refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a refrigerator that can appropriately address the problem of condensation water that occurs inside the storage compartment while maintaining the airtightness of the storage containers installed in the vegetable compartment. [Solution] The refrigerator 1 according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a storage container 10 disposed in a vegetable compartment 4, a highly thermally conductive member 13 attached to the storage container 10, and a cold air discharge means 40 for discharging cold air to the highly thermally conductive member 13. Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention, the highly thermally conductive member 13 is attached so as to close an opening 121 formed on the back surface 12 of the storage container 10, and the cold air discharge means 40 preferably comprises a cooler 41 and a guide channel 421 provided on the back side of the storage container 10 and guiding the cold air cooled by the cooler 41 toward the highly thermally conductive member 13.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] The humidity in the vegetable compartment for storing vegetables, for which freshness maintenance is important, is kept higher than the humidity in other storage compartments such as the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. On the other hand, when the cold air for cooling the inside of the refrigerator passes through the high-humidity vegetable compartment, dew water forms in the storage containers arranged in the vegetable compartment. Therefore, in the vegetable compartment, it is necessary to maintain the humidity required for maintaining the freshness of the vegetables and also to address the problem of dew water. A refrigerator for solving such problems is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a storage compartment in which stored items are stored, a storage container that is housed in the storage compartment, is pullable from the front side, has an opening at the upper part, and in which stored items are stored, and a cover that is arranged so as to cover the opening of the storage container. A communication hole that communicates the inside and outside of the storage compartment is formed in the cover, a resin fiber member is provided on the lower surface of the cover, moisture inside the storage compartment is absorbed by the resin fiber member, and the absorbed moisture is discharged to the outside of the storage compartment through the communication hole.

[0005] However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the resin fiber member attached to the cover and the communication holes are superimposed. According to Patent Document 1, the resin fiber member is a knitted fabric made of resin fibers such as PET fibers, and is a member that blocks liquids while allowing air to pass through. In other words, air inside the vegetable compartment (storage container) can flow out from the superimposed area of ​​the resin fiber member and the communication holes. Therefore, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 has problems in terms of the airtightness of the storage container, and there is concern that the humidity inside the storage compartment will drop more than expected.

[0006] In view of the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a refrigerator that can appropriately address the problem of condensation water occurring in the storage compartment while maintaining the airtightness of the storage containers installed in the vegetable compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the refrigerator according to the present invention is Storage containers placed in the vegetable compartment, A highly thermally conductive component attached to a storage container, A means for releasing cold air to a highly thermally conductive member, It is characterized by being equipped with [the following features].

[0008] Furthermore, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, High thermal conductivity components are It is attached to close the opening formed on the back of the storage container, The means of releasing cold air is, Cooler and A guide channel is provided on the rear side of the storage container and directs the cold air cooled by the cooler towards the high thermal conductivity member, It is characterized by being equipped with [the following features].

[0009] Furthermore, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, The refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment are arranged vertically in this order. A first light-transmitting portion is provided on the upper surface of the storage container. A second light-transmitting section is provided on the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment, opposite to the first light-transmitting section. It is characterized by the following:

[0010] Furthermore, the refrigerator according to the present invention The storage container is further equipped with a water-absorbing section that absorbs condensation water generated by a highly thermally conductive material, The water absorption section is located in an area reachable by the cold air from the cold air discharge means. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, cold air from a cold air discharge means can be selectively blown onto a high thermal conductivity member attached to a storage container. As a result, the portion of the storage container where the high thermal conductivity member is attached is cooled compared to other parts of the storage container. Consequently, the condensation water generation area within the storage container can be concentrated on the high thermal conductivity member (however, the present invention does not exclude cases in which a small amount of condensation water is generated in other parts of the storage container). Furthermore, according to the present invention, the problem of condensation water generated inside the storage container can be addressed without providing a part that constantly communicates the inside and outside of the storage container, such as the resin fiber member and communication hole set disclosed in Patent Document 1. Therefore, the airtightness of the storage container installed in the vegetable compartment can be maintained. Moreover, according to the present invention, the inside of the storage container can be cooled via the high thermal conductivity member. Therefore, even if the normal circulating cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment is blocked in order to increase the airtightness of the storage container, the inside of the storage container can be cooled to a desired temperature range.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the high thermal conductivity member is attached to the back of the storage container, and the cold air cooled by the cooler can be guided to the high thermal conductivity member side by a guide channel provided on the back side of the storage container. As a result, the cold air can be released from a position close to the high thermal conductivity member. This simplifies the structure of the means for releasing cold air to the high thermal conductivity member and ensures that the cold air reaches the high thermal conductivity member accurately.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the high thermal conductivity member is attached to the back surface of the storage container, almost no condensed water adheres to the first light transmission portion provided on the upper surface of the storage container (vegetable compartment). Therefore, the light transmissivity of the first light transmission portion is not hindered. As a result, a state in which the inside of the vegetable compartment (storage container) can be visually recognized from the refrigerator compartment provided with the second light transmission portion facing the first light transmission portion can be maintained.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the cold air from the cold air discharging means can reach the water absorbing portion. Therefore, using this cold air, the condensed water from the high thermal conductivity member absorbed by the water absorbing portion can be dried. As a result, the condensed water adhering to the inside of the high thermal conductivity member can be efficiently discharged outside the storage container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Front view of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] Side view vertical sectional view of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment (sectional view taken along line A-A' shown in FIG. 1). [Figure 3] Perspective view of the storage container disposed in the vegetable compartment in the present embodiment. [Figure 4] Exploded view of the storage container disposed in the vegetable compartment in the present embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, referring to the drawings, the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In describing the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the "vertical" direction corresponds to the height direction of the refrigerator 1, the "left and right" direction corresponds to the width direction of the refrigerator 1, and the "front and back" direction corresponds to the depth direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0017] First, the general configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Here, Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 1. As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes an insulated box 2 which corresponds to the refrigerator body. The insulated box 2 also includes a plurality of storage compartments 3, 4, and 5. These plurality of storage compartments correspond to the refrigerator compartment 3, vegetable compartment 4, and freezer compartment 5 from top to bottom. However, the arrangement of each storage compartment is not limited to this (for example, the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, and vegetable compartment may be arranged from top to bottom).

[0018] The front of each storage compartment in the insulated box 2 is open. These openings can be closed and closed. Insulated doors are provided. Here, the insulated doors 6a and 6b are supported by the insulated box 2 so that their upper and lower ends at the right and left ends of the front view of the refrigerator can rotate, and they close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3. In addition, the insulated door 6c is arranged so as to be able to be pulled out in the front-to-back direction relative to the insulated box 2, and it closes the front opening of the vegetable compartment 4. Similarly, the insulated door 6d is arranged so as to be able to be pulled out in the front-to-back direction relative to the insulated box 2, and it closes the front opening of the freezer compartment 5.

[0019] Next, the internal structure of refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Here, Figure 2 is a side view of a vertical cross-section of refrigerator 1 (a cross-section obtained by cutting refrigerator 1 shown in Figure 1 along line A-A'). As shown in Figure 2, the insulated box 2 comprises an outer box 2a made of steel plate, an inner box 2b made of synthetic resin, and an insulating material 2c made of foamed polyurethane (urethane foam) that fills the gap formed between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b.

[0020] Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes a storage container 10 disposed in the vegetable compartment 4 for storing vegetables and the like, and a cold air discharge means 40 for discharging cold air to a high thermal conductivity member 13, which will be described later. In addition, it is preferable that the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment further includes a lid portion 20 to improve the airtightness of the storage container 10. When the lid portion 20 is attached to the storage container 10, the upper surface of the storage container 10 corresponds to the lid portion 20.

[0021] First, the storage container 10 in this embodiment will be described. The storage container 10 is a container having an open top surface 11. The open top surface 11 is closed by a lid 20. This increases the degree of airtightness inside the storage container 10. Furthermore, a first light-transmitting part 21 (for example, glass or an acrylic plate) is provided on the front side of the lid 20. This allows the inside of the storage container 10 to be seen from above.

[0022] Furthermore, a second light-transmitting section 32 (for example, glass or an acrylic plate) is also provided on the bottom surface 31 of the refrigerator compartment 3, which is located directly above the vegetable compartment 4. As shown in Figure 2, the second light-transmitting section 32 faces the first light-transmitting section 21. By adopting this structure, when the insulated door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened, the inside of the vegetable compartment 4 (storage container 10) can be seen from the refrigerator compartment 3 side.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a high thermal conductivity member 13 is attached to the opening 121 on the back surface 12 of the storage container 10. That is, the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13 faces into the storage container 10. In contrast, the back surface 132 of the high thermal conductivity member 13 faces outwards from the storage container 10.

[0024] In this embodiment, the high thermal conductivity member 13 is an aluminum plate. However, it is not limited to this. Other examples of the high thermal conductivity member 13 include metal members such as copper or stainless steel with high thermal conductivity, metal compound members, and thermally conductive plastic members. Furthermore, the form of the high thermal conductivity member 13 is not limited to a plate. Examples of forms other than a plate include those with uneven surfaces such as the surface 131 to increase the contact area with air.

[0025] Next, the cold air discharge means 40 in this embodiment will be described. The cold air discharge means 40 comprises a cooler (evaporator) 41 and a guide channel 421 provided on the rear side of the storage container 10, which guides the cold air cooled by the cooler 41 towards the high thermal conductivity member 13. The cold air discharge means 40 may further include a valve 43 (for example, a damper or shutter that is opened and closed by a stepping motor, etc.) that controls the inflow of cold air into the guide channel 421, and a fan 44 provided above the cooler 41.

[0026] More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the cooler 41 in this embodiment is located in the area behind the freezer compartment 5 and carries a refrigerant that cools each storage compartment and exchanges heat with the returned cold air. The guide channel 421 is located in the cold air supply duct 42, which is situated behind the storage container 10 (in the area behind the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4).

[0027] Furthermore, the cold air supply duct 42 in this embodiment includes a main flow path 422 that extends toward the refrigerator compartment 3. The main flow path 422 is located behind the guide flow path 421. That is, the guide flow path 421 and the main flow path 422 are aligned front to back within the cold air supply duct 42. However, the position of the guide flow path 421 is not limited to this.

[0028] Furthermore, valve 43 is positioned opposite the inlet 4211 of the guide channel 421. As valve 43 opens, cold air from the cooler 41 flows into the guide channel 421. The cold air that flows into the guide channel 421 passes through the guide channel 421 and is released to the high thermal conductivity member 13. At this time, it is preferable to close valve 45 (for example, a damper) that controls the opening and closing of the main channel 422. On the other hand, as valve 43 closes, the cold air flowing into the guide channel 421 is blocked, and the flow of cold air released to the high thermal conductivity member 13 stops.

[0029] According to this embodiment, cold air can be released to the high thermal conductivity member 13 via the guide channel 421 facing the high thermal conductivity member 13. In other words, cold air can be released from a position close to the high thermal conductivity member 13. Therefore, the structure of the cold air release means 40 can be simplified, and the cold air can be accurately delivered to the high thermal conductivity member 13.

[0030] Next, the flow of cold air inside the refrigerator 1 will be explained. As the fan 44 of the cold air discharge means 40 rotates, the cold air cooled by the cooler 41 rises, and a portion of the rising cold air flows into the cold air supply duct 42. At this time, if valve 43 is open and valve 45 is closed, the cold air flows through the guide channel 421 of the cold air supply duct 42. After that, the cold air is discharged toward the back surface 132 of the high thermal conductivity member 13. As a result, the temperature of the back surface 132 that has received the cold air is transferred to the front surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13, and the temperature of the entire high thermal conductivity member 13 decreases.

[0031] As mentioned above, the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13 faces the inside of the storage container 10. Furthermore, the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13, to which the heat of the cold air is transferred, is at a lower temperature than the inside of the storage container 10. Consequently, the moisture-containing air inside the storage container 10 condenses on the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13, and condensation water adheres to the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13. On the other hand, the parts of the storage container 10 other than the area where the high thermal conductivity member 13 is attached are at a higher temperature than the high thermal conductivity member 13, so almost no condensation water adheres to them. Therefore, the condensation water can be concentrated on the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13.

[0032] In contrast, when valve 43 is closed and valve 45 is open, the cold air flowing into the cold air supply duct 42 flows through the main flow path 422 of the cold air supply duct 42. The cold air is then blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 through multiple outlets formed along the height direction of the refrigerator compartment 3 (Figure 2 shows only the outlet 33 located at the bottom).

[0033] Furthermore, the cold air passes through the refrigerator compartment 3, then through a vent provided on the bottom surface 31 of the refrigerator compartment 3, and reaches the vegetable compartment 4. The cold air that flows into the vegetable compartment 4 then passes through the vegetable compartment 4 and reaches a cold air return duct (not shown), returning to the cooler 41. After being cooled by heat exchange with the cooler 41, the cold air that passes through the cold air supply duct 42 (main flow path 422), refrigerator compartment 3, vegetable compartment 4, and cold air return duct and returns again to the vicinity of the cooler 41 will be referred to below as "circulating cold air".

[0034] Incidentally, in order to increase the airtightness of the storage container 10, the opening top surface 11 of the storage container 10 is covered by the lid 20. Therefore, the cold air (circulating cold air) that has traveled from the refrigerator compartment 3 to the vegetable compartment 4 does not flow into the storage container 10. From this, it can be assumed that the inside of the storage container 10 may not be cooled to the desired temperature range with circulating cold air alone. However, according to this embodiment, the cold air released from the cold air discharge means 40 cools the high thermal conductivity member 13, and the cold air from the cooled high thermal conductivity member 13 lowers the temperature inside the storage container 10.

[0035] Next, the details of the storage container 10 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Here, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the storage container 10 and the lid 20 separated. Figure 4 is an exploded view of the storage container 10.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the storage container 10 in this embodiment is provided with an opening 121 for mounting (fitting in) the high thermal conductivity member 13. The position of the opening 121 is not particularly limited, but it is formed on the back surface 12 of the storage container 10. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the high thermal conductivity member 13 in this embodiment is sandwiched between an inner cover portion 14 mounted on the inside of the storage container 10 and an outer cover portion 15 mounted on the outside of the storage container 10. Note that the back surface 12, inner cover portion 14, and outer cover portion 15 are sometimes collectively referred to as the "back surface of the storage container".

[0037] The inner cover portion 14 includes a wide opening 141, a first small opening 142, and a second small opening 143. The wide opening 141 is formed above the first small opening 142 and the second small opening 143. The first small opening 142 and the second small opening 143 are arranged side by side along the width direction of the inner cover portion 14.

[0038] In a storage container 10 with such a structure, when viewed from the inside to the back surface 12, the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13 is exposed in the area of ​​the wide opening 141. Furthermore, the storage container 10 is equipped with a shutter 16 that is approximately the same width as the first small opening 142 (or second small opening 143). The shutter 16 is disposed between the first small opening 142 (or second small opening 143) and the high thermal conductivity member 13. The shutter 16 is slidable along the width direction of the inner cover portion 14 and closes one of the first small opening 142 and the second small opening 143.

[0039] In contrast, the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side is formed in a position opposite the second small opening 143, as shown in Figure 3. When the shutter 16 is positioned facing the first small opening 142, the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side is in an open state. On the other hand, when the shutter 16 is positioned facing the second small opening 143, the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side is in a closed state.

[0040] In other words, the shutter 16 can open and close the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side. When the shutter 16 moves to face the first small opening 142, the second small opening 143 and the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side open, and the inside and outside of the storage container 10 come into contact. This allows the humidity inside the storage container 10 to be controlled.

[0041] In this embodiment, the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side is located opposite the second small opening 143, but it may also be located opposite the first small opening 142. In this case, when the shutter 16 is located opposite the second small opening 143, the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side is in an open state. On the other hand, when the shutter 16 is located opposite the first small opening 142, the opening 133 on the high thermal conductivity member 13 side is in a closed state.

[0042] Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner cover portion 14 includes a water-absorbing portion 17 that absorbs condensation water generated on the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13. In this embodiment, the water-absorbing portion 17 is provided below the opening 121. Furthermore, the water-absorbing portion 17 penetrates the inner cover portion 14 and extends to the outside of the storage container 10. The form of the water-absorbing portion 17 is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb condensation water generated on the surface 131 of the high thermal conductivity member 13. An example of the water-absorbing portion 17 is a fibrous filter.

[0043] The water absorption section 17 extends to the outside of the storage container 10, exposing it to the area reachable by the cold air from the cold air discharge means 40. As a result, the cold air released to cool the high thermal conductivity member 13 also reaches the water absorption section 17. This allows the condensation absorbed by the water absorption section 17 to dry, and the condensation adhering to the inside of the high thermal conductivity member 13 to be efficiently discharged to the outside of the storage container 10.

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the foregoing description is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit it. The present invention may include modifications and improvements that can be made without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, the present invention includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1… Refrigerator 2…Insulated box 2a... Outer box 2b…Inner box 2c... Insulation material 3… Refrigerator 4…Vegetable compartment 5…Freezer 10…Storage container (vegetable compartment) 13… High thermal conductivity components 14…Inner cover section 15…Outer cover part 16...Shutter 17…Water absorption part 20... Lid of the storage container 21...First light-transmitting section 32...Second light-transmitting section 40...Cold air discharge means 41...Cooler 42...Cold air supply duct 421... Induction channel 422…Main channel 43…valve 44...fan

Claims

[Claim 1] Storage containers placed in the vegetable compartment, A highly thermally conductive component attached to a storage container, A means for releasing cold air to a highly thermally conductive member, A refrigerator characterized by having the following features.

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