Freezer

Abstract

To provide a freezer that can restrain pitting corrosion on a refrigerant pipe of a cooler while restraining an increase in cost.SOLUTION: A freezer comprises: a storage chamber; a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; a cooler comprising a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor flows, and for generating cold air for cooling the storage chamber; a storage chamber temperature detection part for detecting a storage chamber temperature that is a temperature in the storage chamber; a cooler temperature detection part for detecting a cooler temperature that is a temperature of the cooler; and a control part for controlling the compressor so as to decrease the storage chamber temperature when the storage chamber temperature reaches a target temperature in a refrigeration temperature zone. The control part controls the compressor so as to decrease the cooler temperature when the cooler temperature reaches a threshold temperature equal to or lower than a freezing point while the storage chamber temperature does not reach the target temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a refrigerator equipped with a refrigeration cycle, it is known to execute a cooling operation by controlling a compressor and an internal fan based on measurement data input from an internal sensor that measures the temperature of the air inside the refrigerator. In recent years, in a household refrigerator composed of a single storage chamber, those that can be switched between a refrigerating temperature zone and a freezing temperature zone are on the market.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a cooler that constitutes a part of a refrigeration cycle, an aluminum refrigerant pipe is widely used for the refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant passes. When water adheres to the surface of the aluminum refrigerant pipe, there is a risk of pitting corrosion occurring. In order to suppress pitting corrosion, it is conceivable to make the material of the refrigerant pipe, for example, copper, or to protect the surface of the refrigerant pipe with an anticorrosive paint, but these may lead to an increase in cost and may be difficult to implement.

[0005]

[0006] ​Therefore, the present embodiment provides a refrigerator that can suppress pitting corrosion of the refrigerant pipes of a cooler while suppressing an increase in cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The refrigerator of the embodiment includes a storage chamber, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor flows, a cooler that generates cold air for cooling the storage chamber, a storage chamber temperature detection unit that detects the storage chamber temperature which is the temperature inside the storage chamber, a cooler temperature detection unit that detects the cooler temperature which is the temperature of the cooler, and a control unit that controls the compressor to lower the storage chamber temperature when the storage chamber temperature reaches the target temperature in the refrigerating temperature range. The control unit controls the compressor to lower the cooler temperature when the cooler temperature reaches a threshold temperature below the freezing point while the storage chamber temperature has not reached the target temperature.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] (First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 is configured to have one storage chamber in a vertically long rectangular box-shaped refrigerator main body 10 with an opening at the front. In the following description, the opening side of the refrigerator main body 10 is defined as the front side of the refrigerator 1, and the side opposite to the opening is defined as the rear side of the refrigerator 1. Also, when the refrigerator 1 is installed on the floor in the posture shown in FIG. 2, the vertical direction with respect to the gravitational direction is defined as the vertical direction of the refrigerator 1. The left-right direction when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front is defined as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1, that is, the width direction, and the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1 is defined as the depth direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0011] The refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of the refrigerator main body 10. The refrigerator main body 10 is composed of a rectangular heat-insulating box body with an opening at the front. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator main body 10 is mainly composed of an outer box 101 made of a steel plate and an inner box 102 made of a synthetic resin. Between the outer box 101 and the inner box 102, a heat insulating material such as rigid urethane foam, which is an example of a foam heat insulating material, or a vacuum heat insulating panel, which is an example of a heat insulating member, is provided.

[0012] The refrigerator main body 10 has a storage chamber 11 for storing stored items. The storage chamber 11 is configured to be switchable between a refrigerating temperature zone or a freezing temperature zone. The refrigerating temperature zone is, for example, about 1 to 5 °C. On the other hand, the freezing temperature zone is, for example, -18 °C or lower. The refrigerating temperature zone and the freezing temperature zone are temperature zones suitable for refrigerating or freezing and storing stored items. The storage chamber 11 may be divided into a plurality in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 1 by shelves or storage containers (not shown).

[0013] The refrigerator 1 includes a rear member 12, a door 13, and an operation display device 14. The rear member 12 is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The rear member 12 is provided behind the storage chamber 11 and between the storage chamber 11 and the inner box 102. The rear member 12 constitutes a part of the back surface of the storage chamber 11. The door 13 is formed by filling a heat insulating material inside a frame member made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin. The rear member 12 has an air outlet 121. The air outlet 121 is formed through the rear member 12 in the thickness direction. A plurality of air outlets 121 can be provided. Further, a suction port 122 is provided below the air outlet 121. The suction port 122 is, for example, at the lower part of the rear member 12 and is located between the rear member 12 and the inner box 102.

[0014] The door 13 is configured as, for example, a single-opening door and opens and closes the opening at the front side of the storage chamber 11. The door 13 may be a double-opening hinge-opening / closing door. The operation display device 14 is provided, for example, at the front side of the upper surface of the refrigerator main body 10. The operation display device 14 may be provided on the surface of the door 13. The operation display device 14 is provided with an operation part and a display part (not shown), and receives input operations related to the operation content of the refrigerator 1 by the user, and displays the input operation content and the operation status, etc. The input operations related to the operation content of the refrigerator 1 include operations for switching the temperature zone of the storage chamber 11 to a refrigerating operation for maintaining the refrigerating temperature zone or a freezing operation for maintaining the freezing temperature zone.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2 and the like, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigeration cycle 20. Since the refrigeration cycle 20 has a well-known configuration, its detailed illustration is omitted, but it includes a compressor 21, a cooler 22, and a condenser, an expansion valve, etc. (not shown). The compressor 21 is provided, for example, in a machine room (not shown) at the bottom of the refrigerator 1. The compressor 21 compresses the refrigerant used for cooling the storage chamber 11. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 is supplied to the cooler 22. Also, when the drive of the compressor 21 stops, the refrigerant is not supplied to the cooler 22, so the cooling of the storage chamber 11 stops.

[0016] The cooler 22, together with the blower 23, is provided behind the storage chamber 11. The cooler 22 and the blower 23 have the function of generating cold air for cooling the storage chamber 11 and supplying the cold air into the storage chamber 11. That is, the blower 23 blows the cold air generated by the cooler 22. The cooler 22 has a refrigerant pipe 221 and a plurality of cooling fins 222. The refrigerant pipe 221 and the plurality of cooling fins 222 are made of, for example, aluminum. The refrigerant pipe 221 is where the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 21 flows. The refrigerant pipe 221 is formed to meander in the left-right direction and is composed of a plurality of stages in the up-down direction. The refrigerant pipe 221 is configured such that the refrigerant flows, for example, from the lower side to the upper side. In this case, an entrance (not shown) through which the refrigerant flows into the refrigerant pipe 221 is provided at the lower part of the cooler 22, and an exit (not shown) through which the refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant pipe 221 is provided at the upper part of the cooler 22.

[0017] The plurality of cooling fins 222 are composed of plate-like members along the up-down direction and the front-back direction. The refrigerant pipe 221 passes through and is attached to the cooling fins 222. The cooling fins 222 function as heat dissipation parts. The plurality of cooling fins 222 are divided into a plurality of stages in the up-down direction. Also, the plurality of cooling fins 222 constituting each stage are provided at intervals in the left-right direction. In Fig. 2, for ease of viewing the drawing, only some of the reference numerals of the cooling fins 222 are attached, and the reference numerals of the other cooling fins 222 are omitted.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, a cold air path 31 is formed between the back member 12 and the inner box 102. The cold air path 31 is located on the rear side of the storage chamber 11, and the cooler 22 and the blower 23 are provided. The cold air path 31 is a passage for supplying the cold air generated by the cooler 22 into the storage chamber 11. The cold air flowing into the cold air path 31 is supplied by the blower 23 and passes through the cold air path 31. In the cold air path 31, the cooler 22 is located on the downstream side of the blower 23. In other words, the blower 23 is located on the upstream side of the cooler 22. The downstream side means the downstream side in the air flow of the cold air path 31, and the upstream side means the upstream side in the air flow of the cold air path 31.

[0019] The cold air generated by the cooler 22 passes through the cold air path 31 and flows out from the outlet 121 into the storage chamber 11. Then, the cold air that has cooled the storage chamber 11 is returned from the suction port 122 to the cooler 22 together with the moisture contained in the air and the stored items in the storage chamber 11. In this case, the outlet 121 is for supplying the cold air flowing through the cold air path 31 into the storage chamber 11. The suction port 122 is for returning the air supplied into the storage chamber 11 through the outlet 121 and the moisture contained in the stored items that have passed through the storage chamber 11 to the cooler 22.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 40, a storage chamber temperature detection unit 41, a cooler temperature detection unit 42, a timer unit 43, and a heating unit 44. The operation display device 14, the compressor 21, the blower 23, the storage chamber temperature detection unit 41, the cooler temperature detection unit 42, the timer unit 43, and the heating unit 44 are electrically connected to the control unit 40. The control unit 40 is mainly composed of, for example, a CPU and a microcomputer having a storage area such as a ROM, a RAM, and a rewritable flash memory. The control unit 40 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 1.

[0021] The storage chamber temperature detection unit 41 and the cooler temperature detection unit 42 are composed of, for example, thermistors. The storage chamber temperature detection unit 41 detects the storage chamber temperature Ti, which is the temperature inside the storage chamber 11. The storage chamber temperature detection unit 41 is, for example, inside the storage chamber 11 and is attached to the back member 12. The cooler temperature detection unit 42 detects the cooler temperature Te, which is the temperature of the cooler 22. The cooler temperature detection unit 42 is provided at a position away from the cooler 22, on the upstream side or the downstream side of the cooler 22. In this case, the cooler temperature detection unit 42 is attached to a pipe connected to the refrigerant pipe 221, an accumulator, or the like.

[0022] The timing unit 43 has a function of measuring the elapsed time from a certain reference point. Time means the length of time from one moment to another moment. The heating unit 44 is composed of, for example, an aluminum foil heater or the like, and has a function of heating the inside of the storage chamber 11 by generating heat upon receiving power supply from an external power source (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the heating unit 44 is provided, for example, on the ceiling of the storage chamber 11, that is, on the upper inner surface side of the refrigerator body 10. In this case, the heating unit 44 heats the air inside the storage chamber 11 from above. The heating unit 44 is not limited to the configuration of being provided on the ceiling of the storage chamber 11, and may also be configured to be provided on the side surface, the bottom surface, or the like of the storage chamber 11.

[0023] When the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm of the refrigerated temperature range, for example, 3 to 4 °C, the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 and the blower 23 to lower the storage chamber temperature Ti. In this case, the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven. The target temperature Tm is determined by a preset temperature or a temperature set by the user. The control unit 40 executes the operation so that the storage chamber temperature Ti does not exceed the target temperature Tm. For example, when the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm of the refrigerated temperature range, the control unit 40 may be configured to increase the output of the compressor 21 or increase the air volume of the blower 23 compared to before reaching the target temperature Tm so as to lower the storage chamber temperature Ti. To increase the output of the compressor 21, that is, to change the output of the compressor 21, for example, the refrigerant compression capacity of the compressor 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency of the current to the compressor 21 by an inverter (not shown). Also, to increase the air volume of the blower 23, that is, to change the air volume of the blower 23, for example, the rotation speed of the blower 23 can be adjusted. Further, when the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the lower limit temperature Td of the refrigerated temperature range, for example, -2 °C, the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 and the blower 23 to raise the storage chamber temperature Ti. In this case, the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are stopped. Note that the periods during which the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven do not have to completely coincide, and it is sufficient if a part of each period during which the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven overlaps.

[0024] Here, in the refrigeration operation, when the compressor 21 is controlled based on the storage chamber temperature Ti, the temperature of the space where the cooler 22 is provided, that is, the cooler temperature Te, may be in the positive temperature range exceeding the freezing point, and water may adhere to the refrigerant pipe 221 of the cooler 22, and there is a risk that pitting corrosion of the refrigerant pipe 221 is promoted by this water.

[0025] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the cooler temperature Te reaches a threshold temperature Tt below the freezing point, for example, -2 to -1°C, while the storage chamber temperature Ti has not reached the target temperature Tm, the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 and the blower 23 to lower the cooler temperature Te. In this case, the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven. That is, in the refrigeration operation, the control unit 40 controls the operations of the compressor 21 and the blower 23 based on the storage chamber temperature Ti and the cooler temperature Te. Thereby, in the refrigeration operation, it is possible to prevent the cooler temperature Te from entering the positive temperature range exceeding the freezing point and suppress the occurrence of pitting corrosion in the refrigerant pipe 221. The control executed by the control unit 40 is not limited to this. For example, when the cooler temperature Te reaches a threshold temperature Tt below the freezing point while the storage chamber temperature Ti has not reached the target temperature Tm, the output of the compressor 21 may be increased or the air volume of the blower 23 may be increased so as to lower the cooler temperature Te compared to before reaching the threshold temperature Tt.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 4, an example of the control executed by the control unit 40 in the refrigeration operation will be described. In FIG. 4, the dashed graph exemplified by the symbol Ti indicates the change over time of the storage chamber temperature Ti. Also, in FIG. 4, the solid graph exemplified by the symbol Te indicates the change over time of the cooler temperature Te. In the refrigeration operation, when the control unit 40 drives the compressor 21 and the blower 23 to cool the inside of the storage chamber 11 and the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the lower limit temperature Td, the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are stopped. Thereafter, when the storage chamber temperature Ti and the cooler temperature Te rise due to the stop of the compressor 21 and the blower 23, and the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt, the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven to cool the inside of the storage chamber 11. The time from when the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the lower limit temperature Td and the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are stopped until the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt and the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven is assumed to be about 20 minutes.

[0027] Then, when the control unit 40 drives the compressor 21 and the blower 23 to cool the inside of the storage chamber 11 and the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the lower limit temperature Td, the control unit 40 stops the compressor 21 and the blower 23. Thereafter, the control unit 40 performs control of the compressor 21 and the blower 23 based on whether the cooler temperature Te has reached the threshold temperature Tt or whether the storage chamber temperature Ti has reached the lower limit temperature Td, thereby executing the refrigeration operation.

[0028] According to the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 1 includes a storage chamber 11, a compressor 21, a cooler 22, a storage chamber temperature detection unit 41, a cooler temperature detection unit 42, and a control unit 40. The compressor 21 compresses the refrigerant. The cooler 22 generates cold air for cooling the storage chamber 11. The cooler 22 has a refrigerant pipe 221 through which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 flows. The storage chamber temperature detection unit 41 detects the storage chamber temperature Ti, which is the temperature inside the storage chamber 11. The cooler temperature detection unit 42 detects the cooler temperature Te, which is the temperature of the cooler 22. When the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm in the refrigeration temperature range, the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 to lower the storage chamber temperature Ti. Then, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt below the freezing point while the storage chamber temperature Ti has not reached the target temperature Tm, the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 to lower the cooler temperature Te.

[0029] According to this, the cooler temperature Te can be maintained below the freezing point. As a result, for example, the frost adhering to the cooler 22 does not liquefy, so that the adhesion of water to the cooler 22 can be suppressed. Therefore, even if an inexpensive material such as aluminum is used for the refrigerant pipe 221 constituting a part of the cooler 22, the risk of pitting corrosion can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress pitting corrosion of the refrigerant pipe 221 of the cooler 22 while suppressing an increase in cost.

[0030] (Second Embodiment) Next, referring to FIG. 5, the second embodiment will be described. In this second embodiment, in the refrigeration operation, the control content executed by the control unit 40 is different from that in the first embodiment. Note that the second embodiment is common to the first embodiment in the configuration other than the control content executed by the control unit 40. Specifically, in this second embodiment, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt, the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 and the blower 23 so as to intermittently increase the storage chamber temperature Ti until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm.

[0031] In this case, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt, the control unit 40 intermittently drives the compressor 21 and the blower 23 so as to intermittently increase the storage chamber temperature Ti until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm. Intermittently driving the compressor 21 and the blower 23 means that the periods during which the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven and the periods during which they stop are alternately repeated. The periods during which the compressor 21 and the blower 23 are driven and the periods during which they stop are set, for example, in the range of 1 to 5 minutes each, and they may be the same or different from each other.

[0032] In this embodiment, in the refrigeration operation, the control unit 40 executes the control content shown in FIG. 5. First, when the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the lower limit temperature Td, the control unit 40 stops the compressor 21 and the blower 23. Thereafter, as the storage chamber temperature Ti and the cooler temperature Te rise and the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt, the control unit 40 drives the compressor 21 and the blower 23 for a predetermined driving period, for example, 1 to 5 minutes, to cool the inside of the storage chamber 11. Next, the control unit 40 stops driving the compressor 21 and the blower 23 for a predetermined stop period, for example, 1 to 5 minutes, to stop the supply of cold air in the storage chamber 11. The control unit 40 alternately repeats driving and stopping the compressor 21 and the blower 23 during the driving period and the stop period until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm. Then, when the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm, the control unit 40 drives the compressor 21 and the blower 23 until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the lower limit temperature Td.

[0033] Even with such a second embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved. Further, by controlling the compressor 21 so as to intermittently increase the storage chamber temperature Ti until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm, it is possible to suppress the temperature in the storage chamber 11 from dropping too much in a short time when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt and the compressor 21 is driven.

[0034] From the viewpoint of suppressing the temperature in the storage chamber 11 from dropping too much in a short time, it is preferable to suppress the supply of cold air into the storage chamber 11. Therefore, when the control unit 40 controls the compressor 21 so as to intermittently increase the storage chamber temperature Ti, the control unit 40 may be configured to suppress the blowing by the blower 23 in at least a part of the period during which the compressor 21 is driven. In this case, as shown in the example of FIG. 6, the control unit 40 stops the blower 23 during the period when the compressor 21 is driven. Not limited to this, the control unit 40 may reduce the rotation speed of the blower 23 and reduce the blowing amount from the blower 23 during at least a part of the period during which the compressor 21 is driven, as compared with the case of cooling the normal storage chamber 11.

[0035] According to this, by suppressing the blowing by the blower 23 during the period when the compressor 21 is driven, it is possible to suppress the introduction of cold air into the storage chamber 11. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the temperature in the storage chamber 11 from dropping too much in a short time.

[0036] Further, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt, when controlling the compressor 21 and the blower 23 so as to intermittently increase the storage chamber temperature Ti until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm, there may be a period during which the storage chamber temperature Ti does not gradually increase but remains horizontal. Therefore, when the cooler temperature Ti reaches the threshold temperature Tt, the control unit 40 may be configured to intermittently operate the compressor 21 or change the refrigerant compression capacity of the compressor 21 until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm. Changing the refrigerant compression capacity of the compressor 21 means increasing or decreasing the output of the compressor 21. According to this, it is possible to more efficiently adjust the temperature in the storage chamber 11.

[0037] (Third Embodiment) Next, referring to FIG. 7, the third embodiment will be described. In this third embodiment, in the refrigeration operation, the control content executed by the control unit 40 is different from that in each of the above embodiments. Here, when the outside air temperature is low, such as in winter, the storage chamber temperature Ti is likely to be maintained at a relatively low temperature. In this case, although the operation rate of the compressor 21 based on the storage chamber temperature Ti decreases, if the period during which the compressor 21 is not driven becomes long, the cooler temperature Te rises, making it easier for the cooler temperature Te to reach the threshold temperature Tt. Then, even though the storage chamber temperature Ti is low, if the compressor 21 is driven based on the cooler temperature Te, there is a risk of over-cooling the storage chamber temperature Ti as a result.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt while the storage chamber temperature Ti has not reached the target temperature Tm, the control unit 40 heats the inside of the storage chamber 11 by the heating unit 44. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 40 alternately repeats driving and stopping the heating unit 44 at regular intervals, for example, in a cycle of 60 seconds, in the refrigeration operation. That is, the control unit 40 controls the operation of the heating unit 44 individually in a state of not being synchronized with the compressor 21 and the blower 23.

[0039] Even with such a third embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved. Also, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt and the compressor 21 is driven, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature inside the storage chamber 11 and prevent the inside of the storage chamber 11 from being over-cooled. Thereby, pitting corrosion of the refrigerant pipe 221 of the cooler 22 can be effectively suppressed.

[0040] Incidentally, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt, the control unit 40 may heat the inside of the storage chamber 11 by the heating unit 44 when controlling the compressor 21 and the blower 23 so as to intermittently increase the storage chamber temperature Ti until the storage chamber temperature Ti reaches the target temperature Tm. For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 8, when the cooler temperature Te reaches the threshold temperature Tt in a state where the change over time of the storage chamber temperature Ti has leveled off and the target temperature Tm has not been reached as a result of the intermittent operation of the compressor 21 and the blower 23, the control unit 40 drives the heating unit 44. In this case, when the intermittent operation of the compressor 21 or the like continues for a predetermined time or more or a predetermined number of times or more, the heating unit 44 is driven. Thereby, since the change over time of the storage chamber temperature Ti becomes level for a long time, it is possible to suppress the compressor 21 or the like from being frequently switched between driving and stopping. Incidentally, when driving the heating unit 44, the control unit 40 may or may not drive the compressor 21 and the blower 23. Further, when driving the compressor 21 and the blower 23 in conjunction with the heating unit 44, the configuration is not limited to the configuration of driving the compressor 21 and the blower 23, and a configuration of driving either one of the compressor 21 or the blower 23 may be employed.

[0041] Incidentally, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. Further, it is also possible to extract and combine only the characteristic portions of two or more embodiments. The above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0042] 1... Refrigerator, 21... Compressor, 22... Cooler, 221... Refrigerant pipe, 41... Storage chamber temperature detection unit, 42... Cooler temperature detection unit, 40... Control unit

Claims

1. A storage room, a compressor for compressing refrigerant, a cooler having a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor flows and generating cold air for cooling the storage room, a storage room temperature detection unit for detecting the storage room temperature which is the temperature inside the storage room, a cooler temperature detection unit for detecting the cooler temperature which is the temperature of the cooler, and a control unit for controlling the compressor to lower the storage room temperature when the storage room temperature reaches the target temperature in the refrigeration temperature range, wherein the control unit controls the compressor to lower the cooler temperature when the cooler temperature reaches a threshold temperature below the freezing point while the storage room temperature has not reached the target temperature. A refrigerator.

2. The control unit controls the compressor to intermittently raise the storage room temperature until the storage room temperature reaches the target temperature when the cooler temperature reaches the threshold temperature. The refrigerator according to Claim 1.

3. The control unit intermittently operates the compressor or changes the refrigerant compression capacity of the compressor until the storage room temperature reaches the target temperature when the cooler temperature reaches the threshold temperature. The refrigerator according to Claim 1.

4. The refrigerator further comprises a blower for blowing the cold air generated by the cooler, and the control unit suppresses the blowing by the blower in at least a part of the period when the compressor is driving. The refrigerator according to Claim 2 or 3.

5. The refrigerator further comprises a heating unit for heating the inside of the storage room, and the control unit heats the inside of the storage room by the heating unit when the cooler temperature reaches a threshold temperature below the freezing point while the storage room temperature has not reached the target temperature. The refrigerator according to Claim 1.

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