Refrigerator and refrigerator system

Abstract

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a refrigerator body having a storage compartment for storing stored items; an internal temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air inside the storage compartment, i.e., the storage compartment temperature; a cooling device for cooling the storage compartment; and a control device for performing normal operation to maintain the storage compartment temperature at a normal cooling temperature and rapid cooling operation to temporarily lower the storage compartment temperature to a temperature below the normal cooling temperature. During rapid cooling operation, the control device performs a first rapid cooling control by setting a first rapid cooling temperature below the normal cooling temperature as the set temperature for the storage compartment temperature. If the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature after a first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control, the first rapid cooling control continues. If the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature before the first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control, the first rapid cooling control ends. This allows for the cooling of food, making it easier for the user to process food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a refrigerator and refrigerator system for cooling stored items. Prior Technology

[0002] Previously, refrigerators were known to rapidly cool stored items such as food to facilitate cutting or shredding. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator that uses a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of food stored in the storage compartment to approximate the temperature, and determines that the food is ready for cutting after a predetermined time has elapsed since the measured food temperature reached a preset temperature. In the refrigerator of Patent Document 1, the predetermined time is set according to the type and weight of the food. [Previous Technical Documents] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-72267 Summary of the Invention

[0004] [The problem the invention aims to solve] Generally, when cooling food, the actual food temperature decreases later than the temperature inside the storage compartment. Furthermore, the time required to cool food to a certain temperature varies not only depending on the type and weight of the food being cooled, but also on the overall heat load inside the refrigerator. Therefore, even when food is rapidly cooled for a predetermined time based on the measurement results of a temperature sensor measuring the temperature inside the storage compartment, as in Patent Document 1, sometimes the food still is not ready for easy cutting. state.

[0005] The present invention was made to solve the problems mentioned above, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator and refrigerator system that can cool food so that users can process food more easily. [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a refrigerator body having a storage compartment for storing stored items; an internal temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air inside the storage compartment, i.e., the storage compartment temperature; a cooling device for cooling the storage compartment; and a control device for performing normal operation to maintain the storage compartment temperature at a normal cooling temperature and rapid cooling operation to temporarily lower the storage compartment temperature to a temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature; during rapid cooling operation, the control device performs a first rapid cooling control by setting a first rapid cooling temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature as the set temperature of the storage compartment temperature; if the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature after a first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control, the first rapid cooling control continues; if the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature before the first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control, the first rapid cooling control ends.

[0007] The refrigerator system of the present invention includes: a refrigerator and a notification device. After the first rapid cooling control is started, the control device sends a first notification indicating that the first rapid cooling control has been completed to the notification device when the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature or when the first notification time has elapsed. [Invention Effects]

[0008] According to the refrigerator and refrigerator system of the present invention, when the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature, if the first rapid cooling control has been started after the first judgment time has passed, the first rapid cooling control continues even after the first judgment time has passed, so the food can be cooled sufficiently and the user can process the food more easily. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0009] Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Implementation Type 1. Figure 4 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of implementation mode 1. Figure 5 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of implementation mode 1. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator in implementation type 1. Figure 7 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of a variation of implementation type 1. Figure 8 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of implementation mode 2. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator in implementation type 2. Figure 10 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of variation 1 of implementation type 2. Figure 11 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of variation 2 of implementation type 2. Figure 12 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of implementation mode 3. Figure 13 is a diagram used to illustrate the rapid cooling operation of implementation mode 4. Figure 14 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Implementation Type 5. Figure 15 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Implementation Type 6. Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the method for determining the load inside the box in Implementation Type 6. Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating the method for setting the first judgment time in implementation mode 7. Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating the method for setting the first quench time in implementation type 7. Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the method for setting the cooling capacity of implementation type 7. Figure 20 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Implementation Type 8. Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the method for determining whether food has been removed in Embodiment 8. Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating the method for determining whether food has been removed in Implementation Type 8. Figure 23 shows a schematic diagram of the refrigerator system in Embodiment 9. Figure 24 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Implementation Type 9. Figure 25 is a diagram used to illustrate the notification method of implementation type 9. Figure 26 is a diagram illustrating the notification method of implementation type 9. Figure 27 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator in implementation type 9. Figure 28 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Implementation Type 10. Figure 29 is a flowchart showing the learning method for the appropriate notification time of the second notification in implementation mode 10. Figure 30 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Embodiment 11. Figure 31 is a flowchart showing the notification method of the second notification in implementation type 11. Figure 32 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in Embodiment 12. Implementation

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the refrigerator and refrigerator system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, symbols used in the various drawings are identical or equivalent and are common throughout the specification. Additionally, other implementable steps may be included between the steps in the flowchart of the present invention. Also, the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of the constituent components in the drawings may sometimes differ from actual conditions.

[0011] Implementation type 1. <The Composition of Refrigerator 1> Figure 1 is a front view of refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 shows refrigerator 1 as shown in Figure 1 cut along line segment AA and viewed from the direction of the arrow. In the following description, terms indicating direction, such as "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," "directly in front," "back," and "rear," are used appropriately for ease of understanding, but these are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the embodiments. Furthermore, in the embodiments, the terms "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," "directly in front," "back," and "rear" are used in the description of the state of refrigerator 1 viewed from the front.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator body 101 with an opening on the front and storage space inside. The refrigerator body 101 includes a steel outer casing 102, a resin inner casing 103, and a heat-insulating material 104 filling the space between the outer casing 102 and the inner casing 103. The storage space inside the refrigerator body 101 is divided into multiple storage compartments for storing food and other items by heat-insulating partition members.

[0013] The refrigerator 1 series includes: a refrigerator compartment 11 located at the top, an ice-making compartment 12 and a switching compartment 13 located below the refrigerator compartment 11, a fruit and vegetable compartment 14 located below the ice-making compartment 12 and the switching compartment 13, and a freezer compartment 15 located at the bottom, forming multiple storage compartments. The temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11 is set, for example, to 0°C to 6°C. The temperature of the ice-making compartment 12 is set, for example, to -18°C. The switching compartment 13 can be switched to multiple temperature ranges according to user instructions. For example, the switching compartment 13 can be switched to a slightly frozen (-10°C to -4°C, for example, -7°C), a super-frozen (-3°C to 0°C, for example, approximately 0°C), a refrigerated (for example, approximately 3°C), and a fruit and vegetable (for example, approximately 6°C) temperature range. The temperature of the fruit and vegetable compartment 14 is set, for example, to 6°C. The temperature of the freezer compartment 15 is set, for example, to -18°C. Furthermore, details will be described later, the refrigerator 1 can operate in normal mode or rapid cooling mode according to user instructions. The temperatures of each storage compartment described here are the set temperatures during normal operation (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "normal cooling temperatures").

[0014] The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is a bottom freezer type with a freezer compartment 15 formed at the bottom, but the arrangement of each storage compartment is not limited to the examples in Figures 1 and 2. For example, the refrigerator 1 may also be a top freezer type with a freezer compartment 15 formed at the top.

[0015] A double-leaf refrigerator door 110 is provided at the opening formed on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigerator door 110 is installed on the refrigerator body 101 via a pair of hinges 105 located on the front side of the top portion of the refrigerator body 101. The ice maker compartment 12, the switching compartment 13, the vegetable compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15 are configured to be opened and closed by drawer-type ice maker compartment door 120, switching compartment door 130, vegetable compartment door 140, and freezer compartment door 150, respectively.

[0016] An operation display unit 106 is provided on the outer surface of the refrigerator door 110. The operation display unit 106 includes: an operation unit 106a for receiving user input, and a display unit 106b for displaying the temperature of each refrigerator compartment, the operating mode of each refrigerator compartment, and notifications to the user. The operation unit 106a has multiple operation buttons, allowing the user to set the temperature and operating mode of each refrigerator compartment. The display unit 106b is, for example, an LCD screen, displaying the temperature of each refrigerator compartment, the operating mode of each refrigerator compartment, and notifications to the user. Alternatively, the operation display unit 106 can be constructed as a touch panel integrally formed from the operation unit 106a on the display unit 106b. become.

[0017] A control device 50 is provided on the upper part of the refrigerator 1 to control the temperature of each storage compartment. The control device 50 is located on the upper back of the refrigerator body 101. The control device 50 is composed of a processor such as a CPU and memory that stores software executed by the processor and commands or data contained in signals from various devices. Alternatively, the control device 50 can also be composed of hardware such as circuit elements that implement its functions.

[0018] Furthermore, on the rear side of each storage compartment of refrigerator 1, there is a refrigerant circuit including a compressor 31, a condenser (not shown), a pressure reducing device (not shown), and a cooler 33, and a blower 34 that delivers the cold air supplied from the refrigerant circuit to each storage compartment, serving as a cooling device for supplying cold air. The compressor 31 draws in low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and compresses it, then sprays it as high-pressure gaseous refrigerant from the condenser to the cooler 33. The cooler 33 and the blower 34 are housed in a cooling chamber 16 located on the rear side of the vegetable compartment 14.

[0019] Cooler 33 is, for example, a finned heat exchanger. Cooler 33 functions as an evaporator, cooling the air in cooling chamber 16 to generate cool air using refrigerant flowing inside. Fan 34 is located at the outlet of cooling chamber 16. Fan 34 is, for example, an axial fan, delivering the cool air generated by cooler 33 to each storage chamber. The speed of fan 34 is controlled by control device 50.

[0020] Furthermore, air ducts 111, 131, 141, and 151 are provided on the rear side of each storage compartment for transmitting cold air generated by the cooler 33 to each storage compartment. The cold air supplied by the blower 34 is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 11 via air duct 111, to the switching compartment 13 via air duct 131, to the vegetable and fruit compartment 14 via air duct 141, and to the freezer compartment 15 via air duct 151. Also, although not shown in Figure 2, an air duct is provided on the rear side of the ice-making compartment 12 for transmitting cold air generated by the cooler 33 to the ice-making compartment 12. The cold air supplied to each storage compartment returns to the cooling compartment 16 via a return air duct. In this way, by circulating the cold air, each storage compartment is lowered to the target temperature.

[0021] Air ducts 111, 131, and 141 are equipped with regulating dampers 112, 132, and 142 for adjusting the amount of cold air supplied to each storage compartment. When the regulating dampers 112, 132, and 142 are open, cold air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 11, the switching compartment 13, and the vegetable and fruit compartment 14. When the regulating dampers 112, 132, and 142 are closed, the supply of cold air to the refrigerator compartment 11, the switching compartment 13, and the vegetable and fruit compartment 14 is stopped. The amount of cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 11, the switching compartment 13, and the vegetable and fruit compartment 14 is adjusted by adjusting the angle of the regulating dampers 112, 132, and 142. The opening rate or angle of the regulating dampers 112, 132, and 142 is controlled by the control device 50. Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 2, the air duct of the ice-making compartment 12 is also equipped with a regulating damper for adjusting the amount of cold air supplied to the ice-making compartment 12. No regulating damper is provided in the air duct 151 of the freezer compartment 15. Hereinafter, when regulating dampers 112, 132 and 142 are not distinguished, they are sometimes referred to as regulating damper 200. Regulating damper 200 is one of the cooling devices for supplying cold air.

[0022] Each storage compartment is equipped with internal temperature sensors 113, 133, 143, and 153 for measuring the temperature of the air inside the storage compartment (storage compartment temperature). Also, although not shown in Figure 2, an internal temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the ice-making compartment 12 is provided in the ice-making compartment 12. Each temperature sensor is, for example, a thermistor. The temperature measured by each temperature sensor is transmitted to the control device 50. Furthermore, the configuration of the internal temperature sensor 113 is not limited to the example in Figure 2. Hereinafter, without distinguishing between internal temperature sensors 113, 133, 143, and 153, they will sometimes be referred to as internal temperature sensor 300.

[0023] Furthermore, each storage compartment door is equipped with opening / closing sensors 114, 134, 144, and 154 for detecting the opening and closing of the door caused by the user. Also, although not shown in Figure 2, an opening / closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the ice-making compartment door 120 is provided in the ice-making compartment 12. Each opening / closing sensor consists of an actuating part located on the back side of each door and a detection part located on the front surface side of each storage compartment, i.e., near the actuating part. The detection part is, for example, a reed switch or a low-voltage Hall IC or other magnetic sensor that operates below 48V. The actuating part is what actuates the detection part when it is near it; for example, it is a magnet. Each opening / closing sensor may also be a single unit such as a push-button switch. Hereinafter, unless otherwise distinguished, opening / closing sensors 114, 134, 144, and 154 are sometimes referred to as opening / closing sensor 400.

[0024] The detection results (signals corresponding to the open state of the door or the closed state of the door) from each opening / closing sensor 400 are output to the control device 50. The control device 50 can notify the user of the door opening status via an image, text, LED illumination, or voice through the operation display unit 106 or a speaker (not shown) when at least one opening / closing sensor 400 detects that the door has been open for an extended period (e.g., more than 5 minutes). Furthermore, the opening / closing sensors 400 do not need to be installed on all storage room doors; they can be installed only in the storage rooms where opening / closing detection is required.

[0025] <Refrigerator 1 Actions> Next, the operation of refrigerator 1 will be explained. Refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 1 can operate in two modes: normal operation and quench operation. Normal operation maintains the temperature of the storage compartment at the normal cooling temperature. Normal operation is the preset operating mode of refrigerator 1; unless instructed to perform quench operation, refrigerator 1 operates in normal operation. Quench operation temporarily lowers the temperature of the storage compartment, which was set at the factory for shipment, to a temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature. The purpose of quench operation is to rapidly cool food, making it easier to cut meat and fish, and to crush fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the following explanation uses the freezer compartment 15 as an example for quench operation, but quench operation can also be performed on storage compartments other than the freezer compartment 15. Additionally, the user can also set the storage compartment to be quenched.

[0026] Figure 3 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 3, the control device 50 of refrigerator 1 includes a storage unit 51 and a cooling control unit 52. The cooling control unit 52 is a functional unit implemented by having the processor of the control device 50 execute the program stored in the storage unit 51. The cooling control unit 52 can also be implemented by a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0027] The storage unit 51 may be a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as ROM or flash memory, a volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, or an HDD. The storage unit 51 stores the program executed by the control device 50 and the information used by that program. For example, the storage unit 51 stores setting information input via the operation display unit 106, as well as programs or threshold values ​​used for rapid cooling operation. Alternatively, the storage unit 51 may be separate from the control device 50.

[0028] The cooling control unit 52 controls the temperature of each storage compartment based on the detection results of various sensors in the refrigerator 1 and the setting information input via the operation display unit 106. The cooling control unit 52 controls the compressor 31, the blower 34, and the damper 200 respectively for normal operation and rapid cooling operation. Specifically, in normal operation, the cooling control unit 52 controls the speed of the compressor 31, the speed of the blower 34, and the opening and closing of the damper 200 so that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 300 in each compartment becomes the set temperature set via the operation display unit 106.

[0029] Furthermore, during rapid cooling operation, the cooling control unit 52 controls the speed of the compressor 31 and the fan 34 to temporarily lower the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 (an example of the storage compartment temperature) to a temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature. That is, during rapid cooling operation, the cooling control unit 52 controls the speed of the compressor 31 and the fan 34 to ensure that the temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor 153 of the freezer compartment 15 becomes a set temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature. Also, when a regulating damper 200 is provided in the airflow path supplying cold air to the storage compartment targeted for rapid cooling, the cooling control unit 52 also controls the opening and closing of the regulating damper 200. The refrigerator 1 of Embodiment 1 is characterized by control during rapid cooling operation, while control during normal operation is the same as that of conventional refrigerators. Therefore, the following explanation focuses on rapid cooling operation.

[0030] During rapid cooling operation, the cooling control unit 52 performs first rapid cooling control and second rapid cooling control. In the first rapid cooling control, the cooling control unit 52 sets the cooling device to a first rapid cooling temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature of the freezer compartment 15 as the set temperature of the freezer compartment 15. In the second rapid cooling control, the cooling control unit 52 sets the cooling device to a second rapid cooling temperature lower than the normal cooling temperature but higher than the first rapid cooling temperature as the set temperature of the freezer compartment 15. When rapid cooling operation begins, the cooling control unit 52 performs first rapid cooling control.

[0031] Figure 4 illustrates the rapid cooling operation in Implementation Mode 1. As shown in Figure 4, if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has not dropped to the first rapid cooling temperature after the first rapid cooling control begins and before the first judgment time has elapsed, the cooling control unit 52 continues the first rapid cooling control without initiating the second rapid cooling control. The first rapid cooling control continues until the first rapid cooling time has elapsed after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first rapid cooling temperature. This is because, as shown in Figure 4, when the time for the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 to drop to the first rapid cooling temperature exceeds the first judgment time, the heat load on the freezer compartment 15 is relatively large, and even if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first rapid cooling temperature, the temperature of the food may not drop sufficiently. After the first rapid cooling time has elapsed, the cooling control unit 52 terminates the first rapid cooling control. Thus, the operation mode returns to normal operation.

[0032] Furthermore, Figure 5 illustrates the rapid cooling operation in Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 5, after the first rapid cooling control begins and before the first judgment time has elapsed, if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 drops to the first rapid cooling temperature, the cooling control unit 52 initiates a second rapid cooling control. The second rapid cooling control begins after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first rapid cooling temperature (i.e., after transitioning to the second rapid cooling control), and then performs a second rapid cooling time. After the second rapid cooling time has elapsed, the cooling control unit 52 terminates the second rapid cooling control. This restores the operating mode to normal operation.

[0033] The first judgment time is explained. The time required for the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 to drop from the normal cooling temperature during normal operation to the first quench temperature is affected by the heat load of the food and other items placed in the freezer compartment 15. When the operating conditions of the cooling device (the speed of the compressor 31 and the blower 34, and the opening of the regulating damper 200) are the same, the greater the heat load of the food and other items, the longer it takes to cool the freezer compartment to a certain temperature. The first judgment time is set as a standard for determining whether to continue the first quench control. If the time for the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 to drop to the first quench temperature during the first quench control exceeds the first judgment time, it is determined that the heat load of the food and other items in the freezer compartment 15 is large. In this case, the first quench control is continued in order to cool the temperature of the food to the target temperature. The first judgment time is determined by testing the structure (internal volume) of each product and is stored in the storage section 51 before the products are shipped. The first judgment time is determined based on at least one combination of the internal volume, temperature, and quantity of food stored in the storage compartment, as well as the temperature, volume, material, density, and heat capacity of the food stored in the storage compartment. For example, in a test, the first judgment time is determined by the time required for the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 to drop from the normal cooling temperature to the first rapid cooling temperature when food of -15 to -20°C occupies 80 to 100% of the volume of the freezer compartment 15. In one example, the first judgment time is approximately 15 to 90 minutes. Furthermore, the first judgment time can be a pre-set time as described above, or it can be set by the user after purchasing the product.

[0034] The first quench time is explained. The first quench time is, for example, the time required for the entire quench operation, minus the time elapsed from the start of the first quench control until the calculation of the first quench time begins (the time until the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first quench temperature). The time required for the entire quench operation is determined through pre-testing or based on the user's usage habits, and is stored in the storage section 51 before the product is shipped. For example, the time required from the user instructing the start of quench operation to its completion is expected to be a length of time acceptable to the user (e.g., 1 to 3 hours). Furthermore, the first quench time can also be determined based on the average cooking time in a typical household, the average travel time from a supermarket, workplace, or school to home, etc. In this case, the first quench time is set to the length of time from when the user instructs the start of quench operation at home to when the first quench control is still in operation upon returning home, for example, 1 to 3 hours. Furthermore, the first rapid cooling time can also be preset using the above-mentioned approach and stored in the storage unit 51 before the product is shipped, or it can be set by the user after purchasing the product. Alternatively, after the first rapid cooling control begins, if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has not reached below the first rapid cooling temperature even after a preset standby time has elapsed, the first rapid cooling time will not be counted, and the first rapid cooling control will be executed for the shortest preset time (e.g., 5 minutes to 1 hour) before ending.

[0035] The second quench time is explained. The second quench time is, for example, the time required for the overall quench operation, minus the time spent before the second quench control begins (the time it takes for the freezer compartment 15 to reach the first quench temperature). Furthermore, the second quench time can also be determined based on the average cooking time in a typical household, the average travel time from a supermarket, workplace, or school to home, etc. In this case, the second quench time is set to a length such that the user leaves home after the quench operation has started and the second quench control is still running when they return, for example, 1 to 3 hours. Alternatively, the second quench time can be preset using the above approach and stored in the storage unit 51 before the product is shipped, or it can be set by the user after purchasing the product. Furthermore, the second quench time and the first quench time can also be the same length.

[0036] This section explains the first and second quench temperatures. The first quench temperature is set to a temperature a few degrees lower (e.g., 1°C to 5°C) than the second quench temperature, in order to rapidly cool the freezer compartment 15 to the second quench temperature. The second quench temperature is set to the target temperature for cooling the food, or a temperature near this temperature, taking into account the temperature difference between the freezer compartment 15 and the food. The target temperature for cooling food during quenching can be anywhere between the normal cooling temperature and the first quench temperature, or it can be a higher temperature than the second quench temperature. For example, the target temperature for cooling food is a temperature suitable for processing such as cutting or shredding. The second quench temperature is set, for example, below -20°C. In this case, by bringing the food to below -20°C, it is easier to break down the food into smaller pieces while it is frozen. Alternatively, the second quench temperature can be below the freeze-to-concentration glass transition temperature of the food. In this case, by bringing the food to the freeze-to-concentration glass transition temperature, the food can be made into a glassy state, allowing for more stable breaking down of the food while frozen. This also improves the preservation quality of the food. The first and second quench temperatures are stored in storage section 51 before the finished product is shipped.

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1. The flowchart in Figure 6 is executed by the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1. When the rapid cooling operation starts, the cooling control unit 52 executes the first rapid cooling control (step S1). After the first rapid cooling control is executed, the cooling control unit 52 determines whether the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has reached below the first rapid cooling temperature (step S2). When the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has not yet reached below the first rapid cooling temperature (step S2: no), the cooling control unit 52 waits until the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches below the first rapid cooling temperature. When the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has reached below the first rapid cooling temperature (step S2: yes), the cooling control unit 52 determines whether the first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control (step S3).

[0038] If the first judgment time has not elapsed in step S3 (step S3: No), the cooling control unit 52 ends the first rapid cooling control (step S4) and begins the second rapid cooling control (step S5). After starting the second rapid cooling control, the cooling control unit 52 determines whether the second rapid cooling time has elapsed since the start of the second rapid cooling control (step S6). If the second rapid cooling time has not elapsed in step S6 (step S6: No), the cooling control unit 52 continues the second rapid cooling control until the second rapid cooling time has elapsed. If the second rapid cooling time has elapsed in step S6 (step S6: Yes), the cooling control unit 52 ends the second rapid cooling control (rapid cooling operation) and returns to normal operation.

[0039] If the first judgment time has elapsed in step S3 (Step S3: Yes), the cooling control unit 52 continues the first rapid cooling control (Step S7). The cooling control unit 52 determines whether the first rapid cooling time has elapsed after continuing the first rapid cooling control following the first judgment time (Step S8). If the first rapid cooling time has not elapsed in step S8 (Step S8: No), the cooling control unit 52 continues the first rapid cooling control until the first rapid cooling time has elapsed. If the first rapid cooling time has elapsed in step S8 (Step S8: Yes), the cooling control unit 52 ends the first rapid cooling control (rapid cooling operation) and resumes normal operation. Furthermore, regarding the time points of the end of the first rapid cooling control (Step S4) and the start of the second rapid cooling control (Step S5), the second rapid cooling control can be started after the first rapid cooling control has ended, or it can be started at the same time as the end of the first rapid cooling control.

[0040] As described above, in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1, if the first rapid cooling control has been initiated after the first judgment time has elapsed when the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature, the first rapid cooling control continues even after the first judgment time has elapsed. Therefore, even when the heat load of the storage compartment is large, the food can be cooled sufficiently, making it easier for the user to process the food.

[0041] In particular, even if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has not dropped to the first rapid cooling temperature after the first judgment time, it is generally believed that the storage compartment is not easy to cool down, and the temperature difference between the storage compartment and the food is large. In this case, even if the temperature of the storage compartment has reached the first rapid cooling temperature, the temperature of the food may not drop to the target temperature immediately after it is reached. According to Embodiment 1, since the first rapid cooling control continues after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first rapid cooling temperature until the first rapid cooling time has elapsed, the food can be cooled to the target temperature even if there is a temperature difference between the storage compartment temperature and the food temperature.

[0042] Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1 of embodiment 1, the temperature is controlled based on the temperature of the storage compartment rather than the surface temperature of the food. Therefore, even without using a food temperature sensor, the refrigerator can achieve sufficient cooling of the food and make it easier for the user to process the food by using an inexpensive internal temperature sensor 300 for measuring the temperature of the storage compartment, even when the heat load of the storage compartment is large.

[0043] Furthermore, in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1, when the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature within a first judgment time after the first rapid cooling control is initiated, the second rapid cooling control is executed. Therefore, refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1 can suppress the situation where food is over-cooled, resulting in a decrease in energy-saving performance.

[0044] (A variation of implementation type 1) Figure 7 illustrates the rapid cooling operation of a modified embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 7, the cooling control unit 52 can also continue the second rapid cooling control for a second rapid cooling time after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the second rapid cooling temperature during the second rapid cooling control. In this case, the calculation of the second rapid cooling time begins after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the second rapid cooling temperature. Alternatively, after the second rapid cooling control begins, the cooling device can be controlled to make the temperature change of the freezer compartment 15 gradual until the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the second rapid cooling temperature.

[0045] Generally, temperature fluctuations are greater when there is less food in the storage compartment. Therefore, when there is less food in the storage compartment, in the second quench control of Embodiment 1, the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 and the temperature of the food sometimes oscillate around the second quench temperature and the target temperature for cooling the food, and cannot be stabilized at the second quench temperature. According to a variation of Embodiment 1, since the second quench control continues for the second quench time after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the second quench temperature, the food can be preserved for the second quench time while remaining stable at the target temperature. Furthermore, in typical household storage compartments, a considerable amount of food is stored, and the time it takes for the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 to reach the second quench temperature tends to be relatively long. In a variation of Embodiment 1, since the calculation of the second quench time is paused until the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the second quench temperature, the time required for the second quench control becomes longer. Regarding this point, since the second quench control in implementation type 1 only performs the second quench time after migrating to the second quench control, the control time will not be extended, resulting in higher energy efficiency.

[0046] Implementation type 2. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the rapid cooling operation of Embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 8, Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the third rapid cooling control is executed when the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has not reached below the first rapid cooling temperature after the first rapid cooling control has started and before the first judgment time has elapsed. The other components of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 2 are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

[0047] If the first rapid cooling control continues after the first judgment time has elapsed, the cooling control unit 52 will perform a third rapid cooling control after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first rapid cooling temperature and after the second judgment time has elapsed. In the third rapid cooling control, the cooling control unit 52 will control the cooling device with a third rapid cooling temperature that is lower than the normal cooling temperature but higher than the first rapid cooling temperature as the set temperature.

[0048] As shown in Figure 8, if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 has not dropped to the first rapid cooling temperature before the first judgment time has elapsed after the first rapid cooling control begins, the cooling control unit 52 continues the first rapid cooling control without initiating the second rapid cooling control. Furthermore, once the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first rapid cooling temperature and the second judgment time has elapsed, the cooling control unit 52 begins the third rapid cooling control. After the third rapid cooling time has elapsed, the cooling control unit 52 terminates the third rapid cooling control. In this way, the operating mode returns to normal operation.

[0049] The total time for the second judgment time and the third quenching time is determined from the viewpoint that it is the same as the first quenching time described in Embodiment 1. That is, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the length of time for quenching operation after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches below the first quenching temperature is the same. The third quenching time can be stored in the storage unit 51 before the product is shipped, or it can be set by the user after the product is purchased. Furthermore, the third quenching temperature is the same as the second quenching temperature described in Embodiment 1. The third quenching temperature is stored in the storage unit 51 before the product is shipped.

[0050] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 2. The flowchart in Figure 9 is executed by the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1. The processing of steps S1 to S7 is the same as that shown in the flowchart of Embodiment 1 in Figure 6, so the explanation is omitted. If the first rapid cooling control continues after the first judgment time (step S7), the cooling control unit 52 determines whether the second judgment time has passed after the first rapid cooling control continues (step S9). If the second judgment time has not passed (step S9: no), the cooling control unit 52 continues the first rapid cooling control until the second judgment time has passed. If the second judgment time has passed (step S9: yes), the cooling control unit 52 ends the first rapid cooling control and begins the third rapid cooling control (step S10).

[0051] The cooling control unit 52 determines whether the third rapid cooling time has elapsed after the third rapid cooling control is initiated (step S11). If the third rapid cooling time has not elapsed (step S11: No), the cooling control unit 52 continues the third rapid cooling control until the third rapid cooling time has elapsed. If the third rapid cooling time has elapsed (step S11: Yes), the cooling control unit 52 terminates the third rapid cooling control (rapid cooling operation) and resumes normal operation.

[0052] According to implementation type 2, even if the first rapid cooling control continues after the first judgment time has elapsed, a third rapid cooling control can also be implemented to fully cool the food and prevent over-cooling. This helps to prevent a decrease in energy efficiency.

[0053] Alternatively, a predetermined time length can be used as a criterion for determining whether to transfer to the third rapid cooling time if the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches below the first rapid cooling temperature after the first rapid cooling time has elapsed, rather than after the second criterion time has elapsed. Alternatively, the conditions of the second criterion time elapsed and the cooling extension time reaching the predetermined time length can be combined to determine whether to transfer to the third rapid cooling time.

[0054] (Example 1 of Implementation Type 2) Figure 10 illustrates the rapid cooling operation according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 10, the cooling control unit 52 can also continue the third rapid cooling control for a third rapid cooling time after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the third rapid cooling temperature during the third rapid cooling control. In this case, the calculation of the third rapid cooling time begins after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the third rapid cooling temperature. As explained in the Modification 1 of Embodiment 1, when there is less food in the storage compartment, in the third rapid cooling control of Embodiment 2, the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 and the temperature of the food sometimes oscillate around the third rapid cooling temperature and the target temperature for cooling the food, and cannot be stabilized at the second rapid cooling temperature. According to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2, since the third rapid cooling control continues for a third rapid cooling time after the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the third rapid cooling temperature during the third rapid cooling control, the food can be preserved for the third rapid cooling time while maintaining a stable target temperature.

[0055] (Example 2 of Implementation Type 2) Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the rapid cooling operation of Modification 2 of Embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 11, the cooling control unit 52 can also set multiple temperatures below the third rapid cooling temperature and above the first rapid cooling temperature as set temperatures in the third rapid cooling control, and then set the third rapid cooling temperature as the set temperature. That is, the set temperature can also be set in stages in the third rapid cooling control. In the third rapid cooling control, when multiple temperatures below the third rapid cooling temperature and above the first rapid cooling temperature are set as set temperatures, each set temperature and the time set at each set temperature are set to prevent the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 and the temperature of the food from changing drastically. Furthermore, the time during which the third rapid cooling temperature is set as the set temperature is the third rapid cooling time.

[0056] According to variation 2 of embodiment 2, when the first quench control ends, even if the temperature of the food is near the first quench temperature, the temperature can be gradually increased without exceeding the third quench temperature. Therefore, the abrupt temperature change between the first and third quench controls can be suppressed, and the quality of the food can be maintained.

[0057] Implementation type 3. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the rapid cooling operation of Embodiment 3. As shown in Figure 12, Embodiment 3 differs from Embodiment 1 in that, while continuing the first rapid cooling control after the first judgment time has elapsed, the cooling capacity of the cooling device is stronger than before the first judgment time has elapsed. The other components of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 3 are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

[0058] The cooling capacity of the cooling device is enhanced, for example, by increasing the speed of the blower 34 to deliver more cold air to the freezer compartment 15, or by increasing the speed of the compressor 31 to lower the temperature of the cold air, as described below. Furthermore, if a regulating damper 200 is provided in the airflow path supplying air to the storage compartment of the object undergoing rapid cooling, the cooling capacity of the cooling device can also be enhanced by opening the regulating damper 200 to deliver more air to the storage compartment.

[0059] According to embodiment 3, the freezer compartment 15 can be cooled in a shorter time. Therefore, when the first quench time is set to a fixed time, the overall cooling operation time can be shortened, and energy efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, since the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 can be rapidly reduced to the first quench temperature when the cooling operation time is set to a fixed time, the first quench time can be ensured to be longer, thus the food temperature can be cooled to the target temperature more reliably.

[0060] Implementation type 4. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the rapid cooling operation of Embodiment 4. As shown in Figure 13, Embodiment 4 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the cooling device operates at the point where the phased enhancement occurs within the first judgment time. The other components of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 4 are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

[0061] The cooling control unit 52 enhances the cooling capacity of the cooling device in stages as the adjustment time elapses, up to the first judgment time. In the example of Figure 13, the cooling capacity of the cooling device is enhanced at the points after the first adjustment time following the intervention of the first rapid cooling control, after the first adjustment time and after the second adjustment time, and after the second adjustment time and after the third adjustment time. Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on enhancing the cooling capacity of the cooling device in several stages. Also, the first adjustment time, the second adjustment time, and the third adjustment time can each be of the same length, or the longer the time after the first rapid cooling control begins, the shorter the adjustment time can be.

[0062] According to implementation type 4, by gradually enhancing the cooling capacity of the cooling device, the situation of rapidly cooling the freezer compartment 15 can be suppressed, and energy-saving performance can be improved.

[0063] Implementation type 5. Figure 14 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 5. As shown in Figure 14, embodiment 5 differs from embodiment 1 in the point where the food information acquisition device 450, which acquires information about the food stored in the freezer compartment 15, is included. The other components of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 5 are the same as those in embodiment 1.

[0064] Refrigerator 1 includes a food information acquisition device 450 that acquires information about food stored in the freezer compartment 15, which is intended for rapid cooling operation. The food information acquisition device 450 may be any one or both of the following: a camera or similar imaging unit that captures images of the food in the freezer compartment 15, an analysis unit such as a processor that analyzes the captured images, and a weighing scale that measures the weight of the food in the freezer compartment 15. Furthermore, the user can also directly input information about the food from the operation display unit 106. In this case, the operation display unit 106 functions as the food information acquisition device 450. When the user directly inputs information about the food from the operation display unit 106, the target food may be food already stored in the target freezer compartment, or food that was stored before the rapid cooling operation was initiated by the user. The food information acquired by the food information acquisition device 450 includes one or more information such as the type, quantity, volume, shelf life, and recipe of the food. If the food is decomposable, the volume of a single piece can also be obtained. Alternatively, the size (width, height, or thickness of any one of the storage bags containing the food) can be used as the volume of the food.

[0065] The control device 50 includes a food information acquisition unit 53. The food information acquisition unit 53 is a functional unit implemented by the processor of the control device 50 executing a program stored in the storage unit 51. The food information acquisition unit 53 can also be implemented using a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The food information acquisition unit 53 acquires information about the food obtained by the food information acquisition device 450 and transmits it to the cooling control unit 52.

[0066] The cooling control section 52 sets more than any one of the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the action content of the cooling device based on the information of the food obtained through the food information acquisition section 53 . For example, it is also possible to pre-correspond and store in the storage section 51 the information of any more than the type, amount, and volume of the food, to the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the action content of the cooling device, and set the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the action content of the cooling device corresponding to the obtained information. It is also possible to store representative content only in the storage section 51. The cooling control section 52 sets any of the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the action content of the cooling device based on the content in the storage section 51 that is closest to the obtained information. The information of the food stored in the storage section 51 sets the action content in such a way that the longer the time required for the cooling of the food, the shorter the first judgment time, the longer the first rapid cooling time, and the stronger the cooling capacity of the cooling device. For example, since the greater the amount of food, it can be said that the longer the time required for the cooling of the food is, it is set so that the first judgment time is shorter, the first rapid cooling time is longer, and the cooling capacity of the cooling device is stronger. Also, due to the size of a piece of food or the size of the preservation bag, it can be said that the longer the cooling time of the food is required, so it is set to a shorter first judgment time, a longer first rapid cooling time, and a stronger cooling capacity of the cooling device. Further, the time point at which the food will be used for cooking may be presumed from the storage period and the recipe, and any one of the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the action content of the cooling device may be adjusted so that the presumed time point will appear in the quick cooling operation of the food.

[0067] According to embodiment type 5, by setting the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, or the action of the cooling device based on the information of the food, the situation of excessive time required for cooling can be suppressed and the cooling operation can be carried out efficiently.

[0068] Alternatively, a second rapid cooling temperature can also be set depending on the type, amount, volume and other information of the food obtained. For example, it is also possible to pre-correspond and store in the storage section 51 the information such as type, amount, volume, etc. of the food, and the second quick-cooling temperature of suitable subdivisions of the food, to set a second quick-cooling temperature corresponding to the obtained information of the kind, amount, volume, etc. of the food. Thus, by setting the second rapid cooling temperature according to the food, there is no need to cause the second rapid cooling temperature to drop excessively. Therefore, the ease of food processing can be maintained and the decline in energy saving performance can be suppressed.

[0069] Implementation Type6. Figure 15 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 6. As shown in Figure 15, embodiment 6 differs from embodiment 1 in that it has a load determination unit 54 with an estimated load amount and sets the operation of the cooling device based on the estimated result. The other components of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 6 are the same as those in embodiment 1.

[0070] The control device 50 includes a load determination unit 54. The load determination unit 54 is a functional unit implemented by the processor of the control device 50 executing a program stored in the storage unit 51. The load determination unit 54 can also be implemented using a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the method for determining the load inside the box in Embodiment 6. The load determination unit 54 estimates the load amount of the food loaded into the box based on the temperature change during the first rapid cooling control. The load determination unit 54 estimates that the greater the slope of the temperature drop, the smaller the load amount. In Figure 16, since the slope of the temperature drop shown in (A) is greater than the slope of the temperature drop shown in (B), it is determined that the load amount is less during the rapid cooling operation that produces the temperature drop in (A) than during the rapid cooling operation that produces the temperature drop in (B). The load determination unit 54 transmits the estimated load amount of the food to the cooling control unit 52.

[0071] If the cooling control unit 52 receives the load of the food estimated by the load determination unit 54, it changes the operation of the cooling device during the rapid cooling process after receiving the load based on the load estimated by the load determination unit 54. Specifically, the cooling control unit 52 changes the operation of the cooling device in such a way that the cooling capacity is weaker when the load is smaller, and changes the operation of the cooling device in such a way that the cooling capacity is stronger when the load is larger.

[0072] According to implementation type 6, the cooling capacity of the cooling device is adjusted based on the load. Therefore, under heavy loads, the cooling capacity can be enhanced to suppress delayed cooling of food and improve user convenience. Furthermore, under light loads, the cooling capacity is reduced to avoid excessive cooling, thereby improving energy efficiency. Additionally, by determining the load in the first rapid cooling control, the cooling capacity can be adjusted in advance.

[0073] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 52 can also set one or more of the first judgment time and the first rapid cooling time based on the estimated load. For example, the cooling control unit 52 can also set the first judgment time to be shorter and the first rapid cooling time to be longer as the load increases.

[0074] Implementation type 7. Embodiment 7 differs from Embodiment 1 in that it sets one or more of the following points based on the detection results of the opening / closing sensor 400: the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the operation of the cooling device. The other components of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 7 are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

[0075] The cooling control unit 52 analyzes the detection results of the opening and closing sensor 400, and obtains, for example, the opening time when the door of the freezer compartment 15 was last opened, and the elapsed time from when the door was last closed until the first rapid cooling control is started.

[0076] When the door opening time is relatively long and the time elapsed from the door closing to the start of the first rapid cooling control is relatively short, it can be inferred that the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 and the food will rise. Therefore, in this case, the time from the start of the first rapid cooling control to the freezer compartment 15 reaching the first rapid cooling temperature, and the time until the food is cooled, will be relatively long. On the other hand, when the door opening time is relatively short and the time elapsed from the door closing to the start of the first rapid cooling control is relatively long, it can be inferred that the temperature rise of the freezer compartment 15 and the food will be smaller, and the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 and the food will be close to the set temperature during normal operation, i.e., the normal cooling temperature. Therefore, in this case, the time from the start of the first rapid cooling control to the freezer compartment 15 reaching the first rapid cooling temperature, and the time until the food is cooled, will be relatively short.

[0077] The cooling control unit 52, based on the above viewpoint, sets one or more of the following: a first judgment time, a first rapid cooling time, and the operation of the cooling device, according to the door opening time and the elapsed time. Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating the method for setting the first judgment time in Embodiment 7. As shown in Figure 17, when the door opening time is longer than a reference, the cooling control unit 52 shifts the first judgment time to a shorter direction than the reference; when the door opening time is shorter than the reference, it shifts the first judgment time to a longer direction than the reference. Similarly, when the elapsed time is longer than the reference, it shifts the first judgment time to a longer direction than the reference; when the elapsed time is shorter than the reference, it shifts the first judgment time to a shorter direction than the reference. The larger the deviation of the door opening time and the elapsed time from the reference, the larger the amount of deviation of the first judgment time is set, and the final first judgment time is set by combining the deviation caused by the door opening time and the deviation caused by the elapsed time. By making the first decision time shorter than the baseline, it is easier to continuously perform the first quench control to control the freezer compartment 15 to a lower temperature than the second quench control, thereby lowering the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 below the first quench temperature and cooling the food to the target temperature. By making the first decision time longer, it is easier to switch to the second quench control and suppress overcooling.

[0078] Figure 18 illustrates the method for setting the first rapid cooling time in Embodiment 7. As shown in Figure 18, when the door opening time is longer than the reference, the cooling control unit 52 shifts the first rapid cooling time to a length greater than the reference, and when the door opening time is shorter than the reference, it shifts the first rapid cooling time to a length less than the reference. Similarly, when the elapsed time is longer than the reference, the first rapid cooling time shifts to a length less than the reference, and when the elapsed time is shorter than the reference, it shifts the first rapid cooling time to a length greater than the reference. The larger the deviation of the door opening time and the elapsed time from the reference, the larger the amount of deviation of the first rapid cooling time is set. The final first rapid cooling time is set by combining the deviation caused by the door opening time and the deviation caused by the elapsed time. By making the first rapid cooling time longer, the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 can be lowered below the first rapid cooling temperature, and the temperature of the food can be cooled to the target temperature. By making the first rapid cooling time shorter than the reference, normal operation can be resumed earlier, and overcooling can be prevented.

[0079] Figure 19 illustrates the method for setting the cooling capacity in Embodiment 7. As shown in Figure 19, the cooling control unit 52 shifts the cooling capacity towards a stronger value than the reference when the door opening time is longer than the reference, and shifts it towards a weaker value than the reference when the door opening time is shorter than the reference. Similarly, it shifts the cooling capacity towards a weaker value than the reference when the elapsed time is longer than the reference, and shifts it towards a stronger value than the reference when the elapsed time is shorter than the reference. The larger the difference between the door opening time and the elapsed time and the reference, the larger the amount of cooling capacity shift is set by the cooling control unit 52. The final cooling capacity is set by combining the shifts caused by the door opening time and the elapsed time. Furthermore, the cooling control unit 52 sets the operation of the cooling device to have the set cooling capacity. By increasing the cooling capacity, the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 can be lowered below the first rapid cooling temperature, and the temperature of the food can be cooled to the target temperature. By decreasing the cooling capacity, overcooling can be suppressed.

[0080] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 52 can also set only the preset first judgment time, first rapid cooling time, and cooling capacity based on the door opening time and elapsed time. Also, in order to minimize the time required for rapid cooling operation, the first rapid cooling time can be shortened or the cooling capacity can be enhanced.

[0081] According to implementation type 7, one or more of the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the operation of the cooling device are adjusted based on the door opening time and the elapsed time. Therefore, even when the temperature of the storage compartment and the food is high at the start of rapid cooling operation, the temperature of the food can be cooled to the target temperature. Furthermore, when the temperature of the storage compartment and the food is low, excessive cooling is avoided, thus improving energy efficiency.

[0082] Furthermore, in addition to the opening time and elapsed time, the number of times the door is opened and closed within a pre-set time (e.g., 1 hour) before the start of the first rapid cooling control can also be used, as well as the cumulative door opening time within the pre-set time (e.g., 1 hour) before the start of the first rapid cooling control. If the number of opening and closing times exceeds the baseline, and the cumulative door opening time exceeds the baseline, it can be inferred that the temperature of the storage compartment and the food is rising. Therefore, in such cases, the cooling control unit 52 shifts the first judgment time to a shorter value than the baseline, shifts the first rapid cooling time to a longer value than the baseline, and shifts the cooling capacity to a stronger value than the baseline. On the other hand, if the number of opening and closing times is less than the baseline, and the cumulative door opening time is shorter than the baseline, it can be inferred that the temperature rise of the storage compartment and the food is smaller. Therefore, in such cases, the cooling control unit 52 shifts the first judgment time to a longer value than the baseline, shifts the first rapid cooling time to a shorter value than the baseline, and shifts the cooling capacity to a weaker value than the baseline.

[0083] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 52 can also include the indoor temperature (outdoor temperature) of the refrigerator 1 in the elements used to set the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the operation of the cooling device. The outdoor temperature is obtained from an outdoor temperature sensor located outside the refrigerator 1. When the outdoor temperature is higher than a reference, the cooling control unit 52 shifts the first judgment time to a shorter direction than the reference, shifts the first rapid cooling time to a longer direction than the reference, and shifts the cooling capacity to a stronger direction than the reference.

[0084] In addition to the door opening time and elapsed time, the number of opening and closing times, cumulative door opening time, and external temperature are also considered. The more these elements deviate from the reference, the greater the deviation of the first judgment time, first rapid cooling time, and cooling capacity from the reference will be. Furthermore, the final first judgment time, first rapid cooling time, and cooling capacity are set based on the deviation caused by the specified elements. Moreover, the elements used to set the first judgment time, first rapid cooling time, and cooling capacity can be specified before shipment from the factory or by the user.

[0085] Implementation type 8. Figure 20 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 8. As shown in Figure 20, embodiment 8 differs from embodiment 1 in that it has a removal judgment unit 55 that estimates whether food has been removed and controls the operation of the cooling device based on the estimation result. The other components of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 8 are the same as those in embodiment 1.

[0086] The control device 50 includes a retrieval determination unit 55. The retrieval determination unit 55 is a functional unit implemented by the processor of the control device 50 executing a program stored in the storage unit 51. The retrieval determination unit 55 can also be implemented using a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The retrieval determination unit 55 determines whether food has been retrieved when the door of the storage compartment, which is used for cooling operations, is opened and closed. out.

[0087] Figures 21 and 22 illustrate the method for determining whether food has been removed in Embodiment 8. Figure 21 shows the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 before the food is removed after the freezer door 150 is opened and closed. Figure 22 shows the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 after the food is removed after the freezer door 150 is opened and closed. As shown in Figure 21, when the food is not removed, the slope of the temperature drop in the freezer compartment 15 is almost the same before and after the freezer door 150 is opened and closed. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 22, when the food is removed, the slope of the temperature drop in the freezer compartment 15 after the freezer door 150 is opened and closed is steeper than the slope of the temperature drop in the freezer compartment 15 before the freezer door 150 is opened and closed. This is because the heat load in the freezer compartment 15 decreases when the food is removed.

[0088] The removal determination unit 55, based on the above-mentioned viewpoint, detects the opening and closing of the freezer door 150 according to the detection results of the opening and closing sensor 400, and determines whether the food has been removed by observing the change in the slope of the temperature drop before and after opening and closing. Specifically, the removal determination unit 55 determines that the food has been removed along with the opening and closing of the freezer door 150 when the change in the slope of the temperature drop before and after opening and closing of the freezer door 150 is greater than or equal to a preset value or ratio. Conversely, the removal determination unit 55 determines that although the freezer door 150 has been opened and closed, the food has not been removed when the change in the slope of the temperature drop before and after opening and closing of the freezer door 150 is less than or equal to a preset value or ratio. After the freezer door 150 opens and closes, the removal determination unit 55 transmits the determination result of whether the food has been removed to the cooling control unit 52.

[0089] When the removal judgment unit 55 determines that no food has been removed, the cooling control unit 52 increases the cooling capacity of the cooling device to be stronger than before the freezer door 150 is opened and closed. Alternatively, the first judgment time may be extended. This is because the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 rises due to the opening and closing of the freezer door 150, thus delaying the cooling of the food. When the removal judgment unit 55 determines that food has been removed, the cooling control unit 52 terminates the rapid cooling operation since there is no food left.

[0090] According to implementation type 8, since the rapid cooling operation ends when the food is removed, excess energy consumption can be suppressed.

[0091] Furthermore, to determine whether food has been removed, an infrared sensor that detects the reflection of infrared light illuminating the food, a weight gauge that measures the weight of the food, or a camera that photographs the food in the storage compartment can also be used. In this case, it is possible to determine with good accuracy whether food has been removed. However, even without such equipment, the change in the slope of temperature drop before and after the freezer door 150 is opened and closed can also sufficiently and accurately determine whether food has been removed, and can prevent the increase in the cost of the refrigerator 1.

[0092] Implementation type 9. Figure 23 is a schematic diagram showing the refrigerator system 100 of Embodiment 9. As shown in Figure 23, the refrigerator system 100 includes: a refrigerator 1 and a terminal device 2. The refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 2 are communicatively connected to each other via the Internet or a home LAN or other network NW.

[0093] The refrigerator 1 in embodiment 9 includes a communication device 40. The communication device 40 is, for example, located on the front surface inside the refrigerator door 110 and electrically connected to the operation display unit 106 via wiring. Alternatively, the communication device 40 may be located on the inner side of the top surface of the outer casing 102, or inside the hinge 105, or it may be mounted on the outer casing 102 from the outside as another component. Alternatively, the communication device 40 may be integrated with the control device 50. The communication device 40 wirelessly communicates with the terminal device 2, receives data from the terminal device 2, and transmits the received data to the control device 50.

[0094] Terminal device 2 is an information processing terminal such as a smartphone or tablet computer. Figure 23 shows one terminal device 2, but there can be multiple terminal devices 2. Application software for operating refrigerator 1 is installed on terminal device 2. Terminal device 2 can operate refrigerator 1 and display information about refrigerator 1 by running the application software. For example, terminal device 2 can also receive user operations such as starting rapid cooling, scheduling the start or end time of rapid cooling, and setting the required time for rapid cooling, and transmit the signal indicating the operation to refrigerator 1. Furthermore, terminal device 2 displays various notifications on display unit 21 based on signals received from refrigerator 1.

[0095] Figure 24 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 9. As shown in Figure 24, the control device 50 has a notification unit 56. The notification unit 56 is a functional unit implemented by the processor of the control device 50 executing a program stored in the storage unit 51. The notification unit 56 can also be implemented by a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The notification unit 56 transmits signals to the terminal device 2 to display a first notification, a second notification, and a third notification.

[0096] Figures 25 and 26 illustrate the notification method of Embodiment 9. First, as shown in Figures 25 and 26, the notification unit 56 displays a first notification on the terminal device 2 when the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 reaches the first quench temperature after the first quench control has begun. The first notification, for example, indicates that the first quench control has been completed. Furthermore, the notification unit 56 can also display a first notification on the terminal device 2 even after the first notification time has elapsed after the first quench control has begun. The length of the first notification time is set to prevent excessively prolonged quench operation, for example, it is set to be longer than the first judgment time. The first notification time is, for example, stored in the storage unit 51 before shipment. The first notification time can also be set by the user.

[0097] The notification unit 56 determines whether the door opening and closing is detected after the first notification and within the second notification time based on the detection results of the opening / closing sensor 400. As shown in Figure 25, when the door opening and closing is detected within the second notification time, the terminal device 2 issues a second notification. The second notification time is set to be longer than the time required for the user to remove food from the freezer compartment 15 after confirming the first notification, for example, about 15 minutes. The second notification time is stored in the storage unit 51 before shipment, for example. The second notification time can also be set by the user. The second notification may be a message asking the user whether the food has been removed, i.e., whether to continue the rapid cooling operation. The terminal device 2 displaying the second notification receives the user's answer regarding whether to continue the rapid cooling operation. The terminal device 2 receives the user's answer and transmits it to the refrigerator 1.

[0098] When the cooling control unit 52 receives a response from the terminal device 2 that the food has been removed, i.e., a response that the quenching operation will not continue, it terminates the quenching operation. Figure 25 shows an example of a situation where the quenching operation is terminated and normal operation is resumed due to the response to the second notification that the quenching operation will not continue.

[0099] As shown in Figure 26, if no opening or closing of the freezer door 150 is detected within the second notification time, the notification unit 56 determines that the user has forgotten to use the food and displays a third notification on the terminal device 2. The third notification may be a message urging the user to use the food. Even after the third notification is displayed and the third notification time has elapsed, if the freezer door 150 is not opened or closed, the cooling control unit 52 determines that the user will not remove the food afterward and ends the blast cooling operation. The third notification time is set to be longer than the time required for the user to remove the food from the freezer 15 after confirming the third notification, for example, about 15 minutes. The third notification time may be stored in the storage unit 51 before shipment. The third notification time may also be set by the user. Figure 26 shows an example where, because the freezer door 150 has not been opened or closed even after the third notification time has elapsed, the blast cooling operation ends and normal operation resumes.

[0100] Figure 27 is a flowchart showing the operation of refrigerator 1 in implementation type 9. The flowchart in Figure 27 is executed by control device 50. First, after the first rapid cooling control is initiated (step S1), the notification unit 56 determines whether the temperature of the freezer compartment 15 is below the first rapid cooling temperature or whether the first notification time has passed (step S21). If neither condition in step S21 is met (step S21: No), the notification unit 56 waits until either condition in step S21 is met. If either condition in step S21 is met (step S21: Yes), the notification unit 56 notifies terminal device 2 of the first notification (step S22).

[0101] After the first notification is issued, the notification unit 56 determines whether the freezer door 150 has been opened or closed within the second notification period (step S23). If the freezer door 150 has been opened or closed within the second notification period (step S23: Yes), the notification unit 56 issues a second notification (step S24) and determines whether a response has been received from the user regarding the removal of food as indicated in the second notification (step S25). If a response has been received from the user regarding the removal of food as indicated in the second notification (step S25: Yes), the cooling control unit 52 terminates the rapid cooling operation. If a response has not been received from the user regarding the removal of food as indicated in the second notification (step S25: No), the notification unit 56 waits until the second notification period has elapsed for the freezer door 150 to open or close, and for a response from the user regarding the removal of food as indicated in the second notification (steps S23-S25). The notification unit 56 may also issue a second notification several times until the second notification period has elapsed.

[0102] If the freezer door 150 is not opened or closed within the second notification period (step S23: No), the notification unit 56 notifies the third notification (step S26) and determines whether the freezer door 150 was opened or closed within the third notification period (step S27). If the freezer door 150 was opened or closed within the third notification period (step S27: Yes), the notification unit 56 notifies the second notification (step S24) and determines whether the user has received confirmation that the food has been removed (step S25). If the freezer door 150 is not opened or closed within the third notification period (step S27: No), the cooling control unit 52 terminates the rapid cooling operation.

[0103] According to implementation type 9, since the first notification quickly informs the user that the food has finished cooling, the user can begin cooking without wasting time. Furthermore, by confirming whether to continue the rapid cooling operation through a second notification, unnecessary rapid cooling operations can be prevented, improving energy efficiency. Finally, by urging the user to consume the food through a third notification, situations where the user forgets to consume the food can be prevented.

[0104] Furthermore, refrigerator 1 and terminal device 2 can communicate directly or via a server. The first, second, and third notifications can also be displayed on the operation display unit 106. Terminal device 2 and operation display unit 106 are equivalent to the "notification device" of this invention. Furthermore, the first, second, and third notifications can also be announced via voice rather than via text message. Show.

[0105] In response to the second notification, it can not only address the main point of continuing the quenching operation without removing the food, but also extend the quenching operation time. Furthermore, the quenching operation can be extended by responding to the main point of not removing the food. The second notification can also be used by the user to directly terminate control, or conversely, to urge an extension of the control time.

[0106] Implementation type 10. Figure 28 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 10. As shown in Figure 28, embodiment 10 differs from embodiment 9 in the point where it has a learning device 61 for learning whether food has been removed. The other components of the refrigerator system 100 in embodiment 10 are the same as those in embodiment 9.

[0107] Refrigerator 1 has an external temperature sensor 500. The external temperature sensor 500 measures the air temperature inside the room where refrigerator 1 is located (external temperature). The external temperature sensor 500 is, for example, a thermistor. The temperature measured by the external temperature sensor 500 is transmitted to the control device 50.

[0108] After the first notification as described in Implementation Type 9, the storage compartment door may be opened and closed for reasons other than retrieving food. Therefore, if the second notification is triggered solely by opening and closing the door, the user may be forced to frequently answer whether the food has been retrieved (whether to continue the blast cooling operation) even if the food has not actually been retrieved. In this case, it is generally believed that the user will become annoyed by the second notification and neglect to respond. If the second notification is ignored, the continuation, termination, and extension of the blast cooling operation cannot be controlled by issuing the second notification. Especially when the food has been retrieved, failure to respond that the blast cooling operation has ended will lead to a decrease in energy efficiency. Furthermore, if the number of second notifications is unnecessarily excessive, the possibility of erroneous operations such as responding that the food has been retrieved even if it has not been retrieved will increase. If erroneous operations occur, there is a concern that additional operations may be required to re-instruct the blast cooling operation, or that the food may not be sufficiently cooled when it is actually retrieved.

[0109] Furthermore, in embodiment 10, the appropriate notification time for the second notification is learned using the learning device 61. The control device 50 includes a learning device 61 having a learning data acquisition unit 611 and a learning unit 612. The learning data acquisition unit 611 acquires door opening / closing information, temperature information, and the user's responses to each second notification as learning data. The learning data is acquired over a pre-set learning period. The door opening / closing information includes, for example, information indicating the time when the door is opened and closed, the door opening time, and which storage compartment door is opened and closed, in relation to all responses and the opening and closing of all storage compartment doors during the learning period. The temperature information includes the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the internal temperature sensors 300 and the temperature inside the refrigerator 1 (external temperature) detected by the external temperature sensor 500. The user's responses to the second notification include the transmission time of the second notification and the content of the response. Based on such learning materials, one can grasp the user's tendency to respond to the second notification that food has been taken out of the storage room, which is used for quenching, with door opening and closing information and temperature information.

[0110] The learning unit 612 learns the correlation between door opening / closing information, temperature information, and the user's response to the second notification, and establishes additional correlations. Specifically, the learning unit 612 generates or modifies a learning model LM based on the door opening / closing information and temperature information obtained by the learning data acquisition unit 611, and the user's response to the second notification. This model takes the door opening / closing information and temperature information as input and outputs whether food has been removed from the quench-cooled storage compartment. Specifically, the learning model LM estimates whether food has been removed based on the time and duration of the door opening and closing of the quench-cooled storage compartment, and the temperature of each storage compartment and the outside temperature during a pre-set period before and after the door opening and closing (hereinafter referred to as the opening / closing period). The learning algorithm used by the learning unit 612 is not particularly limited. For example, when applying a neural network, during the training of the learning model LM, when the time of opening and closing of the door of the rapidly cooling storage chamber, the opening time, and the temperature of each storage chamber and the outside temperature during the opening and closing time are used as inputs, the weight parameters of the neural network are adjusted so that the output of whether the food has been taken out by the learning model LM becomes the actual whether the food has been taken out. After the learning unit 612 completes the adjustment of the weight parameters, it reflects the weight parameters back to the learning model LM. The learning unit 612 stores the learning model LM in the storage unit 51.

[0111] Figure 29 is a flowchart illustrating the learning method for the appropriate notification time of the second notification in Implementation Type 10. The flowchart in Figure 29 is executed by the learning device 61. First, the learning data acquisition unit 611 acquires door opening / closing information, temperature information, and the user's responses to each second notification as learning data throughout the learning period (step S31). The learning unit 612 performs learning processing based on the learning data acquired by the learning data acquisition unit 611 to generate a learning model LM (step S32), and stores the generated learning model LM in the storage unit 51 (step S33).

[0112] According to implementation type 10, a learning model LM is generated to determine whether food has been removed. When the learning model LM determines that the food has been removed, a second notification is sent, thereby preventing users from feeling annoyed or making mistakes.

[0113] Alternatively, the learning device 61 and the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 can be set up independently. For example, the learning device 61 can be set on a server that can communicate with the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the learning device 61 can store the learning model LM on a server that can communicate with the refrigerator 1, rather than in the storage unit 51 of the refrigerator 1. In this case, refrigerators other than the refrigerator 1 can also use the learning model LM to determine whether food has been removed.

[0114] Implementation type 11. Figure 30 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 11. Embodiment 11 differs from embodiment 10 in the point where it has a notification unit 56 and the point where it has a reasoning device 71 for estimating the appropriate notification time point of the second notification, replacing the learning device 61.

[0115] The control device 50 includes a deduction device 71 having a deduction data acquisition unit 711 and a deduction unit 712. The deduction data acquisition unit 711 acquires door opening and closing information and temperature information as deduction data. Specifically, the deduction data acquisition unit 711 acquires the time and opening duration of the doors of the storage compartments for objects undergoing rapid cooling operation when they are opened and closed, as well as the temperature of each storage compartment and the outside temperature during the opening and closing of the doors.

[0116] The inference unit 712 takes door opening / closing information and temperature information as input, and inputs these information into the learning model LM, which is used to output whether food has been removed from the quench-running storage compartment, thereby determining whether food has been removed. The learning model LM is generated, for example, by the method described in Embodiment 10 and stored in the storage unit 51. Specifically, the inference unit 712 inputs the door opening / closing time and opening duration of the quench-running storage compartment, as well as the temperature of each storage compartment and the outside temperature during the door opening / closing time, obtained by the inference data acquisition unit 711, into the learning model LM to determine whether food has been removed.

[0117] The notification department 56 shall issue a second notification only if the inference department 712 determines that food has been removed from the storage room of the object undergoing rapid cooling operation.

[0118] Figure 31 is a flowchart showing the notification method for the second notification in implementation mode 11. The flowchart in Figure 31 is executed by the control device 50 having the inference device 71. First, after the door is opened and closed, the inference data acquisition unit 711 acquires door opening / closing information and temperature information as inference data (step S41). The inference unit 712 inputs the inference data obtained by the inference data acquisition unit 711 into the learning model LM (step S42), and obtains whether the food from the object storage compartment of the quenching operation has been taken out (step S43). Then, the notification unit 56 determines whether the food has been taken out (step S44). If the food has been taken out (step S44: yes), the notification unit 56 notifies the second notification (step S45). If the food has not been taken out (step S44: no), the notification unit 56 does not notify the second notification and ends the process.

[0119] According to implementation type 11, when the learning model LM used to determine whether food has been removed determines that food has been removed from the quench-cooling storage compartment, a second notification is issued. Therefore, it can prevent users from feeling annoyed or making mistakes.

[0120] Alternatively, the inference device 71 and the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 can be set up independently. For example, the inference device 71 can be set on a server or the like that can communicate with the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the inference device 71 can use a learning model LM stored on a server or the like that can communicate with the refrigerator 1, instead of the learning model LM stored in the storage unit 51 of the refrigerator 1. In this case, the inference device 71 can use the learning model LM learned by a refrigerator other than the refrigerator 1 and stored on a server or the like to determine whether food has been taken out. Also, the refrigerator 1 can have both a learning device 61 and an inference device 71. The person.

[0121] Implementation type 12. Figure 32 is a control block diagram of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 12. Embodiment 12 differs from embodiment 9 in that the refrigerator system 100 has a position information acquisition unit 57 that controls the rapid cooling operation based on the position information of terminal device 2.

[0122] As shown in Figure 23 of Embodiment 9, the refrigerator system 100 is in a state where the refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 2 can communicate. The refrigerator 1 has a communication device 40 for communicating with the terminal device 2.

[0123] The control device 50 includes a location information acquisition unit 57. The location information acquisition unit 57 is a functional unit implemented by the processor of the control device 50 executing a program stored in the storage unit 51. The location information acquisition unit 57 can also be implemented using a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The location information acquisition unit 57 communicates with the terminal device 2 and acquires the location information (e.g., GPS information) of the terminal device 2. The location information acquisition unit 57 transmits the acquired location information to the cooling control unit. 52.

[0124] The cooling control unit 52 controls the rapid cooling operation based on the acquired location information. For example, consider a case where a user instructs via terminal device 2 to initiate rapid cooling at a user-set time while out. In this case, when the location information indicates that the user with terminal device 2 is within the preset range, the cooling control unit 52 will extend the rapid cooling operation even after the user-set time has elapsed, canceling the termination of the rapid cooling operation. This allows the rapid cooling operation to be terminated before cooking begins, even if the user's return home is later than planned, preventing the food temperature from exceeding the suitable processing temperature.

[0125] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 52 detects changes in location information to indicate when a user is returning home from a pre-registered location such as a workplace or supermarket. When this is detected, the cooling control unit 52 automatically initiates rapid cooling. By obtaining the travel time from the registered location to the user's home, the cooling control unit 52 can adjust the first rapid cooling time or the start date of the first rapid cooling control, ensuring that the rapid cooling operation is completed when the user returns home. The travel time from the registered location to the user's home can be automatically set based on the distance between the registered location and the user's home, or it can be manually registered in advance by the user.

[0126] In implementation type 12, the rapid cooling operation is controlled based on location information. Therefore, users can smoothly begin cooking when they return home from outside.

[0127] The embodiments have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes all combinations of the configurations shown in the above embodiments and their modifications. For example, the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 can also combine the various methods described in the embodiments to comprehensively determine the first judgment time, the first rapid cooling time, and the operation of the cooling device.

[0128] 1: Refrigerator 2: Terminal device 3: External devices 11: Refrigerator 12: Ice making room 13: Switching Room 14: Vegetable and Fruit Room 15: Freezer 16: Cooling Chamber 21: Display Section 31: Compressor 33: Cooler 34: Blower 40: Communication device 50: Control device 51: Storage Department 52: Cooling Control Department 53: Food Information Acquisition Department 54: Load Judgment Unit 55: Remove the judgment unit 56: Notification Department 57: Location Information Acquisition Department 61: Learning Device 71: Inference apparatus 100: Refrigeration System 101: Refrigerator Body 102:Outer box 103: Inner Box 104: Thermal Insulation Material 105: Hinges 106: Operation Display Section 106a: Operations Section 106b: Display Unit 110: Refrigerator door 111,131,141,151: Wind Path 112, 132, 142: Adjustable dampers 113, 133, 143, 153: Internal temperature sensor 114, 134, 144, 154: On / off sensors 120: Ice room door 130: Switch door 140: Door to the Vegetable and Fruit Room 150: Freezer door 200: Adjustable damper 300: Internal temperature sensor 400: Open / Close Sensor 450: Food Information Acquisition Device 500: External temperature sensor 611: Learning Materials Acquisition Department 612: Study Department 711: Inference Data Acquisition Department 712: Inference Section NW: Network LM: Learning Model

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator body having a storage compartment for storing stored items; an internal temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air inside the storage compartment, i.e., the storage compartment temperature; a cooling device for cooling the storage compartment; and a control device for performing a normal operation of maintaining the storage compartment temperature at a normal cooling temperature and a rapid cooling operation of temporarily lowering the storage compartment temperature to a temperature below the normal cooling temperature; wherein the control device performs the following control: during the rapid cooling operation, a first rapid cooling control is performed, which sets a first rapid cooling temperature below the normal cooling temperature as the storage compartment temperature; if a first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control when the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature, then the first rapid cooling control continues; if the first judgment time has elapsed since the start of the first rapid cooling control when the storage compartment temperature reaches the first rapid cooling temperature, then the first rapid cooling control ends.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned control device, when the temperature of the aforementioned storage chamber reaches the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature, if the aforementioned first rapid cooling control has not been initiated after the aforementioned first judgment time, then after the aforementioned first rapid cooling control ends, performs a second rapid cooling control, using a second rapid cooling temperature that is lower than the aforementioned conventional cooling temperature but higher than the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature as the aforementioned set temperature to control the aforementioned cooling device.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, wherein, The aforementioned control device controls the second rapid cooling time after the temperature of the aforementioned storage chamber reaches the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature.

4. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, wherein, The aforementioned control device continues the second rapid cooling control for a second rapid cooling time after the temperature of the aforementioned storage chamber reaches the aforementioned second rapid cooling temperature in the aforementioned second rapid cooling control.

5. The refrigerator as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein, The aforementioned second quenching temperature is a temperature below -20°C, or a temperature below the freezing and concentration glass transfer temperature of the aforementioned contents.

6. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, It includes: a food information acquisition device that acquires one or more information regarding the type, quantity, and volume of the aforementioned stored items; and a control device that sets the aforementioned second quenching temperature based on the information acquired by the aforementioned food information acquisition device.

7. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, When the aforementioned control device continues to perform the aforementioned first rapid cooling control after the aforementioned first judgment time has elapsed, it continues to perform the aforementioned first rapid cooling control from the time the aforementioned storage chamber temperature reaches the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature until the first rapid cooling time has elapsed.

8. The refrigerator as described in claim 7, wherein, It includes: a food information acquisition device that acquires one or more information regarding the type, quantity, volume, storage period, and recipe of the aforementioned stored items; and a control device that sets one or more of the aforementioned first judgment time, the aforementioned first rapid cooling time, and the cooling capacity of the aforementioned cooling device based on the information acquired by the aforementioned food information acquisition device.

9. The refrigerator as described in claim 7, wherein, The aforementioned control device estimates the load of the aforementioned stored items in the aforementioned storage chamber based on the temperature change of the aforementioned storage chamber in the aforementioned first rapid cooling control, and sets one or more of the aforementioned first judgment time, the aforementioned first rapid cooling time and the cooling capacity of the aforementioned cooling device based on the estimated load.

10. The refrigerator as described in claim 7, wherein, It includes: a door located in front of the aforementioned storage room; and an opening / closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the aforementioned door; the aforementioned control device sets one or more of the aforementioned first judgment time, the aforementioned first rapid cooling time, and the cooling capacity of the aforementioned cooling device based on the information detected by the aforementioned opening / closing sensor.

11. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, When the aforementioned control device continues to perform the aforementioned first rapid cooling control after the aforementioned first judgment time has elapsed, after the aforementioned storage chamber temperature reaches the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature and after the second judgment time has elapsed, it performs the third rapid cooling control by setting the aforementioned cooling device at a third rapid cooling temperature that is lower than the aforementioned conventional cooling temperature but higher than the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature.

12. The refrigerator as described in claim 11, wherein, The aforementioned control device starts after the aforementioned second judgment time has elapsed and performs the aforementioned third rapid cooling control throughout the entire third rapid cooling time.

13. The refrigerator as described in claim 11, wherein, The aforementioned control device continues the third rapid cooling control for a third rapid cooling time after the temperature of the aforementioned storage chamber reaches the aforementioned third rapid cooling temperature in the aforementioned third rapid cooling control.

14. The refrigerator as described in claim 11, wherein, The aforementioned control device, in the aforementioned third rapid cooling control, sets a plurality of temperatures that are lower than the aforementioned third rapid cooling temperature and higher than the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature to the aforementioned set temperature in stages, and then sets the aforementioned third rapid cooling temperature to the aforementioned set temperature throughout the entire third rapid cooling time.

15. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, When the aforementioned control device continues to perform the aforementioned first rapid cooling control after the aforementioned first judgment time has elapsed, it enhances the cooling capacity of the aforementioned cooling device even more than before the aforementioned first judgment time has elapsed.

16. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The aforementioned control device enhances the cooling capacity of the aforementioned cooling device in stages during the aforementioned first judgment time period.

17. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, It includes: a door located in front of the aforementioned storage compartment; and an opening / closing sensor to detect the opening and closing of the aforementioned door; the aforementioned control device performs the following control: based on the information detected by the aforementioned opening / closing sensor and the temperature change of the aforementioned storage compartment, it determines whether the aforementioned stored item has been removed; if it is determined that the aforementioned stored item has been removed, it terminates the aforementioned rapid cooling operation; if it is determined that the aforementioned stored item has not been removed and the temperature change of the aforementioned storage compartment is above a critical value, it enhances the cooling capacity of the aforementioned cooling device or increases the aforementioned first determination time.

18. A refrigerator system comprising: a refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4; and a notification device; wherein the control device, after initiating the aforementioned first rapid cooling control, when the temperature of the aforementioned storage compartment reaches the aforementioned first rapid cooling temperature or when a first notification time has elapsed, notifies the aforementioned notification device of a first notification indicating that the aforementioned first rapid cooling control has been completed.

19. The refrigerator system as described in claim 18, wherein, The device includes: a door located in front of the aforementioned storage room; and an opening / closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the aforementioned door; the aforementioned control device performs the following control: based on the information detected by the aforementioned opening / closing sensor, it determines whether the opening or closing of the aforementioned door is detected after the aforementioned first notification and within the second notification period; if the opening or closing of the aforementioned door is detected, a second notification requesting an answer regarding whether the aforementioned stored item has been taken out is sent to the aforementioned notification device; if the opening or closing of the aforementioned door is not detected, a third notification urging the use of the aforementioned stored item is sent to the aforementioned notification device.

20. The refrigerator system as described in claim 19, wherein, It includes: an external temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the air inside the refrigerator; a learning data acquisition unit to acquire door opening and closing information detected by the aforementioned opening and closing sensor, temperature information detected by the aforementioned internal temperature sensor and the aforementioned external temperature sensor, and a response to the aforementioned second notification; and a learning unit to generate a learning model based on the aforementioned door opening and closing information, the aforementioned temperature information, and the response to the aforementioned second notification, for inferring whether the aforementioned stored item has been taken out, using the aforementioned door opening and closing information and the aforementioned temperature information as input.

21. The refrigerator system as described in claim 19, wherein, It includes: an external temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the air inside the refrigerator; an inference data acquisition unit to acquire door opening and closing information detected by the aforementioned opening and closing sensor, and temperature information detected by the aforementioned internal temperature sensor and the aforementioned external temperature sensor; and an inference unit that uses a learning model to infer whether the aforementioned stored item has been taken out from the aforementioned door opening and closing information and the aforementioned temperature information, and outputs whether the aforementioned stored item has been taken out from the aforementioned door opening and closing information and the aforementioned temperature information.

22. A refrigerator system comprising: a refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 4; and a terminal device communicating with the refrigerator; wherein the control device acquires location information of the terminal device and controls the rapid cooling operation based on the acquired location information.

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