Refrigerator and refrigerator system

Abstract

A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator body that has a storage chamber and a cooling chamber; a door that is provided to the front surface of the storage chamber; an opening / closing sensor that detects that the door has been opened / closed by a user; an interior temperature sensor that measures the temperature in the storage chamber, the interior temperature sensor being installed in the storage chamber; a cooler that cools the air in the cooling chamber by using a refrigerant flowing through the interior of the cooler to generate cold air, the cooler being installed in the cooling chamber; a blower that blows the cold air into the storage chamber, the blower being installed in the cooling chamber; a compressor that sends the refrigerant to the cooler; a damper that controls the supply of cold air from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber; and a control device that controls the compressor, the blower, and the damper. The control device implements: an ordinary operation in which the damper is opened / closed, the blower is operated at a first blower speed, and the compressor is operated at a first compressor speed so that the temperature in the storage chamber as acquired by the interior temperature sensor reaches a set temperature; a preparatory operation in which the damper is closed, the blower is stopped, and the compressor is operated at a second compressor speed higher than the first compressor speed; and a rapid cooling operation in which the damper is opened and the blower is operated at a second blower speed higher than the first blower speed so that the temperature in the storage chamber as acquired by the interior temperature sensor reaches a first temperature lower than the set temperature.

Description

Refrigerators and refrigerator systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a refrigerator system including a refrigerator and a cooking appliance.

[0002] Conventionally, refrigerators with a rapid cooling function that rapidly lowers the temperature of food have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator that performs the rapid cooling function based on a time specified by a user.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-125884

[0004] Also proposed is a refrigerator that works in conjunction with a rice cooker to freeze cooked rice. Specifically, when the rice cooker executes a freezing mode to cook cooked rice suitable for freezing, it sends a freezing mode signal to the refrigerator indicating that the freezing mode is to be executed. When the refrigerator receives the freezing mode signal, it pre-sets the temperature of the storage compartment in which the cooked rice to be frozen is stored to a preset temperature for freezing (e.g., -7°C). This allows the cooked rice to be quickly frozen in the refrigerator.

[0005] As described above, in the method of lowering the set temperature of the storage compartment in advance when a freezing mode signal is received, the storage compartment is maintained at the set temperature from the time the storage compartment reaches a set temperature suitable for freezing cooked rice until the user places the cooked rice in the storage compartment. In this case, the storage compartment may be cooled more than necessary, which may affect other foods. Also, if hot cooked rice immediately after cooking is placed in the storage compartment, the temperature of the storage compartment may rise above the set temperature until the cooked rice is cooled, which may affect other foods.

[0006] A conventional refrigerator is known that determines whether hot food has been placed in the storage compartment to prevent the storage compartment from being cooled more than necessary, and performs rapid cooling if hot food is placed in the storage compartment. Such refrigerators measure the temperature rise in the storage compartment after the food is placed in the storage compartment and the door is closed to determine whether rapid cooling is required. However, this method has the problem that the temperature in the storage compartment rises due to the heat of the food while the temperature in the storage compartment is being measured, and therefore the temperature of any food previously placed in the storage compartment also rises during that time. Furthermore, this method waits for the temperature in the storage compartment to rise before starting the rapid cooling operation, which does not solve the problem of the time it takes to cool the stored food.

[0007] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a refrigerator and refrigerator system that can suppress the impact on other foods when rapidly cooling high-temperature foods.

[0008] A refrigerator according to the present disclosure includes a refrigerator body having a storage compartment and a cooling compartment, a door provided on the front of the storage compartment, an opening / closing sensor that detects whether the door is opened or closed by a user, an internal temperature sensor that is installed in the storage compartment and measures the temperature of the storage compartment, a cooler that is installed in the cooling compartment and generates cold air by cooling the air in the cooling compartment with a refrigerant flowing inside, a blower that is installed in the cooling compartment and sends the cold air to the storage compartment, a compressor that sends the refrigerant to the cooler, a damper that controls the supply of cold air from the cooling compartment to the storage compartment, and a control device that controls the compressor, the blower, and the damper. The control device performs three operations: normal operation in which the damper is opened and closed, the blower is operated at a first blower rotation speed, and the compressor is operated at a first compressor rotation speed so that the temperature of the storage compartment obtained by the in-cabinet temperature sensor becomes the set temperature; preparatory operation in which the damper is closed, the blower is stopped, and the compressor is operated at a second compressor rotation speed that is higher than the first compressor rotation speed; and rapid cooling operation in which the damper is opened and the blower is operated at a second blower rotation speed that is higher than the first blower rotation speed so that the temperature of the storage compartment obtained by the in-cabinet temperature sensor becomes a first temperature that is lower than the set temperature.

[0009] A refrigerator system according to the present disclosure includes the refrigerator, and a cooking appliance or a terminal device connected to the refrigerator via a network.

[0010] According to the refrigerator and refrigerator system of the present disclosure, by performing a preparatory operation in which the damper is closed, the blower is stopped, and the compressor is operated at a higher rotation speed than normal operation, and then performing a rapid cooling operation, the storage compartment can be cooled quickly and the impact on other food can be suppressed.

[0011] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation display unit of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a heat dissipation pipe in the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a cooling compartment of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an air path configuration of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a switchable compartment of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of a rice cooker according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rice cooker according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a time change in temperature of the switchable compartment in a supercooling freezing mode of a refrigerator according to the prior art. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a time change in temperature of the switchable compartment, a time change in temperatures of other storage compartments, the rotation speed of the compressor and the fan, and a time change in the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through a heat dissipation pipe in a supercooling freezing mode of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator system according to embodiment 2. FIG. 15 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator system according to embodiment 2.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a refrigerator and a refrigerator system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, components with the same reference numerals are identical or equivalent, and this is common throughout the specification. Other executable steps may be included between each step in the flowchart of the present disclosure. In each drawing, the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of each component may differ from those in reality.

[0013] Embodiment 1. <Configuration of Refrigerator System 100> Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerator system 100 includes a refrigerator 1 and a rice cooker 2. The refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 200 such as the Internet or a home LAN.

[0014] <Configuration of Refrigerator 1> The configuration of refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view of refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view of refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 2 cut along line A-A and viewed from the direction of the arrow. In the following description, to facilitate understanding, terms indicating directions, such as "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," "this side," "rear," and "back," are used as appropriate, but these terms are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the embodiments. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," "this side," "rear," and "back" are used when refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front.

[0015] 2 and 3, refrigerator 1 includes refrigerator body 101 having an open front and a storage space formed therein. Refrigerator body 101 includes steel outer box 102, resin inner box 103, and heat insulating material 104 filled in the space between outer box 102 and inner box 103. The storage space formed inside refrigerator body 101 is divided into multiple storage compartments for storing food by partition members with heat insulating properties.

[0016] The refrigerator 1 includes multiple storage compartments: a refrigerator compartment 11 located on the top level; an ice-making compartment 12 and a switchable compartment 13 located below the refrigerator compartment 11; a vegetable compartment 14 located below the ice-making compartment 12 and the switchable compartment 13; and a freezer compartment 15 located on the bottom level. The temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 is set, for example, between 0°C and 6°C. The temperature of the ice-making compartment 12 is set, for example, to -18°C. The switchable compartment 13 can be switched to multiple temperature zones based on user instructions. For example, the switchable compartment 13 can be switched to temperature zones such as soft freezing (-10°C to -4°C, for example, -7°C), chilled (-3°C to 0°C, for example, approximately 0°C), refrigerated (for example, approximately 3°C), and vegetable (for example, approximately 6°C). The switchable compartment 13 can also store food in a supercooling freezing mode, which will be described later. The temperature of the vegetable compartment 14 is set, for example, to 6°C. The temperature of the freezer compartment 15 is set, for example, to -18°C.

[0017] The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is a bottom freezer type in which the freezer compartment 15 is formed in the lower part, but the arrangement of each storage compartment is not limited to the examples in Figures 2 and 3. For example, the refrigerator 1 may be a top freezer type in which the freezer compartment 15 is formed in the upper part.

[0018] An opening formed in the front of refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a double-hinged refrigerator compartment door 110 that opens and closes the opening. Refrigerator compartment door 110 is attached to refrigerator body 101 via a pair of hinges 105 provided on the front side of the ceiling of refrigerator body 101. Ice making compartment 12, switchable compartment 13, vegetable compartment 14, and freezer compartment 15 are configured to be opened and closed by drawer-type ice making compartment door 120, switchable compartment door 130, vegetable compartment door 140, and freezer compartment door 150, respectively.

[0019] An operation display unit 106 is provided on the outer surface of the refrigerator compartment door 110. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation display unit 106 of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. The operation display unit 106 includes an operation unit 61 that accepts operations from the user and a display unit 62 that displays the temperature of each storage compartment, the operation mode of each storage compartment, messages for the user, and the like. The operation unit 61 has a plurality of operation buttons, and the user can set the temperature and operation mode of each storage compartment by operating the operation unit 61. The display unit 62 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays the temperature of each storage compartment, the operation mode of each storage compartment, messages for the user, and the like. The operation display unit 106 may be configured as a touch panel in which the operation unit 61 is integrally formed on the display unit 62.

[0020] Returning to Figure 3, a communication device 40 that communicates with rice cooker 2 via network 200 and a control device 50 that controls refrigerator 1 are provided on top of refrigerator 1. Communication device 40 is provided inside hinge 105 or fixed to the surface of hinge 105. Note that communication device 40 may be provided inside refrigerator body 101, for example, in the side wall of refrigeration compartment 11 or near control device 50, or anywhere in the indoor space in which refrigerator 1 is installed. Communication device 40 is connected directly to network 200 or connected to network 200 via a gateway provided separately from refrigerator 1, and transmits and receives data between rice cooker 2 and control device 50.

[0021] The control device 50 is provided on the upper rear surface of the refrigerator body 101. The control device 50 is connected to the communication device 40 and the operation display unit 106 by lead wires or the like. The control device 50 may be connected to the operation display unit 106 via the communication device 40 in the hinge 105.

[0022] The control device 50 is configured with a processor such as a CPU and a memory for storing software executed by the processor and instructions or data included in signals from various devices. The control device 50 may also be configured with hardware such as a circuit device that realizes its functions. The control device 50 controls the temperature of each storage compartment of the refrigerator 1.

[0023] The rear side of each storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 is provided with a cooling mechanism for supplying cool air. The cooling mechanism includes a refrigerant circuit including a compressor 31, a condenser 32 ( FIG. 5 ), a pressure reducing device (not shown), and a cooler 33, and a blower 34 for transporting the cool air supplied from the refrigerant circuit to each storage compartment. The compressor 31 draws in and compresses low-pressure gas refrigerant and then discharges the high-pressure gas refrigerant to the condenser 32 and the cooler 33. The compressor 31, the condenser 32, and the cooler 33 are connected by a heat radiation pipe 35. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the heat radiation pipe 35 in the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. The heat radiation pipe 35 is made of, for example, a copper pipe and is disposed on the rear panel and the side panel of the outer casing 102 of the refrigerator 1. When the compressor 31 is driven, high-temperature refrigerant flows through the heat radiation pipe 35, causing the temperature of the heat radiation pipe 35 to rise. As a result, the surface temperature of the refrigerator body 101 is maintained above the dew point temperature of the space in which the refrigerator 1 is installed, thereby suppressing the occurrence of condensation.

[0024] The cooler 33 and the blower 34 are housed in the cooling compartment 16 provided on the rear side of the vegetable compartment 14. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the cooling compartment 16 of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the cooling compartment 16 as viewed from the rear side. Note that the arrows in Fig. 6 indicate the flow of air. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, an air outlet 161 is provided above the cooling compartment 16, through which air cooled in the cooling compartment 16 is blown out. The blower 34 is provided behind the air outlet 161. The blower 34 is, for example, an axial fan, and its rotation speed is controlled by the control device 50.

[0025] A return port 162 is provided below the cooling chamber 16, through which return air from each storage chamber flows in. The cooler 33 is disposed between the return port 162 and the blower 34. The cooler 33 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger. The cooler 33 functions as an evaporator, and generates cool air by cooling the air in the cooling chamber 16 using the refrigerant flowing inside.

[0026] Further, air passages 111, 121, 131, 141, and 151 are provided on the rear side of each storage compartment to transmit the cool air generated by cooler 33 to each storage compartment. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the air passage configuration of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 7, air passages 111, 121, 131, 141, and 151 consist of an air supply air passage communicating with outlet 161 of cooling compartment 16 and a return air passage communicating with return outlet 162. Air supplied by blower 34 is supplied to refrigerator compartment 11 via air supply air passage 111a, to ice-making compartment 12 via air supply air passage 121a, to switchable compartment 13 via air supply air passage 131a, to vegetable compartment 14 via air supply air passage 141a, and to freezer compartment 15 via air supply air passage 151a.

[0027] The air supplied to each storage compartment is returned to cooling compartment 16 via a return air duct. Specifically, the air passes through return air duct 111b from refrigerator compartment 11, return air duct 121b from ice-making compartment 12, return air duct 131b from switchable compartment 13, return air duct 141b from vegetable compartment 14, and return air duct 151b from freezer compartment 15, before returning to cooling compartment 16. By circulating the air in this manner, the temperature of each storage compartment is lowered to the target temperature.

[0028] Dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 are provided in air supply ducts 111a, 121a, 131a, and 141a to adjust the amount of cold air supplied to each storage compartment. When dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 are open, cold air is supplied to refrigerator compartment 11, ice making compartment 12, switchable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14. When dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 are closed, the supply of cold air to refrigerator compartment 11, ice making compartment 12, switchable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14 is stopped. The amount of cold air supplied to refrigerator compartment 11, ice making compartment 12, switchable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14 is adjusted by adjusting the angles of dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142. The opening / closing or angle of dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 is controlled by control device 50. It should be noted that no damper is provided in the air duct 151a of the freezer compartment 15.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 3 , each storage compartment is provided with an internal temperature sensor 113, 133, 143, and 153 for measuring the temperature within the storage compartment. Although not shown in FIG. 3 , ice-making compartment 12 is also provided with an internal temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of ice-making compartment 12. Cooling compartment 16 is also provided with a cooling compartment temperature sensor 163 for measuring the temperature of cooling compartment 16. Cooling compartment temperature sensor 163 may measure the air temperature within cooling compartment 16 or the temperature of cooler 33. Each temperature sensor is, for example, a thermistor. The temperatures measured by each temperature sensor are transmitted to control device 50.

[0030] The doors of each storage compartment are also provided with opening / closing sensors 114, 134, 144, and 154 for detecting whether the door is opened or closed by the user. Although not shown in Figure 3, ice making compartment 12 is also provided with an opening / closing sensor for detecting whether ice making compartment door 120 is opened or closed. The detection results from the opening / closing sensor are sent to control device 50. It is not necessary to provide opening / closing sensors on the doors of all storage compartments; opening / closing sensors may be provided only on storage compartments that require detection of opening / closing.

[0031] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the switchable compartment 13 of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the switchable compartment 13 in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 8 , an outlet 135 communicating with the air supply duct 131a is provided on the rear side of the switchable compartment 13. A return port 136 communicating with the return air passage 131b is provided on the rear side of the switchable compartment 13 below the outlet 135. When the damper 132 is open, cold air from the cooling compartment 16 passes through the air supply duct 131a and is supplied to the switchable compartment 13 from the outlet 135. Air pushed out by the supply of cold air from the outlet 135 is exhausted from the return port 136 to the return air passage 131b.

[0032] The internal temperature sensor 133 of the switching compartment 13 is disposed on the wall surface on the rear side of the switching compartment 13. The arrangement of the internal temperature sensor 133 of the switching compartment 13 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8 . The opening / closing sensor 134 that detects the opening / closing of the switching compartment door 130 comprises an actuating unit 134a disposed on the rear side of the switching compartment door 130 and a detecting unit 134b disposed on the front side of the switching compartment 13, i.e., near the actuating unit 134a. The detecting unit 134b is a magnetic sensor, such as a reed switch or a low-voltage Hall IC that operates at 48 V or less. The actuating unit 134a activates the detecting unit 134b when brought close to the detecting unit 134b, and is, for example, a magnet. The opening / closing sensor 134 may be configured as a single unit, such as a push button switch. The opening / closing sensors provided in the other storage compartments also have a similar configuration to the opening / closing sensor 134.

[0033] <Configuration of rice cooker 2> Fig. 9 is an external perspective view of the rice cooker 2 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the rice cooker 2 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 , the rice cooker 2 includes a main body 21, a lid 22, a heating unit 23, an inner pot 24, an operation display unit 25, a control device 26, and a communication device 27.

[0034] The main body 21 is cylindrical and has an open top. A hollow space is formed inside the main body 21. The lid 22 is attached to the top of the main body 21 so as to be freely opened and closed, and closes the opening of the main body 21. The heating unit 23 is provided on the bottom of the hollow space of the main body 21. The heating unit 23 is, for example, a heating coil, and heats the inner pot 24 by inducing eddy currents in the inner pot 24. The inner pot 24 is detachably housed in the main body 21, and contains rice and water, which are the objects to be heated, inside.

[0035] The operation display unit 25 is provided on the top surface of the lid body 22. The operation display unit 25 accepts operation inputs from the user and displays information related to the operation inputs and the operating status of the rice cooker 2. Items that can be set on the operation display unit 25 include, for example, starting rice cooking, canceling rice cooking, reserving rice cooking, and rice cooking mode.

[0036] The rice cooker 2 of this embodiment can operate in two cooking modes: a normal mode for cooking rice as usual, and a freezing mode for cooking rice suitable for freezing. The normal mode is a mode for cooking rice suitable for eating as is. On the other hand, the freezing mode is a mode for cooking rice in which the grains tend to separate easily when frozen. The operation display unit 25 has a selection button 251 for selecting the cooking mode and a start button 252 for instructing the start of rice cooking.

[0037] The control device 26 controls the entire rice cooker 2 and executes the rice cooking process based on the settings input from the operation display unit 25. The control device 26 is composed of a processor such as a CPU and a memory that stores software executed by the processor and instructions or data contained in signals from various devices. The control device 26 may also be composed of hardware such as a circuit device that realizes its functions.

[0038] The communication device 27 communicates with the refrigerator 1 via the network 200. The communication device 27 is connected to the network 200 directly or via a gateway provided separately from the rice cooker 2, and transmits and receives data between the refrigerator 1 and the control device 26.

[0039] <Operation of Refrigerator System 100> Fig. 11 is a control block diagram of refrigerator system 100 according to Embodiment 1. Note that, although Fig. 11 only shows damper 132, internal temperature sensor 133, and opening / closing sensor 134 of switchable compartment 13, dampers, internal temperature sensors, and opening / closing sensors of the other storage compartments are also connected to control device 50 in the same manner.

[0040] The control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the detection results of various sensors in the refrigerator 1, trigger signals received by the communication device 40 from the rice cooker 2, and setting information input via the operation and display unit 106. Specifically, the control device 50 controls the rotation speed of the compressor 31, the rotation speed of the blower 34, and the opening and closing of dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 so that the temperatures measured by each internal temperature sensor become the set temperatures set via the operation and display unit 106. Furthermore, upon receiving a trigger signal from the rice cooker 2 via the communication device 40, the control device 50 switches the switchable compartment 13 to the supercooling and freezing mode. In the supercooling and freezing mode, a preparatory operation for preparing for rapid cooling in the switchable compartment 13, a rapid cooling operation for rapidly cooling food, and a special temperature operation for supercooling food are performed.

[0041] The control device 26 of the rice cooker 2 controls the rice cooker 2 based on the setting information input via the operation and display unit 25. Specifically, the control device 26 controls the output of the heating unit 23 so that the rice cooking process is performed in the rice cooking mode set via the operation and display unit 25. Furthermore, when rice cooking in the freezing mode is started via the operation and display unit 25, the control device 26 sends a trigger signal to the refrigerator 1 via the communication device 27. Note that when the normal rice cooking mode is selected in the rice cooker 2, the operation and display unit 25 may display content suggesting the freezing mode.

[0042] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. The flowchart in Fig. 12 is executed by the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1. First, the control device 50 determines whether or not a trigger signal has been received (S1). The trigger signal is a signal transmitted from the rice cooker 2 when the freezing mode is selected in the rice cooker 2 and the operation of the rice cooker 2 is started.

[0043] If a trigger signal has not been received (S1: NO), the control device 50 performs normal operation (S2). During normal operation, the control device 50 controls the rotation speed of the compressor 31, the rotation speed of the blower 34, and the opening and closing of the dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 so that the temperatures of the storage compartments are set via the operation and display unit 106. Specifically, during normal operation, the control device 50 controls the compressor 31 and the blower 34 to operate at a first compressor rotation speed and a first blower rotation speed, respectively, determined by the outside air temperature and the set temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 11 and the freezer compartment 15. As an example, when the outside air temperature is 20°C, the set temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 is 3°C, and the set temperature of the freezer compartment 15 is -18°C, the first compressor rotation speed is 17 rpm and the first blower rotation speed is 1200 rpm.

[0044] Furthermore, the control device 50 controls the opening and closing of dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 so that the temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor in each storage compartment becomes the set temperature. As an example, the control device 50 opens and closes damper 132 so that the temperature measured by internal temperature sensor 133 provided in switchable compartment 13 falls within a range of ±1°C of the set temperature range. Similarly, for the other storage compartments, dampers 112, 122, and 142 are opened and closed so that the temperatures measured by the internal temperature sensors fall within a range of ±1°C of the set temperature of each storage compartment.

[0045] On the other hand, if a trigger signal is received (S1: YES), the control device 50 performs a warm-up operation (S3). The warm-up operation is an operation in which the refrigerator 1 lowers the temperature of the cooling compartment 16 to a preset rapid-cooling temperature in order to rapidly cool high-temperature (around 80°C) food (cooked rice) in the switchable compartment 13. As an example, the temperature of the cooling compartment 16 during normal operation is −20°C to −25°C, and the temperature of the cooling compartment 16 during the warm-up operation (rapid-cooling temperature) is −35°C.

[0046] In the warm-up operation, first, the control device 50 opens the dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 and rotates the blower 34 to lower the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 11, ice-making compartment 12, switchable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14 by approximately 2 to 3 degrees Celsius below the set temperature. Then, the control device 50 closes the dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142, stops the blower 34, and operates the compressor 31 at a second compressor rotation speed that is higher than the first compressor rotation speed during normal operation. The second compressor rotation speed is, for example, 70 rps.

[0047] During warm-up operation, closing dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 suppresses the temperature rise in cooling compartment 16 due to the return of cold air from each storage compartment, allowing cooling compartment 16 to be quickly cooled to the desired rapid cooling temperature. Closing dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 also increases the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 11, ice-making compartment 12, selectable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14. Therefore, by lowering the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 11, ice-making compartment 12, selectable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14 by approximately 2°C to 3°C before closing dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142, the effects of the temperature rise can be suppressed.

[0048] When the control device 50 receives a trigger signal, it may display on the display unit 62 of the operation display unit 106 the words "FREEZE MODE" to inform the user that food will be quick-frozen, words indicating that "preparation for quick freezing is in progress," or an image corresponding to these. Displaying "FREEZE MODE" on the display unit 62 notifies the user of the current operating state of the switchable compartment 13 and allows the user to cancel the operation if unintended. This also prevents the user from accidentally storing other food in the switchable compartment 13.

[0049] The control device 50 determines whether to end the preparatory operation based on the temperature of the cooling chamber 16 measured by the cooling chamber temperature sensor 163 (S4). Here, the control device 50 determines to end the preparatory operation when the temperature of the cooling chamber 16 measured by the cooling chamber temperature sensor 163 becomes equal to or lower than the rapid cooling temperature. If the temperature of the cooling chamber 16 is not equal to or lower than the rapid cooling temperature (S4: NO), the control device 50 continues the preparatory operation. On the other hand, if the temperature of the cooling chamber 16 becomes equal to or lower than the rapid cooling temperature (S4: YES), the control device 50 ends the preparatory operation and transitions to a standby state (S5).

[0050] When the control device 50 ends the preparatory operation, the control device 50 may display a message on the operation display unit 106 or the operation display unit 25 of the rice cooker 2 notifying the user that preparation for the rapid cooling operation is complete. Alternatively, a speaker or other device may be provided as a notification unit in addition to the operation display unit, and the notification may be issued by an alarm or voice message to notify the user that preparation for the rapid cooling operation is complete. In addition to the notification that preparation for the rapid cooling operation is complete, the control device 50 may also display the location of the selectable compartment 13 among the storage compartments or the temperature range currently selected in the selectable compartment 13. This allows the user to be informed of the current status of the selectable compartment 13 and to check the food currently stored in the selectable compartment 13. Furthermore, when the rapid cooling operation is no longer necessary, the standby state can be canceled by operating the operation display unit 106.

[0051] It takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes from when communication device 40 of refrigerator 1 receives a trigger signal from rice cooker 2 via network 200 until refrigerator 1 completes preparatory operation and becomes able to rapidly cool food in selectable compartment 13. It takes approximately 20 to 50 minutes for rice cooker 2 to complete cooking rice. Therefore, by performing preparatory operation in response to the receipt of a trigger signal sent from rice cooker 2 to refrigerator 1 when an instruction to start cooking rice in freezing mode is issued, refrigerator 1 can complete preparations for rapid cooling before rice cooker 2 finishes cooking.

[0052] In the standby state, the control device 50 maintains the temperature of the cooling compartment 16 at a rapid cooling temperature (-35°C). In the standby state, the control device 50 controls the rotation speed of the compressor 31 according to the internal temperatures of each storage compartment and the temperature of the cooling compartment 16. Also, in the standby state, the control device 50 opens the dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 for a short period of time and rotates the blower 34 so that the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 11, the ice making compartment 12, the switchable compartment 13, and the vegetable compartment 14 are within a range of the set temperature ±1°C. Note that in the standby state, it is sufficient that the temperature of the cooling compartment 16 is maintained at a rapid cooling temperature (-35°C), and the control of the compressor 31, the blower 34, and the dampers 112, 122, 132, and 142 is not limited to the above. For example, the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 11, ice-making compartment 12, switchable compartment 13, and vegetable compartment 14 may be controlled to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius lower than the set temperature.

[0053] In the standby state, the control device 50 determines whether the switchable compartment door 130 has been opened or closed by the opening / closing sensor 134 of the switchable compartment 13 (S6). If the opening or closing of the switchable compartment door 130 is not detected (S6: NO), the control device 50 determines whether a preset standby time (e.g., one hour) has elapsed since the end of the warm-up operation (S7). If the standby time has not elapsed (S7: NO), the standby state is maintained.

[0054] On the other hand, if the standby time has elapsed (S7: YES), the control device 50 ends the standby state (S8) and returns to normal operation. If the selectable compartment door 130 is not opened or closed while the refrigerator 1 is in standby mode after the warm-up operation, rapid cooling operation is deemed unnecessary, and the standby state is canceled and the refrigerator returns to normal operation. In this case, it is assumed that the user has forgotten that they switched to freezing mode. Therefore, before returning to normal operation, the operation display unit 106 of the refrigerator 1 or the operation display unit 25 of the rice cooker 2 may display "Prepared for rapid freezing" again. Alternatively, a speaker or other device may be provided as a notification unit in addition to the operation display unit, and a notification may be issued by alarm or voice. If the state in which the selectable compartment door 130 is not opened or closed continues for a further period of time (e.g., 20 minutes) after the notification, the refrigerator may return to normal operation.

[0055] Furthermore, if the opening or closing of the switching compartment door 130 is detected during standby mode (S6: YES), the control device 50 performs a rapid cooling operation (S9). The rapid cooling operation is an operation for rapidly cooling high-temperature (approximately 80°C) food (cooked rice) stored in the switching compartment 13 by blowing cool air. During the rapid cooling operation, the control device 50 opens the damper 132 of the switching compartment 13 and operates the blower 34 at a second fan rotation speed that is higher than the first fan rotation speed during normal operation. The second fan rotation speed is, for example, 2000 rpm. By setting the second fan rotation speed higher than the first fan rotation speed, air is circulated within the cooling compartment 16, promoting heat exchange between the cooler 33 and the air. During the rapid cooling operation, the control device 50 operates the compressor 31 at the second compressor rotation speed, the same as during warm-up operation. By the rapid cooling operation, the air temperature in the switching compartment 13 is rapidly cooled to -4°C to -10°C, and the heat in the food is removed.

[0056] Furthermore, the cooling rate at which the temperature of the selectable compartment 13 is cooled during rapid cooling operation is greater than the cooling rate (-1°C / 30 minutes) when food is cooled from the refrigeration temperature range to a supercooled state where the food does not freeze even below the freezing point. When the refrigerator 1 performs rapid cooling operation with the selectable compartment 13 unloaded (no food stored), the cooling rate is, for example, approximately -1°C / 3 minutes, which is approximately 10 times faster than the cooling rate when the food is cooled to a supercooled state.

[0057] During rapid cooling operation, the control device 50 briefly opens the dampers 112, 122, and 142 so that the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 11, ice making compartment 12, and vegetable compartment 14 are within ±1°C of the set temperature. The allowable temperature rise from the set temperature is as follows: freezer compartment 15 > ice making compartment 12 > refrigerator compartment 11 > vegetable compartment 14. By setting the allowable temperature rise range for each storage compartment to be larger for storage compartments with lower set temperatures, the number of damper openings and closings can be reduced. As a result, the temperature rise in the cooling compartment 16 due to returning cold air from each storage compartment is suppressed, improving the cooling efficiency of the selectable compartment 13 while maintaining the quality of the food in each storage compartment. Furthermore, during rapid cooling operation, the control device 50 may display a message or image on the operation display unit 106 notifying the user that rapid cooling operation is in progress. This notifies the user of the current status of the selectable compartment 13 and prevents other food from being placed in the selectable compartment 13.

[0058] After the rapid cooling operation is started, the control device 50 determines whether the food stored in the switchable compartment 13 is subject to rapid cooling (S10). If the food stored in the switchable compartment 13 is not subject to rapid cooling (S10: NO), the control device 50 ends the rapid cooling operation (S11) and returns to standby mode. While the refrigerator 1 is in standby mode, low-temperature food that is not subject to rapid cooling may be stored in the switchable compartment 13. In this case, there is no need to perform the rapid cooling operation, so the rapid cooling operation is ended and the refrigerator returns to standby mode.

[0059] Whether or not the food contained in the switchable compartment 13 is subject to rapid cooling is determined based on the temperature change in the switchable compartment 13. Specifically, the control device 50 determines whether the time ts required for the temperature of the switchable compartment 13 measured by the internal temperature sensor 133 to drop to a predetermined reference temperature Ts after the start of the rapid cooling operation is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold time th. The threshold time th is determined in advance through experiments or the like and stored in the memory of the control device 50. If the time ts required for the temperature to drop to the reference temperature Ts is equal to or less than the threshold time th, the control device 50 determines that the food contained in the switchable compartment 13 is at a low temperature and is not subject to rapid cooling. On the other hand, if the time ts required for the temperature to drop to the reference temperature Ts is longer than the threshold time th, the control device 50 determines that the food contained in the switchable compartment 13 is at a high temperature and is subject to rapid cooling.

[0060] If the food stored in the switching compartment 13 is subject to rapid cooling (S10: YES), the control device 50 determines whether to terminate the rapid cooling operation (S12). The control device 50 determines to terminate the rapid cooling operation when the temperature of the switching compartment 13 measured by the internal temperature sensor 133 reaches a first temperature T1, which is lower than the set temperature T0 during normal operation. The first temperature T1 is, for example, approximately -12°C.

[0061] If the temperature of the switchable compartment 13 is higher than the first temperature T1, the control device 50 determines not to end the rapid cooling operation (S12: NO) and continues the rapid cooling operation. On the other hand, if the temperature of the switchable compartment 13 falls below the low first temperature T1 and it is determined to end the rapid cooling operation (S12: YES), the control device 50 ends the rapid cooling operation and performs the special temperature operation (S13).

[0062] During special temperature operation, temperature control is performed so that the food in the selectable compartment 13 is supercooled and frozen. The difference between normal freezing and supercooling is that normal freezing produces large needle-shaped ice crystals that grow from the surface to the interior, while supercooling produces small granular ice crystals uniformly distributed on the surface and interior. Therefore, supercooling suppresses the growth of ice crystals that can cause the loss of water in cells or cell destruction. Supercooling, which involves cooling high-temperature cooked rice to supercooled temperature after allowing it to cool, and then freezing it, produces sweeter frozen rice.

[0063] In the special temperature operation, the controller 50 maintains the temperature of the switchable compartment 13 at a first temperature T1, then closes the damper 132, raising the temperature inside the switchable compartment 13 and transitioning it to a second temperature T2 (approximately -4°C) higher than the normal set temperature T0. After transitioning to the second temperature T2, the controller 50 repeatedly opens and closes the damper 132 to maintain the second temperature T2, maintaining the second temperature T2 for a first time period (e.g., approximately 1.5 hours). Thereafter, the controller 50 opens the damper 132, transitioning the temperature inside the switchable compartment 13 from the normal set temperature T0 to a first temperature T1 (approximately -12°C).

[0064] The transition from the second temperature T2 to the normal set temperature T0 takes approximately 2.5 hours. During this time, the interior of the switchable compartment 13 is gradually cooled. The transition from the normal set temperature T0 to the first temperature T1 takes approximately 10 minutes. During this time, the interior of the switchable compartment 13 is rapidly cooled. While rapid cooling causes a rapid drop in the temperature (air) inside the compartment, food has a large heat capacity and therefore does not rapidly drop in temperature. The difference between slow cooling and rapid cooling is achieved, for example, by adjusting the opening degree of the damper 132. The control device 50 may open the damper 132 more widely when performing rapid cooling than when performing slow cooling. The control device 50 primarily controls the frequency of opening and closing the damper 132 or the length of time the damper 132 is open (the percentage of opening within a certain period of time). The control device 50 leaves the damper 132 open when rapid cooling is desired, and repeatedly opens and closes the damper 132 while shortening the opening time when slow cooling is desired. Furthermore, when "rapid cooling" is performed, the control device 50 may increase the rotation speeds of the compressor 31 and the blower 34.

[0065] The greater the difference between the temperature of the food stored and the temperature inside the refrigerator, the more rapidly the food is cooled. Therefore, by raising the temperature inside the refrigerator to the second temperature T2, the difference between the temperature of the food and the temperature inside the refrigerator becomes smaller, allowing the food to be cooled more slowly. The control device 50 introduces the food into a supercooled state by slowly cooling (gradually cooling) the food. Then, by lowering the temperature inside the refrigerator, the food is cooled more rapidly, and the supercooled state becomes more unstable (easier to be released) as the food temperature decreases, and the supercooled state is released even with weak stimulation once the temperature drops below a certain level. The control device 50 cools the temperature inside the refrigerator from the second temperature T2 to the first temperature T1, thereby releasing the supercooled state of the food and introducing it into a cooled state.

[0066] The control device 50 repeatedly opens and closes the damper 132 to maintain the first temperature T1 after the temperature transition to the first temperature T1, and maintains the first temperature T1 for a second time period (e.g., about two hours). At this time, the rotation speed of the compressor 31 or the blower 34 may be controlled.

[0067] After the second time period has elapsed, the control device 50 determines whether to terminate the special temperature operation (S14). Here, if the opening / closing sensor 134 of the switchable compartment 13 detects the opening or closing of the switchable compartment door 130, the control device 50 determines to terminate the special temperature operation. If the opening or closing of the switchable compartment door 130 is not detected, i.e., if food that has been supercooled and frozen is present in the switchable compartment 13, the control device 50 determines not to terminate the special temperature operation (S14: NO) and continues the special temperature operation. On the other hand, if the control device 50 detects the opening or closing of the switchable compartment door 130, i.e., if food is removed from the switchable compartment 13, the control device 50 determines to terminate the special temperature operation (S14: YES) and returns to normal operation.

[0068] FIG. 13 shows the temperature change over time in the switchable compartment 13 in the supercooling freezing mode of a conventional refrigerator. The storage compartment configuration of the conventional refrigerator is the same as that of the first embodiment. In the conventional refrigerator, the switchable compartment 13 is switched to the supercooling freezing mode based on the temperature change in the switchable compartment 13. Specifically, when high-temperature food is placed in the switchable compartment 13, the temperature of the switchable compartment 13 rises. When the temperature inside the switchable compartment 13 reaches or exceeds a threshold temperature (e.g., T2), the conventional refrigerator determines that high-temperature food has been placed in the switchable compartment 13, switches the switchable compartment 13 to the supercooling freezing mode, and initiates rapid cooling operation. With this control, as shown in FIG. 13 , a time t1 occurs between the placement of high-temperature food in the switchable compartment 13, i.e., between the detection of the opening or closing of the switchable compartment door 130, and the start of rapid cooling operation.

[0069] In conventional technology, rapid cooling operation is initiated only after the temperature in the switching compartment 13 reaches or exceeds the threshold temperature, so a rise in temperature inside the switching compartment 13 is unavoidable, and while the decision is being made as to whether or not to perform rapid cooling operation, the temperature of food already stored also rises, potentially resulting in a deterioration in quality.

[0070] In general, the compressor of a refrigerator is not always running to reduce power consumption, but is alternately started and stopped depending on the situation. Therefore, depending on the situation, the compressor may be stopped when high-temperature food is placed in switchable compartment 13. In order to perform the rapid cooling operation, a time t2 is generated in which the compressor is started to cool the air in cooling compartment 16 and supply it to switchable compartment 13.

[0071] Therefore, in conventional refrigerators, the time required to remove the rough heat from high-temperature food requires the time t1 for the temperature in the switchable compartment 13 to reach the threshold temperature, the time t2 for supplying cold air for rapid cooling, and the time t3 for performing the rapid cooling operation. Therefore, the time required from when the high-temperature food is placed in the switchable compartment 13 until the rough heat removal by the rapid cooling operation is t = t1 + t2 + t3.

[0072] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the time-dependent changes in the temperature of the switchable compartment 13, the time-dependent changes in the temperatures of the other storage compartments, the rotation speeds of the compressor 31 and the blower 34, and the time-dependent changes in the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the heat radiation pipe 35 in the supercooling freezing mode of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that the rotation speeds of the compressor 31 and the blower 34 in FIG. 14 are merely examples and vary depending on the ambient environment of the refrigerator 1 or the open / close status of each door. In this embodiment, when the open / close sensor 134 of the switchable compartment 13 detects the opening or closing of the switchable compartment door 130, the rapid cooling operation is started. Therefore, it is not necessary to wait for the temperature of the switchable compartment 13 to rise in order to determine whether or not to perform the rapid cooling operation. In other words, time t1 does not occur.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by receiving a trigger signal from the rice cooker 2, the refrigerator 1 performs a preparation operation for rapid cooling operation while the rice cooker 2 is cooking. Therefore, the time t2 required to prepare for rapid cooling after high-temperature food is placed in the selectable compartment 13 is shorter than that required in the prior art.

[0074] As described above, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment can significantly reduce the time from when high-temperature food is placed in the selectable compartment 13 until the rapid cooling operation begins, compared to the prior art. This prevents the temperature inside the refrigerator from rising due to the high-temperature food, and also prevents the temperature of other foods stored therein from rising. As a result, the impact on other foods when rapid cooling of high-temperature food is performed can be reduced, and the quality of the other foods can be maintained. Furthermore, by performing a warm-up operation, the time required for rapid cooling of high-temperature food can be reduced. This allows high-temperature food to cool down quickly, allowing for more delicious food to be preserved than before.

[0075] Furthermore, during rapid cooling operation, increasing the rotation frequency of compressor 31 also increases the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through heat radiation pipe 35, causing the temperature of heat radiation pipe 35 to rise. As a result, the surface temperature of refrigerator body 101 during rapid cooling operation is maintained at or above the dew point temperature of the space in which refrigerator 1 is installed due to heat radiation from heat radiation pipe 35. As a result, during rapid cooling operation of refrigerator 1, the occurrence of condensation on the surface of refrigerator body 101 is suppressed, which would otherwise occur if the surface temperature were to drop below the dew point temperature of the space in which refrigerator 1 is installed.

[0076] Embodiment 2 Fig. 15 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator system 100A according to embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 15, the refrigerator system 100A includes a refrigerator 1, a rice cooker 2, and a terminal device 4. The refrigerator 1, the rice cooker 2, and the terminal device 4 are connected to each other via a network 200 such as the Internet or a home LAN so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0077] The terminal device 4 is an information processing terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. Although one terminal device 4 is shown in Fig. 15, there may be a plurality of terminal devices 4. The configurations of the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0078] Fig. 16 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator system 100A according to Embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 16, the terminal device 4 includes a communication device 41, a control device 42, and an operation display unit 43.

[0079] The communication device 41 communicates with the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2 via the network 200. The control device 42 controls the operation of the terminal device 4 based on input from the operation display unit 43 and information received via the communication device 41. The control device 42 is composed of a processor such as a CPU, and a memory that stores software executed by the processor and instructions or data included in signals from various devices. The control device 42 may also be composed of hardware such as a circuit device that realizes its functions.

[0080] The operation display unit 43 is a touch panel that combines a display device made of, for example, a liquid crystal panel and an operation unit made of a touch pad. The operation display unit 43 accepts operation inputs from the user and displays notifications and the like received via the communication device 41.

[0081] In this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2 can be operated via the terminal device 4. For example, the terminal device 4 can download application software for operating the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2 from a server (not shown) and execute the software to operate the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2.

[0082] Specifically, in this embodiment, the operation display unit 43 of the terminal device 4 can be operated to select a rice cooking mode for the rice cooker 2 and to instruct the rice cooker 2 to start cooking rice. The rice cooker 2 carries out the rice cooking process based on the instruction from the terminal device 4. In this case, a trigger signal is sent to the refrigerator 1 from either the terminal device 4 or the rice cooker 2.

[0083] Furthermore, when the preparatory operation in the refrigerator 1 is completed, the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 notifies the terminal device 4 that the preparatory operation is completed, and the control device 42 of the terminal device 4 displays on the operation display unit 43 that the refrigerator 1 is ready for rapid cooling. Furthermore, when the refrigerator 1 is in standby mode and a standby time has elapsed without detecting the opening or closing of the selectable compartment door 130, the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 notifies the terminal device 4 of this fact before returning to normal operation. Then, the control device 42 of the terminal device 4 displays "Prepared for rapid freezing" on the operation display unit 43 to prompt the user to perform rapid cooling operation. The control device 42 of the terminal device 4 also displays on the operation display unit 43 various notifications that are displayed on the operation display unit 106 of the refrigerator 1 and the operation display unit 25 of the rice cooker 2.

[0084] As a result, even if the user is located away from the refrigerator 1 or the rice cooker 2, the user can use the terminal device 4 to operate the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2, and can receive notifications from the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2 to understand their status. In the second embodiment, the rice cooker 2 only needs to be connected to the terminal device 4 so that it can communicate with them, and does not have to be connected to the refrigerator 1 via the network 200.

[0085] The above is a description of the embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiment and their modifications. For example, while the above embodiment describes the connection between the refrigerator 1 and the rice cooker 2, the refrigerator 1 may also be connected to a cooking appliance other than the rice cooker 2, such as an induction cooking heater or a microwave oven. In this case, too, when a command to start cooking corresponding to the freezing mode is issued in the cooking appliance, a trigger signal is transmitted and a preparatory operation is started.

[0086] Furthermore, while refrigerator 1 is in preparatory operation or standby mode, an instruction to end preparatory operation or standby mode may be issued by operating operation display unit 106 of refrigerator 1, operation display unit 25 of rice cooker 2, or operation display unit 43 of terminal device 4. For example, when an instruction to cancel the freezing mode of rice cooker 2 is issued by operating operation display unit 25 of rice cooker 2 or operation display unit 43 of terminal device 4, a cancellation signal may be sent to refrigerator 1 to cancel preparatory operation or standby mode of refrigerator 1.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the supercooling and freezing mode in which the preparatory operation, the rapid cooling operation, and the special operation are performed in the refrigerator 1 has been described, but the special temperature operation may be omitted. For example, when only removing the rough cooling of high-temperature food is desired, only the preparatory operation and the rapid cooling operation in the above embodiment may be performed.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 starts the preparatory operation upon receiving a trigger signal transmitted from the rice cooker 2 or the terminal device 4 when rice cooking in the freezing mode of the rice cooker 2 is started, but this is not limited to this. When the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 receives the trigger signal, it may estimate the end time of rice cooking and determine the start time of the preparatory operation so that the end time of the preparatory operation is several minutes before the end time of the rice cooking. The end time of rice cooking is estimated based on information from the rice cooker 2. The end time of the preparatory operation is estimated by accumulating the history of past preparatory operations. This reduces the time from the start of the preparatory operation until hot food is placed in the selectable compartment 13.

[0089] Alternatively, the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 may store in its memory the time when rice cooking in the rice cooker 2 ends and the time when high-temperature food (such as cooked rice) is placed in the selectable compartment 13, and calculate the average time from the end of rice cooking until the high-temperature food is placed in the selectable compartment 13 to determine the start time of the preparatory operation. In this case, the control device 26 of the rice cooker 2 sends a trigger signal to the refrigerator 1 when rice cooking in freezing mode ends. Upon receiving the trigger signal, the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 determines the start time of the preparatory operation based on the average time. This reduces the waiting time of the refrigerator 1 after the preparatory operation and the power consumption required to rotate the compressor 31 and maintain the cooling compartment 16 at a temperature (−35°C) that allows rapid cooling. The time when rice cooking in the rice cooker 2 ends and the time when high-temperature food (such as cooked rice) is placed in the selectable compartment 13 may be stored in a cloud computer or an external server connected to the refrigerator 1 via the network 200, rather than in the refrigerator 1's memory.

[0090] Furthermore, the trigger signal may be transmitted not only when rice cooking in the freezing mode of the rice cooker 2 is started or finished, but also when rice cooking in the normal mode of the rice cooker 2 is started or finished and there is a separate instruction from the user via the rice cooker 2 or the terminal device 4. This allows the switchable compartment 13 of the refrigerator 1 to be set to the supercooling freezing mode even if the user wants to freeze cooked rice in the middle of cooking.

[0091] Furthermore, a damper may be provided in at least one of the return port 162 of the cooling compartment 16 of the refrigerator 1 or the return air ducts 111b, 121b, 131b, and 141b of each storage compartment, and the damper may be closed during warm-up operation. This further prevents the air from each storage compartment from returning to the cooling compartment 16, thereby further suppressing the temperature rise in the cooling compartment 16.

[0092] REFRIGERATOR LIST 1 Refrigerator, 2 Rice cooker, 4 Terminal device, 11 Refrigerator compartment, 12 Ice making compartment, 13 Switching compartment, 14 Vegetable compartment, 15 Freezer compartment, 16 Cooling compartment, 21 Main body, 22 Lid body, 23 Heating section, 24 Inner pot, 25 Operation display section, 26 Control device, 27 Communication device, 31 Compressor, 32 Condenser, 33 Cooler, 34 Blower, 35 Heat dissipation pipe, 40 Communication device, 41 Communication device, 42 Control device, 43 Operation display section, 50 Control device, 61 Operation section, 62 Display section, 100, 100A Refrigerator system, 101 Refrigerator main body, 102 Outer box, 103 Inner box, 104 Heat insulating material, 105 Hinge, 106 Operation display section, 110 Refrigerator compartment door, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 Air duct, 111a, 121a, 131a, 141a, 151a Air supply duct, 111b, 121b, 131b, 141b, 151b Return air duct, 112, 122, 132, 142 Damper, 113, 133, 143, 153 Interior temperature sensor, 114, 134, 144, 154 Opening / closing sensor, 120 Ice making compartment door, 130 Switching compartment door, 134a Actuating unit, 134b Detection unit, 135, 161 Outlet, 136, 162 Return port, 140 Vegetable compartment door, 150 Freezer compartment door, 163 Cooling compartment temperature sensor, 200 Network, 251 Selection button, 252 Start button.

Claims

1. A refrigerator body having a storage chamber and a cooling chamber; A door provided on the front surface of the storage chamber; an opening / closing sensor that detects whether the door is opened or closed by a user; An internal temperature sensor installed in the storage chamber and measuring the temperature of the storage chamber; a cooler that is installed in the cooling chamber and cools the air in the cooling chamber by a refrigerant flowing therein to generate cold air; A blower installed in the cooling chamber and configured to send the cold air to the storage chamber; a compressor for sending the refrigerant to the cooler; a damper for controlling the supply of the cold air from the cooling chamber to the storage chamber; a control device that controls the compressor, the blower, and the damper, The control device includes: A normal operation in which the damper is opened and closed, the blower is operated at a first blower rotation speed, and the compressor is operated at a first compressor rotation speed so that the temperature of the storage chamber acquired by the internal temperature sensor becomes a set temperature; a preparatory operation in which the damper is closed, the blower is stopped, and the compressor is operated at a second compressor rotation speed that is higher than the first compressor rotation speed; and a rapid cooling operation in which the damper is opened and the blower is operated at a second blower rotation speed that is higher than the first blower rotation speed so that the temperature of the storage chamber acquired by the internal temperature sensor becomes a first temperature that is lower than the set temperature.

2. The cooking device further includes a communication device that communicates with the cooking appliance or the terminal device via a network, The control device includes: starting the preparatory operation when a trigger signal indicating the start or end of cooking in the cooking appliance is received from the cooking appliance or the terminal device via the communication device; The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rapid cooling operation is performed when the opening / closing sensor detects the opening / closing of the door after the preparation operation is completed.

3. A cooling chamber temperature sensor is provided in the cooling chamber to measure a temperature of the cooling chamber, 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, when the temperature of the cooling chamber measured by the cooling chamber temperature sensor during the preparatory operation becomes a rapid cooling temperature that is lower than a temperature during normal operation, the control device controls a rotation speed of the compressor and a rotation speed of the blower to transition to a standby state in which the temperature of the cooling chamber is maintained at the rapid cooling temperature.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein, when the opening / closing sensor does not detect the opening / closing of the door even after a preset waiting time has elapsed in the waiting state, the control device ends the waiting state and performs the normal operation.

5. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control device terminates the rapid cooling operation when a time required for the temperature of the storage chamber measured by the internal temperature sensor to reach a preset reference temperature is equal to or shorter than a threshold time during the rapid cooling operation.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user that the preparatory operation has been completed when the preparatory operation has been completed.

7. The refrigerator body has a plurality of storage compartments including the storage compartment, The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device, in the preparatory operation, lowers temperatures of the plurality of storage compartments below the set temperatures before closing the dampers.

8. a heat dissipation pipe connected to the compressor and the cooler, The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device operates the compressor and causes the refrigerant to flow through the heat radiation pipe during the rapid cooling operation.

9. A refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2; A refrigerator system including: a cooking appliance or a terminal device connected to the refrigerator via a network.

10. The refrigerator system according to claim 9 , wherein the cooking appliance or the terminal device transmits a trigger signal to the refrigerator via the network when cooking in a freezing mode is instructed in the cooking appliance.