Freezing device

Abstract

To restrain a deterioration in freshness of frozen fresh food.SOLUTION: A freezing device 100 comprises a freezing chamber 112, a compressor 121 for compressing a refrigerant for cooling air to be supplied to the freezing chamber 112, a temperature sensor 182 for measuring the temperature of the freezing chamber, and a control unit 130. The control unit 130 controls the compressor 121 so that the output of the compressor 121 becomes output corresponding to a target temperature of the freezing chamber 112, decreases the target temperature (from T2 to T3) of the freezing chamber 112 after a door 112X of the freezing chamber 112 is opened and closed, and then increases the target temperature T4 in stages.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigeration device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a temperature control method for a refrigerator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to suppress deterioration of the freshness of fresh food to be refrigerated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a refrigeration device including a freezer compartment, a compressor for compressing a refrigerant for cooling air supplied to the freezer compartment, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the freezer compartment, and a control unit. The control unit controls the compressor so that the output of the compressor becomes an output corresponding to the target temperature of the freezer compartment, and after the door of the freezer compartment is opened and closed, the target temperature of the freezer compartment is lowered and then gradually raised.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the freshness of fresh food to be refrigerated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. <Overall Configuration of the Refrigerator>

[0009] First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the overall configuration of a refrigerator 100 having a freezer compartment 112 as an example of a refrigeration device will be described.

[0010] The refrigerator 100 is mainly composed of a heat-insulating box body 110. A storage space of the refrigerator 100 is formed by this heat-insulating box body 110. The storage space formed by the heat-insulating box body 110 is provided with a refrigerator compartment 111 at the upper part and a freezer compartment 112 at the lower part by, for example, a heat-insulating partition extending in the horizontal direction.

[0011] A refrigerator compartment door 111X is provided in the refrigerator compartment 111. A freezer compartment door 112X is also provided in the freezer compartment 112.

[0012] Regarding the refrigerator 100 according to the present embodiment, a cooling mechanism 129 such as an evaporator 124, a cooling fan 125, and a cooling damper 126 is disposed behind a freezer compartment 112 provided at a lower stage. Further, a compressor 121, a condenser (not shown), etc. are disposed outside a heat insulation box body 110 such as a machine room 120, and the evaporator 124, the cooling fan 125, etc. are disposed in a cooling chamber 128 located at the rear inside the heat insulation box body 110.

[0013] Also, inside the refrigerator 100, a control unit is provided as will be described later. This control unit controls each unit of the refrigerator 100 such as the cooling mechanism 129. That is, by driving the compressor 121 by the control unit 130, the operation of the refrigeration cycle is started, and the refrigerant circulates in the cycle. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 121 is condensed while releasing heat in the condenser. Subsequently, the high-temperature refrigerant expands in the expander to become low-temperature and is sent to the evaporator 124. The refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 124 becomes low-temperature by adiabatic expansion, exchanges heat with the air flowing in the cooling chamber 128, evaporates while absorbing heat, becomes a gaseous refrigerant, and is sent to the compressor 121.

[0014] In this way, by circulating the refrigerant and operating the refrigeration cycle, cold air exchanged with the evaporator 124 is generated.

[0015] As described above, the evaporator 124 is disposed in a cooling chamber 128 provided on the back side of the refrigerator 100. The cooling chamber 128 is disposed behind the freezer compartment 112. In the cooling chamber 128, in addition to the evaporator 124, a cooling fan 125 is provided. The cooling fan 125 is provided to circulate air between the cooling chamber 128 and each storage space. That is, the cooling fan 125 sends the cold air generated by the evaporator 124 during the operation of the refrigeration cycle or the like to each storage space via a cold air circuit 127 such as a cooling damper 126 and air outlets 111Y, 112Y, and returns the cold air supplied to each storage chamber to the cooling chamber 128 through inlets 111Z, 112Z.

[0016] In this embodiment, a cooling damper 126 is provided in the cold air circuit (refrigerator compartment cold air circuit) between the cooling fan 125 and the outlet 111Y to the refrigerator compartment 111, and the cooling damper 126 is opened when cold air is to be sent to the refrigerator compartment 111 according to an instruction from the control unit 130. When cold air is not sent to the refrigerator compartment 111, that is, when cold air is sent only to the freezer compartment 112, the cooling damper 126 is closed according to an instruction from the control unit 130. <Functional Configuration of Refrigerator 100>

[0017] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, an aspect of the configuration of the refrigerator 100 will be described. The refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment includes, as main components, a control unit 130, an operation unit 140, a cooling mechanism 129, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 181, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 182, a refrigerator compartment door opening / closing sensor 183, and a freezer compartment door opening / closing sensor 184.

[0018] The control unit 130 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 131, a memory 132, a timer 133, various interfaces, and various circuits.

[0019] The CPU 131 executes various processes described later by executing the programs stored in the memory 132.

[0020] The memory 132 is realized by various RAMs, various ROMs, etc., and stores programs executed by the CPU 131, data generated by the execution of programs by the CPU 131, data input via the operation unit 140, data received from a server via a router or the Internet, and various data for keeping the refrigerator compartment 111 and the freezer compartment 112 at a predetermined temperature.

[0021] The timer 133 measures the current date and time and inputs it to the CPU 131, or measures the elapsed time from a predetermined timing and inputs it to the CPU 131.

[0022] The operation unit 140 receives operations from the user and inputs them to the control unit 130.

[0023] The cooling mechanism 129 mainly includes a compressor 121, a condenser 122, a capillary tube 123, an evaporator 124, a cooling fan 125, a cooling damper 126, etc. The compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125 change their ON / OFF states and rotation speeds according to instructions from the control unit 130. The cooling damper 126 performs an opening / closing operation according to instructions from the control unit 130.

[0024] The refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 181 measures the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 111 and inputs the measurement result to the control unit 130.

[0025] The freezer compartment temperature sensor 182 is arranged inside the freezer compartment 112 or near the evaporator 124, etc., measures the temperature of the freezer compartment 112, and inputs the measurement result to the control unit 130.

[0026] The refrigerator compartment door opening / closing sensor 183 detects whether the door 111X of the refrigerator compartment 111 is opened or closed and inputs the detection result to the CPU 131.

[0027] The freezer compartment door opening / closing sensor 184 detects whether the door 112X of the freezer compartment 112 is opened or closed and inputs the detection result to the CPU 131. <Freezer Compartment Temperature Control>

[0028] And in this embodiment, the control unit 130 executes the following control to maintain the freshness of the fresh food stored in the freezer compartment 112.

[0029] First, as shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment has a normal freezing mode and a low-temperature freezing mode. The control unit 130 switches between the normal freezing mode and the low-temperature freezing mode based on user operations via the operation unit 140 or the like.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(A), in the normal refrigeration mode, the control unit 130 turns on / off the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125 so that the inside of the freezer compartment 112 is maintained at a predetermined temperature T1, for example, at or below minus 18°C, or maintained around minus 19°C. Specifically, when the temperature inside the freezer compartment 112 becomes 18°C or higher, the control unit 130 turns on the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125. When the temperature inside the freezer compartment 112 becomes 20°C or lower, the control unit 130 turns off the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125.

[0031] And, as shown in FIG. 4(B), in the low-temperature refrigeration mode, the control unit 130 according to the present embodiment turns on / off the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125 so that the inside of the freezer compartment 112 is maintained at a temperature T2 lower than that in the normal refrigeration mode, for example, at or below minus 22°C, or maintained around minus 23°C.

[0032] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4(B) and 5, the processing in the low-temperature refrigeration mode will be described in detail.

[0033] First, the control unit 130 determines whether the door 112X of the freezer compartment 112 is opened (step S102).

[0034] When the door 112X is not opened (when NO in step S102), the control unit 130 determines whether the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is 22°C or higher by obtaining the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 via the freezer compartment temperature sensor 182 (step S112). When the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is 22°C or higher (when YES in step S112), the control unit 130 turns on the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125 (step S114).

[0035] When the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is equal to or lower than -22°C (when NO in step S112), it is determined whether the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is equal to or lower than -24°C (step S122). When the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is equal to or lower than -24°C (when YES in step S122), the control unit 130 turns off the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125 (step S124).

[0036] When the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is not equal to or lower than -24°C (when NO in step S122), the control unit 130 continues the current operating state and repeats the processing from step S102.

[0037] When the door 112X is opened (when YES in step S102), the control unit 130 determines whether the door 112X is closed (step S104).

[0038] When the door is closed (when YES in step S104), the control unit 130 turns on the compressor 121 and the fan 125 (step S132). The control unit 130 sets the target temperature of the freezer compartment 112 to an even lower value T3, for example, -26°C (step S134).

[0039] The control unit 130 determines whether the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 has reached T3 or lower (step S142). When the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 has reached T3 or lower, the control unit 130 turns off the compressor 121 and the fan 125 (step S144).

[0040] The control unit 130 resets the target temperature T4 to a temperature 0.5°C higher than T3 (step S152). The control unit 130 controls the compressor 121 and the cooling fan 125 so that the temperature of the freezer compartment 112 is maintained near the target temperature T4. For example, when the temperature reaches 1°C higher than T4 (if YES in step S154), the control unit 130 turns on the compressor 121 and the fan 125 (step S156). Next, when the temperature reaches 1°C lower than T4 (if YES in step S158), the control unit 130 turns off the compressor 121 and the fan 125 (step S160). The control unit 130 resets the target temperature T4 to a temperature 0.5°C higher (step S162).

[0041] The control unit 130 determines whether the target temperature T4 has become equal to or higher than the target temperature T2 in the low-temperature freezing mode (step S172). The control unit 130 repeats the process from step S154 until the target temperature T4 reaches T2.

[0042] When the target temperature T4 becomes equal to or higher than the target temperature T2 in the low-temperature freezing mode (if YES in step S172), the control unit 130 ends the current door opening / closing process in the low-temperature freezing mode. That is, the control unit 130 repeats the process from step S102.

[0043] In this way, in the present embodiment, when the door 112X of the freezer compartment 112 is opened and closed, the control unit 130 switches the target temperature T2 to a lower target temperature T3 and then gradually raises the target temperature T4. Therefore, while keeping the temperature of the food low, the temperature change can be made small, and as a result, deterioration of the freshness of the food can be suppressed. [Second Embodiment]

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, after step S152, when the compressor 121 was turned off and then on, the target temperature was increased by one step. However, after step S152, the compressor 121 may increase the target temperature by 0.5°C every time a predetermined time elapses, for example, every hour.

[0045] Even in this case, it is possible to suppress a sudden increase in the temperature of the freezer compartment 112. [Third Embodiment]

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, when the door 112X of the freezer compartment 112 was opened and closed, the target temperature was changed from T2 to T3. And the target temperature T3 was fixed. However, as shown in FIG. 6, when the door 112X of the freezer compartment 112 is opened and closed (step S104), the control unit 130 may adjust the target temperature T3 according to the time during which the door 112X has been open until then (step S210). More specifically, when the door is opened, the control unit 130 starts a timer (step S202), and when the door is closed, the control unit 130 stops the timer (step S204). Then, the control unit 130 determines the target temperature according to the open time (step S210).

[0047] For example, in step S210, the control unit 130 sets the target temperature T3 lower as the time during which the door 112X has been open is longer. For example, when the open time of the door 112X is within 15 seconds, the control unit 130 sets the target temperature T3 to be 1°C lower than the original target temperature T2. When the open time of the door 112X is longer than 15 seconds and within 30 seconds, the control unit 130 sets the target temperature T3 to be 2°C lower than the original target temperature T2. When the open time of the door 112X is longer than 30 seconds and within 1 minute, the control unit 130 sets the target temperature T3 to be 3°C lower than the original target temperature T2. When the open time of the door 112X is longer than 1 minute, the control unit 130 sets the target temperature T3 to be 4°C lower than the original target temperature T2.

[0048] Alternatively, in step S210, the control unit 130 may increase the shortest interval until T4 is incremented by one step as the time during which the door 112X has been open becomes longer. For example, when the opening time of the door 112X is within 15 seconds, the control unit 130 sets the time until T4 is incremented by one step to 1 hour. When the opening time of the door 112X is longer than 15 seconds and within 30 seconds, the control unit 130 sets the time until T4 is incremented by one step to 2 hours. When the opening time of the door 112X is longer than 30 seconds and within 1 minute, the control unit 130 sets the time until T4 is incremented by one step to 3 hours. When the opening time of the door 112X is longer than 1 minute, the control unit 130 sets the time until T4 is incremented by one step to 4 hours.

[0049] The disclosed embodiments should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims be included. Also, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of different embodiments described in this specification with each other are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0050] 100: Refrigerator 112: Freezer compartment 112X: Freezer compartment door 121: Compressor 125: Cooling fan 130: Control unit 182: Freezer compartment temperature sensor

Claims

Claim 1 A freezer compartment, a compressor for compressing a refrigerant for cooling air supplied to the freezer compartment, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the freezer compartment, and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the compressor such that the output of the compressor becomes an output corresponding to the target temperature of the freezer compartment, a refrigeration device that, after the door of the freezer compartment is opened and closed, lowers the target temperature of the freezer compartment and then gradually raises the target temperature. Claim 2 The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit increases the lowering range of the target temperature as the time during which the door of the freezer compartment is open is longer. Claim 3 The refrigeration device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit drives the compressor when the door of the freezer compartment is closed after the door of the freezer compartment is opened.

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