refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing generation of dew condensation in a storage chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises a storage chamber having a first opening and a second opening formed in front of the first opening to form a storage space, and a fan that enters the storage space through the second opening and generates an air flow discharged from the storage space through the first opening. The first opening is formed in the upper part of a back plate part which is a part of the storage chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Refrigerators have been disclosed that include a vegetable case that can be put in and taken out of a vegetable compartment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a lid is placed on the top of the vegetable case to seal it, thereby preventing the moisture in the vegetables stored in the vegetable case from evaporating and maintaining a humidity level suitable for storing the vegetables. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-75346 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, moisture generated from the vegetables stored in the vegetable case increases the humidity in the space inside the vegetable case (storage space), which can lead to condensation in the vegetable case (storage chamber).

[0006] A main object of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing the occurrence of condensation in the storage compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A refrigerator according to one embodiment includes a storage chamber having a first opening and a second opening formed forward of the first opening and forming a storage space, and a fan generating an airflow that enters the storage space through the second opening and is exhausted from the storage space through the first opening. The first opening is formed in an upper portion of a back plate portion of the storage chamber. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator with the door removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a configuration of a duct and a fan in the refrigerator. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the refrigerator with the case pulled out. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator for explaining airflow. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the following embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0010] (Embodiment) A refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs.

[0011] The refrigerator 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped housing 10 with one side open, and doors 11 and 12 for opening and closing the opening of the housing 10. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 is defined as the up-down direction (third direction), the lateral direction of the housing 10 is defined as the left-right direction (second direction), and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the left-right direction is defined as the front-rear direction (first direction) (see Figs. 1 and 5). In this embodiment, the front of the housing 10 is open, and doors 11 and 12 are provided to open and close this opening. However, these directions are defined for the convenience of description, and are not intended to limit the directions during use.

[0012] The housing 10 is made of heat-insulating walls and is formed into a rectangular box shape with an open front. The housing 10 is provided with a bottom plate portion 13 that divides the internal space of the housing 10 in the vertical direction. The bottom plate portion 13 divides the internal space of the housing 10 into an upper refrigerated storage space 14 and a lower freezer storage space 15.

[0013] The refrigerated storage space 14 is a space above the bottom plate portion 13 within the housing 10, and the temperature therein is maintained at, for example, about 4° C. The door 11 is connected to the housing 10 by a hinge and is configured to open and close the refrigerated storage space 14.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerated storage space 14 is provided with an upper plate portion 16 facing the bottom plate portion 13 in the up-down direction. The upper plate portion 16 is a shelf plate on which food or other stored items can be placed. A vegetable storage space 2 (storage space) is formed between the upper plate portion 16 and the bottom plate portion 13. A drawer-type case 3 is provided in the vegetable storage space 2, and vegetables or other stored items can be stored in the case 3. The case 3 is formed in a rectangular box shape with an open top, and has a front plate portion 30, a rear plate portion 31, a pair of side plate portions 32, and a bottom portion 33 (see FIG. 5). By drawing the case 3 out of the vegetable storage space 2, vegetables or other stored items can be put in and taken out through the opening of the case 3. By putting the case 3 into the vegetable storage space 2, the opening of the case 3 is blocked by the upper plate portion 16, and the vegetable storage space 2 can be made into a closed space. By closing the vegetable accommodating space 2, the humidity can be kept higher than that of the space other than the vegetable accommodating space 2 in the refrigerated storage space 14. This makes it possible to prevent the vegetables and the like from drying out. The detailed configuration of the vegetable accommodating space 2 will be described later.

[0015] The items stored in the vegetable storage space 2 are not limited to vegetables, but may be, for example, fruits and other fresh produce, processed foods, seasonings, etc., or items other than food. In addition, in addition to the upper plate portion 16, the refrigerated storage space 14 is provided with a plurality of shelves, and the space above the vegetable storage space 2 is divided by the plurality of shelves.

[0016] The freezer storage space 15 is a space below the bottom plate portion 13 within the housing 10, and is maintained at a temperature of, for example, about −18° C. The door 12 is connected to the housing 10 by a hinge and is configured to open and close the freezer storage space 15.

[0017] The refrigerator 1 also includes a cooling mechanism that cools the air in the refrigerated storage space 14 and the freezer storage space 15. The cooling mechanism is configured to cool the air in the refrigerated storage space 14 and the freezer storage space 15 by utilizing the heat of vaporization generated when the refrigerant is vaporized. The cooling mechanism includes a compressor, an evaporator, and the like.

[0018] The compressor is disposed outside the insulating wall of the housing 10. Specifically, the compressor is disposed in a recess formed at the rear end and bottom end of the housing 10. The compressor compresses the refrigerant to convert it into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. The refrigerant output from the compressor is sent to the evaporator via a condenser and a capillary tube. The condenser dissipates heat from the high-temperature, high-pressure vaporized refrigerant sent from the compressor to convert it into a room-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The capillary tube limits the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant so that the refrigerant can easily evaporate.

[0019] The evaporator expands the liquid refrigerant sent from the capillary tube to vaporize it. The heat of vaporization when the liquid refrigerant vaporizes cools the air around the evaporator. The refrigerant vaporized by the evaporator is sent to the compressor, where it is compressed again. The evaporator is disposed, for example, behind the freezer storage space 15.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 1 is also provided with a duct 4 and a fan 5 for circulating the air cooled by the evaporator to the refrigerated storage space 14.

[0021] The interior space of the housing 10 has a double-walled rear structure, and a duct 4 is provided behind the back panel 6 facing the refrigeration storage space 14. The duct 4 forms a flow path for circulating cold air in the refrigeration storage space 14, and has a feed duct 41 and a return duct 42.

[0022] The feed duct 41 is configured to connect the space in which the evaporator is disposed to the refrigerated storage space 14. The feed duct 41 forms a flow path for sending air cooled by the evaporator to the refrigerated storage space 14. The feed duct 41 is formed to extend in the vertical direction at approximately the center in the left-right direction behind the back plate portion 6, and has a plurality of air outlets 43 that are continuous with the refrigerated storage space 14. The plurality of air outlets 43 are provided in the vicinity of the upper end of the back plate portion 6. The feed duct 41 may further have air outlets other than the plurality of air outlets 43 shown in FIG. 3 and the like.

[0023] The return duct 42 is configured to connect the space in which the evaporator is disposed and the refrigerated storage space 14. The return duct 42 forms a flow path that returns the air that has passed through the refrigerated storage space 14 to the space in which the evaporator is disposed. The return duct 42 has a main body portion 44 formed so that the left end portion extends along the vertical direction behind the back plate portion 6, and a trap portion 45 formed in an inverted U shape in front view. The trap portion 45 has an ascending portion 46, a descending portion 47, and a connecting portion 48. The ascending portion 46 forms a flow path through which the airflow flows upward. The descending portion 47 is formed downstream of the ascending portion 46, and forms a flow path through which the airflow flows downward. One end of the descending portion 47 is connected to the main body portion 44. The connecting portion 48 is formed so as to connect the ascending portion 46 and the descending portion 47.

[0024] A first return opening 461 (first opening) that continues to the refrigerated storage space 14 is formed at one end of the ascending portion 46. The first return opening 461 is formed below the upper plate portion 16 of the back plate portion 6. In other words, the first return opening 461 is formed in the vegetable storage chamber 21 (first storage chamber) that forms the vegetable storage space 2.

[0025] The return duct 42 is formed with a second return opening 421 (third opening) that is continuous with the refrigerated storage space 14. The second return opening 421 is formed above the upper plate portion 16 of the back plate portion 6. In other words, the second return opening 421 is formed in the refrigerated storage chamber 101 (second storage chamber) that is formed outside (above) the vegetable storage chamber 21.

[0026] The return duct 42 may further have a return port other than the first return port 461 and the second return port 421.

[0027] The fan 5 is disposed inside the feed duct 41. The fan 5 is configured to generate an air current in the feed duct 41 that flows upward.

[0028] In FIG. 3, the airflows flowing through the feed duct 41 and the return duct 42 are diagrammatically illustrated using arrows. The fan 5 causes the air cooled by the evaporator to flow upward through the feed duct 41 and to be blown out into the refrigerated storage space 14 through the multiple air outlets 43. The airflow blown out into the refrigerated storage space 14 passes through the refrigerated storage space 14, enters the return duct 42 through the first return port 461 or the second return port 421, and returns to the space in which the evaporator is disposed. As a result, the air cooled by the evaporator circulates through the refrigerated storage space 14 through the feed duct 41 and the return duct 42. Similarly, the air cooled by the evaporator circulates through the freezer storage space 15.

[0029] In addition, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the back panel portion 6 has a cooling plate 61. The cooling plate 61 has better thermal conductivity than resin. In this embodiment, the cooling plate 61 is made of metal with good thermal conductivity. More specifically, the cooling plate 61 is made of stainless steel. The cooling plate 61 is formed in a rectangular shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, and is provided so as to face the refrigerated storage space 14. In addition, the cooling plate 61 is positioned so that the upper end portion is adjacent to the air outlet 43 and the lower end portion extends across the vegetable storage space 2. In other words, the cooling plate 61 is easy to transfer the cold air near the air outlet 43. The cooling plate 61 is cooled by the cold air flowing through the feed duct 41 and the cold air near the air outlet 43, so that the temperature of the cooling plate 61 is likely to be lower than that of the refrigerated storage space 14. Therefore, for example, when the door 11 is opened and warm, moist air enters the refrigerated storage space 14, the cooling plate 61 is likely to condense due to this air. The condensation water generated on the cooling plate 61 can humidify the refrigerated storage space 14, thereby preventing food from drying out. The cooling plate 61 is not limited to a configuration made of only metal, and may be a configuration in which a metal is coated on the surface of a resin, for example.

[0030] Moreover, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes a moisture-sensitive member 7, as shown in Fig. 4. The moisture-sensitive member 7 has breathability and moisture absorption properties. The moisture-sensitive member 7 is configured so that its breathability changes depending on the humidity of the space in which it is placed, and has the property that the higher the humidity, the lower its breathability becomes. In this embodiment, the moisture-sensitive member 7 is a sheet-like fiber, such as nonwoven fabric, paper, felt, cloth, etc. The moisture-sensitive member 7 has low breathability because the gaps between the fibers are reduced by the absorbed moisture.

[0031] The moisture sensitive member 7 is formed in a rectangular shape, and is arranged to straddle the refrigerated storage chamber 101 and the vegetable storage chamber 21. The moisture sensitive member 7 has a first moisture absorbent section 71 and a second moisture absorbent section 72. The first moisture absorbent section 71 is a portion of the moisture sensitive member 7 located in the vegetable storage chamber 21, and a portion of the first moisture absorbent section 71 is in contact with the cooling plate 61. The second moisture absorbent section 72 is a portion of the moisture sensitive member 7 located in the refrigerated storage chamber 101, and blocks the second return port 421. A portion of the second moisture absorbent section 72 is in contact with the cooling plate 61. The first moisture absorbent section 71 and the second moisture absorbent section 72 are formed integrally.

[0032] Next, the detailed configuration of the vegetable storage space 2 will be described.

[0033] The vegetable storage space 2 is a space between the upper plate portion 16 and the bottom plate portion 13, and is formed by the vegetable storage chamber 21. The vegetable storage chamber 21 is a structure surrounding the vegetable storage space 2, and includes parts of the side wall 103, the back plate portion 6, and the case 3 of the housing 10, the upper plate portion 16, and the bottom plate portion 13. The part of the side wall 103 here is a part between the upper plate portion 16 and the bottom plate portion 13 in the side wall 103. The part of the back plate portion 6 is a part between the upper plate portion 16 and the bottom plate portion 13 in the back plate portion 6. The part of the case 3 is the front plate portion 30 in the case 3. The vegetable storage chamber 21 surrounds the vegetable storage space 2, making the vegetable storage space 2 a closed space. The closed space here is not a completely sealed space, but includes a state in which there are openings for ventilation, gaps between members, etc.

[0034] As described above, the first return opening 461 (first opening) is formed in the back plate portion 6 which is part of the vegetable accommodating chamber 21. The first return opening 461 is formed in the upper part of the back plate portion 6 in the vegetable accommodating chamber 21. The upper part of the back plate portion 6 in the vegetable accommodating chamber 21 refers to a part of the back plate portion 6 which forms the vegetable accommodating chamber 21 and which is above the center in the up-down direction. The first return opening 461 is preferably formed within 1 / 4 of the area from the upper end of the part of the back plate portion 6 which forms the vegetable accommodating chamber 21, and more preferably within 1 / 8 of the area.

[0035] Furthermore, the first return opening 461 is formed at a position offset from the center in the left-right direction of the back plate portion 6. In this embodiment, the first return opening 461 is formed at a position offset to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the back plate portion 6.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the vegetable accommodating chamber 21 further has an inlet 301 (second opening) that allows airflow into the vegetable accommodating space 2. The inlet 301 is formed forward of the first return port 461. In this embodiment, the inlet 301 is formed in the front plate portion 30 of the case 3. The inlet 301 is formed in an upper portion of the front plate portion 30. The upper portion of the front plate portion 30 refers to a portion above the center of the front plate portion 30 in the up-down direction. The inlet 301 is preferably formed within 1 / 4 of the area from the upper end of the front plate portion 30, and more preferably formed within 1 / 8 of the area.

[0037] Furthermore, the inlet 301 is formed at a position shifted from the center in the left-right direction of the front plate portion 30. Specifically, the inlet 301 is formed at a position shifted to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the front plate portion 30. In this embodiment, the center in the left-right direction of the front plate portion 30 and the center in the left-right direction of the back plate portion 6 are assumed to overlap in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the inlet 301 formed in the front plate portion 30 and the first return port 461 formed in the back plate portion 6 are shifted in the left-right direction (see FIG. 2). In other words, the first return port 461 is formed at a position shifted in the left-right direction from a position facing the inlet 301 in the front plate portion 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] In addition, the inlet 301 is formed in a rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction being the left-right direction. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment further includes a shutter unit 8 that opens and closes the inlet 301. The shutter unit 8 includes a movable plate 81 and a knob 82.

[0039] The movable plate 81 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and is disposed on the rear surface of the front plate portion 30. The movable plate 81 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction between a fully closed position and a fully open position. The fully closed position is the right limit of the movable range of the movable plate 81, and is a position where the movable plate 81 entirely covers the inlet 301. The fully open position is the left limit of the movable range of the movable plate 81, and is a position where the movable plate 81 entirely opens the inlet 301.

[0040] The knob 82 is mechanically connected to the movable plate 81 and protrudes forward of the front plate portion 30. A user can arbitrarily change the open / closed position of the shutter portion 8 by pinching the knob 82 and moving the movable plate 81 left and right. The amount of airflow flowing into the vegetable storage space 2 through the inlet 301 changes depending on the open / closed position of the shutter portion 8.

[0041] In addition, a scale 9 indicating the open / closed position of the shutter unit 8 is provided around the inlet 301. In this embodiment, the scale 9 is provided along the lower end of the inlet 301 and indicates the degree of opening / closing of the shutter unit 8 corresponding to the position of the knob 82 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the scale 9 includes the text notations "DRY", "HUMID", and "NOMINAL". "DRY" is provided at a position corresponding to the fully open position of the shutter unit 8 and indicates a state in which the humidity of the vegetable storage space 2 is likely to become low (prone to dryness). "HUMID" is provided at a position corresponding to the fully closed position of the shutter unit 8 and indicates a state in which the humidity of the vegetable storage space 2 is likely to become high (prone to become wet). "NOMINAL" is provided at a position between the fully open position and the fully closed position of the shutter unit 8 and indicates a state in which the vegetable storage space 2 is likely to have a humidity suitable for storing vegetables in a standard vegetable storage state. The humidity suitable for storing vegetables is, for example, a higher humidity within a range in which the vegetable storage chamber 21 is unlikely to condense.

[0042] Next, the airflow in the refrigerating storage space 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator 1 for explaining the airflow, and the configuration of the openings, duct 4, etc. is different from other drawings. In Fig. 5, the airflow is diagrammatically depicted using arrows.

[0043] The airflow generated by the fan 5 to rise in the feed duct 41 is blown out to the refrigerated storage space 14 through the air outlet 43. A part of the airflow blown out to the refrigerated storage space 14 is branched into a first branched airflow 51 and a second branched airflow 52. The first branched airflow 51 is an airflow that enters the vegetable storage space 2 through the inlet 301 and is discharged from the vegetable storage space 2 through the first return port 461. The second branched airflow 52 is an airflow that is discharged from the refrigerated storage chamber 101 through the moisture-sensitive member 7 and the second return port 421.

[0044] Specifically, when the shutter section 8 opens the inlet 301, the first branched airflow 51 enters the vegetable accommodating chamber 21 through the inlet 301 formed in the front plate section 30 of the case 3, and is discharged from the vegetable accommodating chamber 21 through the first return port 461 formed in the back plate section 6. In other words, the first branched airflow 51 flows so as to pass through the vegetable accommodating space 2 in the front-rear direction.

[0045] Here, when fruits and vegetables such as vegetables are stored in the vegetable storage chamber 21, there is a risk that the humidity in the vegetable storage space 2 will become excessively high due to moisture released from the fruits and vegetables. Air has the property of becoming lighter as humidity increases. This is because the mass of water molecules is lighter than the mass of other molecules in the air (nitrogen molecules, oxygen molecules, etc.), and the proportion of water molecules in the air increases as humidity increases. Therefore, in the vegetable storage space 2, the humidity in the upper space will be higher than the humidity in the lower space.

[0046] In this embodiment, the inlet 301 and the first return port 461 are formed in the upper region of the vegetable accommodating chamber 21. Therefore, the first branch airflow 51 flows in the upper layer of the vegetable accommodating space 2. As a result, the first branch airflow 51 causes the air with a relatively high humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2 to be discharged through the first return port 461. Therefore, the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2 is prevented from becoming excessively high, and condensation is prevented from occurring in the vegetable accommodating chamber 21. In addition, the air flowing in from the inlet 301 is relatively dry, and the first branch airflow 51 flows along the upper plate portion 16, so that condensation on the upper plate portion 16 can be further prevented.

[0047] In addition, the inlet 301 and the first return port 461 are offset from each other in the left-right direction. Therefore, the distance between the inlet 301 and the first return port 461 is longer than when the inlet 301 and the first return port 461 are aligned in the left-right direction. In other words, the path through which the first branch airflow 51 passes through the vegetable accommodating space 2 is longer. In this embodiment, the inlet 301 is formed on the right side and the first return port 461 is formed on the left side with respect to the center in the left-right direction of the vegetable accommodating chamber 21 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the first branch airflow 51 flows diagonally through the vegetable accommodating space 2. This allows the air with high humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2 to be efficiently discharged, and the occurrence of condensation can be further suppressed.

[0048] In addition, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes a shutter unit 8 that opens and closes the inlet 301, and by adjusting the opening / closing position of the shutter unit 8, the amount of air of the first branch airflow 51 flowing into the vegetable accommodating space 2 through the inlet 301 can be adjusted. The more the opening area of ​​the inlet 301 is increased, the more the amount of air of the first branch airflow 51 increases, so that the humidity of the vegetable accommodating space 2 is more easily reduced. In addition, the more the opening area of ​​the inlet 301 is reduced, so that the humidity of the vegetable accommodating space 2 is more difficult to reduce. In addition, by setting the shutter unit 8 to a fully closed position, the amount of air flowing into the vegetable accommodating space 2 through the inlet 301 can be made substantially zero. In this way, the user can adjust the humidity of the vegetable accommodating space 2 by adjusting the opening / closing position of the shutter unit 8.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, a scale 9 is provided that indicates the degree of opening and closing of the shutter unit 8. Therefore, the user can easily grasp the degree of opening and closing of the shutter unit 8, and therefore can easily adjust the humidity in the vegetable storage space 2. Furthermore, the scale 9 includes the text notation "DRY" and "HUMID". This allows the user to visually recognize how the humidity increases or decreases by moving the shutter unit 8, improving convenience. Furthermore, the scale 9 includes the text notation "NOMINAL". This allows the user to easily adjust the humidity in the vegetable storage space 2 by adjusting the opening and closing position of the shutter unit 8 based on the position of "NOMINAL".

[0050] In addition, the first branch airflow 51 discharged from the first return port 461 passes through the trap section 45. That is, the first branch airflow 51 discharged from the first return port 461 rises once in the ascending section 46, and then descends in the descending section 47. Therefore, the humid air contained in the first branch airflow 51 is likely to remain between the ascending section 46 and the descending section 47 (the connection section 48). This prevents the humid air from being discharged too much from the vegetable accommodating space 2, and thus prevents the vegetable accommodating space 2 from drying out. For example, when the shutter section 8 is largely closing the inlet 301, the trap section 45 prevents the humid air from flowing out of the vegetable accommodating space 2, thereby preventing the vegetable accommodating space 2 from drying out.

[0051] The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment also includes a moisture-sensitive member 7. The moisture-sensitive member 7 is formed integrally with a first moisture absorbing portion 71 located in the vegetable storage chamber 21 and a second moisture absorbing portion 72 located in the refrigerated storage chamber 101 and blocking the second return port 421. The first moisture absorbing portion 71 is in contact with the cooling plate 61 in the vegetable storage chamber 21. The cooling plate 61 is likely to have a lower temperature than the vegetable storage chamber 21. Therefore, when the humidity in the vegetable storage space 2 is high, condensation is likely to occur on the cooling plate 61. When condensation occurs on the cooling plate 61 in the vegetable storage space 2, the first moisture absorbing portion 71 absorbs the water generated by the condensation. A gutter portion for receiving the condensed water may be provided at the lower end of the cooling plate 61 so that the first moisture absorbing portion 71 can efficiently absorb the condensed water. The water absorbed by the first moisture absorbing portion 71 permeates the second moisture absorbing portion 72 formed integrally with the first moisture absorbing portion 71. Therefore, the air permeability of the second hygroscopic section 72 blocking the second return port 421 is reduced. This reduces the amount of air of the second branch airflow 52 discharged from the refrigerated storage chamber 101 through the second return port 421. If the amount of air of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 43 to the refrigerated storage space 14 is constant, the amount of air of the first branch airflow 51 passing through the vegetable storage space 2 is relatively increased by reducing the amount of air of the second branch airflow 52. In addition, when the first hygroscopic section 71 and the second hygroscopic section 72 are dry, the air permeability of the second hygroscopic section 72 is increased, so that the amount of air of the second branch airflow 52 is relatively increased and the amount of air of the first branch airflow 51 is relatively reduced.

[0052] Therefore, when the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2 is high, the amount of air in the first branch airflow 51 increases, making it easier to reduce the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2. On the other hand, when the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2 is low, the amount of air in the first branch airflow 51 decreases, making it easier to increase the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2. In other words, by providing the moisture-sensitive member 7, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment changes the amount of air in the first branch airflow 51 passing through the vegetable accommodating space 2 depending on the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2, making it possible to passively control the humidity in the vegetable accommodating space 2.

[0053] (Modification) Modifications of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be listed below.

[0054] In the above example, the vegetable storage chamber 21 is formed with only one first return port 461, but may be formed with multiple first return ports 461. Similarly, the vegetable storage chamber 21 is formed with only one inlet 301, but may be formed with multiple inlets 301.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above-described example, the first return port 461 and the inlet port 301 are misaligned in the left-right direction, but they may at least partially overlap in the left-right direction.

[0056] In addition, in the above example, the inlet 301 is formed in the case 3, but the structure in which the inlet 301 is formed is not limited to the case 3. The inlet 301 may be formed in any location forward of the first return port 461, for example, in the upper plate portion 16, or in a protruding portion protruding downward from the front end of the upper plate portion 16.

[0057] Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1, the shutter portion 8, the scale 9, the trap portion 45, and the moisture-sensitive member 7 are not essential components, and some of them may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Refrigerator 101 Refrigerated Containment Room (Second Containment Room) 2 Vegetable storage space (storage space) 21 Vegetable storage room (storage room, first storage room) 301 Inlet (second opening) 4 Duct 45 Trap section 46 Ascending section 461 First return port (first opening) 47 Descending section 421 Second return port (third opening) 5 Fan 51 First branch airflow 52 Second branch airflow 6 Back plate part 7 Moisture-sensitive materials 71 First moisture absorption section 72 Second moisture absorbing section 8 Shutter section 9 Scale

Claims

1. a storage chamber having a first opening and a second opening formed forward of the first opening and forming a storage space; a fan that generates an airflow that enters the storage space through the second opening and is exhausted from the storage space through the first opening, The storage chamber is formed in a rectangular box shape with an open top and includes a case that is provided in the storage space so as to be able to be pulled out, When the case is accommodated in the accommodation space, the opening of the case is blocked by an upper plate portion of the accommodation chamber to make the accommodation space a closed space, and the second opening is formed between the front plate portion and the upper plate portion of the case, The first opening is formed in an upper portion of a back plate portion that is a part of the storage chamber and above a rear plate portion of the case. refrigerator.

2. The first opening is formed at a position shifted in the left-right direction from a position facing the second opening in the front-rear direction.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. Further comprising a shutter portion that opens and closes the second opening.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A scale indicating the opening and closing positions of the shutter portion is provided around the second opening. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

5. The airflow discharged from the storage space through the first opening flows through a duct, The duct has a trap section including an ascending section and a descending section, The rising portion extends upward from the first opening, The descending portion is formed downstream of the airflow from the ascending portion and extends downward. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a second storage chamber formed outside the first storage chamber, the second storage chamber having a third opening; a moisture-sensitive member including a first moisture absorbing portion located in the storage space and a second moisture absorbing portion closing the third opening, a part of the airflow generated by the fan is branched into a first branched airflow passing through the first opening and the second opening, and a second branched airflow passing through the moisture-sensitive member and the third opening; The moisture-sensitive member has a lower air permeability as the humidity increases. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images