Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that does not need complicated freezing cycle piping, suppresses the deterioration of the energy saving performance, reduces condensation and frosting in storage spaces, and has refrigerated rooms that allow storage at high humidity levels.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to the present invention includes: low-temperature rooms; a high-temperature room having a higher temperature than a temperature in the low-temperature room; a cooler for supplying cold air into the low-temperature room; a heat transfer member, one side of which faces the high-temperature room side; and a heat transfer member cooling section for cooling the heat transfer member by flow of refrigerant that has flowed through refrigerant piping of the cooler, or by flow of cold air cooled by the cooler. The heat transfer member cooling section includes refrigerant piping through which the refrigerant that has flowed through the cooler flows, or airways through which the cold air cooled by the cooler flows, so that when the heat transfer member cooling section includes the airway through which the cold air cooled by the cooler flows, the cold air flowing in the airway can return to the cooler at a path that does not include the high-temperature room. The heat transfer member is cooled by cold air flowing through a second airway, which has a smaller airway cross-sectional area than the low-temperature room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] As background art in this technical field, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-180721 (Patent Document 1) exists. The refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 includes a cooler for a freezer compartment, a refrigerating compartment, and a freezer compartment. The refrigerating compartment is cooled by a direct cooling method using a cooling plate, and in the freezer compartment, the interior is cooled by the circulation of cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler for the freezer compartment. Further, the refrigerator is configured to be able to send the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler for the freezer compartment to the refrigerating compartment (FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1). Further, Patent Document 1 also discloses that by transmitting the cold air in the freezer compartment to the partition between the refrigerating compartment and the freezer compartment, using this partition as a cooling plate, and installing a temperature compensation heater on the cooling plate, when the temperature drops too much, it is heated by the temperature compensation heater to maintain an appropriate temperature (FIG. 10 of Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, by adopting the configuration of FIG. 1 thereof, it is said that while suppressing a decrease in the humidity of the refrigerating compartment, the occurrence of dew condensation in the refrigerating compartment can be suppressed. However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to arrange the pipes of the refrigeration cycle in the heat insulation wall, complex piping is required, and the component cost and the manufacturing cost increase. Further, as the configuration described in FIG. 10 of Patent Document 1, when adopting the method of using the partition wall between the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment as a cooling plate and heating it with a heater when the refrigerating compartment gets too cold, the energy saving performance deteriorates due to the amount of electric power required for heater heating.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber that does not require complicated refrigeration cycle piping, suppresses a decrease in energy-saving performance, suppresses the occurrence of dew condensation and frost in a storage space, and enables storage at high humidity.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configuration described in the claims is adopted. Although the present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above problems, if an example is given, the refrigerator of the present invention includes a low-temperature chamber, a high-temperature chamber having a temperature higher than that of the low-temperature chamber, a cooler that supplies cold air into the low-temperature chamber, a heat transfer member having one surface facing the high-temperature chamber side, and a heat transfer member cooling unit that cools the heat transfer member by flowing the refrigerant that has flowed through the refrigerant piping of the cooler or by flowing the cold air cooled by the cooler. The heat transfer member cooling unit includes a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant that has flowed through the cooler flows or an air passage through which the cold air cooled by the cooler flows. When the heat transfer member cooling unit includes an air passage through which the cold air cooled by the cooler flows, the cold air flowing through the air passage can return to the cooler through a path that does not include the high-temperature chamber, and the heat transfer member is cooled by the cold air flowing through a second air passage having a smaller air passage cross-sectional area than that of the low-temperature chamber.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that does not require complicated refrigeration cycle piping, suppresses a decrease in energy-saving performance, suppresses the occurrence of dew condensation and frost in a storage space, and has a refrigerating chamber that enables storage at high humidity.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 18

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] The following are examples of the present invention.

Examples

[0010] Embodiment 1 of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0011] Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the heat-insulating box body 10 of the refrigerator 1 has storage compartments in the order of the refrigerating compartment 2 from above, the ice-making compartment 3 provided side by side on the left and right, the upper freezing compartment 4, the lower freezing compartment 5, and the vegetable compartment 6.

[0012] The refrigerator 1 is provided with doors for opening and closing the openings of the respective storage compartments. These doors include the rotary refrigerator doors 2a and 2b divided into left and right for opening and closing the opening of the refrigerating compartment 2, and the drawer-type ice-making compartment door 3a, upper freezing compartment door 4a, lower freezing compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a for opening and closing the openings of the ice-making compartment 3, upper freezing compartment 4, lower freezing compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. The inner materials of these multiple doors are mainly composed of foamed urethane. Also, each door is provided with a seal member (not shown) on the outer peripheral part of the inner surface.

[0013] An operation part 26 for performing the operation of setting the temperature inside the cabinet is provided on the outer surface of the door 2a outside the cabinet. By providing the operation part on the outer side of the door outside the cabinet, the user can perform operations such as temperature setting without opening the door.

[0014] Between the refrigerating compartment 2, between the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezing compartment 4, and between the lower freezing compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are separated by a heat-insulating partition wall 27 and a heat-insulating partition wall 28, respectively. Also, at the front edge between the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezing compartment 4, a partition part 29 is provided at a position where, when the ice-making compartment door 3a and the upper freezing compartment door 4a are closed, the seal member on the inner surface of the right end of the ice-making compartment door 3a abuts against the seal member on the inner surface of the left end of the upper freezing compartment door 4a. At the front edge between the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezing compartment 4 and the lower freezing compartment, a partition part 30 is provided at a position where, when the ice-making compartment door 3a, the upper freezing compartment door 4a, and the lower freezing compartment door 5a are closed, the seal members on the inner surfaces of the lower ends of the ice-making compartment door 3a and the upper freezing compartment door 4a abut against the seal member on the inner surface of the upper end of the lower freezing compartment door 5a.

[0015] Door hinges (not shown) for fixing the refrigerator 1 and the doors 2a and 2b are disposed in front of the outer side of the top surface of the heat-insulating box body 10 and at the front edge of the heat-insulating partition wall 27, and the upper door hinge is covered with a door hinge cover 16.

[0016] The ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 are basically storage compartments with the interior of the refrigerator maintained at a freezing temperature (below 0°C), for example, an average of about -18°C. The refrigerator compartment 2 is a storage compartment with the interior maintained at a refrigerating temperature (above 0°C), for example, an average of about 4°C. The vegetable compartment 6 is a storage compartment with the interior maintained at a refrigerating temperature (above 0°C), for example, an average of about 7°C.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator of this embodiment (sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1), and FIG. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the door and container removed. The configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 is configured such that the inside and outside of the refrigerator are separated by a heat-insulating box body 10 formed by filling a foamed heat-insulating material (foamed urethane 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 foamed heat-insulating material, a vacuum heat-insulating material 25 having a lower thermal conductivity than the foamed heat-insulating material is mounted between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the heat-insulating box body 10 to suppress a decrease in the internal volume and enhance the heat-insulating performance. In this embodiment, the vacuum heat-insulating material 25 is mounted on the back surface, bottom surface, ceiling surface, and both side surfaces of the heat-insulating box body 10 and on the lower freezer compartment door 5a to enhance the heat-insulating performance of the refrigerator 1.

[0019] Also, the heat-insulating material inside the heat-insulating partition wall 27 is foamed polystyrene, and the inside of the heat-insulating partition wall 28 is filled with foamed urethane. The foamed urethane inside the heat-insulating partition wall 28 is filled together with the foamed urethane of the heat-insulating box body 10 in the process of foam-filling urethane between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b of the heat-insulating box body 10.

[0020] The refrigerator compartment doors 2a, 2b are provided with a plurality of door pockets 33a, 33b, 33c on the inner side of the refrigerator. Also, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2 is partitioned into a plurality of storage spaces by shelves 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d. The ice-making chamber door 3a, the upper freezer compartment door 4a, the lower freezer compartment door 5a, and the vegetable compartment door 6a are each provided with an ice-making chamber container 3b, an upper freezer compartment container 4b, a lower freezer compartment container 5b, and a vegetable compartment container 6b that are pulled out integrally.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the refrigerator 1 includes a cooler chamber 8 in which a cooler 14 is housed at the back of the lower freezer compartment 5, and a freezer compartment fan 9a (second blower) is provided above the cooler chamber 8. A freezer compartment air duct 100 is provided in the blowing area of the freezer compartment fan 9a. The freezer compartment air duct 100 is provided with an ice making chamber outlet 101, an upper freezer compartment outlet 102, and a lower freezer compartment outlet 103 that blow cold air to the front ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, respectively.

[0022] Further, the refrigerator 1 includes a freezer compartment return air duct 105 through which the return cold air from the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 flows, at the lower front of the cooler chamber 8. The freezer compartment return air duct 105 is formed to have a width substantially equal to the width of the cooler 14, so that the return cold air from the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 efficiently flows into the cooler 14.

[0023] Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 includes a vegetable compartment air duct 132 that extends downward from the lower left part of the freezer compartment air duct 100 at the back of the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment outlet 133 is provided at the outlet of the vegetable compartment air duct 132. A vegetable compartment return opening 136 is opened on the lower surface of the heat insulation partition wall 28 between the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6, and a vegetable compartment return air duct 135 that extends from the vegetable compartment return opening 136 to the lower front of the cooler chamber 8 is provided in the heat insulation partition wall 28.

[0024] The refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 at the back of the refrigerator compartment 2. The refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 is provided with refrigerator compartment outlets 111a and 111b that blow air into the refrigerator compartment 2 above the uppermost shelf 34a and between the uppermost shelf 34a and the second shelf 34b from the top. A refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 is provided adjacent to the rear of the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 with a partition wall therebetween. The partition wall between the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 and the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 is formed by a heat transfer member 200, and the air in the refrigerator compartment first air duct 110 and the air in the refrigerator compartment second air duct 120 exchange heat through the heat transfer member 200.

[0025] Here, since the cross-sectional area of the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment is smaller than the cross-sectional areas in the horizontal and vertical directions of the refrigerated temperature zone storage compartments such as the ice-making compartment 3, the upper refrigerating compartment 4, and the lower refrigerating compartment 5, the air flowing in the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment has a higher flow velocity compared to the air flowing in the wide space inside the storage compartment. Therefore, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, unlike the case of cooling through the air in the adjacent refrigerated temperature zone compartments, the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment can be efficiently cooled.

[0026] In addition, the opening area of the air outlet 111a of the refrigerator compartment is 1000 mm 2 , and the opening area of the air outlet 111b of the refrigerator compartment is 500 mm 2 . The opening area of the air outlet facing the storage space formed above the uppermost shelf 34a is made larger than the opening area of the air outlet facing the storage space formed above the shelves at the second level or below from the top (the second-level shelf 34b from the top in this embodiment). Thereby, in addition to the heat intrusion from outside the cabinet, more cold air can be supplied to the storage space above the refrigerator compartment 2 where relatively warm air tends to gather by natural convection, so that cooling with reduced temperature unevenness can be realized.

[0027] Further, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a return port 115 of the first air duct of the refrigerator compartment inside the cabinet at the lower center of the first air duct 110 of the refrigerator compartment. The return port 115 of the first air duct of the refrigerator compartment is disposed above the shelf 34d that partitions the chilled compartment 36. Also, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a return port 131 of the refrigerator compartment on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 2 and on the lower right side of the shelf 34d. Further, a return air duct 130 of the refrigerator compartment is disposed at the rear right end of the upper refrigerating compartment 4 and the lower refrigerating compartment 5, and the return air duct 130 of the refrigerator compartment is connected to the lower right part of the cooler compartment 8.

[0028] The refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerator compartment fan 9b (first blower) at the lower part of the first air duct 110 of the refrigerator compartment. Further, at the back of the chilled compartment 36, a communication passage 140 that connects the first air duct 110 of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer air duct 100 is provided. Furthermore, at the inlet part (lower part) of the communication passage 140, a first damper 151 for the refrigerator compartment (first cold air cutoff means) that blocks the inflow of cold air from the freezer air duct 100 into the communication passage 140 and the first air duct 110 of the refrigerator compartment is provided. On the other hand, at the inlet part (lower part) of the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment, a second damper 152 for the refrigerator compartment (second cold air cutoff means) that blocks the inflow of cold air from the freezer air duct 100 into the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment is provided. The first damper 151 and the second damper 152 for the refrigerator compartment are dampers driven by a single motor. Hereinafter, the component that combines the functions of the first damper 151 and the second damper 152 for the refrigerator compartment is referred to as the damper 150 for the refrigerator compartment. The details of the damper 150 for the refrigerator compartment will be described later. Further, the vegetable compartment air duct 132 is provided with a vegetable compartment damper 160 as cold air cutoff means.

[0029] The refrigerator 1 is provided with a defrost heater 21 below the cooler 14 in the cooler compartment 8, and a drain trough 23 is provided on the lower surface of the cooler compartment 8. Further, a drain pipe 22 is provided from the lower end of the drain trough 23 to the machine room 39. The machine room 39 is provided with a compressor 24 and an evaporation tray 32 disposed above the compressor 24.

[0030] For the defrost heater 21, for example, an electric heater of 50 W to 200 W may be adopted, and in this embodiment, it is a 120 W radiant heater. The defrost water generated during defrosting of the cooler 14 is discharged from the drain trough 23 to the evaporation tray 32 above the compressor 24 via the drain pipe 22, and evaporates by the heat radiation from the compressor 24 and the ventilation by a machine room fan (not shown).

[0031] The refrigerator 1 is provided with a chilled compartment 36 inside the refrigerating compartment 2 above the heat-insulating partition wall 27, and the interior of the chilled compartment 36 is maintained at about -1°C. The front of the chilled compartment 36 can be opened and closed by a lid 36a. The lid 36a is provided with a packing (not shown) on its outer periphery. When the lid 36a is in the closed state, the packing makes the lid 36a and the outer contour 36b of the chilled compartment 36 contact without a gap, forming a sealed structure. Further, a pump (not shown) for sucking the air inside the chilled compartment 36 is provided on the back of the chilled compartment 36. By driving the pump with the lid 36a closed, the air pressure inside the chilled compartment 36 is reduced to about 0.8 atmospheres. As a result, cold air is not directly blown into the chilled compartment 36 by the lid 36a, and the environment has a reduced oxygen concentration due to the reduced pressure, so it becomes a storage space where drying and oxidation of food are suppressed.

[0032] The refrigerator 1 is provided with a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 43, and a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 44 on the back side inside the refrigerating compartment 2, the upper freezer compartment 4, the lower freezer compartment 5, and the vegetable compartment 6, respectively, and a cooler temperature sensor 40 is provided above the cooler 14. These sensors detect the temperatures of the refrigerating 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. Since the interiors of the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 form an integrated cooling space, the temperature is detected by a single freezer compartment temperature sensor 43. In addition, the refrigerator 1 is provided with an outside air temperature sensor 37 and an outside air humidity sensor 38 inside the door hinge cover 16 on the ceiling part, and detects the temperature and humidity of the outside air (air outside the refrigerator). In addition, it is provided with a door sensor (not shown) that detects the open / closed states of the doors 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a, respectively.

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the air duct structure showing the flow of cold air in the refrigerator according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, in the refrigerator 1, the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 in the cooler chamber 8 is pressurized by the freezer fan 9a and sent to the freezer air duct 100. The cold air sent to the freezer air duct 100 is blown out from the ice making chamber outlet 101, the upper freezer outlet 102, and the lower freezer outlet 103 to the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer 4, and the lower freezer 5 respectively, regardless of the opening and closing states of the refrigerator first damper 151, the refrigerator second damper 152, and the vegetable compartment damper 160. The cold air that has cooled the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer 4, and the lower freezer 5 cools their respective storage compartments and returns to the cooler chamber 8 from the lower freezer 5 through the freezer return air duct 105.

[0034] When the refrigerator first damper 151 is in the open state, the cold air pressurized by the freezer fan 9a is sent to the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer 4, and the lower freezer 5, and at the same time flows from the communication passage 140 into the refrigerator first air duct 110 and is sent from the refrigerator outlet 111 to the refrigerator 2. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator 2 flows through the refrigerator return air duct 130 via the refrigerator return port 131 and returns to the cooler chamber 8. In this way, by opening the refrigerator first damper 151 and allowing the low-temperature cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 to directly flow into the refrigerator 2 from the refrigerator first air duct 110, a rapid cooling operation mode for accelerating the cooling of the refrigerator 2 is implemented. In the rapid cooling operation mode, the freezer fan 9a is driven, but the refrigerator fan 9b may be driven or stopped.

[0035] When the vegetable compartment damper 160 is in the open state, the cold air pressurized by the freezer fan 9a is sent to the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezer 4, and the lower freezer 5, and at the same time flows through the vegetable compartment air duct 132 branched downstream of the freezer air duct 100 and is blown out from the vegetable compartment outlet 133 to the vegetable compartment 6. In the vegetable compartment 6, it is arranged to blow out outwardly of the vegetable compartment container 6b to suppress the drying or excessive cooling of foods such as vegetables stored in the vegetable compartment container 6b. The cold air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 6 flows through the vegetable compartment return air duct 135 (see Figure 2) provided in the heat insulation partition wall 28 via the vegetable compartment return port 136 (see Figure 2) provided on the lower surface of the heat insulation partition wall 28 and returns to the cooler chamber 8.

[0036] With the first refrigerator compartment damper 151 in the closed state and the second refrigerator compartment damper 152 in the open state, and with the refrigerator compartment fan 9b in the driving state, the air in the refrigerator compartment 2 enters the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 from the return opening 115 of the first refrigerator compartment air duct, flows through the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110, exits from the outlet 111 of the refrigerator compartment, and re - enters the refrigerator compartment 2 to form an air flow that circulates within the refrigerator compartment 2. On the other hand, since the second refrigerator compartment damper 152 is open, the cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a flows through the second refrigerator compartment air duct 120, exchanges heat with the air in the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 in the heat transfer member 200, flows through the return air duct 130 of the refrigerator compartment, returns to the cooler chamber 8, and exchanges heat with the cooler 14. In this way, while circulating the air so that it goes from the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110, through the refrigerator compartment 2, and back to the first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 without passing through the cooler 14, the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 is guided into the second refrigerator compartment air duct 120 to cool the refrigerator compartment 2, and a cooling operation mode is implemented.

[0037] Also, with the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 in the closed state, the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 in the closed state or the freezer compartment fan 9a stopped, by driving the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, the air in the refrigerator compartment 2 enters the refrigerator compartment first air passage 110 from the refrigerator compartment first air passage return port 115, flows through the refrigerator compartment first air passage 110, enters the refrigerator compartment 2 again from the refrigerator compartment blowout port 111, and a circulating air flow is formed inside the refrigerator compartment 2. On the other hand, since the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is in the closed state or the freezer compartment fan 9a is stopped, the low-temperature cold air heat-exchanged with the cooler 14 does not flow in the refrigerator compartment second air passage 120, and the cooling of the air in the refrigerator compartment first air passage 110 through the heat transfer member 200 does not occur. In this way, in a state where the air supply to the refrigerator compartment second air passage 120 is stopped (the refrigerator compartment second damper 152 is closed or the freezer compartment fan 9a is stopped), by driving the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, a defrosting operation mode for melting the frost grown on the heat transfer member 200 is implemented. The defrosting operation mode is implemented until the heat transfer member reaches a temperature higher than 0°C, and as the frost melts, the interior of the refrigerator compartment 2 becomes highly humid due to the moisture held by the frost grown on the heat transfer member 200. In addition, in a control state similar to the defrosting operation mode, in a moisturizing operation mode in which the operation ends when the temperature of the heat transfer member 200 is 0°C or lower, the driving time of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b may be further shortened to reduce the fan power.

[0038] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configurations of the first refrigerating compartment air duct 110 and the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120. As shown in FIG. 5, the first refrigerating compartment air duct 110 and the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120 formed on the back of the refrigerating compartment 2 are composed of a first air duct member 210, a second air duct member 220, and a heat transfer member 200 installed between the first air duct member 210 and the second air duct member 220. The first air duct member 210 is provided with refrigerating compartment outlets 111a and 111b on the front surface, and an opening 210a on the back surface to which the heat transfer member 200 is attached. The front surface of the second air duct member 220 is provided with an opening 220a, and by combining it integrally with the first air duct member 210 to which the heat transfer member 200 is attached, the first refrigerating compartment air duct 110 and the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120 are separated via the heat transfer member 200. The second air duct member 220 is provided with a partition member 121 that forms a forward flow path 120a and a return flow path 120b inside the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120. As a result, when the second refrigerating compartment damper 152 (see FIGS. 2, 3, or 4) is in the open state, as indicated by the arrow inside the second air duct member 220, the cold air flowing upward through the forward flow path 120a formed on the left side of the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120 reverses at the upper part of the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120 and flows downward through the return flow path 120b on the right side of the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120. As a result, in a wide area on the back of the refrigerating compartment 2, the air in the first refrigerating compartment air duct 110 is efficiently heat-exchanged with the air in the second refrigerating compartment air duct 120. In the case of a refrigerator with a layout such that the refrigerating compartment return port 131 is formed on the left side, the forward flow path 120a may be arranged on the right side and the return flow path 120b may be arranged on the left side, respectively. In any case, by forming the forward flow path 120a and the return flow path 120b side by side in the left-right direction, not only is a large area facing the back of the first refrigerating compartment air duct 110 ensured and heat exchange promoted, but also space can be saved in the front-rear direction.

[0039] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the first air duct member 210 and the second air duct member 220 are formed of a synthetic resin (for example, ABS resin), and the heat transfer member 200 is formed of aluminum which is a metal. By adopting a metal member with a high thermal conductivity as the heat transfer member 200 in this way, the cold heat on the second air duct 120 side of the refrigerating chamber is likely to be transmitted to the air in the first air duct 110 of the refrigerating chamber, so that cooling through the heat transfer member 200 can be efficiently performed. Further, as another embodiment, the heat transfer member 200 can also be formed of a resin (for example, ABS resin). In this case, it becomes possible to form the heat transfer member 200 at a lower cost. That is, the heat transfer member 200 only needs to function to transfer the cold heat on the second air duct 120 side of the refrigerating chamber to the air in the first air duct 110 of the refrigerating chamber, and the material and shape are not limited. Also, regarding the first air duct member 210 and the second air duct member 220, it is only necessary to be able to form the first air duct 110 and the second air duct 120 of the refrigerating chamber separated via the heat transfer member 200, and the material, shape, and assembly method are not limited. As the heat transfer member 200, it is preferably not to have a structure generally classified as a heat insulating material, and preferably not to have a closed-cell structure or a structure with a reduced pressure inside. In this way, the second air duct 120 as an example of the heat transfer member cooling part cools the heat transfer member 200.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to this embodiment. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes a compressor 24, an outdoor radiator 50a (heat dissipation means) for dissipating heat of a refrigerant, a wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b disposed on the left and right side surfaces of the heat insulation box body 10 (heat dissipation means disposed on the inner surface of the outer box 10a in the region between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b), heat insulation partition walls 27 and 28, partition portions 29 and 30, a dew condensation prevention pipe 50c disposed on the front surface portion for suppressing dew condensation (heat dissipation means disposed on the inner surfaces of the heat insulation partition walls 27 and 28 and the partition portions 29 and 30), a capillary tube 53 which is a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, and a cooler 14 for absorbing heat in the refrigerator by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air in the refrigerator. The inner diameters of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b and the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c are 3.2 mm, and the inner diameter of the capillary tube 53 is 0.7 mm which is one-third or less of the inner diameters of the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b and the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c. Further, a drier 51 for removing moisture in the refrigeration cycle and a gas-liquid separator 54 for suppressing the inflow of liquid refrigerant into the compressor 24 are provided, and a refrigeration cycle is constituted by connecting these with a refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant pipe connecting the capillary tube 53, the cooler 14 and the compressor 24 is provided with a heat exchange portion 57 for exchanging heat of the refrigerant.

[0041] Next, the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator of this embodiment will be described. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when the compressor 24 is driven, the refrigerant is compressed and becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant and enters the outdoor radiator 50a. The outdoor radiator 50a is a fin-tube type heat exchanger. In the outdoor radiator 50a, heat is taken away from the refrigerant by ventilation by an outdoor fan (not shown) and the enthalpy decreases, and it becomes a two-phase state and flows into the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b. In the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b disposed on both side surfaces of the heat insulation box body 10, heat is mainly dissipated from the refrigerant to the outdoor air through the outer wall of the heat insulation box body 10. Subsequently, the refrigerant enters the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c disposed on the front surface portions of the heat insulation partition walls 27 and 28 and the partition portions 29 and 30. Since a heat-insulating door is provided in front of the heat insulation partition walls 27 and 28 and the partition portions 29 and 30, the refrigerant mainly dissipates heat to the air in the refrigerator in the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c and becomes a liquid refrigerant, flows through the drier 51, and after the moisture is removed, it reaches the capillary tube 53.

[0042] In the capillary tube 53, the refrigerant is depressurized to become a low-temperature and low-pressure two-phase refrigerant and reaches the inlet of the cooler 14. By driving the refrigerator compartment fan 9a, the air returned from each storage compartment in the compartment passes through the cooler 14, is cooled to a low temperature, and cools each storage compartment in the compartment again. At this time, regarding the refrigerator compartment 2 of the refrigerator of this embodiment, an operation is performed in which the cold heat of the cold air flowing through the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment is indirectly transmitted to the first air duct 110 of the refrigerator compartment through the heat transfer member 200 for cooling. Therefore, compared with the case of directly sending cold air, it is more difficult to supply cold heat and the cooling capacity is likely to be insufficient. Therefore, in the refrigerator of this embodiment, the inner diameter of the capillary tube 53 is set to be one-third or less of the inner diameters of the wall surface heat radiation pipe 50b and the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c, so that sufficient pressure reduction due to resistance is performed to lower the temperature of the cooler 14 and make the temperature of the cold air supplied to the second air duct 120 of the refrigerator compartment sufficiently low to cool the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0043] The refrigerant exchanges heat with the air in the compartment in the cooler 14, the enthalpy increases, and the degree of dryness increases, becoming a substantially saturated gas refrigerant and reaching the outlet of the cooler 14. A part of the pipe returning from the outlet of the cooler 14 to the compressor 24 is provided in proximity to exchange heat with the capillary tube 53, is heated by the refrigerant in the capillary tube, the enthalpy increases, and it is sucked into the compressor 24 again. By providing the heat exchange part 57, the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor rises, dew condensation and frosting on the refrigerant pipe can be prevented, and the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing into the cooler 14 decreases due to heat exchange, so that the cooling capacity in the cooler 14 is improved. The refrigerant enclosed in the refrigeration cycle is isobutane, a flammable refrigerant.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the refrigerator compartment damper 150. The refrigerator compartment damper 150 is provided with openings 151a and 152a on the left and right sides of the motor housing portion 153. The openings 151a and 152a are opened and closed by opening and closing plates 151b and 152b. Specifically, the opening and closing plates 151b and 152b can be controlled within a range from a fully closed state with an opening angle of 0 degrees to a fully open state with an opening angle of 90 degrees by a stepping motor (not shown) installed in the motor housing portion 153. Among the functions of the refrigerator compartment damper 150, the function of controlling the opening and closing state of the opening 151a is the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, and the function of controlling the opening and closing state of the opening 152a is the refrigerator compartment second damper 152. In this way, the refrigerator compartment damper 150 controls two dampers (the refrigerator compartment first damper 151 and the refrigerator compartment second damper 152) with one motor. Thereby, a compact mounting is possible and the cost can be reduced.

[0045] Note that in the machine room 39 at the lower rear of the refrigerator 1, a control board (not shown) equipped with a CPU, a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, which are part of the control device, an interface circuit, etc. is arranged. Further, the control board is connected by electrical wiring (not shown) to an outside air temperature sensor 37, an outside air humidity sensor 38, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 43, a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 44, a cooler temperature sensor 40, etc. The control board controls the ON / OFF and rotational speed of the compressor 24, the freezer compartment fan 9a, and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, the opening and closing control of the refrigerator compartment first damper 151, the refrigerator compartment second damper 152, and the vegetable compartment damper 160, and the control of the defrost heater based on the output values of the respective sensors, the settings of the operation unit 26, the programs pre-recorded in the ROM, etc.

[0046] The configuration of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the effects exhibited by the refrigerator according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0047] The refrigerator of this embodiment includes a cooler 14 that cools an ice-making chamber 3, an upper freezer compartment 4, and a lower freezer compartment 5 in a freezing temperature zone, a first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 provided inside the refrigerator compartment 2, and a second refrigerator compartment air duct 120 that communicates with the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2 and sends cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14. The first refrigerator compartment air duct 110 and the second refrigerator compartment air duct 120 are adjacent to each other via a heat transfer member 200 that is a partition wall. As a result, a complex refrigeration cycle piping is not required, a decrease in energy-saving performance is suppressed, the occurrence of condensation and frost in the storage space is suppressed, and a refrigerator compartment that enables storage at a high humidity is provided. The reason will be explained below while comparing with the prior art.

[0048] As a prior art, for example, in Patent Document 1, when foods with a large amount of moisture and a relatively high temperature are placed in the refrigerator compartment, a large amount of water vapor is generated in the compartment and condensation occurs on a cooling plate provided in the refrigerator compartment. In response to this problem, a refrigerator compartment that is cooled by a direct cooling method is provided, using a cooler for the freezer compartment that cools the freezer compartment and a cooling plate that is cooled by a second cooler separate from the cooler for the freezer compartment. A technique is disclosed in which cooler air that is lower in temperature and lower in humidity and has exchanged heat with the cooler for the freezer compartment is sent to the refrigerator compartment to lower the humidity in the refrigerator compartment and suppress the occurrence of condensation on the cooling plate. According to this prior art, when the humidity in the refrigerator compartment becomes high and the dew point temperature becomes higher than the temperature of the cooling plate, cooler air that is lower in temperature and lower in humidity and has exchanged heat with the cooler for the freezer compartment is sent to the refrigerator compartment to lower the dew point temperature and suppress condensation on the cooling plate. In this configuration, when the cooling plate temperature cannot be made sufficiently high to cool the refrigerator compartment, it is necessary to frequently send low-humidity cooler air to the refrigerator compartment, and the humidity in the refrigerator compartment cannot be kept high. Further, in an embodiment in which a partition wall between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment is used as a cooling plate, a temperature compensation heater is provided on the cooling plate to suppress a decrease in the cooling plate temperature, and heating by the temperature compensation heater is performed to suppress a decrease in the temperature of the cooling plate. In this configuration, due to the amount of electric power required for heating by the temperature compensation heater, the energy-saving performance deteriorates. That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the cooling plate temperature cannot be made sufficiently high, the problems are that the humidity in the refrigerator compartment cannot be kept high and the power consumption increases.

[0049] On the one hand, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 and a second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 for sending cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 without communicating with the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2 are provided, and the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 and the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 are adjacent to each other via a heat transfer member 200 that is a partition wall. As a result, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment circulates air so that the air returns from the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 through the refrigerating chamber 2 and reaches the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 again without passing through the cooler 14, and guides the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 to the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120, and can implement a cooling operation mode. By implementing this cooling operation mode, inside the refrigerating chamber 2, in order to cool the freezing temperature zone chambers (ice making chamber 3, upper freezing chamber 4, lower freezing chamber 5), the temperature becomes low, and accordingly, the humidity also becomes low humidity. The refrigerating chamber 2 can be cooled by indirect cooling via the heat transfer member 200 without sending the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 into the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2, so that the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2 can be kept at high humidity. Further, excessive moisture in the refrigerating chamber 2 basically adheres to the heat transfer member 200 in the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 as frost, so that condensation does not grow in the storage space in the refrigerating chamber 2 without using means such as heating by a temperature compensation heater, and problems can be avoided. Furthermore, since the heat transfer member 200 is cooled by the air in the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 and a separate cooler for cooling the refrigerating chamber 2 is not required, the product is such that an increase in manufacturing cost and component cost associated with adopting a complicated refrigeration cycle configuration is suppressed.

[0050] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, by arranging a first air duct member 210 between the heat transfer member 200 that becomes low temperature during cooling and the refrigerating chamber 2 to form an air duct (first refrigerating chamber air duct 110), the heat transfer member 200 is not directly opposed to the refrigerating chamber 2 which is a space where food is placed. As a result, even if frost or water (condensed water or defrosting water) is generated on the surface of the heat transfer member 200, it does not directly touch the food, so that problems such as the food being fixed by frost or getting wet with water are less likely to occur, and the refrigerator has high reliability. That is, by interposing a wall surface such as an air duct member between the storage chamber such as the refrigerating chamber 2 and the heat transfer member 200, it is possible to suppress the frost and water generated on the heat transfer member 200 from reaching the storage chamber.

[0051] In addition, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a blower (refrigerating compartment fan 9b) capable of varying the air volume that generates an air current in the first air passage 110 of the refrigerating compartment. Thereby, since the heat exchange amount in the heat transfer member 200 in the first air passage 110 of the refrigerating compartment can be adjusted, the temperature and humidity in the refrigerating compartment 2 can be maintained finely.

[0052] Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a blower (freezing compartment fan 9a) capable of varying the air volume that generates an air current in the second air passage 120 of the refrigerating compartment. Thereby, since the heat exchange amount in the heat transfer member 200 in the second air passage 120 of the refrigerating compartment can be adjusted, the temperature and humidity in the refrigerating compartment 2 can be maintained even more finely.

[0053] The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is provided with a communication passage 140 that communicates the freezing compartment air passage 100 and the first air passage 110 of the refrigerating compartment and guides the air heat-exchanged by the cooler 14 to the first air passage 110 of the refrigerating compartment, and is provided with a first damper 151 for the refrigerating compartment in the communication passage 140. Thereby, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, particularly when the heat load is large, opens the first damper 151 for the refrigerating compartment and allows the low-temperature cold air heat-exchanged with the cooler 14 to directly flow into the refrigerating compartment 2 from the first air passage 110 of the refrigerating compartment, so that a rapid cooling operation mode for accelerating the cooling of the refrigerating compartment 2 can be implemented, and rapid cooling can be achieved. During the implementation of the rapid cooling operation mode, the freezing compartment fan 9a is driven, but the refrigerating compartment fan 9b may be driven or stopped. Also, the second damper 152 for the refrigerating compartment during the implementation of the rapid cooling operation mode is preferably in a closed state, but may also be in an open state. When defrosting the frost formed on the heat transfer member 200 in the first air duct 110 of the refrigerating chamber in the cooling operation mode or the rapid cooling operation mode, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment performs a defrosting operation mode in which the blower fan 9b of the refrigerating chamber is driven while the air supply to the second air duct 120 of the refrigerating chamber is stopped (the second damper 152 of the refrigerating chamber is in the closed state or the freezer fan 9a is in the stopped state). Also in this defrosting operation mode, as in the cooling operation mode, air circulates from the first air duct 110 of the refrigerating chamber through the refrigerating chamber 2 and back to the first air duct 110 of the refrigerating chamber without passing through the cooler 14. However, different from the cooling operation mode, since the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 is not guided to the second air duct 120 of the refrigerating chamber, the air circulating in the first air duct 110 of the refrigerating chamber is at a higher temperature than in the cooling operation mode. As a result, the frost on the heat transfer member 200 can be melted by the heat load in the refrigerating chamber 2 (heat flowing into the refrigerating chamber 2 from outside the cabinet, etc.) without using a heater, so that the energy-saving performance is improved. In addition, the moisture held by the frost formed on the heat transfer member 200 can humidify the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2, resulting in a refrigerating chamber with excellent moisture retention.

[0054] The refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment arranges the return port 115 of the first air duct of the refrigerating chamber above the shelf 34d that partitions the chilled chamber 36. The chilled chamber 36 is a storage space that is maintained at a lower temperature in the refrigerating chamber. By adopting this configuration, the chilled chamber 36 is less affected by the air flow in the refrigerating chamber 2 generated by the driving of the blower fan 9b of the refrigerating chamber, so that a lower temperature can be maintained more stably. The cooling of the chilled chamber 36 is mainly performed by the cold heat transmitted from the ice-making chamber 3 and the upper-stage freezer chamber 4 located below it.

Embodiment

[0055] Next, Example 2 of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator according to Example 2, and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the air duct configuration of the refrigerator according to Example 2. Note that the description of the same configuration as in Example 1 may be omitted.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment also has a first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 on the back surface of the refrigerating chamber 2. In the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110, there are refrigerating chamber air outlets 111a and 111b that blow air into the refrigerating chamber 2 above the uppermost shelf 34a and in the space between the uppermost shelf 34a and the second shelf 34b from the top, respectively. The opening area of the refrigerating chamber air outlet 111a is 1000 mm 2 , and the opening area of the refrigerating chamber air outlet 111b is 500 mm 2 . Also, the return opening 115 of the first refrigerating chamber air duct is arranged above the shelf 34d that partitions the chilled chamber 36.

[0057] Behind the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110, there is a second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 adjacent with a partition therebetween. The partition between the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 and the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 is formed by a heat transfer member 200, and the air in the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 and the air in the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 exchange heat through the heat transfer member 200.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 9, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment also has a refrigerating chamber fan 9b in the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110. Further, different from the first embodiment, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has a communication part 170 that communicates the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 and the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 at the back of the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 above the uppermost shelf 34a, that is, in the downstream of the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 and in the middle of the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120. And this communication part 170 is provided with a first refrigerating chamber damper 151 (cold air blocking means) (see FIG. 8), and the flow of cold air between the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 and the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 is controlled by the opening and closing of the first refrigerating chamber damper 151. In this way, by arranging the first refrigerating chamber damper 151 in a space that is difficult to reach above the uppermost shelf 34a and is relatively inconvenient to use, a large storage space with good usability is secured.

[0059] Further, the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 is provided with a second refrigerating chamber damper 152. The second refrigerating chamber damper 152 is arranged at the same position as the first refrigerating chamber damper 151 or downstream of the first refrigerating chamber damper 151 in the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, it is arranged at the outlet of the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120, in the rear projection area of the heat insulation partition wall 27 (see FIG. 8). By arranging the second refrigerating chamber damper 152 in the rear projection area of the heat insulation partition wall 27 that does not affect food storage as in this embodiment, a large food storage space is ensured. In this embodiment, the inlet of the second refrigerating chamber air duct 120 does not have a damper and is always open, but a damper may be arranged at the inlet. Further, the first refrigerating chamber damper 151 and the second refrigerating chamber damper 152 may both be arranged on the back of the first refrigerating chamber air duct 110 above the uppermost shelf 34a. In this case, as a damper driven by a single motor, it is also possible to achieve a compact mounting and cost reduction.

[0060] Next, the flow of cold air will be described. When the compressor 24 is driven and the refrigerant is supplied to the cooler 14, with the first refrigerator compartment damper 151 in the closed state, the second refrigerator compartment damper 152 in the open state, the freezer compartment fan 9a in the driven state, and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b in the driven state, the cold air pressurized by the freezer compartment fan 9a is sent to the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, and at the same time, it flows through the second refrigerator compartment air passage 120, exchanges heat with the air in the first refrigerator compartment air passage 110 via the heat transfer member 200, flows through the refrigerator compartment return air passage 130, and returns to the cooler chamber 8. On the other hand, the air in the first refrigerator compartment air passage that has exchanged heat with the cold air in the second refrigerator compartment air passage via the heat transfer member 200 and has become low temperature is blown out from the refrigerator compartment outlets 111a and 111b by the driving of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b to cool the refrigerator compartment 2 (cooling operation mode). The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 2 returns to the first refrigerator compartment air passage 110 from the first refrigerator compartment air passage return port 115. By this operation, the refrigerator compartment 2 can be cooled by indirect cooling via the heat transfer member 200 without sending the cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 and is at a low temperature and low humidity into the interior of the refrigerator compartment 2, so that the interior of the refrigerator compartment 2 can be kept at a high humidity. In addition, the excessive moisture in the refrigerator compartment 2 basically adheres to the heat transfer member 200 in the first refrigerator compartment air passage 110 as frost, so it is possible to avoid the problem of condensation growing in the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 2 without using means such as heating by a temperature compensation heater. Furthermore, since the heat transfer member 200 is cooled by the air in the second refrigerator compartment air passage 120 and a separate cooler for cooling the refrigerator compartment 2 is not required, the product is such that an increase in manufacturing costs and component costs associated with adopting a complex refrigeration cycle configuration is suppressed.

[0061] With the first refrigerator compartment damper 151 in the closed state, the second refrigerator compartment damper 152 in the closed state, or the freezer fan 9a in the stopped state, when the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is driven, the supply of cold air into the second refrigerator compartment air passage 120 stops, so the heat transfer member 200 is not cooled. On the other hand, the driving of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b forms an air current flowing through the first refrigerator compartment air passage 110. Due to this air current, the frost formed on the heat transfer member 200 during the cooling operation is melted by the heat load in the refrigerator compartment 2 (such as the heat flowing into the refrigerator compartment 2 from outside the compartment), so defrosting can be performed without using a heater (defrosting operation mode), and the energy-saving performance is improved. In addition, the moisture held by the frost growing on the heat transfer member 200 can humidify the inside of the refrigerator compartment 2, making the refrigerator compartment excellent in moisture retention.

[0062] With the compressor 24 driven and refrigerant supplied to the cooler 14, when the first refrigerator compartment damper 151 is in the open state, the second refrigerator compartment damper 152 is in the closed state, the freezer fan 9a is in the driven state, and the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is in the stopped state, 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 at the same time flows through the upstream portion of the second refrigerator compartment air passage 120, enters the first refrigerator compartment air passage 110 through the opened first refrigerator compartment damper 151, and blows out from the refrigerator compartment outlets 111a and 111b into the refrigerator compartment 2. A part of the cold air flows into the refrigerator compartment 2 from the first refrigerator compartment air passage return port 115. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 2 flows through the refrigerator compartment return air passage 130 via the refrigerator compartment return port 131 and returns to the cooler chamber 8. By this operation, especially when the heat load is large, the low-temperature cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 can be directly sent into the refrigerator compartment 2 without the need for the power to drive the refrigerator compartment fan 9b, so the energy consumption can be suppressed and the cooling of the refrigerator compartment 2 can be accelerated (first rapid cooling operation mode).

[0063] With the compressor 24 being driven and refrigerant being supplied to the cooler 14, when the refrigerating compartment first damper 151 is in the open state, the refrigerating compartment second damper 152 is in the closed state, the freezer compartment fan 9a is in the driven state, and the refrigerating compartment fan 9b is in the driven state, 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. At the same time, it flows through the upstream portion of the refrigerating compartment second air duct 120, enters the refrigerating compartment first air duct 110 through the opened refrigerating compartment first damper 151, and blows out into the refrigerating compartment 2 mainly from the refrigerating compartment outlet 111a with a large opening area. The cold air in the refrigerating compartment 2 flows through the refrigerating compartment first air duct 110 from the refrigerating compartment first air duct return port 115 due to the driving of the refrigerating compartment fan 9b, blows out from the refrigerating compartment outlets 111a and 111b, and a part of it flows through the refrigerating compartment return air duct 130 through the refrigerating compartment return port 131 and returns to the cooler compartment 8. By this operation, the low-temperature cold air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 14 can be directly sent into the refrigerating compartment 2 while stirring the air in the refrigerating compartment, and temperature unevenness can be suppressed (second rapid cooling operation mode).

[0064] In this embodiment, the refrigerating compartment fan 9b is provided at a height facing the refrigerating compartment first air duct return port 115. However, the refrigerating compartment fan 9b may be provided at a height above the refrigerating compartment first air duct return port 115. Thereby, when the refrigerating compartment first damper 151 is in the open state and the refrigerating compartment fan 9b is in the stopped state, it is possible to suppress the cold air flowing into the refrigerating compartment first air duct 110 through the communication portion 170 from blowing out into the refrigerating compartment 2 from the refrigerating compartment first air duct return port 115. Further, by providing the center of gravity height of the refrigerating compartment fan 9b above the refrigerating compartment outlet 111b, particularly above the uppermost shelf 34a, it is also possible to effectively utilize the upper rear portion of the uppermost shelf 34a where it is difficult for the user to reach as the installation space for the refrigerating compartment fan 9b.

[0065] Also, the closed state of the refrigerating compartment first damper 151 and the refrigerating compartment second damper 152 is not limited to the state where the flow path is completely blocked, and includes a state where a slight gap is present (for example, a state where the flow rate is 10% or less compared to the open state).

Embodiment

[0066] The refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16.

[0067] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3. The first evaporator 301a (freezing evaporator) is provided on the back side of the lower freezing chamber 5, and cools the ice-making chamber 3 which is a freezing temperature zone chamber, the upper freezing chamber 4, the lower freezing chamber 5, the vegetable chamber 6 which is a refrigerating temperature zone chamber, and the refrigerator chamber 2 as needed. The freezer fan 9a provided above the first evaporator 301a blows the cold air that has exchanged heat with the first evaporator 301a to the refrigerator chamber 2, the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezing chamber 4, the lower freezing chamber 5, and the vegetable chamber 6 through the refrigerator air duct 300, the freezer air duct 100, and the vegetable chamber air duct (not shown). In this embodiment, the form of the freezer fan 9a is a propeller fan, and it efficiently blows cold air in the axial direction. Hereinafter, the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezing chamber 4, and the lower freezing chamber 5 may be collectively referred to as the freezing temperature zone chamber.

[0068] The supply of cold air to the refrigerator chamber 2 is controlled by opening and closing the refrigerator damper 306. The refrigerator damper 306 is provided with a baffle plate 307, and the opening and closing angle of the baffle plate 307 is adjusted by motor drive to adjust the air volume. The air sent to the refrigerator chamber 2 can be continuously cooled by returning below the first evaporator 301a. Since the refrigerator chamber 2 is provided with the second evaporator 301b, when the heat load is large such that the second evaporator 301b cannot cover the cooling of the refrigerator chamber 2, the refrigerator damper 306 opens to promote the cooling of the refrigerator chamber 2.

[0069] The supply of cold air to the vegetable chamber 6 is controlled by opening and closing a vegetable chamber damper (not shown). The vegetable chamber damper is provided with a baffle plate (not shown), and the opening and closing angle of the baffle plate is adjusted by motor drive to adjust the air volume. The air sent to the vegetable chamber 6 can be continuously cooled by returning below the first evaporator 301a.

[0070] Below the first evaporator 301a, a defrost heater 21 is provided. When frost grows on the surface of the first evaporator 301a and the air passage narrows, defrosting is performed by operating the defrost heater 21.

[0071] The second evaporator 301b (refrigerator evaporator) is provided on the back side of the refrigerator compartment 2 and cools the refrigerator compartment 2 which is a refrigerating temperature zone compartment. The refrigerator compartment fan 9b provided below the second evaporator 301b blows the cold air heat-exchanged with the second evaporator 301b into the refrigerator compartment 2 through the refrigerator compartment air passage 300. In this embodiment, the form of the refrigerator compartment fan 9b is a centrifugal fan, and it efficiently blows cold air in the circumferential direction (mainly the upper side).

[0072] Here, the cold air heat-exchanged with the first evaporator 301a is basically at a low temperature to cool the freezing temperature zone compartment, and the humidity is also low as the temperature decreases. However, in this embodiment, when the heat load of the refrigerator compartment 2 is not large, it is cooled by the second evaporator 301b. That is, since the low-humidity cold air heat-exchanged with the first evaporator 301a does not directly flow into the refrigerator compartment 2, it is possible to keep the refrigerator compartment 2 in a high-humidity state.

[0073] The frost grown on the cooling surface 304 of the second evaporator 301b can be defrosted without using a heating source such as a heater by operating the refrigerator compartment fan 9b without flowing the refrigerant through the second evaporator 301b. Also, since the air blown into the refrigerator compartment 2 during the defrost operation of the second evaporator 301b is around 0°C (the temperature of the frost), the refrigerator compartment 2 can be cooled simultaneously with defrosting. That is, in this embodiment, since the defrost operation and the cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment 2 are simultaneously performed while the compressor 24 is stopped, the power consumption is lower compared to general defrosting using a heating source such as a heater. Therefore, even when the defrost operation of the refrigerator compartment 2 frequently occurs, it is less likely to impair the energy-saving performance. Furthermore, since the refrigerator compartment 2 can be cooled even when the compressor 24 is stopped, it is possible to suppress the unsteady temperature fluctuations inside the refrigerator compartment 2, and for example, it can be controlled to a chilled temperature zone of 0 to 2 degrees. Also, the refrigerator compartment 2 can be humidified using the melted frost. Hereinafter, the operation of performing defrosting and cooling of the refrigerator compartment 2 by operating the refrigerator compartment fan 9b while the compressor 24 is stopped is referred to as an off-cycle operation.

[0074] A control board 31 is arranged on the back side of the upper wall of the refrigerator 1. According to the control means stored in the control board 31, the ON / OFF and rotational speed control of the compressor 24, the freezer fan 9a and the refrigerator fan 9b, and the opening / closing control of the refrigerator damper 306 are carried out.

[0075] In the machine room 39 provided below the refrigerator 1, in addition to the compressor 24, a first radiator 308a (not shown in FIG. 10) and an outdoor blower 309 (not shown in FIG. 10) are arranged.

[0076] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a compressor 24 that compresses a refrigerant, a first radiator 308a and a second radiator 308b that are heat radiating means for radiating heat of the refrigerant, a capillary tube 53 that is decompression means for decompressing the refrigerant, and a first evaporator 301a and a second evaporator 301b that exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air inside the compartment to absorb the heat inside the compartment. Further, the refrigerator 1 further includes a drier 51 that removes moisture in the refrigeration cycle and a gas-liquid separator 54 that prevents liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 24, and a refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting these with a refrigerant pipe 302.

[0077] The first radiator 308a is configured to have a higher heat radiation efficiency than the second radiator 308b because it sucks outdoor air by the outdoor blower 309. Note that isobutane is used as the refrigerant in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment. Further, the compressor 24 of the present embodiment is provided with an inverter and can change the rotational speed. In the refrigeration cycle shown in FIG. 11, a capillary tube is cited as an example of the decompression means, but an expansion valve or a combination of an expansion valve and a capillary tube may also be used.

[0078] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the first evaporator of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 12, the first evaporator 301a is a cross fin tube type heat exchanger, and a plurality of aluminum fins 305 are configured to be penetrated by a heat transfer tube 303 bent multiple times. Further, a gas-liquid separator 54 is provided on the refrigerant outlet side of the heat transfer tube 303. This first evaporator 301a is disposed in the space between the inner box 10b and the refrigerating temperature zone chamber.

[0079] FIG. 13 is a side view of the second evaporator of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 13, the second evaporator 301b is composed of a heat transfer tube 303 and a cooling surface 304. The heat transfer tube 303 of the second evaporator 301b is mounted inside the wall surface of the heat insulation box 10. The heat transfer tube 303 is bent multiple times, disposed in the foam heat insulation material between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b, and in contact with the back side of the inner box 10b. Further, the cooling surface 304 is fixed to the refrigerating chamber 2 side of the inner box 10b by an adhesive or the like, and the heat transfer tube 303 cools the refrigerating chamber 2 through the cooling surface 304. In this way, by mounting the heat transfer tube 303 of the second evaporator 301b inside the wall surface of the heat insulation box 10, the cooling system is miniaturized and the food storage volume is expanded. Further, a vacuum heat insulation material 25 is provided on the back surface of the second evaporator 301b to suppress heat absorption from the outside of the cabinet.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cooling surface of the second evaporator of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 14, fins 305 are provided on the cooling surface 304, so that the heat transfer area is enlarged and the cooling efficiency of the refrigerating compartment 2 is improved, thereby enhancing the energy-saving performance of the refrigerator 1. Since the fins 305 are formed parallel to the flow of cold air, an increase in the air passage resistance can be suppressed. Also, by making the material of the fins 305 a resin material, the cooling surface temperature becomes higher compared to the case where the material of the fins 305 is metal, so that the amount of frost formation in the second evaporator 301b is suppressed and the off-cycle operation time can be shortened. Further, by suppressing the amount of frost formation, dehumidification of the refrigerating compartment 2 is suppressed and the refrigerating compartment 2 can be kept at a high humidity. Furthermore, since the cold air temperature becomes higher, the risk of refrigerated food freezing can be reduced. For the same reason, it is also desirable that the cooling surface 304 be made of resin. However, the thermal conductivity of the cooling surface 304 and the fins 305 should be higher than that of the inner box 10b. In this embodiment, the cooling surface 304 and the fins 305 are made of resin to suppress the amount of frost formation. However, when it is desired to prioritize the cooling performance of the refrigerating compartment 2, these can also be made of a metal such as aluminum.

[0081] As described above with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, the first evaporator 301a has a cross fin tube type configuration that is easy to enhance the cooling efficiency, and the second evaporator 301b has the heat transfer tubes 303 mounted inside the wall surface of the heat insulating box body 10 to suppress the growth of frost and the cooling surface 304 and the like are made of a resin material having a low thermal conductivity. That is, on the side of the first evaporator 301a, the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant is small (about 5°C), and the frost growth rate is slow. Therefore, priority is given to improving the cooling efficiency rather than suppressing the frost growth. On the other hand, on the side of the second evaporator 301b, the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant is large (about 25°C), and the frost growth rate is fast. Therefore, priority is given to suppressing the frost growth rather than the cooling efficiency. By considering the characteristics of each evaporator in this way, the energy-saving performance of the refrigerator 1 is enhanced.

[0082] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the heat transfer tubes of the evaporator of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3, where a shows a cross-sectional view of the heat transfer tubes of the first evaporator 301a, and b shows a cross-sectional view of the heat transfer tubes of the second evaporator 301b. As shown in FIG. 15, the inner surface of the heat transfer tube 303 of the first evaporator 301a is grooved to increase the heat transfer area on the refrigerant side, so that the temperature of the heat transfer tube 303 becomes as close as possible to the refrigerant temperature, thereby enhancing the cooling efficiency. On the other hand, the inner surface of the heat transfer tube 303 of the second evaporator 301b is made smooth so that the temperature of the heat transfer tube 303 becomes higher than the refrigerant temperature, suppressing the amount of frost formation and shortening the defrosting time. In this way, on the side of the first evaporator 301a, the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant is small (about 5°C), and the frost growth rate is slow. Therefore, the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the heat transfer tube 303 is made as small as possible to facilitate enhancing the cooling efficiency. On the other hand, on the side of the second evaporator 301b, the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant is large (about 25°C), and the frost growth rate is fast. Therefore, the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the heat transfer tube 303 is made as large as possible to suppress the growth of frost.

[0083] FIG. 16 is an arrangement view of the refrigeration cycle components of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 as viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 16, the compressor 24 and the first radiator 308a are provided in the machine room 39, the second radiator 308b is provided on the side surface of the refrigerator 1, the first evaporator 301a is provided in the freezer temperature zone room (on the back side), and the second evaporator 301b is provided in the refrigerator compartment 2 (on the back side). Also, the refrigerant pipe 302 connecting the second evaporator 301b and the first evaporator 301a is arranged to extend downward from the second evaporator 301b. Further, the heat transfer tube 303 of the second evaporator 301b is configured to descend monotonically.

[0084] Here, during the operation of the compressor 24, it is assumed that the liquid refrigerant flows from the upper vertical direction to the lower vertical direction through the heat transfer pipe 303 of the second evaporator 301b, and the heat transfer pipe 303 is expressed as monotonically "descending". However, during the operation of the compressor 24, when the liquid refrigerant flows from the lower vertical direction to the upper vertical direction through the heat transfer pipe 303 of the second evaporator 301b, it can also be interpreted that the heat transfer pipe 303 monotonically "ascends". In any case, the heat transfer pipe 303 of the second evaporator 301b only needs to be continuously inclined so that the liquid refrigerant in the heat transfer pipe 303 continues to flow downward by gravity when the compressor 24 stops. Therefore, even if there is a slight horizontal or upward inclination, it is acceptable as long as the liquid refrigerant is discharged by gravity.

[0085] As a result, during the off-cycle operation, since the liquid refrigerant in the second evaporator 301b decreases due to gravity, the heat load for melting frost becomes smaller, and the defrosting efficiency (efficiency of off-cycle operation) of the refrigerating chamber 2 can be improved. In addition, since the frost on the second evaporator 301b melts and the moisture-containing air is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 2, the humidity in the refrigerating chamber 2 can be increased, and the freshness of refrigerated foods can be improved.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 16, by providing the second evaporator 301b above the first evaporator 301a, during the off-cycle operation, the flow of the liquid refrigerant from the first evaporator 301a to the second evaporator 301b is suppressed, the increase in the heat load is suppressed, and the defrosting efficiency (efficiency of off-cycle operation) is increased. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the second evaporator 301b and the first evaporator 301a are connected in series by the refrigerant pipe 302 extending downward from the second evaporator 301b, the first evaporator 301a serves as a tank (storage part) for storing the liquid refrigerant flowing down from the second evaporator 301b. For this reason, the liquid refrigerant is surely discharged from the heat transfer pipe 303 of the second evaporator 301b, which consequently leads to a further improvement in the defrosting efficiency. Note that as the tank for storing the liquid refrigerant, any one other than the first evaporator 301a may be used as long as it has a larger cross-sectional area than the heat transfer pipe 303. For example, a header provided separately at a position lower than the second evaporator 301b may be used.

[0087] In this embodiment, not only the first evaporator 301a but also a second evaporator 301b is provided in the refrigerating chamber 2. As a result, compared with the case where only the first evaporator 301a is installed, the amount of frost formation on the first evaporator 301a is reduced, the defrosting operation time of the freezing temperature zone chamber is reduced, and the energy-saving performance of the refrigerator 1 can be improved. In this embodiment, although frost grows on the second evaporator 301b and is melted by the off-cycle operation, the shortening of the defrosting time of the freezing temperature zone chamber has a greater influence than the increase in the power consumption due to the off-cycle operation, and the power consumption of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced.

[0088] Also, as in this embodiment, by connecting the first evaporator 301a and the second evaporator 301b in series, the number of capillary tubes 53 can be reduced from two to one compared with the case of connecting them in parallel, and components such as a valve for branching the refrigerant flow path and a check valve for suppressing the reverse flow of the refrigerant are also unnecessary. As a result, the refrigerator 1 can be manufactured at low cost, and the manufacturing defect rate can be reduced because the refrigeration cycle structure is simple. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the refrigerant is configured to pass through the second evaporator 301b and then through the first evaporator 301a and the gas-liquid separator 54, and the gas-liquid separator 54 is installed in the freezing chamber air duct 100. By configuring it in this way, it is not necessary to install the gas-liquid separator 54 inside the wall surface of the heat insulation box body 10, so it is possible to achieve both the thinning of the heat insulation box body 10 and the improvement of the defrosting efficiency.

[0089] Similarly, by making the upstream side of the refrigerant the second evaporator 301b and the downstream side of the refrigerant the first evaporator 301a, the refrigerant temperature of the first evaporator 301a is lowered due to the pressure loss in the heat transfer tube compared to the second evaporator 301b. Furthermore, since the amount of liquid refrigerant on the downstream side of the refrigerant becomes smaller (the degree of depletion becomes higher), the heat transfer rate on the refrigerant side is improved. Therefore, on the first evaporator 301a side, it becomes a configuration in which it is easy to increase the cooling efficiency by making the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant as large as possible, and on the second evaporator 301b side, it becomes a configuration with high defrosting efficiency in which it is easy to suppress the growth of frost by making the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant as small as possible.

Embodiment

[0090] Next, the refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. The refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 4 has only a refrigerating chamber as a storage chamber, and this refrigerating chamber is cooled by one evaporator 301c. Note that other configurations are the same, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0091] FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram of the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 4. As shown in FIG. 17, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a compressor 24, a first radiator 308a and a second radiator 308b which are heat radiating means for radiating heat of the refrigerant, a capillary tube 53 which is decompression means for decompressing the refrigerant, and an evaporator 301c (refrigerating evaporator) which exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air in the compartment to absorb the heat in the compartment. Further, the refrigerator 1 further includes a dryer 51 for removing moisture in the refrigeration cycle, and these are connected by a refrigerant pipe 302 to constitute a refrigeration cycle.

[0092] FIG. 18 is an arrangement diagram of the refrigeration cycle components of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 4 as viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 18, the compressor 24 and the first radiator 308a are provided in the machine room 39, the second radiator is provided on the side surface of the refrigerator 1, and the evaporator 301c is provided in the refrigerating chamber 2 (on the back side). The heat transfer pipe 303 of the evaporator 301c is configured to descend monotonously, and the refrigerant pipe connecting the evaporator 301c and the compressor 24 is arranged to extend downward from the evaporator 301c. Therefore, similar to Embodiment 3, during the off-cycle operation, the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 301c decreases due to gravity, so the heat load for melting frost becomes smaller, and the defrosting efficiency of the refrigerating chamber 2 can be improved. Further, since the frost on the evaporator 301c melts and the air containing moisture is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 2, the humidity of the refrigerating chamber 2 can be increased, and the freshness of the refrigerated food can be improved. In the present embodiment, the compressor 24 serves as a tank (storage portion) for storing the liquid refrigerant flowing down from the evaporator 301c, and the liquid refrigerant is surely discharged from the heat transfer pipe 303 of the evaporator 301c, leading to a further improvement in defrosting efficiency.

[0093] The above is the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to the one having all the configurations described. Also, for a part of the configuration of the embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

Explanation of Signs

[0094] 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerating Chamber (an example of a high-temperature chamber) 3 Ice-making Chamber (an example of a low-temperature chamber) 4 Upper Freezing Chamber (an example of a low-temperature chamber) 5 Lower Freezing Chamber (an example of a low-temperature chamber) 6 Vegetable Chamber 8 Cooler Chamber 9a Freezing Chamber Fan 9b Refrigerating Chamber Fan 10 Heat-insulating Box 10a Outer Box 10b Inner Box 14 Cooler 24 Compressor 25 Vacuum Insulation Material 27, 28 Heat-insulating Partition Wall 29, 30 Partition Portion 31 Control Board 39 Machine Room 110 First Air Duct of Refrigerating Chamber 111 Outlet of Refrigerating Chamber 115 Return Port of First Air Duct of Refrigerating Chamber 120 Second Air Duct of Refrigerating Chamber 130 Return Air Duct of Refrigerating Chamber 131 Return Port of Refrigerating Chamber 150 Damper of Refrigerating Chamber (Cold Air Blocking Means) 151 First Damper of Refrigerating Chamber (First Cold Air Blocking Means) 152 Second Damper of Refrigerating Chamber (Second Cold Air Blocking Means) 160 Damper of Vegetable Chamber (Cold Air Blocking Means for Vegetable Chamber) 200 Heat Transfer Member

Claims

【Claim 1】 A low-temperature chamber, a high-temperature chamber that is hotter than the low-temperature chamber, a cooler that supplies cold air to the low-temperature chamber, a heat transfer member having one surface facing the high-temperature chamber side, a first air passage that circulates the air in the refrigerated temperature zone storage chamber as the high-temperature chamber, and a second air passage that circulates the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler and does not communicate with the refrigerated temperature zone storage chamber. The first air passage and the second air passage are adjacent to each other with a partition therebetween. The heat transfer member is cooled by the cold air flowing through the second air passage having a smaller air passage cross-sectional area than the low-temperature chamber. An operation mode in which air is circulated from the first air passage through the refrigerated temperature zone storage chamber and back to the first air passage without passing through the cooler, and the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler is not guided to the second air passage. An operation mode in which air is circulated from the first air passage through the refrigerated temperature zone storage chamber and back to the first air passage without passing through the cooler, and the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler is guided to the second air passage. A refrigerator having an operation mode in which the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler is made to flow from the first air passage into the refrigerated temperature zone storage chamber.

Images