vacuum insulation material temperature tvip and the vacuum insulation material humidity huvip can be measured by attaching a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor to the surface of the vacuum insulation material. By measuring the vacuum insulation material temperature tvip and the vacuum insulation material humidity huvip, the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material can be accurately calculated.

[0052] Here, since the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material is correlated with an increase in power consumption, the power influence value Wvip representing the influence on the power consumption based on the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material can be estimated by converting the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material into power. Of course, in this case, the elapsed time Tv is also considered as a variable. If the elapsed time Tv is made the same as the predetermined time Tw for obtaining the above-described power difference ΔW, the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material can be determined based on the power influence value Wvip and the power difference ΔW.

[0053] As described above, the arithmetic expression is "Wvip = f(huvip, tvip, Tv)", and as a tendency, the larger the values of the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material, the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material, and the elapsed time Tv, the larger the power influence value Wvip becomes.

[0054] In addition, when it is difficult to directly measure the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material, the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material can be estimated from the outside air temperature and the temperature inside the storage, and the estimated temperature can be used. Also, when it is difficult to directly measure the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material, the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material can be estimated from the humidity of the outside air, and the estimated humidity can be used.

[0055] Next, in the time and sensor information management unit 150, the time information (hereinafter referred to as the elapsed time) Tv from the timer unit 140 and the sensor information (ta, ti, tvip, huvip) of the sensor unit 130 are input, and the elapsed time Tv and the sensor information (ta, ti, tvip, huvip) are associated. These elapsed time Tv and sensor information (ta, ti, tvip, huvip) are sent to the memory unit 120 and stored. In addition, each of the sensor information (ta, ti, tvip, huvip) measured by the sensor unit 130 can be averaged in the time and sensor information management unit 150, and the value of the averaged sensor information (ta, ti, tvip, huvip) can be stored in the memory unit 120.

[0056] Next, in the power influence value estimation unit 160, the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material, the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material, and the elapsed time Tv are input from the sensor information stored in the memory unit 120 in order to obtain the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material. Then, the power influence value estimation unit 160 executes the calculation of Wvip = f(tvip, huvip, Tv), and estimates and obtains the power influence value Wvip by converting the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material into electric power.

[0057] Here, the elapsed time Tv is the elapsed time from the time when the reference power consumption was calculated. Therefore, the predetermined time Tw for obtaining the actual power consumption Wag and the elapsed time Tv are the same time length.

[0058] Specific arithmetic expressions can be obtained, for example, through experiments or simulations as empirical formulas (experimental formulas). In addition, the power influence value Wvip can also be obtained by other different methods. The key is that it is sufficient if the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material can be obtained by converting it into electric power.

[0059] Here, the power influence value Wvip can be obtained by executing the above-mentioned arithmetic expression in the power influence value estimation unit 160. In addition, based on experiments or simulations in advance, the characteristics of the time / power influence value Wvip can be obtained and tabulated, and the power influence value Wvip can be obtained by reading it out (lookup) from the elapsed time Tv. If it is tabulated, the calculation time can be shortened.

[0060] Next, the power difference ΔW is read from the memory unit 120 and input to the diagnosis unit 170, and the power influence value Wvip is input from the power influence value specifying unit 160. Then, in the diagnosis unit 170, a determination is made as to whether the vacuum insulation material has deteriorated or whether there is a failure or deterioration in the components of the refrigeration cycle based on the magnitude relationship between the power difference ΔW and the power influence value Wvip.

[0061] The relationship between the magnitude relationship between the power difference ΔW and the power influence value Wvip, the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, and the failure / deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle is as follows. (1) When ΔW > Wvip, it is diagnosed as a failure / deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle other than the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material. (2) When ΔW ≤ Wvip, it is diagnosed as the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material.

[0062] Next, when either the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material or the failure / deterioration of the components is diagnosed, the display control unit 180 determines different display contents corresponding to the respective diagnosis results.

[0063] For example, in the case of a failure / deterioration of a component of the refrigeration cycle, it is possible to provide information that prompts the user to replace the failed component. On the other hand, in the case of deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, it is possible to predict future deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, for example, convert the power consumption into an electricity bill, display how much the future electricity bill will increase, etc., and provide information that enables the user to determine the replacement timing.

[0064] Next, when the display control unit 180 determines the display content, the display unit 190 displays character information to the above effect on a display screen such as a liquid crystal screen, and notifies the user to take necessary measures. Note that instead of character information, voice information may be used for notification, or character information and voice information may be used in combination. Note that the display unit 190 is provided on the lower end side of the heat insulation door 1 of the refrigerator (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates the display content of the display unit 190. FIG. 7A shows the case where the cause of the increase in power consumption is a component of the refrigeration cycle (for example, a compressor). In FIG. 7A, for example, it is displayed that a failure has occurred in a component such as 'A failure / deterioration has occurred in the compressor. Replacement is recommended.' By doing so, it is possible to achieve the effect that the user can request early failure repair.

[0066] Further, FIG. 7B shows the case where the cause of the increase in power consumption is the vacuum insulation material. Since it is difficult to replace the vacuum insulation material, FIG. 7B displays that deterioration has occurred in the vacuum insulation material, for example, 'Deterioration over time has occurred. The electricity bill will increase as the deterioration progresses.' As a result, since it is displayed that the future electricity bill will increase, it is possible to achieve the effect of providing useful information for the user's choice of whether to continue using the refrigerator or whether it is better to replace the refrigerator.

[0067] Next, the control flow when the functions of the above-described diagnostic means are implemented by a microcomputer will be described with reference to FIG. 8. Here, since the details of each control step are shown in the description of FIG. 4 above, they will be briefly described below.

[0068] ≪Step S10≫ In step S10, the actual power consumption Wag of the current refrigerator is obtained, and an operation for obtaining the power difference ΔW (ΔW = Wag - Win) is executed using the previously obtained reference power consumption Win. As described above, the reference power consumption Win is the power consumption at the initial stage of using the refrigerator, and the actual power consumption Wag is the power consumption at the diagnostic time after the elapse of the predetermined time Tw. The power difference ΔW is temporarily stored in the RAM area of the microcomputer. When step S10 is executed, the process proceeds to the next step S20 and step S30.

[0069] ≪Step S20≫, ≪Step S30≫ In steps S20 and S30, an operation for obtaining the power influence value Wvip is executed.

[0070] In step S20, information on the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material, the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material, and the elapsed time Tv is acquired. Since this information is stored in the memory unit 120 (see FIG. 4), it can be read out as needed. When the information on the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material, the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material, and the elapsed time Tv is acquired, step S30 is executed.

[0071] In step S30, the power influence value Wvip due to the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material is calculated. The calculation formula is, as described above, "Wvip = f(huvip, tvip, Tv)", and as a tendency, the larger the values of the humidity huvip of the vacuum insulation material, the temperature tvip of the vacuum insulation material, and the elapsed time Tv, the larger the power influence value Wvip. The obtained power influence value Wvip is also temporarily stored in the RAM area of the microcomputer.

[0072] Currently, the power influence value Wvip may be corrected according to the outside air temperature during calculation and the design specifications of the refrigerator. When the power influence value Wvip is obtained, the process proceeds to step S40.

[0073] ≪Step S40≫ In step S40, the power difference ΔW and the power influence value Wvip stored in the RAM area are read out, and the magnitude relationship between the power influence value Wvip and the power difference ΔW is determined. If it is determined in this step S40 that "ΔW ≤ Wvip", the process proceeds to step S50; if it is determined that "ΔW > Wvip", the process proceeds to step S60.

[0074] When it is determined that "ΔW ≤ Wvip", step S50 is executed assuming deterioration of the vacuum insulation material; when it is determined that "ΔW > Wvip", step S60 is executed assuming a failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle.

[0075] Regarding the above determination, supplementary explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the actual power consumption Wag at a certain diagnosis time is obtained, and the power difference ΔW is obtained by performing the calculation of "Wag - Win". Also, at the same diagnosis time, the power influence value Wvip is obtained by performing the calculation of "Wvip = f(huvip, tvip, Tv)".

[0076] And at the diagnosis time, if the relationship "ΔW ≤ Wvip" holds, it is determined that deterioration of the vacuum insulation material has occurred. The change in the power difference ΔW in this case is as shown by the characteristic CH1. On the other hand, at the diagnosis time, if the relationship "ΔW > Wvip" holds, it is determined that a failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle has occurred. The change in the power difference ΔW in this case is as shown by the characteristic CH2.

[0077] As described above, since the power influence value Wvip varies depending on the vacuum insulation material humidity huvip, the vacuum insulation material temperature tvip, and the elapsed time Tv, there may be cases where the judgment results are different even if the power difference ΔW is the same.

[0078] The diagnosis time shown in Fig. 9 can be any time, but it is preferable to perform a plurality of diagnoses within a unit period. For example, when the unit period is one month, the diagnosis can be performed every other week. By performing the diagnosis multiple times in this way, it becomes possible to analyze the change over time in more detail, and the effect of improving the diagnosis accuracy can be achieved.

[0079] ≪Step S50≫ In step S50, it is diagnosed that the power consumption increases due to the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material. The vacuum insulation material is installed between the outer box and the inner box of the refrigerator and is difficult to replace. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, it is also possible to predict the increase in power consumption from the diagnosis time to a predetermined future time and inform the user of the charge conversion value obtained by converting it into an electricity charge.

[0080] That is, it is possible to present a predicted value of how much the electricity charge at a predetermined future time will increase with respect to the current electricity charge at the diagnosis time due to the increase in power consumption caused by the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material. In step S50, when the increase in the electricity charge is notified, it exits to the end and prepares for the next start timing.

[0081] ≪Step S60≫ In step S60, it is diagnosed that the power consumption increases due to the failure or deterioration of the components (for example, the compressor) of the refrigeration cycle. Then, a notification is given to prompt the replacement of the failed or deteriorated components. In step S60, when the notification of component replacement is given, it exits to the end and prepares for the next start timing.

[0082] Thus, according to the diagnosis means of the present embodiment, it is possible to diagnose whether the cause of the increase in the power consumption of the refrigerator is due to the failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle or due to the deterioration of the vacuum insulation material, and display this result.

[0083] Here, by collecting the diagnosis results via a network and processing them at a data center, it is also possible to detect the failure of the refrigerator at an early stage. As a specific example of the network, the Internet can be used.

[0084] Furthermore, the above-described diagnostic means can execute the diagnostic function only when the power difference ΔW is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. When the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material has not progressed, it is not necessary to operate the diagnostic function deliberately. When the power difference ΔW increases and the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material becomes significant, the diagnostic function can also be operated.

[0085] As described above, according to the present invention, the diagnostic means includes a power consumption measurement unit that measures the power consumption of the refrigerator, a power difference estimation unit that estimates the power difference between the reference power consumption of the refrigerator under predetermined conditions obtained by the power consumption measurement unit and the actual power consumption of the current refrigerator, a power influence value estimation unit that estimates a power influence value representing the influence on the power consumption based on the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material over time, a diagnostic unit that diagnoses the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material from the relationship between the power influence value and the power difference, and a display control unit that performs different displays according to the diagnostic result.

[0086] According to this, it is possible to diagnose whether the cause of the increase in the power consumption of the refrigerator is due to a failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle or due to the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulating material, and display this result.

[0087] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described several embodiments, and includes various modifications. 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 one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations for the configuration of each embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0088] 100... Display power measurement unit, 110... Power difference estimation unit, 120... Memory unit, 130... Sensor unit, 140... Timer unit, 150... Time and sensor information management unit, 160... Power influence value estimation unit, 170... Diagnostic unit, 180... Display control unit, 190... Display unit.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising an outer box, an inner box, a heat insulation box body composed of a vacuum heat insulation material interposed between the outer box and the inner box, a refrigerating chamber and / or a freezing chamber formed in the heat insulation box body, a heat insulation door provided in each of the refrigerating chamber and / or the freezing chamber, a refrigeration cycle for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber and / or the freezing chamber, and a control means for controlling the refrigeration cycle, wherein the control means includes a diagnosis means for performing a failure diagnosis, the diagnosis means includes a power consumption measurement unit for measuring the power consumption of the refrigerator, a power difference estimation unit for estimating the power difference between the reference power consumption of the refrigerator under a predetermined condition and the current actual power consumption of the refrigerator obtained by the power consumption measurement unit, a power influence value estimation unit for estimating a power influence value representing the influence of the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulation material over time on the power consumption, a diagnosis unit for diagnosing the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulation material based on the relationship between the power influence value and the power difference, and a display control unit for performing different displays according to the diagnosis result, characterized in that.

2. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, the reference power consumption is the power consumption measured at the initial stage of use of the refrigerator characterized in that.

3. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, the reference power consumption and the actual power consumption are the power consumption measured during a time period when the change in the power consumption of the refrigerator is small characterized in that.

4. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, the power influence value is estimated based on information on the elapsed time characterized in that.

5. In the refrigerator according to Claim 4, the power influence value is estimated based on the temperature and humidity of the vacuum heat insulation material in addition to the elapsed time characterized in that.

6. In the refrigerator according to Claim 5, the elapsed time is the elapsed time from the time when the reference power consumption was obtained characterized in that.

7. In the refrigerator according to Claim 6, a predetermined time from the time when the reference power consumption was obtained to the time when the actual power consumption was obtained is the same time length as the elapsed time characterized in that.

8. In the refrigerator according to Claim 1, the diagnosis unit determines the deterioration of the vacuum heat insulation material based on the magnitude relationship between the power difference and the power influence value characterized in that.

9. In the refrigerator according to Claim 8, When the power difference is smaller than the power influence value, the diagnosis unit determines that the vacuum insulation material has deteriorated. A refrigerator characterized by the above.

10. In the refrigerator according to Claim 8, When the power difference is smaller than the power influence value, the diagnosis unit determines that the vacuum insulation material has deteriorated, and when the power difference is larger than the power influence value, the diagnosis unit determines that there is a failure or deterioration of the components of the refrigeration cycle. A refrigerator characterized by the above.

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