Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can improve moisture retention performance of a vegetable chamber and defrost near a return port of the vegetable chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises: a vegetable chamber 51; a cooler 501 for generating cold air to be supplied to the vegetable chamber 51; a cooler chamber 509 housing the cooler 501; discharge ports 506 and 507 arranged in the vegetable chamber 51, and for discharging the cold air from the cooler 501; a return port 510 arranged in the vegetable chamber 51, and for returning the cold air to the cooler chamber 509; a return air passage 522 for returning the cold air in the vegetable chamber 51 from the return port 510 to the cooler chamber 509; an air passage 511 through which the cold air is passed from the cooler chamber 509 to the vegetable chamber 51; a fan 505 for circulating the cold air; and a heater 572 for heating air in the cooler chamber 509. The return port 510 is arranged above the heater 572. When the heater 572 is operated, the fan 505 is stopped while the cold air can flow from the air passage 522 via the vegetable chamber 51 to the air passage 511.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 27

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a refrigerator equipped with a defrosting operation in which at least one of a plurality of storage compartments cooled by an evaporator is set to a refrigeration temperature range, and the evaporator is heated by energizing a defrost heater while driving a fan with an air flow control means (damper) that controls the air flow to the storage compartment set to the refrigeration temperature range open. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-7618 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 supplies cold air that has passed through an evaporator to the refrigerated temperature compartment. Therefore, in a configuration with freezer compartments above and below the vegetable compartment, the moisture in the frost is discarded during defrosting, and the moisture retention performance of the vegetable compartment is not sufficiently improved. Furthermore, because the vegetable compartment is a pathway containing a lot of moisture, frost is likely to grow at the vegetable compartment's return port. For this reason, the cold air that has passed through the evaporator may not heat the area near the return port sufficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention comprises a refrigeration temperature zone compartment, a cooler that generates cold air to be supplied to the refrigeration temperature zone compartment, a cooler compartment that houses the cooler, an outlet arranged in the refrigeration temperature zone compartment and that discharges cold air from the cooler, a return port arranged in the refrigeration temperature zone compartment and that returns cold air to the cooler compartment, a return air duct that returns the cold air from the refrigeration temperature zone compartment to the cooler compartment from the return port, a refrigeration air duct through which cold air passes from the cooler compartment to the refrigeration temperature zone compartment, a fan that circulates the cold air, and a heater that heats air in the cooler compartment, wherein the return port is arranged above the heater, and when the heater is operating, the fan is stopped while cold air can flow from the return air duct through the refrigeration temperature zone compartment to the refrigeration air duct. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the air path configuration through which the cool air generated by the second cooler flows. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a front view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the vegetable compartment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the vegetable compartment and its vicinity, viewed from the diagonal front side. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plate heater. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific hardware configuration of a control device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front view of the vegetable compartment with the container housed therein. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front view of the vegetable compartment with the container removed. [Figure 14]This is a front view of the vegetable compartment with the rear cover and container removed. [Figure 15] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the return port of the vegetable compartment cut in the front-to-rear direction. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the rear side of the vegetable compartment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the structure of the rear of the vegetable compartment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of part G in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a container in the crisper. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a top view showing the containers in the crisper. [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of part I in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of a portion J in FIG. 22. [Figure 25] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the front opening and the rear opening. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of cold air in the vegetable compartment. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of cold air in the vegetable compartment during defrosting. [Figure 28] 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line KK in FIG. 27. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall air passage of the refrigerator. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the entire air passage of a refrigerator according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of one embodiment, other embodiments applicable to the one embodiment will also be described as appropriate. The present disclosure is not limited to the one embodiment described below, and different embodiments can be combined with each other or modified as desired without significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the same components will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, components having the same functions will be given the same names. The contents shown are merely schematic, and for convenience of illustration, changes may be made from the actual configuration within the scope of not significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure, and some components may be omitted or modified between drawings. Furthermore, the same embodiment does not necessarily have to include all of the configurations.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 1 according to the present disclosure. The refrigerator 1 has doors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Door 2 is a double door that can rotate around pivots (not shown) provided at each of the left and right ends of the refrigerator 1. Doors 3, 4, 5, and 6 are drawer-type doors. Heat insulating material is placed inside doors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. Refrigerator 1 includes refrigerator compartment 21, which is closed by door 2, ice-making compartment 31, which is closed by door 3, vegetable compartment 51, which is closed by door 5, and freezer compartment 61 (a large freezer compartment) which is closed by door 6. Although not shown in FIG. 2, refrigerator 1 also includes freezer compartment 41 (a small freezer compartment; FIG. 3) which is closed by door 4. Freezer compartment 41 is disposed adjacent to ice-making compartment 31 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). Refrigerator compartment 21, ice-making compartment 31, freezer compartment 41, vegetable compartment 51, and freezer compartment 61 are formed in insulated box body 10. Insulated box body 10 includes inner box 11, outer box 12, and thermal insulation material 13. Refrigerator compartment 21, ice-making compartment 31, freezer compartment 41, vegetable compartment 51, and freezer compartment 61 are all formed inside inner box 11, which is made of, for example, resin. Between the inner box 11 and an outer box 12 made of, for example, metal that constitutes the outer shell of the refrigerator 1, a heat insulating material 13 such as a vacuum heat insulating material or urethane foam foamed in place is arranged.

[0010] Refrigerating compartment 21 is a storage compartment (storage compartment for refrigerating temperature range) fixed at a refrigerating temperature range (for example, 3°C to 8°C). Refrigerating compartment 21 is arranged above ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, and adjacent to them. Inside refrigerating compartment 21, shelves 22 are arranged on which food and the like can be placed. Also, inside refrigerating compartment 21, chilled compartment 23 is arranged, which is fixed at a temperature range of, for example, 0°C to 2°C.

[0011] Ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 are both storage compartments (storage compartments in the freezing temperature range) fixed at a freezing temperature range (for example, -20°C to -18°C). Ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 are located below refrigerator compartment 21 and above vegetable compartment 51, adjacent to refrigerator compartment 21 and vegetable compartment 51 (vertically adjacent to each other). The sum of the capacities of ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, i.e., the capacity of the storage compartment in the freezing temperature range located above vegetable compartment 51, is smaller than the capacity of freezer compartment 61. In other words, ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 are storage compartments in the freezing temperature range with smaller capacities than freezer compartment 61.

[0012] Vegetable compartment 51 is a storage compartment (storage compartment for the refrigerated temperature range) that is fixed at a refrigerated temperature range (for example, 3°C to 8°C). Vegetable compartment 51 is located below refrigerator compartment 21, ice-making compartment 31, and freezer compartment 41, and above freezer compartment 61, adjacent to ice-making compartment 31, freezer compartment 41, and freezer compartment 61. Vegetable compartment 51 stores containers 52 that can hold vegetables, beverages, etc. By placing vegetable compartment 51 at a high position that is somewhat away from the ground, it becomes easier for the user to take out vegetables, etc.

[0013] Freezer compartment 61 is a storage compartment (storage compartment for freezing temperature range) fixed at a freezing temperature range (for example, -20°C to -18°C). Freezer compartment 61 is disposed below refrigerator compartment 21 and vegetable compartment 51 and adjacent to vegetable compartment 51. Freezer compartment 61 accommodates a container 62 capable of holding frozen items such as frozen foods.

[0014] The refrigerator 1 comprises a cooler compartment 102 and a cooler compartment 509. The cooler compartment 102 (first cooler compartment) houses a cooler 201 (first cooler; evaporator) that generates cold air to be supplied to the refrigeration compartment 21. The cooler 201 is provided in the refrigerator 1 and is a structure that cools the refrigeration compartment 21. The cooler 201 is set to a temperature (for example, -15°C to 0°C) that simulates a storage compartment in the refrigeration temperature range. The cooler compartment 102 is located at the rear of the refrigeration compartment 21.

[0015] Cooler compartment 509 (second cooler compartment) houses cooler 501 (second cooler; evaporator) that generates cold air to be supplied to vegetable compartment 51 and freezer compartment 61. Cooler 501 is set to a relatively lower temperature than cooler 201, at a temperature (for example, −28°C to −20°C) that is suitable for a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range. Therefore, cooler 501 generates cold air that can be supplied to a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range. However, as will be described in detail later, the cold air generated by cooler 501 that can be supplied to a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range is also supplied to vegetable compartment 51. Cooler 501 is provided in refrigerator 1 and is a structure that cools vegetable compartment 51 and freezer compartments 41, 61. Cooler 501 and cooler compartment 509 are arranged in an area that includes the rear side (rear) of vegetable compartment 51, and in this embodiment, they straddle the rear of vegetable compartment 51 and the rear of freezer compartment 61. It may be arranged only on the rear side (rear) of the vegetable compartment 51.

[0016] In the example of the present disclosure, cooler 501 is disposed behind vegetable compartment 51 and freezer compartment 61, straddling vegetable compartment 51 and freezer compartment 61. This allows a large volume of cool air to be supplied to freezer compartment 61, which requires a large volume of air because it has a larger capacity than the combined capacity of ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41. Furthermore, cool air from cooler 501 can be supplied to ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, which are in the freezing temperature range, without significantly reducing the volume of air.

[0017] 3 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of air passages through which cool air generated by cooler 501 flows. Refrigerator 1 includes air passage 300, air passage 511 (first air passage), and air passage 602 (second air passage). Refrigerator 1 also includes air outlets 32, 44, 506, 507, and 611.

[0018] Outlet 32 is provided in ice making compartment 31. Outlet 44 is provided in freezer compartment 41. Outlets 506 and 507 are provided in vegetable compartment 51. In FIG. 3, outlets 506 and 507 are shown as a single opening for the sake of simplicity, but in reality, they are separate openings. Outlet 611 is provided in freezer compartment 61. Air passage 300 is an air passage that guides the cold air generated in cooler 501 to outlets 32 and 44. Air passage 511 is an air passage that guides the cold air generated in cooler 501 to outlets 506 and 507. Air passage 602 is an air passage that guides the cold air generated in cooler 501 to outlet 611. Discharge is performed by the rotation of fan 505, and the cold air flows as indicated by the solid arrows.

[0019] In the refrigerator 1 of the present disclosure, cold air generated by the cooler 501 is directly discharged into the vegetable compartment 51. This allows dry cold air to be discharged into the vegetable compartment 51, thereby suppressing condensation in the vegetable compartment 51. Also, low-temperature cold air can be directly discharged into the vegetable compartment 51, thereby increasing the cooling speed of the vegetable compartment 51. Furthermore, above and below the vegetable compartment 51, the ice-making compartment 31 and the freezer compartments 41, 61, which are kept in the freezing temperature range, are disposed adjacent to the vegetable compartment 51. For this reason, even though the compartments are separated by the insulating walls 302, 601, the ice-making compartment 31 and the freezer compartments 41, 61 cool the vegetable compartment 51 to some extent. This allows the amount of cold air discharged directly into the vegetable compartment 51 to be reduced, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0020] The refrigerator 1 is provided with return ports 43, 510, and 612. The return port 43 is provided in the freezer compartment 41. The cold air from the freezer compartment 41 is returned to the cooler compartment 509 through the return port 43 as shown by the dashed arrow. The return port 510 is provided in the vegetable compartment 51. The cold air from the vegetable compartment 51 is returned to the cooler compartment 509 through the return port 510 as shown by the dashed arrow. The return port 612 is provided in the freezer compartment 61. The cold air from the freezer compartment 61 is returned to the cooler compartment 509 through the return port 612 as shown by the dashed arrow.

[0021] Returning to FIG. 2, refrigerator 1 is equipped with insulating walls 301, 302, 601, and 503. Insulating wall 301 is a structure that separates refrigerator compartment 21 from ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 vertically. Insulating wall 302 is a structure that separates ice making compartment 31, freezer compartment 41, and vegetable compartment 51 vertically. Insulating wall 601 (second insulating wall) is a structure that separates vegetable compartment 51 from freezer compartment 61 vertically. Insulating wall 503 (first insulating wall) is a structure that separates cooler compartment 509 from vegetable compartment 51 vertically.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a front view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 4. The insulating wall 302 includes a lid 303, a housing 304, and a plate-shaped vacuum insulating material 305. The vacuum insulating material 305 is housed in a bottomed housing 304, and the lid 303 is arranged to cover the vacuum insulating material 305. The insulating wall 302, which separates the vegetable compartment 51 from the freezer compartment 41, is a separate member (a separate body) from the insulating box 10, and the insulating wall 302 is fitted into a groove 111 formed on the inner surface of the inner box 11 that constitutes the insulating box 10. Because the insulating wall 302 is a separate member from the insulating box 10, it is easy to attach a rear cover 521 ( FIG. 13 ) and the like that are arranged on the back surface of the insulating wall 302 to the insulating box 10. A sealing member (not shown), such as a packing, is arranged between the insulating wall 302 and the inner surface of the inner box 11 at the fitting portion. Although the explanation is omitted, the heat insulating wall 601 is also a separate member (a separate body) from the heat insulating box 10.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of vegetable compartment 51. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of portion D in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of vegetable compartment 51 as viewed obliquely from the front. Outlets 506, 507 that discharge cool air into vegetable compartment 51 are provided in rear wall 571. Rear wall 571 is the surface of rear cover 521 that faces vegetable compartment 51. Outlet 506 (first outlet) is an opening that is located above the upper end of container 52 (pull-out container) and discharges cool air in at least one of a horizontal direction and an obliquely upward direction. Outlet 506 preferably discharges cool air obliquely upward toward the underside of insulating wall 302 (the top surface of vegetable compartment 51).

[0024] Container 52 is provided in refrigerator 1. The top end of container 52 is open. Ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 are located above and adjacent to vegetable compartment 51. Therefore, insulating wall 302, which separates vegetable compartment 51 from ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, is easily cooled by ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41. As described above, insulating wall 302 is separate from insulated box body 10, and even with the sealing member interposed, cold air can flow from ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 into vegetable compartment 51 through gaps formed between insulating wall 302 and insulated box body 10. Furthermore, because high-humidity cold air is present in vegetable compartment 51, condensation is likely to occur on the underside of insulating wall 302 (the surface facing vegetable compartment 51). Condensation is particularly likely to occur on the underside of insulating wall 302 on the rear side closer to cooler 501.

[0025] Therefore, by configuring outlet 506 in this manner, cool air can be discharged so as to brush against the underside of insulating wall 302, as shown by the thick solid arrows in Figs. 6 to 8. That is, the cool air flows forward between the upper opening (upper end) of container 52 and the top surface of crisper 51 (the bottom surface of insulating wall 302). At this time, the cool air is discharged horizontally, preferably upward, so as not to enter the interior of container 52 (particularly upper space 523). The cool air discharged from outlet 506 is dry cool air supplied directly from cooler chamber 509. Therefore, the area near the top surface of crisper 51 can be dried, and condensation on the top surface of crisper 51 can be suppressed.

[0026] The container 52 is also divided into a front and a rear space 561 and includes a front space 562. The space 562 is further divided into an upper space 523 and a lower space 524. The cool air flowing from the discharge port 506 between the container 52 and the insulating wall 302 from the rear to the front collides with the inner surface of the door 5. As a result, the cool air flows from above into the space 561 adjacent to the inner surface of the door 5. This allows the interior of the space 561 located farthest from the discharge port 506 to be cooled. Furthermore, the space 561 and the lower space 524 are in communication with each other through a front opening 586 located at the rear of the space 561. Therefore, the cool air flowing into the space 561 from above flows into the lower space 524 through the front opening 586. The cold air inside the lower space 524 is discharged to the outside of the container 52 through a rear opening 587 formed at the rear side of the lower space 524. By providing the outlet 506, dry cold air can be introduced into the lower space 524, where it is difficult for cold air to flow directly from the outlets 506, 507 due to the rear wall of the container 52, and condensation inside can be suppressed.

[0027] In another embodiment, the outlet 506 is disposed near the upper end of the container 52 and discharges cool air obliquely upward. Here, "near the upper end of the container 52" means close enough to the upper end of the container 52 that most of the container air discharged from the outlet 506 is not blown onto the container 52 (at the same height as the upper end, above the upper end, or below the upper end). More specifically, the position near the upper end is a position where the axis extending from the opening that constitutes the outlet 506 (the axis extending perpendicular to the opening) does not overlap with the container 52. This arrangement also makes it possible to suppress condensation on the underside of the insulating wall 302.

[0028] On the other hand, outlet 507 (second outlet) provided below outlet 506 is provided in insulating wall 503 within the height range of container 52. Outlet 507 discharges cold air toward insulating wall 601 (second insulating wall) as shown by dashed lines in FIGS. 6 to 8. That is, outlet 507 is located at a position lower than the upper end of container 52, and discharges cold air in at least one of the horizontal direction and the diagonally downward direction. Since cold air has a high specific gravity, cold air discharged horizontally, for example, will flow downward due to its own weight toward insulating wall 601. As a result, cold air is discharged toward insulating wall 601.

[0029] A freezer compartment 61 is provided adjacent to the vegetable compartment 51 below the vegetable compartment 51. For this reason, condensation can also occur on the upper surface (bottom surface of the vegetable compartment 51) of the insulating wall 601 that separates the vegetable compartment 51 from the freezer compartment 61. Therefore, by discharging dry cool air toward the upper surface of the insulating wall 601, the vicinity of the upper surface of the insulating wall 601 can be dried, and condensation on the insulating wall 601 can be suppressed.

[0030] As described above, outlet 506 (first outlet) and outlet 507 (second outlet) are connected to cooler chamber 509, which houses cooler 501 that cools vegetable chamber 51. Therefore, some of the cold air supplied to the storage compartments (ice-making compartment 31, freezer compartments 41, 61) in the freezing temperature range is supplied to vegetable chamber 51. Since highly humid cold air is present in vegetable chamber 51, supplying dry cold air directly from cooler chamber 509 can suppress condensation in vegetable chamber 51 as described above.

[0031] The refrigerator 1 also includes a damper 508 that switches between discharging and not discharging cool air through the outlets 506 and 507. Opening the damper 508 connects the outlets 506 and 507 to the cooler compartment 509, causing cool air to be discharged from the outlets 506 and 507. Closing the damper 508 disconnects the outlets 506 and 507 from the cooler compartment 509, causing the cool air to stop being discharged from the outlets 506 and 507. Although one damper 508 may be used to switch between opening and closing both of the outlets 506 and 507 as in this embodiment, two dampers 508 may be used to switch between opening and closing each of the outlets 506 and 507.

[0032] The amount of cold air discharged per unit time from outlet 507 is greater than the amount of cold air discharged per unit time from outlet 506. This allows vegetables and the like stored in container 52 to be sufficiently indirectly cooled with the wall surface of container 52 interposed therebetween. Furthermore, cold air can be made to flow along the underside of insulating wall 301 through outlet 506 with a relatively small air volume, thereby suppressing condensation on the underside.

[0033] The amount (air volume) of cool air discharged from outlets 506 and 507 can be adjusted, for example, by changing the ratio between the cross-sectional area of air passage 526 connected to outlet 506 and the cross-sectional area of air passage 527 connected to outlet 507. For example, if the amount of cool air discharged per unit time from outlet 507 is to be greater than the amount of cool air discharged per unit time from outlet 506, the cross-sectional area of air passage 527 connected to outlet 507 can be made larger than the cross-sectional area of air passage 526 connected to outlet 506. Furthermore, when two dampers 508 are used, dampers 508 can be opened and closed so that the open time of outlet 507 per unit time is longer than the open time of outlet 506.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a heating mechanism 504 provided in an insulating wall 601 that separates the vegetable compartment 51 and the freezer compartment 61. The refrigerator 1 includes a heating mechanism 504 that heats the bottom surface of the vegetable compartment 51. The heating mechanism 504 is provided in the insulating wall 601 that separates the vegetable compartment 51 and the freezer compartment 61. In the example of the present disclosure, the heating mechanism 504 is a plate heater that is built into the insulating wall 601. Because the freezer compartment 61 is located below the vegetable compartment 51, the insulating wall 601 is easily cooled by the cold air from the freezer compartment 61. As a result, condensation is likely to occur on the upper surface of the insulating wall 601 due to the high-humidity cold air present in the vegetable compartment 51. Therefore, by heating the insulating wall 601 with the heating mechanism 504, condensation on the upper surface of the insulating wall 601 can be suppressed. The heating mechanism 504 can also be used to heat the vegetable compartment 51 if it becomes too cold.

[0035] Heating mechanism 504 includes support member 541 and heating wire 542 disposed on the upper surface of support member 541. Heating wire 542 is connected to a power source (not shown) of refrigerator 1. When control device 500 (FIG. 2) applies electricity to heating wire 542, heating wire 542 generates heat and heats the floor of vegetable compartment 51, which is the upper surface of insulating wall 531. Heating mechanism 504 may constantly heat vegetable compartment 51 or may heat it intermittently at any timing. When heating intermittently, specifically, when cold air is discharged through outlet 507, the discharged cold air is directed toward the floor of vegetable compartment 51, which makes the floor prone to condensation. Therefore, for example, heating mechanism 504 can be performed when cold air is discharged through outlet 507. This prevents the vicinity of the floor from becoming overcooled.

[0036] FIG. 10 is a top view of vegetable compartment 51. Discharge outlet 506 is located to the left or right of the center of vegetable compartment 51 in the left-right direction when viewed from above. In the example shown, discharge outlet 506 is located to the left. Discharge outlet 506 also discharges cold air toward side wall surface 622 opposite side wall surface 621 of vegetable compartment 51 that is closer to discharge outlet 506. This allows cold air to reach side wall surface 622 that is relatively far from discharge outlet 506 and therefore difficult for cold air to reach. In the example of the present disclosure, discharge outlet 506 discharges cold air in at least two directions: toward the front of refrigerator 1 and toward side wall surface 622. Of these directions, discharge outlet 506 mainly discharges cold air toward the front of refrigerator 1.

[0037] 11 is a block diagram showing a specific hardware configuration of the control device 500. The control device 500 is a control device that controls the operation of the refrigerator 1. The control includes, for example, control of a refrigeration cycle (not shown) including the coolers 201 and 501, control of the rotation of the fan 505, control of the opening and closing of the damper 508, control of the power supply to the heating mechanism 504, and the like.

[0038] The control device 500 is configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1001, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1002, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1003, an I / F (Interface) 1004, and a bus 1005. The CPU 1001, RAM 1002, ROM 1003, and I / F 1004 are connected via, for example, the bus 1005. The control device 500 is realized by a predetermined program stored in the ROM 1003 being loaded into the RAM 1002 and executed by the CPU 1001. In terms of hardware, signals and information are exchanged between the control device 500 and various devices (such as servers), external networks, etc., via the I / F 1004.

[0039] The control device 500 discharges cool air through the outlet 506 in accordance with the temperature of the vegetable compartment 51. At the same time, the control device 500 discharges cool air into the vegetable compartment 51 at predetermined intervals. As described above, cool air generated by one cooler 501 is discharged into the ice-making compartment 31, the freezer compartments 41 and 61, and the vegetable compartment 51. Therefore, if cool air is not discharged into the vegetable compartment 51 because the room temperature of the vegetable compartment 51 is within the set temperature range, but cool air is discharged into the freezer compartments 41 and 61 because the room temperature of the freezer compartments 41 and 61 is not within the set temperature range, condensation may form in the vegetable compartment 51. Furthermore, the relatively low-temperature, dry cool air discharged into the vegetable compartment 51 accumulates downward, while the relatively high-temperature, humid cool air rises and tends to accumulate near the top surface of the vegetable compartment 51. Therefore, the control device 500 discharges cool air into the vegetable compartment 51 at predetermined intervals, regardless of the temperature of the vegetable compartment 51. This prevents relatively high-temperature, high-humidity cold air from accumulating near the top surface of vegetable compartment 51, thereby preventing condensation in vegetable compartment 51.

[0040] The temperature of vegetable compartment 51 is measured by, for example, a temperature sensor 603 (FIG. 13) provided in vegetable compartment 51. The predetermined time, which is the timing for discharging cool air, may be constant or may be changed depending on the environment in which refrigerator 1 is placed, such as the season or room temperature. For example, the time may be relatively short in winter when the temperature is low, and relatively long in summer when the temperature is high.

[0041] Fig. 12 is a front view of vegetable compartment 51 with container 52 stored therein. As described above, discharge outlet 506 is located at a position higher than the upper end of container 52 or near the upper end of container 52. Therefore, in Fig. 12, which shows a state in which door 5 closing vegetable compartment 51 is removed, discharge outlet 506 is often visible from the front side. In the illustrated example, discharge outlet 506 is located at a position higher than the upper end of container 52, so discharge outlet 506 is visible from the front side.

[0042] 13 is a front view of vegetable compartment 51 with container 52 removed. By removing container 52, outlet 507, temperature sensor 603, and return port 510, which are arranged on the rear side of container 52, are exposed on the front side. An insulating wall 503 is arranged on the rear side of vegetable compartment 51. As described above, rear wall 571 of rear cover 521 is arranged on the surface of insulating wall 503 facing vegetable compartment 51. Rear wall 571 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front of vegetable compartment 51, and has four corners 552.

[0043] In the rear wall 571 of the vegetable compartment 51, the outlet 506 and the return port 510 that returns the cool air from the vegetable compartment 51 are arranged on or near the diagonal line L1 when viewed from the front of the vegetable compartment 51. The diagonal line L1 is a line segment connecting two diagonally opposite corners 552. In the example of the present disclosure, the outlet 506 and the return port 510 are arranged near the diagonal line L1. This arrangement allows the outlet 506 and the return port 510 to be spaced as far apart as possible, thereby improving the effect of suppressing condensation on the top surface of the vegetable compartment 51. Note that the vicinity of the diagonal line L1 refers to the area between the diagonal line L1 and an axis L2 that extends in a direction intersecting the diagonal line L1 at an angle θ within ±20°, for example.

[0044] In the illustrated example, the outlet 506 is located near a corner 552. The return port 510 is located near a corner 552 opposite the corner 552 where the outlet 532 is located.

[0045] 14 is a front view of vegetable compartment 51 with rear cover 521 and container 52 removed. Heat insulating material 513, which is a vacuum heat insulating material, is provided immediately behind rear cover 521. Heat insulating material 513 has a shape that avoids discharge ports 506 and 507, for example, a polygonal shape (a pentagonal shape in the illustrated example).

[0046] Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of return port 510 in vegetable compartment 51, cut in the front-rear direction. Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of part F in Fig. 15. Refrigerator 1 is equipped, from the rear to the front of refrigerator 1, with cooler compartment 509 accommodating cooler 501, insulation material 513 which is a vacuum insulation material, back cover 521 formed with return port 510 that returns cool air to cooler compartment 509, and vegetable compartment 51. As shown by the thick solid arrow in Fig. 16, the highly humid cool air in vegetable compartment 51 flows into return port 510 and flows through air passage 522. Therefore, the highly humid cool air gathers around return port 510.

[0047] As described above, the cooler 501 in the freezing temperature range is disposed behind the crisper 51 and the freezer 61, straddling them. Therefore, although the insulating wall 503 disposed on the rear side of the crisper 51 incorporates the insulating material 513, the return port 510 disposed directly in front of the cooler 501 is easily cooled by the cooler 501. Furthermore, the insulating material 513 (first insulating material) is a vacuum insulating material, as described above. The vacuum insulating material, for example, includes a core material inside, and a metal (e.g., aluminum) foil is disposed to cover the core material. Therefore, the surface of the insulating material 513 is formed of metal, and the cooler 501 disposed on the rear side of the insulating material 513 easily cools the return port 510 disposed on the front side of the insulating material 513. If the return port 510 is cooled, condensation and frost are likely to form near the return port 510 and in the air passage 522 through which the humid cool air flows.

[0048] Therefore, between air passage 522 connecting return port 510 and cooler chamber 509 and heat insulating material 513 (first heat insulating material), heat insulating material 512 (second heat insulating material) having a lower thermal conductivity than the surface of heat insulating material 513 is arranged. This makes it possible to prevent the high-humidity cold air from being cooled by heat insulating material 513, and to prevent condensation and frost formation on return port 510, the surface of heat insulating material 513, air passage 522, etc.

[0049] The heat insulating material 512 is, for example, styrofoam (expanded polystyrene), a resin material, rubber, etc. The heat insulating material 512 may be, for example, a heat insulating material that includes an air layer to improve the heat insulating effect.

[0050] Air passage 522 is formed at least directly in front of thermal insulation material 513, which is a vacuum thermal insulation material. This prevents the high humidity cool air passing through air passage 522 from being cooled by thermal insulation material 512, thereby preventing condensation and frost formation.

[0051] Return port 510 is positioned so as to overlap the portion of insulating material 513 projected onto the front side of refrigerator 1. That is, when vegetable compartment 51 is viewed from the front side of refrigerator 1, return port 510 overlaps insulating material 513. For this reason, the high humidity cold air around return port 510 is likely to be cooled by insulating material 513. However, by arranging insulating material 512 between return port 510 and insulating material 513, it is possible to prevent the high humidity cold air around return port 510 from being cooled, and it is possible to prevent condensation and frost formation.

[0052] In the example of the present disclosure, air passage 522 is also arranged at least below heat insulating material 513 (first heat insulating material). Heat insulating material 512 (second heat insulating material) is arranged between air passage 522 and heat insulating material 513. In this way, it is possible to prevent the high-humidity cold air flowing below heat insulating material 513 from being cooled, and it is possible to prevent condensation and frost formation.

[0053] Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the rear side of vegetable compartment 51. However, in Fig. 17, rear cover 521 has been removed, and an exploded perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 14 above is shown. In vegetable compartment 51, from the front to the rear of refrigerator 1, there are provided rear cover 521 made of, for example, resin, heat insulating material 512, heat insulating material 513 which is a vacuum heat insulating material, heat insulating material 533 such as foam heat insulating material (such as Styrofoam) having a portion into which heat insulating material 513 is fitted, and rear panel 514 made of, for example, resin. Of these, heat insulating materials 512, 513, and 533 form heat insulating wall 503 (Fig. 2).

[0054] A heat insulating material 533 is provided on the rear side of the heat insulating material 513. This makes it possible to prevent heat from being transferred from a heater 572 (FIG. 16) disposed on the opposite side of the heat insulating material 513 as viewed from the heat insulating material 533 to the heat insulating material 513. The heater 572 is a structure for defrosting the cooler 501. The output (heat generation amount per unit time) of the heater 572 is greater than the output (heat generation amount per unit time) of the heating mechanism 504. A return port 612 is formed in the rear panel 514. A groove 5031 into which the L-shaped heat insulating material 512 is inserted is formed in the heat insulating material 533.

[0055] Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the back of vegetable compartment 51. Fig. 19 is an enlarged view of part G in Fig. 18. Thermal insulation material 512 is a preformed foamed thermal insulation material. This allows thermal insulation material 512 to be positioned according to the structure of air passage 522. Preformed foamed thermal insulation material is not a so-called foamed-in-place material that is foamed inside insulated box body 10 (refrigerator 1), but rather a foamed thermal insulation material that is preformed so that it can be attached to insulated box body 10 (refrigerator 1) as is.

[0056] Furthermore, heat insulating material 512 is exposed to air passage 522. This allows the distance between heat insulating material 512 and air passage 522 to be shortened, and heat insulating material 512 can be made larger, improving the heat insulating effect.

[0057] The heat insulating material 512 has a curved structure that supports the front and bottom surfaces of the plate-shaped heat insulating material 513. Such heat insulating material 512 allows the heat insulating material 513 to be fixed without using a separate member for fixing the heat insulating material 513. However, a member for fixing the heat insulating material 513 (for example, tape, etc.) may be used as an auxiliary member. In the example of the present disclosure, the heat insulating material 512 has an L-shape and supports the heat insulating material 512 near the corners of the heat insulating material 512.

[0058] Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the containers in the crisper. Fig. 21 is a top view showing the containers in the crisper. Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH in Fig. 21. Container 52 is configured to include a vegetable storage section 581 (storage container) that serves as lower space 524 (see Fig. 22), a front storage section 582 provided in front of (in front of) this vegetable storage section 581, and a small item storage container 583 (lid) that serves as upper space 523 provided above vegetable storage section 581. In addition, a partition plate 584 is provided between vegetable storage section 581 and front storage section 582.

[0059] Small item storage container 583 is configured to be able to freely open and close upper opening 5812 (see FIG. 22) of vegetable storage section 581. Small item storage container 583 is arranged to close upper opening 5812 of vegetable storage section 581, thereby making vegetable storage section 581 a substantially sealed space. Small item storage container 583 is also able to slide in the front-to-rear direction on vegetable storage section 581. Vegetable storage section 581 and front storage section 582 are integrally molded from resin, and partition plate 584 is attached between vegetable storage section 581 and front storage section 582. Slit-shaped openings 585 are formed on the left and right side surfaces of front storage section 582, connecting the inside and outside of front storage section 582.

[0060] The configuration of container 52 of vegetable compartment 51 described above is one example and is not limited to this embodiment. For example, front storage section 582 may not be provided, and lower space 524 may entirely serve as a vegetable storage section from the front to the back. Also, although small item storage container 583 is shown as an example of a lid, upper opening 5812 of vegetable storage section 581 may be closed with a plate-shaped lid to form a substantially sealed space.

[0061] The vegetable storage section 581 and the front storage section 582 are configured to move together with the door 5 (drawer door) of the vegetable compartment 51 in response to the opening and closing of the door 5. The small item storage container 583 is also pulled out in response to the pulling out operation of the vegetable storage section 581 and the front storage section 582. For example, when storing vegetables in the vegetable storage section 581, after pulling out the door 5, the small item storage container 583 is slid toward the back, thereby opening an upper opening 5812 (see FIG. 22) of the vegetable storage section 581.

[0062] Figure 23 is an enlarged view of part I in Figure 22. A front opening 586 is formed between vegetable storage section 581 and small item storage container 583. Front opening 586 is formed by a gap between partition plate 584 (wall surface) and bottom plate 5831 of small item storage container 583. In other words, front opening 586 is provided at the upper end of vegetable storage section 581.

[0063] Figure 24 is an enlarged view of part J in Figure 22. A rear opening 587 is formed between the vegetable storage section 581 and the small item storage container 583. The rear opening 587 is formed by a gap between a rear plate 5811 (wall surface) located on the rear side of the vegetable storage section 581 and a bottom plate 5831 of the small item storage container 583. In other words, the rear opening 587 is provided at the upper end of the vegetable storage section 581.

[0064] 25 is a see-through perspective view showing the arrangement of the front opening and the rear opening. Front opening 586 is formed continuously from the left end to the right end of vegetable storage section 581. Note that front opening 586 is not limited to a configuration in which it is formed continuously from the left end to the right end, and may be formed discontinuously in multiple locations. For example, a fin gasket may be provided to close front opening 586 except for the vicinity of the left end and / or the right end.

[0065] Rear openings 587 are formed in two locations, one at the left end and one at the right end of vegetable storage section 581. Note that rear openings 587 are not limited to being formed in two locations, left and right, and may be formed in one location or in three or more locations.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the front opening 586 and the rear opening 587 are configured by forming a gap (space) between the vegetable storage section 581 and the small item storage container 583, but the front opening may be formed by forming a hole in the upper part of the partition plate 584 of the vegetable storage section 581. Also, the rear opening may be formed by forming a hole in the upper part of the rear plate 5811 (see FIG. 24) of the vegetable storage section 581.

[0067] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the flow of cool air in the vegetable compartment. The cool air discharged from outlet 506 flows forward above small item storage container 583 along top surface 5111 of vegetable compartment 51 (along the wall of the refrigerated temperature compartment). In a vegetable compartment 581 that is substantially sealed for the purpose of high humidity, if a freezer compartment 61 (freezer temperature compartment) is provided below vegetable compartment 51, cool air tends to stagnate at the bottom of vegetable compartment 581, resulting in a deterioration in the quality of the vegetables. Furthermore, because the front side of vegetable compartment 581 is located close to door 5, it is warmer than other spaces due to heat penetration from door 5, and warm air is more likely to be generated. This generates an upward flow in the front side of vegetable compartment 581. This creates natural convection in the clockwise direction in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 26. In addition, the cold air flowing forward above the small item storage container 583 enters the vegetable storage section 581 through the front opening 586, promoting natural convection within the vegetable storage section 581 and effectively stirring the cold air stagnating at the bottom of the vegetable storage section 581. The cold air entering through the front opening 586 swirls within the vegetable storage section 581, promoting natural convection, and is then discharged through the rear opening 587. The cold air discharged through the rear opening 587 is discharged from the vegetable compartment 51 through the return port 510 (see FIG. 25) and returned to the cooler 501. The cold air discharged from the outlet 507 flows downward along the back surface 5112 of the vegetable compartment 51 (along the wall of the refrigerated temperature compartment). The cold air then flows forward below the vegetable storage section 581 and flows into the front storage section 582 through openings 585 formed in the left and right side walls of the front storage section 582. The cool air then rises within front storage section 582, enters vegetable storage section 581 from front opening 586, and forms a swirling flow before escaping from rear opening 587. Note that the outlet that discharges cool air into vegetable compartment 51 may be either outlet 506 or 507.

[0068] The refrigerator 1 configured in this manner includes a vegetable compartment 51 (a compartment for storing food in a refrigerator temperature range), a freezer compartment 61 (a compartment for storing food in a freezer temperature range) adjacent to and below the vegetable compartment 51, a vegetable storage section 581 (a storage container) accommodated in the vegetable compartment 51, a small item storage container 583 (a lid) that can open and close an upper opening 5812 of the vegetable compartment 581, outlets 506 and 507 that discharge cool air into the vegetable compartment 51, and a return port 510 that returns the cool air in the vegetable compartment 51 to the cooler 501. The vegetable storage section 581 has a front opening 586 arranged in front of the vegetable storage section 581 and a rear opening 587 arranged behind the vegetable storage section 581. The outlets 506 and 507 and the return port 510 are arranged so that the cool air from the outlets 506 and 507 flows from the front opening 586 to the rear opening 587 (see FIG. 26 ). This promotes natural convection in the vegetable storage section 581 with a flow that does not resist the upward flow, and stirs the cool air in the vegetable storage section 581. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cool air from stagnating in the vegetable storage section 581, to make the temperature uniform, and to prevent the quality of vegetables from deteriorating (drying and deterioration).

[0069] In addition, in refrigerator 1, front opening 586 and rear opening 587 are provided at the upper end of vegetable storage section 581 (see FIG. 22). This prevents cold air from directly hitting vegetables stored at the bottom of vegetable storage section 581, and also makes it possible to promote natural convection within vegetable storage section 581.

[0070] In addition, in refrigerator 1, front opening 586 is formed by the gap between partition plate 584 (wall surface) of vegetable storage section 581 and small item storage container 583 (lid portion) (see FIG. 23). Rear opening 587 is formed by the gap between rear plate 5811 (wall surface) of vegetable storage section 581 and small item storage container 583 (lid portion) (see FIG. 24). This eliminates the need for new parts or new shapes to form the openings, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0071] In addition, in refrigerator 1, outlet 506 discharges cool air in a direction along top surface 5111 (near the wall) of vegetable compartment 51 in a side view (see FIG. 26). In addition, outlet 507 discharges cool air in a direction along back surface 5112 (near the wall) of vegetable compartment 51 in a side view (see FIG. 26). This allows cool air to flow to the front, making it easier for cool air to flow from front opening 586 to rear opening 587.

[0072] Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1, the insulating material inside door 5 (drawer door) of vegetable compartment 51 has lower insulating performance than the insulating material used in freezer compartment 61 (freezer temperature range compartment). For example, door 5 can be constructed using only filled and foamed insulating material, while door 6 can be constructed using a combination of vacuum insulating material and filled and foamed insulating material. This makes it easier for warm air to form in front of vegetable storage section 581, which makes it easier to generate an upward flow, and further promotes natural convection inside vegetable storage section 581.

[0073] In addition, in refrigerator 1, rear openings 587 are provided on both the left and right ends of vegetable storage section 581 (see FIG. 25). This prevents cool air that enters through front opening 586 from immediately escaping through rear opening 587, making it easier to circulate the cool air within vegetable storage section 581.

[0074] Furthermore, in refrigerator 1, front opening 586 is formed continuously from the left end to the right end of vegetable storage section 581 (see FIG. 25), and the opening area of front opening 586 is larger than the opening area of rear opening 587. This makes it easier to take in the cool air that has been discharged from outlets 506, 507 and has made its way around to the front side of vegetable storage section 581 through front opening 586, thereby making it possible to prevent the cool air from stagnating. Even when a fin gasket is provided to close a portion of front opening 586, it is desirable to provide the opening area of front opening 586 larger than the opening area of rear opening 587.

[0075] FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of cold air in the vegetable compartment during defrosting. Ice making compartment 31 (upper freezer compartment, freezer compartment) and freezer compartment 41 (upper freezer compartment, freezer compartment) are provided above vegetable compartment 51. Freezer compartment 61 (lower freezer compartment, freezer compartment) is provided below vegetable compartment 51. Insulating wall 503 is provided on the back of vegetable compartment 51. Insulating wall 503 is provided with outlets 506 and 507 (refrigerated temperature zone compartment outlet) and return port 510 (refrigerated temperature zone compartment return port). Ice making compartment 31 is provided with outlet 32 (see FIG. 29) for discharging cold air. Freezer compartment 41 is provided with outlet 44 (see FIG. 29) for discharging cold air. Freezer compartment 61 is provided with outlet 611 (see FIG. 28) for discharging cold air. In addition, outlets 506 and 507 are provided above return port 510.

[0076] Discharge duct member 515 is provided on the rear surface of heat insulating wall 503. Discharge duct member 515 is made of synthetic resin, and has air passage 511 (refrigerated air passage) formed therein. When damper 306 is opened, cold air is supplied to ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, and when damper 306 is closed, the supply of cold air to ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 is stopped. Discharge duct member 515 also communicates with cooler compartment 509 via fan 505. When damper 508 is opened, cold air is supplied to vegetable compartment 51, and when damper 508 is closed, the supply of cold air to vegetable compartment 51 is stopped.

[0077] Air passage 522 (return air passage) is connected to return port 510 formed in vegetable compartment 51. Air passage 522 is a return air passage that returns cool air from return port 510 to cooler compartment 509. Cooler compartment 509 is provided with cooler 501 that generates cool air to be supplied to ice making compartment 31, freezer compartment 41, vegetable compartment 51, and freezer compartment 61. Below cooler 501, heater 572 that heats the air in cooler compartment 509 is provided.

[0078] A return port 612 formed in the freezing compartment 61 communicates with the cooler compartment 509 and allows cool air to flow out below the cooler 501. Note that the illustration of the discharge port 611 of the freezing compartment 61 is omitted in Fig. 27. The flow of cool air during defrosting will be described later.

[0079] FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along line KK in FIG. 27. FIG. 28 is a schematic view of cooler 501 cut at the rear side and viewed from the rear side. Discharge duct member 515 is provided on the left side (right side in the figure) of the rear surface (rear surface) of heat insulating wall 503. Heat insulating wall 503 is also provided with air passage 307 (return air passage) on the opposite side in the left-right direction (right side, left side in the figure) from discharge duct member 515. Air passage 307 is formed to extend in the vertical direction and communicates with return port 510 and return port 43 (see FIG. 3). Air passage 307 is also formed to extend downward beyond return port 510 and communicates with cooler chamber 509. Return port 612 of freezer chamber 61 extends below cooler 501 via air passage 623 (see FIG. 29).

[0080] 29 is a schematic diagram showing the overall air passage of a refrigerator. Refrigerator 1 is provided with air passage 300 (upper freezer compartment air passage) that sends cool air from cooler compartment 509 to ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41. Refrigerator 1 is also formed with air passage 307 (upper freezer compartment return air passage) that returns cool air from ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 to cooler compartment 509. Air passage 307 is formed by extending downward from ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41. Air passage 300 is provided with damper 306 (upper freezer compartment damper). Note that damper 306 may also be provided in air passage 307.

[0081] The refrigerator 1 also has an air passage 602 (lower freezer compartment air passage) that sends cool air from the cooler compartment 509 to the freezer compartment 61. The air passage 602 is formed by extending downward from the cooler compartment 509. The refrigerator 1 also has an air passage 623 (lower freezer compartment return air passage) that returns the cool air from the freezer compartment 61 to the cooler compartment 509. In this embodiment, neither of the air passages 602, 623 is provided with a damper.

[0082] In a refrigerator equipped with a cooler compartment 509 housing a cooler 501 at the rear of the crisper compartment 51, as in this embodiment, the moisture content of the frost has been discarded during defrosting, which has not sufficiently improved the moisture retention of the crisper compartment 51. Furthermore, there is a demand for maintaining high humidity in the crisper compartment 51. Therefore, during normal cooling, the return port 510 is a location where frost easily grows, even though it employs a structure to suppress condensation and frost formation, as described above. Therefore, in this embodiment, during defrosting (when the heater 572 is operating), the fan 505 is stopped while allowing cool air to flow from the air passage 522 (return air passage) through the crisper compartment 51 to the air passage 511 (refrigerated air passage). The flow of cool air during defrosting will be described below with reference to FIGS. 27 to 29. In FIGS. 27 to 29, the flow of cool air during defrosting is indicated by arrows.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 28, when defrosting operation starts, heater 572 is energized (operated), damper 508 is opened, and fan 505 is stopped. This creates a path through which air enters crisper 51 from return port 510. When air in cooler chamber 509 is heated by heater 572, the air becomes an upward current, rises through air passage 522 (see arrow A), and flows into crisper 51 from return port 510. At this time, the air flowing into crisper 51 (see arrow B) is high-humidity air that has not passed through cooler 501 (is not dehumidified), thereby improving the moisture retention performance of crisper 51. The air in crisper 51 then exits outlets 506 and 507 and enters air passage 511 of discharge duct member 515 (see arrow C). The air flowing downward through air passage 511 flows through freezer chamber 61's outlet 611 (see arrow D). The air that has flowed through freezer compartment 61 flows out from return port 612 of freezer compartment 61 and returns to cooler 501. In this way, by generating an airflow that enters from return port 510 and returns from outlets 506, 507, it is possible to improve the moisture retention performance inside vegetable compartment 51. Furthermore, since the vicinity of return port 510 including return port 510 (air passage 522) can be heated with high-temperature air that has not passed through cooler 501 and has not been lowered in temperature, it is possible to reliably defrost the vicinity of return port 510.

[0084] Furthermore, when the defrosting operation is started, the air passing through the cooler 501 becomes an upward flow or a downward flow depending on the state of the cooler 501. In this embodiment, the amount of power supplied to the heater 572 is set so as to generate an upward flow in the cooler 501. This setting is determined by a prior test. By generating an upward flow in the cooler 501 (see arrow E), the air flows into the inside of the discharge duct member 515 through the fan 505 (see arrow F). The air that has entered the discharge duct member 515 then flows downward through the air passage 511 of the discharge duct member 515 (see arrow G). The air then flows through the freezer compartment 61 and returns to the cooler compartment 509 through the return port 612. In this way, the defrosting efficiency of the cooler 501 can be improved by setting the amount of power supplied to the heater 572 so as to generate a natural convection flowing upward in the cooler 501.

[0085] 29, during defrosting operation (heater 572 is energized), damper 306 provided in air passage 300 is closed. Damper 508 is open, and fan 505 is stopped. At this time, by closing damper 306, the flow path resistance of air heated by heater 572 as it rises tends to be smaller on the air passage 307 side, where no resistance elements exist, than on the air passage 300 side, where the air reaches after flowing between the fins of cooler 501 and between the blades of fan 505. This makes it easier for high-temperature air to flow from air passage 307 into freezer compartment 41 (ice-making compartment 31). Closing damper 306 prevents high-temperature air heated by heater 572 from flowing from air passage 307 into freezer compartment 41 and heating freezer compartment 41 (ice-making compartment 31).

[0086] Furthermore, during defrosting operation (when heater 572 is energized), both air passages 602 and 623 are in an open state. In this embodiment, neither air passage 602 nor 623 is provided with a damper, and therefore, air passage 602 or 623 is always in an open state. If either air passage 602 or 623 is provided with a damper, opening the damper opens air passage 602 or 623. As a result, a downward natural convection is formed in air passage 602, which makes it easier to form an upward natural convection in cooler 501 (in the flow paths between fins), thereby improving defrosting efficiency.

[0087] In addition, in a refrigerator 1 equipped with a refrigerator compartment 21 (a compartment with a different refrigerator temperature range), a vegetable compartment 51, and a freezer compartment (freezer compartments 41, 61, and ice-making compartment 31), cooler 201 for cooling refrigerator compartment 21 and cooler 501 for cooling vegetable compartment 51 are configured as separate units (see FIG. 27). Generally, the door 2 of refrigerator compartment 21 is opened and closed most frequently, so a large amount of moisture flows into refrigerator compartment 21. If cooler 201 for cooling refrigerator compartment 21 and cooler 501 for cooling vegetable compartment 51 were configured as a common cooler, the moisture flowing into refrigerator compartment 21 would narrow the flow path between the fins of the cooler, increasing flow resistance during defrosting and making it difficult for a flow of water to rise through the cooler (reducing defrosting efficiency). Therefore, by configuring cooler 201 for cooling refrigerator compartment 21 and cooler 501 for cooling vegetable compartment 51 as separate units, it is possible to prevent a decrease in defrosting efficiency.

[0088] The refrigerator 1 configured in this manner includes a vegetable compartment 51, a cooler 501 that generates cool air to be supplied to the vegetable compartment 51, a cooler compartment 509 that houses the cooler 501, outlets 506 and 507 that are arranged in the vegetable compartment 51 and that discharge the cool air from the cooler 501, a return port 510 that is arranged in the vegetable compartment 51 and that returns the cool air to the cooler compartment 509, an air duct 522 that returns the cool air from the vegetable compartment 51 to the cooler compartment 509 from the return port 510, an air duct 511 through which the cool air passes from the cooler compartment 509 to the vegetable compartment 51, a fan 505 that circulates the cool air, and a heater 572 that heats the air in the cooler compartment 509. Return port 510 is disposed above heater 572, and when heater 572 is operating, fan 505 is stopped in a state in which cool air can flow from air passage 522 to air passage 511 via vegetable compartment 51 (see FIGS. 27 to 29). This improves the moisture retention performance of vegetable compartment 51, and ensures defrosting near return port 510.

[0089] Furthermore, in refrigerator 1, discharge ports 506 and 507 are provided above return port 510 (see FIGS. 27 and 28). This makes it easier to form an ascending air current due to natural convection in vegetable compartment 51, so that vegetable compartment 51 can be humidified and the vicinity of return port 510 of vegetable compartment 51 can be defrosted reliably during defrosting.

[0090] In addition, in refrigerator 1, cooler 501 is installed above heater 572, and the amount of power supplied to heater 572 is determined so as to generate natural convection that rises through cooler 501 (see FIG. 28). This can improve the defrosting efficiency of cooler 501.

[0091] Refrigerator 1 is also provided with ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 provided above vegetable compartment 51, air duct 300 that sends cool air from cooler compartment 509 to ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, air duct 307 that extends downward from ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 and returns cool air from ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, and damper 306 provided in air duct 300, and damper 306 is closed when heater 572 is operating (see FIG. 29). This prevents high-temperature air heated by heater 572 from flowing from air duct 307 into ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, which would otherwise heat ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41.

[0092] Refrigerator 1 also includes freezer compartment 61 provided below vegetable compartment 51, air duct 602 extending downward from cooler compartment 509 for sending cold air from cooler compartment 509 to freezer compartment 61, and air duct 623 for returning cold air from freezer compartment 61. When heater 572 is operating, air duct 602 and air duct 623 are both open. This allows downward natural convection to be formed in air duct 602, which makes it easier to form upward natural convection in cooler 501, thereby improving defrosting efficiency.

[0093] Furthermore, refrigerator 1 is provided with vegetable compartment 51, ice-making compartment 31 set in the freezing temperature range, freezer compartments 41 and 61, and refrigerator compartment 21, and cooler 201 that cools refrigerator compartment 21 and cooler 501 that cools vegetable compartment 51 are separate units (see FIG. 27). This makes it easier to form a flow that rises through cooler 501 during defrosting, thereby improving defrosting efficiency.

[0094] FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram showing the entire air passage of a refrigerator according to another embodiment. In this embodiment, damper 604 (lower freezer damper) is added to air passage 602 shown in FIG. 29. During defrosting operation (when heater 572 is energized), damper 508 (refrigeration damper) is opened, dampers 306 and 604 are closed, and fan 505 is rotated in the reverse direction. Note that the reverse rotation refers to a rotation that creates a flow in the opposite direction to that when cold air is sent to ice-making compartment 31, freezer compartments 41 and 61, and vegetable compartment 51. In this case, a flow is generated in which air inside discharge duct member 515 is discharged from fan 505 to cooler compartment 509. As a result, air heated by heater 572 passes through air passage 522, enters vegetable compartment 51 through return port 510, passes through vegetable compartment 51, and flows out toward discharge duct member 515 through discharge ports 506 and 507. By allowing air that has not passed through the cooler 501 to flow in through the return port 510 of the vegetable compartment 51 in this manner, the moisture-retaining performance of the vegetable compartment 51 can be improved and defrosting can be performed near the return port 510.

[0095] Refrigerator 1 configured in this manner includes vegetable compartment 51, ice-making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 provided above vegetable compartment 51, freezer compartment 61 provided below vegetable compartment 51, cooler 501 that generates cool air to be supplied to vegetable compartment 51, ice-making compartment 31, and freezer compartments 41 and 61, cooler compartment 509 that houses cooler 501, outlets 506 and 507 that are provided in vegetable compartment 51 and that discharge the cool air from cooler 501, return port 510 that is provided in vegetable compartment 51 and that returns the cool air to cooler compartment 509, air duct 522 that returns the cool air from vegetable compartment 51 to cooler compartment 509 from return port 510, and cooler compartment 509. 9 to vegetable compartment 51, air passage 300 that sends the cold air from cooler 501 to ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41, air passage 307 that returns the cold air from ice making compartment 31 and freezer compartment 41 to cooler compartment 509, air passage 602 that sends the cold air from cooler 501 to freezer compartment 61, air passage 623 that returns the cold air from freezer compartment 61 to cooler compartment 509, damper 508 provided in air passage 511, damper 306 provided in air passage 300, damper 604 provided in air passage 602, fan 505 that circulates the cold air, and heater 572 that heats the air in cooler compartment 509. Damper 306 and damper 604 are closed, damper 508 is opened, and fan 505 rotates in the reverse direction when heater 572 is operating (see FIG. 30). This allows humidification of vegetable compartment 51 and defrosting of the vicinity of return port 510 of vegetable compartment 51. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 refrigerator 10 Insulated box 102 Cooler room 11 Inner box 111 Groove 12 outer box 13. Insulation 2 doors 201 Cooler 21 Refrigerator compartment (separate refrigerated temperature compartment) 22 Shelves 23 Chilled Room 3 doors 300 Air duct (upper freezer air duct) 301 Insulated Wall 302 Insulated Wall 303 Lid 304 Case 305 Vacuum insulation material 306 Damper (Upper freezer damper) 307 Air duct (return air duct for upper freezer compartment) 31 Ice maker (upper freezer, freezer) 32 Discharge port 4 doors 41 Freezer (upper freezer, freezer) 42 Container 43 Return Entrance 44 Discharge port 5 Doors (Drawer Doors) 500 control device 501 Cooler 503 Insulated Wall 5031 Groove 504 Heating mechanism 505 Fan 506 Outlet (refrigerated temperature compartment outlet) 507 Outlet (refrigerated temperature compartment outlet) 508 Damper (refrigerated damper) 509 Cooler room 51 Vegetable compartment (refrigerated temperature compartment) 510 Return port (refrigerated temperature compartment return port) 511 Air duct (refrigerated air duct) 5111 Top (wall of refrigerated temperature compartment) 5112 Rear (wall of refrigerated temperature compartment) 512 Insulation 513 Insulation 514 rear panel 52 Container 521 Back cover 522 Air duct (return air duct) 523 Upper Space 524 Lower space 526 Wind path 527 Wind path 531 Insulated Wall 532 Discharge port 533 Insulation 541 Support member 542 Heating wire 552 corner 561 Space 562 Space 571 Back wall 572 heater 581 Vegetable storage section (storage container) 5811 Back panel (wall) 5812 Upper opening 582 Front storage area 583 Small item storage container (lid) 584 Partition (wall) 585 Aperture 586 Front opening 587 Rear opening 6 doors 601 Insulated Wall 602 Air duct (lower freezer compartment ventilation duct) 603 Temperature Sensor 604 Damper (Lower freezer damper) 61 Freezer (freezer temperature zone compartment, lower freezer compartment, freezer compartment) 611 Discharge port 612 Return entrance 62 Container 621 Side wall 622 Side wall 623 Air duct (return air duct for lower freezer compartment) L1 diagonal L2 axis θ angle

Claims

1. A refrigerated temperature compartment; a cooler that generates cold air to be supplied to the refrigerated temperature zone compartment; a cooler chamber that accommodates the cooler; an outlet disposed in the refrigerated temperature zone compartment and configured to discharge cold air from the cooler; a return port disposed in the refrigerated temperature zone compartment and returning cold air to the cooler compartment; a return air duct that returns the cold air from the refrigerated temperature zone compartment to the cooler compartment through the return port; a refrigeration air duct through which cold air passes from the cooler chamber to the refrigerated temperature zone chamber; a fan for circulating the cool air; a heater for heating the air in the cooling chamber; The return port is disposed above the heater, When the heater is operating, the fan is stopped in a state in which cool air can flow from the return air duct to the refrigerating air duct via the refrigerating temperature zone compartment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, The refrigerator is characterized in that the discharge port is provided above the return port.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, The refrigerator is characterized in that the cooler is installed above the heater, and the amount of power supplied to the heater is determined so as to generate natural convection that rises above the cooler.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, an upper freezer compartment provided above the refrigerated temperature compartment; an upper freezer compartment air duct for sending cold air from the cooler compartment to the upper freezer compartment; an upper freezer compartment return air duct extending downward from the upper freezer compartment for returning cold air from the upper freezer compartment; an upper freezer damper provided in at least one of the upper freezer compartment air duct and the upper freezer compartment return air duct, The refrigerator is characterized in that the upper freezer compartment damper is closed when the heater is operating.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, a lower freezer compartment provided below the refrigerated temperature zone compartment; a lower freezer compartment air duct extending downward from the cooler compartment to send cold air from the cooler compartment to the lower freezer compartment; a lower freezer compartment return air duct for returning cold air from the lower freezer compartment, The refrigerator is characterized in that, when the heater is operating, both the lower freezer compartment air supply duct and the lower freezer compartment return air duct are kept open.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, The refrigerator includes a refrigerated temperature zone room, a freezer room set to a freezing temperature zone, and a refrigerated temperature zone room other than the refrigerated temperature zone room, The refrigerator is characterized in that a cooler for cooling the separate refrigerated temperature zone compartment and a cooler for cooling the refrigerated temperature zone compartment are separate units.

7. A refrigerated temperature compartment; an upper freezer compartment provided above the refrigerated temperature compartment; a lower freezer compartment provided below the refrigerated temperature zone compartment; a cooler that generates cold air to be supplied to the refrigerated temperature zone compartment, the upper freezer compartment, and the lower freezer compartment; a cooler chamber that accommodates the cooler; a refrigerated temperature zone compartment outlet disposed in the refrigerated temperature zone compartment and discharging cold air from the cooler; a refrigerated temperature zone chamber return port disposed in the refrigerated temperature zone chamber and returning cold air to the cooler chamber; a return air duct for returning the cold air from the refrigerating temperature zone compartment to the cooler compartment through the refrigerating temperature zone compartment return port; a refrigeration air duct through which cold air passes from the cooler chamber to the refrigerated temperature zone chamber; an upper freezer compartment air duct for sending cold air from the cooler to the upper freezer compartment; an upper freezer compartment return air duct that returns the cool air from the upper freezer compartment to the cooler compartment; a lower freezer compartment air duct for sending cold air from the cooler to the lower freezer compartment; a lower freezer compartment return air duct that returns the cold air from the lower freezer compartment to the cooler compartment; a refrigeration damper provided in the refrigeration air duct; an upper freezer compartment damper provided in at least one of the upper freezer compartment air duct and the upper freezer compartment return air duct; a lower freezer damper provided in at least one of the lower freezer compartment air duct and the lower freezer compartment return air duct; a fan for circulating the cool air; a heater for heating the air in the cooling chamber; The refrigerator closes the upper freezer compartment damper and the lower freezer compartment damper, opens the refrigeration damper, and reverses the rotation of the fan when the heater is operating.

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