refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which, even when a relatively large container is made to be a quick cooling target container out of a plurality of stages of containers provided in a storage chamber, the quick cooling target container can be cooled quickly.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a storage chamber in which a plurality of stages of containers is provided inside; a quick cooling target container which is a container larger than the smallest container out of the plurality of stages of containers; a temperature detection part for quick cooling arranged in a state of being capable of detecting the temperature in the quick cooling target container above the quick cooling target container; and a quick cooling control part which, in the case where the temperature detected by the temperature detection part for quick cooling satisfies a predetermined condition, cooling intensity with respect to the quick cooling target container is made to be higher than cooling intensity at standard time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a refrigerator having a quick freezing function for cooling the inside of a freezer compartment, which is an example of a storage compartment, more quickly than in a standard state has been considered. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-19482 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a refrigerator, a freezer compartment is provided with multiple drawer-type containers. The containers in the multiple containers are different in size. When a relatively small container among the multiple containers is to be quickly frozen, the container has a relatively small internal volume, so that the container can be cooled quickly. However, when a relatively large container among the multiple containers is to be quickly frozen, the container has a relatively large internal volume, so that there is a concern that it may be difficult to cool quickly.

[0005] Therefore, this embodiment provides a refrigerator that can quickly cool the inside of a container to be quenched, even if the container to be quenched is a relatively large container among multiple tiers of containers arranged in a storage compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator according to this embodiment includes a storage compartment having multiple tiers of containers arranged therein, a container to be quenched which is larger than the smallest container among the multiple tiers of containers, a quenching temperature detection unit arranged above the container to be quenched in a state capable of detecting the temperature inside the container to be quenched, and a quenching control unit which, when the temperature detected by the quenching temperature detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, increases the cooling strength for the container to be quenched above the cooling strength under standard conditions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a schematic configuration example of a large freezer compartment and its surrounding parts according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cool air duct according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of an upper container equipped with a cooling plate according to a second embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of an upper container according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of an upper container equipped with a cooling plate according to a fourth embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of an upper container equipped with a cooling plate according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of an upper container according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cool air duct according to a fifth embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cool air duct according to a sixth embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cold air duct according to a modified embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments of the refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that substantially the same elements in the number of embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0009] (First embodiment) A refrigerator 10 shown in Fig. 1 includes a plurality of storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 inside a rectangular insulated box body 11 that constitutes the outer shell of the refrigerator. Various items such as food can be stored inside the storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Although not shown in detail, the insulated box body 11 includes a heat insulating material between an inner box and an outer box. As the heat insulating material that constitutes the insulated box body 11, various heat insulating materials can be used, such as a vacuum insulation panel, urethane foam, and a heat insulating molded body molded from a heat insulating material.

[0010] In this case, storage chamber 12 is a refrigerator chamber maintained in the refrigerator temperature range. Hereinafter, storage chamber 12 may be referred to as "refrigerator chamber 12". Storage chamber 13 is a vegetable chamber maintained in the refrigerator temperature range. Hereinafter, storage chamber 13 may be referred to as "vegetable chamber 13". Storage chamber 14 is an ice-making chamber maintained in the freezing temperature range. Hereinafter, storage chamber 14 may be referred to as "ice-making chamber 14". Storage chamber 15 is a small freezing chamber maintained in the freezing temperature range. Hereinafter, storage chamber 15 may be referred to as "small freezing chamber 15". Storage chamber 16 is a large freezing chamber maintained in the freezing temperature range. Hereinafter, storage chamber 16 may be referred to as "large freezing chamber 16".

[0011] The refrigerator compartment 12 is the uppermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 that the refrigerator 10 has. The vegetable compartment 13 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 12 and is located in the center of the insulated box 11 in the vertical direction. The ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 are provided below the vegetable compartment 13 and are lined up in the horizontal direction of the refrigerator 10 within the insulated box 11. The large freezing compartment 16 is provided below the ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 within the insulated box 11. The large freezing compartment 16 is the lowermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 that the refrigerator 10 has. In this embodiment, the large freezing compartment 16 is provided directly below the ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 without any other storage compartments between them.

[0012] The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is opened and closed by two refrigerator compartment doors 12D[L], 12D[R] that can rotate in the left and right direction, so-called double door type. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 13 is opened and closed by a drawer type vegetable compartment door 13D that can move in the front and back direction. The front opening of the ice making compartment 14 is opened and closed by a drawer type ice making compartment door 14D that can move in the front and back direction. The front opening of the small freezer compartment 15 is opened and closed by a drawer type small freezer compartment door 15D that can move in the front and back direction. The front opening of the large freezer compartment 16 is opened and closed by a drawer type large freezer compartment door 16D that can move in the front and back direction.

[0013] The refrigerator 10 also includes an upper and lower partition member 21 inside the insulated box 11. The upper and lower partition members 21 separate the ice-making chamber 14 and the small freezing chamber 15 from each other in the up-down direction of the insulated box 11, in other words, along the vertical or height direction of the insulated box 11. The refrigerator 10 also includes a horizontal partition member 22 inside the insulated box 11. The horizontal partition member 22 separates the ice-making chamber 14 and the small freezing chamber 15 from the large freezing chamber 16 in the horizontal direction of the insulated box 11, in other words, along the width or left-right direction of the insulated box 11. The horizontal partition member 22 thus arranged forms the lower wall portion of the ice-making chamber 14 and the small freezing chamber 15, and also forms the upper wall portion of the large freezing chamber 16.

[0014] Next, a detailed description will be given of an example of the configuration of the large freezer compartment 16 and its surrounding area in the refrigerator 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the large freezer compartment 16 is a substantially rectangular storage compartment with an open front. A large container 100 is provided inside the large freezer compartment 16. The large container 100 is a substantially rectangular box with an open top. The large container 100 is attached to the rear surface of the large freezer compartment door 16D and is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction together with the large freezer compartment door 16D.

[0015] Additionally, multiple levels, in this case three levels, of small containers 101, 102, 103 are provided inside large freezer compartment 16. Small containers 101, 102, 103 are stacked vertically above large container 100. Hereinafter, the bottommost small container 101 may be referred to as the "lower container 101," the middle small container 102 as the "middle container 102," and the topmost small container 103 as the "upper container 103."

[0016] The lower container 101 is simply placed on top of the large container 100, the middle container 102 is simply placed on top of the lower container 101, and the upper container 103 is simply placed on top of the middle container 102. Therefore, the lower container 101 is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction by the force of the large container 100 being pulled out in the front-rear direction together with the large freezer door 16D, or manually by the user. The middle container 102 is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction by the force of the lower container 101 being pulled out in the front-rear direction, or manually by the user. The upper container 103 is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction by the force of the middle container 102 being pulled out in the front-rear direction, or manually by the user.

[0017] Furthermore, when comparing the lengths L1, L2, and L3 of the bottom surfaces in the front-to-back direction of the multiple tiered small containers 101, 102, and 103, the lower container 101 has the smallest length L1 of the bottom surface in the front-to-back direction among the multiple tiered small containers 101, 102, and 103. Therefore, the lower container 101 can be defined as an example of the smallest container.

[0018] Moreover, the upper container 103 is the container having the longest bottom length L3 in the front-rear direction among the multiple tiers of small containers 101, 102, 103. Therefore, the upper container 103 can be defined as an example of the largest container.

[0019] Furthermore, the length L2 of the bottom surface of middle container 102 in the front-to-rear direction among the multiple tiers of small containers 101, 102, 103 is intermediate between length L1 of lower container 101 and length L3 of upper container 103. Therefore, middle container 102 can be defined as an example of an intermediate container.

[0020] The upper container 103 is provided as an example of a container to be quenched. The upper container 103, which is provided as an example of a container to be quenched, is a container whose length L3 of its bottom surface in the front-to-rear direction is longer than the length L1 of the bottom surface of the lower container 101, which is the smallest container among the multiple tiers of small containers 101, 102, and 103.

[0021] As described above, the multiple tiers of small containers 101, 102, 103 are configured such that the upper tier small container has a longer bottom length in the front-to-rear direction. That is, refrigerator 10 is configured such that machine chamber 128 is located at the rear lower portion of large freezer chamber 16. Therefore, in large freezer chamber 16, the lower tier small containers are more susceptible to the influence of machine chamber 128, and therefore, it is difficult to increase the bottom length in the front-to-rear direction. On the other hand, in large freezer chamber 16, the upper tier small containers are less susceptible to the influence of machine chamber 128, and therefore, it is easy to increase the bottom length in the front-to-rear direction.

[0022] In addition, when comparing the lengths M1, M2, and M3 of the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the vertical direction, the lower container 101 is the container with the longest length M1 in the vertical direction among the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the multiple stages. The middle container 102 is the container with the shortest length M2 in the vertical direction among the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the multiple stages. The upper container 103 has a length M3 in the vertical direction that is intermediate between the length M1 of the lower container 101 and the length M3 of the upper container 103 among the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the multiple stages. In addition, the lengths of the bottom surfaces of the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the horizontal direction are almost or completely equal. In addition, the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the multiple stages may be configured such that the lengths of the bottom surfaces of the small containers 101, 102, and 103 in the horizontal direction are different from each other.

[0023] Further, a rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is provided inside the large freezing chamber 16. The rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is an example of a rapid cooling temperature detection unit, and is disposed above the upper container 103, which is an example of a container to be rapidly cooled, without the lower container 101 or the middle container 102, which are containers other than the container to be rapidly cooled, being disposed in a state in which the temperature inside the upper container 103 can be detected. In other words, the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 directly faces the upper container 103 without any other physical components being disposed for purposes other than detecting the temperature inside the upper container 103. Therefore, the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 can directly detect the temperature of the air inside the upper container 103 without being hindered by other physical components.

[0024] The quenching temperature sensor 110 may be configured to directly face the upper container 103 without any other physical components provided for purposes other than temperature detection within the upper container 103, and therefore components provided for the purpose of temperature detection or components provided in relation to temperature detection, such as a cover member for covering the quenching temperature sensor 110 and a sensor mounting portion for mounting the quenching temperature sensor 110, may be interposed between the quenching temperature sensor 110 and the upper container 103. Also, for example, when the quenching temperature sensor 110 is provided inside the horizontal partition member 22 constituting the upper wall of the large freezer 16, it is permissible for at least a part of the horizontal partition member 22 to be interposed between the quenching temperature sensor 110 and the upper container 103.

[0025] As described above, in the present disclosure, "without intervening" does not only mean a configuration in which no other components exist between the quenching temperature sensor 110 and the upper container 103, but means that other components intervening between the quenching temperature sensor 110 and the upper container 103 are minimized. By eliminating or minimizing other components intervening between the quenching temperature sensor 110 and the upper container 103, the quenching temperature sensor 110 can directly detect the temperature inside the upper container 103 without being affected by other components at all or as little as possible. This allows the quenching temperature sensor 110 to accurately detect the temperature inside the upper container 103.

[0026] In the present disclosure, the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is provided on the underside of the horizontal partition member 22 that constitutes the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16. The rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is also disposed so as to be located above the center in the front-rear and left-right directions of the upper container 103 that is housed in a predetermined housing position within the large freezing chamber 16.

[0027] Further, a heat insulating material 22a is provided inside the horizontal partition member 22. As the heat insulating material 22a, various heat insulating materials can be applied, such as a vacuum insulation panel, urethane foam, and a heat insulating molded body molded from a heat insulating material. In this case, the heat insulating material 22a is provided at least inside the part of the horizontal partition member 22 that constitutes the bottom wall of the small freezing chamber 15. The heat insulating material 22a may be provided not only inside the part of the horizontal partition member 22 that constitutes the bottom wall of the small freezing chamber 15, but also inside parts of the horizontal partition member 22 other than the part that constitutes the bottom wall of the small freezing chamber 15.

[0028] In addition, a cold air duct 120 is provided at the rear of the large freezing chamber 16. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cold air duct 120 is provided with cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 and cold air return ports 124, 125. The cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 are provided at approximately the center of the cold air duct 120 in the vertical direction. The cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 are provided at a position higher than the upper end of the upper container 103 provided in the large freezing chamber 16. In other words, the cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 are provided at a position higher than all the containers provided in the large freezing chamber 16, in this case, the large container 100, the lower container 101, the middle container 102, and the upper container 103.

[0029] The cold air outlet 121 forms a rectangular opening that is long in the left-right direction, approximately at the center in the left-right direction of the cold air duct 120. The cold air outlet 121 also opens toward approximately the center in the left-right direction of the upper container 103 provided in the large freezer compartment 16.

[0030] Cold air outlet 122 is provided at one end in the left-right direction of cold air duct 120, in this case, on the right side as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. Cold air outlet 122 forms a long rectangular opening that is long in the left-right direction. Cold air outlet 122 also opens toward one end in the left-right direction of upper container 103 provided in large freezer compartment 16, in this case, toward the right side as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10.

[0031] Cold air outlet 123 is provided at one end in the left-right direction of cold air duct 120, in this case, on the left side when viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. Cold air outlet 123 forms a long rectangular opening that is long in the left-right direction. Cold air outlet 123 also opens toward the other end in the left-right direction of upper container 103 provided in large freezer compartment 16, in this case, toward the left side when viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10.

[0032] The sizes and shapes of the cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 may all be the same or different. The cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 may all be provided at the same height or different heights. At least one of the cold air outlets 121, 122, 123 may be provided at a position higher than the upper container 103 provided in the large freezer 16.

[0033] The cold air return ports 124, 125 are provided at both left and right ends of the cold air duct 120. The cold air return ports 124, 125 are entirely provided at a position lower than the multiple cold air outlets 121, 122, 123. The cold air return ports 124, 125 are inclined so as to gradually rise from the lower front portion to the upper rear portion.

[0034] 2, a cooling space 126 is provided on the rear side of the cold air duct 120. The cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123 all communicate with the inside of the cooling space 126. The cold air return ports 124 and 125 also all communicate with the inside of the cooling space 126.

[0035] 2, a cooler 127 is provided inside the cooling space 126. The cooler 127, together with a compressor 129 provided in a machine room 128, and a condenser, a throttle, and the like (not shown), constitute a well-known refrigeration cycle.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4, the compressor 129 is connected to a control device 140 included in the refrigerator 10. The control device 140 is mainly configured with, for example, a microcomputer, and is configured to be able to control the overall operation of the refrigerator 10 based on a control program and various setting information. The above-mentioned rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is connected to the control device 140. In addition, the blower fan 130 is also connected to the control device 140. The blower fan 130 is provided inside the cooling space 126, and blows the cool air generated by the cooler 127.

[0037] When the control device 140 drives the compressor 129, the refrigerant circulates in a refrigeration cycle (not shown), and cool air is generated in the cooler 127. When the control device 140 drives the blower fan 130, the cool air generated by the cooler 127 is blown by the blower fan 130 and flows into the large freezing chamber 16 from the cool air outlets 121, 122, and 123. The cool air that flows into the large freezing chamber 16 returns to the cooling space 126 from the cool air return ports 124 and 125. By circulating the cool air in this way, the inside of the large freezing chamber 16 is cooled to a temperature in a predetermined freezing temperature range, for example, a temperature of about minus 20 degrees to minus 23 degrees. The small freezing chamber 15 provided directly above the large freezing chamber 16 is set to be cooled to a temperature higher than the cooling temperature of the large freezing chamber 16, for example, about minus 7 degrees.

[0038] Here, the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123 that blow cold air into the large freezing chamber 16 are provided at a higher position than the upper container 103 that is located at the top in the large freezing chamber 16. Therefore, the cold air blown out from the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123 is directly supplied into the upper container 103. Therefore, the upper container 103 is a suitable container when it is desired to quickly freeze stored items.

[0039] The control device 140 is configured to be capable of executing quick-freezing control for increasing the cooling intensity for the upper container 103 above the standard cooling intensity when the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 satisfies a predetermined quick-cooling start condition. To be more specific, when a storage item, for example an unfrozen storage item or a warm storage item, is placed in the upper container 103, the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 rises. The control device 140 is configured to automatically start quick-freezing control when the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 rises to a predetermined upper limit temperature.

[0040] The predetermined upper limit temperature can be changed and set as appropriate. The control device 140 may be configured to automatically start quick-freezing control when the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 rises rapidly, that is, when the temperature rises to a predetermined reference temperature or more in a predetermined short time. The predetermined short time can be changed and set as appropriate, but it is preferable to set a relatively short time such as several seconds to several tens of seconds. The predetermined reference temperature can be changed and set as appropriate. In this way, the control device 140 may be configured to automatically start quick-freezing control based on the amount of rise in the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 per predetermined time.

[0041] The predetermined rapid-cooling start conditions are not limited to the above conditions, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the control device 140 may be configured to automatically start rapid freezing control when the temperature range detected by the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 within a predetermined time period falls within a predetermined temperature range or partially overlaps with a predetermined reference temperature range. The predetermined reference temperature range can be changed as appropriate.

[0042] The control device 140 may be configured to automatically start quick-freezing control when the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 satisfies a predetermined temperature condition and a predetermined event occurs. The predetermined temperature condition can be changed and set as appropriate. The predetermined event can be set as an appropriate event, for example, when the large freezer door 16D is opened or closed. The opening and closing of the large freezer door 16D can be detected, for example, by a well-known door-opening sensor (not shown) provided on the front of the large freezer 16.

[0043] Quick freezing control is control that increases the cooling strength of the stored items in the large freezing chamber 16, in this case especially the stored items in the upper container 103, above the cooling strength in standard time, i.e., the cooling strength when quick freezing control is not being executed. Specifically, when the control device 140 starts quick freezing control, it increases the cooling strength by, for example, increasing the drive frequency of the compressor 129 above the drive frequency in standard time, i.e., the drive frequency when quick freezing control is not being executed, increasing the rotation speed of the blower fan 130 above the rotation speed in standard time, i.e., when quick freezing control is not being executed, and lengthening the drive time for driving the compressor 129 and the blower fan 130 above the drive time in standard time, i.e., when quick freezing control is not being executed.

[0044] By executing such quick-freezing control, it becomes possible to freeze the stored items in the upper container 103 even more quickly. Furthermore, the control device 140 configured to be able to execute such quick-freezing control can be defined as an example of a quick-cooling control section. Note that the timing for terminating the quick-freezing control can be changed as appropriate; for example, the quick-freezing control can be ended when the temperature detected by the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 drops to a predetermined lower limit temperature, or the quick-freezing control can be ended when a predetermined time has elapsed since the quick-freezing control was started. Note that the predetermined lower limit temperature and the predetermined time can be changed as appropriate.

[0045] In the refrigerator 10 exemplified above, when the temperature detected by the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110, i.e., the temperature inside the upper container 103, satisfies a predetermined rapid-cooling start condition, in this case, when it rises to a predetermined upper limit temperature, the control device 140 automatically executes rapid-freezing control to make the cooling strength for the upper container 103 higher than the cooling strength in standard time. According to this configuration example, even when the upper container 103, which is a relatively large container among the multiple containers 101, 102, 103 provided in the large freezer 16, is the container to be rapidly cooled, the inside of the container to be rapidly cooled can be rapidly cooled.

[0046] Moreover, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a heat insulating material 22a inside the horizontal partition member 22 that constitutes the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16. According to this configuration example, it is possible to improve the heat insulating performance between the large freezing compartment 16 and the storage compartment above the large freezing compartment 16, in this case, particularly the small freezing compartment 15. As a result, even if the cooling strength for the upper container 103 is increased by the quick freezing control, it is possible to suppress the cold heat from being transferred to the small freezing compartment 15, and it is possible to prevent the small freezing compartment 15 from being excessively cooled and to prevent frost from forming inside the small freezing compartment 15.

[0047] Moreover, in refrigerator 10, upper container 103, which is the uppermost container among multiple small containers 101, 102, 103, is the container to be quenched. Rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 is provided on the lower surface of horizontal partition member 22 that constitutes the upper wall of large freezer compartment 16. According to this configuration example, the temperature inside upper container 103, which is the container to be quenched, can be directly detected by rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110, and the temperature inside upper container 103 can be detected with even greater accuracy.

[0048] In addition, according to refrigerator 10, upper container 103, which is the container to be rapidly cooled, is provided at the top level within large freezer chamber 16, so that the user can easily place stored items to be rapidly frozen in upper container 103 and can also easily remove the rapidly frozen stored items from upper container 103.

[0049] Moreover, in refrigerator 10, rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is disposed so as to be located above the center in the front-rear and left-right directions of upper container 103 in the accommodated state. According to this configuration example, the temperature inside upper container 103 as a whole can be detected without bias.

[0050] In addition, the "center" in the present disclosure is not a concept limited to the strict center, but may be slightly shifted from the strict center, or may be a concept having a certain range including the strict center. That is, there is a possibility that the temperature of each part may vary throughout the upper container 103. That is, the temperature inside the upper container 103 is not necessarily uniform throughout. Therefore, the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 only needs to be disposed so as to be able to detect the temperature at or near the center, which is likely to reflect the temperature inside the upper container 103 as a whole, and therefore the "center" in the present disclosure is a concept that is allowed to have a certain range.

[0051] Therefore, specifically, the central portion may be a range having a length of, for example, about 1 / 3 of the total length in the front-rear or left-right direction of upper container 103, more preferably, a range having a length of, for example, about 1 / 5 of the total length in the front-rear or left-right direction of upper container 103, and even more preferably, a range having a length of, for example, about 1 / 10 of the total length in the front-rear or left-right direction of upper container 103. In other words, although the "central portion" in the present disclosure is a concept that is acceptable to have a certain degree of range, it is preferable to set that range as small as possible.

[0052] Second embodiment As illustrated in Fig. 5, the refrigerator 10 includes a cooling plate 150 inside the upper container 103, which is a container to be rapidly cooled. The cooling plate 150 is an example of a cooling promotion member, and is made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. In this case, the cooling plate 150 has a higher thermal conductivity than other components different from the cooling plate 150, such as the large container 100, the small containers 101, 102, and 103, the cold air duct 120, and the inner wall surface of the large freezer compartment 16. The cooling plate 150 is formed in a rectangular thin plate shape that covers almost the entire bottom surface of the upper container 103.

[0053] According to this configuration example, the heat of the stored items contained in the upper container 103 can be removed by the cooling plate 150, and the cooling of the stored items can be further accelerated. This allows the stored items in the upper container 103 to be cooled more quickly.

[0054] Third embodiment 6, in the third embodiment, the entire interior of the upper container 103 is not set as the quenching target region, but a part of it, in this case, the central part in the left-right direction and the area to the right of the central part, is set as the quenching target region R1. According to this configuration example, by supplying cold air intensively to the quenching target region R1, which is a part of the upper container 103, rather than the entire interior, it is possible to more quickly cool the stored items in the quenching target region R1.

[0055] (Fourth embodiment) As illustrated in FIG. 7, the refrigerator 10 includes a cooling plate 160 inside the upper container 103, which is a container to be rapidly cooled. The cooling plate 160 is an example of a cooling promotion member, and is made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. In this case, the cooling plate 160 has a higher thermal conductivity than other components different from the cooling plate 160, such as the large container 100, the small containers 101, 102, and 103, the cold air duct 120, and the inner wall surface of the large freezer compartment 16. The cooling plate 160 is formed in a rectangular thin plate shape that covers the center part in the left-right direction of the bottom surface of the upper container 103 and the part to the right of the center part.

[0056] That is, in the fourth embodiment, the entire interior of the upper container 103 is not set as the quenching target region, but a part of it, in this case, a region extending from the center in the left-right direction to the right side of the center, is set as the quenching target region R1. Therefore, the cooling plate 160 is configured to cover a part of the bottom surface of the upper container 103, in this case, the portion set as the quenching target region R1.

[0057] According to this configuration example, in the area of ​​the bottom surface of the upper container 103 that is set as the quenching target area R1, the heat of the stored items contained in the area can be absorbed by the cooling plate 160, and the cooling of the stored items can be further accelerated. This allows the stored items contained in the quenching target area R1 in the upper container 103 to be cooled more quickly.

[0058] Furthermore, the size of the cooling plate 160 can be minimized compared to a configuration in which the entire bottom surface inside the upper vessel 103 is covered with a cooling plate. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, used.

[0059] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the upper vessel 103 may be configured to include a structure P1, such as a rib or a protrusion, which separates the quenching target region R1 from the non-quenching target region R2, which is not the quenching target region. According to this configuration example, for example, when the cooling plate 160 is shifted from the quenching target region R1 or is arranged on the non-quenching target region R2 side, the cooling plate 160 interferes with the structure P1 and is in a floating or inclined state from the bottom surface of the upper vessel 103. Therefore, it is possible to make the user easily recognize that the cooling plate 160 is not arranged in an appropriate position, that is, in the quenching target region R1. Also, when the cooling plate 160 is floating or inclined from the bottom surface of the upper vessel 103, the user can reposition the cooling plate 160 in an appropriate position, that is, in the quenching target region R1.

[0060] At least one structure P1 such as a rib or a protrusion may be provided at the boundary between the region to be quenched R1 and the region not to be quenched R2.

[0061] 8 shows a configuration example in which the quenching target area R1 is larger than the non-quenching target area R2, but as shown in FIG. 9, when the quenching target area R1 is smaller than the non-quenching target area R2, a structure P1 may be provided between the quenching target area R1 and the non-quenching target area R2, or a structure P2 such as a rib or a protrusion may be provided in the non-quenching target area R2 instead of providing the structure P1. According to this configuration example, if the cooling plate 160 is placed in the non-quenching target area R2, the cooling plate 160 will be in a floating or inclined state from the bottom surface of the upper vessel 103 due to interference with the structure P2. This makes it easier for the user to recognize that the cooling plate 160 is not placed in an appropriate position, that is, in the quenching target area R1. This configuration example is particularly effective when the quenching target region R1 is smaller than the non-quenching target region R2, that is, when the cooling plate 160 that should be placed in the quenching target region R1 can also be placed in the non-quenching target region R2, and the user mistakenly places the cooling plate 160 in the non-quenching target region R2 instead of in the quenching target region R1. Note that such a structure P2 may be provided in the center of the bottom surface of the non-quenching target region R2, or may be provided at a position offset from the center of the bottom surface of the non-quenching target region R2.

[0062] In addition, in the upper container 103, the quenching target area R1 and the non-quenching target area R2 may be provided separately on the left and right sides, or on the front and back sides. When the quenching target area R1 and the non-quenching target area R2 are provided separately on the left and right sides, a user at the front of the refrigerator 10 can easily store items in both the quenching target area R1 and the non-quenching target area R2. In addition, when the quenching target area R1 is provided on the rear side and the non-quenching target area R2 is provided on the front side, the quenching target area R1 can be brought closer to the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123, so that the items stored in the quenching target area R1 can be cooled more quickly.

[0063] Furthermore, when the quench target area R1 is provided at the front and the non-quench target area R2 is provided at the rear, a user at the front of the refrigerator 10 can easily place stored items in the quench target area R1. In this case, the quench target area R1 is far from the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123, but the cold air blown out from the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123 can sufficiently reach the front of the upper container 103, so that the stored items in the quench target area R1 can be sufficiently quickly cooled.

[0064] Furthermore, in the case where the quenching target area R1 is provided at the front and the non-quenching target area R2 is provided at the rear, for example, a duct may be provided to guide the cold air generated in the cooling space 126 to the front side of the large freezing chamber 16. According to this configuration example, sufficient cold air can be supplied to the front quenching target area R1 through the duct, and the stored items in the quenching target area R1 can be cooled sufficiently quickly. Note that such a duct can be provided, for example, along the top wall or the left and right side walls of the large freezing chamber 16 to avoid interference with the large container 100 and small containers 101, 102, 103 in the large freezing chamber 16.

[0065] Furthermore, when a portion of the upper vessel 103 is the region R1 to be quenched, the quenching temperature sensor 110 may be disposed above the center of the region R1 to be quenched in the front-rear and left-right directions. This configuration example allows the temperature in the region R1 to be detected without bias. In this case, the "center" is not a concept that is limited to the exact center, but rather a concept that allows for a slight deviation from the exact center or a certain range.

[0066] Fifth embodiment As illustrated in FIG. 10, the refrigerator 10 includes a cold air guide member 170. The cold air guide member 170 is an example of a cold air guide portion, and in this case, is attached to the front of the cold air outlet 121 and the cold air outlet 122. In the fifth embodiment, a part of the upper container 103, in this case, the central part in the left-right direction and the part to the right of the central part, are set as the rapid cooling target area, as in the fourth embodiment. The cold air outlets 121 and 122 open toward the rapid cooling target area. That is, the cold air guide member 170 is provided corresponding to the cold air outlets 121 and 122 that open toward the rapid cooling target area.

[0067] The cold air guide member 170 is integrally provided with an upper plate portion 171 that is long in the left-right direction along the upper ends of the cold air outlets 121 and 122, and side plate portions 172 that extend downward from both left and right ends of the upper plate portion 171 and along the left end of the cold air outlet 121 and the right end of the cold air outlet 122. The cold air guide member 170 may be provided with the upper plate portion 171 and the side plate portion 172 as separate parts.

[0068] According to the above-mentioned configuration example, the cold air blown out from the cold air outlets 121, 122 can be guided by the cold air guide member 170 toward the area to be rapidly cooled set inside the upper container 103. This allows the cold air to be efficiently and intensively supplied to the area to be rapidly cooled inside the upper container 103, and the stored items in the area to be rapidly cooled can be cooled more quickly. The forward protruding length of the cold air guide member 170 can be appropriately changed and set within a range that does not contact the upper container 103 and the other containers 100, 101, 102 housed in the predetermined housing position in the large freezer 16.

[0069] Sixth embodiment 11, the refrigerator 10 is provided with an entire-use temperature detection sensor 180. The entire-use temperature detection sensor 180 is an example of an entire-use temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the entire interior of the large freezer compartment 16, and is provided as a separate temperature sensor different from the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110. In this case, the entire-use temperature detection sensor 180 is provided at the inlet of the cold air return port 124, that is, of the multiple cold air return ports 124, 125, the cold air return port 124 provided on the right side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10.

[0070] The whole-use temperature detection sensor 180 is connected to the control device 140. The control device 140 can determine the temperature of the whole interior of the large freezer compartment 16 based on a detection signal obtained from the whole-use temperature detection sensor 180.

[0071] According to the configuration example exemplified above, for example, whether or not the entire inside of the large freezing chamber 16 is being cooled excessively as a result of the execution of the quick freezing control can be monitored based on the temperature detected by the entire temperature detection sensor 180. As a result, if the entire inside of the large freezing chamber 16 is being cooled excessively as a result of the execution of the quick freezing control, the quick freezing control can be terminated, and the entire inside of the large freezing chamber 16 can be prevented from being cooled more than necessary.

[0072] The entire-area temperature detection sensor 180 may be provided at the inlet of the cold air return port 125, that is, the cold air return port 125 provided on the left side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10 among the multiple cold air return ports 124, 125. The entire-area temperature detection sensor 180 may be provided at both the cold air return ports 124, 125. The entire-area temperature detection sensor 180 may be provided at a position other than the cold air return ports 124, 125 as long as it is a position where the temperature inside the large freezer compartment 16 can be detected.

[0073] (Other embodiments) Although a number of embodiments of the refrigerator 10 have been exemplified above, the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned number of embodiments, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the gist of the present embodiment. For example, the refrigerator 10 may be configured by appropriately selecting and combining the above-mentioned number of embodiments. Furthermore, the present embodiment can be applied to a storage chamber other than the large freezer chamber 16 as long as the storage chamber has multiple stages of containers inside. Furthermore, the number of small containers, in other words, the number of stages, can be appropriately changed and implemented, and may be, for example, two stages or multiple stages of four or more stages. At least one container larger than the smallest container among them can be set as a container to be rapidly cooled.

[0074] In addition, the refrigerator 10 may be configured, for example, to have an extension member extending above the upper container 103 from the left and right side surfaces or rear surface of the large freezer compartment 16, or from the back surface of the large freezer compartment door 16, and a rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 may be provided at the tip of this extension member.

[0075] Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 may use a container other than the upper container 103, such as the middle container 102, as the container to be quenched, instead of the upper container 103 at the top. For example, when the middle container 102 is used as the container to be quenched, the quenching temperature sensor 110 may be provided on the lower surface of the upper container 103 arranged directly above it. Note that the upper container 103 is a movable component. Therefore, when the quenching temperature sensor 110 is provided on such a movable component, a configuration for protecting the connection line connecting the quenching temperature sensor 110 to the control device 140, such as a protective cover or a protective rail for protecting the connection line, may be provided. Furthermore, the quenching temperature sensor 110 may be connected to the control device 140 wirelessly.

[0076] In addition, the refrigerator 10 may be a small container that is relatively long in the vertical direction, in which case the lower container 101 may be the container to be rapidly cooled. This configuration example is suitable for cases where it is desired to rapidly freeze stored items that are long in the vertical direction.

[0077] In addition, the container to be rapidly cooled may be any container larger than the smallest container among the multiple tiers of containers provided in the storage chamber, and in this case the size relationship may be determined, for example, by comparing the length of the bottom surface of the container in the front-to-back direction, comparing the length of the bottom surface of the container in the left-to-right direction, comparing the area of ​​the bottom surface of the container, comparing the length of the diagonal at the bottom surface of the container, comparing the entire length of the container in the front-to-back direction, comparing the entire length of the container in the left-to-right direction, comparing the entire length of the container in the up-down direction, comparing the content volume of the container, or comparing the length of the diagonal at the entire container.

[0078] Also, refrigerator 10 may be configured so that the cooling plate is provided in a portion to the left or right of the center in the left-right direction in upper container 103, or in a portion to the left or right of the center in the left-right direction in upper container 103. Also, refrigerator 10 may be configured so that the cooling plate is provided in a portion to the front or rear of the center in the front-to-back direction in upper container 103, or in a portion to the front or rear of the center in the front-to-back direction in upper container 103.

[0079] Furthermore, in refrigerator 10, upper container 103, which is a container to be rapidly cooled, may be made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, and lower container 101 and middle container 102, which are not containers to be rapidly cooled, may be made of a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity, such as a resin material. According to this configuration example, the difference in the materials making up small containers 101, 102, and 103, in other words, the difference in visual or tactile properties, makes it easier for the user to recognize whether or not a container is a container to be rapidly cooled.

[0080] In addition, it is preferable that refrigerator 10 is provided with cooling plates 150 and 160 for small containers that are containers to be rapidly cooled, and that small containers that are not containers to be rapidly cooled are not provided with cooling plates 150 and 160. This allows the user to visually and easily determine which small containers are containers to be rapidly cooled, based on the presence or absence of cooling plates 150 and 160.

[0081] In addition, the refrigerator 10 may be configured such that small containers that are containers to be rapidly cooled are marked with letters or marks indicating that they are containers to be rapidly cooled. This configuration example also allows the user to visually and easily distinguish which small containers are containers to be rapidly cooled.

[0082] The rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 may be configured so that a part of or the entirety of it protrudes downward from the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16. The rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 may be configured so that the entirety of it is disposed at a position higher than the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16, that is, so that it does not protrude downward from the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16.

[0083] The rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 may also be provided on a flat portion of the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16. According to this configuration example, the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 can be made to protrude downward from the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16. This allows the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 to be brought closer to the upper container 103, making it possible to detect the temperature inside the upper container 103 with even greater accuracy.

[0084] The rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 may also be configured to be provided in a recess formed so as to be recessed upward in the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16. According to this configuration example, the amount by which the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 protrudes from the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16 can be restricted. This makes it possible to prevent the space inside the large freezing compartment 16 from being reduced by the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110.

[0085] The rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 may be provided in a sensor mounting portion integrally formed on the lower surface of the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16. The sensor mounting portion is, for example, a frame-shaped component formed to surround the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 or a component formed to sandwich the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110. According to this configuration example, the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 can be stably held on the lower surface of the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16 via the sensor mounting portion. In addition, the rapid-cooling temperature sensor 110 can be protected by the sensor mounting portion. Furthermore, by integrally forming such a sensor mounting portion on the lower surface of the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed, and an increase in manufacturing costs and an increase in assembly man-hours can be avoided.

[0086] The rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 may be provided in a sensor mounting portion attached as a separate part to the lower surface of the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16. The sensor mounting portion is, for example, a frame-shaped component formed to surround the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 or a component formed to sandwich the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110. According to this configuration example, the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 can be stably held on the lower surface of the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16 via the sensor mounting portion. The rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 can also be protected by the sensor mounting portion. By providing such a sensor mounting portion as a separate part, it is possible to easily design the shape of the sensor mounting portion, and an optimal sensor mounting portion according to the shape and size of the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 can be realized. In addition, a mold for manufacturing a part constituting the upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16, in this case, the horizontal partition member 22, can be shared between a model provided with the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 and a model not provided with the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110.

[0087] In addition, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a small freezing compartment 15 immediately above the large freezing compartment 16, which is cooled to a temperature range different from that of the large freezing compartment 16. Therefore, according to a configuration example in which the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110 is provided on a sensor mounting portion attached as a separate part to the underside of the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16, it is not necessary to deform the heat insulating material 22a provided in the upper wall of the large freezing compartment 16, for example by scraping or recessing it. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the heat insulating performance of the heat insulating material 22a being impaired by the installation of the rapid cooling temperature sensor 110. And by preventing the heat insulating performance of the heat insulating material 22a from being reduced, it is possible to avoid the small freezing compartment 15 immediately above the large freezing compartment 16 being excessively cooled when the rapid freezing control is executed.

[0088] The storage compartment provided immediately above the large freezer compartment 16 is not limited to a storage compartment cooled to the freezing temperature range, but may be a storage compartment cooled to the refrigeration temperature range. In this case, the difference between the temperature in the large freezer compartment 16 cooled to the freezing temperature range and the temperature in the storage compartment provided immediately above the large freezer compartment 16 cooled to the refrigeration temperature range is larger than when the storage compartment provided immediately above the large freezer compartment 16 is cooled to the freezing temperature range. Therefore, by providing the quick-cooling temperature sensor 110 on a sensor mounting portion attached as a separate part to the underside of the upper wall of the large freezer compartment 16, the heat insulating performance of the heat insulating material 22a is not reduced, and it is possible to prevent the storage compartment in the refrigeration temperature range immediately above the large freezer compartment 16 from being excessively cooled when the quick-freezing control is executed.

[0089] The position and size of the heat insulating material 22a can be changed as appropriate. In this case, the heat insulating material 22a is made to have a size corresponding to the rapid cooling target area set in the large freezing chamber 16 at a position facing the rapid cooling target area, that is, a size approximately equal to the rapid cooling target area, thereby minimizing the amount of heat insulating material 22a used while sufficiently preventing the cold heat in the large freezing chamber 16 from being transferred to other storage chambers when rapid freezing control is performed. Furthermore, the heat insulating material 22a is made to have a size that covers the entire upper wall of the large freezing chamber 16, thereby more reliably preventing the cold heat in the large freezing chamber 16 from being transferred to other storage chambers when rapid freezing control is performed.

[0090] The cold air outlet should be provided at a position where cold air can be supplied at least to the center of the container to be quenched. This allows cold air to be efficiently supplied to the center of the container to be quenched, and also makes it easier to supply cold air to the surrounding area of ​​the center without bias. The cold air outlet should also be provided at a position where cold air can be supplied to areas other than the container to be quenched. This allows cold air to be efficiently supplied to a wide area of ​​the large freezing chamber 16 even when quick-freezing control is not being performed.

[0091] In addition, when a quenching target area is set in a part of the quenching target container, the cold air outlet should be provided at a position where cold air can be supplied at least to the center of the quenching target area. This makes it possible to efficiently supply cold air to the center of the quenching target area, and also makes it easy to supply cold air to the surrounding area of ​​the center without bias. Also, the quenching target area can be cooled in a concentrated manner.

[0092] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include dampers 121D, 122D, and 123D that open and close the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123. The dampers 121D, 122D, and 123D are examples of an airflow adjustment unit. According to this configuration example, the cold air outlets 121, 122, and 123 can be appropriately switched between open and closed to adjust the area to which cold air is supplied. That is, when a cold air outlet corresponding to the cold air outlet, i.e., the cold air outlet facing the cold air outlet, is opened wider or fully opened, and the dampers of the other cold air outlets are opened narrower or fully closed, so that cold air can be supplied intensively to the cold air outlet.

[0093] When the cooling strength for the rapid cooling target area is made higher than the standard cooling strength, that is, when rapid freezing control is executed, the control device 140 may be configured to control the opening and closing of the dampers 121D, 122D, and 123D so as to maintain the amount of cold air blown out from the cold air outlets directed to the rapid cooling target area while suppressing the amount of cold air blown out from the cold air outlets directed to areas other than the rapid cooling target area. This allows cold air to be supplied intensively to the rapid cooling target area, and the stored items in the rapid cooling target area can be cooled more quickly.

[0094] The refrigerator 10 may be configured to include the cooler 127 as a cooler for freezing, and to include a cooler for refrigeration separately from the cooler 127. The control device 140 may perform control to make the amount of refrigerant supplied to the cooler 127 for freezing greater than the amount of refrigerant supplied to the cooler for refrigeration when performing quick freezing control. This control example also makes it possible to sufficiently increase the cooling strength. The amount of refrigerant supplied to the cooler 127 for freezing and the amount of refrigerant supplied to the cooler for refrigeration can be adjusted, for example, by controlling the switching of a flow path switching valve provided in a refrigeration cycle (not shown).

[0095] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment is presented merely as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The present embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] In the drawing, 10 indicates a refrigerator, 16 indicates a large freezer compartment (storage compartment), 22a indicates a thermal insulator, 101, 102, and 103 indicate small containers (containers), 103 indicates an upper container (container to be quenched), 110 indicates a quenching temperature sensor (quenching temperature detection unit), 121D, 122D, and 123D indicate dampers (blowout amount adjustment units), 140 indicates a control device (quenching control unit), 150 and 160 indicate cooling plates (cooling promotion members), 170 indicates a cold air guide member (cold air guide unit), and 180 indicates an overall temperature detection sensor (overall temperature detection unit).

Claims

1. A storage chamber having a plurality of stages of containers provided therein; A vessel to be quenched is a vessel larger than the smallest vessel among the vessels in the plurality of stages; A quenching temperature detection unit is disposed above the quenching target container in a state capable of detecting the temperature inside the quenching target container; a quenching control unit that increases the cooling intensity of the quenching target container to a level higher than the standard cooling intensity when the temperature detected by the quenching temperature detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition; Equipped with A part of the quenching target container is set as a quenching target region, and a region of the quenching target container different from the quenching target region is set as a non-quenching target region, The quenching target region is provided with a cooling promotion member having high thermal conductivity, and is a region in which cooling is promoted more than in the non-quenching target region, Storage items can be accommodated in both the quenching target area and the non-quenching target area, The cooling promotion member is sized to cover a portion of the bottom surface of the quenching target container that is set as the quenching target area, The quenching target container is provided with a structure that prevents the cooling promotion member from being disposed in the non-quenching target area of ​​the bottom surface of the quenching target container, The quench target area is larger than the non-quench target area; A refrigerator, wherein the structure is provided between the quenching target area and the non-quenching target area.

2. A storage chamber having a plurality of stages of containers provided therein; A vessel to be quenched is a vessel larger than the smallest vessel among the vessels in the plurality of stages; A quenching temperature detection unit is disposed above the quenching target container in a state capable of detecting the temperature inside the quenching target container; a quenching control unit that increases the cooling intensity of the quenching target container to a level higher than the standard cooling intensity when the temperature detected by the quenching temperature detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition; Equipped with A part of the quenching target container is set as a quenching target region, and a region of the quenching target container different from the quenching target region is set as a non-quenching target region, The quenching target region is provided with a cooling promotion member having high thermal conductivity, and is a region in which cooling is promoted more than in the non-quenching target region, Storage items can be accommodated in both the quenching target area and the non-quenching target area, The cooling promotion member is sized to cover a portion of the bottom surface of the quenching target container that is set as the quenching target area, The quenching target container is provided with a structure that prevents the cooling promotion member from being disposed in the non-quenching target area of ​​the bottom surface of the quenching target container, the quench target area is smaller than the non-quench target area; As the structure, A first structure provided between the quenching target area and the non-quenching target area; A second structure provided in the non-quench target area; A refrigerator equipped with

3. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulating material on an upper wall of the storage compartment.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rapid cooling control unit increases the cooling intensity for the rapid cooling target area to a level higher than the standard cooling intensity when the temperature detected by the rapid cooling temperature detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition.

5. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, further comprising a cold air guide portion for guiding cold air to the region to be rapidly cooled.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the container to be quenched is an uppermost container among a plurality of containers.

7. 7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the rapid cooling temperature detector is provided on a lower surface of an upper wall of the storage compartment.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the rapid-cooling temperature detection unit is disposed above a central portion of the container to be rapidly cooled in the front-rear and left-right directions.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the rapid cooling temperature detection unit is disposed above a central portion of the rapid cooling target area in the front-rear and left-right directions.

10. A first cold air outlet directed toward the area to be rapidly cooled; A second cold air outlet directed to an area other than the area to be rapidly cooled; an airflow rate adjusting unit that adjusts an amount of cool air blown out from the first cool air outlet and an amount of cool air blown out from the second cool air outlet; Equipped with The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein when the rapid cooling control unit increases the cooling strength for the rapid cooling target area to a level higher than the standard cooling strength, the air outlet volume adjustment unit reduces the amount of cold air blown out from the second cold air outlet while maintaining the amount of cold air blown out from the first cold air outlet.

11. 11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an entire temperature detection section that is different from the rapid cooling temperature detection section and detects a temperature in the entire storage compartment.

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