refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator that can maintain low energy efficiency and suppress the rise in cold air temperature by isolating the wiring of the lighting section of the containers, which are arranged in parallel in the width direction, from the airflow path, thereby reducing cold air leakage. [Solution] The lighting unit includes a first light source that irradiates light onto the first container, a second light source that irradiates light onto the second container, and a connecting member that shares at least a portion of the electrical connections to the first and second light sources. The air supply passage has a separation section for separating the first cold air supplied from the first outlet and the second cold air supplied from the second outlet. Inside the air supply passage, there is an internal air passage structure that is arranged in the width direction in an area outside the area between the separation section and the first and second outlets, and the internal air passage structure includes at least a portion of the connecting member.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a chilled compartment in a refrigerator, there is provided an upper container, a first lower container and a second lower container which are located below the upper container and are arranged separately into two on the left and right, and a plurality of LED light sources for illuminating the interiors of the upper container, the first lower container and the second lower container are provided on a plurality of substrates arranged on the rear side of each container. In such a refrigerator, when it is not necessary to separately control the illumination of the first lower container and the illumination of the second lower container, connecting the two illuminations electrically in series results in a lower current, and energy saving can be achieved.

[0003] On the other hand, in order to diversify the functions of the chilled compartment, it is necessary to provide air outlets corresponding to the first lower container and the second lower container respectively and isolate the corresponding air passages. In this case, if the illuminations of the two containers on the left and right are electrically connected in series, the two air passages will be connected through the wiring part connecting the illuminations in series. Therefore, there is a demand for a device that can suppress the temperature rise caused by the leakage of cold air from one air passage to the other through the wiring part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a refrigerator that can maintain low energy efficiency and suppress the rise in cold air temperature by isolating the wiring of the lighting section of the containers, which are arranged in parallel in the width direction, from the airflow path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator of the embodiment includes a storage space, a first container and a second container arranged in parallel inside the storage space in the width direction of the refrigerator, a first outlet and a second outlet capable of supplying cold air corresponding to the first container and the second container, respectively, an illumination unit for irradiating the first container and the second container with light, and a supply air passage capable of supplying cold air generated by a cooler to the first outlet and the second outlet. The illumination unit includes a first light source for irradiating the first container with light, a second light source for irradiating the second container with light, and a connecting member that shares at least a portion of the electrical connections to the first light source and the second light source. The supply air passage has a separation unit for separating the first cold air supplied from the first outlet and the second cold air supplied from the second outlet. Inside the supply air passage, there is an internal air passage structure arranged in the width direction in a region outside the area between the separation unit and the first and second outlets. The internal air passage structure includes at least a portion of the connecting member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Front view of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1, along the F2-F2 line. [Figure 3] Front view of the chiller compartment shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] A front view of the rear cover of the duct component, seen from the front. [Figure 5] A perspective view of the rear cover, seen from a diagonal rearward angle. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a rear view of the main part of the rear cover, seen from the rear. [Figure 7] A side view showing the installation status of the sterilization unit. [Figure 8] Front view of the sterilization unit. [Figure 9] A schematic diagram showing the wiring of a pair of sterilization units. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The refrigerator of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplication of these components may be omitted.

[0009] In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction a user viewing the refrigerator from in front of it is facing. Furthermore, the side of the refrigerator closer to the user standing in front of it is defined as the "front," and the side further away is defined as the "back." In this specification, "width direction" refers to the left-right direction as defined above. In this specification, "depth direction" refers to the front-back direction as defined above. In this specification, "width direction" refers to the left-right direction as defined above. In this specification, "up-down direction" refers to the height direction of the refrigerator.

[0010] In this specification, "disinfection" is a term used for explanatory purposes and is used in a broad sense to mean the suppression of viruses or bacteria (for example, reducing or inactivating the infectivity of viruses, or suppressing the growth of bacteria). In other words, in this specification, "disinfection" is not limited to removing (reducing) bacteria, but also means suppressing the growth of bacteria and / or suppressing the spread of viruses and other organisms other than bacteria. "Suppressing the spread of viruses and other organisms" is not limited to suppressing the spread of viruses within the refrigerator, but may also include cases where the infectivity of a virus is weakened and its spread after it leaves the refrigerator is suppressed.

[0011] [Overall configuration of the refrigerator] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment will be described. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described. However, the refrigerator 1 does not need to have all of the configurations described below, and some configurations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 comprises, for example, a casing 10 and a number of doors 20.

[0013] The enclosure 10 has an upper wall 10a, a lower wall 10b, left and right side walls 10c, 10d, and a rear wall 10e (see Figure 2). The upper wall 10a and lower wall 10b extend horizontally. The left and right side walls 10c, 10d rise upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 10b and connect to the left and right ends of the upper wall 10a. The left side wall 10c includes a left side wall portion S1 that is exposed to the vegetable compartment 11B (described later) and forms the left side of the vegetable compartment 11B. The right side wall 10d includes a right side wall portion S2 that is exposed to the vegetable compartment 11B and forms the right side of the vegetable compartment 11B. The rear wall 10e rises upward from the rear end of the lower wall 10b and connects to the rear end of the upper wall 10a. The housing 10 includes an inner box 10i that forms the inner surface of the housing 10, an outer box 10j located outside the inner box 10i and forming the outer surface of the housing 10, and a foamed insulation material 10k such as foamed urethane provided between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j (see Figure 2), and has thermal insulation properties.

[0014] The enclosure 10 is provided with a plurality of storage compartments 11. The plurality of storage compartments 11 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11A, chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac, a vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment 11E. The refrigerator compartment 11A is cooled to a refrigerator temperature range of, for example, approximately 2°C to 6°C. The chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac are cooled to a chilled temperature range of, for example, approximately -1°C to +1°C. The vegetable compartment 11B is cooled to a vegetable compartment temperature range of, for example, approximately 3°C to 7°C. The ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, and the main freezer compartment 11E are cooled to a freezer temperature range of, for example, approximately -20°C to -18°C.

[0015] In this embodiment, a refrigerating chamber 11A is arranged at the uppermost part, a vegetable chamber 11B is arranged below the refrigerating chamber 11A, an ice-making chamber 11C and a small freezing chamber 11D are arranged below the vegetable chamber 11B, and a main freezing chamber 11E is arranged below the ice-making chamber 11C and the small freezing chamber 11D. However, the arrangement of the storage chambers 11 is not limited to the above example. The housing 10 has an opening on the front side of each storage chamber 11 that enables the loading and unloading of foodstuffs into and from each storage chamber 11. The vegetable chamber 11B is an example of a storage chamber.

[0016] Chilled chambers 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac are provided in a section at the lower part of the refrigerating chamber 11A. The chilled chamber 11Aa is an example of a "special storage chamber". As used herein, a "special storage chamber" is a storage chamber having a temperature range lower than that of a refrigerating chamber and higher than that of a freezing chamber. The "special storage chamber" is not limited to the chilled chambers 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac, and may be a partial chamber cooled to a partial temperature range (about -4°C to -2°C), for example. Therefore, the "chilled chambers 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac" in the following description may be read as a "special storage chamber" or a "partial chamber".

[0017] The housing 10 has first and second partition portions 15, 16 (see FIG. 2). The first and second partition portions 15, 16 are, for example, partition walls each extending substantially in a horizontal direction. The first partition portion 15 is located between the refrigerating chamber 11A and the chilled chambers 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac and the vegetable chamber 11B, and partitions between the refrigerating chamber 11A and the chilled chambers 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac and the vegetable chamber 11B. For example, the first partition portion 15 is a partition wall having no heat insulation property. The first partition portion 15 may be provided integrally with the housing 10, or may be provided separately from the housing 10 and attached inside the housing 10. The first partition portion 15 has ventilation holes for guiding cold air passing through the refrigerating chamber 11A or the chilled chambers 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac to the vegetable chamber 11B. On the other hand, the second partition portion 16 is located between the vegetable chamber 11B and the ice-making chamber 11C and the small freezing chamber 11D, and partitions between the vegetable chamber 11B and the ice-making chamber 11C and the small freezing chamber 11D. The second partition portion 16 is provided integrally with the housing 10, for example, and has heat insulation property.

[0018] The plurality of storage chambers 11 are closed in an openable and closable manner by a plurality of doors 20. The plurality of doors 20 include, for example, left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab that close the opening of the refrigerator chamber 11A, a vegetable chamber door 20B that closes the opening of the vegetable chamber 11B, an ice making chamber door 20C that closes the opening of the ice making chamber 11C, a small freezer door 20D that closes the opening of the small freezer chamber 11D, and a main freezer door 20E that closes the opening of the main freezer chamber 11E. The left and right refrigerator doors 20Aa and 20Ab constitute, for example, French doors (butterfly doors). Each of the vegetable chamber door 20B, the ice making chamber door 20C, the small freezer door 20D, and the main freezer door 20E is a drawer door that can be pulled out to the front side of the refrigerator 1.

[0019] Here, the vegetable chamber door 20B will be described in detail. The vegetable chamber door 20B includes, for example, a door body 21 and a rail member 22. The door body 21 is located outside the housing 10 and faces the opening of the vegetable chamber 11B from the front side of the refrigerator 1. The door body 21 has an outer shape larger than the opening of the vegetable chamber 11B and closes the opening of the vegetable chamber 11B in an openable and closable manner. A handle for the user to hold when opening the vegetable chamber door 20B is provided at the upper end of the door body 21. The rail member 22 is attached to the inner surface (rear surface) of the door body 21 and extends rearward from the door body 21. The rail member 22 is supported by rail receiving portions provided on the left side wall portion S1 and the right side wall portion S2 of the housing 10. Thereby, the vegetable chamber door 20B is slidable in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1 with respect to the housing 10.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F2 - F2 of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 1. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a plurality of shelves 30, a plurality of containers 40, a flow path forming component 50, a cooling unit 60, a sterilization unit 70 (70A, 70B, 70C), and a control device 80. The plurality of shelves 30 are arranged in the refrigerator chamber 11A.

[0021] The multiple containers 40 include chilled compartment containers 41A, 41B, and 42 housed in each of the three chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac, first and second vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44 housed in the vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment container (not shown) housed in the ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment container 46 housed in the small freezer compartment 11D, and first and second main freezer compartment containers 47 and 48 housed in the main freezer compartment 11E.

[0022] Figure 3 is a front view of the chilled compartment shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the chilled compartment containers 41A, 41B, and 42 will be described. The first chilled compartment container 41A and the second chilled compartment container 41B are the lower containers of the two-tiered chilled compartment. The third chilled compartment container 42 is the upper container of the two-tiered chilled compartment. The third chilled compartment container 42 is located above the first chilled compartment container 41A and the second chilled compartment container 41B. Each chilled compartment container 41A, 41B, and 42 can be pulled out independently from the front. Note that the upper third chilled compartment container 42 may be omitted, and the refrigerator may consist only of the first chilled compartment containers 41A and the second chilled compartment containers 41B arranged in the width direction.

[0023] Next, the first and second vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44 will be described. The first vegetable compartment container 43 is the lower of the two-tiered vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44. The first vegetable compartment container 43 is supported by the vegetable compartment door 20B and can be pulled out to the front of the refrigerator 1 together with the vegetable compartment door 20B. The front end 43a of the first vegetable compartment container 43 is located near the door body 21 of the vegetable compartment door 20B. A partition 43p is provided inside the first vegetable compartment container 43. Between the front end 43a of the first vegetable compartment container 43 and the partition 43p, a storage area CR is formed in which PET bottles can be stored upright. The storage area CR is the storage area inside the first vegetable compartment container 43 adjacent to the front end 43a of the first vegetable compartment container 43. On the other hand, the rear end 43b of the first vegetable compartment container 43 is located near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10 when the first vegetable compartment container 43 is housed in the vegetable compartment 11B.

[0024] The second vegetable compartment container 44 is the upper of the two-tiered vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44. The second vegetable compartment container 44 is positioned above the first vegetable compartment container 43. The dimensions of the second vegetable compartment container 44 in the front-to-back direction of the refrigerator 1 are smaller than the dimensions of the first vegetable compartment container 43 in the same direction. The front end 44a of the second vegetable compartment container 44 is located directly above the partition 43p of the first vegetable compartment container 43, or behind the partition 43p. In other words, the front end 44a of the second vegetable compartment container 44 is located further back than the front end 43a of the first vegetable compartment container 43. The front end 44a of the second vegetable compartment container 44 is provided with a handle H for the user to grasp when pulling the second vegetable compartment container 44 forward.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the flow path forming component 50 includes a refrigeration duct component (hereinafter simply referred to as "duct component 51") and a freezing duct component (hereinafter simply referred to as "duct component 52"). The duct component 51 is provided inside the housing 10 and extends vertically along the rear wall 10e. The duct component 51 forms a duct space D1 (air supply passage), which is a passage through which cold air flows, near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10. In this specification, "duct component" is not limited to a cylindrical component, but may include a component that, in cooperation with other components (for example, the rear wall 10e of the housing 10), defines at least a part of the passage for cold air. For example, the duct component 51 in this embodiment is a cover member attached to the rear wall 10e of the housing 10 and forms a duct space D1 between itself and the rear wall 10e of the housing 10.

[0026] The duct component 51 has air outlets 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d and cold air return outlets 51e, 51f. Air outlet 51a opens into the refrigerator compartment 11A and supplies cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 62 (described later) to the refrigerator compartment 11A. Air outlet 51b opens into the upper chilled compartment 11Ac and supplies cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 62 (described later) to the upper chilled compartment 11Ac. Air outlet 51b opens into the upper chilled compartment 11Ac and supplies cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 62 (described later) to the upper chilled compartment 11Ac. Air outlet 51c opens into the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa and supplies cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 62 (described later) to the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa through the duct space D1. The air outlet 51d opens into the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab and supplies cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 62 (described later) to the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab through the duct space D1.

[0027] The cold air return vent 51e opens into the refrigerator compartment 11A and guides the cold air, which has been heated by passing through the refrigerator compartment 11A, toward the duct space D1. The cold air return vent 51e also opens into the vegetable compartment 11B and guides the cold air, which has been heated by passing through the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B, toward the duct space D1. The duct components will be described in detail later.

[0028] The duct component 52 is installed inside the housing 10 and extends vertically along the rear wall 10e. The duct component 52 forms a duct space D2, which is a passage for cold air (air) to flow, near the rear wall 10e of the housing 10. The duct component 52 has an outlet 52a and a cold air return port 52b. The outlet 52a opens into the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, or the main freezer compartment 11E, and supplies cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 64 (described later) to the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, or the main freezer compartment 11E. The cold air return port 52b opens at the bottom of the main freezer compartment 11E and guides the cold air, which has been warmed by passing through one or more of the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, and the main freezer compartment 11E, into the duct space D2.

[0029] The cooling unit 60 includes, for example, a compressor 61, a refrigerator cooler 62, a refrigerator fan 63, a freezer cooler 64, and a freezer fan 65. The refrigerator cooler 62 and the refrigerator fan 63 are located in the duct space D1. The refrigerator cooler 62 is supplied with refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61 to cool the cold air flowing through the duct space D1. When the refrigerator fan 63 is driven, the cold air cooled by the refrigerator cooler 62 is supplied from outlets 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, and 51e to the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac. A portion of the cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 11A or the chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac flows into the vegetable compartment 11B. Then, the cold air heated in one or more of the refrigerator compartment 11A, chiller compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, 11Ac, and vegetable compartment 11B returns to the duct space D1 through the cold air return vents 51e and 51f.

[0030] The refrigeration cooler 64 and the freezer fan 65 are located in the duct space D2. The refrigeration cooler 64 is supplied with refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61 to cool the cold air flowing through the duct space D2. When the freezer fan 65 is driven, the cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 64 is supplied from the outlet 52a to the freezer compartments (ice making compartment 11C, small freezer compartment 11D, main freezer compartment 11E), and the air heated in the freezer compartments returns to the duct space D2 from the cold air return port 52b.

[0031] The sterilization units 70 (70A, 70B, 70C) (lighting section) are installed inside the housing 10. In this embodiment, the first sterilization unit 70A and the second sterilization unit 70B are positioned behind the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa and the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab, respectively, and irradiate the inside of the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa and the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab with ultraviolet light and visible light. The third sterilization unit 70C is positioned behind the vegetable compartment 11B and irradiates the inside of the vegetable compartment 11B with ultraviolet light and visible light. The sterilization units 70 (70A, 70B, 70C) will be described in detail later.

[0032] The control device 80 comprises a circuit board and electronic components mounted on the circuit board. The control device 80 comprehensively controls the entire refrigerator 1. For example, the control device 80 controls the operation of the compressor 61, the refrigerator compartment fan 63, and the freezer compartment fan 65 mentioned above. The control device 80 also controls the irradiation of ultraviolet light by the sterilization units 70A, 70B, and 70C. In this embodiment, the control device 80 controls the sterilization units 70A, 70B, and 70C based on the detection results of the door switches that detect the open / closed state of the vegetable compartment door 20B and the chilled compartment door 11Aa. For example, if the control device 80 detects that the vegetable compartment door 20B or the chilled compartment doors 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac have been opened, it stops the irradiation of ultraviolet light S by the sterilization units 70A, 70B, and 70C. On the other hand, if the control device 80 detects that the vegetable compartment door 20B or the doors of the chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac have been closed, it restarts the irradiation of ultraviolet light by the sterilization unit 70.

[0033] [Details of the chiller compartment and vegetable compartment] Next, the structure of the refrigerator compartment 11A, the chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac, and the vegetable compartment 11B will be explained in detail. Figure 3 is a front view of the chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac shown in Figure 2.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a first partition 15 that separates the refrigerator compartment 11A and chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac from the vegetable compartment 11B. The first partition 15 is formed in the shape of a relatively thin plate. The first partition 15 forms part of the bottom wall of the refrigerator compartment 11A and chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac, and also forms the ceiling of the vegetable compartment 11B.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the chilled compartment is provided in two levels, upper and lower. The first lower chilled compartment 11Aa and the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the right side of the front view shown in Figure 3 is the first lower chilled compartment 11Ba, and the left side is the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab. The upper chilled compartment 11Ac is located above the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa and the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab. These three chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac are individually partitioned by partition walls, and chilled compartment containers 41A, 41B, and 42 are stored in each chilled compartment 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac, respectively, so that they can be pulled out from the front.

[0036] Next, the duct components will be explained based on Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 is a front view of the rear cover 53 of the duct component 51, seen from the front. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rear cover 53, seen from the rear at an angle. Figure 6 is a rear view of the main part of the rear cover 53 of Figure 5, seen from the rear. As shown in Figure 2, the duct component 51 has a rear cover 53 located on the lower side, which is divided into upper and lower sections. The upper and lower rear covers 53 are connected in an airtight manner. The lower rear cover 53 is located below the upper chilled compartment 11Ac. Inside the rear cover 53 is the duct space D1, and the entire area serves as an air passage.

[0037] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the rear cover 53 is a wall portion facing the front of the refrigerator 1. The rear cover 53 is exposed to each chilled compartment 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac, and forms part of the rear wall portion of each chilled compartment 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac. The rear cover 53 is provided with air outlets 51b, 51c, and 51d corresponding to each chilled compartment 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac. Here, the air outlet 51b provided in the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa will be referred to as the first air outlet 51b below. Similarly, the air outlet 51c provided in the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab will be referred to as the second air outlet 51c below.

[0038] An insulating material is provided inside the duct component 51. The insulating material is a foamed insulating material such as expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), and has high thermal insulation properties. The insulating material has better thermal insulation properties per unit thickness than the duct component 51.

[0039] In duct space D1, air (cold air) flowing in from chilled compartments 11Aa, 11Ab, and 11Ac to the cold air return port 51e flows downward. The air flowing into duct space D1 from the cold air return port 51e is guided to confluence space Da, which is located behind the vegetable compartment 11B and below the refrigerator cooler 62. The air flowing into confluence space Da from the cold air return port 51c merges with the air flowing into confluence space Da from the vegetable compartment 11B through the cold air return port 51f, and then flows from confluence space Da towards the refrigerator cooler 62.

[0040] The rear cover 53 is provided with a duct space D1 (air supply passage) that can supply cold air E0 generated by the refrigerator 62 to the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c. The duct space D1 has a separation section 54 for separating the first cold air E1 supplied from the first outlet 51b and the second cold air E2 supplied from the second outlet 51c. In the rear cover 53, the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c are arranged side by side in the width direction, approximately in the center of the width direction (left-right direction) of the refrigerator 1. The first outlet 51b communicates with the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa. The second outlet 51c communicates with the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab. The first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c are separated in the width direction by a partition member 56. A damper 55, which will be described later, is housed inside the partition member 56.

[0041] The separation section 54 is provided at the lower end of the partition member 56. The lower surface of the separation section 54 has guide slopes 54a and 54b that gradually slope upward from the center in the width direction toward both sides. The surface direction of the first guide slope 54a faces inward toward the first outlet 51b. The surface direction of the second guide slope 54b faces inward toward the second outlet 51c. In the duct space D1 on the rear side of the rear cover 53, the cold air E0 flowing from the refrigeration cooler 62 is separated by the first guide slope 54a and the second guide slope 54b of the separation section 54. That is, the first cold air E1 flowing along the first guide slope 54a flows into the first outlet 51b. The second cold air E2 flowing along the second guide slope 54b flows into the second outlet 51c.

[0042] The first air outlet 51b and the second air outlet 51c are provided with dampers 55 (airflow adjustment members) that can adjust the supply amount of cold air E1 and E2. The dampers 55 are positioned between the first air outlet 51b and the separation unit 54, and between the second air outlet 51c and the separation unit 54. The dampers 55 are provided with electrically connected damper wiring 55a (see Figure 6). The wiring inside the rear cover 53 of the damper wiring 55a will be described later.

[0043] The rear cover 53 is provided with unit housings 57A and 57B on either side of the first air outlet 51b and second air outlet 51c, which are located in the center in the width direction. The unit housings 57A and 57B are located inside the rear cover 53. As shown in Figure 7, the unit housings 57A and 57B have a front wall 571 and a rear wall 572. The first unit housing 57A is equipped with a first light irradiation unit 71A, which will be described later, of the first sterilization unit 70A that irradiates light L into the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa. The second unit housing 57B is equipped with a second light irradiation unit 71B, which will be described later, of the second sterilization unit 70B that irradiates light L into the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab.

[0044] [Disinfection Unit] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the sterilization unit 70 consists of a first sterilization unit 70A located in the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa, a second sterilization unit 70B located in the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab, and a third sterilization unit 70C located in the vegetable compartment 11B. Each sterilization unit 70A, 70B, and 70C includes a visible light source with illumination functionality and a light irradiation source with sterilization functionality. These visible light source and light irradiation source are collectively referred to as the light irradiation section 71. The first light irradiation section 71A (first light source) of the first sterilization unit 70A irradiates light into the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa. The second light irradiation section 71B (second light source) of the second sterilization unit 70B irradiates light L into the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab.

[0045] Figure 8 is a front view showing the configuration of the light irradiation sections 71A and 71B of the first sterilization unit 70A and the second sterilization unit 70B. The sterilization unit 70 has a circuit board 73 that extends in the width direction. The first light irradiation section 71A and the second light irradiation section 71B are mounted on the circuit board 73 in a parallel arrangement in the width direction. As shown in Figure 7, the circuit board 73 is located on the front surface 572a of the rear wall 572 of the unit housing sections 57A and 57B.

[0046] The circuit board 73 is a rectangular plate-shaped substrate (printed circuit board) made of an electrically insulating material with wiring (not shown) formed on it. As shown in Figure 8, electronic components such as a connector 731 and multiple resistors are mounted on the circuit board 73, and a circuit (control circuit) is formed by the aforementioned wiring cable 72 and electronic components. The wiring cable 72 from the control device (not shown) is connected to the circuit board 73, electrically connecting the control device and the circuit on the circuit board 73.

[0047] The first irradiation section 71A and the second irradiation section 71B are ultraviolet LEDs, ultraviolet lamps, visible light LEDs, etc.

[0048] Ultraviolet light is an example of "light that has the effect of suppressing viruses or bacteria." In this specification, "ultraviolet light" means electromagnetic waves with a central wavelength in the range of 10 nm to 400 nm. That is, "ultraviolet light" may be electromagnetic waves with a central wavelength of UVA (wavelength 320 nm to 400 nm), UVB (wavelength 280 nm to 320 nm), or UVC (wavelength 100 nm to 280 nm). Furthermore, "ultraviolet light" only needs to have a central wavelength in the range of 10 nm to 400 nm, and the wavelength of some of the electromagnetic waves emitted from an ultraviolet LED may be 400 nm or longer (i.e., wavelengths in the visible light region). The ultraviolet light emitted by an ultraviolet LED may or may not include light that is visible to humans.

[0049] In this embodiment, the ultraviolet LED emits electromagnetic waves with a central wavelength of UVA. Compared to, for example, UVC electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves of this wavelength can suppress viruses or bacteria while suppressing the deterioration of, for example, plastic containers in the chilled compartments 11Aa and 11Ab.

[0050] As shown in Figure 7, the first sterilization unit 70A and the second sterilization unit 70B are housed inside the first unit housing 57A and the second unit housing 57B, respectively. Each unit housing 57A and 57B has an intermediate wall 743 positioned between the front wall 571 and the rear wall 572. The front wall 571 and the intermediate wall 573 have light-transmitting windows 77A and 77B (light-transmitting sections) that allow light L irradiated from the light irradiation units 71A and 71B to pass through to the storage space, which is the first lower chilled compartment 11Aa and the second lower chilled compartment 11Ab. The front wall 571 is provided with the first light-transmitting window 77A. The intermediate wall 573 is provided with the second light-transmitting window 77B. The first light-transmitting window 77A and the second light-transmitting window 77B are positioned so that the light L irradiated from the light irradiation units 71A and 71B passes through them. Furthermore, the first light-transmitting window 77A and the second light-transmitting window 77B are not limited to being light-transmitting members having the light-transmitting properties described above. The outlets 51b and 51c can also be made to function as light-transmitting sections by irradiating them with light.

[0051] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the first sterilization unit 70A and the second sterilization unit 70B are provided in unit housing sections 57A and 57B inside the rear cover 53, respectively. As shown in Figure 9, the first light irradiation section 71A and the second light irradiation section 71B are electrically connected in series by a wiring cable 72 (connecting member). As shown in Figure 6, the wiring cable 72 shares at least a portion of the electrical connection to the first light irradiation section 71A and the second light irradiation section 71B.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the wiring cable 72 has an air passage structure 72A that is provided in the duct space D1 and is located outside the area between the separation section 54 and the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c, and is positioned in the width direction. The air passage structure 72A is located in the air passage of the duct space D1 and is exposed to the cold air flowing through the duct space D1. The air passage structure 72A has a wiring section 72a which is part of the wiring cable 72 and a protective member 72b which will be described later.

[0053] The internal airflow structure 72A is located on the windward side of the separation section 54 and the damper 55. In this embodiment, at least a portion of the damper wiring 55a, which is electrically connected to the damper 55, is located in a place common to the internal airflow structure 72A. That is, a portion of the damper wiring 55a is bundled together with the wiring cables 72 of the light irradiation sections 71A and 71B, and follows the same wiring path as the internal airflow structure 72A.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the internal air duct structure 72A further includes a protective member 72b that airtightly covers a portion of the wiring cable 72 (wiring section 72a) included in the internal air duct structure 72A. That is, the wiring section 72a of the internal air duct structure 72A is covered by the airtight protective member 72b. The protective member 72b can be made of a foamed insulation material with high thermal insulation properties, such as expanded polystyrene foam (EPS).

[0055] Next, the operation and function of refrigerator 1 will be described.

[0056] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 comprises a storage space, a first chilled compartment container 41A and a second chilled compartment container 41B arranged in parallel inside the storage space in the width direction of the refrigerator 1, a first outlet 51b and a second outlet 51c capable of supplying cold air corresponding to the first container and the second chilled compartment container 41B, respectively, a sterilization unit 70 that irradiates the first chilled compartment container 41A and the second chilled compartment container 41B with light L, and a duct space D1 capable of supplying cold air E0 generated by the refrigerator cooler 62 to the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c. The sterilization unit 70 comprises a first light irradiation unit 71A that irradiates the first chilled compartment container 41A with light, a second light irradiation unit 71B that irradiates the second chilled compartment container 41B with light, and a wiring cable 72 that shares at least a portion of the electrical connections to the first light irradiation unit 71A and the second light irradiation unit 71B. The duct space D1 has a separation section 54 for separating the first cold air E1 supplied from the first outlet 51b and the second cold air E2 supplied from the second outlet 51c. Inside the duct space D1, an air passage structure 72A is provided, which is located outside the area between the separation section 54 and the first and second outlets 51b and 51c, and is arranged in the width direction. The air passage structure 72A includes at least a portion (wiring section 72a) of the wiring cable 72.

[0057] In this embodiment, the internal structure 27A of the air passage of the wiring cable 72, which shares at least a portion of the electrical connections to the first light irradiation unit 71A and the second light irradiation unit 71B provided in the two first chilled compartment containers 41A and the second chilled compartment container 41B arranged in the width direction in the storage space of the refrigerator 1, is located in a region outside the area between the separation unit 54 and the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c. That is, the wiring cable 72 can be isolated from the air passage in the area between the separation unit 54 and the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c. Therefore, the cold air E0 generated by the refrigerator 62, which is supplied to the first outlet 51b separated by the separation unit 54 as first cold air E1 and to the second outlet 51c as second cold air E2, does not leak to the other outlet via the wiring cable 72, and the rise in cold air temperature can be suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is no need to separately control the lighting of two containers arranged in parallel, and the two lights can be electrically connected in series, so the current can be kept low and energy efficiency can be maintained at a low level.

[0058] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the internal air passage structure 72A is provided on the upwind side of the separation section 54. In this case, since the internal air passage structure 72A is not provided between the separation section 54 and the first outlet 51b and second outlet 51c located on the downwind side of the separation section 54, the cold air E0 generated by the refrigeration cooler 62 does not leak to the other outlet via the wiring cable 72, preventing the first cold air E1 supplied to the first outlet 51b separated by the separation section 54 from the second cold air E2 supplied to the second outlet 51c. This suppresses the rise in cold air temperature and reduces energy loss.

[0059] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the wiring cable 72 can electrically connect the first light irradiation unit 71A and the second light irradiation unit 71B in series. In this case, the internal structure 72A of the wiring cable 72, which is electrically connected in series, is located in a region outside the area between the separation unit 54 and the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c, as described above. Therefore, the cold air E0 generated by the refrigeration cooler 62 does not leak through the wiring cable 72 to the other outlet, preventing the first cold air E1 supplied to the first outlet 51b separated by the separation unit 54 from leaking to the other outlet. This suppresses the rise in cold air temperature and reduces energy loss.

[0060] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, a damper 55 capable of adjusting the amount of cold air supplied is provided between the first air outlet 51b and the separation unit 54, or between the second air outlet 51c and the separation unit 54. The air passage structure 72A is provided on the windward side of the damper 55. In this case, since the air passage structure 72A is not located on the windward side of the damper 55, the temperature of the cold air supplied to each air outlet 51b, 51c, whose supply amount is adjusted by the damper 55, does not rise due to the wiring cable 72, and energy loss can be suppressed.

[0061] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, at least a portion of the member electrically connected to the damper 55 (damper wiring 55a) is provided in a location common to the air passage structure 72A. As a result, the damper wiring 55a is wired in the same location as the air passage structure 72A, that is, in a region outside the area between the separation section 54 and the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c. Therefore, the first cold air E1 supplied to the first outlet 51b separated by the separation section 54 and the second cold air E2 supplied to the second outlet 51c do not leak to the other outlet via the wiring cable 72 and damper wiring 55a, thereby suppressing the rise in cold air temperature and more reliably preventing energy loss.

[0062] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the sterilization unit 70 is provided on the rear side of the refrigerator in the duct space D1. The duct space D1 has light irradiation sections 71A and 71B that allow light irradiated from the sterilization unit 70 to pass to the storage space. The separation section 54 is provided between the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c and the wiring cable 72. In this case, the light irradiation sections 71A and 71B (sterilization unit 70) that irradiate light to each storage space from which cold air flows out of the outlets 51b and 51c can be provided on the rear side of the refrigerator in the duct space D1 without having to place the wiring cable 72 in the area from the separation section 54 through which cold air E1 and E2 passes to the first outlet 51b and the second outlet 51c.

[0063] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the internal air passage structure 72A further includes a protective member 72b that airtightly covers the connecting member 72 (wiring portion 72a) included in the internal air passage structure 72A. As a result, the wiring portion 72a of the wiring cable 72 in the internal air passage structure 72A is further covered by the protective member 72b, so that the first cold air E1 supplied to the first air outlet 51b separated by the separation portion 54 and the second cold air E2 supplied to the second air outlet 51c do not leak to the other air outlet through the internal air passage structure 72A, thereby suppressing the rise in cold air temperature.

[0064] According to at least one embodiment described above, it is possible to provide a refrigerator 1 that can maintain low energy efficiency and suppress cold air leakage and prevent the rise in cold air temperature by isolating the wiring of the lighting sections of the containers, which are arranged in parallel in the width direction, from the air passage.

[0065] While embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0066] In the embodiment described above, the connecting member is a wiring cable 72 that electrically connects the first light irradiation unit 71A and the second light irradiation unit 71B in series. However, it is not limited to a wiring cable 72, and may be an electrical device such as a circuit board.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a damper 55 (airflow adjustment member) capable of adjusting the amount of cold air supplied is provided between the first air outlet and the separation unit, or between the second air outlet and the separation unit. However, a configuration in which the damper 55 is omitted is also possible.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the damper wiring 55a of the damper 55 is wired in common with the internal structure 72A of the wiring cable 72 and is further covered with a protective member 72b. However, the damper wiring 55a may be on the outside of the protective member 72b, or the protective member 72b may be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1...Refrigerator, 11Aa...First lower chiller compartment, 11Ab...Second lower chiller compartment, 11Ac...Upper chiller compartment, 41A...First chiller compartment container (first container), 41B...Second chiller compartment container (second container), 42...Third chiller compartment container, 51...Duct parts, 53...Rear cover, 54...Separation part, 55...Damper (airflow adjustment member), 55a...Damper wiring, 57A, 57B...Unit housing section, 62...Refrigerator cooler, 70...Sterilization Unit (lighting section), 70A...First sterilization unit (lighting section), 70B...Second sterilization unit (lighting section), 71A...First light irradiation section (first light source), 71B...Second light irradiation section (second light source), 72...Wiring cable (connecting component), 72A...Air passage internal structure, 72a...Wiring section, 72b...Protective component, 77A, 77B...Light passing window (light passing section), D1...Duct space (supply air passage), E0...Cold air, E1...First cold air, E2...Second cold air.

Claims

1. Storage space and In the width direction of the refrigerator, a first container and a second container are arranged in parallel inside the storage space, A first outlet and a second outlet capable of supplying cold air to the first container and the second container, respectively, An illumination unit that irradiates light onto the first container and the second container, It includes a supply air passage capable of supplying the cold air generated by the cooler to the first outlet and the second outlet, The illumination unit includes a first light source that irradiates light onto the first container, a second light source that irradiates light onto the second container, and a connecting member that shares at least a portion of the electrical connections to the first and second light sources. The aforementioned air supply passage has a separation section for separating the first cold air supplied from the first outlet and the second cold air supplied from the second outlet. Inside the aforementioned air supply passage, an internal air passage structure is provided, which is located outside the area between the separation section and the first and second outlets, and is arranged in the width direction. The aforementioned internal structure of the air passage includes at least a portion of the connecting member in the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the internal structure of the air passage is provided on the windward side of the separation section.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member electrically connects the first light source and the second light source in series.

4. An airflow adjustment member capable of adjusting the amount of cold air supplied is provided between the first air outlet and the separation section, or between the second air outlet and the separation section. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the internal structure of the air passage is provided on the windward side of the air volume adjustment member.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the members electrically connected to the airflow adjustment member is provided in a location common to the internal structure of the air passage.

6. The lighting unit is provided on the rear side of the airflow path of the refrigerator. The aforementioned air supply passage has a light-passing section that allows light irradiated from the illumination unit to pass through to the storage space. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the separation portion is provided between the first outlet and the second outlet and the connecting member.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the internal air passage structure further includes a protective member that airtightly covers the connecting member included in the internal air passage structure.

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