refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator which has high reliability.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes: a refrigeration chamber 2 and freezing chambers 3, 4, 5; a cooler chamber 8; a freezing chamber fan 9a for blowing cold air which has been heat-exchanged in the cooler chamber 8; a refrigeration chamber first air passage 110 for circulating the cold air in the refrigeration chamber 2 and communicating with a blowout region of the freezing chamber fan 9a; a refrigeration chamber first damper 151 for controlling the circulation of the cold air from the cooler chamber 8 to the refrigeration chamber first air passage 110; a refrigeration chamber fan 9b; and a control device 70A. The refrigeration chamber first air passage 110 includes a refrigeration chamber first return port 115 and a refrigeration chamber blowout port 111. The refrigeration chamber fan 9b is arranged in the refrigeration chamber first air passage 110 so that the cold air in the refrigeration chamber 2 circulates in the refrigeration chamber 2, the refrigeration chamber first return port 115, the refrigeration chamber first air passage 110, and the refrigeration chamber blowout port 111 in this order. The control device 70A controls the refrigeration chamber fan 9b in a drive state in the case where the refrigeration chamber first damper 151 is in an open state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As a technique for realizing high humidity in the refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator, for example, there is a refrigerator described in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The refrigerator of Patent Document 1 includes a freezer evaporator (first cooler), a refrigerator evaporator (second cooler), a refrigerator, and a freezer. The freezer is cooled only by using the cold air that has exchanged heat with the freezer evaporator (paragraph 0035). The refrigerator is cooled by a direct cooling method in which the storage space is cooled using the refrigerator evaporator, specifically, a cooling plate arranged at the back of the refrigerator, and by an indirect cooling method in which the cold air that has exchanged heat with the freezer evaporator is sent into the storage space of the refrigerator (paragraphs 0032-0034). In this refrigerator, a cold air sending flow path is provided at the back of the refrigerator to send the cold air that has exchanged heat with the freezer evaporator to the refrigerator, and the cold air sending flow path is connected to the cooling chamber in which the freezer evaporator is arranged (paragraph 0035). A refrigerator compartment feed damper is provided between the cooling compartment and the cold air discharge flow path, and by opening the refrigerator compartment feed damper, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the freezer compartment cooler passes through the cold air discharge flow path and flows into the refrigerator compartment (paragraph 0033). In Figure 1 of Patent Document 1, the cooling plate is provided inside the cold air discharge flow path and is therefore located at the rear of the refrigerator compartment, and a return port that returns the air inside the refrigerator compartment to the cooling plate is provided in the cold air discharge flow path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-180721 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, In this configuration, one flow path is shared by both the direct cooling method and the indirect cooling method, and when cooling the refrigerator compartment using the indirect cooling method, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the freezer cooler may flow into the refrigerator compartment through the return port. In this case, problems may occur such as the upper part of the refrigerator compartment not being cooled sufficiently or the lower part being cooled excessively.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which is effective in solving the problem that the upper part of the refrigerator compartment is not cooled sufficiently or the lower part of the refrigerator compartment is cooled excessively when cooling using an indirect cooling method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configurations described in the claims are adopted.

[0008] The present application includes a number of means for solving the above problems. To give an example of such means, A refrigerator and a freezer as storage rooms; A cooler chamber in which a cooler is housed; a freezer compartment fan for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; A first refrigeration chamber air duct for circulating cold air in the refrigeration chamber; a first damper for controlling flow of cold air from the cooling chamber to the first air passage for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan that circulates cold air in the refrigerator compartment; a control device for controlling the freezer compartment fan, the refrigerator compartment first damper, and the refrigerator compartment fan; A refrigerator compartment temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment; and a refrigerator compartment lower part temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment below the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor. Equipped with The first refrigeration chamber air passage has a first refrigeration chamber return port that takes in the internal cold air of the refrigeration chamber, and a refrigeration chamber outlet port that blows out the internal cold air taken in to the refrigeration chamber, and is configured to communicate with a blowing area of ​​the freezer chamber fan via the first refrigeration chamber damper, The first refrigeration chamber return port is located on the first refrigeration chamber damper side with respect to the refrigeration chamber outlet port, The refrigerator compartment fan is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment circulates through the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment first return port, the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port in this order. The control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan to a drive state when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state. and preventing a backflow of the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler chamber and passed through the first refrigerator chamber damper from flowing from the first refrigerator chamber air duct to the refrigerator chamber via the first refrigerator chamber return port, The control device further includes a first air blowing mode and a second air blowing mode. In the first air blowing mode, when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state, the freezer compartment fan is driven together with the refrigerator compartment fan, and the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper to the refrigerator compartment first air duct, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment, and then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return port into the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and then blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment to circulate the cold air. In the second air blowing mode, when the first damper of the refrigerator compartment is in an open state, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown into the refrigerator compartment from the refrigerator compartment outlet and the first return port of the refrigerator compartment, When a difference between the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined temperature difference and the temperature detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor is higher than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor, cooling is performed in the second air blowing mode; The cooling time in the first air blowing mode is longer than the cooling time in the second air blowing mode. do. In addition, a refrigerator and a freezer as storage rooms; A cooler chamber in which a cooler is housed; a freezer compartment fan for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; A first refrigeration chamber air duct used for circulating cold air in the refrigeration chamber; a first damper for controlling flow of cold air from the cooling chamber to the first air passage for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan that circulates cold air in the refrigerator compartment; a control device for controlling the freezer compartment fan, the refrigerator compartment first damper, and the refrigerator compartment fan; Equipped with The first refrigeration chamber air passage has a first refrigeration chamber return port that takes in cold air inside the refrigeration chamber and a first refrigeration chamber outlet port that blows the cold air into the refrigeration chamber, and is configured to communicate with a blowing area of ​​the freezer chamber fan via the first refrigeration chamber damper, The first return port of the refrigerator compartment has a structure in which a flow path cross-sectional area decreases from the inside of the refrigerator compartment toward the first air duct of the refrigerator compartment, and is located on the side of the first damper of the refrigerator compartment with respect to the outlet of the refrigerator compartment, The refrigerator compartment fan is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment circulates through the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment first return port, the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port in this order. The control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan to a driven state when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state. In addition, a refrigerator and a freezer as storage rooms; A cooler chamber in which a cooler is accommodated; a freezer compartment fan for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; A first refrigeration chamber air duct used for circulating cold air in the refrigeration chamber; a first damper for controlling flow of cold air from the cooling chamber to the first air passage for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan that circulates cold air in the refrigerator compartment; a control device for controlling the freezer compartment fan, the refrigerator compartment first damper, and the refrigerator compartment fan; a second air duct for a refrigerator compartment that is provided as an air duct independent of the first air duct for a refrigerator compartment and that circulates cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; a second damper for adjusting the amount of cold air flowing into the second air duct; Equipped with 、 The first refrigeration chamber air passage has a first refrigeration chamber return port that takes in cold air inside the refrigeration chamber and a first refrigeration chamber outlet port that blows the cold air into the refrigeration chamber, and is configured to communicate with a blowing area of ​​the freezer chamber fan via the first refrigeration chamber damper, The first refrigeration chamber return port is located on the first refrigeration chamber damper side with respect to the refrigeration chamber outlet port, The refrigerator compartment fan is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment circulates through the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment first return port, the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port in this order. The control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan to a driven state when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that is effective in solving the problem that the upper part of the refrigerator compartment is not cooled sufficiently or the lower part of the refrigerator compartment is cooled excessively.

[0010] Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the interior of the refrigerator in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a refrigerator compartment air duct of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] Enlarged view of part V in Figure 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a first modified example of a portion V in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a second modified example of a portion V in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a flow (air path configuration) of cool air in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cool air (air passage configuration) in a refrigerator according to a first comparative example. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between the rotation speed of a refrigerator compartment fan and the amount of air passing through a first refrigerator compartment return port of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cool air (air passage configuration) in a refrigerator according to a second comparative example. [Figure 13]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan and the amount of air passing through the freezer compartment return port of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed of a freezer compartment fan and the rotation speed of a refrigerator compartment fan in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device used in the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 16. In the following description, the right side when viewing refrigerator 1 from the front will be referred to as the right side, and the left side when viewed from the left side.

[0013] [Example 1] An embodiment of a refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the insulated box 10 of the refrigerator 1 has, from the top, a refrigerator compartment 2, an ice-making compartment 3 on the left and right, an upper freezer compartment 4, a lower freezer compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment 6, in that order.

[0015] Refrigerator 1 is equipped with doors that open and close the openings of each storage compartment. These doors are rotating refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b divided into left and right, which open and close the opening of refrigerator compartment 2, and pull-out ice-making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a, which open and close the openings of ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. The interior material of these multiple doors is mainly made of urethane foam. In addition, each door is equipped with a sealing member (not shown) on the inner peripheral part.

[0016] The refrigerator compartment 2 is separated from the ice making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 by a heat insulating partition wall 27, and the lower freezer compartment 5 is separated from the vegetable compartment 6 by a heat insulating partition wall 28. In addition, a partition 29 is provided at the front edge between the ice making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 at a position where it abuts against the seal member on the right end inner surface of the ice making compartment door 3a and the seal member on the left end inner surface of the upper freezer compartment door 4a when the ice making compartment door 3a and the upper freezer compartment door 4a are closed. A partition 30 is provided at the front edge between the ice making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 and the lower freezer compartment 5 at a position where it abuts against the seal members on the lower end inner surfaces of the ice making compartment door 3a and the upper freezer compartment door 4a and the seal member on the upper end inner surface of the lower freezer compartment door 5a when the ice making compartment door 3a, the upper freezer compartment door 4a, and the lower freezer compartment door 5a are closed.

[0017] Door hinges (not shown) for fixing the refrigerator 1 to the doors 2a, 2b are arranged at the front of the outer side of the top compartment of the insulated box body 10 and at the front edge of the insulated partition wall 27, and the upper door hinge provided on the outer side of the top compartment is covered with a door hinge cover 16.

[0018] The ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5 are basically storage compartments whose interior temperature is kept at a freezing temperature (below 0°C), for example, at an average of about -18°C, while the refrigerator compartment 2 is a storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept at a refrigeration temperature (above 0°C), for example, at an average of about 4°C, and the vegetable compartment 6 is a storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept at a refrigeration temperature (above 0°C), for example, at an average of about 7°C.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of refrigerator 1 in Fig. 1, and a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the configuration inside refrigerator 1 in Fig. 1, and is a front view showing a state in which a door and a container are removed from refrigerator 1 in Fig. 1. The configuration of refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the inside and outside of the refrigerator 1 are separated by a thermal insulation box 10 formed by filling a foam insulation material (urethane foam in the refrigerator of this embodiment) between an outer box 10a made of a steel plate and an inner box 10b made of a synthetic resin (e.g., ABS resin). In addition to the foam insulation material, vacuum insulation material 25, which has a lower thermal conductivity than the foam insulation material, is installed between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the thermal insulation box 10, thereby suppressing a decrease in the internal volume and improving the insulation performance. In this embodiment, the vacuum insulation material 25 is installed on the back surface, bottom surface, and both side surfaces of the thermal insulation box 10.

[0021] The insulating material inside the insulating partition wall 27 is expanded polystyrene, and the inside of the insulating partition wall 28 is filled with urethane foam as an insulating material. The urethane foam inside the insulating partition wall 28 is filled together with the urethane foam of the insulating box 10 in a process of foaming and filling the space between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the insulating box 10 with urethane.

[0022] The refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b are provided with multiple door pockets 33a, 33b, and 33c on the inside of the compartment. The refrigerator compartment 2 is divided into multiple storage spaces by shelves 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d. The ice-making compartment door 3a, the upper freezer compartment door 4a, the lower freezer compartment door 5a, and the vegetable compartment door 6a are provided with the ice-making compartment container 3b, the upper freezer compartment container 4b, the lower freezer compartment container 5b, and the vegetable compartment container 6b, which are pulled out integrally, respectively.

[0023] 2 and 3, refrigerator 1 is provided with cooler chamber 8 housing cooler 14 at the rear of lower freezer chamber 5, and freezer chamber fan 9a is provided at the upper part of cooler chamber 8. The blowing area (discharge area) of freezer chamber fan 9a is provided with freezer chamber air duct 100. Freezer chamber air duct 100 is provided with ice chamber air outlet (ice chamber air outlet) 101, upper freezer chamber air outlet (upper freezer chamber air outlet) 102, and lower freezer chamber air outlet (lower freezer chamber air outlet) 103, which blow cold air to ice chamber 3 in the front, upper freezer chamber 4, and lower freezer chamber 5, respectively.

[0024] A freezer compartment return air duct 104 is formed at the lower front of the cooler compartment 8, through which the return cold air from the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows. The freezer compartment return air duct 104 is formed with a width approximately equal to the width of the cooler 14, so that the return cold air from the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows into the cooler 14 efficiently.

[0025] The back surface of the refrigerator compartment 2 is provided with a refrigerator compartment circulation air duct 110. The refrigerator compartment circulation air duct 110 is provided with a refrigerator compartment outlet (refrigerator compartment outlet) 111a for blowing air into a space above the top shelf 34a, and a refrigerator compartment outlet (refrigerator compartment outlet) 111b for blowing air into a space between the top shelf 34a and the second shelf from the top 34b. The refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 adjacent to the refrigerator compartment circulation air duct 110 across a partition wall behind the refrigerator compartment circulation air duct 110. A heat transfer surface 200 is formed in the partition wall between the refrigerator compartment first air duct and the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120, and the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 and the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 are configured so that heat exchange occurs between the air in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 and the air in the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120. The details of the first and second refrigerating compartment air ducts 110 and 120 will be described later. The opening area of ​​the refrigerating compartment air outlet 111a is 1000 mm 2 The opening area of ​​the refrigerator compartment outlet 111b is 500 mm 2 The opening area of ​​the uppermost outlet 111a is set to be larger than the opening area of ​​the lower outlet 111b.

[0026] A refrigerator compartment first return port 115 that takes in air (cold air) inside the refrigerator compartment 2 is formed in the lower center of the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110. Also, a refrigerator compartment second return port 131 is formed on the right side of the lower back surface of the refrigerator compartment 2. A refrigerator compartment return air duct 130 is formed at the rear right end of the upper freezer compartment 4 and the lower freezer compartment 5, one end of which is connected to the refrigerator compartment second return port 131. The other end of the refrigerator compartment return air duct 130 is connected to the lower right part of the cooler compartment 8.

[0027] A vegetable compartment air duct 132 is formed downward from the lower left of freezer compartment air duct 100 at the rear of ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment outlet (vegetable compartment discharge port) 102a is formed at the outlet of vegetable compartment air duct 132. A vegetable compartment return port 136 opens on the underside of heat-insulating partition wall 28 between lower freezer compartment 5 and vegetable compartment 6, and a vegetable compartment return air duct 135 connected to the lower front of cooler compartment 8 is formed inside heat-insulating partition wall 28.

[0028] A freezer chamber return port 105 is formed at the lower front of the cooler chamber 8, through which the returning cold air flows from the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer chamber 4, and the lower freezer chamber 5. The freezer chamber return port 105 is formed with a width substantially equal to that of the cooler 14, so that the returning cold air from the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer chamber 4, and the lower freezer chamber 5 flows into the cooler 14 efficiently.

[0029] A refrigerator temperature sensor 41, a freezer temperature sensor 43, and a vegetable temperature sensor 44 are provided on the interior rear side of the refrigerator compartment 2, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the vegetable compartment 6, respectively, and a cooler temperature sensor 40 is provided on the upper part of the cooler 14. In this embodiment, the freezer temperature sensor 43 is provided in the upper freezer compartment 4, but it may be provided in the lower freezer compartment 5. These sensors detect the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2, the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, the lower freezer compartment 5, the vegetable compartment 6, the cooler compartment 8, and the cooler 14. In addition, an outside air temperature sensor 37 and an outside air humidity sensor 38 are provided inside the door hinge cover 16 on the ceiling of the refrigerator 1, and detect the temperature and humidity of the outside air (air outside the refrigerator). In addition, a door sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the open / closed state of the doors 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a.

[0030] A refrigerator compartment fan 9a is installed in the lower part of refrigerator compartment first air duct 110. Further, a refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is provided at the inlet part of refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 as cold air blocking means.

[0031] A second refrigerator compartment damper 152 is provided as cold air blocking means at the inlet of the second refrigerator compartment air duct 120. The second refrigerator compartment air duct 120 is provided as an air duct independent of the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110. That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes the second refrigerator compartment air duct 120, which is provided as an air duct independent of the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 and through which the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 flows, and the second refrigerator compartment damper 152 that adjusts the amount of cold air flowing into the second refrigerator compartment air duct 120.

[0032] The refrigerator compartment first damper 151 and the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 are driven by a single motor and are integrally formed, and hereinafter, a component combining the functions of the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 and the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is referred to as refrigerator compartment damper 150. In addition, a vegetable compartment damper 160 is provided in the vegetable compartment air duct 132 as cold air blocking means.

[0033] A defrost heater 21 is provided below the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8, and a gutter 23 is formed on the bottom surface of the cooler chamber 8. A drain pipe 22 that communicates with the machine chamber 39 is provided facing downward from the lower end of the gutter 23. In addition, the machine chamber 39 is provided with a compressor 24 and an evaporation dish 32 arranged above the compressor 24.

[0034] The defrost heater 21 may be, for example, an electric heater of 50 W to 200 W, and in this embodiment, a radiant heater of 120 W is used. Defrost water generated during defrosting of the cooler 14 is discharged from the gutter 23 through the drain pipe 22 to the evaporation dish 32 above the compressor 24, and is evaporated by the action of heat radiation from the compressor 24 and ventilation by a machine room fan (not shown), etc.

[0035] A container 36, whose inside temperature is maintained at about -1°C, is provided on the upper part of the heat-insulating partition wall 27 in the refrigerator compartment 2, and the front of the container 36 can be opened and closed by a lid 36a. A packing (not shown) is provided on the outer periphery of the lid 36a, and when the lid 36a is closed, the packing brings the lid 36a and the container 36 into contact with each other without any gaps, and the container 36 has a structure in which the internal space is sealed. In addition, a pump (not shown) for sucking air from the container 36 is provided on the back of the container 36, and by driving the pump with the lid 36a closed, the air pressure in the container 36 is reduced to about 0.8 atm. As a result, the lid 36a prevents cold air from being directly blown into the container 36, and the container 36 is placed in a reduced pressure environment, making it a storage space that suppresses drying and oxidation of food.

[0036] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the refrigerator compartment air duct of refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment, and shows the configuration of refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 and refrigerator compartment second air duct 120.

[0037] 4, refrigerator compartment first air passage 110, which is installed at the rear of refrigerator compartment 2, is provided with refrigerator compartment outlets 111a, 111b on the front side, and a heat transfer surface 200 is installed between the rear side of refrigerator compartment first air passage 110 and refrigerator compartment second air passage 120. A partition member 121 is arranged inside refrigerator compartment second air passage 120, and when refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is in the open state, a flow that flows upward on left side 120a of refrigerator compartment second air passage 120 is reversed at the top of refrigerator compartment second air passage 120 and flows downward on right side 120b of refrigerator compartment second air passage 120, as shown by the arrow in the figure.

[0038] In the refrigerator of this embodiment, the material of heat transfer surface 200 is aluminum. By using aluminum, which has high thermal conductivity, cold heat on the side of refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 is easily transferred to the air in refrigerator compartment first air duct 110. An embodiment is also conceivable in which a resin (polypropylene as an example) is used as heat transfer surface 200 to further reduce costs. In other words, the material and shape of the heat transfer surface are not limited as long as it functions to transfer cold heat on the side of refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 to the air in refrigerator compartment first air duct 110.

[0039] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion V in Fig. 2. The configuration of the first refrigerating compartment return port 115 will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0040] Refrigerator chamber first return port 115 is provided with cross-sectional area reducing section 115a in which the cross-sectional area of ​​refrigerator chamber first return port 115 decreases from the inside of refrigerator chamber 2 toward refrigerator chamber first air duct 110. That is, in refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, refrigerator chamber first return port 115 has a structure in which the flow path cross-sectional area decreases from the inside of refrigerator chamber 2 toward the outside (refrigerator chamber first air duct 110).

[0041] This makes it difficult for air to flow from refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 to the inside of refrigerator compartment 2, while making it easier for air to flow from the inside of refrigerator compartment 2 to refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, thereby suppressing the backflow of cold air.

[0042] It is sufficient that the cross-sectional area reduction portion 115a is included in a part of the refrigerating compartment first return port 115. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area reduction portion 115a may have an arc-shaped cross section, and is not limited to the linear shape shown in FIG.

[0043] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a first modified example of the portion V in FIG. 2, and is a cross-sectional view showing the first modified example of the first return port 115 of the refrigerator compartment.

[0044] The refrigerator compartment first return port 115 in this example includes a cross-sectional area reducing section 115a in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 decreases from the storage space side of the refrigerator compartment 2 toward the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and a straight section 115b in which the cross-sectional area is constant and does not change, and the cross-sectional area reducing section 115a and the straight section 115b in which the cross-sectional area does not decrease are smoothly connected. According to this example, air does not easily flow from the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 to the storage space side of the refrigerator compartment 2, and air easily flows from the storage space side of the refrigerator compartment 2 to the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, thereby suppressing the backflow of cold air.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, which corresponds to the portion C of the refrigerator of the first embodiment.

[0046] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a second modified example of the portion V in FIG. 2, and is a cross-sectional view showing the second modified example of the first return opening 115 of the refrigerator compartment.

[0047] In this example, cross-sectional area reducing portion 115a is formed in a curved shape, in which the cross-sectional area of ​​refrigerator compartment first return port 115 decreases from the storage space side of refrigerator compartment 2 toward refrigerator compartment first air duct 110. According to this example, air does not easily flow from refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 to the storage space side of refrigerator compartment 2, and air easily flows from the storage space side of refrigerator compartment 2 to refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, thereby suppressing backflow of cold air.

[0048] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cool air (air passage configuration) in the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. The flow of cool air inside the refrigerator will be described with reference to Figs. 8, 2 and 3.

[0049] By driving the freezer compartment fan 9a, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 is sent to the freezer compartment air duct 100 as shown in Fig. 8. The cold air sent to the freezer compartment air duct 100 is blown out from the ice making chamber outlet 101, the upper freezer compartment outlet 102, and the lower freezer compartment outlet 103 to the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer chamber 4, and the lower freezer chamber 5, respectively, regardless of the open / closed states of the refrigerator chamber first damper 151, the refrigerator chamber second damper 152, and the vegetable chamber damper 160. The cold air that has cooled the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer chamber 4, and the lower freezer chamber 5 cools each storage chamber, and returns to the cooler chamber 8 from the lower freezer chamber 5 via the freezer chamber return air duct 104.

[0050] When the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is open and the freezer compartment fan 9a is driven, the cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a is sent to the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, and also flows through the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120, exchanges heat with the air in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 on the heat transfer surface 200, flows through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 130, and returns to the cooler chamber 8.

[0051] When the freezer fan 9a is driven with the vegetable compartment damper 160 open, the cold air pressurized by the freezer fan 9a is sent to the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, and flows through the vegetable compartment air duct 132 branched from the freezer compartment air duct 100 at the downstream part of the freezer compartment air duct 100, and is blown out from the vegetable compartment outlet 131 to the vegetable compartment 6. In the vegetable compartment 6, the cold air is blown out toward the outside of the vegetable compartment container 6b, so that foods such as vegetables stored in the vegetable compartment container 6b are prevented from drying out or becoming too cold. The cold air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 6 flows through the vegetable compartment return port 136 (see FIG. 2) provided on the underside of the thermal insulation partition wall 28, flows through the vegetable compartment return air duct 135 (see FIG. 2) provided in the thermal insulation partition wall 28, and returns to the cooler chamber 8.

[0052] When the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in a closed state and the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is in an open state, and the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b are driven, the air in the refrigerator compartment 2 enters the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 from the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, flows through the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and re-enters the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment outlet port 111 (111a, 111b), forming an air flow that circulates within the refrigerator compartment 2. Meanwhile, since the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is open, the cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a flows through the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 and exchanges heat with the air in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 on the heat transfer surface 200. The air in the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 that has exchanged heat with the air in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 flows through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 130 and returns to the cooler chamber 8.

[0053] By driving the refrigerator compartment fan 9b while the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 and the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 are in a closed state, the air in the refrigerator compartment 2 enters the refrigerator compartment first air passage 110 from the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, flows through the refrigerator compartment first air passage 110, and re-enters the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111, forming an air flow that circulates within the refrigerator compartment 2. 152 is closed, the low-temperature cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 does not flow into the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120, and the air in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 is not cooled via the heat transfer surface 200.

[0054] When the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open and the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b are driven, the cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a is sent to the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, passes through the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, is pressurized again by the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, flows into the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and is sent to the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111. For this reason, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a freezer compartment air duct 100 that communicates with the outlet region of the freezer compartment fan 9a and has freezer compartment outlets 101, 102, and 103 that blow out the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 to the freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5, and the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 is configured to communicate with the freezer compartment air duct 100 via the refrigerator compartment first damper 151.

[0055] The cold air that has cooled the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows from the freezer compartment return port 105 through the freezer compartment return air duct 104 and returns to the cooler compartment 8. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the refrigerator compartment second return port 131 through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 130 and returns to the cooler compartment 8.

[0056] The rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a can be changed depending on the thermal load of the refrigerator 1. For example, when the load increases due to the inflow of outside air into the lower freezer compartment 5 when the door is opened or closed, the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a is increased from 1500 rpm to 2000 rpm. At this time, the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is also increased from 1000 rpm to 1800 rpm at the same time as the increase in the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a.

[0057] The rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b can be changed according to the temperature distribution in the refrigerator compartment 2. For example, if the temperature becomes uneven over time, the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is increased from 1000 rpm to 1800 rpm. At this time, the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a is increased from 1500 rpm to 2000 rpm together with the increase in the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b.

[0058] The rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b can be selected from those described above. When selecting the rotation speeds, a combination of rotation speeds is selected from a table created in advance.

[0059] The table is created by temperature measurements carried out in advance. Temperature measurements are performed using temperature sensors prepared for the measurements that can measure the air temperature near the freezer compartment return port 105 and the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, and measure the relationship between the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b and the occurrence or absence of backflow at the freezer compartment return port 105 and the refrigerator compartment first return port 115. A detailed explanation of backflow will be given later. The occurrence of backflow can be controlled by creating a table using the results of these measurements.

[0060] As described above, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has the following features: A refrigerator compartment 2 and freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5 as storage compartments; A cooler chamber 8 in which a cooler 14 is housed; A freezer compartment fan 9a for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler compartment 8; A first refrigeration chamber air duct 110 used to circulate cold air to the refrigeration chamber 2; A first damper 151 for controlling the flow of cold air from the cooling chamber 8 to the first air passage 110 for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan 9b for circulating cold air in the refrigerator compartment 2; A control device 70A for controlling the freezer compartment fan 9a, the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b; Equipped with The first refrigeration compartment air passage 110 has a first refrigeration compartment return port 115 for taking in the cold air inside the refrigeration compartment 2 and a refrigeration compartment outlet port 111 for blowing the cold air into the refrigeration compartment 2, and is configured to communicate with the outlet area of ​​the freezer compartment fan 9a via a first refrigeration compartment damper 151. The first refrigeration chamber return port 115 is located on the side of the first refrigeration chamber damper 151 with respect to the refrigeration chamber outlet port 111, The refrigerator compartment fan 9b is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment 2 circulates in the order of the refrigerator compartment 2, the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port 111. When the refrigerating compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, the control device 70A controls the refrigerating compartment fan 9b to be in the driving state.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes a compressor 24, an external radiator 50a as a heat dissipation means for dissipating heat from the refrigerant, wall surface heat dissipation piping 50b arranged on both sides of the heat-insulating box 10, dew prevention piping 50c arranged on the front parts of the heat-insulating partition walls 27, 28 and the partition parts 29, 30 to suppress dew, a capillary tube 53 as a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, and a cooler 14 that absorbs heat inside the refrigerator by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air inside the refrigerator. The wall surface heat dissipation piping 50b is arranged on the inner surface of the outer box 10a in the region between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b. The dew prevention piping 50c is arranged on the inner surfaces of the heat-insulating partition walls 27, 28 and the partition parts 29, 30.

[0062] The refrigerator 1 also includes a dryer 51 that removes moisture in the refrigeration cycle, and a gas-liquid separator 54 that suppresses the inflow of liquid refrigerant into the compressor 24, and these are connected by a refrigerant piping to configure a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant piping that connects the capillary tube 53, the cooler 14, and the compressor 24 includes a heat exchanger 57 that exchanges heat of the refrigerant.

[0063] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the compressor 24 is driven, the refrigerant is compressed to become a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant, which enters the external radiator 50a. In the external radiator 50a, heat is removed from the refrigerant by ventilation from an external fan (not shown), reducing enthalpy, and the refrigerant flows into the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b in a two-phase state. In the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b arranged on both sides of the thermal insulation box 10, heat is dissipated from the refrigerant mainly to the air outside the cabinet through the outer wall of the thermal insulation box 10.

[0064] Next, the refrigerant enters the condensation prevention pipe 50c arranged in front of the heat insulating partition walls 27, 28 and the partition parts 29, 30. Because heat insulating doors are provided in front of the heat insulating partition walls 27, 28 and the partition parts 29, 30, in the condensation prevention pipe 50c, heat is mainly dissipated from the refrigerant to the air inside the storage unit, the refrigerant becomes liquid refrigerant, flows through the dryer 51 to remove moisture, and then reaches the capillary tube 53. The refrigerant is decompressed as it flows through the capillary tube 53, and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant before reaching the inlet of the cooler 14.

[0065] The air returning from each storage compartment in the refrigerator passes through the cooler 14 by driving the freezer compartment fan 9a, and is cooled to a low temperature, and then cools each storage compartment again. At this time, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air in the refrigerator, increasing its enthalpy and dryness, and becomes a nearly saturated gas refrigerant before reaching the outlet of the cooler 14.

[0066] A part of the piping returning from the outlet of the cooler 14 to the compressor 24 is provided close to the capillary tube 53 so as to exchange heat with the capillary tube 53, and is heated by the refrigerant in the capillary tube 53, causing an increase in enthalpy (temperature) and being sucked back into the compressor 24. By providing the heat exchanger 57 in this way, the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor increases, preventing condensation and frost on the refrigerant piping, and the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing into the cooler 14 decreases due to heat exchange, improving the cooling capacity of the evaporator. The refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle is isobutane, a flammable refrigerant.

[0067] The configuration of the refrigerator of this embodiment has been described above. Next, the effects achieved by the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0068] In refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, freezer compartment air duct 100 and refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 are in communication with each other. In addition, two fans (freezer compartment fan 9a and refrigerator compartment fan 9b) serving as pressure boosting means are arranged on these communicated air ducts 100, 110, and ice-making compartment outlet 101, upper freezer compartment outlet 102, and lower freezer compartment outlet 103 are arranged downstream of freezer compartment fan 9a. In addition, refrigerator compartment outlet 111 is arranged downstream of fan 9b. Refrigerator 1 is provided with freezer compartment return air duct 104, which is a path for air that has flowed into freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5 to return to cooler compartment 8, and also with refrigerator compartment return air duct 130, which is a path for air that has flowed into refrigerator compartment 2 to return to cooler compartment 8. Refrigerator compartment fan 9b performs backflow prevention operation to circulate cool air in the following order: refrigerator compartment outlet 111, refrigerator compartment 2, refrigerator compartment first return port 115, refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and refrigerator compartment outlet 111.

[0069] That is, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, the control device 70A drives the refrigerator compartment fan 9b to prevent the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 and passed through the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 from flowing back from the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 through the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 into the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0070] This makes it difficult for the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 2 to be insufficiently cooled or the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 2 to be excessively cooled, making the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment a highly reliable refrigerator.

[0071] The reason will be explained with reference to FIGS.

[0072] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cool air (air passage configuration) in refrigerator 1 according to a first comparative example. The first comparative example shown in Fig. 10 differs from the first embodiment in that refrigerator compartment fan 9b is not driven.

[0073] In the first comparative example, freezer compartment fan 9a blows cold air to ice making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and refrigerator compartment first damper 151. Here, when the rotation speed of refrigerator compartment fan 9b is low, the pressure downstream of refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is higher than the pressure inside refrigerator compartment 2, and a backflow S2 occurs. As a result, the cold air that has exchanged heat with cooler 14 flows into refrigerator compartment 2 from refrigerator compartment first return port 115. If cooling is continued in this state, the amount of cold air flowing into refrigerator compartment 2 from refrigerator compartment outlet 111 decreases, and the upper part of freezer compartment 2 is not cooled sufficiently.

[0074] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed of refrigerator compartment fan 9b of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment and the amount of air passing through refrigerator compartment first return port 115. The horizontal axis of Fig. 11 is the rotation speed of refrigerator compartment fan 9b. The vertical axis of Fig. 11 is the amount of air flowing into refrigerator compartment first return port 115, and the amount of air flowing from refrigerator compartment 2 to refrigerator compartment second air duct 110 is taken as positive. In addition, in the backflow S2 generation range shown in Fig. 11, backflow S2 flowing from refrigerator compartment second air duct 110 to refrigerator compartment 2 occurs.

[0075] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open and the freezer compartment fan 9a is driven, the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is driven to circulate cool air in the following order: refrigerator compartment outlet 111, refrigerator compartment 2, refrigerator compartment first return port 115, refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and refrigerator compartment outlet 111.

[0076] More specifically, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has an air blowing mode (first air blowing mode) in which, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, the freezer compartment fan 9a is driven together with the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, and the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 to the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 into the refrigerator compartment 2, and then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return outlet 115 to the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and then blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 into the refrigerator compartment 2 to circulate.

[0077] As a result, backflow S2 does not occur at the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, and the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 2 is less likely to be cooled sufficiently or the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 2 is less likely to be cooled excessively, making the refrigerator 1 a highly reliable refrigerator.

[0078] In addition, in refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, freezer compartment fan 9a, which is a boosting means, is disposed on freezer compartment air duct 100, and ice-making compartment outlet 101, upper freezer compartment outlet 102, and lower freezer compartment outlet 103 are disposed downstream of freezer compartment fan 9a. Refrigerator 1 is provided with freezer compartment return air duct 104, which is a path for air that has flowed into freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5 to return to cooler compartment 8, and freezer compartment fan 9a is driven so that cool air circulates through freezer compartment outlets 101, 102, and 103, freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5, freezer compartment return port 105, and freezer compartment return air duct 104 in that order.

[0079] This makes it difficult for the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range, such as lower freezer compartment 5, to become warm, making refrigerator 1 a highly reliable refrigerator.

[0080] The reason will be explained with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cool air (air passage configuration) in a refrigerator according to a second comparative example. The second comparative example shown in Fig. 12 differs from the first embodiment in that the freezer compartment fan 9a is not driven.

[0081] In the second comparative example, the air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a is 3、4、5 and flows into the cooling chamber 8 via the freezer chamber return air duct 104. When the rotation speed of the freezer chamber fan 9a is low, the pressure in the freezer chamber return air duct 104, which is the discharge area of ​​the freezer chamber fan 9a, and further in the freezer chambers 3, 4, and 5, is lower than the pressure upstream of the cooling chamber 14, and a backflow S1 occurs. As a result, the relatively high-temperature air in the refrigerator chamber 2 flows into the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer chamber 4, and the lower freezer chamber 5, causing the temperature to rise.

[0082] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment and the amount of air passing through the freezer compartment return port 105. The horizontal axis of Fig. 13 is the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a. The vertical axis of Fig. 13 is the amount of air passing through the freezer compartment return port 105, and the amount of air flowing from the freezer compartment 2 to the cooler compartment 8 is taken as positive. In addition, in the backflow S1 generation range shown in Fig. 13, a backflow occurs from the cooler compartment 8 to the freezer compartment return port 105.

[0083] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is driven, the freezer compartment fan 9a is driven so that the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 circulates in the order of the freezer compartment outlets 101, 102, 103, the freezer compartments 3, 4, 5, the freezer compartment return port 105, and the freezer compartment return air duct 104.

[0084] That is, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5 are provided with a freezer compartment return port 105 which serves as an outlet for cold air to return to the cooler compartment 8, and the freezer compartment air duct 100 connects the discharge side of the cooler compartment 8 to the freezer compartment outlets 101, 102, and 103, and the control device 70A opens the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 and drives the freezer compartment fan 9a to circulate the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler compartment 8 in the following order: the freezer compartment air duct 100, the freezer compartment outlets 101, 102, and 103, the freezer compartments 3, 4, and 5, the freezer compartment return port 105, and the cooler compartment 8.

[0085] As a result, backflow S1 does not occur at freezer compartment return port 105, making it difficult for a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range, such as lower freezer compartment 5, to be heated, and refrigerator 1 becomes a highly reliable refrigerator.

[0086] In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a is increased simultaneously with the increase in the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b. Also, the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is increased simultaneously with the increase in the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a. This configuration enables control that makes it relatively difficult for backflow to occur.

[0087] In this case, the control of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is performed by the control device 70A. That is, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, the control device 70A controls the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b so that the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9b increases as the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a increases. Also, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, the control device 70A controls the refrigerator compartment fan 9b and the freezer compartment fan 9a so that the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a increases as the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b increases.

[0088] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b are driven at a rotation speed within a range in which no backflow occurs. This makes it difficult for the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range, such as the lower freezer compartment 5, to be heated, and for the amount of cold air flowing into the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 to decrease, causing the upper part of the freezer compartment 2 to be insufficiently cooled, or the vicinity of the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 to be excessively cooled, making the refrigerator 1 a highly reliable refrigerator.

[0089] The reason will be explained with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 shows the relationship between the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b and the backflow.

[0090] The horizontal axis of Fig. 14 represents the rotation speed of freezer compartment fan 9a, and the vertical axis represents the rotation speed of refrigerator compartment fan 9b. The dashed line indicates the boundary between the range where backflow S1 occurs and the range where backflow does not occur, and the solid line indicates the boundary between the range where backflow S2 occurs and the range where backflow does not occur.

[0091] Backflow S1 occurs when the rotation speed of freezer compartment fan 9a is low and the rotation speed of refrigerator compartment fan 9b is high. On the other hand, backflow S2 occurs when the rotation speed of freezer compartment fan 9a is high and the rotation speed of refrigerator compartment fan 9b is low.

[0092] In this embodiment, the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b are driven at a rotation speed within a range in which the backflows S1 and S2 are not generated.

[0093] According to this configuration, the pressure in the discharge area of ​​the freezer compartment fan 9a due to the boost in the freezer compartment fan 9a is higher than the pressure upstream of the cooler 14 due to the boost in the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, and the backflow S1 does not occur.

[0094] In this case, the control device 70A sets the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b so that the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 is circulated in the following order: freezer compartment air duct 100, freezer compartment outlets 101, 102, 103, freezer chambers 3, 4, 5, freezer compartment return port 105, and the cooler chamber 8.

[0095] Also, the pressure downstream of the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 due to the boost of the freezer compartment fan 9a becomes lower than the pressure inside the refrigerator compartment 2 due to the boost of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, and backflow S2 does not occur. In this case, the control device 70A sets the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b so that the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 to the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 to the refrigerator compartment 2, then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 to the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 to the refrigerator compartment 2 to circulate.

[0096] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a cross-sectional area reducing portion 115a at the first refrigerator compartment return port 115, where the cross-sectional area of ​​the first refrigerator compartment return port 115 decreases from the inside of the second refrigerator compartment toward the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110. With this configuration, air flows easily from the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 to the inside of the second refrigerator compartment, and air does not flow easily from the inside of the second refrigerator compartment to the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110, so that the backflow of cold air can be suppressed. This expands the range in which the backflow does not occur, as shown in Fig. 12. Therefore, the range of selectable rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is widened, improving the freedom of control design.

[0097] [Example 2] Next, a second embodiment (Example 2) will be described. Note that a description of the same configuration as Example 1 will be omitted.

[0098] The refrigerator 1 of the second embodiment is different from the refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment in that, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in an open state, the refrigerator compartment 2 is cooled using two air blowing modes. The two air blowing modes will be described below as a first air blowing mode and a second air blowing mode.

[0099] The rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b and the flow of cool air in the first and second air blowing modes will be described.

[0100] In the first air blowing mode, the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b are driven, and the cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a is sent to the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, passes through the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, is pressurized again by the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, flows into the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and is sent to the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111. The cold air that has cooled the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows through the freezer compartment return air duct 104 via the freezer compartment return port 105, and returns to the cooler compartment 8. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the refrigerator compartment second return port 131 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 130, and returns to the cooler compartment 8.

[0101] In the second air blowing mode, the freezer compartment fan 9a is driven and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is not driven. The cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a is sent to the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4 and the lower freezer compartment 5, passes through the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, flows into the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110, and is sent to the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 and the refrigerator compartment outlet 111. The cold air that has cooled the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4 and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows through the freezer compartment return air duct 104 via the freezer compartment return port 105 and returns to the cooler compartment 8. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the refrigerator compartment second return port 131 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 130 and returns to the cooler compartment 8.

[0102] The second air blowing mode is an air blowing mode that utilizes the backflow S2 that flows from the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 to the refrigerator compartment 2. As shown in Fig. 14, even if the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is driven, the backflow S2 can be generated in a range of low rotation speeds of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b. For this reason, the refrigerator compartment fan 9b may be driven in a range of low rotation speeds in which the backflow S2 is generated, rather than being deactivated.

[0103] That is, in this embodiment, the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b can be selected other than those mentioned above. From the table created in the same manner as in the first embodiment, a rotation speed within the range in which the backflow S2 shown in Fig. 14 does not occur can be selected in the first air blowing mode, and a rotation speed within the range in which the backflow S2 shown in Fig. 14 occurs can be selected in the second air blowing mode.

[0104] In addition, by providing a first refrigerator compartment return port temperature sensor 47 near the first refrigerator compartment return port 115, the first airflow mode and the second airflow mode can be selected more accurately even if the resistance of each air path changes due to frost, etc. Selection of each air blowing mode and control of the rotation speed of each of the fans 9a, 9b are performed by a control device 70A.

[0105] In addition, by not driving the refrigerator compartment fan 9b in the second air blowing mode, the power consumed by the refrigerator compartment fan 9b can be reduced and the backflow S2 can be generated.

[0106] During the time that the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open, the ratio of the cooling time T1 using the first air blowing mode to the cooling time T2 using the second air blowing mode is controlled to be T1:T2=8:2.

[0107] That is, in addition to the first air blowing mode, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a second air blowing mode in which, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 is blown into the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 and the refrigerator compartment first return outlet 115, and the cooling time T1 in the first air blowing mode is made longer than the cooling time T2 in the second air blowing mode.

[0108] The effects achieved by the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in an open state, the refrigerator compartment 2 is cooled by switching between a first air blowing mode and a second air blowing mode. With this configuration, by switching between the first air blowing mode in which cold air is concentrated at the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 and the second air blowing mode in which cold air is blown out from both the refrigerator compartment outlet 111 and the refrigerator compartment first return outlet 115 according to the occurrence state of temperature bias in the refrigerator compartment 2, it is possible to provide a refrigerator 1 with small temperature bias in the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0109] In addition, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, during the time that the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open, the cooling time T1 using the first air blowing mode is controlled to be longer than the cooling time T2 using the second air blowing mode (T1>T2). With this configuration, the amount of cooling in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 2, which is relatively difficult to cool due to the influence of natural convection, is increased, and it is possible to provide a refrigerator 1 with little temperature bias in the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0110] [Example 3] Next, a third embodiment (third embodiment) will be described.

[0111] 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Note that the same components as those in the first or second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first or second embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0112] In addition to the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41 of the first embodiment, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49 on the back surface of the container 36, and switches between the first air blowing mode and the second air blowing mode based on the temperatures detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41 and the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49. The lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49 is disposed below the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, and is disposed at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0113] When the first refrigerator damper 151 is open, and the difference t2-t1 between the temperature t2 detected by the refrigerator lower temperature sensor 49 and the temperature t1 detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor 41 exceeds a predetermined value Δt (t2-t1>Δt), the second fan mode is used, and otherwise the first fan mode is used. The necessary judgments and control of the fan mode are performed by the control device 70A.

[0114] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41 arranged in the refrigerator compartment 2, and a lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49 arranged in the refrigerator compartment 2 below the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, and when the difference (t2-t1) between the temperature t1 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41 and the temperature t2 detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49 exceeds a predetermined temperature difference Δt and the temperature t2 detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 49 is higher than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, cooling is performed in the second fan mode.

[0115] According to such a configuration, it is possible to detect deviations in the refrigerator room temperature and to switch the air blowing mode in response to the deviations, thereby providing a refrigerator with less temperature deviations.

[0116] [Example 4] Next, a fourth embodiment (Example 4) will be described with reference to FIG.

[0117] 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Note that the same components as those in the first, second or third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first, second or third embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0118] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor 47 is provided near the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, and a freezer compartment return port temperature sensor 45 is provided near the freezer compartment return port 105. These sensors 47, 45 detect the temperatures near the refrigerator compartment first return port 115 and the freezer compartment return port 105, and can detect backflows S1 and S2.

[0119] As a result, even if the resistance of each air passage changes during operation of the refrigerator due to frost or the like, it becomes possible to control the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan 9a and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b within a range in which no backflow occurs.

[0120] In this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open and the temperature detected by the freezer compartment return port temperature sensor 45 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature, it is determined that the backflow S1 is occurring and the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a is increased. This determination and the control of the rotation speed are performed by the control device 70A.

[0121] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a freezer compartment return port temperature sensor 45 near the freezer compartment return port 105, and the control device 70A increases the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan 9a when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state and the detected temperature of the freezer compartment return port temperature sensor 45 becomes higher than a predetermined value.

[0122] According to such a configuration, the discharge side of the freezer compartment fan 9a becomes relatively high pressure, so that the backflow S1 can be reduced or prevented.

[0123] Furthermore, when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is open and the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor 47 becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, it is determined that a backflow S2 is occurring. When it is determined that a backflow S2 is occurring during cooling in the first air blowing mode, the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is increased. This determination and the control of the rotation speed are performed by the control device 70A.

[0124] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor 47 near the refrigerator compartment first return port 115, and the control device 70A increases the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b when the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 is in the open state and the detected temperature of the refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor 47 becomes lower than a predetermined value.

[0125] According to this configuration, the pressure inside the refrigerator compartment 2, which is the discharge side of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, becomes relatively high, and the backflow S2 in the first air blowing mode can be reduced or prevented.

[0126] Here, the control device 70A used in the refrigerator 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described with reference to Fig. 17. In Fig. 17, all the temperature sensors used in the embodiments 1 to 4 are shown so that they can be commonly used in the embodiments 1 to 4. In each embodiment, the temperature sensors that are not used can be omitted from the configuration in Fig. 17.

[0127] 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 70A used in the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention. Here, the control device 70A of the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0128] A control device 70A (see FIG. 2) is disposed in machine compartment 39 at the bottom of the rear of refrigerator 1. Control device 70A has a control board mounting CPU 71, memory 72 such as ROM and RAM, timer 73, and interface circuits including an input interface 74 and an output interface 75. The control board of control device 70A is connected by electrical wiring 76 to outdoor air temperature sensor 37, outdoor air humidity sensor 38, refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, freezer compartment temperature sensor 43, vegetable compartment temperature sensor 44, cooler temperature sensor 40, refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor 47, freezer compartment return port temperature sensor 45, refrigerator compartment lower part temperature sensor 49, etc. Based on the output values ​​of each sensor, the settings of the operation unit 26, and programs pre-recorded in the ROM of the memory 72, the control device 70A controls the ON / OFF and rotation speed of the compressor 24 and freezer compartment fans 9a, 9b, as well as controls the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment second damper 151, the refrigerator compartment first damper 152, and the vegetable compartment damper 160, and controls the defrost heater 21. For this reason, the defrost heater 21, the compressor 24, the freezer compartment fans 9a, 9b, the vegetable compartment damper 160, the refrigerator compartment second damper 151, and the refrigerator compartment first damper 152 are connected to the control device 70A by electrical wiring 77.

[0129] 8 is executed by controlling the freezer compartment fan 9a, the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, the refrigerator compartment second damper 152, and the vegetable compartment damper 160 with the control device 70A. The control device 70A can also control the drive times of the freezer compartment fan 9a, the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, the defrost heater 21, and the compressor 24 by referring to a timer 73. Note that the means for measuring the drive times is not limited to the timer 73.

[0130] According to each of the above-mentioned embodiments, it is possible to provide a refrigerator 1 that suppresses the flow of cold air from the first return port 115 of the refrigerator compartment to the refrigerator compartment 2, thereby suppressing the occurrence of problems such as the upper part of the refrigerator compartment not being sufficiently cooled or the lower part of the refrigerator compartment being excessively cooled.

[0131] The above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. In addition, it is also possible to replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. It is also possible to appropriately add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of a certain embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations with respect to a part of the configuration of this embodiment. In addition, the above-mentioned mechanisms and configurations are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all mechanisms and configurations in the product. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1...refrigerator, 2...refrigerating compartment, 3...ice-making compartment, 4...upper freezer compartment, 5...lower freezer compartment, 6...vegetable compartment, 8...cooler compartment, 9a...freezer compartment fan, 9b...refrigerating compartment fan, 10...insulating box body, 10a...outer box, 10b...inner box, 14...cooler, 24...compressor, 25...vacuum insulation material, 27, 28...insulating partition wall, 29, 30...partition, 39...machine compartment, 41...refrigerating compartment temperature sensor, 43...freezer compartment temperature sensor, 44...vegetable compartment temperature sensor, 45...freezer compartment return port temperature temperature sensor, 47...refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor, 49...refrigerator compartment lower part temperature sensor, 100...freezer compartment air duct, 104...freezer compartment return air duct, 105...freezer compartment return port, 110...refrigerator compartment first air duct, 111...refrigerator compartment exhaust port, 115...refrigerator compartment first return port, 120...refrigerator compartment second air duct, 130...refrigerator compartment return air duct, 131...refrigerator compartment second return port, 151...refrigerator compartment first damper, 152...refrigerator compartment second damper, 160...vegetable compartment damper, 200...heat transfer surface.

Claims

1. A refrigerator and a freezer as storage rooms; A cooler chamber in which a cooler is accommodated; a freezer compartment fan for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; A first refrigeration chamber air duct used for circulating cold air in the refrigeration chamber; a first damper for controlling flow of cold air from the cooling chamber to the first air passage for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan that circulates cold air in the refrigerator compartment; a control device for controlling the freezer compartment fan, the refrigerator compartment first damper, and the refrigerator compartment fan; A refrigerator compartment temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment; and a refrigerator compartment lower part temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment below the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor. Equipped with The first refrigeration chamber air passage has a first refrigeration chamber return port that takes in cold air inside the refrigeration chamber and a first refrigeration chamber outlet port that blows the cold air into the refrigeration chamber, and is configured to communicate with a blowing area of ​​the freezer chamber fan via the first refrigeration chamber damper, The first refrigeration chamber return port is located on the side of the first refrigeration chamber damper with respect to the refrigeration chamber outlet port, The refrigerator compartment fan is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment circulates through the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment first return port, the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port in this order. the control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan to a drive state when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state, and prevents a backflow of cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler chamber and passed through the refrigerator compartment first damper from flowing from the refrigerator compartment first air duct to the refrigerator compartment via the refrigerator compartment first return port; The control device further includes a first air blowing mode and a second air blowing mode. In the first air blowing mode, when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state, the freezer compartment fan is driven together with the refrigerator compartment fan, and the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper to the refrigerator compartment first air duct, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment, and then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return port into the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and then blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment to circulate the cold air. In the second air blowing mode, when the first damper of the refrigerator compartment is in an open state, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown into the refrigerator compartment from the refrigerator compartment outlet and the first return port of the refrigerator compartment, When a difference between the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined temperature difference and the temperature detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor is higher than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor, cooling is performed in the second air blowing mode; The refrigerator sets a cooling time in the first air blowing mode to be longer than a cooling time in the second air blowing mode.

2. A refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment as storage compartments, A cooler chamber in which a cooler is accommodated; a freezer compartment fan for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; A first refrigeration chamber air duct used for circulating cold air in the refrigeration chamber; a first damper for controlling flow of cold air from the cooling chamber to the first air passage for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan that circulates cold air in the refrigerator compartment; a control device for controlling the freezer compartment fan, the refrigerator compartment first damper, and the refrigerator compartment fan; Equipped with The first refrigeration chamber air passage has a first refrigeration chamber return port that takes in cold air inside the refrigeration chamber and a first refrigeration chamber outlet port that blows the cold air into the refrigeration chamber, and is configured to communicate with a blowing area of ​​the freezer chamber fan via the first refrigeration chamber damper, The first return port of the refrigerator compartment has a structure in which a flow path cross-sectional area decreases from the inside of the refrigerator compartment toward the first air duct of the refrigerator compartment, and is located on the side of the first damper of the refrigerator compartment with respect to the outlet of the refrigerator compartment, The refrigerator compartment fan is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment circulates through the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment first return port, the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port in this order. The control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan to a drive state when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state.

3. A refrigerator and a freezer as storage rooms, A cooler chamber in which a cooler is accommodated; a freezer compartment fan for blowing cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; A first refrigeration chamber air duct used for circulating cold air in the refrigeration chamber; a first damper for controlling flow of cold air from the cooling chamber to the first air passage for the refrigerator chamber; A refrigerator compartment fan that circulates cold air in the refrigerator compartment; a control device for controlling the freezer compartment fan, the refrigerator compartment first damper, and the refrigerator compartment fan; a second air duct for a refrigerator compartment that is provided as an air duct independent of the first air duct for a refrigerator compartment and that circulates cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment; a second damper for adjusting the amount of cold air flowing into the second air duct; Equipped with The first refrigeration chamber air passage has a first refrigeration chamber return port that takes in cold air inside the refrigeration chamber and a first refrigeration chamber outlet port that blows the cold air into the refrigeration chamber, and is configured to communicate with a blowing area of ​​the freezer chamber fan via the first refrigeration chamber damper, The first refrigeration chamber return port is located on the side of the first refrigeration chamber damper with respect to the refrigeration chamber outlet port, The refrigerator compartment fan is disposed in the refrigerator compartment first air duct so that the cold air inside the refrigerator compartment circulates through the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment first return port, the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and the refrigerator compartment outlet port in this order. The control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan to a drive state when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state.

4. In the refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, The control device drives the refrigerator compartment fan when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state, thereby preventing backflow of cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler chamber and passed through the refrigerator compartment first damper from flowing from the refrigerator compartment first air duct to the refrigerator compartment via the refrigerator compartment first return port.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, a freezer compartment air duct communicating with a blowing area of ​​the freezer compartment fan and having a freezer compartment outlet for blowing out, into the freezer compartment, cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler chamber; The refrigerator configured so that the refrigerating chamber first air duct communicates with the freezer chamber air duct via the refrigerating chamber first damper.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, The freezing chamber includes a freezing chamber return port that serves as an outlet for cold air to return to the cooling chamber, The freezer compartment air duct connects the discharge side of the cooling chamber and the freezer compartment outlet, The control device opens the first damper in the refrigerator compartment and drives the freezer compartment fan to circulate the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment through the freezer compartment air duct, the freezer compartment outlet, the freezer compartment, the freezer compartment return outlet, and the cooler compartment, in that order.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, The refrigerator is provided with a first air blowing mode in which, when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state, the freezer compartment fan is driven together with the refrigerator compartment fan, and the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper to the refrigerator compartment first air duct, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment, and then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return port into the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and then blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment, thereby circulating the cold air.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, The control device sets the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan and the refrigerator compartment fan so that the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler chamber is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper to the refrigerator compartment first air duct, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator chamber, and then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return port to the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and then blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator chamber to circulate.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, A second air blowing mode is provided in which, when the first damper of the refrigerator compartment is in an open state, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown into the refrigerator compartment from the refrigerator compartment outlet and the first return port of the refrigerator compartment, The refrigerator sets the cooling time in the first air blowing mode to be longer than the cooling time in the second air blowing mode.

10. In the refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3, a first air blowing mode in which, when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state, the freezer compartment fan is driven together with the refrigerator compartment fan, and the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler chamber is blown from the refrigerator compartment first damper to the refrigerator compartment first air duct, blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment, and then blown out from the refrigerator compartment first return port into the refrigerator compartment first air duct, and then blown out again from the refrigerator compartment outlet into the refrigerator compartment to circulate the cold air; a second air blowing mode in which, when the first damper of the refrigerator compartment is in an open state, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is blown into the refrigerator compartment from the refrigerator compartment outlet and the first return port of the refrigerator compartment; A refrigerator compartment temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment; a lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment below the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor; The refrigerator performs cooling in the second fan mode when the difference between the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor and the temperature detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined temperature difference and the temperature detected by the lower refrigerator compartment temperature sensor is higher than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor.

11. In the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control device controls the freezer compartment fan and the refrigerator compartment fan such that the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan increases as the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan increases when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state.

12. In the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control device controls the refrigerator compartment fan and the freezer compartment fan such that the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan increases as the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan increases when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state.

13. In the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A refrigerator first return port temperature sensor is provided in the vicinity of the refrigerator first return port, The control device increases the rotation speed of the refrigerator compartment fan when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state and the detected temperature of the refrigerator compartment first return port temperature sensor becomes lower than a predetermined value.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 6, The control device sets the rotation speeds of the freezer compartment fan and the refrigerator compartment fan so that the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler in the cooler compartment is circulated in the following order: the freezer compartment air duct, the freezer compartment outlet, the freezer compartment, the freezer compartment return outlet, and the cooler compartment.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 6, A freezer return port temperature sensor is provided in the vicinity of the freezer return port, The control device increases the rotation speed of the freezer compartment fan when the refrigerator compartment first damper is in an open state and the temperature detected by the freezer compartment return port temperature sensor becomes higher than a predetermined value.

Images